DECEMBER 2020 520 West Church Street Albion, Nebraska 68620 402.395.2926 www.stmichael.esu7.org The mission of St. Michael’s School is to provide a challenging academic education integrated with Catholic values and morals, which will promote self-discipline, social responsibility, and a life-long enthusiasm for learning. PRINCIPAL’S PEACE Would you like to make ADVENT more memorable, and more positive for those you love and care about? Thoughtfully establish a new TRADITION! “Traditions can be wonderful ‘anchors’ in a life of uncertainty. Our best traditions remind us of our place and purpose in this world. And the good news is that you can establish your own tradition, and perhaps see it carried on for gener- ations to come. The strength of establishing a tradition lies within the ability of the tradition to make the participants cease their normal activities, and focus on the deeper meanings within a holiday. And, it doesn’t have to be expen- sive.” Advent tradition ideas to start at home: Instead of an “elf on the shelf” (who is sometimes naughty) find a “Christmas angel” who does kind deeds for people around the house. Read one of the many great advent books out there Create a family craft to share with someone alone Be Advent Angels amongst family members Write letters to baby Jesus. Donate toys you no longer use/need Donate to local Christmas service projects for those in need Bake cookies as a family and share them with someone else Thank our troops or a veteran Explore how other cultures celebrate the holidays Listen to music together Read the Christmas story to your kids Create an advent Jesse tree Make a prayer garland – cut out red/green slips, write names of people to pray for, draw one every day and pray for them during advent. Get an advent wreath and pray together Advent Prayer God of Love, St. Michael’s School staff Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. He is a sign of your love. hopes that all of our Help us walk in that love during the weeks of Advent, families have a Blessed As we wait and prepare for his coming. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Advent and a Merry Amen. Christmas. May God bless Peace in Christ! each and every one of you Mrs. Lisa Schumacher during this special season of anticipation and joy! Quoted source: https://www.catholic.org/advent/advent.php?id=27 NOTES FROM THE OFFICE Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Nov. 25, 26, 27: -NO SCHOOL—Happy Thanksgiving! Monday, November 30: 12/2 Owen Laska -JH Wrestling @ Neligh-Oakdale, 5:00 pm 12/7 Mrs. Jenkinson Tuesday, December 1: -8:10 am Mass, K-4 grades Sophia Ransen -Board of Education meeting, 7 pm 12/13 Aislynne Kurtenbach Wednesday, December 2: -8:10 am Mass, 5-8 grades 12/19 Tresdyn Stephens Thursday, December 3: 12/26 Nicholas Groeteke -Calendar Lottery sales DUE 12/29 Clara Morrow Friday, December 4: -Regular classes 12/29 Graham Niewohner-Knox Thank you! St. Michael’s K-8 Christmas St. Michael’s School and staff would like to thank SOCKS, Guardian programs will be going Angels, and all those who have made private donations to St. Michael’s School. These contributions enhance the learning in our VIRTUAL due to the increase in school by providing equipment and educational supplies that promote COVID in our area. Additional academic and spiritual growth in our school system. Thank you for information will follow your support! very soon! Calendar Lottery Sales ending soon! Only a couple weeks left to sell calendar lottery tickets! Don’t forget Weather Announcements to ask your relatives during Thanksgiving break if they would like to Our next snow day is likely just around the corner! purchase a chance to win money each day of the 2021 calendar Weather related announcements will come to you year! More tickets are available in the school office. through the Boone Central phone system. Sales will end on December 3rd with winners drawn on Sunday, IMPORTANT: When Boone Central has a weather- December 6. related dismissal, St. Michael’s also has one! You can also confirm any announcements at the fol- lowing locations: Reconciliation Radio: WJAG/KEXL, KJSK/KLIR, and US92/KNEN - St. Michael’s second grade students receive the sacramental gift of Boone Central posts radio cancellations for St. reconciliation on December 6th at 2pm. Receiving this gift is such a Michael’s delight to witness in our students. Confession offers us such a Television: Channels 13, 5 and 8 – Mrs. Schu- “freeing” feeling of relief and an embrace of love from God. St. macher posts TV cancellations for St. Michael’s Michael’s School lays a foundation for receiving reconciliation