23 St.

Charles Street Plattsburgh, NY 12901 518-825-7386

December 2012 Newsletter

Seton Academys Mission Statement: Encourage respect for everyone; Apply Biblical teachings to real life situations; Promote appreciation for the community celebration of the Eucharist; Foster a sense of community.

December Dates Sat. Dec. 1: Last day for Hannaford Helps Schools Dear Parents, Like a sudden cold snap or a surprise snowfall, Advent is here in the blink of an eye. Here in the United States, weve barely put away the turkey leftovers before we have to dig out the Advent wreath. It gets squeezed in, this season of waiting. And thats a shame because we really need Advent. We need Advent in our gotta have it now culture, because we need something to wait for. We need to taste the bittersweet seeds of anticipation; otherwise theres no flavor in the celebration fruit. We need Advent because Jesus tells us to be ready to receive him. We need Advent so we can become the people we were meant to be: a people waiting in joy for the eternal Christmas, for our own new birth in Gods kingdom. During this year of faith, let us use this Advent season well! December Prayer Intention (suggested by our Holy Father) Migrants That migrants throughout the world may be welcomed with generosity and authentic love especially by Christian communities Decembers Fruit of the Holy Spirit: Peace

Sunday, December 2 First Sunday of Advent Theme: Prepare the Way of the Lord
Questions: How do I keep my promises to my family? How is God asking our family to live?

Sun. Dec.2 First Penance Class for students from St. Johns Parish Annual Christmas Dinner (This is a joint effort between Seton Catholic and Seton Academy and is one of the times when we have the opportunity to get together and enjoy one another. Please do all that you can to support this festive event. Drawing for the St. Elizabeth Seton Sweepstake $1000 prize

Wed. Dec. 5: Picture retake for those who were absent on picture day and for those who need a retake (in this case, they must return the original package)

Thurs. Dec. 6: Feast of St. Nicholas (I think St. Nicholas is planning to visit Seton Academy) Fri. Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (Let us pray for all who died at Pearl Harbor and during the war that followed) Seton Academy students will be singing (and maybe playing bells) at the American Legion at 12:15 Sat. Dec. 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (This is an important feast in the United States because Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of our country. Did you know that the Mississippi River was once called the River of the Immaculate Conception?)

Sunday, December 16 Third Sunday of Advent Theme: The Lord Is in Your Midst Questions: What is the most important thing you have ever been taught by a family member? Do you remember how you learned the lesson? Mon. Dec. 17: Advent boxes for the Missionary Childhood are due. Tues. Dec. 18: Seton Academys Christmas Program At 1:00 PM for PreK, Kdg., Gr. 1, and Gr. 2. At 6:30 PM for grades 3-6 (The Mystery of Simon Shepherd) Please mark this date on your calendar. All students are expected to participate in this school-wide event. This will be the highlight of our Advent season. It is an inspiring and fun-filled presentation. Thursday, Dec. 20: Sixth graders will lead the school in the traditional Posada Prayer Service at 1:45 Fri. Dec. 21: Christmas vacation begins at dismissal time December 22 - January 1 Christmas vacation

Sunday, December 9 Second Sunday of Advent Theme: We are Sustained by Hope Questions of the week: How do we have peace in our family? Who is the peacemaker? How do you know? Sun, Dec 9: First Penance/Eucharist Class for students and parents of St. Peters Mon. Dec. 10: December payment due for St. Elizabeth Seton Sweepstakes (for those who opted to pay by the month) Wed. Dec. 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe 9:00 Mass at St. Peters planned by Miss Bleekers class Thurs. Dec. 13: Students have the opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation (grades 3-6). This is a great way to prepare for Christmas, especially in this Year of Faith. Faculty meeting at 3:00 Sat. Dec. 15: Faith in Action will be participating in the Light Up a Life for Hospice of the North Country (10:00-5:00 at the Mall)

December 23 Fourth Sunday of Advent

Theme: Blessed are Those Who Trust in the Lord Questions: What was the last difficult situation your family faced? Were you able to take some time out to discover how God wanted you to respond? How were you able to be a path for making God present in your family

December Birthdays
(Birthdays are announced on WIRY at 6:20, 7:20, and 8:20 AM)

12/4 12/6 12/9 12/11 12/12 12/13 December 25 Christmas Day The day we were promised, the day we have been preparing for and have been expecting, is finally here. We rejoice as we remember how our Savior entered the world as a tiny, innocent baby. He is Emmanuel, God with us. For people all over the world, the birth of Jesus means salvation for all. Rejoice that the Savior has come! He is a gift to us. Dec. 30: Feast of the Holy Family Jan. 6: Epiphany of the Lord (Feast of the 3 Kings) Upcoming Events January 13-19 National Vocations Awareness Week January 26 Special Mass celebrating Catholic Schools St. Peters at 4:00 January 27 - February 2 Catholic School Week Workers for the Christmas Dinner If you have not already signed up to help on the Christmas dinner, please do so. There are work bees on Friday, Nov. 30 (1:00-4:00), Saturday, Dec. 1 (7:00-10:00 and 10:00-1:00), Sunday Dec. 2 (9-11:30 or 11:30-2:30 shift, 2:30-5:30 shift, 5:00-8:00 clean up). I know I can count on you to give of your time and talent. The Seton Academy parents always come through! Advent Boxes for the Missionary Childhood During Advent each child will be given a box in which he/she can put money to help children in need. This money is then sent to the Diocesan office for the Missionary Childhood, which in turn will send the money to the countries where it is needed. During Advent we are asked to pray in a special way for the children of Zambia (Africa). Please encourage your child to make sacrifices and to put money into the Advent box. Please return the box on or before Dec. 17.

