November 15, 2022

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Break begins this Friday, November 18 with an early dismissal and NO BASP. (12:00/12:15/12:30) Classes will resume on November 28. Have a blessed holiday!

NO Mass This Friday due to our Grandparents & Special Friends' Day Celebration

Weekly Mass

Optional daily Mass will be tomorrow, Wednesday, November 16. All are welcome! Mass starts at 7:10 a.m. and ends at 7:40 a.m. It’s in the All Saints Chapel every Wednesday before school. 

Moms Club

Mark your calendars and make arrangements for the Advent Retreat, November 29, 2022. It will be in St. Jude Hall from 6:30 - 8:15 p.m.

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

Grandparents and Special Friends' Day

We are looking forward to our 27th Annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day this Friday, November 18 from 9:30-11:30 AM, beginning in the GSC/BAC. The program will feature the 7th and 8th grade Advanced Band, Middle School Chorale, the 6th Grade Wheel, and all of our Elementary students (grades Pre-K through 5th). Students should wear their full dress uniforms this Friday.

A few things to note:

• The entire parking lot will be reserved for our special guests.
• Doors will open at 9:00.
• The program and performances will take place from 9:30-10:30. At the conclusion, guests will leave the GSC and meet their student(s) in the classroom(s).
• We will have a photographer, Lauren Holub, in the Randall-Crosswait Pope Garden for professional pictures.
• The Spirit Store will be set up in St. Jude Hall. The PTO will also be taking Poinsettia orders.
• Students may be signed-out with the teachers. We will ask all guests to exit the building by 11:30.
• Our neighborhood Chick-fil-A on Eldridge will donate a portion of their November 18th proceeds to StJPII whenever customers mention “St. John Paul II Catholic School”.
• Tag us on Social Media if you post your grandparents and special friends' photos.
• School will be dismissed at 12:00/12:15/12:30 p.m.
• There will be no lunch service and no BASP after early dismissal.

Thank you in advance to Mrs. Dao, Mr. Griffin, Mrs. Figueroa, Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Goodman, Mr. Garcia, and our staff for helping us continue this beloved tradition. A special thanks to our PTO Volunteers Amber Leech, Tiffany Doucette, Sarah Takagi, Sandy Russell, Erica O’Connor, and Thomas Payne for their service as well.

Dismissal: Grandparents may check children out from their homerooms before 11:30. We will have early release dismissal at 12:00 (pre-k/kinder), 12:15 (1st-5th), and 12:30 (middle school). BASP will be closed in the afternoon.

SaintsGiving

Be on the lookout over Thanksgiving break for our countdown to SaintsGiving! We’re looking forward to this BIG giving day to help us reach our Annual Fund goal! 

8th Grade High School Tours

Our 8th graders have been busy visiting all of the prospective high schools in the greater Houston area. Please click on the button below to view an album from the various school tours.

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.

Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A

Families are invited to patronize our neighborhood Chick-fil-A on early dismissal day, Friday, November 18, from 12:00-4:00 p.m. Once a month we partner with the 13412 Briar Forest location (around the corner at Eldridge) and they have graciously offered to donate 10% of the dine-in and drive-thru proceeds back to StJPII. (Orders through their APP qualify for 15% back!) When ordering, share you are with St. John Paul II Catholic School. Please thank them for this wonderful partnership!

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. Thank you!

Guest Speaker - December PTO Meeting

Please join us for our next PTO monthly meeting on Wednesday, 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. 

Poinsettia Fundraiser 

Looking for an easy gift for a teacher, neighbor, or friend? Order a poinsettia today!! We are accepting pre-orders now! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to purchase beautifully grown Brookwood poinsettias! Buy them for your home or gifts. All the proceeds benefit Brookwood and the StJPII PTO.

Snacks with Santa

Save the Date for Snacks with Santa, December 3 in the Gutierrez Student Center, (GSC) 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Pre-Sale Tickets can be purchased now for a discount of $10 per child. Tickets include photos with Santa, carnival-style games, and lots of fun! Siblings and friends are welcome to attend.

Holiday on the Parkway

StJPII is hosting Holiday on the Parkway, an annual vendors market held in the Bramanti Athletic Center. StJPII families and participating vendors may shop Friday, December 2 from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Students will be able to visit the market with their class during the day. Parents can send students with some cash if they would allow their children to make purchases. The market will be open to the public on Saturday, December 3 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. During this event, shoppers can get a jump on their holiday shopping, buying holiday presents for family and friends. If you are interested in reserving a table for your business or know someone that may be interested in having a booth, please click the link and complete the vendor form. If you have any questions, you may contact Sandy Russell at russellfamily610@gmail.com. Holiday on the Parkway is sponsored by the PTO.

Spirit Night at Russo's Pizzeria

Families are invited to patronize our neighborhood Russo Pizzeria on Wednesday, November 16, 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!

WHCSA Elementary Athletics

What a great soccer season we had! Fun, laughter, new friendships, and an incredible group of coaches and parents! Our little SAINTS learned A LOT this year and were so happy to be playing soccer. Thank you to our amazing Coaches, who give so much of their time, showed a huge amount of patience and kindness towards the children, and simply loved coaching all of the athletes!



Please don't forget that basketball registration closes this Friday, November 18th! Click on the link below that will take you to the StJPII Elementary website for useful information, as well as the link to Acceptiva to register.

GHCAA Middle School Athletics

We are off and running! Both the boys and the girls middle school basketball teams are formed and they are good to go. We had a late start for tryouts, but WOW they are ready to play! Please check the athletic calendar for their game schedules and come out and support the teams.

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.

Strake Jesuit’s Open House

Strake Jesuit’s Open House is Thursday, December 1 at 7 p.m. Join them to see how they form young men into Men for Others in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition! Open House is for all male middle school students. See you there!

Family Fridays

YOU are a vital member of our saints community and we are so excited to get to know you better. If you haven't done so already, please submit a family photo so we can showcase our shared "We are ONE...we are StJPII" theme this year. Photos can be sent to: communications@jp2.org 

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.