by par- ***Cold weather reminder—kids need boots, hats, ticipating in the sacrament during Advent and Lent. But the best way snow pants, gloves to play in the snow and stay warm to help your child receive eternal salvation is to be the example your on those cold, windy days! child imitates. Make it a habit of your own to regularly receive the wonderful gift of reconciliation! A Prayer for our Reconciliation Candidates Loving God help us to teach our children that you love us totally and unconditionally. Help us to encourage our children to grow in love and to learn how to say sorry, You shop, Amazon gives! knowing that you always forgive. Give us the courage to pray with our children When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates and to share our faith with them as we journey together. 0.5% to St. Michael’s. Log in as usual & select St. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen Michael’s Church/School as your organization. Each time you shop, St. Michael’s will receive .05%! Veteran’s Day—Patriot’s Pen Essay Winners! St. Michael's School 7th graders Grant Kuta and Cody Andreasen both won first place in the annual VFW Patriot's Pen Essay Contest. 8th grader Payton Sullivan won second place. Winners were announced at the Veteran's Day program at Boone Central. Congratulations! We are proud of you! VFW Auxiliary member, Denise Cook, presented flags to the third graders and talked about veterans and flag etiquette in honor of Veteran's Day Club’s Choice Contest Winner! Sophie Ransen was the winner of the Need a birthday or Christmas gift? Club’s Choice sales Save on gas and do your shopping at St. Michael's contest. Sophie is in Kindergarten SCRIP is a great way to spend money where you would nor- and is the daugh- mally spend! You purchase a gift card/certificate at face val- ter of Greg & Ash- ue and you get to spend the entire face value! Through the ley Ransen. Scrip program, St. Michael’s receives a percentage profit from each card used. Scrip gift cards can be ordered anytime. Have fun Sophie! See the complete retail list at: shop.shopwithscrip.com You can e-mail your order to St. Michael’s SOCKS team at [email protected]. Scrip cards available for purchase at St. Michael’s School Blessings in a Back Pack Volunteers office or after Mass every other weekend. The following cards are in stock: Amazon, Applebees, Arby’s, Bath & Body Works, Buckle, Buffalo Wild Wings, Burger King, Cheesecake Factory, Claire’s, Dairy Queen, Dick’s, Express, Fazoli’s, iTunes, Kohls, Lowes, Macy’s, Maurices, Menards, Old Navy, Olive Garden, Outback, Panera Bread, Papa Murphy’s, Pizza Hut, Red Robin, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, Target, Texas Roadhouse, TGI Fridays, Wendy’s, Under Armour, & WalMart. For a full listing of available stores go to shop- withscrip.com. Contact us and we can order for you! GRO- CERY CERTIFICATES for Albion Thriftyway & Gragert’s ShurSave are also available! Christmas Scrip card orders are due by December 7th. St. Michael’s teachers and staff members helped with the November Blessings in a Back Pack packing event. Those who volunteered were: Carol Nelson, Lisa Schumacher, Sheryl Ros- no, Jeni Porter, Darlene Cruise, Kathy Salber, Lucas, Isabella, & Cora Moeller. STAR Reading—*Apr. 2020 data not available due to COVID February 2020 NCE 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th St.Mike 65.7 76.3 68.5 57.8 64.1 52.4 55.9 51.4 Achievement Test Success O.Arch 63.9 59.6 55.1 54.9 53.8 49.8 51.2 50 St. Michael’s School students are successful learners and September 2020 their STAR data shows how amazing they are doing on NCE their reading and math assessments! We continue to see Scores 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th our students compare equally, and often better, than the St.Mike n/a 61.7 67 67 51.1 56.4 49.5 50.5 average Omaha Archdiocese Catholic school student. O.Arch n/a 51 54 52 50 49 49 49 Just LOOK at this STAR assessment data from the 2020 STAR Math—*Apr. 2020 data not available due to COVID year…see charts below. February 2020 Let’s keep this ball rolling and do it again this year! Con- NCE gratulations, once again, to our students & teachers - - Scores 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th you are STILL a bunch of smart cookies!! St.Mike 69.6 65.3 73.1 68.3 71.3 66.2 74.4 63.9 O.Arch 63.9 60.1 61.1 60.7 60.4 54.6 55.4 54.3 September 2020 NCE Scores 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th St.Mike 52.6 52.6 69.3 65.6 58.4 59.3 68.5 64.2 O.Arch n/a 48.3 56.9 52.7 51.5 52.4 52.9 53.3 Advent Project –Operation Christmas Child For Advent this year St.