Dear Saint Families,
Welcome back! It is such an exciting time to be back on campus united as SAINTS! I hope you are all able to ask your children about our theme: We are ONE hope, ONE vision, ONE heart, We are StJPII, We are ONE. As we gathered this morning for our morning assemblies, it was so wonderful to see our saints and I could feel their enthusiasm for the wonderful year that lies ahead.
A special welcome to our newest saint families! We are so glad you are here! Thank you to our many Ambassador Families for guiding and welcoming them to our community. Also, special thanks to PTO and many volunteers who worked Ice Cream Social and Meet & Greet. From the distribution of carpool tags, to showcasing the many ways our new and returning families may get involved - thank you so much for your time, we appreciate you!
This is our first official edition of Saints Weekly for the 22/23 school year. This is one of our main ways that we will communicate with you, so please make sure you take time to read this newsletter so you can stay informed. You may click on the blue buttons too, which will link you to important information. Please note below our dates for Parent night!
Happy reading...St. John Paul II, pray for us!
In Him,
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First All School Mass for the 2022-2023 School Year
All-school Masses at StJPII are very special times for our community to come together as the Body of Christ. This Friday, August 19 will be our First All-school Mass of the school year at 8:30 a.m in the BAC. All are welcome to attend.
As we plan for our first All-School Mass, we would like to remind everyone that even though the rooms we are in are a gym and cafeteria, on Friday mornings, they transform to our worship space to celebrate Mass. We are so privileged that we can gather together, and so it is our intention to do so with reverence. Please help us create a holy atmosphere by respecting the following:
- Upon entering the doors from the outside, silence yourselves and treat the space like you would treat the church that you attend on the weekend.
- Turn off your cell phones.
- Save your food and drink for after Mass, please do not bring them with you.
- Out of respect for the celebration of our Divine Savior, we ask that you do not take photos.
- At the end of the Mass, we will all exit our church silently. As the children exit out of the front and side doors, parents will exit directly out of the back doors. You may save your hugs for after school.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation! We appreciate you for modeling proper worship etiquette, and more importantly, for helping us maintain a holy space where we can all pray and worship together.
Wednesday Mass
Optional daily Mass will begin next week, August 24. All are welcome! Mass starts at 7:10 and ends at 7:40. It’s in the All Saints Chapel every Wednesday before school. What a beautiful way to start the day by worshiping the Lord!
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The Altar Society
Please join us for our first meeting of the year on August 23, at 8:30 a.m. in Saint Jude Hall. New members are always welcome. The Altar Society helps Mrs. Yohr, our Religion Coordinator, in preparing for Saint Family activities, Vocations Day, and other religious events.
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Parent Paperwork - Due TOMORROW
Be on the lookout for the first day of school paperwork which was sent home in today's Tuesday folders. All parent paperwork is due back to school to your homeroom teachers by tomorrow, Wednesday, August 17. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention.
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Cafeteria CLOSED FRIDAY
The cafeteria will be closed this Friday, August 19, for a middle school retreat. There will be no food service prepared on Friday. Please send your student with a lunch. Our apologies for the inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation.
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Parent Nights
Aug. 31 - PreK, Kindergarten, Middle School Parents
Sept. 1 - 1st-5th Grade Parents
Parents are invited to attend and learn more about StJPII. You will have the opportunity to hear about your child(ren)'s academic year with their teachers in the classrooms. These events begin at 6:00 p.m., and are for parents only, so please make plans for your children to stay at home.
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From the Nurse's Office
If you have medication for the school nurse, then put it in a Ziploc bag labeled with your child's name and give it to the faculty/staff working morning arrival. The zip lock bag needs a medication permission form signed by the parent and physician. If at any time your family has a question or concern, please contact School Nurse Jeanne Aertker at jaertker@jp2.org or (281) 496-1500.
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Picture Day is Coming Soon
Picture Day is Coming Tuesday, August 30 will be Individual Picture Day. All students will take individual pictures for the yearbook and they must wear their FULL DRESS UNIFORM. After picture day, an email will be sent out notifying parents about the online gallery with a private access code. You will then be able to view your child(ren’s) picture and purchase picture packages.
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CMG Technology Training
(For New Middle School Parents)
This is a reminder that StJPII requires parents of students entering 6th grade (and new 7th and 8th grade parents) take the CMGConnect Technology Training for Parents digital safety video course prior to checking out Chromebooks each school year. This will assist you in protecting your kids from Internet dangers, and better guide them to wise choices in this technologically paced world.
If you have not yet taken this online training, please click the button below .
Once complete, please turn in your completion certificate during the first week of school or by emailing it to Middle School Assistant Principal Mr. Eric Olson. Chromebooks will be distributed this Friday, August 19th. If you have not turned in your certificate, your child will not be given their Chromebook until doing so.
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Carpool Procedures
Please familiarize yourself with our Arrival and Dismissal Procedures, which have been established for your safety. You may read our Parent Student Handbook for a complete overview of carpool line procedures, including rainy-day carpool. Here are a few reminders about our process:
· Starting tomorrow, parents are not allowed to walk their students into school. You must use the carpool line or walkers.
