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Principal's Piece
Jan. 25, 2011
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families,
This morning during our school Mass, we welcomed our new sister in Christ, Lilyana Carmen Gallegos, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gallegos. What a blessing that our 8th grade teacher chose to share this beautiful moment with our students. By inviting our school community to support the Christian foundation they have committed to for their daughters, the Gallegos’ are loving, faith-filled role models for our students.
Speaking of celebrations…..It’s time to celebrate 100 years at St. John the Baptist Catholic School!
· Sunday, 1/29 10:00am: We invite all current families, prospective families, alumni, extended families, former staff, parishioners and every faith-filled friend you have to attend Mass! Kindergarten and 1st grade students are invited to meet their teachers in the Narthex about 9:50am to process in with Fr. Gordon. Students in grades 2-8 are invited to sing in the choir. Here’s the incentive (and Mrs. Jordan doesn’t do this often), all students who attend this Mass in uniform will receive free dress next Friday, 2/3!
· Sunday, 1/29 11:00am-12:30pm: We invite all the above to attend an open house in the school immediately following Mass! In addition to visiting your child’s classroom, pop into the library and walk the hallways to see the exciting upgrades we’ve done for this centennial event!
· Wednesday, 2/1 10:30am: Prayers, Proclamations and Presentations: Join us for a journey through the 20th century. Each class will contribute to a memorable tribute to 100 years at St. Johns.
· Thursday, 2/2 9:30am-11:00am and 5:30pm-7:30pm: Invite all your non-St. John parent friends to our open houses, designed especially for prospective families. Details are attached in the Century Celebration and Admission flyers.
· Save the Date: The party doesn’t end next week. Watch for the beautiful “Save the Date” announcement that proclaims details about our “Party of the Century” Gala. You won’t want to miss out on this very classy affair!
In closing, I offer a couple of announcements:
· Thank you to our Crab Feed Crew: What a fantastic turn-out! Of course the crab was great but how about that amazing salad with homemade dressing and croutons! Thank you to Chair Laurie Daw, Chef Aaron Keefer, Chef Marvin Paul and the hundreds of volunteers who worked ALL day Saturday to make this even a success.
· Registration for the 2012-2013 school year: Registration is coming! Watch for your packets in your next Wednesday envelope.
· Admissions Packet for the 2012-2013 school year. Fancy ads and jazzy promotional materials are fine and all but the absolute most effective source of enrollment is personal recommendation. Parents trust other parents. Please pass along this eGazette, these attachments and feel free to bring your friends, neighbors and relatives to our Open House and century celebration events.
Thank you all for the continued gift of your children. Next week is going to be full of joy. What an accomplishment!
Take your (birthday!) Candle…Go Light Your World!
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal
January 11, 2011
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families,
2012 has arrived! This year marks 100 years of faith-filled education in the Napa Valley from St. John the Baptist Catholic School. We are blessed to be part of this celebration which is truly a moment in history. During the next month, we will honor our past and celebrate our future. Attached please find a calendar of specific centennial activities. We invite you, your family and any others you know who have been or will be part of the St. John the Baptist Catholic School family.
Speaking of the future…. I’ve also included our Admissions Packet for the 2012-2013 school year. Fancy ads and jazzy promotional materials are fine and all but the absolute most effective source of enrollment is personal recommendation. Parents trust other parents. Please pass along this eGazette, these attachments and feel free to bring your friends, neighbors and relatives to our Open House and century celebration events.
Take your (birthday!) Candle…Go Light Your World!
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Admissionsadbig.pdf
Admissions12-13.pdf
December 14, 2011
Principal's Piece
Tweet, Tag, Follow, Facetime, DS….
How can parents navigate the digital landscape?
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families, Friends and Alumni,
Consider these directives: Tweet that update, Tag those photos, Follow us on FB, Blog your thoughts, Power-down your device, Facetime your homework. If you are a “Digital Native”, this is your language. If you are a ”Digital Immigrant”, you’ll need to “Google these phrases”. While technology can be daunting, parents and educators must face it head-on, especially during this time of year when we are blasted with frenetic ads and requests for the latest devices, gadgets and gizmos. We must tune-in to keep our children safe, keep them morally-centered and support them through their educational careers.
