Dear Parents-
Happy October!
On Friday, we celebrate the
Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
. If your schedule permits, please join us for Mass Friday morning, at 9:30, to celebrate not only this much revered saint, who dedicated himself to modeling the life of Christ, but also to wish our beloved friars a happy patron saint day! Over the last year, I began to develop my own personal relationship with St. Francis, and I came across a great book,
Peace and Good, Through the Year with Francis of Assisi
, by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to develop a better understanding of the life of St. Francis, and walk as Francis did.
Reminder, also, that tonight is the presentation from the founders of
Celebrate Calm.
Kirk Martin and his son, Casey, share their powerful message on managing children and family dynamics. This is an amazing program, so please see details below. Thank you, PTO!
The news was out Wednesday morning, when Brother Zachary made a surprise appearance on the WSJS news to announce the return of
Odyssey of the Mind!
Brother Zack is very excited to be back at our school to work with students on this wonderful opportunity. For more information on Odyssey of the Mind, plan on attending the OM parent meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 7:00PM, room 214.
As I mentioned at the start of the year, all families are invited to participate in the
Diocese of Arlington- Office of Catholic Schools Family or Parent/Guardian Survey for St. Joseph Catholic School.
Use this link to access the survey
, which will remain open until October 14 at 5:00PM. Please take advantage of this opportunity!
With five weeks of school behind us, it seems that the
carpool
is running smoothly and the morning carpool ends in time for the 8:00 start. Some things to remember with respect to the afternoon carpool, as well as the early arriving morning carpool….please
turn off your engines
when students are present and walking between cars. There is no reason to take chances with students safety, and accidents do happen. So,
please
turn off your engines. Your cooperation and support is greatly appreciated and directly benefits students.
October is Bullying Prevention Month. Please join me, Mrs. Henry and Mrs. Farrell on Friday, October 4, after carpool, for
Coffee with the Principal
.
We will discuss school climate and provide an overview of initiatives to create a positive and Christ-centered school climate. While we will not discuss any particular event that may have occurred, your ideas and suggestions for creating a positive climate are welcome.
October is a very busy month, and I encourage you to
check the calendar
on the website for accurate and updated information. Also, make sure to scroll all the way through the Bark to reach the calendar, as well as see the ads for all the clubs and other opportunities for student involvement in after-school activities.
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
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Join Us for Lunch in October!
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October is the month of "lunches"!
We invite YOU to enjoy lunch with your child in the lunchroom during his/her lunch period!
Treasure these times with your child before they grow up and head on to high school!
Up to 4 parents per class will have the opportunity to sit with their child
and their classmates.
We ask that parents are Child Compliant.
Also, because of food allergies, we ask that no food is brought in for other students.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to you taking
advantage of this wonderful time with your child!
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It's hard to imagine Winter uniforms when we've been having warm weather lately! How are those sweaters looking? Do you have the appropriate shirts needed?
Is it time for a Flynn O'Hara run?
Winter uniforms will be in effect on
Tuesday, October 15.
Please keep in mind that if the weather is warm/hot, students will not
be required to wear their sweaters.
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- If dismissal plans for a student change, please call the office at 703-880-4350 by 2:45 or 11:00 (early dismissal day).
- It would be helpful if parents would label any uniform pieces, especially in Kindergarten.
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Coffee with the Principal - Friday!
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Please join Mrs. Rutledge and our counselors, Mrs. Patty Farrell and Mrs. Beth Henry, for Coffee with the Principal,
Friday, October 4, after morning carpool in room 214.
We will look at an overview of our plans to address school climate and the social-emotional needs of our students.
We hope to see you there!
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5K Race - Registration is OPEN
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Saturday, November 9th @ Northwest Federal Credit Union Annual 5K Race
Want to help make Bernie’s 5K Dash a huge success?? We are currently seeking event sponsors, donations and volunteers, please email
ptofundraising@sjschoolva.org
!