Sofia DeJordy (6) Kennedy Keefe (K) Preston Manor (P) Gabriella Grant (6) Edward ONeill (4); Dominic Allen (3) Matthew Macner (K); Sierra McLaughlin (K); Frederic LaFlamme (4) 12/14 Matthew Magaldi (5) 12/16 Maheen Moeen (K) 12/17 Joseph Bedard (6); Dylan Brown (P) 12/19 Lindsey Sarazen (4) 12/21 Ben Grafstein (P) 12/26 Haley Murnane (4) 12/27 Rachel Coughlin (5) 12/28 Leah Hamel (1); Kiersten Warren (P) 12/31 Pascale Allen (6) Last month I forgot to list Hunter Mattons (P) birthday (Nov.4) and Lacee LaPointes (K) birthday (Nov. 5). Sorry, Hunter and Lacee! Sister goofed! Hope you had a great birthday! Dismissal Nightmares! At dismissal time the front hall is very congested. Teachers are concerned that they cannot see where the students are going. We ask parents to move over into the area in front of the gym and cafeteria doors. Front doors and hallways cannot be blocked. On nice days, parents should wait outside in the area where the flagpole once was. Teachers will bring the students out to you. That way they can make sure that each student is safe.

Drop-Off Area The indented area on St. Charles Street in front of Pattis office is a drop-off area only. If you need to come into school with your child, please use the parking lot. Dress Code Reminders According to the dress code socks or tights must be worn and are to be a blue, green, white, or black (solid colors only and not bright fluorescent colors). Boots are not worn in school. Starting in January, students will not be allowed to wear sneakers or shoes that light up. They are very distracting in the classroom. Perhaps you could plan to buy a new pair of sneakers as a Christmas gift. If students have sneakers other than the light up kind, we would prefer that they wear them to school.

Good News from Seton Catholic

Health Corner
Tips to Help Your Child Avoid Catching a Cold at School Along with homework and grades, you children could be bringing home something more unwelcome from school: sniffles, sneezes and coughs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the common cold is one of the most frequent causes of work and school absenteeism, with up to 22 million school days lost each year in the US. Colds are caused by viral infections (not bacterial), which means that the virus is immune to everything antibiotic. In addition, more than 200 different kinds of viruses can cause cold symptoms, which mean that most kids can expect to average about six colds every year. Spending lots of time in the classroomin close quarters with other children who come to school when they are sickmeans that the average school child has a high likelihood of contracting the cold this winters. So whats a concerned parent to do? While its impossible to completely avoid the spread of germs, there are things you can do to protect you and your family from becoming infected this winter. Drink plenty of water. Keep surfaces clean. This includes doorknobs, drawer pulls, keyboards, light switches, telephones, countertops and sinks. Your childs desk should also be wiped down periodically. Also, encourage your child to wash his hands frequently at school, especially before eating lunch. Use paper towels. Germs can live for several hours on cloth towels. Alternatively, have separate towels for each family member and provide a clean one for guests. Control stress. Studies have shown that kids experiencing stress have weakened immune systems and are more likely to catch a cold than their calmer counterparts. If school days are particularly stressful, schedule a relaxing activity at home to help your child unwind. The faculty and staff of Seton Academy wish all of you a very blessed Advent and Christmas season. May we all grow closer to Our Lord and Savior, who chose to come and live among us! Sister Helen, SSJ

Seton Catholic is financially stable (so is Seton Academy). 100% of the graduates go to college. There have been no program cuts. There have been additions as I mentioned in the November newsletter. Students who attend Seton Catholic receive $5000 financial aid if they attend St. Michaels College. If they attended Seton Catholic for 4 years, they receive $5000 for each of the 4 years they attend St. Michaels. Thats a great benefit! Seton Catholic was honored recently with the Legacy Award given by the diocese through Catholic Charities. Seton Catholic was recognized for all the service in the name of Jesus performed by students and staff. On Veterans Day, some of the Seton Catholic students received rock climbing instruction at THE CRUX. Then they hiked up Rattlesnake Mountain. Seton Catholic teachers joined the teachers at Immaculate Heart Central for a staff development day with nationally recognized curriculum leader, Mike Fisher. Go to the Seton Catholic website for more information (www.setoncatholic.net).