Thursday Newsletter
December 15, 2011From the Desk of Ms. Hesed
Of course, all the excitement around here has been the Christmas Program. It’s been an annual tradition for the last 25 years, perhaps longer, and it’s always a blockbuster hit. It has become one of those milestone events for the eighth graders that marks their eighth grade year as different from any other. The younger children look forward to the year when they will move from chorus to stage, when they will have the limelight. As adults we know that with every step onto the “main stage,” with every moment in the “limelight” there are hours and hours of preparation and increased responsibility. Don’t get me wrong, our eighth graders had a great time preparing for the Christmas program, at the same time, however, they were learning real life lessons about increased responsibility. They come to understand that homework must still be accomplished – “I had play practice” is no excuse. Learning to budget time is an invaluable life lesson. They come to understand that each person carries responsibility for the whole – I can’t let up because I will let my classmates, my entire school, down. Congratulations to our eighth graders for living up to the responsibility once again for leading the school.
I love the Christmas program; I love the music and the story line – even at their cheesiest! I love watching the entire school perform together. I love the sense of poise and self-confidence that the students learn – from eighth graders in the limelight to the preschoolers’ one big moment on stage. As uncomfortable as it is, I love the crowded audience in the church, each person craning his or her neck to get just a little bit of a better view of his or her child so loved and cherished. Yep, it’s a tradition that works.
Three huge thank yous are in order.
So many people leant their hands and their talents to make the Christmas program a success. Randy Tallant and Barb Potts, Terri and John Merideth, Dave Griener, John Vacca, Jenny and Jerrod Gerstner, Peter Hesed on sound and lights, stage set-up and take-down. Chris Stephens on programs and tee-shirts. I am sure that there are numerous others of whom I am not aware of, but please know that we appreciate all your help. Our teachers, too, are amazing when it comes to Christmas program time. They adjust their schedules willingly to allow space for practice or running through just one more song.
But it’s Ms. Bozcek, Ms. Pelikan and Ms. Rosene who patiently met with kids after school day after day, week after week to make the program such a huge success. Ms. Pelikan, our 1st grade teacher, comes out of her little kid comfort zone to work with 8th graders running lines, taking notes, and generally organizing and supporting everyone’s efforts. She was also in charge of being the memory, the single person who had done this before. Ms. Rosene, one of our preschool assistants, is a certified teacher with a strong background in theater – what a gift to have such talent directing our eighth graders in theatrical performance. We waited a year for Ms. Boczek to finish her multiple degrees in music confident that she would be the one person who could continue the St. Margaret of Scotland tradition of excellence in music and musical performance. The year was worth the wait – she has proven to be every bit as good as we had hoped and then some. Ladies, thank you for sharing all your talents with our students; they will grow to know just how fortunate they are.
I wish I had taken pictures!
Pictures, not just of the Christmas program, although that, too. On Tuesday afternoon as the children paraded from school to church for the dress rehearsal they brought with them bags and boxes of canned goods and hygiene items. What a sight! Every child from 2nd grade through 8th carried what they could manage – in the rain! The bags were once used grocery bags some of which gave out before the carrier arrived at the destination, leaving every one to chasing rolling cans. The worst was the jar – the glass jar – of tomato sauce that dropped in the intersection of 39th and Flad. That mess created a bit of a traffic jam as we cleaned it up. Some of the older students carried boxes carefully balanced on their heads. 2,500 items generously donated to our parish St. Vincent DePaul food pantry by our students (and their families) for low income families in our neighborhoods who find themselves in need. Our kids were happy to be of help but it was our Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE), Mrs. McCabe who led the process. She is astounding when it comes to planning and putting into action service projects. We absolutely would not be called to such generosity without her. Thank you, Mrs. McCabe, for constantly calling us to service.
A few final thoughts on the Christmas Program
First, if you did not get a Mr. Video order form and want a copy of Tuesday night’s show, forms are available in the office. I hear often that the children watch the Christmas musical video over and over again. I wish I had videos from my own children’s performances (that’s how I know the SMOS Christmas program goes back 25 years) to show to our grandchildren. Forms are available if you wish.
Second, the children may wear their green Christmas shirts, any of their Walk-a-thon shirts or their PTA purchased dragon shirts on any Monday and for any PE class. Even the teachers wear their tees on Mondays sometimes.
Finally, I love the audience but, oh my, . . . We had perhaps 50 or so in our afternoon dress rehearsal audience and then beyond capacity in our evening performance. I am aware that some folks parked two, three, now I am hearing, four blocks away in order to get to watch their child perform. In the last seven years we have gone from an enrollment of 225 students to our current 352 students. Seven years ago the audience filled the church, last Tuesday we more than filled the church, and I must wonder if some were kept away by the thought of such uncomfortable crowdedness. I put the question out for opinions – what do we do for next year? Unless you know the multi-million dollar donor, I doubt we will build the theater I dream about. Going off-site for performance means practicing off-site – the place would have to be within walking distance and each long walk takes away from teaching and learning time. Now that I’ve covered the obvious solutions, I ask again - any thoughts, anyone? I will gladly entertain your ideas.
Other information and announcements…
For any of your last minute gift buying, just remember we have in stock gift cards, below is the list: (please note the new addition of i-Tune cards…)
Child’s grade:____________(to send home) Starbucks ___$10.00
i-Tunes ____ $15.00 Papa John’s Pizza ___$10.00
Shop and Save ____$25.00 Walgreens ___$25.00
Shop and Save ____$100.00 Panera – Bread Co. ___$10.00
Dierbergs ____$25.00 Target ___$25.00
Dierbergs ____$100.00 Target ___$100.00
Home Depot ___$25.00 BP Gasoline ___$50.00
Lowe’s ___$25.00 Shell Gasoline ___$25.00
No Attachments!