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Everest Academy "Stand for Dan" Fundraiser
The Student Council members at Everest Academy are sponsoring a fundraiser "Stand for Dan" to raise money for a Lemont boy who recently suffered a paralyzing injury while diving. The students have been selling T-shirts and wrist bands to support Dan, and have also written letters to him offering their encouragement and prayers. The late Pope John Paul II has been named the patron of Dan's hopes for a full recovery. Please visit the official website www.standfordan.com or contact the school for more information on how to help.
To read more about the Student Council's fundraiser for Dan, please view the full article here.
The Student Council members at Everest Academy are sponsoring a fundraiser "Stand for Dan" to raise money for a Lemont boy who recently suffered a paralyzing injury while diving. The students have been selling T-shirts and wrist bands to support Dan, and have also written letters to him offering their encouragement and prayers. The late Pope John Paul II has been named the patron of Dan's hopes for a full recovery. Please visit the official website www.standfordan.com or contact the school for more information on how to help.
To read more about the Student Council's fundraiser for Dan, please view the full article here.
On Friday, December 9th, Everest Academy performed the musical "Miracle on Bethlehem Street" for a packed gymnasium. Please see below for the Triblocal news article covering the event, or click here to view the article.
Everest Academy Performs Miracle on Bethlehem Street
On Friday, December 9th, the students of
Everest Academy performed “Miracle on Bethlehem Street” for a full audience of
family, friends, teachers and community members. The musical was produced and directed
by drama teacher Mrs. Jenna Treanor. Written by Don Hart and Lowell Alexander,
this Christmas musical written for children retells the Christmas story through
the eyes of busy Bethlehem innkeepers.
Whether singing or acting, all of the students at
Everest, from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, have been involved in the production
in some way. Each grade had a different role, including sheep and angels for
the younger grades, and shepherds and the lead characters for the older
children. All the students were actively involved in creating their costumes,
learning the songs and choreography, and making the sets. “The kindergarten class has really come out
of their shells with this production. They love the songs and have been
practicing them non-stop” said Mrs. Joanna DiSabato, the Kindergarten teacher
at Everest.
Everest Academy is a Catholic school for
pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, and gives great importance to forming
leadership and public speaking skills in the students. The annual Christmas
production is just one of the many activities in the curriculum in which
students have the opportunity to perform and speak in front of an audience.
“I’ve seen tremendous growth in the students since the beginning of the year. They
have become more confident in themselves and their talents,” said Molly Maher,
Dean of Students.
The musical was produced and directed by Mrs. Jenna
Treanor of Lemont. Mrs. Treanor has produced and directed five children's
musicals, including the rock opera Tommy
and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat. She currently resides in Lemont and is setting her sights
on creating more opportunities for the youth to engage in the performing arts.
Everest Academy is an independent Roman Catholic
school in Lemont educating children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
The teachers and staff are dedicated to forming the whole child by providing
the highest level of academics, by building character, and by developing a
strong apostolic faith in the students. If you would like to learn more about
Everest Academy’s approach to education, please contact Heidi Matelich at
630-243-1995 or visit www.everestadvantage.org.
Dear Everest Academy Parents and Friends,
This is the time of year that we really reflect back on all that we are grateful for: our faith, our families, our friends. In a special way we say thank you to all of you, as it is due to your generosity and support that we can offer an Everest education to our students.
November has been an eventful month that has definitely passed with record speed. Looking back, we lived it fully by attending to our studies, accomplishing our first report card, attending to Parent Teacher conferences, concluding the coat drive, hosting the middle school retreat, participating in the Lemont Loves the Arts, celebrating All Saints Day, carrying out Poinsettia sales, hosting open houses, celebrating the Big Brother-Big Sister Thanksgiving Feast, beginning the Christmas Pageant rehearsals, preparing for Grandparents Day, hosting a Book Fair, kicking off the Gala, celebrating the Feast of Christ the King, assisting with the Zaccheus House Fundraiser, and finalizing the marketing plan at its best...just to name a few.
This month began with the triumphant celebration of All Saints Day and we fully enjoyed the mighty and colorful saints at Everest Academy. The costumes, teamwork, competitions and festivities of the day were very impressive. The student leaders were excellent in motivating their teams to give 100%. We concluded the month with a most heartwarming event: Grandparents Day. The students could not wait for this day to share with their grandparents what they had prepared.
