December Newsletter
As we enter the final month of 2018, we hope you all were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. No matter what our situation, let us always strive to be grateful to God for our lives and loved ones.
Our virtue for the month of December is Generosity. December is a time when, more than usual, we turn our thoughts and hearts towards the needs of others. It is a time to look beyond what we normally do and is expected in our relationships with others to consider what we can do to enhance the lives and wellbeing of others.
In this spirit, we wish to thank all of you who so generously donated food items during our Food Drive. Last Tuesday some of our middle school students packed up these items and brought them to St. Peter’s Haven Food Pantry. They were used for needy families in the area on Thanksgiving.
Next Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 5-7, is our annual Scholastic Book Fair. We encourage you to come and browse around for some children’s books. They make great holiday gifts! In connection with the Book Fair and New Hope’s promotion of reading, we are launching a fundraiser through an organization called 99Pledges. You should receive a notice about this over the weekend. Please look for it! It will involve minimal effort on your part, mainly asking you to encourage your relatives, friends, co-workers, and other acquaintances to sponsor your child as he/she reads a certain number of books over the next few weeks. The fundraiser will end on Friday, Dec. 21.
If your child is in 3rd grade or above, we hope you will support his/her involvement in our annual Spelling Bee, being held the morning of Tuesday, December 18. We will be choosing ten finalists who will then compete in January for the honor of becoming this year’s spelling champion.
We also look forward to seeing you at our annual Winter Concert on Thursday, December 20, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. This year’s program will include songs from each of our classes, pieces from our dance class, a skit, winners of our poetry and essay contest reading their entrees on the topic “Generosity,” plus a visit from a plump old man in a red suit.
Finally, Dr. Beebe is offering an SAT/ACT preparation course on Saturdays 10am-1pm from Jan. 5 through March 2 for a reduced price of $250, if paid before Dec. 31, and $300 afterwards.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
New Hope School Staff
“You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
Kahlil Gibran