ST. COLUMBA SHEPHERD
GUIDANCE FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
EACH WEEK THE ST. COLUMBA SHEPHERD
provides all the information you need to know and links to things that you might need to cross off your list. Stay organized by reading it every week and making sure that you add events and deadlines to your calendar!
LET'S DO IT!
DATES TO REMEMBER
11/16-11/21 - Capital Campaign Commitment Week 11/19-11/22 - Book Fair
11/20 - School Mass - Kindergarten Leading Liturgy - 8:15
11/20 - Thanksgiving Food Collection
11/20 - Parenting Workshop with Ruby Jo Walker - 5:30
11/21 - Pre - 8th Thanksgiving Lunch and Capital Campaign Commitment Day
Service times are as follows by student’s last name:
A-G 11:00-11:40
H-M 11:40-12:20 N-Z 12:20-1:00
11/22 - Early Dismissal - 12:30 - Preschool Only 11/25-11/29 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
12/3 - Gift Giving for the Elderly - 2:15
12/4 - School Mass - Staff Leading Liturgy - 8:15
12/5 - Prayer & Praise Assembly - 8:15
12/6 - St. Nick Visit
12/7 - St. Columba Christmas Bazaar 12/9 - 8th Grade Tree Cutting
12/11 - School Mass - 5th Grade Leading Liturgy - 8:15
12/11 - K-4 Christmas Program - 5:00 12/11 - MS Band & Choir Program - 6:30
Living Stones Capital Campaign Update
As we near Commitment Week we are hearing lots of excitement about our Living Stones Capital Campaign which will launch our campus planning projects in 2025. We feel especially blessed and grateful to share some amazing news! We have already received commitments of $2.74 million toward our $6.2 million goal! These funds include school monies earmarked for these projects, as well as leadership gifts from a few key donors, including a million-dollar gift from an anonymous family! God is pouring his grace into our endeavors to ensure St. Columba is a vibrant place for worship, faith formation, and Catholic education for years to come! God is good, all the time!
As you continue your prayer and discernment about your own participation in these campus improvements, please know that we are praying for you, as well. A financial commitment above and beyond what you already share with the church and school will make God's plans for St. Columba possible. We pray that our sacrificial gifts will bring our parish and school families great abundance, as Fr. Joseph so richly described for us through his homily on the providential scripture readings last weekend. The size of each gift may vary significantly, and EVERY gift is needed. God does amazing things with gifts of all sizes. We just have to be willing to participate in His great work. God bless you all!
Please submit your pledge cards this weekend at Mass, Nov. 16-17 or at the Thanksgiving Lunch at school on Nov. 21 where baskets will be available in the gym and school office to collect pledges.
Supporting St. Columba: Understanding Capital Campaign and Day of Giving
As you prayerfully discern how you might be called to support the Capital Campaign, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and express our gratitude for the many ways we rely on your support each year.
The giving opportunities this year are twofold. With the current Capital Campaign, we're asking for support for the future of our campus. During the Annual Day of Giving/Annual Campaign in January (coinciding with Catholic Schools Week), donors support the ongoing day to day operations of the school, including providing professional development and compensation for our teachers and staff, tuition assistance, and maintaining academic excellence to support well rounded students.
Please know that the Capital Campaign is a separate initiative from the Day of Giving/Annual Campaign, and we do not wish to ask families to shift resources from one critical need to another. Instead, we humbly invite you to prayerfully consider a gift to the Capital Campaign, if you are able, in addition to your continued support for the Annual Day of Giving.
Your generosity, in any capacity, plays a vital role in sustaining and advancing our mission and helps us to honor our commitment to excellence in Catholic education for our students today and tomorrow. Every gift is deeply valued!
Thank you for your continued support, your prayers, and your commitment to our community.
All peace and blessings, Kevin
Amazing Parenting Opportunity
All preschool-8th grade parents are invited to join us for a parenting workshop November 20th from 5:30-7:00 pm in the school gym.
Using Neurobiology to Parent Kids
This 1.5-hour workshop is for parents to learn basic nervous system information to understand your kids and yourself better. There has been a lot of learning in the last decade about the role of the nervous system in behavior, emotions, and regulation. This workshop will be didactic and experiential and will provide skills to support yourself and your family more. Your teachers and staff at the school are using this information to work with your children to be more effective.
