I have some exciting news to share with our community.  Christine Elliott has agreed to join our faculty on a part-time basis to teach an English Review course for our sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. This program will begin next week with the start of the third quarter. Mrs. Elliott is the parent of a second grader here at SFX and is coming to us from the Sacred Heart School in Chicago where she was Head of Middle School until she retired this past summer.  Sacred Heart has a humanities program similar to ours and Christine implemented an English Review program there as well.  Each middle school grade section will meet twice a week with Mrs. Elliott to review grammar, usage, and conventions. She will work closely with Ms. Kelley, Ms. Kenah, and Mrs. Masciopinto to complement the work being done in language arts/reading/social studies ( i.e. Humanities).

This is an exciting time for our Humanities program.  Our eighth graders recently sat for the Explore exam which is created by the ACT company.  They scored very well. Indeed, 16 of our students placed in the superior range in English with another 10 in the above average range. Overall (composite), 17 students scored in the superior range and 11 placed as above average.  These high marks are a credit to our students, our families, and our faculty.  The addition of Mrs. Elliott will serve to embellish and enhance the rigor and excellence of our programs.  Welcome Christine!

We have now completed our first full week of 2012 and it was a good one!  The students are gearing up for the final two quarters and are hard at work.  This is especially the case for the middle school students(and their parents) as they prepare for the Science Fair.  Now that we have SMARTboards in every classroom, Science Fair presentations will be even easier to present and judge.  Indeed, I encourage all school families to attend the Science Fair awards night on Wednesday, January 25 at 6:30 p.m.  The students can talk you through their experiments and demonstrate just one of the ways SFX School integrates technology throughout the curriculum.

Snow finally arrived here in Wilmette!  Please remember to dress your children appropriately for the weather.  Keep in mind that students who are not dressed for snow will not be allowed on the field during recess.  Also, you can sign up to the school's Twitter feed for instant notification of school closure. 

Have a great long weekend!

Dan McKenna

On behalf of the faculty and staff of St. Francis Xavier School, allow me to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a great New Year! Only ten more days until school resumes!!! Can't wait!!!

Saturday afternoon five St. Francis teachers were awarded Masters degrees in education from Concordia University: Kerry Howard, Colleen Orth, Mary Therese Laird, Kristen Gazda, and Lucy Andaloro.  This is a signal acccomplishment for them and for our school.  Not only are these teachers fine people and colleagues, but they are role models for their students.  It is a powerful message when children see that their teachers are also students.  Colleen Barrett has also recently completed her work in administrative studies and now has a Masters in Administration.  These teachers are emblematic of a faculty-wide committment to professional development. Their credentials belie the assumption held by many that Catholic school teachers are less qualified than their public school counterparts. While we acknowledge that their are many fine educational choices in Wilmette and the North Shore, we are unapologetically proud of our school and the quality of the young people who graduate every year. Cheers! 

Today(Thursday) we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception.  It is interesting to juxtapose Mary's perfection and freedom from Original Sin with our own fallen state.  Indeed, the gap between what we are called to be and how we actually live is so daunting a distance as to discourage any attempt at it.  We can certainly be grateful that Jesus came for people such as us," It is not the healthy who are in need of doctors; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17

During this season of Advent we are reminded of an aspect of God that we often forget.  We are so used to thinking of God as ever-present and all emcompasssing that we forget that he also ARRIVES. He is constantly arriving to us through acts of grace.  He arrives into our hearts through the actions of others.  He can arrive through the act of giving. He arrives to adults through the wonder and trust of our students and children.  He can arrive in us from what what we say and also when we do not speak. As David Haas wrote in his song, " You are Mine":

I will come to you in the silence

I will lift you from all your fear

You will hear my voice

I claim you as my choice

Be still, and know I am near

                        David Haas

I pray that this and every day of Advent we are able to remember the ever-arriving nature of God. I pray that we may find some silence and solace in the midst of the holiday mayhem. I pray in gratitude for the SFX community, especially the children. Finally, I pray we have the grace to let God enter our hearts and minds just as Jesus entered into our world.

