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Dear Parents-
Yesterday we observed a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. The USCCB established this day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion. The USCCB notes that while Roe v. Wade was overturned this past summer, great prayer and advocacy is still needed to protect life.
Thank you to all who were able to attend our PTO meeting last Wednesday evening. I was happy to share updates on our outdoor classroom and ultimate goals, and I thank the PTO for their hard work as the plan for the upcoming Spring Fling. Additionally, great fun was had with the country line dancing! Mrs. Schill was able to teach our eager group…some of us with two left-feet and no rhythm….I can’t thank her enough!!
And speaking of the Spring Fling….there are only 95 days until we celebrate together at our Shaken, Not Stirred fund-raising event! In addition to simply enjoying the camaraderie of our community, SJS has set three goals for our fundraising, including upgrades to our school security (see EverAlert Dynamic Display); upgrades to our outdoor classroom and environmental sciences curriculum, and upgrades to our music department adding musical instruments such as drums, and other percussion instruments that are easily shared among students.
We are in week 3 of MAP testing. Students in grades 3-7 will test in the areas of Math, Reading and Language Arts. Please make sure your children are in school during this time to ensure adequate opportunity to complete the tests. If you have specific scheduling questions or conflicts, please contact your child’s teacher.
Catholic Schools Week begins next week and we will celebrate with our "Honor His Holy Name'' initiative. Students will receive holy cards and pledge to protect the Holy Name of Jesus from improper use. Additionally, as part of our Catholic Schools Week celebration members of this Holy Name Honor Guard will pledge to call on the Holy Name of Jesus as a reminder of all the blessings we have received from Him, and encourage devotion to the Holy Name. It is unfortunate that mis-use of the Holy Name of Jesus is rampant in our culture, and such use should be challenged. Please join our school-wide “pledge to honor God’s Name” by making a family pledge as well during Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 29-Feb. 3).
Social skills are essential! Good manners, treating everyone with respect, good sportsmanship, and interacting safely with others are all important skills that we continue to develop in our students. Research shows that children with better social competence also benefit in the following areas: Twice as likely to attend post-secondary education; More likely to earn a high school diploma; Less likely to use illegal substances; Less likely to get into trouble with the law. (Cited HERE.)
As always, if you have any questions, or if I can be of any assistance, please let me know.
Refreshed, revived and renewed by "faith, love and hope." (1Thess. 1:2-3)
Denise Rutledge
Principal
Building Wisdom and Faith Through Service to God
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