READ THE SHEPHERD
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2023
The
ST. COLUMBA SHEPHERD GUIDANCE FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
EACH WEEK THE ST. COLUMBA SHEPHERD provides all the information you need to know and links to things that you might need to cross off your list. Stay organized by reading it every week and making sure that you add events and deadlines to your calendar!
LET'S DO IT!
DATES TO REMEMBER 11/7 - Picture Make ups / Retakes 11/8 - School Mass - 1st Grade Leading Liturgy (Class Change) - Veterans Mass - 8:15 11/9 - Free Dress Pass - Wear Red, White, and Blue 11/10 - No School - In Observance of Veterans Day 11/11 - Veterans Parade - 11:00 11/13-11/17 - Book Fair 11/15 - School Mass - Kindergarten Leading Liturgy - 8:15 Thanksgiving Collection 11/16 - Thanksgiving Lunch - 11:00-1:00 - More Info to Come 11/20-11/24 - No School - Thanksgiving Break 11/29 - School Mass - 4th Grade Leading Liturgy - 8:15 11/29 - Gift Giving for the Elderly - 10:00 12/1 - 5th Grade Choir Performing @ Botanic Gardens - 5:00 12/2 - Christmas Bazaar - 8:00-3:00 12/6 - St. Nick Visits
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OKTOBERFEST: THANK YOU! Our sincerest thanks to all who attended, volunteered for, and supported Oktoberfest on Saturday night! It was a wonderful evening and we’re so grateful for the time together and the generosity shown to the La Plata County Humane Society in the form of supplies and monetary donations. Thank you to our middle schoolers for selling their handmade crafts and baked goods, and for sharing their face painting talents. Thank you also to Julie Romero, Kristyn Winn, and our wonderful families and volunteers who brought the fun and helped make the night a success. Thank you to Ska Brewing and the volunteers at LPCHS for bringing in the special furry and adoptable guests, who made the evening extra special. Finally, thank you to our generous community members and sponsors. It is because of your continued support that we can model giving, abundance, and God's love to our children - and the importance of giving back. Your support from the evening raised over $1,500.00 to help care for and continue to meet the needs of the innocent, homeless animals in our region.
MASS MOMENTS (FROM MRS. ROMERO) THE SOURCE AND THE SUMMIT
Families gathered for a fun evening of fellowship at Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 28th. The joy of painting and carving pumpkins filled the air. Children's faces lit up with excitement as their masterpieces were complete. In addition, our middle school youth provided homemade baked goods, handmade crafts, and face painting. The reunion of St. Columba alums brought an extra dose of happiness to the festivities; we love it when they come back home! The highlight of the evening was petting the loveable rescue dogs from the humane society. Autumn tables were decorated with Catholic tidbits for upcoming holy days, "Keep Hallow" family activities, and connection cards to engage in meaningful conversation. The Pumpkin Carving Prayer was a favorite of many! All proceeds supported Laplata Humane Society in honor of St. Francis, patron of animals, and the Family of Faith Saint of the Month. We give a big shout-out of thanks to all who participated, especially our St. Columba Parents' Association, for their diligent work and collaboration with GIFT Family Formation. What a great event to celebrate our community of life at St. Columba!
FROM THE DESK OF MR. CHICK Every year, St. Columba recognizes Veteran’s Day as an essential day of remembrance for our community and nation. It is a day to reflect on the importance of those who volunteer to be in harm's way to protect our freedoms of democracy and self-determination. It is because of our veterans that we enjoy the freedom to speak and worship freely. Day after day, we hear of people risking their lives to get into this country to be free from persecution, violence, poverty, and fear. Over the next week, regardless of politics, beliefs, or perspectives on the American experience, I ask that we all acknowledge and honor the selfless service of those who stand as shields against the forces of tyranny and oppression. To honor our military veterans, we ask you to please join in the upcoming events:: Attending our Veteran’s Day Mass, Wednesday November 8th at 8:15am. We have sent invitations to all the veterans we know to join us that day for prayer and a special blessing. Please, if you know a veteran, please offer them a warm invitation to join us for this special Mass honoring their service. Students participating in our Patriot’s Free Dress Day on Thursday November 9th. Please wear red, white, and blue as a communal activity of solidarity in recognizing the service of our veterans. (PLEASE make this an honorable activity by following Free Dress Day guidelines and by being a positive participant) See Attached Friday, November 10, a day off of school - Please take time to pray in gratitude for the service and protection generously given by our veterans. Attend the Veteran’s Day Parade on Saturday, November 11, at 11 am. Every year, we meet as a school community downtown to cheer and support all those in the parade. I hope and pray this year; we will have the biggest group of families we have ever had representing our school community. We are the only school in town that observes Veteran’s Day. Let’s represent! Thank you for all of your trust and support! We are looking forward to the special events and activities this coming week. All peace and blessings, Mr. Chick
FREE DRESS POLICY
PLEASE WEAR RED, WHITE, AND BLUE ON NOVEMBER 9TH IN HONOR OF OUR VETERANS!
NINJAS 4 VETS We are excited to be doing Ninjas for Vets again this year! Ninjas4Vets is an organization that helps today's youth connect, appreciate, and honor our veterans!! All you have to do is make a “Thank You For Your Service” poster and place it on a Veteran’s door on, Thursday, November 9th, Veteran’s Day Eve and sprint to your parent’s car! Please reach out to Susan Zaremba (school parent 1st,4th,6th) at susanzaremba@hotmail.com to honor a Vet in your life or to help make a poster for our local VFW chapter. To learn more about Ninjas4Vets click Here.
