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Dear Parents, In just a few weeks we will be ending the Church’s liturgical year with the Feast of Christ the King and opening the new liturgical year with Advent and the coming of Christ on Christmas. So why do we celebrate the feast of Christ the King at Everest Academy?
I am sure you have all heard your children say their prayers and end them with this phrase: “Christ Our King! Thy Kingdom Come!” Christ is a model for our students and families and we encourage our students, through spiritual formation, to experience Christ as a friend and guide in their lives. Christ is the King, the Lord of History, and the focal point of our faith. By invoking him as King we also ask that his kingdom comes here on earth through faith, hope and love, and that one day we may all be with him in his kingdom - heaven. With this phrase we state that we have a mission in life and someone that unifies us in that mission.
Each year we come together as a community to celebrate this great feast. There is a Mass at Holy Name Cathedral and a reception to follow at US Cellular Field. Enclosed you will find the invitation. All the families that participated last year truly enjoyed the party and are eager to join us again. The get-together was fun for both parents and children. Please join us in this family-friendly environment to close this liturgical year and to thank God for all his many blessings.
Your friend in Christ,
Father Andre LaSana, LC
Dear Everest Academy Parents and Friends,
So much has taken place in this first quarter of school all with your help and support. Lively events and accomplishments all are sure signs of a healthy and vibrant school environment. We are here for a purpose and each day we strive to live this out in an academically challenging, joyful and loving surroundings, a place where students will flourish as Christian leaders day by day.
Our latest and greatest event was the Harvest Fest. Many thanks to Susie Lambert, Annette Waligora, Nicole Stafford and their team for all of their efforts in making this event a huge success! I enjoyed seeing so many of our families participate. There were in the area of 150+ attendees in the day's festivities. All the details from pumpkin decorating, a variety of tasty food and snacks, fun and games, to Mr. Hamilton‟s roaring indoor bonfire …a great time was had by all! Thank you to all who participated in this event.
Everest Academy parents are so generously involved in our school. We see the Gala committee working hard and with all well underway, the Mom‟s Coffee‟s, Hot Lunch preparations, new moms coming out for breakfast, the strategic planning committees at work, all developing the future of our children and Everest Academy. Thank you to all of you.
We are very pleased at this time to announce that we have a new member on our Everest team. We welcome Natalia Bleka as our Marketing Coordinator. Natalia is now in her second week here at Everest Academy. She will be working closely with Sue Zabilka in developing our marketing effort as well as supporting in the Admissions role. Natalia will be at the school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We look forward to working with her in our goal of making the Everest family grow. Please join us in welcoming Natalia.
Our recently held parent conferences allowed time with our dedicated teachers and parents to meet. Thank you to the many families who participated. Parent involvement in their children's education is vital to their success and that of our educational program. Please do contact us if you would like more time to discuss your child‟s progress. We are working to make improvements in all of our programs, with a particular focus on the academics, human and the apostolic formation programs. We intend to bring you up to date on the direction for each of these areas prior to the New Year.
Prayer is the real power behind all we are doing in our school. We need it as much as the air we breathe. Certainly our team here at Everest counts on your prayers. We invite you to join us, as we will begin regular adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each month by class. Each class will take 15 minutes of prayer time with our Lord. These prayer times will be alternately led by Brother Juan and Miss. Teresa. All families are welcome for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on the last Thursday of each month beginning this month. As well the Lean on Me Holy Hour takes please every Thursday. These are opportunities to offer prayers of petition and thanksgiving.
With that said, we at Everest Academy have so much to be thankful for and very particularly some very exciting news to be especially thankful for, that you all may well already know, however we are officially announcing it now: A new playground is coming for our children at Everest Academy!! Thanks to the tremendous generosity of the Mr. and Mrs. Ed and Joan Bleka, our children will be soon playing on beautiful playground equipment. We are so grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Bleka for their ongoing kindness and generosity towards the school development and our families.
A school definitely becomes fully a school with a playground! We have the additional daily recess this year and now a very specific play area for our children to spend that recess time. I am personally elated and humbled by this beautiful gift for our children and by the Bleka family‟s dedication to the mission and progress of our school. We intend to have an official opening ceremony for our playground with the specific dates to be announced in the near future.
We have been very blessed in the foundation of this school by all of our families, so many who have given generously of their time and talents and have made great sacrifices that have brought us here today. This beautiful gift is another example of this. We thank God and we keep you all in our thanksgiving prayers.
Below is the playground structure that will be installed. Although not shown here there will be a set of swings included as well. Please see the enlarged plan that we have on display here at the school. The playground will be delivered very soon sometime in the area of November 12th. We are blessed to have the expert management and supervision of this project by Mr. Tom Girouard and his experienced team. Mr. Girouard has been instrumental in working with parents, Mrs. Awe, Mrs. Stafford and Mrs. Ramirez last year to initiate the playground project and this year to see to the promotion and development of the playground.
The construction site work officially began on All Saints Day. The playground will be installedquickly with all required except for the playground surfacing to complete in the week of November 16th. We are looking for volunteers to install the safety surface (mulch) once it is delivered to the site over the November 20-21 weekend. Please let us know if you may be able to come out for sometime on that day in order to have all up and ready for PLAY for our children.