We are impressed as to how much God really loves us when we see that love reflected in the unique relationship of Grandparents and their Grandchildren. We thank the Parents' Association and all those who contributed to making this a special gift to our Grandparents.
As you may have seen, we have new technology to integrate in our classes. Although not completely part of the original plan, further research on the optimal products for our investment dictated moving forward with a combination of the Mimio Bar for versatility, as well as the installation of the Epson projector for optimal interactive white board use. Stay tuned for further information on this. We also have on loan a PolyVision interactive board, to broaden our possibilities. As a faculty, we attended a technology in-service to help build our experience and learn new ways to incorporate programs available on the internet in our daily lessons.
Our annual Book Fair was a success! Thank you for your support. The sale continues up until the 15th of this month as we still have many inspirational books from Ignatius press. These make excellent Christmas gifts.
Two main fundraisers are now underway. First, our Gala Committee is planning an amazing event - it will have to be to top last year’s Gala! Gala informational packets including the raffle tickets have been sent home so please review these materials to see how you can assist with this important fundraiser. Second, please remember to send in your pledge for our Annual Fund Campaign. Pledge cards are available at the office. Thank you for your participation.
Please do not miss promoting our Open House on Sunday, January 29th. Spread the word and let’s get as many as possible attending. On this note, our Marketing team needs your support. Please help us to promote Everest Academy as much as possible. Contact Heidi for more information. We will hold an informational meeting on December 19th to activate teams to fulfill our marketing strategies. One marketing tip: consider sending an Everest info card out with some of your local Christmas cards to share with as many as possible our gift of education: the integral formation of Christian leaders.
We have begun Advent: a time of prayer, reflection, and peace; a time to appreciate and prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas, which is the greatest miracle of all. In assembly, we will light the Advent Candle and reaffirm the commitments we have made to live Advent in a way that opens our hearts to Christ in the anticipation of his arrival. I hope that you will join us as our children are joyfully preparing to celebrate and present Jesus as the reason for the season with the Christmas Pageant, Miracle on Bethlehem Street. I look forward to seeing you then.
God bless you,
Sincerely in Christ,
Christine Gamache
The Everest Coat Drive
A very warm congratulations to all the students for last month’s Coat Drive! We collected more than 70 coats and other winter clothing to benefit the needy of the town of Lemont. On Nov. 8, the 5th-6thgrade class sorted and folded the coats for delivery to the Lemont Police Station. In the pocket of every coat they placed a holy card to help comfort the one who receives it. Thank you to all who contributed!
Change 4 Change
Congratulations to the 3rd-4th
grade class for collecting the most this month. They brought in $41.10 - that’s
70% of the total for the month!
A big “Thank You” to all the
students for their participation this last month in the Change-4-Change
school apostolic project! Our total year-to-date is now $290.64.
Our goal for the year is to provide
a scholarship for 2 underprivileged children in a Mano Amiga school in Mexico. The
two students are a 2nd grade boy named Juan Pablo and a Kindergarten
girl named Amayrani. Both scholarships together total $1,500. Hopefully, with a
bit of the spiritual motivation of Christmas, we can surpass our monthly goal
of $200, (that’s approximately $4-5/student).
The Mano Amiga schools are run by
the Legionaries of Christ and provide a free education to children from
underprivileged families in Latin America. We are happy to sponsor these two
students through their schooling, so that they may have the opportunity to
succeed in life and support their families.
Dear Families,
Advent is here, and I hope that you are all enjoying this
beautiful season as we prepare to welcome Baby Jesus! This is a season for
gratitude – to take time to reflect on God’s love and on all the gifts that He
has given us. I thank God daily for the gift of each of your families to the
Everest community, and hope that we can bring more families to benefit from
Everest Academy!
The Christmas season also means that we are fast approaching
enrollment season! We will be holding an open house on November 30, and are
also excitedly preparing for our big open house on January 29 to conclude
Catholic Schools Week. Hopefully all of you can bring at least one friend to
learn more about our school!
The marketing committee has been working hard on a strategic
marketing plan, and we are now ready to implement key goals. Any parents who
would like to help, in any way, shape or form – we need your help and talent to
make our marketing plan a reality! Even if you only have a little time to
spare, any help will be greatly appreciated to help share the gift of Everest.
