December 6, 2022

Dear Saints,

Happy Advent! This month of December we are learning about the virtue of Patience-waiting or enduring without complaining. This virtue of patience ties perfectly to the season of Advent and waiting for the coming of Jesus. During this season we wait with great anticipation, as well as joy, for the birth of our Lord. On the first Sunday of Advent, I was reminded at Mass that with all the “busy-ness” of the season, we are often so distracted by the perfect gifts to give, the parties on our schedule to attend, Christmas cards, etc. The list is endless and yet oftentimes we are not spending enough time preparing for the birth of Jesus. We were encouraged to be the gift that Jesus is to us to one another because this is the greatest gift of all! 

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13

During this holy Advent season, I pray that you have a rebirth in your daily life. May you be Christ to others, as ONE community of saints, in a powerful way where we all remember what this season is truly about! Our StJPII community of families is such a blessing! Each of you is a gift to me, and I also wish to extend my deepest gratitude for your support of SaintsGiving. I look forward to seeing you at the many celebrations here during Advent!

Blessings this Advent and Christmas Season,

Principal

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

We will have All School Mass Thursday, December 8 to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. In addition to the Feast Day, the Mass will be offered for Mr. Jim Fischer, beloved StJPII board member. Students should wear their full-dress uniforms. Thursday is a Holy Day, therefore there will be no Mass on Friday.

Optional Daily Mass

There will be an optional daily Mass before school on Wednesday, December 7 in the Chapel at 7:10 a.m.

Night of Reflection

December 7, 2022

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

All Dads are welcome.

Save the Date: February 3-4 Men's Overnight Retreat

December Service Project

Third Grade will be collecting snacks for the seminarians to eat during finals week. Grades 3-8 will also make cards for them, wishing them good luck on their finals and Merry Christmas. Please send in snacks and drinks to give to St. Mary's Seminary and our adopted seminarians: Theodore, Josh, Carlos, An, Deacon J, and Fr. Christopher.

*Click on the button below for more Faith Focus information. You can find the monthly virtue, Saints of the month, and service projects.

Uniform Reminder

Don't forget, full dress uniform for THURSDAY this week and regular uniform for Friday.

Front Office Closed for Mass Thursday

The Front Office will be closed for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Mass on Thursday, December 8. If students have late arrivals that morning, please plan to bring them to school after 9:45 am.

Out of reverence to the Mass, the doors to the BAC/GSC will close at 8:45 am each week for Mass.

Christmas Break Information

On Friday, December 16, the students will have an early release day before our Christmas break. They may also wear Christmas attire, which can include Christmas dresses, a Christmas shirt with school appropriate jeans, OR full dress uniforms for Mass. The schedule will be as follows:

Regular Arrival

8:00-9:30 Classroom Time

9:30-10:30 All-School Mass (GSC)

10:30-11:00 Student Caroling (GSC)

11:00-12:00 Homeroom Parties (for students only)

Dismissals at: 12:00 PreK/Kinder, 12:15 1st-5th Grade, 12:30 Middle School

There will be no afternoon BASP; all students must be picked up by 12:30. Party volunteers may check-out their children with their homeroom teachers. 

Current Student Re-Enrollment 2023-2024

Online re-enrollment forms/contracts for the 2023-2024 school year will be emailed to the current PK-7th grade parent's primary email address on Tuesday, January 3. The online forms/contract and deposit will be due by Friday, January 13th. This is for current students only. If you have a new sibling joining StJPII next school year, please apply for that student by clicking the link below. Email Jessica Ande at jande@jp2.org if you have any questions.

Annual Fund/SaintsGiving

THANK YOU for coming together as ONE by participating in SaintsGiving and for making StJPII your charity of choice on Giving Tuesday! We are abundantly grateful for your gifts; each ONE makes a tremendous difference and helps us further our mission. With the gifts received from SaintsGiving, we have raised $465,000 of our Annual Fund goal, which leaves only $60,000 more to go! We can do it!

Students in the House of Matthew will receive their Homework pass today and for those receiving SaintsGiving Christmas ornaments, they will be sent home next week!

Cafeteria Balance 

Please make sure your student has adequate funds in their lunch account. Check your students ECI balance and add money when needed. You can send a check with your student or click on the button below. When sending a check, please make the check out to ECI. Thank you!

