Middle States Visit & Self Study - Just a reminder to the St. Sylvester School community the Middle States team will arrive on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 5pm and complete their visit on Friday, December 9, 2011 around 12pm. Also, the completed self study has been posted on the school website under the parent's link. Look for the Middle State Self Study link. Happy Reading!

Grades K - 8 School Mass - The students in Grades K - 8 will attend Mass on Friday, November 18, 2011 at 8:30am in the St. Sylvester Church. The 7th grade students will minister at this Mass. Come and Celebrate with us.

Children's Grief Awareness Day, November 16, 2011 - Children's Grief Awareness Day provides an opportunity for all of us to raise awareness of the impact that the death of a loved one has in the life of a child. To bring awareness to this day, there will be a $1.00 dress down day on Wednesday, November 16, 2011. Students are being asked to wear the color blue, which is this year's color for Hope the Butterfly. Hope is the symbol for Children's Grief Awareness. The Dress Down will consist of jeans or sweatpants, t-shirts or long sleeve shirts of the color blue and gym shoes. Please NO SHORTS. The money will be donated to Highmark's Caring Place, which is a support group that focuses on the needs of children affect by death. On Thursday, November 17, 2011 we will also have heart-shaped suckers on sale for $0.50. If you would like to learn more about Children's Grief Awareness Day or Highmark's Caring Place, you can visit www.highmarkcaringplace.com. The Caring Place and the Pegher Family thank you in advance for your support.

Thanksgiving Food Drive Brentwood Food Bank - On Wednesday, November 2, 2011 our Thanksgiving Food Drive for the Brentwood Food Bank began and will continue until Wednesday, November 16, 2011. We certainly appreciate all you have done in the past, and thank you in advance for being so generous with this year's food drive. This service project is being sponsored by St. Sylvester School. Remember every item collected will help someone less fortunate this holiday season. What a great opportunity for the St. Sylvester School community to shine and show their spirit of giving.

Primary Department Thanksgiving Feast - This year our Primary Department (Grades K - 3) will be celebrating Thanksgiving by having a Thanksgiving Feast on Tuesday, November 22 2011. The students will be dressing up as Pilgrims, Native Americans and even Turkeys. We will be making hats to represent these Thanksgiving symbols. Feel free to send in a costume (hat, clothing, paper bag vest, etc.) to wear for our feast. We will gather in the Church Hall to eat and reflect upon the many gifts God has given us as we remember the first Thanksgiving. We will not be having regular lunch. Parents are invited to get involved with this special day. We need parents to help set up and serve, as well as clean up. If you could help even an hour, we would appreciate it.

"Mommy and Me 2 Year Old Story Time" - On Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 10am - 10:30am the Preschool and Primary Departments will be holding the "Mommy and Me 2 Year Old Story Time". This program is held one Saturday a month, from October to April, so spread the word to family and friends! This month's theme is Turkeys.

2011 Celebrating Home Candle Jar Sale - The Celebrating Home Candle Jar Sale pick-up date is scheduled for Friday, November 18, 2011 from 2:30pm - 7pm in the Church Hall. If you have any questions concerning the Celebrating Home Candle Jar fundraiser or are able to volunteer on the pick up date you may contact Paula Warywoda at (412) 819 - 0192.

Mama Joe's Pies of Amherst, Ohio Pie Sale - Just in time for Thanksgiving the Mama Joe's Pies of Amherst, Ohio Pie Sale picked up is scheduled for Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 4pm - 5:30pm and Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 8:30am - 1pm.

December Market Day Orders - December Market Day order forms are due to the school office on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. Internet orders are due on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 by 11pm. Pick up is scheduled for Thursday, December 1, 2011 from 4:30pm - 5:30pm in the Church Hall. As always we are in need of volunteers to help on Market Day, consider giving 1or 2 hours. If you would like to volunteer, please contact our chairperson Mary Gasiorowski at (412) 884 - 7165.

2011 Santa Lunch - Our second Santa Lunch is scheduled for Saturday, December 10, 2011 from 12pm - 3pm in the St. Sylvester Parish Church Hall. Come join us for lunch, ice cream sundaes, raffles, door prizes, crafts and a visit from Santa. All tickets will be $8 a person and must be purchased by Tuesday, November 29, 2011. A ticket order form can be picked up in the school office. For additional information call Donna Dziadyk at (412) 952 - 7647.

Ultimate Fan Frenzy Ticket - On Wednesday, October 26, 2011 each family received our next fundraiser, Ultimate Fan Frenzy Ticket. Each family is being asked to sell five tickets. Each ticket will cost $5 and the winner will receive 2 tickets to the December 8, 2011 Steeler Game (parking pass included), 2 tickets to the December 20, 2011 Pitt Basketball Game and 2 tickets to the January 10, 2012 Penguin Game. You will receive 5 fundraising points for each ticket sold. Any questions regarding this fundraiser, please contact Cheri Pegher at 412-884-8111 or pegher4820@verizon.net.

