Dear St. John Paul II Community,
I hope that you all enjoyed the Labor Day weekend and shared in some family fun! We are grateful to all of you for partnering with us in implementing our "Be not afraid…" motto and living it out in your daily lives. We are certainly putting this into practice as we begin to roll out our new Student Information System. Please be patient with us and see below some updates on accessing the portal.
As a Catholic School, we are so privileged to hold close to the foundation of our faith. I will share in communion with you as we strive to remain ever faithful and to "Be not afraid…" In light of the recent press coverage surrounding the Catholic Church, we must remember the essence of our Catholic faith are the sacraments, given to us by Jesus. Bishop Robert Barron urges us “not to flee… but to fight with the weapons of the Spirit.” Be not afraid to remain faithful in times of persecution. Jesus’ gifts are pure and holy, and Jesus is with us always.
The Eucharist allows us to remain close to Jesus always, so please join us this Friday for our first First Friday devotion of the school year at our all school Mass.
In Him We Trust,
|
|
Student Information System
|
|
Student Information System Access (Parent Portal)
The first phase of StJPII's new Student Information System is live!
Follow the instructions below to view your class page and your student's grades.
|
|
- Click FIRST TIME LOGGING IN link. Below is a picture for illustration. The Username should be the email* address you submitted to the school. Select "send username and password" as shown below.
- Check your email inbox for a message titled, "Password Request URL"
- Follow the prompts to reset your new password (you may be prompted to enter your first and last name)
*If you do not remember the email address that you provided StJPII, please contact
Yvette Wiatrek.
Once you are in the system, you will have the option to go on a guided tour of how to use the new portal. We suggest you take a few moments to learn about how to navigate the pages, it's quick and easy! Please note, some features of the new portal are not functional yet. As we progress through the school year, we will begin to expand the services that it provides.
|
|
First Friday All School Mass
This Friday, September 7, 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. The First Friday Devotion was popularized by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. St. Margaret Mary was a mystic to whom the Lord appeared frequently and entrusted her with the mission of establishing devotion to His Sacred Heart. The devotion consists of going to Mass and receiving Holy Communion for nine (9) consecutive First Fridays of the month with the particular intention of honoring Jesus’ Sacred Heart and in reparation for those who do not love Him or receive Him. Tradition teaches us, Jesus made 12 promises to anyone who would honor Him by this devotion. This shows His amazing mercy and love: we give him a little thing, like the sacrifice of our time for Mass, and He gives back so much more!
|
|
Optional Wednesday Morning Mass
Our first daily Mass in the chapel is
Wednesday, September 12 at 7:10 a.m
. All students, parents, and staff are invited to join us. Please enter through St. Jude Hall as the office will not be open at that time. Students will be released to go to their homerooms when the bell rings at 7:40. This is not required, but an optional opportunity for holiness!
|
|
Kindercare - No Parking
Please do not park in Kindercare's parking lot across the street, even for just a few moments to drop off your children in the morning. They have asked us to share this message because they have witnessed our families parking there. Unfortunately, this congests their parking lot and takes spots away from Kindercare's parents who need to park and take children inside their building. Additionally, it is also a safety concern to walk across Parkway Plaza from their driveway without a crossing guard. We must be respectful neighbors, as they are often very accommodating and permit us to use their lot after-hours for StJPII special events. Only use the established carpool line or morning walkers processes that are outlined in our handbook to drop your children off in the morning.
|
|
BASP - New Afternoon Room Assignments
Now that our back to school routines have been established, we have a few new room assignments for afternoon BASP. These additional rooms will help us better accommodate the number of students in our lower grades who have registered. Starting
today, September 4, the new rooms are as follows:
- Pre-K and some of Kindergarten (first 10 alphabetically ordered) - Mrs. Weido's classroom
- Kindergarten and First Grade - Mrs. Mondelli's classroom
- Second Grade - Mrs. Chaisson's 3rd grade classroom upstairs (supervised by Mrs. Moore and Mrs. England)
All other room assignments will remain the same. We are so blessed to offer this service to our working families! If you have any questions, please contact BASP Coordinator
Leticia Velasco.