Thank you in advance for your help! God bless you & your families this
Advent.
Heidi Matelich
The
Everest Academy faculty and staff is making strides in technological
applications in the classroom. On November 7 they joined the Archdiocese of
Chicago at a technology conference on Best Practices in
Technology Integration with
educational expert and featured Speaker, Meg Ormiston.
Meg is passionate about transforming teaching and learning through the power of
digital tools. Meg’s extensive experience as a classroom teacher for over a
decade and as a school board president enables her to connect with teachers and
administrators across curriculums and grade levels. She is developing online
professional development to engage staff anytime and anywhere. Meg was just
awarded the prestigious 2010 “Book of the Year” award for her book, Creating
a Digital Rich Classroom.
There
were over 20 breakout sessions including
“Personal Professional Development Using Twitter” and “Technology to
Differentiate Instruction.” There were interactive white board and software vendors
on display, allowing the Everest team to explore the best possible technology
sources for the classroom.
Everest
Academy Supports Zacchaeus House Fundraiser
for
St. James Parish
Everest Academy 8th grade students Michael Spell, Libby
Thomas, and Veronica Kopec take time out of their Saturday to provide
entertainment for the Zacchaeus House Fundraiser, held at St. James Parish Hall
on November 19, 2011. Michael Spell played the piano during the luncheon. The
Everest 8th grader later returned the stipend he was given, donating
the money to Zacchaeus House.
Zacchaeus House offers
mercy and grace, as well as a home to men in need. In a former convent on the South Side, homeless men can sit at a kitchen table and
be served breakfast with orange juice each morning. A few feet away are a
laundry room and storage room equipped with new linen and new clothing for
these men, who now call Zacchaeus House home.
Deacon Coleman, the
Director, has been serving the poor and needy in Chicago for over twenty years.
Zacchaeus House is a home for men who are hurting and need time to heal and a
place to call home.
Chicago's Cardinal
Francis E. George, describes Zacchaeus House as a "transitional safe
house" for men who want spiritual direction. Zacchaeus House is not a
treatment center, halfway house or shelter; it is a place of evangelization
for men who want to stabilize their lives and find Christ.
DUCK, DIVE, DODGE
FOR DONATIONS
Thursday Dec 15th
from 7-9pm @ Lemont Park District CORE
7th - 8th grade
students and Student Council have been asked to participate in the 2nd
annual “Duck, Dive, Dodge for Donations” on Thursday Dec 15th from
7-9pm @ Lemont Park District CORE:
Last year was the first competition of
ducking, diving, and dodging for donations for the Lemont Township Family
Assistance Fund and our Police, Fire, Village and High School teams had a ball
(literally) raising funds and collecting food for the Food Pantries. This
year it is open to every group, making it a round robin tournament. So
far there are commitments from the Lemont Police, Lemont Fire, the Village,
Lemont Junior Women’s Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Lemont
Park District, with more working on assembling their army. 10 persons per
team are allowed, 6 are on a court at a time, and the registration fee is $30
per team.
Please plan on bringing the family to come
watch these groups battle for a cause. Entry will be a $5 suggested
donation to the Lemont Township Family Assistance Fund and/or a bag of food for
the Lemont Food Pantries. See you there!
Take a Lesson From the Advent Wreath
By Fr. Matthew Kaderabek, LC
Happy New Year! Along
with the beginning of the Advent season, the Church inaugurated this past
Sunday a new liturgical year dedicated to our reliving in time the central
mysteries of the life of Christ. Christ
is “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end”
(Rev 22:13), and the Church has us begin each year focusing both on the end and
on the beginning so that we might better
live the present. Advent is the
season in which we prepare for reliving the beginning, Christ’s coming in the
past in Bethlehem; the season in which we prepare for the end, his coming in
the future on the clouds of heaven to judge the living and the dead; and the
season in which we embrace his coming in the present, in so many ways, but
especially in the Eucharist.
One of the beautiful Advent traditions that Catholics have
lived for centuries is the practice of having an Advent wreath in the Church
and at home. One of the primary questions
the Lord asks us during Advent is whether we are being vigilant for his coming
again, or whether we have fallen asleep.
The Advent wreath that we bless and light each year is meant to be a
symbol and cause of our readiness. The most important part of the Advent wreath
is not the color of the candles, which symbolize the hopeful spirit of the
weeks, or the evergreens, which symbolize God’s eternal love. The most important part is the flame, which
symbolizes our vigilance for Christ’s coming.
