Dear Parents-
We entered the third week of Advent with celebrations of Mass on Gaudete Sunday.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.
What a beautiful reminder that all our preparations this season are about the birth of our Savior!
Thank you for joining in our pre-Christmas celebration by attending the
Christmas concert
last Wednesday! It was wonderful to see so many of you, and I know you feel as I do that the concert was amazing, and the children were exceptional performers! Special thanks to Miss Bambino, for the great job she did preparing the children, and Mrs. Ellen Salatino, for her accompaniment on the piano. Also, a grateful thank you for the many donations to the PTO Warmth Drive. All items will be distributed to needy families through LINK.
Last Thursday, we celebrated as a faith community, the
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
This is a very special celebration for us, and I thank Sra. Denmark for her support in the logistics of the celebration. I congratulate our 5th grade on a job well-done! With the Mariachi band, and prayer in two languages, our students experience the cultural diversity embodied in this feast...a great reminder that God created everyone and loves everyone...a true message of inclusion!
The pre-Christmas celebration continues with the
band concert
on Wednesday evening, at 7:00 PM in the parish hall. Both the beginner and advanced bands will perform concert favorites that we know and love! I hope to see you there.
As you know, I take the safety of all our students very seriously. To that end, I want to address
safety issues during the morning drop-off
. I am receiving many reports from both the neighbors as well as our own families concerning aggressive driving, speeding, and failure to stop at stop signs. Please, for the safety of all, monitor your driving.
Recently, we were able to add an
upgrade to the glass doors
at the entrances around the school building. With all the glass, and the potential for shattering, we were able to add a clear coat that will prevent the glass from shattering should it be hit by something, or a natural disaster. This coating increases the strength of the glass, and prevents flying glass and injuries that could result.
Please know that I understand that changes to the school calendar can be problematic for many, if not all, our families. And please also know that changes are not made lightly. Please note the following changes to the school calendar.
The Talent Show is rescheduled for Thursday, January 30
,
2020,
to coincide with Catholic Schools Week celebrations.
Thursday, March 19, 2020 is now a half-day of school, with dismissal at 11:30
. Afternoon Extended Day will be open. Bishop Burbidge will visit our school, spending the morning with students, and the afternoon with teachers and staff. We are honored by the Bishop’s visit. He has dedicated himself to visiting all the schools, in turn, and we could not be more thrilled to have him visit us on the Feast of St. Joseph!
On behalf of Mrs. Carson and myself, along with the faculty and staff of St. Joseph Catholic School, I want to wish all of you a
very merry and blessed Christmas
! May this time with your families bring you much joy, as we rejoice in the arrival of Our Savior.
Reminder that we dismiss for the Christmas break on Friday, Dec. 20 at 11:30AM. Afternoon Extended Day is closed.
Classes resume Monday, January 6, 2020
. The second Scantron testing window opens Monday, January 13th.
As always, if you have any questions, or if I can be of any assistance, please let me know.
Welcome one another....as Christ welcomed you!
(Rom 15:7)
Denise Rutledge
Principal
Building Wisdom and Faith Through Service to God