Penned by educational speaker, Marc Prensky, the phrases “Digital Native” and “Digital Imigrants” basically describe our children and us. “Digital Natives” (our children) are those who have never known life without technology. They’ve always used computers, never “dialed” a phone and have never played a record. “Digit Immigrants” (us) have experienced the introduction and evolution of technology. We’ve seen the invention of cell phones, Ipods, GPS and laptops. I’ve compiled several points to assist in closing this digital divide to help us help our children:
· Recognize the Impact: According to US Census data, 75.6% of individuals age 3 and older have access to the internet in their homes (http://www.census.gov/hhes/computer/publications/2009.html). In a recent study conducted by the children’s media advocacy group, commonsensemedia.org,”Half (52%) of all children now have access to one of the newer mobile devices at home: either a smartphone (41%), a video iPod (21%), or an iPad or other tablet device (8%).” Visit http://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-eight-childrens-media-use-america for comprehensive information found in this eye-opening study.
· Establish Rules: What is acceptable in your house? Decide and enforce! Implement a safe-media use agreement: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/parent-media-education/family-media-agreements
· Private and Predator: One of THE MOST important messages to share with our children is NEVER to share or post ANY identifying information. While the internet is powerful, it can also open the door to danger. With chat rooms and social media, the world has become a smaller, more accessible place for those with dangerous intentions. Students should keep all accounts set to the most secure and private settings. They should NEVER agree to chat with or meet anyone they meet online.
· Public and Permanent: The other MOST important message to share with our children is ANYTHING that is posted is PUBLIC and PERMANENT, a phrased coined by Richard Guerry, founder of the “Institute for Responsible Online and Cell Phone Communication” http://www.iroc2.org/ Mr. Guerry, who provided St. Johns with parent and student workshops a few years ago, taught us that digital “albums” are being/will be created which will enable our children’s grandchildren’s grandchildren can research their ancestors and compile digit footprints of our activity.
· Formal Education: We are blessed with a highly advanced and evolving technology curriculum, “Trajectory”: http://globalacademics.com/ . Mrs. Stiver implements cyber-ethics and cyber-bullying modules that teach our students responsible digital citizenship.
· Apps for Life: But wait! Screen media isn’t just about social media or mindless games. The Catholic Church operates several inspirational efforts including the Facebook sites of “Catechist Magazine”, “Lifeteen International”, “Catholics Come Home”, and the “United States Conference of Catholic Bishops”. All offer the opportunity for interactive faith formation – a new model of Catecheses. I refer to them daily for convenient reflections and encouraging quotes.
· W.W.J.D?: Seriously, what would Jesus do? Whenever I am dealing with social media challenges with students, I ask them, “Do you think you are being the person God has created you to be?” It’s that simple.
This is a lot to digest – honestly, each bullet point could be a separate article but Mrs. Stiver and I thought this time of the year is an opportunity to overview the topic. Ultimately and realistically, we aren’t going to shield our kids from electronics. As “Digital Natives”, today’s students will live in an electronic world. It is our obligation to teach responsible use and empower them to make informed, morally-based decisions when navigating through this rapid-paced, super-powerful, media landscape.
Take your Candle (or a Smartphone…or an iPad)….Go Light your World!
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal
November 30, 2011
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families, Alumni and Friends,
“Advent: the time to listen for footsteps - you can't hear footsteps when you're running yourself"
(Bill McKibben)
As parents, could this quote be any truer? The ads, the bright lights, the stores, the blaring songs in stores, the competition for our children’s attention, the parties, the treats…it can be overwhelming. We are blessed as a Catholic School to be able to pause and reflect on this beautiful moment in our church calendar. As I write this, I can hear a chorus of sweet voices wafting down the hall singing “Away in the Manger”. We are thinking about Jesus and we know he will arrive soon. Throughout this time, you will see many expressions of our faith in our preparation for the birth of Christ.
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Our Advent wreath, blessed at morning assembly, is a symbol of God's loving care that has no end. It is located in the main hallway.
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Each classroom has transitioned their prayer table to cloth of purple, the color of the season.
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Each classroom has also posted a calendar of the new liturgical year which began with the first Sunday of Advent, this past Sunday.
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You'll find purple banners hung above the doors of the school.
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We will again participate in our Parish Angel Tree, providing gifts for the many who suffer financially this year and need our assistance to provide Christmas for their children. Details will come out soon on how you can carry this effort into your own family.