St. Sylvester School Family BINGO - On Friday, December 2, 2011 at 7pm in the St. Sylvester Parish Church Hall, St. Sylvester School will hold its annual Family BINGO sponsored by the Family BINGO Committee. Tickets are $5.00 per person. Checks should be made payable to St. Sylvester School. The deadline for tickets is Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Refreshments will be available along with Chinese auction baskets, 50/50 raffle and a Bake sale. Hurry and get your tickets. Don't miss out on this fun event. See you there!

Family BINGO, Friday, December 2, 2011 - The Family Bingo Committee would like to ask families for donations to create gift baskets which will be raffled off at this year's Family BINGO. We will gladly accept any donations; nothing is too big or small. If you are the creative type and would like to prepare your own gift basket for raffling, that would be appreciated as well. Donations can be left at the school office. Please contact Cheri Pegher at 412-884-8111 or pegher4820@verizon.net with any questions regarding donations. Thank you for your donations!

Football Mania - We had 6 winners this week. This week's winning tickets were sold by the following families: Schmotzer, Wuenschel, Ellsworth, Bornschlegl, Jackson and Moon. One ticket won $200 and the remaining tickets won $25.

Boxtops - We are still collecting box tops! Our newest contest started this week and will end on December 22. The winning class will receive a lunch-time pizza party! Thank you for your support!

Student Lunch Accounts - In order to keep our lunch program running smoothly, please keep your child's account current. This is very important to the success for our program. Thank you!

Newspaper News - Kindergarten parents we are in need of a picture or two of the students' visit to the senior citizen home on October 31st. If you have a good picture you'd like to share, please send it to ssschoolnewspaper@gmail.com by November 16th. Thank you! A reminder to students PreK-grade 2, please give your coloring page that was included in last month's newspaper to Maria Cerro ASAP if you want to enter the contest. We are also collecting poems for the November edition. Thank you!

St. Sylvester School Field Trip T-Shirts - St. Sylvester School is ordering T-Shirts to be worn during Field Trips. This is to help promote our school and to make sure that all our students stay together. The T-Shirt will be gray with the Lancer Image on the front. If your child does not have a Field Trip T-Shirt they will not be able to attend the Field Trip. Additionally, the Field Trip T-Shirts are not considered part of the gym uniform. The Activities Committee will cover the cost of the T-Shirt. If you would like to purchase additional T-Shirts, the cost of the T-Shirt will be $5.00. The due date for the order form is Friday, November 18, 2011. Just a reminder there is no cost for the student T-Shirt.

School Choice Update "The Battle for Justice Continues" - A reminder there are two legislators in our area that are either opposed or undecided about school choice Senator Wayne Fontana, opposed (fontana@pasenate.com) 412-344-2551 and Representative Harry A. Readshaw, undecided (hreadsha@pahouse.net) 412-881-4208. Take time to email or call Senator Fontana or Representative Readshaw and let them know how you feel about School Choice and how your tax dollars should be spent in regards to educating your child. Form letters can be obtained in the school office and then returned to the school office after you sign the letters. We will forward these letters to Senator Fontana and Representative Readshaw. It is imperative that we do this today! Also see the attached School Choice Myth. We will print one myth about school choice for the next 8 weeks. Look for each one as an attachment with the weekly newsletter.

Punt, Pass and Kick Team Championship News - Congratulations to Jenna Vojtecky an 8th Grade student who has moved on to the Punt, Pass, and Kick Team Championship round. Jenna will compete on Sunday, December 4, 2011 before the Steelers - Bengals game. Jenna will also participate in the throwing exhibition during halftime of that same game. Good Luck Jenna!

Fall Sports Pep Assembly / Blue and White Dress Down Day - On Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 10:00am in the school gym, the Student Council we will have a Pep Assembly in honor of all the fall sports participants (Cross Country, Soccer and Girls Varsity and Junior Varsity Volleyball). Students in Grades K - 8 are asked to show there school spirit by wearing blue and white school spirit wear along with sweatpants or jeans (no shorts) and gym shoes Any shirt (absolutely no sleeveless shirts / crop tops / tank tops etc.) that is blue, white or blue and white may be worn with exception to GORY decals, sayings or symbols that go against the Catholic nature of our school. As always Mr. Grgurich reserves the right to deem what is inappropriate attire. If you are not sure if something you might wear would be considered inappropriate call the school office. Keep it fun and simple.

2011-2012 Emergency School Closing Information - Please refer to the information sheet attached with today's newsletter in the event of an emergency school closing or delay. Remember do not call the school office or rectory, listen to or watch the following radio or TV stations: KDKA Radio, KDKA TV, WTAE TV or WPXI TV. Also if you have the internet at your home our closing or delay information will be posted on the following websites: kdka.com, thepittsburghchannel.com and wpxi.com. In advance thank you for your cooperation and as usual always refer to the school district you live in to determine busing when we have a 10AM START.

Next BAKE SALE - Our next Bake Sale will be on Friday, December 2, 2011 hosted by the 8th Grade! All bake sale items are .25¢ with a .50¢ purchase limit! All proceeds benefit class field trips unless stated otherwise. The Bake Sale starts at 12:30pm by the big bulletin board on the main floor of the school building.