eGazette - April 28, 2010

May 2010 School Calendar

See Attached.
May_2010_Calendar.pdf

The days are getting longer, bed times later and weekends bursting with activities. Spring brings the excitement of outdoor adventures and minds wandering to vacation. Our school community is busy as ever, but also trying to offer a balance of activities to help sustain us through the remainder of lessons in and out of the classroom.

This week we gather on Friday evening to enjoy art and personal performances at the Spring Fine Arts Recital and celebrate the First Eucharist with our Second Graders on Sunday. Next week brings athletic endeavors with the Twilight Track Meet on Friday and Petanque Tournament on Saturday. There are many parents volunteering to bring these opportunities to our children, strengthening our community and creating new friendships along the way.

Also, hard at work is our Development Committee, a committee of the School Council, which designs and coordinates the fundraising efforts of the School. The Committee oversees the Fund Development Plan which includes the Scrip Program, Jog-a-thon, Crab Feed and other fundraising activities. The success of these activities has lightened the efforts this spring. There is no Gala this year, but other volunteer opportunities exist to support a Food and Wine Pairing event and Spring Scrip Drive which both take place in May.

Finally, as we enjoy the bounty of spring activities, I thank you for being ambassadors of St. John the Baptist Catholic School, informing friends who may be interested in joining our School community for the 2010-2011 year. We are still accepting applications in many grades and particularly encourage incoming Kindergarten Families to call or visit the school while we are still in session.

I appreciate the generosity of so many parents who keep our School environment thriving. Thank you for your continued investment of time, energy and talent in our children.

With One Voice.. We'll Pass the Word Along.

In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal

We are in the home stretch. Our children have informed us there are only 30 days of school left!

Our Art teacher, Mrs. Gibbs, has been helping bring art to our St. John students all year long, and now she needs your help to help set up a display of our children's artwork for the Fine Arts recital being held this Friday April 30. Thank you, Classroom coordinators, for sending requests asking parents to volunteer to help Mrs. Gibbs. Please contact your Classroom Coordinator or Mrs. Gibbs to let her know you can help this Friday. The reception and art display will be held in the school hallways beginning at 6pm, followed by live performances in the St. John Family Hall from 7pm to 9pm.

The Scholastic Book Fair was a success! With a goal of 600 books, we came together to sell a whopping 881 in all! That is approximately four books child; great job St. John's! We are still working on the financials, but hope to come very close to our goal for the 5th and 6th grade state books. We'll keep you posted! Thank you to a great team of volunteers and to the families that supported our efforts.

Bring a picnic and enjoy family fun and friendship at St. John's 1st annual Petanque Tournament on Saturday, May 8 at the Justin-Siena. Turn in your entry forms

Many parents have been out at the track volunteering and running at the track practices that students in all grades may participate in. Many thanks to Paul Vlaming for organizing the track program, teaching our kids the proper way to minimize injuries by stretching and strengthening to prepare for the sport, and thanks to all the parents get out there on Friday afternoons.

At our last FC meeting, our principal Mrs. Jordan shared updates on the new Smart Boards that can help bring so many subjects to life for our students, and our school has been fortunate enough to receive one for each classroom. The important annual fund was also discussed. Find out about these fascinating points of interest, as well as sharing ideas and opinions with many St. John parents, and enjoying friendship, coffee and treats at the Family Club meetings. At our next Family Club meeting there will be information about Teacher Appreciation week and we will be discussing opportunities for parent participation for the next school year!

Please join us for the next Family Club meeting on Tuesday, May 4.

Final preparations are underway for the Fine Arts Show on Friday, April 30, 2010. The event will begin at 6pm with a display of student art in the Parish Hall. At 7pm we will transition to the performance portion of the evening. We have a wonderful group of students of all ages who will be sharing their talents. Please come and show your support for these students who have put many hours into preparing for this evening. Maybe you've been thinking about taking instrumental or vocal lessons. Here's a chance to see what other St. John the Baptist students have accomplished.
Instructions for students who have artwork for the art show and/or are performing:

Students who are submitting artwork for the art show are asked to bring their art piece(s) to the Parish Hall on Friday morning, April 30, before school. We will set-up the art show in the morning. Be prepared to fill out a short information card about your piece. This will include your name, age, grade and some information about your work such as what inspired you.

Performers with instruments should bring their instrument to school on Friday.

Dress Rehearsal - Friday, 1pm - 2pm

Thank you to Mrs. Zeller, Mrs. Hirsohn and Mrs. Gibbs, for their leadership on the recital.