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Vision and Hearing - Volunteers Needed
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It's time for the annual vision and hearing screening for grades 3 & 7!
Screening is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23 from 8:45am to 11:30am, volunteers would need to arrive 20 minutes prior to the screening and leave about 30 minutes afterwards.
4 volunteers are needed.
Your time is greatly appreciated!
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Milling and Paving - Plan Accordingly
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The Town of Herndon will be milling and paving Elden Street from Center Street to Sterling Road starting later this week. The work on that particular stretch could start as early as Wednesday, September 25th. Traffic may be impacted so using alternate routes is the best course of action. The Town of Herndon has proposed to use Ferndale and Center Street to get to Vine Street and the school. While the work is only scheduled from 9am until 3pm there may be days where the work will need to continue beyond 3pm to get portions done.
We ask that you allow extra time and we appreciate your patience!
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Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi - Thursday!
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On Friday, October 4, the Knights of Columbus is providing ice cream to the students during lunch! How fun! We are thankful for the continued support and
partnership with the Knights of Columbus!
For parents with children that have allergies:
Brand: Blue Bunny
Contains: Dairy, Corn Syrup
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Cyber Robotics
Coding Competition
First Meeting - Thursday!
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Open to St. Joseph Catholic School
6th-8th Graders this Fall
CRCC is an innovative robotics tournament that engages students in coding.
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Game-like, fun competition for all levels, No experience needed
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Peer participation and competitive spirit
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Self-directed and each student can progress at their own pace
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Open to the first 35 students.
We will have an introductory meeting after school then an opportunity for lunch drop in meetings during each stage. Students will work on their own at home and weekends to complete each stage.
Cost is $10 for Competition Registration Fee (paid through FACTS);
Participation in the competition over 6 weeks
If interested, please fill out BOTH form:
Bootcamp: Oct 15 -27
Competition Stage: Oct 28 - Nov 7
Team Qualifiers: Nov 8 - Nov 20
Finals participation*
* Finals participation is offered to the schools with the highest ranking at the end of qualifiers subject to space availability
Finals will be held in states with registration of more than 40 schools.
First Meeting:
October 3, 2019 from 3:15 - 4pm in the Computer Lab
Check out the CoderZ website for more details:
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Box Tops for Education is a super easy way for you to help St. Joseph Catholic School earn money! There are 2 ways to help!
- Download the free Box Tops app for your phone, shop, and scan your store receipts through the app! By scanning, the app knows which products count! Super easy!! Download the app - when you create your login, assign your rewards to St. Joseph Catholic School. You can find the school by entering the zip code (20170) or searching for the school.
- Cut and send in the physical box top found on products. The physical box top clips are being phased out but are still being accepted.
Thanks for your support!
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Volunteers Needed!
Check out these opportunities to get involved!
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Recess
volunteers are needed!
Paid position if can commit to M-F
When: Monday - Friday
Time: 11:15am until 12:55pm
Paid positions available for those that can work Monday through Friday.
However, we welcome any parent that can volunteer their time even though they can't commit to all week.
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Another opportunity to get involved and volunteer at
St. Joseph Catholic School!
Mrs. Moschetto needs volunteers for the library.
Click below to sign up!
Please remember all volunteers must be compliant
with the Child Protection Program.
Thank you for your time!
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Want to get involved? We need YOU!
We are looking for volunteers during student lunch time!
Please consider donating the gift of your time!
It is required that all volunteers complete the Child Protection Certification program.
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2 Hour Shifts...Monday-Friday...Paid Position...You pick your days! Interested? Contact Laura Stump!
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Are you looking for a part-time, paid position at St. Joseph Catholic School? We have openings for
lunch monitors during the school lunch period, Monday-Friday. It is a great opportunity to meet the students and work with your fellow parents. The
shift is only two hours so you will have plenty of time left in your busy day! You can also work as many or as few days per week, depending on your availability.