|
|
Calling All 8th Grade Parents- Washington DC Trip Meeting
The 8th grade Washington DC trip is quickly approaching. Our final parent meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday, September 11 at 6:30 p.m. in St. Jude Hall. We will be discussing this year's trip to Washington, DC, passing out required paperwork, and answering parent questions as we get ready for our 26th trip!
|
|
Love and Logic: Date Changed
Parents of our newest and youngest Saints are asked to attend one of two upcoming Love and Logic Workshops presented by former Assistant Principal Dan Courtney (who is currently serving as Principal at Christ the Redeemer Catholic School). One or both parents are encouraged to attend the session that best fits your schedule:
September 27 at 9:00 a.m. OR 6:30 p.m. in St. Jude Hall. "Be not afraid..." to attend this course, where you will learn about how StJPII develops accountability in our students. You will walk away with a better understanding about how StJPII partners with our parents; and take home some practical tips that will help you stay calm and avoid un-winnable power struggles with our children.
|
|
After-School Clubs
After-school activities will begin after Labor Day. See the
school calendar for the schedule.
Click on the various links to see club flyers and for contact information:
|
|
Optional Casual Uniform Orders
- Today is the Last Day
StJPII offers Optional Uniform pieces for students to wear any day of the week that is not designated as “Full Dress”.
- All prices include state sales tax. Orders will only be accepted online through the Acceptiva link on our school website
- Orders are due Tuesday, September 4, 2018.
- Please retain a copy of your order and receipt.
- Items ordered will be sent home with the students in early October.
- The next ordering time is in November for delivery in early February.
|
|
Volunteer Approval Process
In order to volunteer, you must attend Virtus training and submit paperwork to the school office. You must sign up through the VIRTUS website to attend. Please
click here for information on our website for the StJPII Volunteer checklist and how to become volunteer-approved.
|
|
The Altar Society
Please join us for our first meeting of the year on
September 14. We will meet right after Mass in Saint Jude Hall.
New members are always welcome. The Altar Society helps Mrs. Richard, our Religion Coordinator, in preparing for Saint Family activities, Vocations Day, and other religious events.
|
|
Faith & Ale
Join the StJPII Dads Club at our inaugural gathering Faith & Ale on Thursday, September 13 at 6:00 p.m. at Watson’s House of Ales. The StJPII's Dads Club is designed to focus on strengthening the fathers of our students in faith and love, to help them bring the Catholic faith home to their families and support the mission of the school. As a Father of a child(ren) at the school, you are taking part in this Ministry. Click on the
flyer for more details.
|
|
StJPII Homecoming
All current and former families are invited to our first ever Homecoming football game on
Wednesday, September 26 at 5:30 p.m. to kick off the school year! Fun and festivities will abound as we cheer our Saints to victory. We’ll have the Boy Scouts leading us in the Posting of the Colors followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, food trucks in the parking lot and more! So gather your friends and bring your tailgate gear for what promises to be a great new StJPII tradition. Stay tuned to
Saints Weekly, Facebook and the website for more details.
|
|
RWTS- Sign up today for Registration/Shirts or to Volunteer
StJPII's annual 5K, which benefits children's cancer in memory of StJPII student Lauren Lockard, is scheduled for
Saturday, October 27
. If you are a runner, would like to sign your child up for the Kids K, or want to buy a shirt visit the button below. We also need volunteers to plan and make this the best race yet! Running experience is a bonus, but not required. Please contact RWTS Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator
Annette Colgan
for more information on Volunteering. If you have questions regarding the Run with the Saints event, please contact our Events Officer
Kaela Lewis
for more information.
|
|
Grandparents Day 2018- Please Submit Contact information
StJPII's annual Grandparents and Special Friend's Day is around the corner. We are in the beginning phases of planning for this special day. All families of StJPII must submit their Grandparents/Special Friends contact information to receive a formal invitation in the mail. Please submit all contact information for all Grandparents/Special Friends by
Monday, September 24. Please contact our Events Officer
Kaela Lewis
for more information.