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Our school Reconciliation Service on will take place on Thursday, 12/1. Students in grades 3-8 participate in a communal service that invites reflection and meditation. I invite you to prepare your child to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation by discussing the themes of Advent and the blessing of this sacrament.
Keeping in mind that sometimes we are the recpients of another persons kindness, I’ve got an exciting announcement. In recognition of the gift of our students, their hard work in school, their caring treatment of each other and in reward for the beautiful spirit we have all created at St. John the Baptist Catholic School, Mr. Jim Asbury, dedicated St. Johns parishioner, parent and grandparent has donated a PRIVATE ICE-SKATING PARTY FOR OUR WHOLE SCHOOL!! The details, the attention, the organization and the opportunity of this experience were further made possible by our Napa Councilman Peter Mott and his wife, Nancy,
When we are going: Friday, 12/9/11 between 9:45am and 1:15pm. Specific times will be provided next week.
Where we are going: The new Napa Downtown Ice-Skating Rink on Second Street
Who can go: Current students, volunteers and staff. No siblings are permitted due to insurance mandates.
Enclosed in your Wednesday envelope is a permission form. Please sign and return by Wendesday, 12/7. If you are able to volunteer (and we need lots of volunteers), please indicate on your signed permission form. All volunteers must have completed the child safety requirements per Ms. Blum’s records (tblum@stjohnscatholic.org). Students should wear their school uniforms and be sure to bring their school sweater, a jacket, and gloves.
Take time to listen for the footsteps, take time to reflect on the true meaning of these days, take time to appreciate the gift of your child…Take Your Candle….Go Light Your World.
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal
Nov. 9, 2011
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families, Friends and Alumni,
The loss of a beloved Vintage High School water polo coach, the loss of a Vintage High School student…These tragic deaths in the past few weeks have lead many to ask “Why? How could such terrible things happen?” Several years ago, the mother of one of my childhood friends spoke these words during her daughter’s funeral Mass, “When Dana was diagnosed with cancer, I prayed for a miracle. When I saw that a miracle wasn’t going to happen, I prayed for strength”. While there are no quick answers to explain such unbelievable loss, as Christians, we are blessed to call upon our faith to make sense of the incomprehensible, to find resolution in chaos and to find peace in tragedy.
Last week, during Mass and morning assembly, on "All Saints Day" (11/1) and on "All Soul's Day" (11/2), we recognized those who radiated God's presence through their lives of faith and renewed our belief that we are in communion with the faithfully departed. With God's love, death does not divide the living and the dead. In other words, while our loved ones may pass on, we take comfort to know we are in unity with them through their presence in our hearts.
During the month of November, you are invited to stop in and record the names of deceased loved ones in our book of remembrance, located in the entry way of the school. Students have been recording the names of their departed family members, friends and even beloved pets.
As parents, we’d love to shield our children from all painful life experiences. But in reality, we empower them, preparing them for a confident life, when we provide a framework of faith to process and accept the sometimes painful realities of our human world.
St. John the Baptist….Pray for us!
Take your Candle….Go Light your World!
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal
October 26, 2011
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families, Friends and Alumni,
This morning afforded our children an opportunity for a unique prayer experience. With Father Gordon away on vacation and all remaining Diocesan Priests attending a retreat with Bishop Vasa, our school Mass was replaced by a Communion service. In an engaging reflection, Sr. Joyce related yesterday and today’s Gospel readings to the current experiences of our children and parents. Like the yeast that causes bread to rise and wine to ferment, we are called to expand the community of God by our actions and relationships. Sr. Joyce also educated us in the differences between a Communion service and Mass. While we celebrated the Liturgy of the Word, we did not pray the Eucharistic Prayer, which is only delivered by a Priest. We instead received and distributed the Body of Christ which had been previously consecrated by our Priest. Ask your child about this morning’s faith experience.
