The mission of the St. George Alumni Association is to advocate for the St. George School and its alumni, and promote the good of the school, past, present, and future. Through its programs and services, the Alumni Association develops a spirit of loyalty to St. George School, engaging and serving alumni, student, parents, faculty and staff, and the entire parish community.

Alumni Association's responsibilities

• To connect alumni to the St. George Catholic School and to one another
• To provide opportunities for alumni, parents and friends to gather in their local areas under the St. George Catholic School's banner through chapters and other alumni groups
• To be the primary communicator to the alumni body
• To help develop a positive public opinion of our St. George Catholic School
• To assist in recruiting the best and brightest students to the St. George Catholic School and to encourage children of alumni to continue the family tradition of attending St. George Catholic School
• To provide opportunities for the leadership of the St. George Catholic School to receive thoughtful counsel and advice from the alumni constituency
• To provide volunteer service opportunities for alumni to assist with the mission and business of the Alumni Association and the St. George Catholic School
• To promote legislation of interest to the St. George Catholic School and higher education
• To encourage the alumni groups to raise scholarship funds for deserving students
• To maintain the traditions that make this St. George Catholic School the unique place that it is
• To raise friends for potential fund raising activities

May the peace of Christ come upon you and your family in this wonderful season of Advent. This Church season gives us pause to reflect on the blessings we have in our lives, our jobs, our families and most importantly for our Faith.

Here at St. George we have done the traditional Advent preparation for the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Each classroom has its Advent wreath prominently displayed and as each week passes, the students light another candle. Each lit candle marks another week closer to Christmas. Of course, the children have those visions of “sugar plums” dancing in their heads as they dream of the gifts Santa Claus will bring on Christmas day.

On the other hand, the children know that Christmas is the time of giving. We are involved in many acts of kindness and charity. The Student Council is running a coat and glove drive. The Caring Hearts Club is preparing to visit two nursing homes again and bring Christmas cheer in the form of song and small presents for each of the residents. A toy drive in underway for two children who are hospitalized. One grade has sent Christmas greetings to our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

And even better than all those things, we raise our prayers to the Lord. We ask Him to bring peace to our community, nation, and to the world. I can guarantee that God hears the prayers of our children. Be assured that you and your families are in our prayers today and every day. “Merry Christmas.”

Dear Alumni:

Our faith rests on the foundation that God so loved the world that He sent his only Son. This is what we celebrate at Christmas. The Word made flesh.

I hope you will take the time to attend Christmas Mass as a family. Christ is the reason for the season. The best gift you can pass on to your family is your love each day wrapped in your faith. This will strengthen your family life. You will teach your children by your example how important our faith is.

The end of the year is also a time when many charities ask for your tax deductible contribution. I ask you to consider keeping St. George school in mind. As you have established a good foundation through Catholic education your donation to the endowment fund helps to ensure that St. George School will continue to give future generations a faith foundation for their education.

God bless you and your loved ones at Christmas and grant you good health and prosperity in the new year!

Throughout the years, St. George School has played an important part in the lives of the people in the south suburbs. Whether one has attended the school, has had the privilege to work with the children, or has volunteered one’s time and talents, St. George School has left an impression on all of us.

Many things have changed during the years – the new additions to the building; the curriculum; the administration, faculty, and staff. However, there are also many things that will never change at St. George School. One is the excellent education that the students who attend the school receive. Another is the care and concern that the faculty and staff feel towards the children who are entrusted to them. Also, the parents and guardians who sacrifice to send their children to St. George School have become partners in education with the teachers. And last, but certainly not least, is the importance of our Christian faith that has been shared with every grade level from pre-school through eighth grade.

I have been blest to have known so many wonderful and enthusiastic students, parents, and fellow faculty members throughout the years, and I look forward to the years to come.

I’d like to thank a couple of the Alumni for their donation and generosity. I had hoped at one point to establish a an Alumni Scholarship. This will certainly help begin one. If anyone else would like to donate to the scholarship fund, please make the check out to St. George Alumni Scholarship.

As an alumnus of St. George School I am very excited about the upcoming 60th Anniversary celebration on August 8, 2009. After all these years, Blue and Gold still runs through my veins. My memories of St. George are wonderful and positive. When it came time for my son to attend grammar school, there was no question that St. George was my only choice.

I have always felt that my experiences at St. George have helped shape me into the person I am today. I like to believe that by starting our day with a prayer and attending weekly mass was beneficial to my upbringing. Also, having a healthy fear of Sr. Eleanor at the time didn’t hurt either.

Over the years we have seen many structural changes at St. George School some of which include the Parish Life Center, gym and front entrance. But the most import things haven’t changed. The sense of family, school pride, second to none education and foundation of faith taught to children on a daily basis all remain very much alive and thriving at St. George.

Plan on attending the 60th Anniversary mass and celebration on August 8, 2009 at St. George Parish. It will be a great time to catch up with old friends and relieve old memories.

Please help us get the word out to friends and fellow classmates by telling them about the mass. If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to register with Ed Weston, current school principal, at varseed@aol.com so we have your contact information and can keep you up to date on details about the celebration. For more information go to the schools website at www.stgeorgeschool.org or call Ed Weston at 708-532-2626.

Maureen Gill Class of '82

Did you want to share any of the wonderful people or events in your life? We look forward to hearing from you.

Please include the following information:

• Year of Graduation
• Name
• Address
• Phone
• E-mail