Just like the five wise virgins we read about in the Gospel, whose lamps
were always burning in anticipation for the return of the Bridegroom, so the
flame of these candles symbolizes and reminds us of our need to wisely await
Jesus’ coming.
Through the Advent wreath, we spiritually unite ourselves to
the Jews in their anticipation of the Messiah.
Isaiah said that they were a people “walking in darkness” (Is 9:2),
awaiting the light. St Matthew says that
that prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus: “the people who sat in darkness have seen
a great light, and for those who sat in the region and darkness of death, light
has dawned.” That light of the dawn is Jesus, the Light of the World. Both in Church and at home, the Advent wreath
is meant to help us to remain always ready, vigilant for Christ’s light to
irradiate our entire lives. Like people
who light up their doors at night whenever a guest is coming, so we light these
candles announcing that we’re expecting the arrival of the Divine Guest. This is the vigilance that will allow us to
become the good gatekeepers Jesus calls us to be, ready and alert to open the
gate as soon as the Master returns. Like
the flame on the candles, we are meant to continue to burn for Christ’s coming,
never to fall asleep, never to be extinguished.
The surest way for us to be ready for Christ when he comes
in the future is to be ready for him NOW.
The best litmus test to determine how we would have responded two
thousand years ago in Bethlehem Bethlehem
Don't Miss Out!
Preparing Our Hearts for Christmas
Prepare your heart to receive
Baby Jesus this Christmas! The Consecrated Women studying at Mater Ecclesiae College in Rhode Island
have prepared this gift for your family: a CD of beautiful Christmas music. We
count on the generosity of countless friends and family who support us and pray
for our mission!
CDs are available outside the
Everest chapel for $20 each. Checks can be made payable to:
“Pastoral Support Services”
Ignatius Press Catholic Book Sale Continues
Great Christmas Gifts Available!
Please
help us sell all of our books!
Ignatius Press books are still available at school. They make
great Christmas gifts. Please purchase your gifts as soon as possible.
Build the Library
Please help us build our library! Our leader/coordinator, Mrs.
Valerie Hogan, can be contacted if you wish to consider being a part of this
important undertaking. No experience is required and any time commitment is
accepted - one day, one hour, or all year!
Student
Council Corner
Hot Chocolate and Candy Cane Sales
Every Tuesday and Thursday beginning
December 6th
Feast of St. Nicholas
December means Hot Chocolate & Candy Cane sales every
Tuesday and Thursday!
For $1.00 students and staff will receive a
cup of hot chocolate & a candy cane.
Funds
raised are for student activities, apostolate/service
work, and resources for
our school.
Dear Fellow Parents,
As we move past the falling leaves and look for the snow, we are reminded of our current state of waiting in Advent - that time when we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ Child. On our Parent Association Team, it’s been such a joy to work with our fellow parent volunteers in a variety of ways: whether it’s mounting photos for Grandparents’ Day, serving up Hot Lunch, or admiring the beauty, most recently of the Poinsettias. There is a joy in the work of supporting our school. It’s amazing to witness the beauty of families we have here at Everest, as each individual brings unique gifts and talents to each opportunity.
~ First and foremost, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our families and friends of Everest!
~ Special thanks to our Mom volunteers (and Dads!) who helped the snack table for All Saints Day, as well as those who helped prepare for Grandparents Day!
~ Congrats again to the Poinsettia student winners. We sold 39 more this year, making it once again a great fundraiser for Everest!
~ We look forward to a great night at the Parent/Staff Christmas Party, Dec 2nd. Thanks again to Jeanne and Peter Diamond for hosting this event.
~ Once again, we have Hot Lunch for December. We so appreciate when you take the time to complete the order form by the deadline. This way we can prepare for the month knowing exactly what your children need. Our Mom volunteers thank you for this.
~ Keep your eye out for another PA hosted Family Fun Night... Jumpys anyone?
Your Parent Association is open and ready to hear feedback from any past event, or suggestions for new ones, so don’t be shy, let us know your great idea, and we’ll see what we can accomplish together!
