Dear Parents-
On Friday, we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a devotional where the love of God for mankind is symbolized in the heart of Jesus. This is a special day in the St. Joseph Catholic Church and School ministries, as our friars are members of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, surrendering to a life of service to God and His Church. Thank you Fr. Tom, Fr. David and Fr. Rufino for dedicating yourselves so fully to our faith community!
It is somewhat difficult to believe, but we have reached the end of this very unusual school year. Tonight we will graduate our 8th grade, Class of 2021, and send 57 amazing young men and women off, well-prepared for high school, and Friday, we graduate the Kindergarten class, celebrating our youngest Saints with a special Mass. Please keep all our students in your prayers as they transition to the next steps in their young lives.
The Good Samaritan Award is the highest honor that can be awarded to a student at SJS, and it is presented to those students who exhibit loving service to their peers. They give of their time selflessly and in a spirit of concern for the well being of others. We are proud to recognize our Good Samaritans and we thank them for enriching the lives of their classmates.
However, this year presents unique challenges with respect to the Good Samaritan Award. Many of our students were distance learners for the entire school year. This makes it impossible for these students to be considered for the award. Additionally, due to the nature of the COVID mitigation plan, students were not able to serve in any capacity, even altar servers were a casualty of the pandemic. COVID protocols prevented students from serving their peers, or giving of their time to help anyone.
Please do not misunderstand, our students were amazing. They did everything asked of them to keep our school open and everyone healthy. The kids were the best. But the Good Samaritan Award is not conferred upon students for being good, or for following directions. The Good Samaritan Award has, at its heart, service.
After meeting with the entire faculty and in consultation with Father Tom, it was collaboratively decided that to protect the meaning and integrity of the honor, the Good Samaritan Award will only be presented to the 8th grade, based on a totality of their experiences. We look forward to next school year, when time spent together, more freely, in service to each other is once again the norm at SJS. We thank you for your understanding.
Sadly, I announce that Miss Gabrielle Buonocore will leave us at the end of the school year. Ms. Buonocore served as the 2 Green teacher for the past two years. She brought an infectious smile, much joy and deep faith to her teaching position, making a significant contribution to our community and helping her students grow in wisdom and faith. Ms. Buonocore leaves us to pursue her passion in theater education.
In what I pray is the last of our COVID updates, VDH reports a 7-day average of only 8 new cases of COVID-19 per day in Fairfax County, with the current 7-day test positivity rate slightly up, at 1.3%. In nearby Loudoun County the current 7-day positivity rate is down to 1.3%, and in Prince William County, the test positivity rate is down slightly to 2.9%. All averages represent PCR testing, which is considered the most reliable. All parents are encouraged to get vaccinated...47.3% of Fairfax County is fully vaccinated….#getvaccinated
Reminder that the 2021-2022 school year is scheduled to begin Monday, August 23. Classes will be in-person, only. There is no plan to run the distance learning option that was available this year. Further calendar details will be provided as soon as possible on the SJS website.
Since the COVID shut-down in March 2020, I have written 103 Bernie’s Bark letters in an effort to keep the community informed and connected! In the absence of an emergency, Bernie will take the summer off. Please look for the return of the weekly newsletter in August. I will continue to monitor the COVID data and will communicate immediately should there be some change in the SJS operating status.
On behalf of Father Tom, Mrs. Carson, and the entire faculty and staff of St. Joseph Catholic School, I wish you a very happy and safe summer. Enjoy the time with your children! The school summer office hours are 9:00AM-1:00PM, Monday through Friday, starting Monday, June 14. The school office will be closed July 5-9, but the phone will be monitored if you need to leave a message.
3 days to go….
Happy Summer!
If you have any questions, or if I can be of assistance, please let me know.
Go to Joseph
(Gen 41:55)
Denise Rutledge
Principal
Building Wisdom and Faith Through Service to God
