3/24/2019 Weekly Newsletter & Reminders

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A Note from the Principal's Desk...

Dear Parents,

On March 28th at 6:30PM, we will hold the HSA General Meeting in the new Parish Center. We are excited to use the new state of art equipment, particularly for Dynamic Influence, who is a highly respected presenter on cyberbullying and social media dangers. All families (parents & children) are asked to attend this very important presentation. Coffee and desserts will be served. So we may plan accordingly, please complete the survey below or return your RSVP. For a new RSVP form, please click HERE .

I encourage you to re-enroll your child(ren) by March 31st to secure the $50 non-refundable re-enrollment fee (for returning students). This should be completed through the new FACTS student management system. Go to our website: www-sjs-webster.com . Under the Parents tab, click "Parents web" for FACTS enrollment. If you're having difficulties, feel free to contact Sylwia Kohut or Ewa Mamro for support. We will be opening enrollment for new families as of April 1st and the re-enrollment fee for current families will increase to $100.

Lastly, we are in the planning stages of the school year 2019-2020. We have ordered Chromebooks for all students in grade 6-9 and IPads with charging stations for K- grade 5 classroom use. We are aggressively looking for a part-time guidance counselor and part-time nurse for student services. We are also exploring an opportunity of contracting services for an After Care program that is structured and organized daily.

As a reminder, warm weather uniforms will begin on April 1st (not joking) through the end of the school year.

Happy Spring!

Sincerely,

Michael Hackenson M.Ed.

Principal

Home and School Association News

The St. Joseph School Home and School Association would like to invite all students, parents and guardians of students, as well as parishioners and friends of St. Joseph School, to their General Meeting on March 28, 2019 at 6:30PM in the Parish Center. This year, they will be hosting the highly interactive and engaging education speaker, Robert Hackenson, Jr. Robert’s program, Dynamic Influence, has captivated and inspired students and professionals. He started Dynamic Influence with the belief that attention spans are shrinking and if audiences are bored, important messages will be lost. Robert saw a unique opportunity to infuse educational lectures and trainings with his incredible skills as a magician, certified hypnotist, and master of influence. The focus of his presentation at St. Joseph School will be on “Social Media Land Mines” and cyberbullying. Robert has entertained across North American and has made numerous media appearances, but he is making time in his busy schedule to visit with the St. Joseph community and spread his positive message. ALL are invited and encouraged to attend. Admission is FREE. Light refreshments will be served.

All parents and guardians in attendance will be entered into a drawing for gift certificates towards the new school uniforms: First Prize - $100, Second Prize - $50, and Third Prize - $25.

Do you plan on attending the General Meeting and learning about internet safety?

DATE AND TIME
03/28/19 6:30pm - 03/28/19 8:00pm

We'll be there!

We can't make it

Support Field Day 2019:

Butter Braid Orders Due March 25th

Just in time for Easter! The St. Joseph School Home and School Association will be selling Braided Pastries from March 11th through March 25th. Flavors include raspberry, apple, cinnamon, strawberry cream cheese, cream cheese, Italian herb, caramel rolls, and cinnamon rolls. They are $13 each. They will be delivered on April 12 ^th . Watch for more information. All proceeds will be used for SJS Field Day 2019. The H.S.A. hopes to raise enough funds to purchase t-shirts for all students, as well as rent bouncy houses, and host an ice cream truck. Please help us make this possible. Thank you for your support! If you need additional order forms, please click HERE.

St. Joseph School Athletics News

Congratulations Varsity Boys Basketball!

VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL: 3rd Place Diocese of Worcester New England Qualifier Tournament

On Saturday, March 16th, our Varsity Boys Basketball team continued their NEQT play. It was a long day of competition. The team began the day by defeating The Nativity School of Worcester, 32-25. They then defeated St. Leo's of Leominster, 30-24, which qualified them for the semi-final round later that same day. Unfortunately, they were defeated by Venerini in a very close battle that came down to the final minutes of play, losing 36-40. The team is coached by Buzz Krysinski and David Barbale. Team members include: Grade 7 – Peter Barbale, Daniel Gronek, Matthew Krysinski, and Kai Lukasek; Grade 8 – Anthony Barbale, Benjamin Duquette, Logan Edwards, Nicholas Fennelly, Patrick Mahlert, George Mulry, and Joshua Njorge.

Congratulations on an incredible season!

SJS Sports Banquet

The SJS Sports banquet will be held on Sunday, April 28th from 4-8pm at the SJS Gymnasium. All parents, guardians, friends and athletes from basketball, cheerleading, and soccer are encouraged to attend.

We would like to get a headcount as soon as possible. Please download and print this FORM and return to the office with check (payable to "Saint Joseph School Athletics") or cash.

All athletes and coaches will be paid in full by the Athletic department. All others attending, will be charged as follows:

$15 - Adults

$10 - Children 6-15yo

Free - Children 5 and under

8th Grade Testing: PSATs

St. Joseph School Eighth (8th) Grade students will be taking the PSATs from Monday, April 22nd through Tuesday, April 23rd. Please mark your calendars accordingly.