Last Wednesday, we received a visit by the Sisters of a newly developing order within our Diocese. Sister Marie de Lourdes and Sister Teresa Christe, with support and collaboration of Bishop Vasa, have formed the “Marion Sisters of Santa Rosa”. The Sisters will be working with the Department of Catholic Schools, visiting us from time to time. On this visit, they shared their stories, prayed and sang for us. Upon entering the hall and seeing the Sisters in full habit, one of our Kindergarteners exclaimed, “Ooo! Are we going to watch Madeline?!!” The sisters giggled, answered a variety of honest questions and actively participated in our Faith Family event that afternoon. Their presence, like our own Sr. Joyce, is a visible sign of our church, so important for the faith formation of our children. Did you know that we are the only school within the Diocese of Santa Rosa that has a Sister as a classroom teacher? Sr Joyce serves as a daily reminder of the value and influence of vocations and for that, we are thankful.
Hand-in-hand with the spiritual formation of our children, I’m proud to announce a partnership with Kidpower. (www.kidpower.org) Kidpower is a non-profit leader in bullying prevention, child abuse prevention, stranger awareness, and personal safety for children, teens, and adults, including those with special needs. We have 22 years of experience preparing parents, schools, and others to protect youth from bullying, abuse, abduction, and other violence with effective, age-appropriate safety skills. Instead of using fear to teach about danger, Kidpower makes it fun to learn to be safe. (from the Kidpower website)
St. John the Baptist Catholic School has served as a pilot school for Kidpower and our own Ms. DiMarco is a certified Kidpower trainer, offering workshops to our families and to the greater community. This organization offers a philosophy consistent with our teachings as a Catholic school. Respect for life, self and each other serve as their programmatic foundation. Our partnership will continue to afford our children the opportunity to gain positive social skills that will empower them for life. To learn more about Kidpower, please see the article and links below.
And to capture all these activities and the loving spirit of our children, we are blessed to have as part of our school family, Mr. Jorgen Gulliksen, gifted Photographer who works independently as well as for the Napa Valley Register. He has taken hundreds of beautiful pictures at our school events. Mr. Gulliksen has set up a website for our parents to view, purchase and/or upload pictures parents have taken. We’ve not had a school-wide photo album before so this is an exciting opportunity. As manager of the site, Mr. Gulliksen will edit out pictures if he deems necessary.
The site is: http://globbawax.com/ This is a password protected site that is not accessible by the public. Email Mrs. Giaquinto for the password: jgiaquinto@stjohnscatholic.org Please send her your name and the names/grades of your children so we can verify you are who you say you are. :)
Notes for “globbawax” users:
• The easiest, quickest way to share a photo is via the eCard. Just click on the shopping cart and the Fotomoto window opens. The eCard option is up at the top and they cost nothing.
• You can share via facebook, twitter, wordpress etc, but it's not exactly seamless. Just be prepared for a little work to make it happen.
• To log out of the site, you have to go back to the homepage and scroll down to the bottom. Otherwise it will stay logged in until you return.
• Parents can also email photos to globbawax@gmail.com and Mr. Gulliksen will upload them.
One Reminder: Thank you to the 45 parents who’ve completed their WCEA Parent Survey! We are extending the deadline to Monday, 10/31 in order to encourage more responses. These surveys are an important part of our program improvement process and all responses are read. The link to the survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CKCCWCK Our staff spent all of Monday working diligently on accreditation. We are well on our way to comprehensive Self-Study report!
One Final Note: Next week, we will celebrate our school Mass on Tuesday, November 1 at 8:30am (rather than on Wednesday) in celebration of the Solemnity of All Saints. As always, parents are invited to join us. Our 5th grade will actively assist in the liturgy.
Thank you for your patience in reading this long Egazette (it’s one of my only opportunities to communicate with you!) and thank you for the gift of your children. We, the staff, are continually grateful for our genuine and caring circle of families. We are expanding the community of God by our partnership in raising faith-filled children!
Take your Candle….Go Light your World!
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan, M.A., LEP
October 12, 2011
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families, Friends and Alumni,
I’ve invited Ms. DiMarco, our joyful and faith-filled PE and Jr. High Religion Teacher, to share with you details about our Friendship Club, one of our many positive social skills development efforts here at St. Johns:
The Friendship Club….we are partners. In an endearing story from the book “Does God Have a Big Toe?” the author writes of a conversation between God and the first couple, Adam and Eve.
He spoke to them about the creation Earth and asked that Adam and Eve finish the world. Adam and Eve were both surprised and told God, “We can’t finish the world alone! You have the plans and we are too little.”
“You are big enough,” God answered them, “But I agree to this. If you keep trying to finish the world, I will be your partner.”
