February 13, 2024

Ash Wednesday

The StJPII community will celebrate Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, with an All-School Mass on Wednesday, February 14 at 8:30 a.m. in the GSC. Students should wear their full-dress uniforms. There will be no all-school Mass on Friday, February 16.

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

Did you know that StJPII partners with the Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP)? Our elementary and middle school math teachers participated in a vertical alignment planning session and benefited from individual coaching from RUSMP. (Vertical alignment focuses on what students should learn as they advance through each grade, linking concepts to create a long-term plan for teaching.) StJPII's very own Ms. Silveria was asked to present at their conference. After working with our middle school math teachers, the director stated, " I thoroughly enjoyed my day with your highly talented and caring teachers. Their insight and focus on the learners was inspiring. The students of St. John Paul II are blessed to have such wonderful teachers." Anne Papakonstantinou, Ed.D.

Upcoming Important Dates

February 19 - Student Holiday in observance of Presidents' Day

February 27- Early Dismissal (2:15/2:30/2:45 p.m.)

Go Texan Day

February 23 - StJPII will observe Go Texan Day. Students may wear western-style rodeo attire (please leave your spurs, whips, guns and handcuffs at home). "Go Texan" attire can be as simple as jeans, a t-shirt or western shirt, with boots. Cowboy hats are allowed. If you choose not to dress "Texan", then students should wear full dress (this is NOT a free dress day). Please follow the general dress code guidelines which are noted in the Student Handbook.

Principal Proclamation Day - February 27

We are looking forward to celebrating Principal Proclamation Day on Tuesday, February 27. Earlier this school year, Principal Bogard stepped aside and allowed 7th grader Bree P. to lead the school as Principal for the Day. This was a prize from our online auction, "Bidding With Bernie," last year. Bree's schedule was full of important meetings, and classroom visits, and he got to make a series of Principal Proclamations too. Read below for a list of grade-specific rewards that the children will get to enjoy. Please plan accordingly for your students!

• Prek - stuffed animal & popsicle*
• Kindergarten - Pajama day and ice cream*
• 1st - Stuffed animal and Pajama day
• 2nd - free dress and extra recess
• 3rd - Prek day (extra recess/naptime)- including pajama day
• 4th - Stuffed animal and naptime
• 5th - Prek day (extra recess/naptime) - including pajama day
• 6th - free dress and extra recess
• 7th - Prek day(extra recess/naptime & snack), pjs and movie
• 8th - free dress and extra recess

* provided by StJPII

New Uniform Provider - Update

All new uniform pieces may still be acquired through mills until the end of May 2024. At that time we will communicate where to purchase uniforms with Risse Brothers. There will be minimal changes to our required uniform. Any adjustments to the uniform pieces will not be mandatory until the 2026-2027 school year, ensuring ample time for all families to acquire any necessary new items. More information to come soon.

Vote for StJPII

StJPII has been nominated to receive free Tiny Saints charms of

our patron for all the students and free custom t-shirts for

all the staff! I’d be honored if you’d take a moment to vote

and try to help us win. The more votes we get the better our chances of winning. Voting closes the evening of February 22. Click on the button below to vote.

From the Business Office - Update

Invoices for the school year 2024-25 were sent out the week of February 5, 2024 from Intuit E-Commerce Service. Please check your email and spam folders.

Please note:

• The due date to pay Tuition is May 3, 2024.
• You can start sending payments towards the 2024-25 tuition now
• $100 a week late fee will be applied for TUITION received after 3:00 p.m. on May 3, 2024.
• Please contact the business office if you need to request a Tuition Loan application link. 
• The due date to apply for a Tuition Loan is April 5, 2024.
• The Tuition Assistance application is available under the Admissions tab on our website. 
• The due date for Tuition Assistance was February 5, 2024 to be considered in the first round. Applications will still be considered.

* The business office email is business@jp2.org

Smart Families

Embrace Lent with the Smart Families with a device detox challenge. Click on the link below to find out more information.



Spring Semester Art Club

It is now time for students to join Art Clubs for the Spring Semester. These are after school clubs open to boys or girls who enjoy making a variety of challenging creative art projects. Click the button below for more information and to sign up.

Library News

Happy February! It is such a busy time in the learning year. Student growth is really showing. New postings of content have been added to on Ms. Lamb's Google site to reflect some creative and research lessons. Please, do take a look and bookmark this site. More content is added several times each month. This content is helpful for students and informative for parents. Take A Look!  

On another note, students are forgetting to return books more than ever. We have been very forgiving about fines. PLEASE, instill the need to return books promptly so they can resume check out, and others can enjoy all the popular books too. I will list the library days for the classes so you can confirm which days to make sure students return books. Thank you so much for helping to foster this responsibility with your children. 



Monday - 7th or 8th Grade

Tuesday - 2nd Corpuz, 1st Garcia, K Morales, 1st Sutton, 3rd Rosenberg, and 6th Grade

Wednesday - 3rd Williamson, K Ulery, 1st Valencia

Thursday - 4th Fannin, 5th Philips, 4th Condara, 5th Love, K Weido, 5th Sudkamp

Friday - 3rd Wetwiski, 2nd Brayshaw, 4th Riley, 2nd Castellano

Finally, We are so excited that the Book Fair will be coming in April. We will be using Literati Book Fair Company as we did in the fall. They are a growing company and felt the crunch of the pandemic and the related supply chain changes heavily but have assured us that they are improving all the while. We look forward to their solid content at our spring fair. Look for more important information very soon about online and prepay options.   Happy Reading - Ms. Lamb

Steps for Students

We had a great turnout this year at Steps for Students! StJPII was well represented. The winner for PE Teacher for the Day will be announced next week.*

Thank you so much to the Haute in Havana Gala Committee for a

FANTASTIC evening!

