This is the last Flash! of 2016. The Flash! will return January 12, 2017.
St. Joseph School 
FLASH!
Our mission is to create a faith-centered community that educates and inspires students to reach their God-given potential. 

A Note from the Principal

I was pleased with the Seahawks win last Sunday. More than the result of the game, however, I was struck by the news that came on Monday about why quarterback Cam Newton didn't start. Apparently, the head coach has a strict dress code for players where they are required to wear a tie on a traveling day. Cam Newton failed to do this and was penalized. This was somewhat surprising because Newton is known as a well-dressed man.
 
Newton accepted the punishment, told the media he stood by his coach's decision, and said, "No person is better than the next person and it is what it is." I almost hate to say it, but Newton provided a good example for all of us. If you haven't already, this might be a good example to share with your daughters and sons about admitting a mistake, taking the consequence, and moving on.
 
The first Outreach Day of the year was a huge success last Friday. I told the students at Monday's prayer service how happy I was with the work they did to support the agencies we help. Of note was the fact that we can normally take all the food to St. Mary's Food Bank in one trip with the school pickup. It took us three trips on Friday! I hope that these service days help students see the good they can do for others.
 
Enjoy the weekend,
Patrick
A Note from the Directors

Report cards and MAP standardized test scores will be mailed out to all families on Friday, December 9th.  Kindergarten students will not have test scores. Research shows that children need continuous, positive encouragement. Please take some time to review both the report card and test scores over the weekend focusing on your child's strengths.  Ask your child questions about their grades in each subject area as well as those for conduct and work and study habits.  Challenge them to pick one or two specific areas for improvement and plan together a road map to achieve their goals.  Please note that PowerSchool will reopen on Monday, December 12th.  As we are just beginning the second trimester, you will most likely see very few grades at this point.
 
God Bless,
Lil and Mary Helen
Volunteer Opportunities
Sign-up today to volunteer or visit the website to learn more . We are in need of the following volunteers. 

Hour of Code After-school December 8 Aime Mitchell or Jamie Read
Lunchroom 10:45-1:00 pm,
2 hours/day
Yolanda Hein
New Sibling Application & Financial Aid for 2017-2018
New siblings applying for 2017-18
Sibling application materials are currently available on the school webpage.  Please go to Admissions/How to Apply - click on the link 2017-2018 School Year/Online Application 2017-2018  and follow the instructions for Current Families (applying for a new sibling).  Download all supporting documentation required to complete the application.  All materials are due on or before January 27, 2017 to be considered in the first round of decisions.
 
We ask that you please notify the Admissions Office if you will be submitting a sibling application for the fall of 2017.
 
If you have questions, please contact Barbara Steinhauser at bsteinhauser@stjosephsea.org or 206-329-3260 ext. 243.
 
Financial Aid 2017-2018
Financial Aid applications for the 2017-2018 school year are currently available on our school webpage. Financial Aid applications and all supporting documentation are due on or before February 24, 2017 to be considered for the 2017-2018 school year. 
 
If you have questions regarding financial aid, please contact the Business Office.
Drop-off Reminder on 18th Avenue
Please do not double park on 18th Ave. Drivers may not drop-off or pick up students on 18th Ave unless their car is parked in a legal parking space right next to the curb. No double-parking or stopping. 

Do not drop-off or pick-up in the traffic circle at 18th & Roy or within 30 feet of the corners (see posted signs). Students coming from, or going to, cars parked on the west side of 18th Ave must use the crosswalks at either end of the block to cross 18th Ave.
Announcements
 
 2  Hour of Code Sessions available TODAY
  • Thursday, December 8th @ 3:15p-4:15p (Meet at BASEP from 2:45p-3:15p)
     
  • Thursday, December 8th @ 6:00p-7:00p
For more information visit Hour of Code website. Grab a sneak peak of the tutorials the kids will be interacting. Questions email Aime Mitchell

Blue/Green Friday for the Sounders!

The Sounders are playing for it all on Saturday. In honor of that, we've declared a Friday, December 9 Sounders Friday. Students (and staff) can wear their Sounders gear or Sounders colors (blue/green). No face paint, hair paint, etc.





12/8 Pre-Mass Coffee hosted by 5th grade RPs

Before 9:00 a.m. Mass, celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, stop by the lobby for coffee/refreshments. 
 

Christmas Program, Thursday, December 15 at 7:00 pm
in the Church

The students have been preparing Christmas songs and performances for the annual Christmas Program. Students should arrive to their classrooms by 6:31 pm. Teachers will communicate more day-of-details with families. 






