Letter from the Principal - December 2024
December 11, 2024
Happy December! Let’s embrace the simplicity of Advent!
It is difficult to avoid all the hype surrounding the secular Christmas season. It can 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 peace and anticipation of Advent. All that is needed is an Advent wreath, candles, prayers for the season, and a few peaceful moments. The spirit of Advent can help us enjoy the best parts of the Christmas season.
At CDH, we observe the season of Advent with hope, faith, joy, and peace. Advent wreaths are placed around the building as a reminder of the season and in anticipation of our Savior’s birth. The building is adorned with lovely Nativity scenes and the Christmas trees decorated by our Grandparents Association.
We also create experiences of prayer, community, and service. On Monday, our community celebrated Immaculate Conception Mass. Our students observed the Sacrament of Reconciliation during their religion classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. We recognize Advent during our morning prayer, and our religion teachers continue to share Advent prayers with their students.
Our students spread Christmas cheer with their time and talent in our community as well. Our seniors collected coats for some of their fieldwork sites. The Student Council sponsored our annual December Blood Drive last Friday. Lasallian Youth will host the LaSallian Youth Children's Christmas Party for the younger students at Community of Saints on December 13. On December 19, the entire JROTC Corps of Cadets will be performing their annual service project when the cadets visit four St. Paul elementary schools to deliver the Junior Achievement curriculum.
We also celebrate the simple joys of the season through music and theater. Our choral musicians performed many solos and ensembles for their guests at their Annual Christmas Dinner on Monday evening. Our Theater Department is performing the Children’s Show, Frozen, Jr. The show is open to the public and will run through the weekend. In addition, they will hold special performances for area elementary schools on December 12 and 13. Finally, I invite you to join the Choir and Band at our Christmas Concert on Tuesday, December 17.
I encourage you to embrace the simplicity of the season during Christmas break. Enjoy time at home with family, playing games, reading books, watching movies, drinking hot chocolate, and eating Christmas cookies. Decorate the tree together. Light the candles on your Advent Wreath. Go to Mass together. And for those who like snow, embrace the opportunity to ski, skate, snowshoe, or sled.
May you find true peace and joy this season.
Have a very blessed Christmas,
Mona Passman