Give by Shopping

StJPII receives percentages of your shopping when you “Give by Shopping” at these participating vendors:  Amazon Smile, Kroger, Randall's, Shutterfly, Office Depot and Josephine’s Day Spa and Salon. Visit our website for all the details! Thank you in advance for your support and making StJPII your charity of choice!

Library News

Thank you for your super support of our BookFair! We had gross sales over $12,000. We keep 25% of that amount after taxes are taken out! A great big thank you to Mrs. Dunn and the library volunteers for their help with BookFair and help while Ms. Lamb was out ill, in the takedown of the fair, and helping with student classes in the library. You are true library angels!  

It is approaching the end of the 9 weeks. Please make sure you have turned in all overdue books. Ms. Lamb has been pretty generous with fine forgiveness. In January and beyond, we will resume collecting fines for overdue books. Let’s all work together to bring books back to school on time! 

It is Middle School Midterm Exam time. We will have some information for students and families on the google page for you to highlight tips on how to be a better test taker. Test Prep is a life skill! Blessings to each of you for a peaceful and beautiful Christmas, Ms. Sherry Lamb – Your Librarian

Middle School Exams

Middle school students will be getting their exam schedules from their teachers and they are also posted on the MS Testing Calendar. Midterms are full school days with regular dismissal.

St. Joseph Scholarship for StJPII Graduates

Do you know about the St. Joseph Scholarship at St. Pius X High School? This scholarship is generously funded by a StJPII alumnus who wants to support future generations of students. Exclusively for StJPII graduates and named after St. Joseph, this scholarship is intended to nurture the development of the gifts God has given to StJPII students who choose to attend SPX. There will be an SPX Open House this Sunday, December 11th. Click on the button below for more information.

As the holidays are upon us and the second semester is wrapping up, this season can also bring on additional stress. I stumbled across this article in my inbox today and thought it would be a great one for all of us to consider in supporting our children, our students, and ourselves with the inevitable daily stress of life. Enjoy this Advent season and remember your school counselors are here for you and your children as we navigate this school year together.

In Christ’s Love,

Betty Costantini (Middle School Counselor)

Jennifer Quinlan (Elementary School Counselor  

International Festival 2023

We are proud to showcase the many cultures represented at StJPII! Mark your calendar for a fun Family night filled with multicultural food, artifacts, clothing, photos, and performances. Plan to come out Friday, January 20, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Steps for Students

Sign up today to take advantage of early bird pricing for this year's Step for Students 5K Run/Walk Race. The race will take place on the morning of February 11, 2023. Click on the button below to register.

Father Daughter Dance

Save the Date for the Father Daughter Dance! The dance will be Saturday, April 15. Mark your calendars! This is a change from what was previously advertised. More information to come.

Guest Speaker - December PTO Meeting

Please join us for our next PTO monthly meeting Tomorrow, December 7 at 8:30 a.m. in St. Jude Hall. We will have a special guest speaker, Carole Polzer MA, MS from Gratia Plena on the topic: "Let's Talk About Anxiety." She will be sharing some very simple and effective techniques to support our children in today's modern world. 

Faculty & Staff Christmas Gifts

It is the most beautiful time of the year, and as we reflect on this past year, it is abundantly clear how appreciative the StJPII community is for the dedication of the staff and teachers. The PTO is collecting money for the faculty and staff Christmas gift. If you are interested in contributing, a suggested amount is $10 per teacher. Please put your gift in an envelope labeled “Faculty & Staff Christmas Gift” and bring to the front office by December 16. If you would like to make a donation via credit card, please click on the acceptive link below. We thank you in advance for your generosity. If you are looking to give a more personal gift, there is a binder in the front office with teacher ideas. Thank you!

Poinsettia Pick-Up

Almost 350 plants sold! Thank you for supporting our PTO fundraiser and the Brookwood Community!!

Poinsettia plant pickup:

StJPII Pavilion

December 13th 3:45-4:15pm

December 14th 8:00-8:30am

Please contact Erica O'Connor with any questions about pickup. 281.467.6963

THANK YOU - Snacks with Santa

Thanks for all who attended Snacks with Santa this year. There were lots of smiling faces and hushed whispers between our sweet children and Santa. I hope everyone gets that important item on their list this year.

Thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped make this event a success: Oscar Alejos, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, John and Cheryl Bickley, Randy and Virginia Riggins, Thomas Payne, Liza Faerber, Maribel Khayat, Maria Saliba and Amber Leach. Thanks also to our contributors, the Kim Family and the Cavillo Family. Lastly, thank you to those who prepared our Lucky Ticket Baskets for each grade: Angelica Fahy (Pre-K), Elizabeth Feldpausch (Kinder); Leticia Shirley (1st), Thomas Payne (2nd, 4th and 5th), Bonnie Casson-Deweese (3rd), Joyce Holicek (6th), Katie Hengst (7th) and Veronica Alvarez (8th). We appreciate all of the families who purchased items to include in the beautiful baskets.

The Christmas Lucky Ticket Basket Winners:

Pre-K: (Hebert)

Kinder: 358 (Fielder)

1st: 463 (Payne)

2nd: 338 (Forkner)

3rd: 219 (Bickley)

4th: 593 (Monro)

5th: 177 (Hady)

6th: 462 (Khayat)

7th: 604 (Poncio)

8th: 399 (O’Conner)

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Jennifer Bickley for making “Snacks With Santa” magical! So much hard work goes into these PTO fundraisers! 

THANK YOU - Holiday on the Parkway

The PTO would like to thank all the donations of baked goods from the most amazing parents: Gwen Montesino, Elizabeth Feldpausch, Angelica Fahy, Pam Berman, Tiffany Doucette, Laura Richard, Alexandra Riveros, Rocio Morales, Megan Sarvarian, Brenda Melendez, Sarah Scafide, Holly Michael, Brittany Haley, Misty Monckton, Carolyn Brochu, Katherine Montano, Julie Cole, Ofelia Hernandez, Jamie Kopulos, Marielisa Gutierrez, Analia Gugliotti, Leticia Shirley, Ainhoa Saiz, DanilleLaLonde, Rocio Morales, Sabrina Sichert, Payton Donoghue, Amber Leech.

We would also like to thank these parents for volunteering their time to sell at the PTO bake sale on Friday: Sandra Vreedenburgh, Sarah Scafide, Aida Patino, Valentina Lares , Angelica Fahy, Kathy Kuria, Pam Berman, Rose Nguyen Shelton, Amber Leech, Laura Richard, Adaobi Elekwachi, Leigh Anne Mohrmann. A special thank you to Andrew Dominy, Jameson Leech, & Trinity Russell for volunteering Saturday at the PTO bake sale! 

A heartfelt thank you to Sandy Russell for coordinating the entire Holiday on the Parkway!!! It was enjoyed by all with Christmas shopping and sweet treats!

Spirit Night at Russo's Pizzeria

Families are invited to patronize our neighborhood Russo Pizzeria on Tomorrow, December 7 from 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Dine in, take out, or delivery, for every order Russo's gives back 20% to the school. Please thank them for this wonderful partnership!

StJPII Spirit Store

Are you still looking for that special gift? Check out the StJPII Spirit Store! Click the link below to shop.

Elementary Athletics

Our WHCSA Basketball coaches will be receiving their team rosters, and will be contacting their teams within the next week! We have over 165 athletes registered! Our gym and pavilion will be rockin after the Christmas holidays!

Middle School Basketball 

All of our boys and girls teams are doing fantastic! We have 2 brand new coaches that joined us and they are amazing! Special shout out to Quintina Young (GIRLS) and Tyler Henderson (BOYS). We are so blessed to have you both on our coaching staff!

Share Your Photos

We love to see your photos of our saints in action! If you get a great shot at practice or a game, please share with StJPII! Your photo(s) may be featured on social media or in The Spirit yearbook. Please upload them directly using the button below.

The 34th Annual Messiah Performance of the

St. Agnes Academy and Strake Jesuit Mixed Chorus

(December 9-10, 2022)

A Christmas tradition continues for its 34th year! Come celebrate with the St. Agnes Academy and Strake Jesuit Mixed Chorus, Triple Trios, and Performance Workshop as they perform traditional and non-traditional holiday favorites, culminating with Part 1 "The Christmas Portion” of Handel’s choral masterwork, Messiah. December 9 and 10 at 7pm, at the St. Agnes Academy Meyer Hall. Tickets priced between $5-$15 (including special pricing for students, alumnae, and faculty/staff) can be purchased in advance at https://st-agnes-academy-arts.ticketleap.com.

After School Activities

Check the school calendar for the spring semester schedule.

Click on the various links to see club flyers, contact information, and online registration.

• Robotics  (K-5th) - register online with American Robotics Academy
• Art Club & Mini Art Club – Registration will be available next semester