Dear Parents,

Congratulations to our 8th grade math team (Erin Kinda, Paige Mitchell, Joshua Heine, Caitlin Newton, and Mario Giovannoni) for placing second in the Justin-Siena Math Competition last Saturday. These students came from behind in the final minute to win an exciting match in the quarterfinals. That win put them in the championship match where they came up a little short against St. Dominic's. Well done!!

We have parent teacher conferences coming up on November 17 and 18. This is a very important time for our teachers to meet with their students' parents. Please come in and sign up for a time according to our new procedure-grades K-8 (see attached).

As most of you know, we have been sending out our zoomerang on-line surveys this year. I plan to send out these surveys on a regular basis as I try to get quick feedback on a number of issues. I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to fill one out. They have been very helpful in gaining your thoughts and ideas. The next zoomerang survey is on the direction for our Spanish program. Again, please take the time to fill this out, especially for those who have had children graduate from St. John's.

1. Harvest Dinner Update: The Harvest Event and Live & Silent Auction will begin promptly tomorrow evening at 6:00 pm and the festivities will continue until 10:00 pm. Dress is cocktail attire. We will be having the Sip 'n' Sparkle during registration at 6:00 pm. Only 75 glasses will be available at $75.00 each. Don't be left out. We thank everyone who volunteered their time as well as everyone who purchased tickets. See you there!
2. Gift Wrap: The gift wrap orders were given out last Thursday. If you did not receive yours or if there were errors please contact the school office no later than Tuesday, November 8th.
3. 5th/6th Basketball: For the second year in a row, both St. John's girls' teams (Blue Team and White Team) made it into the championship game of the Our Savior, Livermore 5-6 Tournament. While the Blue Team came out on top (by two points), both squads turned in fine performances and represented our school extremely well throughout the day. This Saturday our boys' teams play in their tournament, also hosted by Our Savior, Livermore.
4. Outdoor Education: 7th and 8th grade Outdoor Education is scheduled for May 17th to May 21st at Mt. Gilead in Sebastopol. The program, outlined in a letter earlier this year, will cost $225 per student. If you are choosing to make three payments over the course of the year (one each trimester), please submit a first payment of $75 by November 18th. Checks should be made out to St. John's Lutheran School and given to the classroom teacher.
5. School Sportswear: Due to a mistake in printing on our first sportswear order, we have several items in stock that are available for sale. Most items are adult sizes. If you are interested in making a purchase, a table will be set up outside Room 7 next week. You can also pick up an order form if you wish to place an additional order for Christmas delivery.
6. After School Music: On November 4th, Mrs. Debbie Bommersbach began an after-school solo and ensemble for voice class for 5th-8th grades. If you are interested in developing your vocal skills, please meet with her from 3:00-3:45 pm on November 8th. You may be part of the Friday or Tuesday group. If those two times do not work for you, please call Mrs. Bommersbach at home at 253-9381.
7. PALS and Lunch Supervisors: We are in need of someone to work after school PALS on Thursdays. If you are able to find some spare time or simply want to earn a little extra money please contact Julia Mahoney at 738-6444. We need one more person to work Lunch Supervisor on Fridays. Please contact the school office if you are interested, 226-7970.
8. Hurricane Katrina T-shirts: Thank you very much to Kevin Grubbs and Sonoma Design Apparel for printing the Hurricane Katrina T-shirts that were sold by the eighth grade class. And thank you to those of you who purchased the T-shirts. For those still interested, there are about two dozen shirts still available and a variety of sizes to choose from. A check will soon be mailed to one of the Lutheran schools recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
9. Hurricane Scrip: We received a thank you card from Living Word Lutheran Church in Texas for our Scrip donations toward their families.

   	"The cards have been a huge help in trying to replace the basics for several families."
   	Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely - Psalm 112:5

   The Napa Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will match your Scrip donations dollar for dollar. Please consider a donation next time you buy Scrip.
10. The Scoop From Scrip: Plenty of Starbucks & Peet's gift cards available for those warm holiday drinks. Have you tried Starbucks Pumpkin Spice or Caramel Apple Cider? Yummy! How about Blockbuster Scrip for the family movie nights or Amigos Grill & Cantina, Zinsvalley or Applebees Scrip for those, "I don't feel like cooking," nights?
    
    The holidays will be here before you know it. Whether you are buying your holiday dinners or shopping for gifts, stop by the school office and purchase Scrip before you head out. All profits benefit your children through APT. Happy Shopping!
11. From the Minister to Youth and Children:
    
    Support St. John's Youth by Recycling Old Cell Phones: Please support the Youth at St. John's by recycling your old cell phones! From now until the first part of December, bring all your old cell phones to the school and drop them in the recycle boxes. We'll mail them to the recycling company and they will give us some money for each one. The recycling boxes will be located in the Church Narthex, the Gym, the Church Office, the Teachers' Break Room and Steve's office. Start asking your friends and neighbors for their old cell phones, too. Please bring in only the cell phone and attached battery, no accessories, such as car chargers will be accepted. Any questions, please contact Steve at 255-7451. Thanks for your support!
    
    7th and 8th Graders: Just a reminder to those of you who are attending the "Youth Quake" that we meet next Friday night, November 11th, at 5:30 pm in the big parking lot. Any questions, contact Steve at 255-7451.