Dear Saint John School families,

The school routines are quickly falling into place for our students as we settle into September. We had a very successful Back to School Night for both PreK- 5 as well as grades 6 - 8. Additionally, we had an excellent turn out for sport sign-ups on Athletic Night.

The Faith Family and Faith in Action outreach programs continue to provide new leadership opportunities for our middle school students. We have used the first couple of Faith Family activities to teach the students more about the Mass and Rosary. The initial focus for our students is to participate more fully through prayer, song, and response. The Faith in Action students are currently promoting the Friends of the Poor Walk/Run on Saturday, September 20 at 10:30 am. We are joining together with our parish St. Vincent DePaul Society to raise funds for this very worthy cause. The details are on SchoolSpeak and in the newsletter. Please consider joining us.

SchoolSpeak had a successful launch last week. Families were issued passwords and now homework, grades, and announcements are available for viewing at all grade levels. Besides the ease of navigating through the system, one of the best features is that parents have been set up as part of a group so you can see the information that pertains to your child's grade and teacher. Assignment and test grades will be updated at least every two weeks in third through eighth grade. SchoolSpeak is an important communication tool and student progress should be monitored on a regular basis.

Just a reminder that our fall fundraiser is just around the corner. Sales for the Helicopter Golf Ball Drop continue at a brisk pace. Plenty of tickets are still available for the $2,500 1st Prize for closest to the hole, as well as prizes for students and classes selling the most tickets. The Golf Ball Drop is on October 1st. Also, don't forget to put your foursome together for the 4th Annual Eagle Classic on September 25. Details for both events are available in the newsletter or on SchoolSpeak.

The traffic for drop-off and pick-up has generally been smooth with only a few rough edges. Please remember that student safety is our number one concern. Please follow all the rules of the road while you are entering and exiting the parish and school property. Follow the instructions of our traffic staff and make sure that common courtesy is practiced by everyone.

Lastly, it is with sorrow that we acknowledge the passing of Bishop Flores this past week. He was in his position at the Diocese of San Diego for only a short while, but was very active in improving Catholic education. Peace and blessings to you and your family.