Chesterton Weekly 12/10/21
“There is no more dangerous or disgusting habit than that of celebrating Christmas before it comes, as I am doing in this article. It is the very essence of a festival that it breaks upon one brilliantly and abruptly, that at one moment the great day is not and the next moment the great day is.”
― G.K. Chesterton
In This Issue:
New Chesterton Swag Available Now
All Things Gala
Christkindl (Kris Kringle) Week
Lessons and Carols
All-Campus Cleaning
Hair Cut House Point Competition
Ladies Basketball
Last Day of School Reminders
Save the Dates
New Chesterton Swag Available Now
Be sure to get your Chesterton swag! We have a few new or limited edition pieces at our holiday pop-up shop: https://cathfgear.orderpromos.com/
Unfortunately the items will not be printed before Christmas. However, they will be ready before Saturday, January 8, which is the March for Life Chicago. Check out our pro-life hoodie so you’re ready to march!
All Things Gala
RAFFLE
Hurry, hurry, hurry!! Our next Early Bird Special raffle drawing is fast approaching on December 15! Just a few days left! All tickets purchased up until 11:59 p.m. on December 14 will be added to the early bird drawing on December 15. This prize amount is for $1,000. Don’t forget, you’ll still be in the running for the grand prizes if your ticket is pulled in an Early Bird drawing. You will not want to miss out on such a great prize! Click on the raffle flyer PDF link below for the early bird prize amounts and all the information you will need.
Raffle tickets are $100 each. Click here to visit the raffle page. And you can also download and print additional flyers to help sell tickets using this PDF file.
Christkindl Week
Today the students were given their Christkindl (a.k.a. “Kris Kringle” in common parlance) names for next week! Over the weekend they should find a stocking to bring to school on Monday, and prepare their gift for, at least, Monday. Please have your student clearly mark their name on their stocking so that the person giving them a gift knows that they found the right stocking. Students should hang their stockings on their lockers first thing Monday morning. Give this guide a read-through for all the details. If you would like more information on next week’s tradition, please read below!
Every year, during the last week of first semester, Chesterton Academy hosts a Kris Kringle for all our students, faculty and staff. Kris Kringle is a traditional Christmas gift exchange, similar to a Secret Santa or an Advent Angel.
How is the term, Kris Kringle, related to a gift exchange? It comes from the name of the true gift-bringer, Christkindl, the Christ Child. While there are different ways of naming (Kris Kringle, Kris Kindle, Secret Santa) and approaching this gift exchange, the tradition itself has Christian roots: the Christ child bringing gifts and St. Nicholas who doled out presents to good children. One variation, in particular, is found in the Scandinavian tradition where there is a practice of knocking on someone’s door, throwing a present inside when it opens, and then running away. They call this Juklapp, or “knocking Christmas.” The giving of a gift creates a bond of communion/love between giver and receiver. The giver should be “in” the gift which he/she gives, or else it is a trick (and runs contrary to the Christ-centered spirit of the activity). In this manner, Kris Kringle is a practice which enables us to participate more deeply in the Season of Advent: preparing a way for the Lord by thoughtfully turning our minds and hearts toward love of neighbor.
We are looking forward to another week of this wonderful tradition!
Lessons and Carols
Advent Lessons and Carols is one of our most beloved traditions we have all year. This year, it will be held at Sts. Peter and Paul in Naperville, beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 16, 2021. The students share what they have been working on in their choir class this semester with the entire school community. As such, it is an all-school required formal event for students, parents, and faculty. Students must wear their formal attire uniform. This performance is part of the student’s music grade for the semester. There will be an outdoor reception for the families immediately following the evening’s service. Please dress for the weather; we are pleased to see that it will be a bit warmer than usual on Thursday, but you never know here in Chicagoland!
Students are required to be in school on that day in order to participate in Lessons and Carols; please note the shortened schedule for the day: 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Our suggestion is that you plan to arrive for pickup at 12:35 p.m. as the students will be leaving after mass and may need a few minutes to go back up to their lockers to gather their belongings.
In the evening, the arrival time for students is 5:15 p.m. and they should go to the parish hall at Sts. Peter and Paul, which is the red brick building next to the church. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend mass at 5:15 p.m. (That should also help you get a good seat since it is not a ticketed event and there is open seating.)
All Campus Cleaning
On Wednesday, December 15, we are having an all-school cleaning promptly after classes end. The cleaning will take about the same amount of time as the typical Friday school cleaning—it takes about 20-30 minutes after school. If you need to leave for the basketball game, there will be a sign-out sheet, and you will be responsible for cleaning on Thursday.
Please leave your choir binders at school on Wednesday. You will need these for the Lessons and Carols practice at school on Thursday morning.
Hair Cut Competition
Dear Chesterton Families,
As many of you know, MaryGrace Mahoney, one of our recent graduates, is working to earn her hairdresser's license. She graciously offered to cut my hair in order to get some practice. I thought there might be a bit of fun in sharing the experience, so each of the houses will be able to nominate a member of their house, student or teacher, to receive a haircut (sometime in December or January). The candidate can refuse; however if they do get their hair cut, they will earn 5 points for their house.
My haircut is scheduled for Monday at Lyceum. Afterwards, I will donate my 5 points to the house that has gained the most merits so far. It should be fun!
In Christ,
Mr. Dan Janeiro
Ladies Basketball
As the basketball season continues onward, we have scheduled three girls in-house JV games! These games will be equipped with referees, fans, and good competition. Mark your calendars for January 19, January 25, and February 2. All games will be at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Sebastian Gym. Go Saints!
Last Week of the Semester Reminders
In case you missed it, the schedule for the last days of school are changed. Please review them below if need be!
These changes are now reflected on the school calendar.
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 - Normal School Schedule
This will be the last full day of classes.
All-houses will be deep cleaning all of campus from 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Some students may need to leave early for a basketball game after school; we will make arrangements for them to help out with the cleaning during the day on Thursday, Dec. 16.
Thursday, December 16, 2021 – Last Day of School for Students
7:45 a.m. Building opens at the usual time
8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Convocation at 8:00 a.m. as usual
Christmas breakfast for students; final gift exchange and Christkindl celebration
Lessons and Carols practice
11:30 am Mass
12:30 p.m. Dismissal of students for Christmas Break
Friday, December 17, 2021
Last day for Faculty and Staff; please note that the faculty and staff will be attending an in-service during the day.
Save the Dates
12/10: Christmas CV Night
12/13-16: Kris Kringle Week
12/15: Second Early Bird Raffle Pull
12/16: Advent Lessons and Carols
1/4: All students return from the Christmas Break
1/8: March for Life Chicago
1/12: 6th & 7th Grade Open House
1/15: Chesterton Supper Club
1/17: Martin Luther King Day - no school
1/31 - 2/4: Holy Family Days
2/2: Winter Field Day