Onward into December we go! Before students and teachers can so much as blink an eye, the school year advances into this wonderful and festive season.
As we embark upon this early winter journey towards Christmas we are reminded of how our academic calendar is largely influenced by the liturgical calendar of our faith community - the Church. Today students began to decorate school buildings, and immediately the Mount Royal charism becomes apparent; creches, advent wreaths, and customary cultural decorations are combined to create an atmosphere indicative of the true purpose of the advent season: to experience the great 'YES' of God to humanity. God assumes human nature, and thereby demonstrates the sacred dignity which we all possess from birth.
In the Advent season students, educators, and families alike recall God's 'YES' to Mount Royal Academy. How so you may ask? Well, the renewed awareness begins on December 6th with our annual St. Nicholas celebration. Students in the upper school dramatize the life of the real St. Nicholas, and then place small gifts in the shoes of all the students in the lower school. It continues throughout the advent season as students discretely place generous and humble gifts into their respective secret Santa stocking. And finally, our Advent season at Mount Royal culminates with a Christmas Pageant, an ensemble of caroling and acting out biblical and traditional Christmas events.
Generosity pervades and permeates the entire school. We give to each other, but we also give to others outside our community. This year, we will be organizing a special series of gift baskets for neglected children in a nearby hospital. Witnessing the compassion and kindness of our students is a gift to all the adults in our community who are invested in the growth of the youth.
We will do our best to share our Advent season with all of you!
St. Joseph, Pray for us!