Your Wednesday Envelope contains 6 tickets for the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Festival 152 Raffle. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit our Youth Ministry and School Scholarship Programs.

Celebrate on Sunday, June 6, 2010, 9am - 6pm - Church Parking Lot

Ticket cost:
$20 per ticket or $100 for 6 tickets

Prizes:
Grand Prize - 2010 Nissan altima Hybrid Sedan
2nd Prize - 2 night stay in 2 bedroom suite at the Westin Verasa in Napa
3rd Price - $500 cash

Each family is asked to sell their 6 tickets. Ticket numbers have been assigned and recorded for each family. Please send ticket money and/or unsold tickets to the school office by June 1st.

Thank you to the many parents helping with Track & Field Practices. We are accomplishing a great deal in a short amount of time thanks to the moms and dads pitching in each Friday!

To prepare for the meets on May 7th and May 16th, we will need parent volunteers. The two meets are different formats, so it is important for parents to learn about the new Twilight Meet format and our school duties for the Catholic School Meet.

Please meet in the school yard on Monday, May 3rd at 2:00. If you have any questions, suggestions, or cannot attend the meeting, please contact Paula Vlaming, 707-363-1046 or paula@focus501.com, for more information. Thank you!

Thank you to the many parents who have helped make our 2009-2010 fundraising efforts a success. We look forward to meeting the goals of our Fund Development Plan through the remaining activities. Please consider participating in the following efforts:

SCRIP: Prepare for summer spending with SCRIP. Go to the School Office to order and purchase SCRIP. Gas cards will help fuel summer fun!

Wine and Food Pairing: Parent volunteers are needed for this May 15th event hosted by Marvin and Lisa Paul. Join Marvin Paul cooking the week before May 15th, or sign up for set up or clean up on the day of the event. Volunteers are also needed to pour wine and serve food. It will be a fun-filled evening of fellowship as we raise funds for the School. This is considered a fundraising event, so volunteer hours count toward each family's annual requirement. For more information, contact Lisa Paul, 707.224.2416; lisapaul@paulhanson.com

The school website also contains development news, forms and reminders. Go to: http://school.stjohnscatholic.org/info_fundraising.php.

Thank you for your support.

Dear St. John the Baptist School Families,

Welcome to the St. John the Baptist Confirmation Program. We are excited to journey with your family and your teen towards the Sacrament of Confirmation. We invite you to attend our FINAL Confirmation Registration on Sunday, May 8 from 1:30pm-3:30pm at the Parish Hall.

Enrollment is open to all 8th graders who will enter high school in the fall and all currently enrolled 9th-11th grade students. The session is designed to both parent and their teen. So parents remember to bring your teens! Teens remember to bring your parents!

You will meet the Confirmation and Youth Ministry Teams that will be making this two year journey with you. You and your teen will receive information about the confirmation process including the Diocesan and Parish requirements.

We look forward to meeting you soon! If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email myself or Luis Juarez. Our information is listed below.

With the heart of a servant,
Kimberly McFadden & Luis Juarez
Faith Formation Coordinator & Venid Youth Ministry Coordinator
707.226.9379 ext. 22 & 707.226.9379
kmcfadden@stjohnscatholic.org & ljuarez@stjohnscatholic.org

Reminder: April 30th is Friday so please turn in your box-tops this week to be included in April's tally.

Some Fun Recipes to Try:

Piggy Pancakes
What a fun way to gather the family! Make piggy pancakes your new tasty tradition.
Ingredients
2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Fresh blueberries, chocolate chips or raisins
Directions
1. Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat or to 375F. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk and eggs until blended.
2. Lightly oil griddle. For each pig face, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter onto hot oiled griddle. Pour scant tablespoonful batter onto griddle for snout and another scant tablespoonful for ears.
3. Cook pancakes until edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden.
4. To serve, place large pancakes on individual serving plates. Place 1 small pancake in center of each face for snout; poke 2 holes for nostrils with end of handle of wooden spoon. Cut second small pancake in half for ears; place at top of face. Use blueberries for eyes.

Jungle Fun Toss
Imagine taking a jungle journey by way of your snack bowl!
Ingredients
2 cups Apple Cinnamon Cheerios cereal
2 cups Cheerios cereal
2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios cereal
1 1/2 cups animal crackers
1 1/2 cups pretzel twists
1 1/2 cups cheese-flavored snack crackers
3 pouches (0.9 oz each) Betty Crocker Shark Bites chewy fruit snacks (from 9-oz box) or other chewy fruit snack shapes
Directions
1.In large bowl or gallon-size Ziploc Brand food storage bag, mix all ingredients.
2. Store in airtight container.

