Bernie's Bark
10.19.2021
Dear Parents-
 
October 22 marks the Feast Day of St. John Paul II, canonized in 2014. St. John Paul II is the patron of young Catholics and families. He is considered the co-patron of World Youth Day. The first of St. John Paul II’s miracles was attributed to him in 2011, when a French nun was cured of Parkinson’s Disease, and the second miracle was attributed to John Paul II in 2013 when a woman was cured of an aneurysm. During his ministry, Pope John Paul II was considered a conservative in matters of doctrine, and spoke of the struggle between a societal struggle between a culture of life and a culture of death. John Paul II served as Pope from October 1978 until his death in April 2005, making him one of the 3rd longest serving popes in the history of the Church.
 
I shared last week the sad news of the passing of former SJS principal, Mrs. Joan Cargill. Students, faculty and staff were able to honor her memory at the school Mass on Friday, October 15. Additionally, a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, October 29 at 11:00AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Please keep Mrs. Cargill and her family in your prayers.
 
In this week’s COVID update VDH reports that over the last 7 days, Fairfax County has a total case rate of 86.5 cases per 100,000, and NAAT (PCR) test positivity up slightly to 3.5%. The rate of transmission has dropped to the level of substantial transmission. Nearby Loudoun County has a current case rate of 88.7 per 100,000 and the COVID-19 positivity rate in Loudoun is down to 3.8%. The Fairfax County adult vaccination rate for fully vaccinated individuals has reached 75.4%. Mask up, Vax up and Please stay vigilant!

Bishop Burbidge was pleased to grant to all schools a Bishop’s Holiday to be scheduled this Fall. The Bishop stated that he is mindful of the many challenges families and schools face during the COVID-19 pandemic and he hopes that this additional day off brings a respite to faculty, students and families. Parents are invited to participate in a survey to determine the most convenient change to the school calendar. Please access the survey, responding by Thursday, Oct. 21 so that results can be announced in the Friday Update. One response per family and a google account is required to respond.

In 2018, Mrs. Daughtrey and Mrs. Bilbo introduced and explained the St. Joe Six to the community. This character-developing program was designed to highlight the positive character traits we expect from all SJS students. Six Slips continue to be awarded to students who model the traits of Reverence, Respect, Responsibility, Reliability, or Readiness in a way that is an outstanding example to others. Sometimes, students miss the opportunity to model these traits and a Missed Six Notice is issued. Please see statement regarding Missed Six Notice for further explanation.

Parents are once again asked to please comply with the afternoon carpool procedures. It is particularly important the low profile cars have access to the lanes closest to the school. Taller vans, trucks, SUVs are asked to use the lanes closer to the church. Please cooperate.

I was reminded recently how difficult it is to protect our children from “growing up too fast.” As parents and school leaders, we can’t “block” all potential dangers from reaching our kids. Our vigilance in monitoring our children’s use of their devices is a key component in protecting them from age-inappropriate content, and it may not be possible to stop your child from being inundated with information. I pray for all parents as you help your children navigate the challenging current social climate.

As always, if I can be of assistance, or you have any questions, please let me know.

Pray to St. Joseph for all your needs!   (St. Teresa of Avila)
 
Denise Rutledge
Principal

 Building Wisdom and Faith Through Service to God
Accepting Application for 2022-2023
Siblings
For any siblings that anticipate attending
St. Joseph Catholic School in Fall of 2022,
don't forget to submit your application!
We want to make sure you secure your spot!
Applications have already started to roll in!

For application and other information,
visit the Admissions page
October
Saints for Service Project
Last Day = Tomorrow!


Tomorrow is the last day to bring in Mac and Cheese for the October service project!

Spirit Wear Dress Out Day is tomorrow, Oct. 20!
Vision Screening
Save the date: November 10, 2021

Vision and hearing screening for grades K (only students missing a school entrance vision/hearing screening) 3 & 7.

If your child is not in the above grades and you want them screened please let Mrs. Ezenwa (a.ezenwa@sjschoolva.org) know so that the consent form will be sent to you. More details to follow.
CYO Basketball and Cheerleading
Registration and Try Outs!
Greetings 7th and 8th graders families. As Father Tom told the classes in school, Basketball & Cheer is alive and well at SJS and that means for the 7th and 8th grade classes as well as our CCD families!

So, please act quickly and register online so we can have an accurate headcount for the Diocese. It's important to get these names in so that we can get our Tryouts setup and rosters formed here before the end of the first week in November.

We are very glad to have the students being able to play this Fall/Winter and again thank Father Tom and Mrs. Rutledge for making this possible!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our St. Joseph's CYO Commissioner, Mac Cannon at cannonclan@gmail.com with any questions.
A quick timeline:
Registration Opens - Open now!!
Tryouts - 10/25-11/5
Practices Begin - 11/8
Potential Tip Off Tourney (8th grade only) - 11/20-21
Preseason Games - 12/4
Regular Season Begins - 1/8
Season will be 5-8 games (The Diocese is still figuring this out)

 -- Each team will practice twice per week on a full court. We need 10 or more to form a team.

Thanks for your attention to this important message and short timeframe!
SJS Spirit Wear - Order Now!



