Dear Friends and Parents,

I would like to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy the time with friends and family, and be sure to take time to thank God for the many blessings he has given us all. The staff of Mount Carmel Academy is truly thankful to work with such wonderful children and and supportive families.

Sincerely,

Shane Staszcuk,
Principal

When: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Please help us promote our upcoming Open House to your friends and neighbors. We encourage each MCA family to invite another prospective family to attend our Open House and learn about all that MCA has to offer.

Remember to stress our enriching academic programs, small class sizes, and our ethnic diversity. Thanks for your help in getting the word out about Mount Carmel Academy!

If you have any questions please contact Tatiana Demirdjian @ 312.587.9758 or email t.demirdjian@gmail .com

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you all have a safe and restful Thanksgiving break.

I just want to give you some updates on the Parents Association front. Our last meeting on October 24 was very well attended! About 20 people showed up and shared their insightful reports and comments. Many of you emailed me and said that you were unable to come, but would like to be kept abreast of what happens at the meeting. Please look under Quicklinks, Parents Assoc. Minutes to read what happened.

One thing I did want to highlight was the decision to reinstate the letter to parents detailing their Mandatory Fundraising Obligation status prior to the Annual Gala and Auction. I do, however, encourage all parents to keep up with their fund-raising total as best as they can.

The next PA meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 4th at 8:30 am. The Parents Association has decided to do something different this year. On Tuesday, December 4th, from 7:30 am-8:15 am, we are having a Parents Thank You Tailgate in the school parking lot. We just want to say thank you for responding to all of our requests to assist in volunteering and raising money for our school. So please join us for a warm cup of coffee and some donuts! We then encourage you to slip right in the school and join us for our last PA meeting of the 2007 school year. See how convenient that is? If it is raining that morning and the weather precludes us from having the Tailgate, we will reschedule for another morning. If any of you are morning people and would like to help with set up at 7:30, please feel free to email me at lpecothe@depaul.edu.

I also encourage you to attend the Parent's Night Out dinner at our very own MCA parent owned, the Casillas family Que Rico on Southport on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m! All interested parents should contact Flo Cusi at flocusi1@hotmail.com if you would like to RSVP. This was a suggestion brought to the Parents Association by several parents in an effort to encourage parent social interaction. So, you wanted, you got it! Now you just have to attend!

My last pitch will be for the Annual Gala and Auction. We still need volunteers to help with this event and we especially encourage parents from PK 3, PK4, Kindergarten and First Grade to get involved. It is a good way to meet other parents and have fun. This event really is a big party, so let's make the party planning and the donation solicitation just as fun by working together as a group! Contact Andrea Gawrit at AMGAWRIT@aol.com or myself to sign up.

Happy Turkey Day!

Lisa

P.S. The last number in my phone number was left off in the new directory. So, please make a note of my phone number and make the appropriate change in the directory. (773) 754-0754.

St. Nicholas will be arriving at Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the end of the 9:30 am Mass on Sunday, Dec. 2nd. Sign up forms went home in Friday Folders. Please look for them and return no later than Monday, November 26th.

Hey Kids! Are you here for Christmas Eve? Do you enjoy singing? Then sign up for MCA's Christmas Choir that will sing at the 4:30 pm Christmas Eve Mass! Rehearsals will be announced. Permission slips went home in Friday Folders. Please look for the slip. Please return the slip by Wednesday, November 28th.

Mount Carmel Academy and Emerald City Theatre present After School Drama Clubs

Enroll Now - Tuesdays after school at Mount Carmel!

TUES 2:40pm - 3:40pm
November 20th - February 5th
No classes on Dec. 25th & Jan. 1st
Fee: $85 for Ten Sessions
(A $7 Service Fee will be charged for credit cards)

Pirates and Mermaids (for Pre-K - K grades)
Ahoy Matey! If your child loves to explore life above and below the high seas, they'll love our swash buckling Pirate and Mermaids class! Actors will embark on a journey with Emerald City, as they develop their very own pirate and mermaid characters, solve treasure hunts, and crack secret codes. Our inspiration will be Melinda Long's award winning book, "How I Became A Pirate" and Disney's "The Little Mermaid". So walk the plank straight over to Emerald City for an experience you won't forget!

Triple Threat! (for 1st - 3rd grades)
Emerald City's hottest class is coming to Mount Carmel! Work with Emerald City's theatre professionals on musical theatre, improvisation, scene study and dancing for a full triple threat experience. You'll get to dive into singing, choreography, scene study, improv games, and much more! On the last day, you'll get the chance to show off all of your triple threat skills!

Emerald City Theatre, founded in 1996, is Chicago's largest professional theater for families and was recently called "Chicago's most innovative theater for families" by the Chicago Sun-Times. Emerald City Theatre presents a year-round season of family productions at Apollo Theater in Lincoln Park, tours to schools and libraries throughout Chicagoland, Wisconsin and Indiana and has a year-round theatre school for ages 2 and up as well as residency programs with several schools. Emerald City Theatre's mission is to provide the community with quality, affordable, live family entertainment, artists with an outlet to grow and develop their talents, and children of all ages a place where magic happens so close you can touch it!
Enrollment begins now at www.emeraldcitytheat re.com

Family Mass has been a long tradition of Mount Carmel Academy and Our Lady Of Mount Carmel, beginning over a decade ago when some MCA parents and parishioners recognized how good it is for us to come together for prayer and community. Once a month during the school year, each class takes a turn hosting the 9:30a.m. Sunday Mass at the church and reception following in the MCA cafeteria. Please help the families listed below by offering to donate breakfast treats or your time. See you at Mass.

FAMILY MASS SCHEDULE 2007-2008
12/2/07 Pre-K and Kindergarten - Stacie Michaels
1/13/08 Seventh Grade - John and Brenda Miklaszewski
2/3/08 Second Grade - Ed and Andrea Villasenor
3/2/08 Fifth Grade - Lisa Hebert
4/6/08 First Grade - Flo Albarracin and Kate Mulligan
MAY Eighth Grade - Jacque Simon

Mount Carmel High School will host Open Houses for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade boys and their families

Thursday, December 6th 6pm-8pm.

Fenwick High School will host a 7th and 8th grade Open House for families from 1-3 pm(doors will open at 12:30) on December 9th. Families will meet in the auditorium for a brief introduction followed by various academic presentations and a building tour.
Interested families can visit www.fenwickfriars.com