It was quite an honor to have Bishop Fernandes at SPX to celebrate our first All-School Advent Mass! Our concelebrants, Fr. Young, Msgr. Funk, Fr. Connolly, and Fr. Ondrey, joined by Deacon LeMay, made our Mass even more special! Bishop Fernandes complimented our lectors, Max U and Amara B, and we were incredibly thankful for the students and staff members who shared their beautiful voices as cantors. Be sure to ask your children about Bishop's homily.

After Mass, Bishop Fernandes took the time to visit our classrooms and talk with our students. Some classes shared songs, prayer books, or gifts, while others asked him questions and found out some very interesting things about him. Did you know...

• He has three brothers who are doctors and he actually completed two years of medical school before deciding to become a priest.
• The Sisters of Mercy gave Bishop Fernandes' father a place to stay when his dad immigrated to the US with just a small box of belongings and $5.00.
  
• At their public elementary school, his siblings were prohibited from using the same water fountains and restrooms as the white students because of their brown skin. Bishop Fernandes' father went to the parish priest for help in changing this policy, but the priest invited the Fernandes family to attend the Catholic school instead, despite not being able to pay tuition. Because of the love the sisters and priests had shown his family, he wanted to give back to the church.
• He speaks a number of different languages and he is the first Indian American Bishop to serve in the US!

Bishop Fernandes is knowledgeable, engaging, energetic, and gracious. We are thankful he took time out of his busy schedule to spend the morning with us!

Saturday, December 3 SPX Parish Breakfast with Santa (Parish Center, 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.)

Wednesday, December 7 Poinsettia Pickup (Gym, 3:00-6:30)

Wednesday, December 7 Vigil Mass for Feast of the Immaculate Conception (7:00 p.m.)

Thursday, December 8 All-School Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Thursday, December 8 K & 1st Christmas Program (Church, 1:30 & 6:30)

Friday, December 9 2nd Grade Field Trip to the Nutcracker

Friday, December 9 Spelling Bee (Gym, 12:30 p.m.)

Sunday, December 11 Drama Club Performance (Gym, 4:00 p.m.)

Monday, December 12 Special Dress Down Day for "Sponsor-a-Family" Collection

* Cash or Checks Accepted--Your generosity will help our school families in need.*

Monday, December 12 Secret Santa Shop (Parish Center)

Monday, December 12 Preschool Christmas Program (Church, 6:30 p.m.)

Tuesday, December 13 Secret Santa Shop (Parish Center)

Tuesday, December 13 All-School Mass

Tuesday, December 13 Choir & Band Concert (Gym, 6:30)

Wednesday, December 14 Secret Santa Shop (Parish Center)

Wednesday, December 14 Home & School Meeting (Library 6:30)

Thursday, December 15 Pizza With the Pastor 7th & 8th

Thursday, December 15 2nd & 3rd Christmas Program (Church, 1:30 & 6:30)

Friday, December 16 $1.00 Dress Down Day for 8th Grade D.C. Trip

Friday, December 16 Game Truck for Candy Sale Winners

Friday, December 16 Bi-Weekly Newsletter Published

Monday, December 19 BIBIBOP HSA Fundraiser

Monday, December 19 Choir/Band Concert for Students

Monday, December 19 Pajama Day for All Students

Tuesday, December 20 All-School Mass

Tuesday, December 20 Juggler Presentation for Pre K - 3

Tuesday, December 20 Christmas Parties

Wednesday, December 21 - Tuesday, January 3 No School

Wednesday, January 4 School Resumes

Friday, January 13 End of Quarter 2

**SAVE THE DATES**

Saturday, January 28 Father-Daughter Dance

Wednesday, February 1 Open House for Prospective Families (Please spread the word!)

Thursday, March 2 Culture and Diversity Night

**The yearly calendar may be found by logging in to your FACTS Family Portal.**

The National Jr. Beta Club is an organization that "prepares today's students to be tomorrow's leaders." Last week, a number of our Jr. High students were inducted into our SPX Beta Club Chapter for committing themselves to service, leadership, character, and academic excellence. These students will compete against other students around the state in February during the Ohio State Beta Club Convention, which will be held downtown at the Convention Center. This will be our fifth year for Beta Club at SPX, and our students have won in numerous categories each year such as: Quiz Bowl, Book Battle, Engineering, Academic Testing, Visual Arts, Marketing, and Performing Arts. We are thankful Mr. Kehres leads this club, allowing us to offer such an enriching opportunity for our students.

