Dear St. John Paul II Families,
Happy Tuesday! Last week, your child received our February Virtue card! I hope you are able to use this as a family to grow in
Faith: believing in God and trusting in his will
. We look to St. Mary to assist us in our journey to love our faith enough to share it with others in all we do by saying "yes" to Jesus.
Be sure to read the "Internet Safety Tips" below on how we can share our faith, model responsible behavior to our children and community, and represent ourselves in a Christ-like manner. In today’s world, there are so many challenges we face where we have to make decisions daily to show Christ’s love. Join our saint family in striving to be models of faith-filled people.
The morning time is definitely not my favorite, especially if I have not had a cup of coffee! However,
I have one favor to ask: when you are arriving to drop your children off at school, please be careful and put safety first when it comes to our students. When using Brimhurst walkers, please respect the cones and traffic signs and be sure to use the crossing guards. Do not drop your child off on Parkway Plaza.
I do very much look forward to seeing many of you this Friday at our All School Mass with the Cardinal. It is my hope and prayer that as we go through the month of February including the start of Lent, we allow our faith to be strengthened and renewed by our intentional choices to let Jesus and Mary guide us in our journey.
In Him,
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Major Dates 2018-2019
StJPII has released the
Major Dates for the 2018-2019 school year. Please click on the link or visit the
Calendar section of the StJPII website.
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February 8: Principal Proclamation Day
Last month, our student "Principal for the Day" Macey Saenz issued a proclamation. This Thursday,
February 8, students in the following grades will get to enjoy the special privileges listed below:
- PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grades – pajama day and extra recess
- 3rd-5th Grades – homework pass at teacher discretion, crazy hair day (no paint or color), and free dress
- 6th-8th Grades – homework pass at teacher discretion, extra recess, and 10 min. nap
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February 9: Cardinal Mass
His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, the Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, will be at StJPII to celebrate All-School Mass on this
Friday, February 9
at 8:30 a.m. All are invited to attend, Please join us!
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February 14: Ash Wednesday
- FULL DRESS UNIFORM
The StJPII community will observe Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, with an All-School Mass on
Wednesday, February 14
at 8:30 a.m. in the GSC. Students should wear their full dress uniforms. Mass will include the imposition of Ashes.
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Upcoming Special Dress Days
Please note that students may wear special attire the following days:
February 13
- StJPII will observe St. Valentine's Day. Students may wear red or pink shirts with uniform bottoms.
February 22
- StJPII will observe Go Texan Day.
Students may wear western-style rodeo attire (please leave your spurs ,whips, guns, and handcuffs at home). “Go Texan” attire can be as simple as jeans, a t-shirt or western shirt, with boots. Cowboy hats are allowed. If you choose not to dress “Texan”, then students may wear a spirit shirt with their uniform bottoms (this is NOT a free dress day). Please follow the general dress code guidelines which are noted in the
Student Handbook
.
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Internet Safety Tips
The internet and social media have become integral modes of communication for not just our children, but really, for all of us. Technology is a wonderful gift that enables us to stay closely connected to those we love even when they are thousands of miles away, allows groceries to “magically” appear on our doorsteps, and what used to take hours of library research can now be found in a matter of seconds through online databases.
StJPII was blessed to have the
Crime Stoppers of Houston deliver invaluable information concerning internet safety to our 4th through 8th graders on January 24. Additionally, we were lucky to have a Crime Stoppers representative deliver a Parent Awareness Internet Safety talk in the evening. These two presentations provided a pertinent and timely reminder on the importance of monitoring our children’s internet usage. These talks also served as a great reminder that as adults we are responsible for modeling for our children exactly what appropriate internet usage looks like in our own online usage.
