VERY IMPORTANT—PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

 

Dear Parents,

 

The season of Advent begins Sunday, November 29th. During this period of waiting for Christmas (Advent) we place more emphasis on the spiritual aspect of Christmas preparation than on the commercial aspect.

 

Here are some of the ways we will prepare for Christmas in the classroom.

 

1.         St. Nicholas Day (December 6^th) The Feast of St. Nicholas

 

We will be borrowing a custom from Holland where the children place their shoes outside of their rooms on the night before St. Nicholas Day. If the children have been very good St. Nicholas fills their shoes with candy and fruit. If they have been “naughty” their shoes are filled with ashes and coal!

On Thursday, December 3rd, we will be putting out our “shoes” for St. Nicholas to fill in the classroom on Friday, December 4^th since St. Nicholas day is on Sunday this year. YOUR CHILD MAY ALSO EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN AT HOME!

 

2.         Advent Waiting Partners

 

On Monday, November 30th, your child will draw the name of a classmate to be his/her “Advent Waiting Partner.”  (More commonly known as Kris Kringles) Though most time Kris Kringles are kept a secret, we will NOT keep ours a secret. Children will partner, meaning “Sue” will have “Mary” and “Mary” will have “Sue.”

 

We will discuss little things we can do FOR our waiting partners during Advent in the classroom. Here are some examples of what might be included on the list.

 

A)  Draw a picture for your waiting partner

B)  Say a special prayer for your partner

C)  Color a picture for your partner

D)  Carry your partner’s supply box for him/her

 

Each day your child should do something special for his/her Advent Waiting Partner. We will be doing this in the classroom only. Children will not be bringing in things for their Advent Waiting Partner from home. We want to keep this a very positive experience and sometimes children forget to bring things for their partner and it becomes more “I didn’t get anything today” so we will keep this an “in school” program.

 

On Monday, November 30th, your child will bring home a paper which will let you know the name of his/her Advent Waiting Partner. Please include this person in your family prayers during advent.

 

3.  Advent Party  (December 18th)

 

To end our Advent Waiting Partner’s activity we ask for each child to make or purchase a Christmas ORNAMENT. You may keep this simple. Help your child wrap the ornament and label it with his/her name AND the name of his/her Advent Waiting Partner. The children will exchange ornaments on Friday, December 18th^t. Please send your child’s wrapped ornament to school by Wednesday, December 16th.

 

 

4.  Advent Suggestions for Home

 

Your child will bring home a paper crib glued to a sheet of construction paper. Each time you notice your child being especially nice, or doing something nice for someone, have your child draw or glue a piece of straw to the crib in preparation for Jesus. You could also make the straw from brown construction paper. On Christmas Eve, put the crib under your tree and Jesus will be sure to have a very soft bed!

 

Other members of your family could also have cribs. This will give your child the opportunity to recognize when YOU do something nice or special. Then they could tell you to put a piece of straw in YOUR crib. This is a wonderful thing to do with the whole family.

 

5.  Advent Wreath

 

We will have an Advent wreath in the classroom. You may wish to also have an Advent Wreath at home. Meal time is a good time to light the Advent Wreath. You can say a prayer as simple as “Come, Lord Jesus, Come.”  You may wish to make a little poster with your child’s Advent Waiting Partner’s name on it as a reminder to pray for that person at meals and bedtime.

 

An Advent Wreath is usually made of green branches, evergreen, to symbolize life. This wraps around in a circular shape which symbolizes God’s unending love for us. Our life with God keeps going forever. We use four candles to represent the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Three of the candles are purple, reminding us that we need to be sorry for things we have done and try to do better. The other candle is pink (3^rd candle) which symbolizes the joy and happiness we have in our hearts because Jesus will be coming to us again in a special way at Christmas. When we light the candles, this is a sign that Jesus is our light.

 

HAPPY ADVENT!