Co-Chairs: Maria Gobea and Liz Broussard

Lainey Balhoff

Jenn Bickley

Liza Faerber

Jamie Kopulos

Misty Monckton

Danielle Nunez

Jaquelyn Olexa

Vivian Ramos

Thank you to all of our sponsors. This beautiful evening

could not have happened without you.

Thanks to those who bought tickets for the Mardi Gras Pancake Breakfast! Everyone had a great time kicking off Fat Tuesday!

Spaghetti lunch at St. Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church

Please join members of the PTO on Thursday, February 15 at 11am at St. Basil the Great, 1100 Eldridge Pkwy, for great food and fellowship. Plates are $12 with desserts and extra sauce available for purchase to take home. All major credit cards accepted.

Everyone is welcome, so please come out for a little social time while enjoying "the best spaghetti in town"!

The Birthday Club - Celebrate Your Child’s Special Day!

The Birthday Club is taking orders for February Birthdays or any other month! (T-shirt, Squeezies, Marquee). Place your orders now and let the celebration begin with us! Thanks for supporting the PTO. 

Spirit Store

Get your sparkle on and snuggle up with some sassy bling and Bernie! Let your spirit shine bright like a diamond! Orders will be sent home with your youngest Saint through their homeroom.

New School Partner

Great News! We have a NEW School Partner! Purchases at American Furniture Warehouse ANYTIME OF THE YEAR support St. John Paul II Catholic School. Just mention our school or our ID: STJPHT at check-out. All details are included in the flyer. Please Share with Friends and Relatives. Thanks for your support

Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun (FITS) is an annual Field Day at StJPII and the largest PTO fundraiser of the year! Parents should know that, though it is not a typical day at school, student attendance is expected and cafeteria service is not available. T-shirts will be available for purchase soon. Not only can students wear these shirts at FITS, but they may be worn by students during the school year on “Spirit Shirt” Days! Be on the lookout for information regarding the purchase of FITS wrist bands and lunch as well. The wrist bands will give students access to all the FUN planned!

Middle School Athletics

Middle school spring sports are all starting up! Please continue to look at the Athletics calendar for the most up to date information.

Elementary School Athletics

Please remember Spring Sports registration will close on 2/16 so be sure to check out the Athletic page for all information for our Spring sports!

Share Your Basketball 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.

Camp Invention at StJPII

Spark your K-6 grader’s curiosity and confidence at Camp Invention®! The 2024 program,

Illuminate, is coming to St. John Paul II for the very first time! From June 24 to 28, campers will collaborate with friends in hands-on, open-ended STEM adventures designed to inspire creativity, stretch imaginations and provide an awesome summer experience. Visit invent.org/mylocalcamp and use promo code SUM25 by 3/27 to save $25!

Summer Enrichment Program

Start making plans now for the summer. Sign up today for StJPII's Summer Enrichment Program. Students going into PreK-3 through 8th Grade are welcome. Click the button below for more information.

STH Spring Academic Skills Camp

St. Thomas High School is pleased to announce details for its Spring Academic Skills Camp, Pathways to Independent Learning. In this course, students are given tools and strategies to take charge of the learning process. They will be able to take full responsibility for choosing effective approaches to long-term learning. Students need the skills and strategies of independent learning in order to excel in any learning environment or situation. Research has proven that the facility and practice of executive functioning skills and critical thinking are a greater predictor of student success than IQ. Students who develop independent learning skills are better able to adapt and succeed when they encounter obstacles. Click the button below for more info.

St. John Vianney Men’s ACTS Retreat 2024

Retreat Location:  St Agnes Le Thi Thanh (LTT) Retreat Center, Waller, TX

When: Thursday, February 22nd at 5:30 pm - Sunday, February 25

Math+: Advanced Mathematics Learning Opportunity Gain an edge – with skills that matter

This is Reynold D’Souza, a Mathematics Instructor at Strake Jesuit. I have joined RedwoodPrep to teach an Advanced Mathematics class, Math+, this Spring for boys and girls in 6th to 8th grade. This Spring’s course focuses on Infinity.

I strongly believe in Math+ and would encourage your family to participate. Each Math+ course explores 1 major idea included in Stanford University’s introductory math sequence. This is world-class content tailored to younger students. I continue to be impressed by how students get excited and passionate about math during

Math+. We want students to be excited about math – and Math+ does a great job doing just that.

This season’s course will be taught at Strake Jesuit on Tuesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 pm starting on Tuesday, March 19th for six weeks. The program will cost $250. Families can sign-up at www.RedwoodPrep.com.

This Spring, the Math+ program will be focused on the concept of Infinity. Infinity can be defined as “something without any limit”. The concept has applications across disciplines but is particularly critical in mathematics where the concept has been at the center of the field since 1655 when John Wallis, a leading mathematician, defined its mathematical symbol.

Most interested students can succeed in Math+. I find that students with a gift for math or a real desire to participate can succeed and learn a lot. Students interested in advanced math classes, high performance on standardized exams or general math ability will particularly benefit.