Month: March 2017

The Cheikho Family

The Cheikho Family

Your Teachers

 

Friday, March 24, 2017

By: Catherine P.

At 11:30 PM on a Thursday night a month and a half ago, the Cheikho family arrived at Dulles International Airport. What could they have been thinking at that moment when the wheels touched down on the ground? Imagine preparing to leave a country where war was commonplace, and then learning that you were being banned from one of the only safe places you could go to.  How would you feel? Scared? Excluded? Sad? Apprehensive? Outraged? Nervous? Terrified?  One can only imagine what they were feeling as they finally entered the United States.  The Cheikho’s may have been wondering if people would accept them or not, whether they would finally be safe.

It is up to us to make them feel wanted and welcome; to make them feel like they have a place here in America.   Please continue to pray for the Cheikho’s because coming to a foreign land, learning a new language and adapting to a different culture is not easy. The Holy Trinity community came together, with particular help from four parishoners, and helped find a house for the Cheiko family. These four parishioners greeted the Cheikho family when they arrived. During Lent especially, let us keep them in our prayers, because they deserve all the love and care that we have to give them.

 

McKenna Sandwiches

McKenna Sandwiches

Your Teachers

Thursday, March 9, 2017

By: Cami B.

There are 11, 623 homeless people in Washington, D.C right now.  We can feed a good amount of them if we each bring in a McKenna sandwich each Wednesday morning. McKenna sandwiches have helped so many people and it’s important to remember the actual differences that these sandwiches make. They don’t just affect the people who they feed; McKenna sandwiches affect the people who make them.

When you make a McKenna sandwich, you’re helping your community. You are helping another human being by giving them a sandwich. It’s amazing that a single sandwich can make a huge difference. For a lot of students, McKenna sandwiches are a weekly service. However, there are still some weeks where there aren’t as many sandwiches made. That’s ok, but it’s important to remember to try to make at least one. It takes five minutes, maybe less.

Holy Trinity’s McKenna sandwich tradition has been going on for years. We need to keep making them and giving to the community. When you make a McKenna sandwich, you’re making food for someone who really needs it. When we don’t make a sandwich, that’s one less person who gets fed. There should be no person left unfed. 

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Here is an image of fifth graders constructing McKenna sandwiches.

2017 Lenten Environmental Calendar

2017 Lenten Environmental Calendar

Your Teachers

Thursday, March 2, 2017

This Lenten Season, Holy Trinity students will focus on little, everyday things that we can do to help our environment.

March 2017: Lenten Environment Focus
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1.

Ash Wednesday
Give up bottled water for Lent…and then forever?

 2
Bring and use a reusable water bottle to school.		 3

Turn off lights in classrooms before leaving.

 4

Don’t turn up the heat, put on a sweater – it’s almost Spring!
5

Take the EPA Pledge to reduce your carbon footprint:
Global Climate Change Pledge

 6

Recycle properly – paper is always recycled

 7
Recycle properly – glass is always recycled (but rinse first).		 8
Recycle properly – aluminum or cans are always recycled (but rinse first.)		 9
Go on a litter patrol of your classroom, hallway or street around school.		 10

Unplug chargers when you aren’t using them-they actually use energy!

 11

Go on a litter patrol of your house, yard or street.
12

When buying fruit and vegetables, try picking ones that are grown nearby so trucks and planes don’t work overtime to get them to us. Or, visit a local farmer’s market!

 13

Re-use paper by turning it over and printing on the other side!

 14

Don’t waste paper at school. Take only what you absolutely need.

 15

Most plastic can be recycled, but rinse first.

 16

Time yourself and take a 5 minute shower this morning or tonight.

17

Ask your mom and dad if you can carpool home with someone to save gas!

18

Buy less new stuff and re-use things you own that still have some life in them.
19

Create a compost indoors with a 3×3’ plastic bin!

20

Only take food you will eat. Watch what you are throwing away.

 21

Bring lunch in reusable containers.

22

To school or home, remind your parents or carpool driver not to idle (sit w/engine on), it causes asthma!

 23

When you wash dishes, put some soap in a bowl with water instead of running the faucet.

 24

When you brush your teeth, don’t let the water run.

 25

When doing yard work, rake leaves, don’t blow them. Blowing leaves makes allergies and asthma much worse.
26

Get out and appreciate a local park and pick up trash that you see.

 27

“Upcycle” (convert) a paper towel roll into a kaleidoscope!

 28

Instead of throwing away a cup of water, put it in your pet’s bowl or water a plant.

 29

Turn off the TV or video games when not in use.

 30

When visiting parks, try to “leave no trace” meaning don’t leave anything there that you brought.

 31

If you’re going to a baseball game, take metro instead of driving!
April 2017
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1

Enjoy a weekend outside and plant some flowers!

2

If you have a backyard, try not to mow grass too much or use a hand mower. Water less often and only in the morning.

3

When spring cleaning, use a broom to sweep your walk, not the hose.

 4

Eat leftovers for dinner! (or ask your mom/ dad to pack you leftovers for lunch)

 5

Collect plastic bags to recycle at the grocery store.

 6

As bees start to reappear, please don’t hurt these pollinators – they make our food grow.  

 7

Replace old light bulbs with energy saving CFL or LED bulbs.

 8

Go get ice cream with your family…and bike or walk there together!

9

For Spring break, try a National Park. You can explore nature & experience history with your family. See why they’re called “America’s Best Idea”!

 10

As it gets warm, open windows instead of  AC.  Enjoy the breeze!

 11

Reuse a snack bag that wasn’t holding a messy food.

12

Roll down car windows instead of turning on the air conditioner.

 13

If you gave up red meat for Lent, give it up for good to reduce methane? It’s 3x as powerful a planet heater as CO2.

 14
Good Friday		 15
16
Easter Sunday		 17
How will we continue to take better care of our world?		 18 19 20 21 22