Letter from the Principal - December 2019

By Mona Passman, Principal
December 11, 2019

Dear parents and guardians:

While I do not enjoy the hustle, bustle and consumerism of December, I welcome the arrival of the liturgical season of Advent.  It is difficult to avoid all the hype surrounding the secular Christmas season. December can also be exhausting and stressful because we set unrealistic expectations for ourselves and the season.  We shop for the perfect gift. We toil to make the perfect meal. We fuss over our decorations to create the perfect environment. 

The antidote for all this stress is to embrace the season of Advent.  All you need is an Advent wreath, four candles, prayers for the season, and a few peaceful moments. The spirit of Advent can help us enjoy the best parts of the season. It’s often fun to gather together for celebrations amidst all the decorations.  It can also be magical to watch the joy of children. Many people also share memorable family traditions including baking, family gatherings and activities.  

We blessed our CDH Advent wreath in a simple all school prayer service on the first Monday of Advent. We prayed among a spirit of hope, the theme of the first week of Advent.  We continue to observe the other themes of Advent including faith, joy, peace and love. Several Advent wreaths are placed around the building and religion classes continue with prayers of the season.  Our students also observed the Sacrament of Reconciliation during their religion classes last Friday. Students, staff and parents are invited to pray together at 7:15 am Mass in the Chapel on Mondays-Thursdays.  

Our students and staff are also sharing our abundance with the greater community during this season. We held our annual December Blood Drive last Friday. Student council will be collecting gifts for young people who are at the Children's Hospital of St. Paul.  The campaign is called Holiday Hope and runs from November 25 until December 18. Thank you to the student council service committee for sponsoring the blood drive and the gift drive.

Finally, we are celebrating the joy of the season through music and theater.  Our choir hosted several guests at their Choir Christmas Dinner last Sunday. I invite you to our  Children’s Show production, Miss Nelson is Missing, this weekend. I  also invite you to join the Choir and Band at our Christmas Concert on Wednesday, December 19, 2019.

I wish you all the blessings Advent and the Holy Christmas Season have to offer. 

In a spirit of peace and gratitude,

Mona Passman