Second Week of Advent

Good Morning Families,

As we enter into the second week of Advent, please take a moment to read the below reflection. 

Preparing our Hearts and asking for the Grace

We prepare this week by stepping up the longing.  We move through this week by naming deeper and more specific desires.

Each morning this week, if even for that brief moment at the side of our beds, we want to light a second inner candle.  We want to let it represent “a bit more hope.”  Perhaps we can pause, breathe deeply and say,

“Lord, I place my trust in you.”

Each day this week, as we encounter times that are rushed, even crazy, we can take that deep breath, and make that profound prayer.  Each time we face some darkness, some experience of “parched land” or desert, some place where we feel “defeated” or “trapped,” we hear the words, “Our God will come to save us!” 

The grace we desire for this week is to be able to hear the promise and to invite our God to come into those real places of our lives that dearly need God's coming.  We want to be able to say: 

“Lord, I place my trust in your promise.  Please, Lord, rouse your power and come into this place in my life, this relationship, into this deep self-defeating pattern.  Please come here and save me.”

Each night this week we can look back over the day and give thanks for the moments of deep breath, that opened a space for more trust and confidence in God's fidelity to us.  No matter how difficult the challenges we are facing - from the growing realization of our personal sinfulness, to any experience of emptiness or powerlessness, even in the face of death itself - we can give thanks for the two candles that faithfully push back the darkness.  And, we can give thanks for the graces given us to believe that “Our 

God will come to save us” because we were given the courageous faith to desire and ask boldly.

Come, Lord Jesus.  Come and visit your people. 
We await your coming.  Come, O Lord.

Looking Ahead...

• Wednesday, December 11th - All School Mass @ 9:30 in the Church 
• Thursday, December 12th - Salt Dough Map Project @ 1:45 - parent volunteers are needed, so please contact Mrs. Ezell if you are able to join 
• Wednesday, December 18th - All School Mass @ 9:30  in the Church - This is our annual Gift Mass, where we ask students to please bring in one wrapped toy for a child in need. Please place a tag on the gift that states if it is for a boy or girl and the age. 
• Friday, December 20th - 4th Grade Christmas Party from 9:30 to 10:30

English Language Arts

There will be a spelling test on Thursday, December 12th. 

Grammar - We will talk about Pronouns. The "check-in" quiz will be pushed back to Friday, December 13th. 

Reading - We will be looking at a story called Holidays Around the World. Students will complete a graphic organizer about the customs and traditions celebrated in other countries.

Writing - Students will begin the rough draft process for their persuasive writing piece: Elf for Hire.

Social Studies

We will be talking about how Arizona has three different types of regions: plateau, desert, and mountain. Then, we will prepare to do our salt dough map on Thursday.

Math

This week we are going to understand and solve division problems with a remainder using an array and area models.

We will take a timed x5 quiz on Friday, December 13th.

Science

We are Combining Matter, and we will investigate how solids interact with solids, how solids interact with liquids, and how liquids interact with liquids.

No vocabulary quiz this week.

Religion 

The students are continuing to work on their Absolutely Advent book.