April 3, 2018

Dear St. John Paul II Families, Happy Easter! As St. John Paul II said, “We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!" I hope you had a blessed and joyful Easter break with your family. What a crazy weather year we have had! Between the floods, freezes, and power outages, we have certainly had our fair share of challenges. Thank God the season that brings us new beginnings is upon us! I am relieved to report that we will not have to make up the day we missed last week. Our facility did incur some minor damages, but we are working to remedy those as quickly as possible. It’s also hard for me to believe that it’s April, which means we will be studying our final virtue for the year. Indeed God’s hand was guiding me when I choose HOPE as our first virtue and PRUDENCE as our last. Little did I know at the time, that HOPE was exactly what we would need in August! As we finish this semester, we’ve saved the best for last and will be studying more about our patron saint. St. John Paul II was a living example of the virtue of PRUDENCE. May he intercede for our community and help us to “say and do the proper thing, at the proper time, and in the appropriate manner” even when the world around us is full of distractions. I encourage you to click here for a video reflection from Dynamic Catholic. This segment about “Growing in Virtue” beautifully weaves together the virtues we have studied this year. I hope to see many of you at Mass this Friday, celebrating the First Friday devotion. In Him,

Principal P.S.- Please check your child's folder tomorrow for the latest Virtue Card and event flyers.

School Business

First Friday All School Mass This  Friday, March 2, we will continue our tradition of honoring the First Friday devotion with an all-school Mass. Please join us as we worship together as a community on what will be a very special day.

Iowa and CogAT Testing Please note that our campus will be closed to outside visitors all day  April 9-20  due to testing. This means that volunteer activities and birthday lunches will need to be rescheduled. Visitiors will only be permitted past the front office for Stations of the Cross (4/19) and All School Mass (4/20). Thank you for your  cooperation  and helping us maintain a quiet testing environment.

Stations of the Cross Due to last Thursday's power outage , Stations of the Cross has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 19 at 8:30 a.m. in the GSC. Families are invited to attend; however, we are kindly asking parents to not linger since the campus will be closed for testing.

Optional Casual Uniform Orders for Next Year Now is the time to order optional casual uniforms for next year, which include sweatshirts and polos. Orders will only be accepted online through our website. You must place your order by May 1. We are retiring the 30th anniversary spirit shirts. You may wear them next year, but you may want the NEW burgundy StJPII spirit shirt debuting at our Meet and Greet in August. Order yours now so you can show your school spirit. All orders will be available for pickup during Meet and Greet in August. Please keep a copy of your receipt. We will have a limited number of uniforms available on Meet and Greet Day. If you order on Meet and Greet day, they will be delivered to your student in late September. We will not have another time to order this school year...so don't delay!

Study Skill Tips for Next Week

Study Skills Tips and Test Preparation Overall Get plenty of rest nightly (full 8 hours or more for some children) Eat and drink well (healthy food and snacks, and plenty of water daily-avoid excess sugars) Play games (fun BRAIN games…not video games per se, BRAIN games, like Sudoku, Memory {that old-fashioned game when you match two like items}, crossword puzzles, apps like  clockwork brain, elevate, brainteasers, brain trainers, and Lumosity) TEST Taking strategies Have school items READY the night before (lunch kit, backpack, bags, uniforms, after school items). TURN OFF ALL electronics in the bedroom.  All screens need to be charging in another room overnight. GO TO BED on time or a bit early. BE ON TIME to school, or a few minutes early, so rushing does not fluster you. HAVE A GOOD BREAKFAST (not just donuts). Proteins like eggs, bacon, etc. are excellent fuel for the brain. Remember – You cannot really study for the IOWA/Cogat tests.  These just measure what you already know in general.  But good strategies are always a great approach to any test. BREATHE- close your eyes and take a few good cleansing breaths.  This will do wonders to help break the cycle of stress about a test of any kind. READ all directions carefully and read more than once. READ all questions carefully looking for trick words like NEVER, ALWAYS, NONE, ALL, Only A and C, etc.   READ all answer choices given before choosing.  YES, you may want to pick your first gut pick, but read all of the choices before selecting your final answer. Put a small pencil mark on ones you are not sure about.  Go back and check after you have completed the section.  Make sure you answer the first ten or so questions, so the automatic scoring machines will grade the test. Make good bubble marks.   Make good clean erasures when you change your answers. Good Luck ~ Ms. Lamb

Upcoming Events

5th through 8th Grade Dodgeball Tournament Dodge, duck, dip and dive! Get your competitive spirit going at the StJPII Dodgeball Tournament on April 7 at 4:00 p.m. Open to students in 5th thru 8th grades. There will be awesome prizes for winners and entries are only $35. There are limited spots available so sign up today! Registration will close on tomorrow, April 4 at 5:00 p.m .