This is so exciting for our faculty and staff that we will have to be sure we make room for the children and keep off the equipment ourselvesJ!
Your families are in my daily prayers.
God bless you,
Sincerely in Christ,
Christine Gamache
Then Jesus asked His apostles if they also wanted to leave Him. He was even ready to let His apostles go. We know that Peter, speaking for the group said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? We believe that you have the words of eternal life". The apostles took Jesus at His word, and we do, too. Jesus chose this very special way to remain with us through the Eucharist. It was not an empty promise when Jesus said, "I will be with you always, even until the end of the age."
I like the way Blessed Mother Teresa put it. She said, "When we look at the cross, we know how much Jesus loved us. When we look at the tabernacle, we know how much Jesus loves us, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. Come to me and I will refresh you". Who could refuse such an invitation from your very best friend? Please join the parents and students of Everest Academy every Thursday morning after Mass for the Lean on Me Holy Hour in the school chapel.
This is why we should visit our friend, Jesus, in the Blessed Sacrament, to return His love for us and to draw spiritual strength and nourishment and encouragement from that love. Spending time with Jesus in adoration should not strike us as unusual. It is really a very natural human activity. When two people love each other, they want to spend time together to visit, to get to know each other better. You cannot love someone you do not know. Adoration of our Lord in the Eucharist is your chance to know Jesus better.
Why should you spend time visiting with Jesus in the Eucharist? Simply because Jesus himself, your best friend, invites you. He said it so warmly now". Some Catholics think that we can share in the Eucharist and gain grace from the Eucharist only in the Mass by receiving Holy Communion. This idea limits the power and the love of Jesus too much. Certainly participation in the sacrifice of the Mass and receiving Holy Communion is the most powerful source of grace for us, but it is not the only source of Eucharistic grace. After the sacrifice is completed, the sacrament continues on. Jesus, in His sacramental body and blood remains here with us as our friend, just as He promised. This is why Eucharistic Adoration is so important.
Generosity
"Generosity is the virtue that leads us to give of what we have and what we are to others firmly, habitually, and with determination, seeking their benefit and placing the best of our qualities, talents, and possessions at their service." We want our students to be leaders who will change society by serving others before themselves, to give the best of themselves, counteracting the effects of selfishness. It starts in the little daily things: from giving your brother the last bagel at breakfast to helping someone with their tasks before doing your own. These daily acts over a lifetime build leaders like Mother Teresa and John Paul II, who transform society. Every month we hold a campaign to help us live the virtue of the month. The campaign helps students to look outside themselves and experience the happiness that comes from giving to others and serving.
Ways to Practice Generosity at Home:
Review each family member‟s belongings to see what each might give to others; encourage the family to share things they use and like. This develops the habit of possessing what is necessary. Always congratulate and encourage family members who perform acts of service or generosity, fostering voluntary acts of service. Avoid teasing or jokes that could hinder generous attitudes.
Be hospitable. Warmly and joyfully welcome friends and visitors, making sure that they feel at home.
Make a habit of looking after the needs of those with whom the family comes in frequent contact: neighbors, mailman, etc.
Always give the best of yourself. Smile and speak kindly to all family members and people close to the family. Make a habit of speaking well of others‟ needs rather than your own.
Pray as a family for others‟ needs, especially those in misfortune, thus promoting solidarity.
Answer promptly and effectively as a family to calls for help in times of special need or disaster. Support all family members in their service activities: social action, missions, campaigns, etc.
Listen and teach your children to listen, listening means giving one‟s time, attention, and care to others.
Show thankfulness as a family for all gifts freely received. Value them, and use them to attend to those less fortunate. At all costs avoid complaints about what is lacking.
Foster joyful, prompt mutual aid among family members. Help children to discover their talents and place them at the service of others.
Everest Academy Lemont, founded in 1995 as White Pines Academy, is a private Catholic school offering a Pre-K through grade 8 program.
Our goal is to offer each child the highest quality education through Integral Formation®, the pedagogical method developed by the Legionaries of Christ. Through Integral Formation®, each student benefits from a personalized approach that develops the whole person, from intellect and character to spiritual life and apostolic responsibility. The result: intelligent, responsible, and positive leaders who will transform society with the Gospel values.
Here at Everest Academy, with our brand new campus opened for the fall 2009 school year, we are poised for growth and ready to give our students a Catholic educational experience that will last them a lifetime. Find out more by taking a tour of our campus.
Our goal is to offer each child the highest quality education through Integral Formation®, the pedagogical method developed by the Legionaries of Christ. Through Integral Formation®, each student benefits from a personalized approach that develops the whole person, from intellect and character to spiritual life and apostolic responsibility. The result: intelligent, responsible, and positive leaders who will transform society with the Gospel values.
Here at Everest Academy, with our brand new campus opened for the fall 2009 school year, we are poised for growth and ready to give our students a Catholic educational experience that will last them a lifetime. Find out more by taking a tour of our campus.
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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