Dear Parents-
We closed out last week with the Feast of St. Joseph, husband to Mary, father to Jesus. We know from several sources that St. Joseph courageously fulfilled his obligations as husband and father, putting family first, and he obeyed without question the commands from God. It is understood that Joseph died before Jesus began his public ministry, and that he has great favor with God. Many saints held deep devotion to St. Joseph during their time on earth, and Pope John Paul II in Redemptoris Custos (1989) encouraged the faithful to “look to St. Joseph in our troubled age.” Applicable today to a much troubled world.
At the school Mass last week, Father David reminded the students that they should always be thankful for what they have, and be thankful for what others have – avoid envy and jealousy. Father shared words to live by as students repeated, “comparison is the thief of joy!” This message was particularly meaningful as the student choir sang at Mass for the first time in years, and such a simple event brought so much joy to all the students…the Mass was beautiful. If the pandemic has any “up-side” it is that it taught us that in a single moment everything can change, and we need to cherish the gifts God gives us, without complaining about what we don’t have….such a powerful lesson.
Report cards were available on PowerSchool starting last Friday. If you want to print a copy of the report card, it is recommended that you print the “Quick Lookup” screen. It contains all the important report card information on one page.
We continue to populate the school calendar with upcoming events. Please check the official calendar found in Schoology or on the school website. As we round out events for this school year, please note that the first day of school for the 2022-2023 school year is Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
As parents, we sometimes find ourselves making excuses for our children’s behavior. Coming out of the pandemic we see children struggling to handle big emotions and self-regulation. Helpful handout from St. John Children’s Hospital in Springfield, IL, home to the oldest Catholic, hospital-based school of nursing in the United States. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your child’s behavior, see their parent help article, Stop Making Excuses for Your Child's Bad Behavior which provides a great intro into the importance of social-emotional learning.
We look forward to seeing you tonight at the general PTO Meeting, at 7:00PM in Hall A. Mrs. Henry will present on the topic of social emotional learning. Please mark your calendar and join us for this important talk as we discuss ways to support student development in emotional growth leading to life-long success. Our children need our help to develop Self-awareness; Self-management; Social awareness; Relationship skills; and Making responsible decisions …the five pillars of social emotional learning!
Remember, parents are welcome to join us in the church for Stations of the Cross each Wednesday. Can’t join us for Stations on Wednesdays? Consider joining Mrs. Pagano on Friday afternoons in the church to pray the rosary. Both these events are wonderful examples of choosing real life interaction over spending time on social media.
And again, thank you to all the Foley Academy of Irish Dance dancers! Great show and we look forward to future opportunities to showcase your talents!
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
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Parents are invited to the PTO Meeting, Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at 7:00PM in Hall A.
Mrs. Henry will present on the topic of social emotional learning. Please mark your calendar and join us for this important talk as we discuss ways to support student development in emotional growth leading to life-long success. Our children need our help to develop Self-awareness; Self-management; Social awareness; Relationship skills; and Making responsible decisions …the five pillars of social emotional learning
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Are you interested in becoming more involved with St. Joseph Catholic School through the PTO? Consider submitting your name and a short bio for the 2022-2023 PTO Committee to pto@sjschoolva.org by April 25.
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NOMINATIONS FOR TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Northern Virginia magazine has established an award to recognize the very best educators in our region. They reached out to us to ask our community to share nominations for their first annual Northern Virginia Teacher of the Year award.
Anyone can nominate a teacher, including parents and students. Nominees must have at least three years of experience and be full-time teachers. If you are interested in submitting a nomination, please complete their form.
All nominations must be submitted by Sunday, April 24, 2022.
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We are pleased to announce that Saint Joseph School (SJS) will be participating in NVJCYO Volleyball this Spring 2022 season.
SJS is a proud participant of the diocesan Northern Virginia Junior Catholic Youth Organization (NVJCYO), where the goal is for our activities to foster cooperation, respect, sportsmanship, responsibility, leadership, competitiveness, fairness, and courtesy.
SJS CYO Volleyball is a spring sport and is open to girls in grades 7 through 8. First practice and registration for Volleyball begins on March 23th and 24th from 3:30-5pm. Ongoing practices will be determined after teams are formed and coaches assigned and will most likely be twice a week for 90 minutes. Games begin in April and are played on the weekends at various schools throughout the Diocese. The number of games will be contingent upon gym space. The season goes through the end of May.
