Hello SVDP Community,

Hoping you had a relaxing and restful Thanksgiving. Now we are in the season of Advent, full of expectation and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ.

Please join us for the all student Mass on Wednesday, December 8 at 9:15AM and our Christmas prayer service on Friday, December 17 at 12:00 Noon.

We are so excited to host our traditional Nativity Concert on Wednesday, December 15, 2021.

Don't rush to get a seat; buy the front row pew instead.

• Bidding begins December 7 at 8:00AM through December 13 at 8:00PM.
  
• Two pews are available.
• Top two bidders will pay the second highest bid.

Proceeds will be given to Saint Vincent de Paul Church in support of their Christmas Ministry.

Link to bid is below. To bid you will need to create an account by clicking sign up.

Winning bidders will be notified on the morning of December 14th.

Over a month into the campaign, and we have 42% of our dollar goal in pledges and gifts, but those commitments are from only 21% of our families. Every family's participation in Annual Giving is important because every student benefits. If you have misplaced your packet, it is available on SchoolSpeak or by clicking the button below. See the table for more info on class participation. First class to reach 100% - the students will receive a COVID-friendly surprise.

It has been too long, and we are excited to welcome parents back onto campus to volunteer in limited roles and with the appropriate clearances.

To volunteer at any SVDP activity, you must have the following:

1. Submit Livescan Fingerprinting (see attached form below) - Find a local business that can submit your fingerprints through the Livescan screening process. If you have already done this for previous SVDP volunteer requirements, you do not need to do it again. We will receive your fingerprinting clearance through your Virtus account (see #2). Please note that if you have done Livescan fingerprinting for other volunteer or professional requirements, you must still complete specifically for SVDP.
2. Complete Protecting God's Children training module on Virtus - If you have never done this, create an account at www.virtusonline.org and take the course "Protecting God's Children." If you previously completed the training, make sure your three-year certification is still valid. Existing certification can be checked by logging in to your existing Virtus account at www.virtusonline.org.
3. Proof of COVID vaccination must be emailed to volunteer@svdpsf.com.

Once you've completed all three of these requirements, your SchoolSpeak profile will be updated with a green check-mark (like the one above). When entering campus to volunteer, please use your phone to show your SchoolSpeak profile to the front office for admission. Sign-in as a visitor at the front desk and proceed to your volunteer assignment. Remember to sign out too.

All parents are encouraged to complete these requirements now, but they must be completed 24 hours prior to volunteering. Without your green-checked profile, we cannot welcome you to volunteer.

We are currently looking for volunteers in the following roles:

• ChoiceLunch - We need eight volunteers - two for each day of the week (Tuesday - Friday) to assist in distributing ChoiceLunch to our students. Volunteers must commit to the same day each and every week through Trimester 2 (February 25). Staff will fill in when shift volunteers are not available. Information on how to sign up will be distributed soon.
• K-2 Read Aloud - Parent volunteers will be solicited by the teachers, who will provide more class-specific information.
• Field Trips - Parent volunteers will be solicited by the teachers organizing class-specific field trips.
• Kindergarten Lunch Duty (beginning in January) - Look for more information from the K Team.

The Parent Guild has kicked off their HOT Fund Campaign. In case you missed the letter, please see below.

Thanks to everyone that participated in the book drive / book reviews benefitting Project Night Night. We collected over 112 books to pass along to Project Night Night.

Searching for a stronger faith connection within the SVDP community? Consider joining a new Parents in Prayer group for an opportunity to explore scripture, read and discuss Catholic writings, and nourish your spirit. We are looking for one or more individuals to design and facilitate the program in a way that meets the community's needs and interests. If you are interested in a leadership role, have some great ideas about such a group, and / or simply would like to participate, please reach to parentguild@svdpsf.com.

Minted has renewed their partnership with SVDP. Get creative and design your Christmas card. Using the code below, you can save 20% and Minted will give 15% back to SVDP. Code good for other items as well, not just Christmas cards.

Last night, the SVDP Women's Club hosted a shopping night on Chestnut! The Women's Club has generously offered the school the Books Inc credit earned from sales. If you didn't make it to Chestnut last night, you can still add to our credit. Through Sunday, December 5, visit the Chestnut Street Books Inc or visit www.booksinc.net. Mention STVINCENT or type in the code at checkout and your purchase will go towards the school credit. Credits will be divided up by class for use.

The Advisory Board and the Administration know that our amazing families are the best spokespeople for SVDP. To remain competitive in the San Francisco school marketplace, we must attract families that share our educational standards, values, and sense of community. For these reasons, the Advisory Board is pleased to announce a Family Referral Program.

Beginning July 1, 2021, if you recommend a family that accepts enrollment and pays all their fees, incidental charges, and tuition through October for the 2022-2023 school year, the Finance Committee will apply a $500 credit to your FACTS account in October 2022. You will get $500 for each successful referral, with a max of three referral credits. Only one SVDP family may claim a referral. The FACTS credit must be used towards tuition, not incidental charges. When a family applies, they should include the name of the referring family on their application. Online applications have been updated to include this information. The referring family does not need to write a letter of recommendation to receive the credit.

Students in 6th through 8th grade who have already been trained to altar serve are invited to sign up for a Mass. Consider which Christmas Mass you will attending as a family and sign up now!

Any students in 4th through 8th grade who are interested in becoming altar servers, registration will be made available soon.

Email: administration@svdpsf.com
Website: svdpsf.com
Location: 2350 Green Street
Phone: (415) 346-5505
Twitter: @svdpsfschool