Winter Club registration
opens next week


Registration will be open on the St. Joseph website from December 12th - December 16th. Please visit the website for more details regarding offerings.
Advancement Announcements



85% of families have participated in the annual appeal totaling $357,623

Many, many thanks to all who have made gifts and pledges. Please make a gift today to help us serve children who would not otherwise be able to afford a St. Joseph education.   Our goal is 100% participation.

Make a gift online or stop by the Advancement Office. 






Last Day for Scrip is 12/16

Please stop by the lobby Monday - Friday  to pick up your last minute scrip, or come down to the advancement office and we can get you your grocery scrip cards so you are ready for the Christmas Holiday.



Don't miss out on getting a spirit gear before Christmas break.

Order your personalized St. Joseph canvas duffle bags, Umbrellas, Soccer Scarves, Headbands, Socks and more from the Advancement Office or download the form on the  St. Joseph website. Order your spirit gear online today or stop by the Advancement Office.  If you have any questions, please  contact Cristina Murphy .



Last call for Jogathon donations!  

Please return any donations as soon as possible to the Advancement office. As of today we have raised  $79,334 .


Just Starting Your Holiday Shopping? Please Make Sure Your Amazon Link is Updated!

As a participant in the Amazon Affiliate and Amazon Smile programs, a percentage of your purchase goes to our school, at no additional cost to you, we currently have $1,946 in earnings! Simply CLICK HERE to sign-in to your Amazon account and place your order as usual. St. Joseph will automatically receive a portion of all sales and a donation from Amazon on all orders placed through this unique link which is a combination of the Affiliate and Smile programs. We encourage you to bookmark the link for future purchases.
 
PLEASE NOTE: This is an updated link that incorporates both the Affiliate and Smile programs so please be sure to update any bookmarks you've created.
 
Haven't made St. Joseph School your affiliation yet? Follow these simple directions and we can raise thousands per month!
 
*While Amazon Fresh is not part of this program, Amazon Prime Pantry is included.

Auction Announcements

2017 St. Joseph Auction:  Friday, November 3 &  Saturday, November 4, 2017

2017 Jog-a-thon: Friday, September 29, 2017


St. Joseph School directories are in!  8th grade photos, or professional photos by Winnie Brinker, please come to the Advancement Office.


Get your holiday wine now from Browne Family Vineyards! You can order the wine in the Advancement Office. 100% of proceeds go to St. Joseph School!


Auction "housekeeping" details

If you still owe for auction items purchased, please come to the Advancement Office ASAP or call us to arrange for payment. Auction statements are being mailed out this week. Auction accounts that have not been paid by December 15 will added to your January FACTS statement. Contact Colleen Battaglia with questions

Come to the Advancement Office to pick up your purchases from the silent and online auctions. 

It is never too late to donate - get your end-of-the-year donations taken care of; we will gladly accept donations to further underwrite the auction or for the classroom or outreach fund-an-items.


Group parties
If you did not get the opportunity to get into one of the special group parties, you can still sign up. Email Cristina Murphy

The first auction party coming up is Holiday Wreath Making. Only eight spots available on December 9 from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm.

January After Auction Parties:
  • Flywheel with After Party at Optimism Brewery, Saturday, January 21st from 6-7 pm; $65/person
    • Keep your healthy New Year's resolutions on track with an incredible workout at an instructor-led cycling class with Flywheel instructor Ray Manahan (4B). Come experience a great workout at the South Lake Union location. Best indoor cycling class in Seattle in a state-of-the-art facility, with amazing, motivating music, followed by a fun post-workout event! Only 35 bikes left. 
  • Karaoke Party for 50, Saturday, January 30th; $35
    • Back by popular demand! The Karaoke Party is back at St. Joe's! Join us on January 28, 2017 for a ''Total Eclipse of the Heart'' as ''Sweet Caroline'' shakes her ''Wild Thing'' and says ''Pour Some Sugar on Me'' during a night of singing and dancing. Join your hosts DJ-Mike Vila, Matt and Sherri Johnson, Celeste and Sterling Ramberg, and Sean and Jamie Flynn for a night of classy (and un-classy) cocktails in Fremont's coolest new lounge, Russell's. The intimate size of the bar means the wait staff is exclusively dedicated to your fun but also that guest list is limited. Whether you want to sing, or just sing along, to the greatest hits of the 80's, 90's, or today, be sure to get your spot for this St. Joe's tradition. Ticket price covers the entrance fee, appetizers, a starter drink and the chance to be a star! Limited to 50 people
Parties after January:
  • Mardi Gras Party, Saturday, February 25th, 7:00pm $100/person
  • Lacrosse Clinic, March 2017 date TBD, Clinic for 3rd-8th grade boys $30/child
  • Barre3 Private Class for 24 - Friday, March 3rd, $25/person
  • Texas Hold'em Tournament for 60 - Saturday, April 1st, $160/person
  • Madwomen Stumble Bus, May 20th 50 Lucky madwomen $75/person
  • Football Clinic, May 21st $30/child

