SHINE ON!

Happy Saturday Sunbeam Families!

We are very excited for all of next week's festivities!! Christmas Pageant tomorrow, Spirit Night on Monday and Special Chapel on Wednesday/Thursday! How very December of us!

This week in Music and Chapel, we lit the second (and first) candle in our advent wreath, the Peace candle. Jesus is referred to by many different names/titles in the Bible: Savior, Messiah, Emmanuel and this week's favorite: Prince of Peace. Pastor RJ reminded us on Sunday that we cannot manufacture or create our own peace especially this time of year. We need to make space and time for Jesus to bring that peace into our lives.

We are looking forward to sharing Away in a Manger during the LUMC Christmas Pageant this Sunday at the 9:30 worship service. If you're able to join us, please RSVP using the link below.

GBP Spirit Night at Solo Pizza in Leesburg on December 15th from 4-9pm! Dine in or carry out but don't forget to mention GBP when you order! Solo will donate a portion of sales to GBP!!!

Special Chapel is next week Wednesday and Thursday (December 17th and 18th). Families are asked to donate food to our Catoctin Backpack Buddies program as a gift to baby Jesus. Please see below for a list of the needed items. Our 2025 Commemorative Ornament will also be available for purchase in the Sanctuary on Special Chapel days.

December 19th is our last school day in 2025!! Classes resume on January 5th.

December and January Lunch Bunch and Enrichment (January Art is full) links are posted below.

We have a couple openings in our 3s and 4s classes. If you know of you anyone looking for a preschool family, send them our way! We also have a couple openings in our Friday Enrichment class. Friday Frogs is open to current Bees and Owls (4s) and T/TH 3s. The class meets every Friday from 9am-12pm and is STEM based. Contact Ms. Heather to sign up or for more information.

Please remember to pull up as far as possible on Wirt Street during drop off and pick up. Also, please do not block the driveway to the left of the Wirt Street doors, we do not own that property. Lastly, please remember (and share with anyone else who may pick up your children): our Owls and Bees are in their classrooms until Noon. If you arrive before noon to pick up your Owls/Bees/siblings, please remain in your vehicle so you can pull up when other parents leave.

-2s and 3s pick up: 11:50am-12pm

-4s and siblings pick up: 12-12:15pm

Special Chapel Dates:

MW 2s, MWF 3s and Bees: December 17th

T/TH 2s, T/TH 3s and Owls: December 18th

Please drop your children off in their classrooms as usual on your special chapel day and head up to the Sanctuary. We will bring the children up at 9:15am. We'll share the songs we've been working on and enjoy a Bible story. We will also celebrate December birthdays. You're welcome to wear red (our color of the month) or anything Christmas-themed!

Each Christmas, we collect donations for our Catoctin ES Backpack Buddies program as a gift to baby Jesus. Please drop off one of the following during the week of December 15th (drop off with Ms. Heather on the Wirt St steps):

-macaroni and cheese single serve cups

-juice boxes/pouches

-Ramon cup-o-noddles

-individual fruit cups

Check out our latest podcast episode with Wende David of Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve! Ms. Wende shares information about Leesburg's Hidden Gem!