SJS Summer Camps

Weekly Themed Summer Camps: Pre-K Students - Grade 4

Youth Sports Leadership Academy: 5th Grade - 8th Grade

Created a little over three years ago by leaders in both youth basketball and leadership development, the Youth Sports Leadership Academy (YSLA) is a cutting edge program for youth basketball players both on and off the court. The goal of the program is to take what coaches are teaching their teams to the next level by offering an individualized leadership development, wellness and skills program. This unique approach focuses on individual strengths of each player while cultivating the team dynamic.

Details are being finalized now, so please watch for more information regarding pricing. The program will run on the following dates from 6:00-8:00PM in the Richard A. Nowak at St. Joseph School and will be run by YSLA Director of Leadership Development, Brenda Hounsell Sullivan and YSLA Director of Team Concepts, Buzz Krysinski.

June 25 & 27, July 9 & 11, 16 & 18, 23 & 25

Save the Dates!

SJS Theatre Camp

Plans are also being finalized for an SJS Theatre Camp. Information will be available very soon!

A Few Reminders!

Time to Order Your

2019 St. Joseph School Yearbook!

Making new friends and making memories with old friends are important parts of the school year. Be sure your student has this special keepsake to remember the memories, fun, and friends of the 2018-2019 school year.

We cannot guarantee that yearbooks will be available for purchase if you do not reserve a copy today.

Please return your order form with payment no later than April 3, 2019.

Click HERE for a copy of the order form.

Lenten Family Mass Class Schedule

All Family Masses are at 9:30AM in St. Joseph Basilica. We ask that all students and their families consider attending, even if you are not scheduled to participate in the Mass.

March 31st - Grade 7 & PreK-2
April 7th - Grades K & 5F
April 5th - Grade 3*
April 14th - Palm Sunday - Whole School
April 18th - Holy Thursday - Whole School

*First Friday Mass @ 8:30AM

Please Note: The Choir will sing at ALL Family Masses during Lent.

Stations of the Cross

Every Friday at 1:00PM during Lent, our students pray the Stations of the Cross. At each station in the Basilica, the students recall and meditate on events from Christ's last day. Please consider coming to "pick-up" a little earlier on Fridays and joining the students for this devotion.

We are pleased to share with you that the official dedication of the new gymnasium and parish & performing arts center will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2019 which beautifully coincides with the birthday of St. John Paul II. The first general meeting of the Dedication Committee was held in the new parish center on February 4, 2019. Representatives of various parish and school organizations, including the gym committee, were present. It was decided that the celebration will consist of the following activities: On Thursday, May 16, 2019 there will be an alumni basketball game; on Friday and Sunday, May 17 & 19 the St. Joseph School Drama Club presents, Disney's "High School Musical, Jr."; and, on Saturday, May 18, 2019 we will hold a solemn liturgy at 4:00 pm. The main celebrant will be Stanislaw Cardinal Rylko from Rome with homilist Bishop Robert McManus. Following Mass, there will be a banquet and the blessing of the new gymnasium and performing arts center.

If you would like to participate in the Alumni Basketball game and/or attend the Grand Opening Dinner and Blessing, please click HERE so you may sign-up to receive additional information.

The chairman of this celebration committee is Andrew Jolda, co-chairman is Ursula Sobczak and secretary Eva Podgorny.

Athletic Reminders

Off-Season Basketball Work: Grades 2, 3, & 4

Coach Grupposo is offering the opportunity for boys and girls in Grades 2, 3, and 4 to get some off-season court-time. Practices will be open to any student interested in playing Intramural or JV basketball next year. No prior playing experience is necessary. The focus will be on individual skills.

All sessions will be held on Mondays from 2:30PM-3:30PM in the gymnasium. No signups are necessary, the work-outs will be on a "drop-in" basis. There is a $2 fee for each session. Please note: All attendees MUST have clean, non-marking sneakers. NO STREET SHOES ALLOWED.

See dates below:

Grade 2

March 25

April 8

April 22

April 29

May 6

May 13

May 20

Grade 3

March 18

March 25

April 1

April 8

April 22

April 29

May 6

May 13

May 20

Grade 4*

March 18

April 1

April 22

May 6

May 20

* Scheduled for non-math club weeks.

Festival Update

Money Raffle - $6,100 in Prizes!

Don't forget to turn-in your Festival Money Raffle Tickets. To get in on the Early Bird Special, please return your tickets by April 8th.

Planning Meetings

The St. Joseph Festival is June 14th-16th and planning meetings are underway. If you are interested in helping to plan, please join us at our weekly meetings. Unless noted otherwise, the meetings are at 6:30PM on Tuesdays in the new Parish Center.

Thursday March 28th

General Meeting (Nowak Gymnasium - Green Room)

Tuesday April 2nd - Kitchen Meeting

Tuesday April 9th - General Meeting

Tuesday April 16th - Kitchen Meeting

Tuesday April 23rd - General Meeting

Tuesday April 30th - Kitchen Meeting

Thursday May 9th - General Meeting

Tuesday May 14th - Kitchen Meeting

Tuesday May 21st - General Meeting

Tuesday May 28th - Kitchen Meeting

Thursday June 6th - Final meeting

This is the largest fundraising event for the school, but we CANNOT be successful without you. Please send any questions to festival@sjs-webster.com .