Counselors Corner: December
Here is what's happening in the counseling program this month!
K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th & 8th
Kelso's Choices
Keys To Friend-ship
 
 
 
 
 
Snack & Chat
Inner Coach
 
 
 
 
   
 
Snack & Chat
The Learning Dip/Pit
 
 
 
 
 
Snack & Chat
Friendship Group Ended, Support as Needed, Guidance
Classes begin in
January
Growth Mindset
 
 
 
 

Indoor
Game
Day W/F
LunchRecess
The Learning Pit and Growth
Mindset
 
 
Indoor Game
Day W/F
Lunch Recess

 
7/8 Peer Mediators
Wed. & Thurs.
11-11:45

PARENT EDUCATION IN AND AROUND SEATTLE
  • Talking With Children About Race - Tuesday, January 17, 6:30-8:30p at Islander Middle School. $10. Learn more.
  • Tame the Tears: Parenting Positively - Tuesday, February 28, 2017, 7-9p at Brockey Conference Center, West Seattle, with Laura Kastner. $25. Learn more.
  • Changing The Game: Creating a High-Performing Mindset in Our Kids - Monday, February 27, 7:00 PM.  $10. Learn more. 
  • Wise Minded Parenting Videos with Dr. Laura Kastner- Free videos
  • Keep Calm-7-day email mini course- Melissa Benaroya, FREE at ChildproofParenting.com.
  • Parent Toolkit-An amazing resource for parents is called Parent Toolkit, Pre-K-12th Grade.
As always there is a wealth of information and resources for parents on my Weebly webpage.  Click here to access K-8th grade developmental sheets, program information, community resources and parenting education.

Ex Libris: Lines from the Library

Ms. Tucker, St. Joseph School Librarian, mtucker@stjosephsea.org, x2 14

Overdue Books Please turn in all overdue library books so that you can receive your child's first trimester report card.  Overdue notices will be sent home with students next week.  Thank you!  Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
 
2016 Best Books for All Ages Looking for good books to read or give?  Take a look at the American Library Association's website at:  http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb .

Lexile Framework
Lexile Levels and Reading Materials MetaMetrics developed a program in which the complexity of text and the students' ability to read the text were calculated; this is called a Lexile level. MetaMetrics states that: "There is no direct correspondence between a specific Lexile measure and a specific grade level. Within any classroom or grade, there will be a range of readers and a range of reading materials. For example, in a fifth-grade classroom there will be some readers who are ahead of the typical reader (about 250L above) and some readers who are behind the typical reader (about 250L below). To say that some books are "just right" for fifth graders assumes that all fifth graders are reading at the same level. The Lexile® Framework for Reading is intended to match readers with texts at whatever level the reader is reading." ("Lexile-to-Grade Correspondence." Lexile-to-Grade Correspondence | The Lexile® Framework for Reading. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2016.)

However, there are some complications in matching readers with their Lexile levels. Say that a fifth grade student has a Lexile of 1200 (which really means that the student's range is 1100 to 1250). Books in this range may or may not be of interest to a 10 or 11 year old.

If students are reading at high Lexile levels, they may read any materials they enjoy and need not read only in their Lexile range. Their Lexile level simply indicates their ability to read complex text independently. It is when students are scoring in the low Lexile ranges, that they need to read at or just above their Lexile level in order to strengthen their reading ability.

Our Follett Destiny library catalog now has Lexile levels attached to most records. You may search by Lexile range when looking for books in your child's reading level. Please contact me, or your child's teacher if you would like directions for how to do this. I will teach this search technique to students in library classes.


Parish Announcements

Children's Faith Formation
Rite of Christian Initiation for Children

Children who have not yet been baptized by the age of seven years old receive full initiation (baptism, First Eucharist and Confirmation) into the church during the Easter season. Children participate in preparation classes as a group to learn about the Catholic faith. Parents and godparents are selected and are also an active part of the child's faith formation during this time. Please contact Dottie Farewell.



Children's Baptism

If you have a child age five to seven years old and he or she would like to be baptized into the Catholic Faith, then this is the program for you! Preparation begins in January with the Sacrament of Baptism taking place this upcoming April. 

Please set up an appointment with Dottie Farewell by calling 206-965-1652 or emailing.