November Newsletter
We wish to thank all the parents who gave to our October clothing drive. A record 15 bags of clothes were donated to the recycling center at City Hall for distribution to needy families. As well, we thank the many parents who came out in support of our annual Harvest Festival on October 31 (see picture). You helped to make it a great event for all of our students.
In November we will be holding our 7th annual Read-a-Thon, our fall fundraiser which also doubles as an encouragement to our students to read more. Each student will be asked to read at least 5 books during the month and we ask parents, related family, and friends to sponsor them in this task. Each child will be given a separate web page to which sponsors can indicate their pledges of support. Our overall goal for the fundraiser is $5,000 as a school. We will appreciate any support you can offer which will be counted towards the $200 we ask each family to donate to the school during the course of the school year. Look for an e-mail on it this week.
This month’s virtue of the month is Gratitude. November, of course, is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving, a special American holiday that invites us to move beyond our specific faiths and various ethnic traditions. It is a time to reflect on and appreciate everything that is good about our lives. This may be especially challenging today in a world full of conflict, both domestically and foreign, that may cause us to be despondent about the future. Yet, when we see the abiding goodness in our children and ourselves, we can always have hope for a better world. Our task is to listen our better sides act and do good for others. As we like to say at New Hope School: “Peace starts with me.”
To this end, we invite you to participate in our annual food drive running from Nov. 6-26 (see flier at pick up Monday). All donations will be forwarded to St. Peter’s Haven for distribution to those in need in time for Thanksgiving.
Please note on the November calendar that parent-teacher meetings are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 13-14, 3:00-5:00 pm. Look for sign up sheets at pick up time starting Monday. We hope that all of our parents will use this opportunity to meet with their child(ren)’s teacher(s) to understand their performance so far this school year and how you may better support them in their education.
Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving this November!
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude."
A.A. Milne
‘Winnie the Pooh’