· Students in PreK-1st Grades should be sent to school with a name-tag listing their full name, homeroom teacher, Family ID# and how they are going home (carpool, Brimhurst, Manderly, BASP) for the first week of school.
· All PreK and Kindergarten students waiting for older siblings will be kept in Mrs. Morales's Kindergarten classroom. Please instruct older siblings to retrieve them and escort them to their dismissal location.
· Write your Family ID# on the outside of your student's backpack.
· Remain in your vehicle at all times. Students may only get out of the car when in front of the school; they may not be dropped off on Parkway Plaza. Do not park on the street and walk your children to the door.
Fire Lane
Please do not park along the red curbs in the parking lot. This is a fire lane and needs to remain clear at all times. Thank you in advance for using the visitor parking spaces when dropping off/picking up your children for the BASP program, early dismissals and late arrivals.
Reserved Parking Lot Spaces
Please respect the parking spaces designated for a particular individual or staff member as indicated. Visitors are welcome to park in the designated "Visitor" spaces in the parking lot or along Parkway Plaza next to the school during non-carpool hours, the rest of the parking lot is for staff only. In appreciation for their volunteer efforts, we have reserved a space for our PTO President and Clergy visiting the school. These individuals, as well as our business assistant and administration, attend meetings or have business away from the office throughout the school day and many times when they return someone has parked in their space, so please do not park in these spaces even for a brief moment.
#1 Spot in Carpool
We have some generous families who have purchased the #1 spots in the 3:00 and 3:20 carpool lines. These passes allow their cars to bypass the line and get in and out of the parking lot quickly. Thank you for making way for their vehicles! You too will have a chance to win this coveted privilege during the "Bidding with Bernie" online auction this Spring, so stay tuned!
Visitors to Campus
To ensure the safety of our students, all visitors and parents are asked to enter through the front doors of the main building and check in at the office where you will be asked to provide a driver’s license or valid ID. The license or ID will be scanned by our Raptor system, and once cleared by the system, the individual will be issued a visitor or volunteer badge. Parents will only be asked to do this the first time they visit StJPII each school year if they have gone through the Volunteer Approval Process.
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Student Services - BASP & Cafeteria |
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Before And After School Program
BASP is back in full swing! Students in PreK- 2nd grade start the morning in St. Jude Hall. Students in 3rd-8th grade should be dropped off at the BAC (gym).
For our students' safety, all parents picking up in the afternoon should check-in at the front office. Your student(s) will then be called down to meet you. For more information about Before and After School Care, please contact Melissa Wilhite.
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ECI Cafeteria Service
Our school cafeteria is run by ECI Management Group and provides lunch meals daily for registered students. Students use cash or personalized debit cards that are managed online through www.diningpay.com. (For those who used the debit card system during the past school year, the account balance will carry forward.) For more information, please contact ECI@ecimanagementgroup.com or 713-722-7773.
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April Mills Family
Sarah Takagi
Mary Beyer
Tricia Nino
Thomas Payne
Laura Richard
Angelica Fahy
Nicole Roca
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Gwen Montesino
Sandy Russell
Nicole Lambert
Jenn Bickley
Camila Umana
Hilda Hickman
Aida Patino
Alexandra Riveros
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Get Involved
Our PTO welcomes all families back to school! There are many ways to get involved - opportunities that are big and small - there is something for everyone.
Please click the buttons below to review the 2022-2023 Parent Opportunities Handout, or send an email if you are interested in serving as a Room Parent.
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Volunteer Approval Process
We love our volunteers! If you wish to volunteer during the upcoming school year, you must be volunteer approved. Click below for a checklist for how to become volunteer approved. First time volunteers, please note that processing the paperwork will take four to six weeks to complete, so don’t delay!
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Join the Birthday Club
The PTO has a Birthday Club fundraiser that helps you celebrate your child's birthday. Click on the button below to order your birthday t-shirts, school kits, or name on the marquee. Birthday t-shirts can be worn on the actual birthday, except if it falls on Full Dress day. The Birthday Club is now ONLINE! Place your orders today by using the button below.
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Positive Parent Solutions |
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Many families are struggling with a wide range of issues in this post-pandemic era. These challenges can make it difficult to sort out what is normal preteen and teen behavior, and what behaviors might warrant more concern. This can make parenting seem overwhelming at times. |
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Welcome back to all of you! We are so excited to have everyone back on campus and we are even more excited to start Fall Sports! Regarding Middle School sports, please make sure you have your sports physical submitted to either Nurse Aertker or to me, prior to tryouts. Your physical will last for the entire school year. Take a look at the athletic calendar for all info regarding tryouts as well as the start of Cross Country!
Elementary Soccer registration closes on 8/24 so please go to Acceptiva and register your child! Remember to register each child individually. Also, there is a lot of information on the website so please take time to look it over.
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Click on the various links to see club flyers, contact information, and online registration.
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St. John Paul II Catholic School |
1400 Parkway Plaza, Houston, TX 77077
281-496-1500 • 281-496-2943 (fax)
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St. John Paul II Catholic School prepares all students spiritually
and academically to succeed in life and to do God's will.
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