December Letter

My goodness, it has been a busy fall! I want to thank you all for your generous contribution to the food bank, especially the PB & J!! The Community Service Club will be delivering the boxes next week and touring the facility. I want to remind everyone that whole school meetings are for everyone. You are always welcome to attend. They are scheduled for the first Wednesday of every month, be sure to check your calendars for times (either 8:30 or 1:30). Thank you to everyone who came to parent/teacher conferences this week. We know that it is difficult to schedule time away from work or away from kids but it is very important that you know how your child is progressing. I want to invite everyone to the Winter Concert on Tuesday, December 22 at 1:00. There is nothing better than hearing the voices of children singing! This year the staff is planning a surprise performance again, since last year was such fun!

As winter and the holidays approach I always try to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the season. A few years ago, my teen age daughter came home with an assignment to write about her favorite family event. I figured she would write about some occasion that involved getting gifts or a big vacation, but to my surprise she wrote about our family traditions. She loves that we cut down our own Christmas tree as a family, that we all open our stockings together and that on Christmas Eve the kids pick the menu. For years our “traditional” menu has been hot pastrami sandwiches, pierogies and assorted cookies! Last year she announced that she wanted to start a new tradition of making pies together. We make a terrible mess but it is such fun and delicious too! She is already making the shopping list of ingredients for this year’s pies. I try to keep this in mind as I hurry around after work, trying to juggle the demands of everyday life with the craziness of the holidays. The things don’t matter, it is the quality family time that they remember and look forward to each year. So slow down, enjoy your family and start a new tradition! Happy Holidays!    Jen