|
|
Neuhaus Education Center
Neuhaus Education Center, founded in 1980, has been a great support to both educators and parents in the desire to help young people who struggle to learn to read. Although they are known to be specialists in the area of dyslexia, they have branched out to cover other areas affecting learning with their “Fridays at Neuhaus” lecture series. These lectures are free to parents and educators and may be just the help you need to support your child. To learn more about the Neuhaus Education Center's upcoming topics
click here.
|
|
Library News
Welcome to 2018-2019 in the Library! We are checking out books, learning about Mr. Dewey, and discovering how to be good library citizens. As we pass Labor Day, we will begin collecting fines (of ten cents per book per day), on overdue books to teach responsibility. Students are given one day of grace then fines begin. Please send fines in a baggie or in an envelope. Do not attach money to books. This damages books. Also, encourage students to keep books away from drinks, foods, and pets. The best place for the book is back in the bag after it is read. Happy Reading!
Something New! For our Spanish speaking families and friends, we are planning an online Spanish book fair to serve your needs. More information will be coming soon with the fair slated for early October. We will continue to have our large fall book fair near Grandparent’s Day in November.
The STUDY SKILLS evening parent workshop is coming on
September 25. Learn more about the study skills we teach across the campus. We discuss organization and time management, listening and taking notes, writing research papers and essays, memorizing strategies, ways to improve reading abilities, digesting information in school textbooks, and strategies for taking tests along with tips and hints. This parent only time is filled with useful approaches to tackle common frustrations for students. This is perfect for families with students with learning challenges and especially new parents to St. John Paul II Catholic School. Please RSVP to
Ms. Lamb. Please join this informative 90 minute time learning new actions to promote success!
|
|
WHCSA Soccer is ready!
Our younger Saints teams and Coaches are established, and they are ready to gooooo!
Practices start this week so please make sure to check your emails for info from the Coaches! Also, we ask that when you are at practices to please keep a watchful eye on your children as the Fall has so much activity both on the field as well as in the BAC.
|
|
We have a very busy week coming up! Our soccer team travels to St. Thomas More on
Tuesday, September 4
for their first games of their season, but then both teams kick off their HOME opener on
Thursday, September 6
against St. Anne Houston. It should be an incredible match as we look to beat the Shamrocks again as we did last year in the Diocesan Championship game!
Our Varsity Football team looks to add another "W" to their record when we play right here at home on
Wednesday, September 5
vs the Indians from St. Cecilia ~ game time is at 5:30, so come out and join us as we look for another victory! All 3 of our Volleyball teams travel to St. Thomas More on Wednesday, September 5 to begin their season, but then play at HOME on Friday, September 7 vs St. Anne Houston. And our Cross Country runners have been hard at work training for their very 1st race which is this Saturday, September 8 attending the Bellaire Invitational! All of our Saints have been hard at work practicing for the past 2 weeks so we look forward to seeing some great athletic skills from all of the teams as well as our incredible Cheer squad supporting all of our sports teams! Please check the Athletic Calendar for game times and additional info!
GO SAINTS!
|
|
PTO Meeting- Tomorrow
Please join us for our first PTO meeting of the year:
Wednesday, September 5 at 8:15 a.m. The PTO meets in St. Jude Hall and would love to see you there! The first meeting will introduce the executive board, committee chairs, and hear from our principal, Mrs. Bogard. Stop by and hear about the fun activities planned for the year ahead!
Be not afraid…
to join us tomorrow!
|
|
Garden 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. Order your garden brick pavers today to celebrate your graduating 8th grader, or make your mark in the StJPII garden courtyard. As you walk through the courtyard, you will see the many memorable pavers from years gone past. Support your school garden and create a legacy! Please contact
Amber Leech for more information.
|
|
StJPII Box Tops Contest begins week of September 21
Keep clipping those box tops! Many warehouse stores have box tops (Sam’s Club and Costco) so be sure to add to your collection as you are stocking up this Fall. Classroom contests begin
September 21!
|
|
Volunteer Registration Due Tomorrow
If you plan to volunteer at StJPII during the Fall 2018 semester, you MUST register so your volunteer status can be verified. Please click on the
VIRTUS link and fill out the form to view your status.