Apricot-Cranberry Muffins
Bisquick Heart Smart mix and fat-free egg product add a healthier twist to traditional muffins.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups Bisquick Heart Smart mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites or 1/4 cup fat-free egg product
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400F. Line 12 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups.
2. In large bowl, stir all ingredients just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
3. Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from pan.

Websites that help our school with box tops are:
www.thebigclip.com
www.boxtops4education.com
Both of these sites either have contests for extra box tops, recipes, and links to shopping online which will benefit our school.

Your Box-Top Coordinators,
Lee Tatsuguchi
Rebecca Griffin

Justin-Siena President & CEO Robert Jordan has held his position for less than a year, but he has managed to plan and institute some major physical changes and curriculum enhancements on the school's campus in those few months.

The original residence, formerly used by the De La Salle Christian Brothers on the south end of campus, is undergoing renovation as it has been re-purposed to accommodate a new welcome center, admissions office, reception area, community chapel, guidance services, college counseling, advancement and administrative offices. The school's Zeller Building on the north end of the campus, which previously housed several offices and guidance services, will be leased to the Napa School of Music as of July 1st.

Justin-Siena's new relationship with the Napa School of Music represents a range of synergies for both institutions, as Jordan observed, "We are very excited about this new partnership with the Napa School Music. They have done an excellent job igniting the musical passion of youth in our community. We are proud that we could offer them a facility on our campus that will help take their programs even further benefiting all Napa Valley youth. This partnership will also enhance the Justin-Siena music program and our already nationally recognized theatre program."

"In recent years, Justin-Siena has worked hard to make our educational experience more accessible to all through an aggressive tuition assistance program. We were pleased to learn that the Napa School of Music also has a commitment to providing music instruction to those who cannot afford the full cost of lessons. Their educational values and commitment to the learning needs of young people make this partnership so natural."

"It just shows how two great educational communities in the Napa Valley can work together for the benefit of all."

This is not the first time the building has been rented out. Years ago, Justin-Siena leased the Zeller building to the Napa County Office of Education. Peter Sykes, Director of the Napa School of Music, plans to retain the layout of interior offices for use by the 16 members of the school's faculty, and feels that the facility will easily accommodate his current enrollment of 370 students.

The new location is twice the size of the Coombs Street location, which means that the Napa School of Music can better serve its growing enrollment and also offer new music classes and programs. Not only is the Zeller Building a bigger location, it is also conveniently located in north Napa. With Justin-Siena just off Highway 29 at the Trower Street exit, it is easily accessible to families from all over the valley, including students from the many schools nearby. For the students at Justin-Siena, after-school music lessons will now be an easy, seamless option.

"Along with the bigger space and convenient location is the most important component - our partnership with Justin-Siena High School - which is one of the most highly regarded private secondary schools in the North Bay," says Sykes. "One only has to experience one of the school's musical theatre productions to see their high level of commitment and dedication to developing the arts. We feel very fortunate to be collaborating with them."

"One of Napa's strengths is the sense of community," says Sykes. "The partnership with Justin-Siena is a reflection of this and the idea that we are more than the sum of our parts. When we work together in this way, there is a synergy that only makes for a better educational experience for all concerned. I know all of us at the Napa School of Music and Justin-Siena High School are committed to this."

The Napa School of Music offers both voice and instrumental music curriculums, including guitar, piano, violin, viola, bass, tuba, saxophone, flute, ukulele, steel guitar, trombone, clarinet and drums. The range of musical styles spans from rock to jazz to classical, and every genre in-between.

The school's signature "Garage Band 101" course has become an extremely popular offering. Sykes, a guitar teacher since 1979, oversees the program, "Last summer, we had 12 bands operating, with students ages 10 and up participating. It really helps with taking a student's musicianship to another level because students have to be prepared and answer to one another each week."

The Napa School of Music will move from its current location in the Tannery on Coombs St. in south Napa, to the Justin-Siena campus, 4026 Maher St., on July 1st, and will begin the first lessons of the summer there on July 5th. The Napa School of Music can be reached at 707-252-4040, and can be reached online at: www.napaschoolofmusic.com.

Justin-Siena High School is the only Catholic college preparatory high school in Napa County serving students from Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. It is part of the worldwide network of schools sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. The school can be reached by phone: 707-255-0950, or online: www.justin-siena.org.