When it comes to teaching children how to use social media and the internet responsibly, kids are best guided by observing positive behaviors. Our children witness adults using tech devices long before they even have their own devices, so setting a good example for them online is very important. The same high expectations we set for our children by asking them to use these social media platforms in only positive, uplifting, and respectful ways, we also apply to ourselves as their teachers, principals, counselors, and parents. Below you will find some tips to consider on:
How to Set A Good Example for Our Kids Online
- Be willing to learn. By checking out the same apps and social media sites that our children use we can be ensured they are operating in a safe, online community - SmartSocial.com
- Set a good example. {Adults} can set the right example for {children} by being careful about what content they post on their own social media accounts-- The Wall Street Journal
- Limiting our usage of smartphones. By restricting our own usage of devices in front of children (when possible) we can show children that human-social interaction is the priority- Independent (UK)
- Avoid engaging in online gossip. This is the best way to teach children the importance of respecting our friends and neighbors -- SmartSocial.com
- Do not use social media to vent. It’s healthy for all of us to need to vent when we are feeling frustrated. A great way to encourage kids to avoid using social media to vent is to set that example by steering away from online venting ourselves. -Smartsocial.com
- Put our best foot forward online. Show our kids that we expect them to only make appropriate, productive posts online by always positively represent ourselves online -Smartsocial.com
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StJPII Yard Signs
Get your StJPII yard Sign while supplies last! During the Strategic Plan Townhall, Mrs. Bogard unveiled a new initiative about increasing our school's brand awareness. So please show your Saints pride by proudly displaying a new StJPII yard sign! They are only $10 each and will be sold at the front office through Ash Wednesday,
February 14. After that, the PTO Spirit Store will manage the inventory. Thank you for spreading the good news about StJPII!
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February 9: Middle School Dance
The Middle School Dance will be at StJPII in the BAC on
Friday, February 9
from 7:00-9:30 p.m. Tickets are $15; students must register to attend. For the registration form,
click here.
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February 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Spring Parent/Teacher Conference Day is
Friday, February 16
. These spring conferences are required for ALL new students, OR if a teacher or parent requests a conference. ALL students will have class-time in the morning;
dismissal will take place at 12:00/12:15/12:30. There will be
NO AFTERNOON BASP and no cafeteria service; students may bring a sack lunch or snack.
Conferences will be scheduled for 1:15-4:00 p.m. Be on the lookout for a sign-up link from the teachers after February 6.
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February 19: Ice Make Up Day
February 19 has been designated as a make-up day for the icy weather we had earlier this month. This day was originally scheduled as a Teacher In-Service day as well as our New Student Testing Day. Now however, we will have a
half day of school and continue with new student testing in the afternoon. ALL students will have class-time in the morning;
dismissal will take place at 12:00/12:15/12:30.
There will be NO AFTERNOON BASP and
no cafeteria service; students may bring a sack lunch or snack.
Thank you for your support and understanding as we schedule as best we can for the whole StJPII community. The administration will be finalizing the last make up day in the coming weeks and will notify you as soon as possible.
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8th Grade Yearbook Ads
Do you want to share how much you love your graduating eighth grader or how proud you are of them? Then the StJPII yearbook is the place! Eighth grade yearbook ads are now on sale, and if you are a parent, grandparent or friend that would like to leave a message for your StJPII graduate that will last forever, the perfect place is an ad in the yearbook!
Forms
have been sent home in the Tuesday folder. The deadline is
February 23,
and ads are sold on a first come, first served basis. Space is limited and once we are sold out, there is no more room, so get your ad in today! If you have any questions, contact Journalism Advisor
Shari Hiltbrand
.
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Save the Date - Dads Retreat
All StJPII dads are invited to attend the upcoming Dad's Retreat, which will be held at StJPII in the All-Saints Chapel on
March 3, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The retreat will be led by campus Chaplain Fr. Eamonn Shelly.
Click here for more information which is also going home in today's folders. There will be a nominal registration fee to cover food and supplies. For more information, you may email:
dads@jp2.org.
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Steps for Students - Family Commitment Opportunity
Students may participate in the Archdiocese's Steps for Students 5K Run/Walk on
Saturday, February 17 next to the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston. Money raised will be applied to your 2017-2018 Family Commitment balance. Not only is Steps for Students a great community event supporting Catholic education, but Steps for Students also offers an easy, virtual tool for you to collect pledges and raise money. To participate, simply visit
steps4students.org. After registering, participants will create personalized fundraising pages that can easily be forwarded to friends and family asking for their support. StJPII is delighted to offer this as a means of earning Family Commitment, but it is VERY IMPORTANT that you designate StJPII as your school of choice for the funds to be allocated properly. Don't delay...
registration is now open!