Soccer Party for 1st-3rd Grade BOYS StJPII Soccer Stars will have a blast at the ultimate 1st-3rd grade BOYS soccer party! The great coaches at Memorial Indoor Soccer Academy will teach the boys tips and tricks to improve their soccer game. The boys will also get to play dodgeball, kickball and enjoy tasty snacks and drinks. Drop-offs are welcome. This event is Saturday, April 7, 5:30-8:00 p.m.  and costs $35 to participate.

Dodgeball Tournament Tickets This is a gala Great Gathering event, hosted by: The Mills and Lindsey Families

Soccer Party Tickets This is a gala Great Gathering event, hosted by: The Gugliotti and Gonzalez Families

Crawfish Boil tickets are also on sale through April 9!   Over 500 tickets have already been sold ...buy yours today! The StJPII Saints at Sunset Crawfish Boil is our community's biggest family event, featuring live music from Keyun and the Zydeco Masters , BB's catering, Jumpy houses, facepainting, photo ops and more ! Last year over 800 people attended, and it will be even bigger and better in 2018!

Buy your Crawfish Boil Tickets

HELP NEEDED FOR VOLUNTEERS Please consider volunteering for a short shift. We are looking for Beverage Garden Volunteers, registration attendants and more! We also need to borrow coolers! Please labels your cooler(s) and drop them off at the front office.

Volunteer Sign-up

We are looking for corporate sponsors!  If you would like to sponsor the Crawfish Boil or know a business that 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!

All School Reunion Are you an alum, parent of an alum, former faculty or staff member? Or, do you know someone who is? If so, mark your calendars for the All-School reunion in celebration of our 30th year on Sunday, May 6 . All alumni, past parents, and former faculty and staff are invited to attend. Visit  jp2.org/reunion for more information, including how to RSVP and nominate someone for the Distinguished Alumni Awards. For questions or to RSVP please email  reunion@jp2.org .

Winnie the Pooh Musical Mrs. Dao's Choir and Theatre classes will present "Winnie the Pooh" the Musical on May 15 at 7:00 p.m . This musical is based on the stories of A.A. Milne and the 2011 Disney animated feature film. Mark your calendars and stay tuned to Saints Weekly for more details.

Congratulations

Congratulations Mr. Griffin Congratulations to Mr. Griffin on winning the 2018 ATSSB Composition Competition last summer. The ATSSB All-State Concert Band premiered Mr. Griffin's winning composition at the all-state convention in February. Click here to hear the award winning piece. Bravo Mr. Griffin!

Worth Repeating

Tuition Raffle The final family commitment fundraiser for the 2017/18 school year is the Tuition Raffle. The raffle prize is one free year of tuition for the oldest child in your family for the 2018/19 school year! The drawing will be held on Friday, April 20 after Mass. Tuition raffle tickets are sold only to StJPII families at a price of $25.00 each. Your tuition raffle purchase is credited dollar for dollar towards your 2017/18 family commitment, so this is more fun than just paying off that balance! A statement of your family commitment account has been sent home in your Tuesday folder. Raffle tickets are available by clicking on the “ Tuition Raffle Ticket ” button on the home page of the school website. Please print and complete as many tickets as you need, and turn your tickets and payment in to the school office in an envelope labeled “Tuition Raffle”. Please make your checks payable to StJPII and write your family ID number on your check.  In order to properly account for family commitment, raffle tickets must be received in the office by 3:30 pm on Friday, April 13th.   No exceptions will be made.   A REQUEST FROM THE BUSINESS OFFICE: Please cut your tickets into single tickets and do not staple tickets together. Also, it would be very helpful if you would write your tuition raffle payment for the complete amount of your family commitment balance due – even if it is not an amount that is divisible by $25.00. For instance, if your balance is $105.75, you could write your check for that exact amount and include four raffle tickets. This will clear your account balance and save you from having to send the final amount in a separate check.   Thank you for your help!

Summer Enrichment Program Children 3 years old through 8th grade are invited to the StJPII Summer Enrichment Program (SEP),  June 11-29,   where we emphasize hands-on exploration in a fun, stimulating and supportive environment. The program features small class sizes, is taught by highly qualified teachers and is designed to:  Provide academic and social enrichment; prepare students for their upcoming school year; build upon Reading, Math & Study Skills, and help new students make friends, while introducing them to the StJPII campus, curriculum and culture.  The early registration deadline is today, April 3. For more information, contact SEP Coordinator    Kim McCurry  .   Additional information can also be found on our website, including the   SEP Brochure    and   Registration .