This past Tuesday Fr. Sheridan led our school in a beautiful liturgy planned by Ms. Barrett's second graders.  Father mentioned in his homily that we are called to give thanks as Christians and we show gratitude for our gifts by taking care of them and using them.  This message is timely and important.

Let me thank our school families.  Your sacrifices and support truly inspire all those who work here.  Our teachers are able to focus on the children and their needs because of the love that exists in this community. I have been in many schools and I can assure you that St. Francis is unique!

During this holiday season let us continue to walk together towards realizing Jesus' vision for the world.  Let us work towards peace in our lives and in our hearts. Let us redouble our commitment to charity and caring for those in need.  Also, let us appreciate all we have and all we have done; let us pray for perspective.

Once again, Thanksgiving reminds us to be grateful.  Speaking for all those who work at St. Francis Xavier School: thank you!  Happy Thanksgiving!!

The stars were in the sky and on the red carpet here at SFX on Saturday night! What an event!  Thank you to Courtney, Kim, and Gina for their hard work and creativity in putting together a memorable evening.  I have heard talk that this was the best Showcase ever! Congrats to all!

It is always moving to witness the generosity of our school families and friends.  I know I can speak for the faculty and staff when I thank everyone in attendance. As educators, we take our vocation seriously; it is a great feeling to know that our work is valued and supported.  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

This Saturday evening we come together as a school community to celebrate our annual Showcase fundraiser.  This year's theme," A Red Carpet Affair," nicely captures the elegant and festive mood which annually surrounds Showcase. It is always a treat to relax together, enjoy some delicious food, and reconnect. This year marks our twentieth Showcase!  It is amazing to see how the event has changed and grown over the years. Thank you to all of the volunteers who have made it happen!

Besides growing and nurturing a sense of community, Showcase also serves as the single largest fundraiser for the school.  The staggering number and variety of tickets, services, and packages available is amazing.  I hope you win something fun! In recent years we have added an annual Fund-the-Need during the live auction.  This has been overwhelmingly successful.  Through Fund-the-Need we have been able to finance laptops for our students and teachers, network infrastructure, and, last year, SMARTboards throughout the school. It is always inspiring to see the support and enthusiasm of our school community.

This year's Fund-the-Need seeks to solve some campus issues that are a real safety concern for our students and families.  These include a comprehensive lighting plan which will illuminate what are now very dark entrances, public spaces, and parking lots. Also included are security cameras which will focus on our alley, sport court and fields. The ramp/stairway in the old courtyard will be replaced with graded pavers which will make the courtyard both more accessible and useful for our students and parish. These actions will improve the fundamentals of our school and its efficacy.  Fund-the-Need will also be used to pilot an iPad program with our youngest students and to close our Macbook leases.  Thank you in advance for your help in financing these important intiatives for our school.

Although much has changed over the years, the spirit of Showcase has remained the same: namely, gathering together in a neighborly spirit to help support the school in its mission of moral, intellectual, and spiritual formation.  I look forward to seeing you on the red carpet this Saturday night!

Dan McKenna

This weekend we begin collecting rummage for our annual sale.  It is always exciting to see the transformation of the Xavier Room and gymnasium into a bazaar of treasures. Please look through your house and see if there is anything rummage-worthy!

Not only is the Rummage Sale a big fundraiser for us, it also provides a service to many under-resourced residents. If you attended Back-to-School night you heard Fr. Peter's passionate appeal for rummage workers and donations.  I would reiterate that message and thank you in advance for your help.

Last week we gathered together as a school community to have a meal and talk about the year.  Back-to-School Night is always a wonderful event and this year's may have been the best! The planning and execution was perfect; a big thanks to Rebecca Stewart and the HSO for all of their efforts. Also, Fr. Peter gave a wonderful talk about the values we share and the importance of the Rummage Sale as an act of charity.  It was very moving.

For me the highlight was seeing the gymnasium packed to the rafters with all of our school families, the newer families and the veteran families easily mixing together.  Community is the essence of SFX and no event better exemplifies and grows community like Back-to-School Night.  Thank you so much for being there!

Finally a quick thanks to Jackie Petrozzi for putting together the school directory. She tweaked the format and added more information.  It not only looks better than ever, but also works better than ever.  Thanks again Jackie!

Go Crusaders!!