Masks will be optional for athletes, coaches, and officials. If health conditions or federal, state, or local guidelines change, we will notify participants and families as it relates to specific NVJCYO activities or events. Part of the registration process will include a COVID wavier. All participants must turn one in, prior to participation. In this waiver participants and families commit to self-health screenings, reporting of positive COVID cases among other things.
We are always in need of more coaches to volunteer their time and share in the talents with our SJS children. If you are interested in coaching, please email me, Jim Tierney, at tierney1113@gmail.com for next steps
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We are so excited to welcome our volunteers back for lunch and recess!
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As the possibility of adults being able to volunteer at St. Joseph Catholic School, this is a reminder that adults must be compliant in the Child Protection Program to do so. The program is two parts: an online background check which can be completed at arlingtondiocese.org. Choose Protecting our Children and then follow the instructions to complete your application. The second part is attendance at a Virtus seminar. These seminars can be found at virtus.org. If you have any questions about completing the program, please feel free to contact Beth Covert at bcovert@sjcherndon.org, or (703)880-4357.
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March Service Project and Dress Out Day |
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Report Card/PowerSchool Reminders |
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Report Card/PowerSchool reminders
- Monday, March 28, 2022–Parent Portal closes for Grades K-2. Parent Portal remains open for Grades 3-8.
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First Holy Communion Items |
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First Communion items for sale!
April 4th and 5th
Religious Goods Stand in the church
During carpool 2 p.m. - 3:15 p.m
Items that are available include: statues, rosaries, First Communion items, Mass books, Rosary containers, First Communion photo frames, photo albums, medals, rosary bracelets, prayer cards, veils, limited assortment, and blue ties for the boys.
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Yearbook Candid Pictures
Do you have pictures of SJS Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, CYO Sports, Trunk or Treat? Please share any photos to the Yearbook Portal https://images.jostens.com/ for consideration. The User ID is 420785951. Pictures will be accepted until March 18. Pictures sent by email will not be accepted.
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Yearbook Orders - On Sale Now!
Sales will run from Feb 14 - April 1
Here is the direct link:
Yearbooks will be available for purchase online only.
No extra copies will be purchased
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There is no true allergy -free zone; many people think that moving to a certain part of the country will cure their pollen allergies.
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March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
We are focusing on concussion and have shared some resources both from Inova and the CDC as a refresher to you about what you need to know about a concussion.
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SJC Ladies Society 50/50 Raffle
Winning Ticket to be drawn SUNDAY MAY 15TH 2022
after the 5 PM Mass
You do not need to be present to win.
Buy 50/50 Raffle Tickets for a chance to win 50% of all ticket sales and the other 50% will support the Ladies’ Society Backpack Lunch program. *During the school year the Ladies Society of St Joseph Church provides over 5400 weekend breakfast, lunch and dinner meals to local students at a cost of $4500. Thank you for your support!
1 Ticket for $10 3 Tickets for $20
Mail in sales open March 6 and close May 13th. Tickets will also be sold in person after all Masses April 30th and May 1st.
1. Online: Click HERE for the SJC Faith Direct Website to purchase tickets. You will receive an email confirmation with your ticket numbers.
2. In Person: Tickets will be sold after all Masses the weekend of April 30 and May 1.
3. By Mail: Complete THIS FORM. Make check payable to St Joseph Church and mail with form to: St Joseph Church 750 Peachtree St Herndon VA 20170 or forget the stamp and drop in the green mailbox by the church office. You will receive an email confirmation with your ticket numbers.
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Saturday, March 26, 2022 8:00 am – Noon
Authentic Femininity In
the Kingdom of God
Father David Dodd, TOR
Sponsored by The Ladies Society and Walking With Purpose Group
We invite all the ladies of the parish to join us in a
Lenten Morning of Reflection with
Fr. David, TOR as our Director.
The day will start with Mass in the church at 8 am, followed by continental breakfast.
Father David will start his talk at 9:15 am.
Please RSVP to Mary Kirby at 703-880-4302 or mkirby@sjcherndon.org by March 21st. We look forward to sharing this special time with all of our Sisters-In-Christ.
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Stay Connected!
SJS Mobile App, Twitter and Facebook
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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)
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750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, VA 20170
Tel: 703-880-4350 Fax: 703-880-4320
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