Dear Saint Families,
It is March! Spring Break is coming and I know we all are excited for the break, relaxing and enjoying family and friend time!
This week we begin the Holy Season of Lent. Please join us tomorrow for Mass and the distribution of ashes which begins the Holy Season of Lent. The season of Lent invites us into a spiritual renewal by calling us to deepen our faith through sacrifice of not just the occasional – giving up desserts, but seeing the abundance of blessings we have and becoming more grateful and aware of God working in our lives. Lent allows us an opportunity to show greater love to one another emulating Christ’s love for us and to live more purely and rid ourselves of unwanted habits or hardness of heart. I pray that each of you experience Christ in a new way throughout this Holy Season of Lent. (At my parish – we have been given yet again the challenge of no electronics…..social media, phones, etc. and to spend time with our families!) God bless you as you contemplate how you will grow this Lenten season.
In Him,
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March 6: Ash Wednesday- FULL DRESS UNIFORM
The StJPII community will observe Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, with an All-School Mass tomorrow,
Wednesday, March 6
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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WITHHOLDING RECORDS, REPORT CARDS & ONLINE ACCESS
Student records, report cards, and access to the online Parent Portal will be withheld if all obligations to St. John Paul II Catholic School have not been reconciled each quarter and at the end of the school year. Obligations are defined as financial payments, BASP fees, return of all schoolbooks, MS athletic uniforms, library fines, tutoring payments, extra-curricular activities, etc.
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ECI Catering
Many families have balances that need to be paid. Payments can be brought to school or parents may
pay online.
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Bidding with Bernie Online Auction
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“Bidding with Bernie,” StJPII’s Online Auction, closes TONIGHT! Be sure to submit your bids by 9:00 p.m. to secure your prizes! There are still some fabulous packages available, including the 8th Grade Rosaries, #1 in Carpool, Principal for the Day, and PE Teacher for the Day! Click the button below to start bidding or up your ante. Thank you for supporting StJPII! Happy bidding!
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If you purchased a shoe or nail polish pass, those may be redeemed after Spring Break, March 18-22.
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Men's Retreat- March 23
Join the StJPII Dads Club for their next Men's retreat on March 23, 2019. This year's theme is
Be not afraid
to Come Out of the Wilderness and Into the World of Faith. Please check out the schedule of the retreat below.
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- 9:00 to 9:30 – Meet and greet in St. Jude Hall
- 9:30 to 11:00 – Topic 1: Be Not Afraid to Come Out of the Wilderness and Into the World of Faith
- 11:00 to 11:30 – Confessions and silent time (with contemplative music by Kenneth Hughes)
- 11:30 to 1:15 – Mass, followed by Lunch and then Stations of the Cross
- 1:15 to 2:45 – Topic 2: How to be fearless: Practical Rules and Approaches to Live Publicly as Catholic Men; break into small groups for discussion
- 2:45 to 3:00 – Final thoughts and action plans
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Dads' Basketball
StJPII dads play men's basketball on
Wednesday nights
in the gym at 7:00 p.m. Please contact Mark Gugliotti to be added to the distribution list and for more information:
markgoogs@att.net
or 832-301-1681. Everyone is welcome. It's a fun way to meet other dads and get some great exercise!
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Mother/Son Bowling- Save the Date, May 3
Please save the date for the upcoming Mother/Son Bowling event on
May
3 at Bowlmor Houston. The Mother/Son bowling event is open to all current StJPII students from PreK-8th grade. If you would like to volunteer on this committee, please sign up by emailing
Communications@jp2.org today!
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5th Annual Saints at Sunset Crawfish Boil
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Crawfish Boil - Save the Date- April 12, 2019
Plans are already underway for our
5
th Annual Saints @ Sunset Crawfish Boil! Mark your calendars for the evening of
Friday
, April 12,
here on campus. We have already booked the band, BB's catering for the crawfish, Kona Ice and a beignet truck! We had over 800 people attend last year, and it will be even bigger and better in 2019!
Tickets will go on sale after Spring Break. Remember tickets are only sold online.
If you would like to volunteer to help make this event even better, send an email to
Communications@jp2.org
. We are also looking for corporate sponsors!