During our induction ceremony, we had the privilege of hearing Mrs. Amber Pierson, owner and founder of Better Together Playnasium in Pataskala, speak about how she took a challenge in her life and turned it into something positive. While it was difficult to accept that her child would be unable to walk or see, she decided to open a space where all children, despite their limitations, are included and accepted. She was a beautiful example of someone who has made a difference in this world! If you have young children, be sure to check out https://www.bettertogetherplaynasium.com/.

Advent is the beginning of the church year and a time set aside to refocus our lives on the coming of Christ. Throughout this season we are called to focus on hope, faith, joy, and peace - represented by the four candles of the advent wreath. We wait with hope as we hear stories of the coming of our Savior. We focus on others with a sense of peace, knowing that through Christ, our kind acts will make a difference. We find joy in the company of others and by recognizing the small miracles that happen all around us. And we rejoice in the love God has for us, shown to us through the gift of His Son, Jesus. This advent season, we are called to prepare our hearts and journey with God the Father, just as Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem to prepare for Christ's birth on Christmas!

Each year during Advent, we hold a special collection to support our SPX families who could use some extra help around the holidays. We are adding a Dress Down Day on Monday, December 12, and all money collected will be distributed to SPX families. No amount is too small, but we'd encourage everyone to be generous for this special Advent collection. We will accept cash or checks made out to St. Pius X School.

*If you know of a family who could use some help this year, please contact Lisa Ruth. We are always confidential with names.

From Monday December 13th-Wednesday December 15th students will get to experience the joy of gift giving by purchasing gifts for their loved ones. Gifts for parents, grandparents, siblings, pets, teachers and friends are available, ranging from $0.25 to $10.00 with most gifts between $3.00-$7.00. Students can send in cash, a check written to St. Pius X Home & School or purchase a gift certificate using a credit card online holidayshop.org/giftcert (any remaining money from the gift certificate will be sent home as cash with your student). To make the experience as wonderful as possible for the students we need many volunteers to help students pick appropriate gifts and wrap their gifts so they stay a surprise until Christmas. BCI/PGC is required for any of the volunteer shifts during shopping times. A link of shifts is available at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050444a4ae2fa1f58-secret1 Thanks in advance for your help!

On Monday, all of the students were informed that we will begin having surprise uniform checks beginning next week. Each time every student in the class is in compliance with our uniform code, the class will earn a raffle ticket. During each quarterly all-school assembly, there will be raffle drawings for Dress Down Days. Please review the uniform codes and pay special attention to the policies for hair, belts, socks/leggings, and jewelry.

Speaking of uniforms...our Lost and Found is overflowing! Please have your children claim their items before they are donated, and please LABEL all items.

Feeding the Hungry is one of the Corporal Works of Mercy, so we have partnered with the St. Vincent de Paul Ministry, once again, to collect food donations for the Bishop Griffin Center.

While we will accept any donations, we will focus on jars of gravy and boxed instant potatoes through 12/14. As classrooms meet their goal, they will be given clues to a hidden nativity piece to add to our nativity bulletin board. We are hoping, through your generosity, to have a complete nativity scene by Christmas break.

Volunteers are needed to help unload, stage, and sort poinsettias from 10am-noon on Wednesday, December 7th.

Home & School could also use a handful of volunteers in the gym from 3-6:30 p.m. on 12/7 for customer pickup.

Please us this link to volunteer:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0949AEAA2DABFCC16-poinsettia

Come see our Drama Club performance of "Channeling Grimm" on Sunday, December 11, at 4pm in the SPX Gym! There is no cost and the show will last about 70 minutes.

Two teens don't know what to write for an honors English assignment on the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Luckily, their friend has the solution...watch TV versions of the tales! But when Cameron points the unusual looking remote at the screen expecting Netflix or Apple TV, instead they find the wackiest assortment of fairy-tale themed programming! Spoofs of famous TV shows mixed with well-known fairy tales are sure to delight all ages. Complete with a movie trailer, nightly news, and commercials!

St. Pius X School’s 10th annual auction gala, A Night in Green, will take place on March 25, 2023. Class baskets are a vital part of the silent auction and help to raise thousands of dollars each year! We would like to encourage you to donate via the link at the bottom of this page to help us create some irresistible auction baskets.

How can you support Class Baskets?

We are proud of our 5th and 6th grade newspaper staff for publishing our first student-run newspaper, The Panther Press. If you missed their first issue, please click on the link below.