VETERANS DAY PARADE Saturday, November 11 at 11am: Let’s meet as a community to watch the Veteran’s Day Parade. Meet on the 8th block of Main Avenue in front of the Main Mall. Parents, please attend with your child(ren). This is not a drop off your child event.
ORDER SCHOOL PICTURES NOW! t is time to order the school pictures that were taken in early October. Please click HERE for the site and security code you will need for access. Orders need to be placed by November 15th. Helpful hint: If you are on the page with all of the students, please scroll all the way to the bottom to find the class pictures. If you have any questions or trouble placing your order, please reach out to Bailey at a/m Photography.
PICTURE MAKEUPS AND RETAKES ARE NOVEMBER 7TH!
BOOK FAIR HELP NEEDED! tOur annual Scholastic book fair is returning November 13-17. Get a jump on some of your holiday shopping while supporting St. Columba School at the same time. Stop by our Scholastic Book Fair before or after school November 1317 or during our Thanksgiving lunch. This is something our students truly love and look forward to each year! The book fair will include lots of great selections for all ages, preschool-8th grade!! We are in need of several volunteers to help our book fair run smoothly. Please click HERE to sign up for a time slot that you are available.
SAVE THE DATE: THANKSGIVING LUNCH All families are invited to join us at our annual Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday, November 16th. Please mark your calendars now and watch for separate emails and handouts to come in the next few days with all of the details including serving times, how to RSVP, and lots of volunteer opportunities. This is a special family event that you won’t want to miss!
THANKSGIVING OFFERTORY COLLECTION St Columba School Fall Drive will provide needed items for 2 service agencies this year: St Columba Food Pantry and the Grub Hub at Fort Lewis College. St Columba Food Pantry- The Pantry is supported totally through donations of food and financial donations and partners with service agencies in our communities. During the first six months of 2023, The Pantry served 777 families 795 bags of food! This is a significant increase from totals collected last year during this same time period. Then, 382 families received 397 bags of food.The Food Pantry provides the La Plata Family Centers 20 bags of food per week for hungry families seeking services, plus weekly snacks for 75 children who attend its afternoon programs. Fort Lewis College Grub Hub picks up 20 bags of food two weeks per month for its students in need. Community Compassion Outreach picks up 7 bags of food every Friday for families attending its Saturday activities. Additionally, we continue to serve individuals who come to the Food Pantry for a bag of food. In summary, our volunteers currently prepare and provide to the community an average of 155 bags of food per month. Incredible growth. The Food Pantry could use additional donations of these items: Canned tuna or chicken, Hearty soup in a can, Boxed cereal or oatmeal, Canned fruit, Container of jam or jelly, Meal in a can (Spaghetti-Os, beef stew, etc.) Fort Lewis College (FLC) Grub Hub- The Grub Hub provides food and housing assistance to students as well as resource navigation and community outreach. Surprisingly, in a recent survey of 771 students in the past 12 months at FLC, 49% experienced food insecurity, 56% experienced housing insecurity, and 18% experienced homelessness. Many students, particularly international and Alaskan students often come to FLC without essential supplies. Donations of the items below would help set the students up for success! Twin xl sheet sets, pillows, comforters, bath towels and washcloths, laundry bags, shower caddies, notebooks, folders, and backpacks.
WAWATCH FOR OFFERTORY BAGS TO COME HOME WITH YOUR STUDENT(S) THIS WEEK!
HALLOWEEN FUN
THE PARISH CONNECTION A T S T . C O L U M B A C H U R C H , W E A R E D E D IC A T E D T O C RE A T IN G A V IB RA N T A N D W E L C O M I N G C O M M U N IT Y F O R F A M IL IE S A N D IN D IV ID U A L S S E E K I N G F A I T H F O R M A T I O N . H E R E A R E S O M E O F T H E E X C IT IN G A C T I V I T I E S T H A T W E O F F E R E A C H W E E K . W E IN V IT E Y O U T O J O IN U S F O R T H E S E E V E N T S A N D E X P E R IE N C E T H E W A R M T H A N D H O S P IT A L IT Y O F T H E S T . C O L U M B A C O M M U N IT Y .
Family Formation Theology Night for all parents of children in grades K-5: "In His Image" talk led by Fr. Kevin + Family Faith Activities for November Tuesday, November 7th, 6:30-7:30pm, Parish Center Geared to parent(s), grandparent(s) of children in grades K-5, but all are welcome! Zoom option available here, or you may access the link on the public calendar. ***Child Care provided upon request PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL TO SIGN UP***
THE PARISH CONNECTION continued... Are you interested in becoming Catholic, entering into full communion of the Church, or learning more about the Catholic faith? Join the Encounter Small Group led by Julie Romero and Michael Eckstein. Sign up here or contact Julie for more information. Thursdays (Weekly) 5:30pm - 7pm, Parish Center Begins November 30th (ongoing) Book and video study on the United States Catechism for Adults
FAITH FORMATION NEWSLETTER CLICK HERE TO READ THE NOVEMBER EDITION is here! With so much happening at St. Columba and so many opportunities to learn and grow in your faith, we felt the need to dedicate a monthly newsletter solely to faith formation. We have built it in a fun format that we hope is easy to read and engaging. Use it for reference throughout the month to stay on top of all of our groups and gatherings.
Contact Julie for all your Faith Formation needs jromero@stcolumbacatholic.org
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS
HTTPS://WWW.STCOLUMBASCHOOLDURANGO.ORG/ OFFICE@STCOLUMBASCHOOLDURANGO.ORG ATTENDANCE LINE: 970-828-9356 SCHOOL OFFICE: 970-247-5527