If your business is interested in helping sponsor the event and receiving advertising and promotion opportunities, please visit the
Saints at Sunset web page or contact Communications and Events Officer,
Kaela Lewis
.
Laissez le bon temps rouler!
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Congratulations StJPII Band Members
Eight StJPII band students participate in the Houston Area Private School All-City Honor Band yesterday, March 5: Lizzy DeGeeter and Miette Dronet on flute, Averi Garrity on clarinet, Ryan Gruen and Jenna Beyer on trumpet, Annabeth Dronet on trombone, and Xavi Gallart and Oscar Quiñones on euphonium. Students met at Strake Jesuit for a two-hour rehearsal and ended the evening with a performance for the public in the Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Parsley Center.
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Internet Safety Reminders
Recent news media has many parents concerned on the latest viral challenge targeting children. It is called the Momo Challenge and it centers on a disturbing character suggesting dangerous tasks for kids to perform, including potentially hurting themselves or hiding for an extended period of time. This dangerous challenge is found on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook. Children can access this content using cellphones and tablets. Recent news have indicated that the content may have been hacked into YouTube Kid videos, Fortnight and Minecraft frames and Peppa Pig videos.
What parents can do:
- Consider age appropriateness for children’s use of technology, time spent on social media and overall reminders of family expectations for making good choices.
- Ask your child if they know about recent dangerous online challenges and engage in conversations about safe technology use.
- Children should never respond to unidentified messages on social media and parents should advise their children to never share personal data, photographs or phone numbers on the internet including creating usernames or IDs with your real names/location i.e. SteveSmith@Houston
- The National Online Safety board has compiled some good information for parents addressing the Momo Challenge and internet safety considerations in general. Educate Empower Kids is another great resource addressing internet safety in the home. Their links are below.
- https://2j39y52a62gm1afygb3g1xbu-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/MOMO-Online-Safety-Guide-for-Parents-FEB-2019.jpg?fbclid=IwAR1vKbECT31ojD50wiGuLbN5N0QFk5rwlXyp1NbJnHsU33Z4TVMHuOESIf8
- https://educateempowerkids.org/5461-2/
If you have further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let us know.
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Letter from Middle School Counselor
Last Wednesday, Sara Soto, from Eddins Counseling came to address our middle school students on the dangers of vaping.If you are not familiar with what vaping is, how popular it has become with our youth, and how dangerous the effects are - please educate yourself sooner than later. JUUL pens and vaping devices are the most common form of nicotine delivery devices being used by young people today. Unlike cigarettes, which smell bad and most people find unattractive, vapes are sold in flavors that appeal to young people such as cotton candy, mango, and creme brulee. The packaging is marketed to young people to be sleek, colorful, and cool in presentation. For parents who are uninformed on this topic, many vaping devices look like common flash drives and even charge in a USB port of a typical laptop. These devices are tiny and are easy to hide. Kids can literally take a hit and blow the vapor into their shirt and never get caught.
- Some scary things we learned from Sara are:
- Young people whose brains are still developing are at a higher risk for addiction when experimenting with substances as nicotine, marijuana, & alcohol.
- Due to the high levels of nicotine in vapes/JUULs, a young person can become addicted in as few as two uses.
- One of the most common ways young people are getting vapes are from older siblings, from hanging out with older kids, and from ordering online.
- Some people believe vaping is just inhaling “flavored air” when the fact is we really don’t even know everything that is in them. We would never spray substances such as hairspray, perfume, or cooking spray into our lungs … why breath in any substance other than air without knowing what it contains and what it might do to our lungs? Many chemicals that cause cancer have been found in this vapor such as formaldehyde, heavy metals, and particles that can get stuck in your lungs.
- The amount of nicotine in a vape pod is equivalent to one pack of cigarettes.
- Nicotine is more addictive than heroin, cocaine, morphine, and alcohol and affects both sides of your brain.
