From the Office

Dear Parents,

Can you believe this is already the last Eagle Express of 2020? As I reflect on the year, I am really moved by the community here at IHM School. Even though it has been a challenging year, there are still blessings every day! God bless you and your family, and may the peace of Christ be with you through Christmas and the New Year!

If you haven’t done it yet, please fill out this survey and return it to the school office – the deadline is today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeEKKu9uA4iisn-tkZXerLbxFMWvJnwYexpySeG9I2kZgB5ag/viewform. Your responses help determine the amount of Title 1 funding available to IHM School. That means we get money to provide services to our students! 

As Catholics, we recognize the season of Advent as preparing ourselves for Christ’s birth. The 3rd and 4th Advent Prayer services are here if you would like to watch them: #3  https://vimeo.com/491345160/d3f98d2a15, #4 https://vimeo.com/491334197/08e752139c . Students in grades ECE &  K-8 will watch the Prayer Services in class on Wednesday or Thursday of each week.

We will be having a Virtual Christmas Family Sing-A-Long tomorrow night! Mrs. Binzak and the teachers are planning for a cozy, at home celebration of Christmas with our families over Zoom tomorrow, Thursday Dec. 17th from 6:00-6:30 PM. Here is the Zoom link and the log-in information:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83434957457?pwd=V0w0eDNSMnVpUlJ3THE2S0VUWSthZz09

You will need these to get into the Sing-a-long:

Meeting ID: 834 3495 7457
Passcode: 874316

Dress up in your Christmas best or dress-down in your Christmas PJ’s, gather with your family, and join Mrs. Binzak next week!

The 4th graders are holding a stocking raffle this week. All IHM students can buy raffle tickets for stockings that will be displayed outside of the office Tickets cost $1 apiece or 6 for $5.  Winners will be picked before noon on December 18th. Proceeds will be going to St. Vincent de Paul. Zoomers: If you are interested in purchasing tickets please send in money when you pick your materials up and have it marked for Mrs. Lipski and the 4th grade. Thank you for your support!

NBC 15 came this week to record a school shout-out! Look for the K-2nd grades on Dec. 17th at 4:45 and 6:20 AM new broadcasts, and the 3-5th Grades on Dec. 22nd at the same times. You will also be able to find the shout-outs on the NBC 15 website!

And, finally,  a Christmas prayer from Robert Lewis Stevenson for all of our precious families:
O God, our loving Father, help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the Angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Deliver us from evil by the blessings that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving, and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Merry Christmas!

God Bless,
Callie Meiller, Principal

Office Reminders

• All library books are due to the IHM library before Christmas vacation.
• Thursday, Dec. 17th is a No Uniform Day, and Friday, Dec. 18th is a “Dress in Christmas Colors” Day. 2nd, 3rd, and 5th graders should wear their uniforms to go to church on Friday, and bring something to change into if they wish!
• Please note the Monona Grove 4K will be virtual ONLY  on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 21 & 22. Wraparound students should watch for a child-care sign-up from the ECE to sign up for care over Christmas Break, including those two days. A reminder that grades K-8 will have Christmas Break from Dec. 21-Jan. 1, returning on Monday, Jan. 4th.
• If your child that is usually in-person won’t be at school, please notify the teacher or the office by 8:00 AM. We don’t need the grizzly details, but this year we do need to know if there are any COVID-related symptoms, so please let us know in the voice mail or email. Mrs. Winter will need to contact you to verify if we don’t know the reason or symptoms.
• If your child is home because they are sick, we encourage them to rest and recover. They do not need to log-in to Big Blue Button (BBB) or Zoom, although they can if they wish. Students that are home sick (not for quarantining) are marked absent, whether or not they log-in for the day.
• If your child will be home for more than a few days, you can request virtual learning materials. Teachers need at least 2 school days to prepare materials. Please contact the teacher directly if you need materials.
• If you spend time with people outside of your “COVID Bubble” during  Christmas, or do any traveling, please keep your students home for virtual learning for 10-14 days days after contact with those people, or after you get home.
•  Use this site to order IHM Spirit Wear: https://ihm.socceretcdirect.com/index.php?route=common/home Click on “School Delivery” under Delivery Method, orders will be delivered to IHM, and we will send them home with your child as soon as we receive them! Quick Tip: If you add your name to the bottom of the order, where it says “Name if applicable,” it will add your child’s name to the piece of clothing.
• Mrs. Walters has an ongoing need for snack and sandwich-size plastic storage bags (fold over tops preferred!) and brown lunch bags. If you can donate, please send them in with your child!

Thank You!

Thanks so much to Mrs. Binzak, Sr. Sue, Ms. Scaperlanda, Mr. Schnell, and Mr. Reinbold and all of those who have planned for the Virtual Christmas concert! We hope you have a lovely, cozy, and safe time at home attending and singing along!

HSA News

Did You Know?

4th Grader Audra Matenaer won the Knights of Columbus Christmas Poster contest and won a  gift certificate! Way to go Audra!

This week’s links