“What’s a partner?”
God answered, “A partner is someone you work with on a big thing that neither of you can do alone. If you have a partner, it means that you can never give up, because your partner is depending on you. On days you think I am not doing enough and on the days I think you are not doing enough, even on those days, we are still partners and we must not stop trying to finish the world.”
This is what our Friendship Club is all about, working with partners on something that is too big to do alone. Sometimes kids are feeling bad or just out of sorts. Sometimes they feel they can’t do anything right or they get mad; the Friendship Club can help ease their burden.
Each homeroom teacher, with a child’s best interest at heart, is able to request a Friendship Club when he or she feels the need. Selected students or sometimes a whole class are then invited to lunch with Ms Di Marco. Working closely with the teacher, the discussion for the time focuses on the issues at hand. Most importantly, this time opens up the discussion in an atmosphere of respect. Not all problems are solved, but they are worked on and talked about. This allows for each child to tap in to their own power and their own social skills.
Just as in Kidpower, these skills that are practiced help each child to become stronger in themselves. From the wise words of St Thomas Aquinas, “We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.” You know as well as we do here at the school, kids never cease to amaze us.
Take your Candle….Go Light your World!
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan, M.A., LEP
Principal
Sept. 28, 2011
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families, Friends and Alumni,
Stopped at a stop sign the other day, our “tween” daughter spontaneously announced to her dad, “I’m beautiful inside!” My husband, not noticing the real estate sign on the corner, simply nodded and acknowledged, “Yes, you are sweetie.” “No really” she said, “Mom says to say it every time we stop here on the way home from school! She says to remember that I’m always beautiful inside.” In true working-parent style, like many of you, I desperately use every available opportunity to civilize, educate, inspire, humor as well as nurture my children. Over the years, these “magic moments” have become increasingly valuable and have required more and more creativity on my part. They serve to remind me and all of us parents that the dialog, support and attention we give our children is what creates strong, confident, capable children.
Many of you know that Ms. Di Marco and I were honored to present last April at the National Catholic Education Association convention in New Orleans. Our workshop was entitled, “Forming a Faith-Based, Anti-Bullying, Positive Social-Skills Program: An Effective Model for Catholic Educators” Since then, we’ve received several follow-up requests for support to partner Catholic schools across the country. Today, in fact, we are making the trek to St. Mary of the Angels in Ukiah to present to their staff.
In our extensive research, we found that no “packaged” anti-bullying program fit our unique environment. Secular, “off-the-shelf” programs are void of what we have integral in our community – Christ. At St. Johns, our staff has formed and implemented a “Faith-Based, Anti-Bullying, Positive Social-Skills Program” that is multi-faceted, proactive, reactive and rooted in Mission. The components include:
· Peace Patrol
· Friendship Club
· Faith Families
· Collaboration
· Smart Kids/Safe Kids
· KidPower
· Discipline
· Library Lunchtime
· Continuing Education/Training
· Playground Supervision
· Family Life Education
· Religion Class
Throughout the year, you will learn more about each of these components. Do we feel like we’re experts? No, there is always something to learn, new research to study and innovative strategies to implement. Does unkindness still occasionally occur – even at a Catholic School? Of course – we are imperfect by our humanness. BUT we are blessed to weave together formal social-skill building, our parental responsibilities and the message of the Gospel to create solid foundation that will form children who feel safe, loved and able to make healthy choices.
I encourage you to grab each and every available “magic moment” to send positive messages of worth to your child. Don’t ever underestimate that you are the first teacher of your child. You are the model for faith, morality and self-worth. Those “magic moments” reduce the formation of both bullies and victims. Even if you find yourself citing roadside sign sayings, do it!
Have a faith-filled day and remember that “you are beautiful inside”!
Take your Candle….Go Light your World!
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan, M.A., LEP
Principal
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families, Friends and Alumni,
The answers are: “Making the baseball team.” “Riding a horse.” “Winning a race.” The question is: “What are some things you have triumphed over?” This morning at Mass, we celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross or the Triumph of the Cross. Of course these are big words for our little folks but Fr. Gordon, in an engaging, didactic homily, explained that, on this day we recognize the significance of the cross in our lives; our willingness to follow Jesus and our joy at being part of His family. The cross is a powerful symbol for suffering and our inspiration to overcome all challenges before us. As parents, we certainly witness and support our children through difficult moments. Isn’t it empowering to know that our faith provides us a strong foundation for the journey? Take a moment this evening to ask your child “What have you triumphed over?” Perhaps, your child will even ask you!