Please talk to your child about what they learned from our speaker and ask if they have any more questions or concerns about vaping. Please also read the “Facts About E-Cigarettes” brochure provided in the Tuesday folder from Eddins Counseling. If you would like more information on vaping below are a few helpful links. Know I am happy to help support you in supporting your child if they are vaping. Now is the time to get them help, before the addiction is beyond their control.
https://drugfree.org/parent-blog/the-teen-vaping-trend-what-parents-need-to-know/
https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2018-07-27/how-to-tell-if-your-kid-is-vaping
Mrs. Costantini
St. JPII Middle School Counselor
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March PTO Meeting
Please join us after Mass on tomorrow, Wednesday, March 6 in St. Jude Hall for our March PTO meeting. All StJPII parents are automatically members of the PTO and are always welcome to attend meetings. Dr. Weinman will be our guest speaker, please consider joining us Wednesday.
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Thank You to our Volunteers
Thank you to the following volunteers for providing lunch for the February 27th Faculty and Staff meeting: Gail Anderson, Mary Beyer, Maria Valentina Bracho-Rodon, Anne Davis, Andrea Dvorachek, Ana M. Esteva-Parra, Victoria Forkner, Analia Gugliotti, Alisha Johnson, Suzanne Krejci, Danille LaLonde, Nicole Lambert, Amber Leech, Gwen Montesino, Sarah Moore, Rocio Morales, Stina Mosvold, Thien Nguyen, Antonella Padula, Marcela Pigurina, Jazmin Quintero, Sandra Vreedenburgh. Your contributions are greatly appreciated!
Thank you to the following volunteers who helped with the Easter Egg project: Ana Maria Parra, Connie Guerra, Daniella Nguyen, Gabriela Montiel, Lilia Cardenas, Liza Perez, Lucia Mendez, Valentina Bracho and Valeria Briceño. These Easter eggs are provided to our younger St. JPII families during the Lenten Season and are a lovely tradition. Thank you to our volunteers that worked on this special project.
We would like to thank the following parents for helping to make our First Friday Lunch a success: April Miles, Analia Gugliotti, Gail Anderson, Diane Bramanti, Margaret Tucker, Carole Strachan, Andrea Dvorachek, Sandra Vreedenburgh, Amber Leech, Leticia Shirley, Carmen Izzo, Ana Esteban-Parra, Valentina Lares, Lizette Maya, Marcela Pigurina, Benita Gonzales, Beatriz Zenizo, Heidi Galito, Marisela Rodriguez, Alexandra Riveros, Rosanna Montilva, Maria Chappelin, Lily Luu, Nicole Lambert, Victoria Forkner, Sarah Moore, Tina Schroeder, and Noha Tuma.
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Middle School Sports
Spring Sports Pictures will be taken on the following dates:
- Baseball at MALL and Softball at MAGSA on Tuesday March 5
- BOYS & GIRLS Lacrosse Teams at StJPII on Thursday March 21
- T&F and CHEER at StJPII on Thursday March 28
Athletics have been washed out all week! T&F got rained out for their Time Trials, and every other sport got their games and most practices rained out as well! Pray for sunshine please!
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2019-2020 Cheerleading Tryouts
Show your school spirit by being a St. John Paul II Cheerleader!
Open to girls currently in the 5th, 6th, and 7th grades.
All interested cheerleaders must attend an orientation meeting on Wednesday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m. in St. Jude Hall. A parent must be present.
- Try-out practices will be held March 25– 28 from 3:30 p.m – 5:30 p.m.
- Try-outs are on Friday, March 29 at 3:30 p.m.
Please contact Mrs. Shannon Chaisson with any questions at
schaisson@jp2.org.
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Elementary Sports
WHCSA Elementary basketball ended their 8 week season on a very good note! We are so proud of our Saints and their dedicated Coaches. Now its time for baseball, softball, & spring Volleyball.
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Elementary Parents, please join the StJPII WHCSA album to share and save your favorite photos of the season by clicking on the link below. Thank you to all of our volunteer Coaches, you make it all such a great experience for our kiddos!
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Major Dates 2019-2020 School Year
Below are the Major Dates for the 2019-2020 school year. Please mark your calendars.
