Merry Christmas! December 2017

Act Justly

Love Tenderly

Walk Humbly

Learn Joyfully

With our God

736 High Gate Park Drive

Kingston,Ontario

K7M 5Z9

Tel: 613-389-4388

Fax: 613-389-9995

Email: flhpjohn@alcdsb.on.ca

We are on the web!

http://schools.alcdsb.on.ca/john

Advent Prayer

God of light and hope,

Look upon us in love,

And fill us with the Spirit of Jesus

That we may love you and serve you in your kingdom

Protect us during this season

And keep us watchful in prayer

As we await the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

Who is the light of the world,

And who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

One God, for ever and ever.

Amen

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Christmas is coming! The sights, the sounds and the preparations

abound. As we get ready to celebrate this joyous occasion with family and

friends, our lives often become filled with much hustle and bustle, activity and

heightened emotion.

Our weekly Advent Prayers will help us to focus on and recognize the

fulfillment of God’s promise to His people. We are holding an Advent Food

Drive from December 11th to December 15th to support families in need in

our school and greater community. More details from School Council to fol-

low.

Christmas reminds us of God’s greatest gift that He sent on that glori-

ous night-the birth of His Son Jesus in a Bethlehem stable. On behalf of the

staff at St. John XXIII Catholic School, I extend our best wishes during this

Christmas season to you and your family. We hope that you will be blessed

with the spirits and gifts of that first Christmas-peace, love and goodwill to-

ward all people.

May the promise of Christmas help to show God’s boundless love for

you, and may you be blessed with good health, prosperity and happiness

throughout the New Year as we strive to work with and for you in providing

excellence in Catholic education in your community.

In order to facilitate common understanding among all communi-

ty partners, school boards across Ontario, law enforcement, and

fire safety officials have adopted the following four safety proce-

dures to respond to a variety of threats to school safety:

Four Levels of Action:

1. Evacuation – used when students and staff are unable to stay in a school due

to a safety concerns. Examples: a fire or gas leak in the school.

2. Shelter in Place - used for an environmental or weather-related situation

where it is necessary to keep all occupants within the school thereby protecting

them from an external environmental situation. Examples: chemical spills,

blackouts, or extreme weather.

3. Hold and Secure - used when it is desirable to secure the school due to an ongo-

ing situation outside but not related to the school. Example: a criminal event oc-

curring near a school but not on property. School functions normally with exterior

doors locked until the situation is resolved.

4. Lockdown - used only when there is a major incident or threat of school violence

within the school. All students and staff seek safety in secure areas within the

school or evacuate to a designated evacuation site. Each school must practice two

lockdown drills per school year. Students and parents will receive advance warn-

ing of the approximate timing of each drill.

We will be holding a practice drill of a lockdown early in the new year. Further

Information will be coming home before this happens so that parents can be aware if

their child comes home with concerns or questions.

Safe School’s Update

The Christian Origins of the Christmas Tree

Despite many historians' attempts to link the Christmas tree to an ancient pa-

gan practice, it is actually Christian in origin. The Christmas tree goes back to

the medieval German mystery plays. One of the most popular "mysteries" was

the Paradise play, representing the creation of man, the sin of Adam and Eve

and their expulsion from Paradise. It usually closed with the consoling prom-

ise of the coming of the Savior with reference to His Incarnation. These plays

were performed in the open, on the large squares in front of churches, or in-

side the house of God. The Garden of Eden was indicated by a fir tree hung

with apples. It represented both the Tree of Life and the Tree of Discernment

of Good and Evil, which stood in the center of Paradise. (Gen 2:9)

The Tree in the Home When the pageant was performed in church,

the Paradeisbaum (tree of Paradise) was surrounded

by lighted candles and inside the ring of lights, the play was acted. After the suppres-

sion of the mystery plays in the churches, the only symbolic object of the play found

its way into the homes of the faithful and the Christmas tree became a symbol of the

Savior. Following this symbolism, in the 15th century the custom developed into the

decorating of the Paradise Tree, already bearing apples, with small white wafers rep-

resenting the Holy Eucharist. These wafers were later replaced by little pieces of

pastry cut in the shapes of stars, angels, hearts, flowers, and bells. And finally, other

cookies were introduced bearing the shapes of men, birds, roosters and other ani-

mals. The first known use of the fir tree as a Christmas tree is found in a description

written by a German traveller visiting Strasbourg in 1605. He tells of trees being planted in rooms, and he

notes that they were ornamented with roses of colored paper, apples, tinsel, sugar and cookies. (LaVern Rip-

pley, Of German Ways, Barnes and Noble Books, 1970)

Until the 17th century the Christbaum (as the tree is called in German) had no lights. The Christmas candles,

generally used in medieval times, were placed on the Christmas pyramid made of graduated wooden shelves.

As time went on, the tree replaced the pyramid in its function of

representing Christ as the Light of the world. The candles and glit-

tering decorations were transferred from the pyramid to the tree. A

reminder of the origin of the Christmas tree may still be found in

sections of Bavaria where fir branches and little trees, decorated

with lights, apples and tinsel, are still called Paradeis. (Francis X.

Weisner, 1952, The Christmas Book. New York: Harcourt, Brace

and Company, 1952)

Although the Christmas tree is now the principal symbol of Christ-

mas in America, it was by no means in general use in American

families until late in the 19th century. German immigrants most

likely set up the first Christmas trees in America as early as 1710,

however. Later, during the Revolutionary War, Hessian soldiers

were responsible for disseminating the practice throughout the East-

ern seaboard. (continued on next page)

A Blessing for the Christmas Tree

Holy Lord, we come with joy to cele-

brate the birth of your Son, who res-

cued us from the darkness of sin by

making the cross a tree of life and

light.

