Dear Parents-
Happy
feast of St. Patrick
! As we continue to face unprecedented stress, remember to call on the saints as intercessors in our time of worry. St. Patrick is known for his humility and his courage, two important characteristics when facing our current challenges! Prayer is a powerful tool and on this day, we ask St. Patrick to join us in prayer for the healing of not only our nation, but the world.
While we are on our extended closure, I will continue to use the Tuesday Bernie’s Bark and the Friday Update as
primary communication tools
. In the event of an immediate need to share information, I will use the school messaging system. Please also check Twitter, Facebook, SJS website, and the SJS APP. If you or someone you know has not received communication from me during this crisis, please contact Lisa Pearce at
l.pearce@sjschoolva.org
, so that she can update my messaging system. As I said previously, my goal is to “over-communicate.” Please assume that I am making every effort to reach everyone. No one is intentionally left off a communication.
As we move into
distance learning
, please let me know if you have any concerns. The teachers are very well prepared and the students have the necessary skills, but that doesn’t mean we won’t hit a few bumps in the road. Working together, we will be successful.
The finance office is in the process of issuing
credit to all Extended Day
Contracts for the 2
nd
half of March. We have suspended billings for April Extended Day Contracts. When school reopens, and Extended Day is in use, we will reconcile and resume billings at the prorated usage fees calculated by the Director of Extended Day.
Miss Stump worked with
Fairfax Food Service, and credits
will be issued for all lunches ordered for delivery during the shutdown. Please allow a few days for credits to show up in your account.
Trimester 2 ended on Friday, March 13.
Report cards will be delayed
as teachers have been working on their distance learning lessons. Report cards will be made available as soon as possible.
The Office of Catholic Schools announced today that the
Science/STEM fair
scheduled for April 25 has been cancelled. Certificates will be issued to students who qualified for the event. It will not be rescheduled.
By this point in time, I had hoped to discuss the school calendar, but I will wait until we have more certainty with regard to the closure, Easter vacation and the end of the year plans.
From the
“Life After Coronavirus”
department, don’t forget about our Spring Fling! This year’s theme is
Denim and Diamonds
, and it will be our first time together again after the closure...so
Save the Date!!!
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the
Spring Fling
on Saturday, April 25. Proceeds from this fabulous event will support upgrades to the lighting in the classrooms in the older part of the school building. Research has shown that lighting has a significant impact on the classroom experience for both students and teachers. Lighting affects mood, headaches, confidence, anxiety levels, and performance. From the generosity of parents last year, we were able to switch out the lighting in 3rd grade!
We have been blessed with, and are very grateful for our generous families. Last year our Spring Fling was very successful! Have you ever wondered how the money raised is allocated?
Use this link to access the letter
from Father Tom and me explaining the allocation.
Also…...T
he
FREE TUITION RAFFLE is LIVE!!!
Enter our Tuition Raffle to win a year of free tuition for a returning student. The winner will be announced at the end of the live auction on April 25, however you do not need to be present to win.
Purchase Tuition Raffle Tickets Here!
Don’t forget to place your
Yearbook order
. See below to order online.
The school office is closed, with an anticipated reopen date for the
office
of March 30. We are teleworking as well, and available to you by email, during normal school hours. While we are all away, the facility team and cleaning crew will do a deep clean of all classrooms, and school spaces, and that includes disinfecting all surfaces, walls, ceilings, doors, etc.
Stay well. We will miss you and pray to see all of us back here very soon.
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