”Take Your Candle…Go Light Your World!”
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal
Aug 24, 2011
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families, Friends and Alumni,
Crisp new jumpers, sparkling white shirts, pressed khakis, unbent folders and neatly packaged binder paper….there’s nothing like the start of a new school year. Today, we experienced a important welcome – our first school Mass. Many families joined with our student body to celebrate our liturgy, offered with active participation from Fr. Francisco and our faculty and staff. From our tiniest Kindergarteners to our seasoned 8th graders, this year has started with an incredible enthusiasm and positive spirit. What a joy to reconnect with our returning families and meet our many new families!
I realize you have been inundated with information and activities this week but I want to add some information to this already packed first eGazette:
Mission, Philosophy and Student Learning Expectations: As part of our accreditation process, we are revising our mission, philosophy and student learning expecations. The staff and school council have already provided input and now we need your thoughts! Please read the attached documents and email me with any comments or suggestions: njordan@stjohnscatholic.org
New Logo: In preperation for our 100th anniversary celebration, we are launching a new logo. This logo, designed by graphic designer and school parent, Don Huffman, depicts the school from the Napa street entrance. You will start to see this logo appear in communication, clothing and marketing efforts.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving: As many are aware, one of our St. John families had been struggling with significant medical challenges. Adi, an 8th grader, received a long-awaited kidney transplant in May. Her mother, Rosa, was the kidney donor. Rosa asked me to pass along a word of thanksgiving for the prayers and support of her St. John the Baptist Catholic School family. Both are recovering well and we thank God for the gift of healing.
This year, our 100th anniversary celebration, accreditation tasks and “Building Faith and Future” campus renovations will bring us many opportunities to work together and offer thanksgiving for all God has blessed us with at St. John the Baptist Catholic School. In the chaos of making lunches, covering books, homework, sports practices and music lessons, let’s always remember what makes our educational program unique - a solid, mission-focused, Christ-centered environment where our children are supported to succeed in all aspects of their development.
Thank you to our Family Club for our first day hospitality. Thank you to our faculty and staff for their dedicated effort to launch this first week and all the coming weeks of curriculum and instruction. Please keep Father Gordon in your prayers as he recovers from surgery.
As our 2011-12 spiritual theme for this year charges us…..”Take Your Candle…Go Light Your World!”
In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal
WCEAmission-philosophy-SLEs2010-11.pdf
August 16, 2011
Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families,
I offer you a warm welcome to the 2011-2012 school year. We will all be together in less than a week and at school, we are busy decorating bulletin boards and filling desks with new workbooks. We've installed new computers in the Computer Lab and set-up Rosetta-Stone, our new Language Acquisition program. Our faculty and staff is spending this week in meetings and on retreat, celebrating who we are as Catholic educators and focusing our hearts and minds on the beautiful mission and legacy of our school. We look forward to connecting with our returning families and getting acquainted with our many new students.
You will be hearing a good deal about the dynamic year ahead; our 100th year birthday, our accreditation tasks and our movement through our "Building Faith and Future" campaign that will provide our school with a playing field, gym and other campus enhancements. It's exciting to announce that our church remodel has begun and that we are receiving a new, safety-enhanced crosswalk between the church and hall - both are projects of "Building Faith and Future".
As you iron those uniform shirts, shop for those solid-colored shoes and pick-up school supplies, I provide you with information related to the first few days of school:
First Day of School: Plan to park on the street (arrive early!). Students line up by classroom in front of the door/landing area on the playground. Morning assembly begins at 8:10am. Parents are encouraged to join us and stay for a reception hosted by our Family Club afterwards. Whether you are a seasoned St. Johns parent or brand new, plan to meet and mingle! Kindergarten parents, don't forget your cameras!
Extended Care: There will be extended care on the first day, which is a 1/2 day (12:30pm dismissal). For those of you who will need extended care the first couple of days of school, please find attached the Registration Form which will also be included in the first Wednesday envelope (8/24).
We had a staffing change in our extended care p |