PTO Corner

Thank You! The Faculty Meeting Committee would like to thank the following parents for generously providing food for the February and March faculty meetings: Soledad Khoury, Sarah Kushner, Sanjuana Valdez, Rocio Morales, Tina Schroeder, Alicia Rehfeld, Danille La Londe, Katie Hengst, Victoria Forkner, Anne Davis, Hazel Mohan, Ana Parra-Esteva, Machi Valcarcel, Analia Gugliotti, Gwen Montesino, Martha Rupay, and Gail Anderson . Your time and generosity are greatly appreciated!

FUN IN THE SUN We are so excited to s how off this year's Fun In the Sun shirt! It's fun, bright, and has a beautiful message. The shirts will be available at the Crawfish Boil at the early bird price of $10 (cash or check only) or online for $15 beginning April 23.    Don't forget to show your school pride and wear the shirt on weekly Spirit Days! A big THANK YOU to West Houston Orthodontics for sponsoring this year's Fun In the Sun shirts!

Brick Pavers Brick pavers are a great way to recognize the amazing teachers, dedicated coaches, strong leaders, faithful volunteers, enthusiastic staff, and many other role models in our children’s lives. Brick pavers may also be ordered to honor your graduating 8th grader, or in memory of a family member. Make your mark in the St. John Paul II Garden today. Please contact Amber Leech with any questions. You can find the order form here .

Coaches Corner

Elementary Athletics Baseball and Volleyball schedules resume this week. If you have any questions, please contact your coaches. If you have taken photos for the Fall and Winter Sports, please share them with our Journalism staff her e:   StJPII WHCA Sports . If you have any additional questions, please contact Deanne Gordon .

Middle School Athletics The Saints baseball team played a tough St. Cecilia team as their only game last week. Even though the boys took a loss, they have some huge games with playoff implications coming up in the next couple of weeks versus St. Vincent, St. Laurence, and St. Thomas More! Our Lady Saints softball team had an incredible win against St. Francis de Sales last week when they snagged the win in a last inning nail biter! Our girls have only 2 games left in their season with hopes of getting a “W” in both games. Good luck to our Saints on their playoff push! Our boys Lacrosse team played a very tough and well-disciplined Kinkaid school last week with both the JV and Varsity teams suffering a loss. The boys look to get back to the winning side this week in their games against River Oaks Baptist, which is an away game Tuesday, and St. Francis Episcopal, a home game on Thursday! The cheerleaders came out and supported the Saints with lots of team spirit! Our Lady Saints Lacrosse team will start their games this week with a season opener away at The Village School on Tuesday and then another away game on Thursday against Friendswood Middle School. Good luck to our girls as they start their season! Our Track team continues to train and looks forward to their next Meet on Saturday, April 14! Please continue to check the Athletic calendar for venues, game times etc...and GO SAINTS!

Community Events

Camp SJV at St. John Vianney St. John Vianney Summer Camp, June 4 - August 3, Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. is for children ages 4-12. For information and to request the camp calendar email  sjvcamp@stjohnvianney.org . Registration begins in early April.

Catholic Family Day at Minute Maid Park Join in for a night of fellowship as the Houston Astros take on the Oakland Athletics. Stay after the game to enjoy Friday Night Fireworks! Discount tickets are available here and a portion of the proceeds benefits Catholic School Education.

Join Us for Fun and Entertainment at St. Pius X Join us at St. Pius X for an exciting weekend to include both athletics and theatre. The Spring Theatre SPX Production presents The Wizard of Oz starting April 12. For more details please click here . The Lax-n-BBQ is on April 14 with free admission at Kubiak Stadium. To learn more about this event click on the events flyer here .

Summer Camp at St. Pius X St. Pius X High School offers a variety of camps during the summer months. These camps offer youth a great way to develop skills and knowledge in the activity they love. Click here to learn more!

Saints Supporters

Calendar

4/4 PTO Meeting, 8:15 a.m. SJH 4/4 Dad's Basketball, 8:00 p.m., BAC 4/6 First Friday All School Mass, 8:30 a.m., GSC 4/6 School Tours 4/6 PTO Art A La Carte, Prek-3rd 4/9-4/20 Closed Campus for Testing 4/9 Board Meeting, 7:00 p.m., SJH 4/11 7:10 Daily Mass, All Saints Chapel 4/11 Dad's Basketball, 8:00 p.m., BAC 4/13 Tuition Raffle Ends 4/13 Saints at Sunset Crawfish Boil 4/18 7:10 Daily Mass, All Saints Chapel 4/18 Dad's Basketball, 8:00 p.m., BAC 4/19 Stations of the Cross, 8:30 a.m., GSC 4/20 All School Mass, 8:30 a.m. GSC 4/24 Teacher Appreciation Lunch, SJH

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St. John Paul II Catholic School 1400 Parkway Plaza, Houston, TX 77077 281-496-1500 • 281-496-2943 (fax) www.jp2.org

St. John Paul II Catholic School prepares all students spiritually and academically to succeed in life and to do God's will.