April 2, 2024

Dear Saints,

Happy April! I hope you all had a wonderful Triduum and a blessed Easter! I was reminded at Easter Sunday Mass once again to be mindful that Lent lasts 40 days and Easter lasts 50 days - so we are called to celebrate and rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord! During April we are learning about the virtue of Obedience - saying “yes” to the loving will of God and those He has set over us. This can be seen even in our everyday comings and goings. He has Risen and is alive, so let us invite Him into our hearts to live in us in all that we do, rejoicing in His resurrection and the hope of new life and His almighty will for each of us.

As we continue through the remaining nine weeks of the 2023-24 school year, we will keep a busy pace all the way up to Fun in the Sun! Campus will be busy, so please pay close attention to the school calendar. Time seems to speed up the closer we get to the last day of school! Every day is important for our students so we appreciate you respecting the calendar.  

A quick note and invitation to all... You may have caught on to our announcements about events here at StJPII on April 16 and 17 to learn more about our school’s future, I hope you can make it! It is an exciting time to be a saint!

Please join me in a prayer from My Lenten Companion, “Risen Lord, thank you for the hope and new life found in your resurrection. May the joy of Easter permeate my heart and overflow to those around me. Amen”

In Him,

Principal

First Friday

This Friday we will continue our tradition of honoring the First Friday devotion with all school Mass. It is often marked by a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus since Jesus died for us and won our salvation on a Friday. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) reported visions of Jesus Christ directing her to promote devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on nine consecutive First Fridays in reparation for sins and to show love to Jesus. In return for this act of devotion, which usually includes Mass, Communion, confession, and even an hour of Eucharistic Adoration, our blessed Savior reputedly promised St. Margaret Mary the following 12 promises to anyone who would honor Him by this devotion. Link to here: 12 promises

First Friday All School Mass Friday

We will have First Friday All School Mass on Friday, April 5. Students should wear their full-dress uniforms. There will be NO daily mass on 4-3-24. We will resume daily mass next week.

The 6th Grade Students will lead us in an Inaugural Divine Mercy Chaplet this Friday, April 5, before mass beginning at 8:15 a.m. This Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday therefore we wanted to bring more attention to it. Our patron Saint, St. John Paul II, in the year 2000, at the mass for the Canonization of St. Faustina Kowalski declared the Sunday after Easter to be the Divine Mercy Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday focusses on the gifts of mercy and love given through Christ death, burial and resurrection. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Diaconate Ordination of Our 6th Grade Seminarian

All 6th graders - on May 11th at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, your seminarian will be ordained a deacon. You are welcome to attend the ceremony which will be at 10 a.m. Please keep Carlos Velero in your prayers!

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

Our community continues to be generous in extending blessings to others. Throughout Lent, we engaged in multiple service projects, aligning with our Catholic call of "Giving" in the period leading up to Jesus's death and resurrection. The Kindergarten and 5th Grade service projects supported The Pregnancy Help Center and Parkway Place Nursing Home. School-wide, the STUCO Coin Clash fundraiser raised $5150 for several outside charities and generously donated $1,000 back to the Rice Bowl initiative. The Rice Bowls collected $1,100, which will be donated to Catholic Relief Services. We are blessed to be a blessing; thank you for your commitment to supporting those less fortunate.

Solar Eclipse Next Monday

Next Monday, April 8 we will have the great opportunity to witness the near totality of a solar eclipse. It will be a great teaching moment and an awesome example of God's majesty. First and foremost is the safety of the students and staff. Safety glasses have been purchased for all students. Teachers are pre-teaching this solar event and the risks involved with looking directly at the sun. We ask that as we get closer to the event you go over with your child the importance of following the teacher's very important instructions on this day. If you have more questions or concerns do not hesitate to reach out to your student's teacher by email. For more information regarding the solar eclipse and safety precautions, click on the button below. you may check out this NASA website. 

Middle School Risky Behavior

Dr. Crystal Collier will walk you through chapter four of her book, The NeuroWhereWhereAbouts Guide. This chapter covers best parenting practices and what high-risk behaviors are prevalent in middle school students. The webinar will provide invaluable insights and strategies to support your child's journey through these formative years. From navigating the complexities of adolescence to fostering academic success and emotional well-being, Dr. Collier will cover these crucial topics prevalent for every middle school parent. Click the button below for more information

Ambassador Family Program

Calling all volunteers! StJPII has an Ambassador Program to welcome new families. Ambassadors are current parents who volunteer to welcome an incoming family and be a friendly face and source of information. We try to match families who have children of the same gender, in the same grade(s), and may live close to one another. Please consider volunteering for this important role.