Your help and support is also needed. A 5K race that supports 12,000+ runners requires human power to bring it across the finish line! Click on the links to volunteer for either pre-race or race day volunteer opportunities:
Thank you in advance for your efforts to support this important event that helps all the Catholic schools.
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February 20: Raffle Tickets Go Home
Your family's raffle tickets will be sent home soon! Each family will receive books of tickets to sell starting
February 20. All sold stubs and money will be due to the front office by
March 6, so mark your calendar. Proceeds will benefit our school, but most importantly, this fundraiser is the biggest way you can earn your Family Commitment. 75% of your sales will be applied to your Family Commitment balance.
Next week's edition of
Saints Weekly
will include a sign up genius link for those interested in selling raffle tickets at their parish.
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30th Anniversary Gala - February 24
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Ready, Set, Bid! The Don't Stop Believin' Online Auction is Going on Now!
The online auction includes a variety of Great Gatherings for all ages and some highly coveted VIP school experiences. You do not need a gala ticket to participate - the packages are open to the entire school community. Bidding goes through
February 12
. Go to
www.jp2.org/gala
to join the fun!
Please Note: The Online Auction is best viewed either on a mobile device or with the following browsers: Chrome, Firefox or Edge (The auction software does not support Internet Explorer).
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Gala Ticket Sales End February 12
**Don't forget to drop off your wine at the front office before Friday!**
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Crawfish Boil - Save the Date
Plans are already underway for our
4th Annual Saints @ Sunset Crawfish Boil!
Mark your calendars for the evening of
Friday, April 13,
here on campus. We had over 800 people attend last year, and it will be even bigger and better in 2018!
We are looking for corporate sponsors!
If your business is interested in helping sponsor the event and receiving advertising and promotion opportunities, please contact Communications and Events Officer,
Kaela Lewis
.
Laissez le bon temps rouler!
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February PTO Meeting
Please join us for the February PTO meeting, tomorrow
February 7 at 8:15 a.m. We will meet in St. Jude Hall where Sally Clark, our Gala Chair, will share details pertaining to the upcoming gala. All are welcome to attend these monthly meetings; we would love to see you there!
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Glow Skate Party
Save the Date for a
g
l
o
w
i
n
g afternoon at the Dairy Ashford Roller Rink! *Update* the event is planned for
Thursday, February 15 from 4:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m., DARR is hosting a GLOW SKATE DAY for StJPII! Break out the neon.
Click here for more information
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February 9: Box Tops Contest Deadline
It’s time to send in those Box Tops! The classroom contest is now running through February 9.
The homeroom that turns in the highest number of box tops will win a
FREE DRESS DAY. Second place winners will receive a
FREE T-SHIRT DAY.
Sample Box Top coupon with expiration date, shown below:
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1. Clip exactly around the dotted edge lines as you see pictured.
2. Place all box tops & grocery store promotional coupons into a zip top baggie.
3. Please turn into homeroom teachers with your child’s name & teacher on the bag.
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Elementary Athletics
Registration is OPEN for both Spring Volleyball and Baseball/Softball. Spring Volleyball is open to girls in grades 4th-8th. Registration will close on February 16 at 5:00 p.m.
Please see the following links to register:
Please consider volunteering to be a coach. W
e cannot have teams without parent coaches.If you have any questions, please email
Deanne Gordon
.
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Middle School Athletics
Our Varsity Lady Saints basketball team ended their GHCAA season in a tough, intense semi-final game against St. Vincent de Paul last Thursday. Our team endured quite a few challenges in their last 2 weeks of play, yet they played their very best and held their heads high throughout district play for seeding, and all the way through playoffs. We could not be more proud of them, their integrity, love for their teammates, and love for the game of basketball!
Congratulations to our new JV & Varsity Boys Lacrosse Teams! The Lacrosse season will officially start on
Thursday, February 22
when the Varsity team will play here at home against River Oaks Baptist School at 4:30 p.m. Come out and support our new program, and our Varsity team!