Did you miss out on SJS spirit gear?
Want to get a few gifts for Christmas?
Now is your chance!
The SJS spirit wear store will be taking orders until November 21! Items will be available the week of December 13 - before Christmas break!
Trunk or Treat
3 More Days to Register!
What is Trunk or Treat?
Adults decorate cars and hand out treats from their trunks. Children dress in their Halloween costumes and go from car to car collecting candy. Register by Oct. 22!!

When & Where?
Thursday, October 28th
St. Joseph's Parking Lot


Parking Lot opens at 5:00pm for set up and decoration.
All participating cars must be in place by 6:00pm. Trick or Treating starts at 6:15pm.
Uniform Correction
Please note the following correction for the Winter uniform:

  • Boys in Grades 1-4 Winter Uniform
  • Khaki twill pants (MUST have Flynn and O'Hara tag)
  • White short or long sleeve knit polo
  • Green V-neck sweater vest with school crest OR green V-neck pullover sweater with school crest
  • Shoes must be SOLID BLACK OR BROWN leather shoes with rubber soles
  • Belt must be SOLID BLACK OR BROWN
  • Solid black or solid green crew socks

  • Boys in Grades 5-8 Winter Uniform
  • Khaki twill pants (MUST have Flynn and O'Hara tag)
  • White short or long sleeve white oxford (Grades 5 and 6)
  • Blue short or long sleeve oxford (Grades 7 and 8)
  • Green V-neck sweater vest with school crest OR green V-neck pullover sweater with school crest (Grades 5 and 6)
  • Black V-neck sweater vest with school crest OR black V-neck pullover with school crest (Grades 7 and 8)
  • Shoes must be SOLID BLACK OR BROWN leather with rubber soles
  • Belt must be SOLID BLACK OR BROWN
  • Solid black or solid green crew socks
  • Uniform green, black, and white striped tie

**The uniform tie is required for Grades 5th-8th and worn with the oxford button down shirt.
Picture Day
Get Ready for Picture Day!!

Tuesday, November 2
Retake - November 16

Students may wear their school uniform or dress in clothes that are equal to or better than the school uniform. Please see the SJS Handbook for dress out guidelines.

Click HERE for more information and how to order!
Night of Hope
Save the Date!
Night of Hope
Saturday, December 4, 2021
5pm-10pm

Let's join together as a parent community to celebrate the 2nd Sunday in Advent with attending 5pm Mass as a community, followed by an evening of hope, food, drink, and dancing! We will be lighting up the Parish Hall walkway and hall with lite trees for each grade level and Encore classes filled with "Angel Ornaments" with the teachers and schools hopes and material needs. Our goal is to fill the halls with HOPE and fill our PTO operating budget to meet the needs of the school. 

More details and ticket prices to follow.
National Medication Take Back Day
October 23, 2021
The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

DEA will hold our National Prescription Drug Take Back (NTBI 21) on Saturday, October 23, 2021 – 10AM to 2PM Click HERE to locate a collection site near you.
Nurse's Corner
Illness and siblings: If your child is sick or just not feeling well, please keep them home and monitor them. If your child continues not to feel well or is not fever free after 24 hours without taking any over the counter medication, please have them evaluated by their healthcare provider and provide a medical clearance note prior to returning to school. *Click HERE for a copy of the clearance note* You can also find this clearance note on the nurses’ page. 
 
If your child has a sibling in the school, we ask that you keep everyone home until the sick child has a diagnosis for their symptoms OR has been medically cleared. Household contact is considered continuous transmission; this is an extra layer in place to help prevent the spread of illness to other students while waiting for a diagnosis for your sick child. 
High School News
We would like to extend to interested families an invitation to our JP5K, which supports our Options Program. At this time they would have an opportunity to meet with Mrs. Sarah Gardner and the JP Admissions Team to learn about our Options Program, the JP’s admissions process, and the transition to high school.
JP5K Details:
When: Saturday, November 13th | starts at 8:00 AM
Where: JP Stadium, 17700 Dominican Dr., Potomac Shores, VA 22026
JP Options Program Meet & Greet:
When: Saturday, November 13th from 8:30-9:30 AM
Where: Admissions Table, JP Stadium, 17700 Dominican Dr., Potomac Shores, VA 22026

Click HERE for more details
Youth Day - October 30th at
Bishop O'Connell High School

We welcome K-8 grade families to come to our home
football game @ 12pm on Oct. 30.

Register in advance to receive a free ticket
and an O'Connell spirit gift!

Click HERE for more information!
PVI Football Middle School Night
All 6th, 7th and 8th grade families are invited to join us for our 2021 Middle School Night on Friday, October 29. We will provide food, fun games and prizes at the Rally in the Valley at 6 p.m. and the football game will start at 7 p.m. with free admission for middle school students.
Stay Connected!
SJS Mobile App, Twitter and Facebook


Don't forget to follow the official St. Joseph Catholic School Facebook page (sjschoolva), Twitter account (@sjschoolva), and download the mobile app from the App Store (St. Joseph Catholic School, VA)
Weekly Saints Quote
750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, VA 20170
Tel: 703-880-4350 Fax: 703-880-4320