Your PA Team:
Renee Yep
Annette Waligora
Jennifer Duffy
Cindy O’Malley
As we move past the falling leaves and look for the snow, we are reminded of our current state of waiting in Advent - that time when we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ Child. On our Parent Association Team, it’s been such a joy to work with our fellow parent volunteers in a variety of ways: whether it’s mounting photos for Grandparents’ Day, serving up Hot Lunch, or admiring the beauty, most recently of the Poinsettias. There is a joy in the work of supporting our school. It’s amazing to witness the beauty of families we have here at Everest, as each individual brings unique gifts and talents to each opportunity.
~ First and foremost, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our families and friends of Everest!
~ Special thanks to our Mom volunteers (and Dads!) who helped the snack table for All Saints Day, as well as those who helped prepare for Grandparents Day!
~ Congrats again to the Poinsettia student winners. We sold 39 more this year, making it once again a great fundraiser for Everest!
~ We look forward to a great night at the Parent/Staff Christmas Party, Dec 2nd. Thanks again to Jeanne and Peter Diamond for hosting this event.
~ Once again, we have Hot Lunch for December. We so appreciate when you take the time to complete the order form by the deadline. This way we can prepare for the month knowing exactly what your children need. Our Mom volunteers thank you for this.
~ Keep your eye out for another PA hosted Family Fun Night... Jumpys anyone?
Your Parent Association is open and ready to hear feedback from any past event, or suggestions for new ones, so don’t be shy, let us know your great idea, and we’ll see what we can accomplish together!
Your PA Team:
Renee Yep
Annette Waligora
Jennifer Duffy
Cindy O’Malley
Everest Academy would like to continue the tradition of the Giving Tree. Our 7th and 8th graders will lead the Giving Tree again this year as their apostolic project. Last year over 90 gifts (something from each family) were provided for both boys and girls. These gifts will be distributed to families in need in Lemont as well as sick children in surrounding hospitals. Your donations will also be delivered to United Cerebral Palsy and Helping Hands in Homer Glen.
Beginning
December 2nd, the Giving Tree will be decorated with tags indicating
a suggested gift item for a boy or a girl. To participate, please help yourself
to a Christmas tag from the Giving Tree. Keep your tag and attach it to the
gift purchased.
If
you have any questions please contact Molly Maher, Dean of students at
630-243-1995.
Everest is proud to have our Grandparents Day featured as the cover story on TribLocal yet again!
Everest Academy Celebrates Grandparents Day
For more news coverage of Everest Academy, check out our website:
Everest in the News
The Everest Family Referral Program
You can earn Everest Dollars and $1,000 cash for every family you successfully refer to Everest!
Here's how:
2) Submit their contact information online here.
3) The Everest Admissions team will follow up and schedule a tour of the school. If your referred family takes a tour of the school, you will receive 20 Everest Dollars which can be used towards tuition, fees, books, Everest summer camps and spirit wear!
4) When your referred family enrolls at Everest Academy, you will receive $1,000 cash!!
Specific Details: Only current
Everest families, staff and faculty can participate in the Family Referral Program; valid referrals are for families who do not currently (or previously) have children at Everest, and who are not in contact with the school or already in the process of admission. If the same family is referred by two different
people, the reward will go to the family who submits the online referral form first. If a family is referred but is
already in contact with the school or in the process of admission, they cannot be claimed as a referral.
There is no cap on how many families you refer so please plan to refer many!
Questions? Contact the Admissions Office at 630-243-1995.
Lemont Loves the Arts - Extended Deadline!
The "Lemont Loves the Arts" contest deadline has been extended to
Friday, November 18th. Please click on the links below to see the theme, rules and entry form. Best of luck to all of our students!
Earn Points for Everest with Labels for Education!
Please see the instructions below on how to earn 50 bonus points for Everest Academy.
This collection sheet can be printed and returned to school by November 30.
Here is the list of participating products:
Istructions for "e-Labels For Education"
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The Pilgrim Queen
Pray together as a family and honor Mary as a special guest in your home.
Prayer for Everest
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for making Everest Academy a reality. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, may we touch the lives of many people and bring to our community the joy of knowing and loving Jesus Christ. We thank Our Mother Mary for her help and ask for her continued care and protection. Amen.
School Masses
Join us for All School Mass on Friday at 2:20pm or Morning Mass at 7:15 am Tues., Wed., and Thurs.
Lean on Me Holy Hour
Spend some time with Jesus every Thursday, after morning Mass 7:45am