The deadline to submit your name is Wednesday, September 5. Thank you and please email
roomparentcoordinators@jp2.org
if you have any questions.
|
|
Book Club
StJPII is currently in need of volunteers to lead our 3rd-5th grade Book Clubs. We meet four times a year during your child’s assigned lunchtime. Volunteers select and assign the books, children read the selection and bring their lunch the day of Book Club to discuss during lunch among their classmates. This is a great way to foster the love of reading in our younger StJPII Saints. For more information on Book Club, please click on the
flyer. Remember to volunteer you must be VIRTUS approved. Contact
Denise Schaefer or
Angela Molina for sign up information.
|
|
Dads Basketball
StJPII dads play men's basketball on
Wednesday Nights
in the gym at 7:00 p.m. Please contact Mark Gugliotti to be added to the distribution list and for more information:
markgoogs@att.net
or 832-301-1681. Everyone is welcome. It's a fun way to meet other dads and get some great exercise!
|
|
St. John XXIII Important Dates and Events for Middle School
St. John XXIII invites your 6th, 7th and 8th graders to come visit with their families on the following days. They will receive a Future Lion wrist band and a coupon for the concession stand. This will allow them free access to all athletic events for the year.
- Middle School Family Football Night at St. John XXIII campus on Friday, September 7 – Varsity 7:00 p.m.
- Middle School Family Volleyball Night on Thursday, September 20. The JV Crimson team plays at 4:30 p.m. The JV Gold plays at 5:30 p.m. and Varsity 6:30 p.m.
|
|
The St. Thomas High School Eagles will be hosting The Kinkaid School
St. Thomas High School would like to invite your middle school boys and their families to join them for the End Zone Rally on
Friday, September 14 at 6:00 p.m
. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet administrators, faculty, and coaches while watching the St. Thomas football team take on The Kinkaid School. Please see the attached
flyer
for more details. RSVP to the End Zone Rally at
event.sths.org
.
|
|
St. John Vianney Fellowship Opportunities
StJPII families are invited to our St. John Vianney Fellowship breakfast on Sunday, September 16 after all morning Masses. The meal will be a Country Breakfast- Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Hash Browns, Biscuits, Gravy, Orange Juice & Coffee. The cost is $5 adults and kids 7 and under are free.
St. John Vianney would like to invite you to the 3rd Thursday Dinner on Thursday, September 20, 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Activity Center – Dinner will be Chicken Fried Steak served with mashed potatoes, green beans, bread, dessert, tea and lemonade. Adults are $12 per person. Kids menu offered for kids 12 and under are free.. Reservations needed by Tuesday, September 18. To reserve and pay online
click here or you can reserve and pay at the door contacting
sjvrsvp@stjohnvianney.org or 281-497-1555.
|
|
Did you know that StJPII offers tuition discounts to employees of other Catholic organizations?
|
|
|
9/4 Optional Uniform Orders Due
9/5 PTO Meeting, 8:15 a.m. SJH
9/7 First Friday All School Mass, 8:30 a.m. BAC/GSC
9/10 Board Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
9/11 Parent DC Meeting, 6:30 p.m., SJH
9/12 Daily Mass, 7:10 a.m., All Saints Chapel
9/13 Faith & Ale, 6:00 p.m., Watson's House of Ales
9/14 All School Mass, 8:30 a.m. BAC/GSC
9/14 Altar Society Meeting, 9:30 a.m. SJH
9/19 Daily Mass, 7:10 a.m., All Saints Chapel
9/20 Virtus- Protecting God's Children, 8:30 a.m. Library
9/21 All School Mass, 8:30 a.m., BAC/GSC
|
|
|
|
|
St. John Paul II Catholic School
|
1400 Parkway Plaza, Houston, TX 77077
281-496-1500 • 281-496-2943 (fax)
|
|
St. John Paul II Catholic School prepares all students spiritually
and academically to succeed in life and to do God's will.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