May this tree, arrayed in splendor,

remind us of the life-giving cross of

Christ, that we may always rejoice in

the new life that shines in our hearts.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Christmas Tree Continued

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, pioneer families who settled in areas where evergreen trees were

scarce made Christmas trees out of bare branches painted green or wrapped with green paper or cloth.

Sometimes a "tree" would be made by drilling holes in a broomstick and inserting branches of cedar or ju-

niper into it. Often the only Christmas tree in the community would be in the Church or in the school. In

the absence of a Christmas tree, presents were often hung by ribbons from a decorated clothesline strung

across the corner of a room.

Decorating Your Tree

While many Christmas trees go up the first of December (or earlier!) and are in the dumpster by January 2,

Catholic families often delay decorating the tree until Christmas Eve. If that is too late for your family, you

may want to consider setting up the tree earlier and decorating it simply. It would be appropriate to delay

lighting the tree or putting presents under it -- or to save some of the especially splendid ornaments -- until

Christmas Eve, when we celebrate the coming into the world of Christ, the Light of the World.

On Christmas Eve, the parents might adorn the tree after small children are asleep, so that the first sight of

Christmas morning is the gloriously bedecked tree. Families with older children may want to make the dec-

orating a family affair. Taken from http://www.wf-f.org/04-4-Traditions.html

Many years ago, a candymaker

wanted to make a candy at

Christmas time that would serve

as a witness to his Christian

faith. He wanted to incorporate

several symbols for the birth,

ministry and death of Jesus.

He began with a stick of pure

white hard candy. The white symbolized the virgin

birth and the sinless life of Jesus.

He made the candy hard to symbolize the that Jesus

is the solid rock and the foundation of the church.

The firmness also represents the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a

"J" to represent the name of Jesus, who came to

earth as our Savior. He thought it could also repre-

sent the staff of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

The candy maker then added red stripes. He used

three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourg-

ing Jesus received, by which we are healed. The

large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on

the cross so that we could be forgiven and have the

promise of eternal life.

The Legend of the Candy Cane Cold weather days

have arrived and

with them the need

to ensure that stu-

dents are properly

dressed for the

weather.

As long as it is not

raining, students

are expected to be

outside before

school, for the two

15 min. recesses and the 40 min. lunch

recess. It is very important that proper

winter clothing is worn.

Mittens keep the hands warmer than

gloves. Hats prevent heat loss through

the head. Dry warm feet are vital. A

change of socks is a good idea. A scarf

needs to be tucked in so that there is no

chance it could get tangled in something.

Please note: In the event of inclement

weather, all students are to use the back

door by the Grade 5 mudroom so that

there is safe entry into the school.

KFL&A Public Health Dental Screening

During the school year a dental hygienist and dental assistant from KFL&A Public Health will visit all elementary

schools. They visit the schools for two reasons. First, they will screen children to identify dental problems that need to

be seen by a dentist and to screen a few children who had dental concerns last year. The screening is a quick look in the

mouth. Funding for necessary dental treatment may be provided to eligible children through the Healthy Smiles Ontario

(HSO) program. In cases where treatment is needed, Public Health will keep a client record and may tell the dental of-

fice what was found.

Secondly, the dental screening helps us to monitor the oral health of children in this region. The monitoring allows

KFL&A Public Health to identify the prevalence of dental disease and any new trends in dental disease. The information

is used to plan programs and services that best meet the needs of children in out communities. Therefore, even if your

child sees a dentist regularly, it is important that they have their teeth screened to that they are included in our monitor-

ing of dental disease in our region.

Ontario Regulation 688/00, made under Health Protection and Promotion Act, requires yearly dental screenings in all

elementary schools. If you do not want your child to be screened this school year, please tell us in writing. This letter

must include your child’s full name, school and grade.

Mail the letter to:

KFL&A Public Health

221 Portsmouth Avenue

Kingston, ON

K7M 1V5

For more information call KFL&A Public Health at 613-549-1232 or 1-800-267-7875, ext. 1218

Have you Registered Yet?

Make online payments for school fees with School Cash Online.

What is School Cash Online?

School Cash Online is an online payment system that offers a safe, fast and convenient way to pay for school

activities, field trips and events.

Go to www.alcdsb.on.ca/school/john to find Pay School Fees Online and click on Register Now!

Once parents/guardians register and create an account, they can proceed to adding their child. After stu-

dent(s) are added, items for that student will appear and be available for purchase. Parents will also get email

notifications when new items are posted for their students.

If parents run into problems finding their school or student when registering, please visit:

https://schoolcashonline.com/Home/Support.

Mass Schedules—St. Paul The Apostle

Fourth Sunday of Advent—Saturday, December 23rd at 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 24th at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Christmas Masses

Christmas Eve—Sunday, December 24th at 4:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Christmas Day—Monday, December 25th at 10:00 a.m.

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Feast of the Holy Family—Saturday, December 30th at 5:00 p.m.,

Sunday, December 31 at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

New Year’s Masses—Solemnity of Mary Mother of God

New Year’s Eve—Sunday, December 31st at 5:00 p.m.

New Year’s Day—Monday, January 1st at 10:00 a.m.

At a very busy time,

the St. John XXIII Catholic School

Community

Is invited to join together in our

Advent Evening Mass

Held at St. Paul the Apostle Church

Tuesday, December 12th

At 6:30 p.m.

Reception to follow the Mass

Refreshments will be provided.

Advent Evening

Mass