If you are interested in after school tutoring by one of the following teachers, please contact them directly for fees and availability:

Mrs. Camp (acamp@spxelementary.com) - K-4 Math and 2-4 Reading

Mrs. Canfield (tcanfiel@spxelementary.com) - 3-4 Math and Reading

Mrs. Trainer (ktrainer@spxelementary.com) - K-5 Math and Reading

Breakfast is $5.00 per person or $20.00 per family and there will be a "Santa Shop" available for with some handmade gifts.

Help us increase the amount of our Kroger community rewards by registering your Kroger Rewards Card with St. Pius X School and Church. These reward checks allow us to do special things for our staff throughout the year, and I always say, "If we keep our staff happy, they keep your children happy!"

Here's how the contest works:

• Link your Kroger Card to St. Pius X School and Church (#KL459). See directions below.
• Take a screenshot of the page that shows your account connected to SPX.
• Email the screenshot to mdennett@spxelementary.com or print it and send it to school with your children.
• One point will be given to each child in your family for each account that is registered, so please encourage your friends and family members to link to SPX, too!
• The class with the greatest average number of points per student (when we return in January) will earn a pizza party and dress down day.

1. Log into your Kroger app.

2. Link your card to an organization.

• Select the 3 lines on the top right.
  
• Click Rewards.
• Click Community Rewards.
• In the "Find an Organization" box type KL459
• Select St. Pius X School and Church
• Click Enroll

Your selected organization will also display in the Kroger Community Rewards section of your account.

https://www.marketdaylocal.com/account/register

St. Pius earns 10% of the total dollar amount on every order.

When searching for our school, we are listed as St. Pius X School!

Do you know there is an easy way for you to help support our school AND get a discount on your tuition? It's simple! When you purchase gift cards (physical or ecards!) through our SCRIP program, the school receives a percentage of the money you spend, and YOU receive a percentage of the money. Everyone has to buy gas and groceries and your purchases can help St. Pius X. All it takes is a little planning on your part. They make great and easy gifts too.

What is Scrip?

Scrip cards are gift cards from national and local retailers. They are the same ones that you buy at the store.

How does St. Pius X make money from Scrip?

Participating retailers sell the gift cards at a discount. School families buy the gift cards for face value and redeem them for face value.

How do families get money from buying scrip?

Each card carries a rebate and it is split 70% to the family and 30% to St Pius X.

What stores participate?

There are hundreds of retailers that participate with Scrip, including Walmart, Kohl's, Speedway, Dunkin Donut, Panera, Old Navy, Dick's Speedway, Sheetz, Wendy's and many more. You can see a complete list of the participating retailers at:

https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/Shop/Product/Browse

How do I buy Scrip?

You can purchase Scrip online. Several cards (especially gas cards) can also be reloaded, meaning that you add funds to your existing Scrip cards.

Online: www.glscrip.com

Does Scrip have grocery store cards?

Yes! Several stores, including Giant Eagle, Walmart and Target have regular Scrip cards.

Christmas and Thanksgiving are coming sooner than we think and due to Covid shopping this year may be a little different. We have several retailers that will be having Black Friday deals.

If interested in signing up, use Enrollment Code 4CLCA31F15425. Please send questions to Diane Bassetti at: stpiusscrip@yahoo.com

Did you know that you can put your Ohio tax dollars to work to support Catholic education? It’s true…and now it’s easier than ever! As an Ohio taxpayer, if you make a donation to the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund, you receive a dollar-for-dollar credit (not a deduction) on your Ohio income tax liability – up to $750 per person, or $1,500 if married filing jointly – effectively allowing YOU to make a choice about how YOUR Ohio tax dollars are utilized.

What’s the catch? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. This tax credit was enacted into law by the Ohio Legislature in late 2021 and the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund is a certified scholarship granting organization (SGO) of the Diocese of Columbus. The funds donated to the SGO are used for academic scholarships for students to attend Our Catholic Schools and, though they must be prioritized for low-income families, anyone in our schools have the potential to benefit from these scholarships, making an authentic Catholic education affordable and accessible for all. What’s more, you can restrict your gift for the benefit of one or more schools of your choosing.

The Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund creates much-needed scholarship dollars for Our Catholic Schools while giving you the power to direct your tax dollars to support our efforts to lead children to an encounter with Christ.

Are you ready to make an impact? Visit our new scholarship web site at www.emmausroadscholarship.org to get started!

Email: stpiusx@cdeducation.org
Website: www.spxreynoldsburg.com
Location: 1061 Waggoner Road, Reynoldsburg, OH, USA
Phone: 614-866-6050
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SPXSchoolReynoldsburg