Ruby Jo Walker, LCSW, specializes in the neurobiology of trauma and resilience. She has been working in the field for over 30 years. She works with a wide range of professionals from various disciplines to provide trauma-informed training. She has facilitated several hundred trainings for individuals and organizations nationally. Please click HERE for a full bio.
Light Refreshments and Childcare will be provided. Please email the office if you are in need of childcare for the evening.
The book fair will also be open before and after the workshop if you would like to do a little kid free shopping.
It’s that time of year when we gather in community to count our blessings and be grateful. We are truly grateful for all of our families at St. Columba. We pray that all of our families will be able to attend our Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday, November 21.
Adult tickets are $10 each. Your tickets will be added directly to your Blackbaud tuition account. Students will be charged their normal lunch price, deducted from/charged to their account.
Please take a moment to RSVP HERE to help us plan.
Service times are as follows by student’s last name:
A-G 11:00-11:40 H-M 11:40-12:20 N-Z 12:20-1:00
Watch for a separate email to come with instructions of where you will meet your students for lunch!
In addition, the students will also be allowed to dress up for the day of this special event, November 21st. Your students are encouraged to wear a nice outfit, as they would for a Thanksgiving dinner. If your student would like to dress up, please help them when choosing an outfit. This can include, but is not limited to: ties and bowties, dress pants and shirts, dresses and skirts, nice shoes. No jeans, leggings, or athletic type clothing please. If your student chooses not to dress up, he or she should wear their normal uniform.
We look forward to seeing you all there!
Share the Spirit of Thanksgiving - Volunteer with Us!
There are Still a Few Spots Available - Sign Up Today!
Service Hours Opportunity: Thanksgiving Luncheon Preparation & Serving
As always, your helping hands would be greatly appreciated in making this Thanksgiving lunch special and enjoyable for all. Volunteers are needed for preparing side dishes, set up, serving, and clean up. This is a fun way to serve and connect with your St. Columba community. Please review the available slots here: Thanksgiving Luncheon Volunteer Opportunities
Thank you so much!!
Sip, Build, and Snap
The Parents Association is tentatively planning a Sip, Build, and Snap: Cocoa Bar, Gingerbread Houses, & Photos with Santa event on Saturday evening, December 14th, following the 5pm Mass in the gym. If you’re interested in serving on the committee and helping to bring this event to life, please email Michelle Martyn at michellec.martyn@gmail.com by noon on Monday, Nov. 18th. We know December is such a busy month, and this date/event may just not work, but we’d love to hear from you if this is something you’d like to help make happen.
Thank you, as always, for your feedback and support!
Book Fair November 19-22
Update: The Book Fair won’t start until Tuesday, November 19th now due to a delivery delay.
Get a jump on some of your holiday shopping while supporting St. Columba School at the same time. Stop by our Scholastic Book Fair before or after school November 19-22, before and after the parenting workshop on November 20 and during Thanksgiving dinner on November 21.
Book Fair Volunteers Needed
The book fair will include lots of great selections for all ages!
We are still in need of a few volunteers to help work the fair as well as help with setup and cleanup. What a great way to knock out some service hours! Please click HERE to sign up now.
THE PRESCHOOL CORNER
THE PARISH CONNECTION
REST, PEACE, AND SUPPORT FOR THE WEARY IN SEASONAL SMALL GROUPS
Are you exhausted from the busyness of life, and the holiday season hasn't even begun yet? Seasonal small groups are a great way to refocus our time with God and find support from others. Advent is the season of slowing down and journeying in hope as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. Our lives gain deeper meaning when we respond to Jesus' invitation and build a personal relationship with Him. He enters our hearts, reveals God's love, and transforms us in moving ways. This transformation is ongoing and meant to be shared with others. Jesus showed us the way with His disciples by gathering with them to pray and share life, building bonds of spiritual friendship. As living stones building His spiritual house, one of the best ways we grow stronger as a community is through small groups where we pray, share faith, and encourage one another on this mission of love. People draw closer to Christ and each other, finding the abundance we all long for in life
CHOOSE THE GROUP THAT CALLS TO YOU AND SIGN UP NOW! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!