Please note that you must be compliant in the Arlington Diocese Child Protection Program, or in the process of becoming compliant.
Monday- Friday
11:30a-1:30p
If you would like to inquire about this position, please contact:
Laura Stump
Kitchen & Event Manager
571-512-0551
lstump@sjcherndon.org
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PTO News
Celebrate Calm - TONIGHT
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SJS PTO presents
Tuesday, October 1st 7-9pm
Parish Hall
10 Ways to Stop Defiance, Disrespect & Yelling Workshop
1 FREE WORKSHOP.
No Need To Register.
Celebrate Calm Founder Kirk Martin, and his son, Casey, will provide parents and teachers with a dozen strategies that will eliminate defiance, disrespect, yelling, bullying, sibling fights and more that characterize our homes and classrooms. Kirk provides concrete, practical strategies that work with kids ages 2-22 in everyday situations to:
• Get your kids to listen the first time.
• Stop defiance, disrespect, and yelling.
• Stop whining, tantrums and sibling fights.
• Get kids off video games/screens without a fight.
• Create stress-free mornings, homework time and bedtime.
Parent Social @ Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern in Downtown Herndon
Join us at Jimmys
after
the
10 Ways to Stop Defiance, Disrespect & Yelling workshop
to meet and socialize with other SJS parents! We will see you there!
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September 30: Gayle, D.
October 1: Gieseking, E.
October 2: Girma, M.
October 3: Gittings, G. and P.
October 4: Giuliano, R.
October 7: Glista, N.
October 8: Glynn, S.
October 9: Godfrey, O.
October 10: Grace, E., L., J.
October 11: Graeff, M.
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*Parent Meeting*
(New this year and very important to attend)
Monday, October 7
th
in the SJS Gym
- Parents of 3
rd
, 4
th
and 5
th
graders 6:15-7:15pm
- Parents of 6
th
, 7
th
, 8
th
graders 7:15-8:15pm
* If you have children in both of these tiers, you only need to come to one session.
Volunteers Needed!
We need coaches (head and assistants), especially for these grades:
3
rd
grade Boys and Girls
4
th
, 5
th
& 8
th
grade Girls
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Open House - October 27
St. Paul VI Catholic High School is having an Open House on Sunday, October 27 from 1-4pm.
10675 Fairfax Blvd, Fairfax, VA. 22030
Become a "Panther for a Day" - Shadow a current student and experience a day at Paul VI!
To arrange a visit or for more information about PVI, contact Mr. Glenn Farello at 703-352-0925 x340 or
gfarello@paulvi.net
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Open House at
Bishop O'Connell
October 13, 1:00-4:00
Presentation begins at 1:00. You and your family are invited to see a presentation, meet our faculty and coaches, and tour through our building.
Click here for more information.
Youth Football Day
at Bishop O'Connell
September 21, at 1:30 pm
Students K-8 who register in advance will receive free admission to the game and an O'Connell water bottle.
Click here to register.
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October
October 4: Coffee with the Principal
October 4: Mass
October 8: Living Rosary
October 11: 11:30am Dismissal
October 11: Mass
October 11: Interims
October 14: NO SCHOOL
October 18: Mass
October 24: Mass
October 24: 11:30am Dismissal
October 25: NO SCHOOL
November
November 1: Coffee with the Principal
November 1: Mass - Feast of All Saints Day
November 1: 4th Grade All Saints program
November 8: Mass
November 8: Veteran's Day breakfast
November 9: Annual 5k race
November 11: NO SCHOOL
November 12: 11:30am Dismissal
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Stay Connected - Twitter and Facebook
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Don't forget to follow SJS
on Twitter and Facebook!
A lot is happening at SJS and you don't want to miss out!
Twitter: @sjschoolva
Facebook: sjschoolva
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750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, VA 20170
Tel: 703-880-4350 Fax: 703-880-4320
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