Girls Lacrosse program will have their very first clinic on Tuesday, February 6 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. It is open to 5th through 8th grade girls, and if you want to participate in the clinic you must have a lacrosse stick, goggles, and a mouth guard. Tryouts will be the 3rd week of February; date is still yet to be determined. All clinics and tryouts will be held here on our StJPII field. We welcome Christina Kurt, our 6th grade girls’ basketball coach, as our new Lacrosse coach for our Lady Saints!
Varsity Baseball is in full swing! Congrats to our new Varsity baseball players who made the team last week! Coach Piazza is excited to get the ball rolling and start their season! The boys have their 1st game on
February 12
at 4:30 p.m. at “HOME” which is at Memorial Ashford Little League (MALL) fields…all of our “HOME” games will be played at MALL.
Track & Field (T&F) will have a parent meeting on
Tuesday, February 13
at 6:00 p.m. in St. Jude Hall ~ please make every effort to attend this meeting if your child is going to participate in T&F. The first T&F practice will be on
Tuesday, February 20
from 3:30-5:30 p.m. T&F is open to 5th - 8th grade boys and girls.
Varsity Softball tryouts are
Monday, February 5 and Tuesday, February 6 from 3:30 -5:00 p.m
. right here on our field. Please remember you must attend both days of tryouts, and as always you must have a physical on file with Mrs. Aertker.
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Middle School Cheer tryouts are around the corner!
We will have Varsity Cheer tryouts the week of March 5 through the 9 in the BAC from
3:30-5:30 p.m
. ~ there will be a parent meeting for those interested on
February 20
in St. Jude Hall from 6:00-7:00 p.m. We encourage you to attend this meeting so you are aware of the commitment and the expectations of joining our Cheer squad. We look forward to seeing you there!
**We also ask that parents refrain from attending any of our tryouts and adhere to our "closed door" policy, thank you!**
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Sacred Heart Society
On March 11, 2018 the Sacred Heart Society will celebrate the centuries’ old Sicilian tradition of venerating St. Joseph, patron saint of Sicilia and the poor. A three tiered altar is adorned with decorative baked goods, fruit, religious articles for the meatless feast honoring San Giuseppe. A delicious, traditional Sicilian meal will be also be served. Proceeds from the Altar and Donations feed Houston’s poor. Please
click here for more information.
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St. Pius X Basketball Clinic
Support the St. Pius X Panther girl’s basketball program. Parents enjoy a night out for Valentines while your kids have fun at a basketball clinic on February 10. For more information, please see the
flyer.
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St. Thomas High School Round-Up 2018
Middle school students are invited to join St. Thomas on
Sunday, March 4
for Round-Up. Round-Up consists of a raffle, carnival, food court, marketplace, games and more. All proceeds of Round-Up supports financial aid for students that attend St. Thomas. For more details, please click on the
flyer
or email the StJPII' Parent Ambassador,
Stacie Sudkamp.
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2/6 Progress Reports sent home
2/7 Mass, 7:10 a.m., All Saints Chapel
2/7 PTO Meeting, 8:15 a.m., SJH
2/7 Dads Basketball, 7 p.m., BAC
2/8 Principal Proclamation Day
2/9 Cardinal All School Mass, 8:30 a.m., BAC
2/9 Middle School Dance, 7:00 p.m., GSC
2/9 Box Tops Due
2/13 Valentine's Day at StJPII
2/13 Board Meeting 7:00 p.m.
2/14 Ash Wednesday All-School Mass
2/14 Dads Basketball, 7 p.m., BAC
2/15 PTO Skate Party, 4:00 p.m., Dairy Ashford Roller Rink
2/16 Early Dismissal 12:00 / 12:15 / 12:30 p.m. (No afternoon BASP or cafeteria service)
2/16 Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:15 p.m.
2/17 Steps for Students
2/19 Early Dismissal 12:00 / 12:15 / 12:30 p.m. (No afternoon BASP or cafeteria service)
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St. John Paul II Catholic School
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1400 Parkway Plaza, Houston, TX 77077
281-496-1500 • 281-496-2943 (fax)
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St. John Paul II Catholic School prepares all students spiritually
and academically to succeed in life and to do God's will.
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