- August 12, Meet & Greet
- August 13, Classes Begin
- September 2, Labor Day Holiday
- September 30 – October 4, 8th Grade DC trip
- October 14, Teacher In-Service - Student Holiday
- October 15, End of First Nine Weeks
- October 25, Parent/Teacher Conference Day (not a regular school day)
- November 18 – 20, 5th Grade Camp Allen
- November 22, Early Release (12, 12:15, 12:30)
- November 25 – 29, Thanksgiving Holidays
- December 20, End of Second Nine Weeks
- December 20, Early Release (12, 12:15, 12:30)
- Dec 23 - January 3, Christmas Holidays
- January 6, Teacher In-service – Student Holiday
- January 7, Students Return to School
- January 20, Martin Luther King Holiday
- February 17, Teacher In-service – Student Holiday
- March 10, End of Third Nine Weeks
- March 16 – 20, Spring Break
- April 9, Early Release (12, 12:15, 12:30)
- April 10, Good Friday Holiday
- April 13, Easter Monday Holiday
- May 15, Fun-In-The-Sun Day – 3pm Dismissal
- May 20, 8th Grade Graduation
- May 21, Last Day of School-Early Release 12/12:15/12:30
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Principal Proclamation Day: March 7
Thanks to our "Principal for the Day" Andrew Knobbe earlier this year, it has been decreed that
this Thursday, March 7 will be "Principal Proclamation Day" for the following grades. We hope your children enjoy this special treat!
- PreK and Kindergarten- stuffed animal and pajamas
- First grade- free dress and board games
- Second grade- free dress and arts and crafts
- Third grade- extra recess and pajamas
- Fourth grade- nap/free time
- Fifth grade- longer recess and funny hats (Sudkamp's homeroom gets a pizza party!)
If YOUR child is interested in serving as "Principal for the Day" next year, you may bid on the package in the Online Auction that opens tomorrow!
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Summer Enrichment Program
Children 3 years old through 8th grade are invited to the StJPII Summer Enrichment Program (SEP),
June 10-28 from 9:30-2:30,
when we emphasize hands-on exploration in a fun, stimulating and supportive environment. The program features small class sizes and is taught by highly-qualified teachers. (Before and after care is available too.)
The early registration deadline is
April 5
, after which date the registration fee increases. Sibling discounts are also available. For more information and to register, click the button below or contact SEP Director
Kim McCurry.
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Community Events at SJV
Lenten Dinner this Friday, March 8, 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the Activity Center. Shrimp Scampi catered by Piatto Ristorante $15 per person. Kids 8 and under receive a free Fish Sticks Meal. The Fish Stick Meal is available for $5 for ages 9 and up. Reservations are needed by Wednesday evening. To reserve and pay online go to www.stjohnvianney.org and look for the Lenten meal promo. You can also reserve by calling 281-497-1555 or email sjvrsvp@stjohnvianney.org and pay at the door.
Lenten Dinner Friday, March 15, 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the Activity Center. Fish Fry $10 per person. Kids 8 and under receive a free Homemade Cheese Pizza with Carrot Sticks and Fruit Cocktail. The Homemade Cheese Pizza Meal is available for ages 9 and up for $5. Reservations are needed by Wednesday, March 13. To reserve and pay online, click on this link https://stjohnvianney.weshareonline.org/2019-03-15LentenDinner or reserve and pay at the door by contacting 281-497-1555 or email sjvrsvp@stjohnvianney.org
For the complete list of meals, daily masses, stations of the cross and confessions during lent at SJV, visit www.stjohnvianney.org.
CAMP SJV – St. John Vianney Summer Day Camp
–
Faith, Fun & Friends
– For ages 4 – 12. June 3 – August 2, Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. They do offer early drop off and late pick up options. For more information
sjvcamp@stjohnvianney.org
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Did you know... The StJPII Online Auction was started in 2015 as a means to give our parents the opportunity to bid on popular school prizes in an "off-gala" year. StJPII parents have a long-standing tradition of supporting the school through StJPII packages such as the 8th Grade Rosary, Principal for the Day, Graduation Seats, #1 in Carpool, and MORE. Sometimes called an un-gala, our online-only virtual option gives our parents the convenient opportunity to win these items when we don't have a live "in person" Gala celebration. All proceeds support StJPII and we typically raise about $25,000 this way. This year, the online auction was renamed to "Bidding with Bernie" (our school mascot is a St. Bernard dog named Bernie) to add some extra flair! We appreciate our parents support and are thrilled to make sure these traditions stand the test of time. Plans are already underway for our 2020 Auction Gala! If you are interested in serving on the Gala planning committee, please email: communications@jp2.org.
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To view events related to StJPII, please click on the school calendars below.
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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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