To sign up to be an Ambassador family, click the button below. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact ambassadors@jp2.org.

Book Fair News

Book Fair NEWS! Literati Fairs is our vendor for the spring 2024. We have a strong mission to provide high quality literature for our school, remember we cannot read every page of every book. Thank you for your support! Online sales are already starting. Visit the link below for details. You can create an account for your child and preload your chosen amount for them to spend. Generally, book prices start at $5.99. We must include 8.25% tax as state law. We teach students to bring one dime for each dollar they spend (example – spend 8 dollars, bring 8 dimes = $8.80 -- this should be enough with a tiny bit extra.)

Open for Sales - Thursday April 4 and wraps up morning of Friday April 12.

Daily Hours - from 7:40 a.m. to 4 p.m. school days.

Methods of Payment: Cash, Credit Cards, Literati Digital Gift Cards or Checks payable to StJPII with your family number on the check are acceptable.

Early Bird Tickets Ending

Tickets for Saints at Sunset Crawfish Boil are on sale now! Prices go up after today! Click the button below to purchase your tickets!

Upcoming Events

You're warmly invited to join us as we explore the exciting future of StJPII! Get ready for an engaging evening where we'll share insights into our school's vision and discuss the strategies we're implementing to make it even better. This event will be held on April 16th and April 17th, offering flexibility so you may attend on the date that is most convenient for your family. Everyone who shares an interest in StJPII’s future vision is welcome to attend and learn more about the "For Every Saint" Campaign. Translators will be available for our Spanish-speaking families to ensure seamless participation. It's an exciting time to be a StJPII Saint and we're looking forward to seeing you there!

First Friday Lunch

Let's shower our wonderful teachers and staff with a delicious First Friday Lunch on Friday, April 5, 2024. This is the last First Friday lunch for the school year. We will serve a Taco bar with sides and toppings. Thank you so much for your contribution and support of our wonderful staff and teachers.

PTO Meeting

Fun in the Sun is getting closer! Can you feel the excitement??!! Join us at the next PTO Meeting to hear what can be expected at this year’s FITS. There has already been a lot of planning behind the scenes, but parents, this event won’t be a success without your much needed help! Our PTO is not merely a fundraising machine; rather, we strive to create a stronger community, an enriched experience for our students as well as a more pleasant environment for our teachers and staff. Attend the next meeting and hear first hand about what PTO does and has been working on since last year’s FITS! And remember, all funds gained by PTO events go back to the school in various ways.

We Need You

Poinsettia Fundraiser Assistant: Would you like to help the PTO but find it hard because of work or taking care of little ones at home? We have a spot for you! We are looking for someone to shadow our current Poinsettia Fundraiser Chair. The position can be done from home as the tasks involved are mainly communication. You would be asked to contact our vendor in June to place the order and reserving a delivery date for early December, as well as organize volunteers to help with receiving the delivery and the distribution of the poinsettias during the first week of December. If interested in learning more, please contact Tiffany Doucette (pto@jp2.org) or Erica O'Connor (eec5554@hotmail.com).

Save the Date: Fun In the Sun (FITS)

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!

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

The Birthday Club is taking orders for April 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. 

REMINDER!

The 5th grade Parent Meeting "Introduction to MS Sports" will be held this Wednesday 4/3 at 6:00 pm but we have moved it to St. Jude Hall, NOT the library.  I would like to invite you to attend an informative meeting as to how our Middle School Athletic program operates being that you are ALMOST Middle School parents! It can be very overwhelming with the transition from Elementary to Middle School for you, as well as your children, so I think the meeting will help you to understand how the athletic program works. Some of our Middle School Coaches will be there as well. We will cover information regarding protocols, tryouts, communication with parents, obligations and responsibilities of the athlete and the parent, as well as commitments and team sportsmanship. We welcome you to bring your upcoming middle school child as well.

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Our annual Middle School Athletic Awards evening will be held on Thursday May 9th from 6:00-7:30pm. Our evening will be in honor of our student athletes and their coaches! Parent(s) and student athletes are welcome to attend, however we ask for no siblings to attend. Our program has grown in leaps and bounds giving us a huge student athlete population, thus we are changing only one part of the evening, we are doing away with dinner, but we will have desserts and refreshments for all! More information will follow in the coming weeks! 

Share Your Spring Sports 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.

Summer Enrichment Program

Sign up today for StJPII's Summer Enrichment Program. Students going into PreK-4 through 8th Grade are welcome. Early registration ends April 12th. Click the button below for more information.

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!