Christmas Spirit by Kristen Okabayashi, Hope Principal
One of our middle school elective choices is drama, taught by Hope parent and actress Sandra Scragg. Our school was blessed yesterday by watching the drama students perform a Christmas play, “The Last Stop before Christmas”. The play was basically about a bunch of grumpy people who are overly busy and stressed and preoccupied to really enjoy Christmas, who are changed by a chance encounter at a bus stop with the Christmas spirit.
As I watched the play unfold, I felt like someone had been borrowing material from my own life. Last Sunday I realized somehow the month had slipped away and that we HAD to get our Christmas tree up! In my mind, I pictured my family all together joyfully selecting the perfect tree, loading it up and decorating it all together with Christmas carols and hot chocolate. In reality, that is not quite what happened. One child had too much homework, one child wanted to stay home, and we picked up another one from a friend’s house on our way to the tree farm wilderness (i.e. the Holy Rosary parking lot). One of our boys actually did find the almost-perfect tree fairly quickly and we brought it home. We managed to put up ornaments and lights in bits and pieces, somehow managing to finish the tree at some point that evening amidst a handbell choir rehearsal, dinner, and grocery shopping.
As I write this, my Christmas cards have not gone out, my Christmas shopping is not done, and I haven’t even finished putting up all the decorations around our house yet. And yet, the Christmas spirit is alive and well in our house. While the Christmas tree set up did not go as I planned it to go, the child who chose to remain home while we picked out a tree surprised us by bringing up all the ornaments and decorations from our basement, so everything was ready to go when we got home. Another son stunned me by donating almost all his saved money to the middle school “Goats for Ghana” service project, and I can’t believe how much money has been raised by our generous middle school students. As we learned in the play yesterday, it only takes one person to spread the Christmas spirit, and it’s contagious!
As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, we hope you all find your Christmas spirit and Merry Christmas to all of you! We are blessed.
Calendar of Events – Click Here
Today: Report Cards Coming Home
Wed. 12/16: No Chapel Today / Believe Orders to Arrive / 7:00 PM Sounds of Christmas Concert
Thurs. 12/17: No Hot Lunch Today
Fri. 12/18: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Kindergarten / Noon Dismiss for Christmas Break / ESC “XTRA” Open / Free Dress Day
Dec. 21, 2015 – Jan 1, 2016: No School & No ESC – Christmas Break
Mon. 1/11: Math Club (Changed from January 4th – Affects January Only)
Sports Events Calendar – Click Here
1st Trimester Report Cards
Your student’s 1st trimester report card is included in your Tuesday communication packet today! Please sign the outside of the envelope, keep your copy of the report card, and then return the envelope to your homeroom teacher. This process will be repeated each trimester. Please review your child’s report card and contact your teacher with any questions.
Last Hope School Christmas Performance
Hope’s middle school musicians will perform in our annual “Sounds of Christmas” concert tomorrow Wednesday, December 16 at 7:00 PM. The concert will feature our middle school chapel band and choir, handbell choir, and glee club performing with the Seattle Lutheran High School band. We hope you can join us for our last festive event held in the Hope Church sanctuary. Merry Christmas!
Believe Orders to Arrive – 12/16
Your Believe orders are to arrive tomorrow, Wednesday, December 16th. These will go home with your child by Thursday. If you have a large order please make arrangements to help your student get your packages home. Thank you for your support of our PTH fundraiser!
Christmas Spirit Day, Friday, 12/18
Get ready to show some Christmas spirit on Dec. 18! Student council is sponsoring a day to wear your fun jingle bells, hats, t-shirts, sweaters, and colors to share the joy! You could even make your own silly Christmas sweater. Merry Christmas from student council!
Christmas Services at Hope Church
Please join us at any of our Hope Church services during this Christmas Season!
Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24: 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Family Service, 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Contemporary Service, 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion Service
Christmas Day: 10:30 a.m. Traditional Worship Service
Afterschool Activities – Click Here
Auction News & Opportunities – Click Here
Parent Involvement Program Opportunities – Click Here
Hope Lutheran School Re-Enrollment to Begin Tuesday, January 12, 2015
Re-enrollment materials along with the tuition rates for the 2016-2017 school year will be coming home on Tuesday, January 12. Re-enrollment procedures must be completed each year for placement to be maintained for the following year. This is a 1 week period in which re-enrollment forms plus a $175 per K-8 & $150 for preschool student registration fee needs to be submitted to the school office by Friday, January 22. New family enrollment will begin January 26, 2016. Contact our Admissions Director, Sally Heit at sheit@hopeseattle.org, with questions. We look forward to continuing our partnership with your family in the years to come!
