November 8, 2022

Weekly Mass Schedule

Optional daily Mass will be tomorrow, Wednesday, November 9. 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. You are also welcome to join us for our All School Mass this Friday, November 11. Students will need to be in full dress uniform. Mass will begin at 8:30 a.m. Please arrive on time.  

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

National STEM/STEAM Day

Today, November 8 is National STEM/STEAM Day! Why? November 8 was chosen because it's a play on the word innovate-NOV8. The day began in 2015 when private toy company and creators of S.T.E.A.M. based franchise Project Mc2, MGA Entertainment, established November 8 as "National S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. Day" as a way to draw attention to the need for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics skills in the future. The November 8th date is a play on words for the company's franchise featuring four girls who are part of a super-secret spy organization called NOV8, hence a day to inspire innovation! Since its establishment on NOV8, National STEM/STEAM day is supported by organizations such as NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy, among many others. (Information from https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-stemsteam-day-november-8/),

Celebrate National STEM/STEAM day with some of the attached activities using items you probably have at home. Have fun and be sure to share pictures of your family trying any of these activities using the hashtag #StJP2STEAM!

*Stay tuned on our social media to see how our students participated in STEM/STEAM activities on November 8th.

Save the Date

SaintsGiving is 3 Weeks Away! Our annual one-day giving event is coming soon! Please save the date, spread the word, and join us on SaintsGiving to raise money for our school and help us reach our Annual Fund goal!

Book Fair

The Book Fair is open in the Library everyday this week from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please send your kiddos with money in an envelope or ziploc bag. Families also have the option of using e-wallets. This year a new feature-families can share the e-wallet with other family members like grandparents!  You can sign up for e-wallets by clicking on the book fair button below. 

St. John Paul II Band

In Sealy on Saturday, nine band students auditioned and were selected for membership in the ATSSB All-Region Band: Evelyn He on clarinet; Kate Sutton as first chair contrabass clarinet; Mark Dominy as first chair French horn; Susie Bramanti and Andrew Bowring on trumpet; Christopher Iacobell, Luke Healey and Rodrigo Estrada-Zenizo on trombone; and Zach Sowers on baritone. Also competing at the event were Caeden Swain and Samuel Hernandez on alto saxophone, Martin Pena on trumpet, and Sam Homes and Matteo Rodriguez on trombone.

Students selected for All-Region Band will meet in rehearsals next Saturday in Bellville and will present a concert that is free to the public at 6:00 p.m. in the Bellville High School Auditorium.

Congratulations to these students for representing StJPII so well in regional competition.

Grandparents and Special Friends' Day

We are looking forward to celebrating Grandparents & Special Friends Day next Friday, November 18. If you need an extra invitation to forward, please visit our website where you may download and share an invitation, which can be found by clicking here. Due to the large crowd, parents are not invited. However, we will have Lauren Holub Photography set up in the Randall-Crosthwait Pope Garden to capture the moments of this special day.

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.

Wear LSU TIGER Shirts - 11/9

This week is "Ultimate Fan Duel" week! Thanks to the Breaux and House families who earned naming rights in last year's gala, this week we all get to be part of the LSU Tiger community. Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 9, Students may wear LSU shirts (or a StJPII spirit shirt) with their regular uniform bottoms (shorts, skorts, skirts or pants). Want to fly your alma mater's school colors next year? Be on the lookout for this package in the upcoming Bidding with Bernie Online Auction!

Mother and Son Bowling

The Mother and Son Bowling Event has officially SOLD OUT!! We can't wait to see you all there. We will be sending out your bowling teams later this week and reminders for the evening. You do not need a ticket for this event. You will check in once you arrive at Bowlero.

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.

On Friday, Nov. 11, the Student Council is hosting two very special days at StJPII. The first is World Kindness Day, which is celebrated around the world each year on November 13th. Kindness, being one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, is so important for us to celebrate and encourage in our Catholic School. This year we have the unique opportunity to celebrate World Kindness Day on Veterans Day. 

Within their Social Studies classes this week, our students are writing letters and drawing pictures to members of our US military. These letters will be sent to A Million Thanks, an organization out of California, then distributed to US troops around the world for Christmas. Students also had the opportunity to create Veterans Day flyers to showcase members of their family who are currently serving or who are veterans. Thank you to everyone who participated in making this Veterans Day a memorable and significant one. 

Here are some of the videos your students will have the opportunity to view this week. Feel free to watch these at home in order to foster discussion with your students! 

• Bullying a plant 
• Kindness Boomerang 
• Kindness as the norm
• The Science of Kindness 
• Evan Almighty- Diner Scene
• Evan Almighty- Acts of Random Kindness
• Veterans Day History Channel 
• Veterans Day- how it started and why we honor it
• Letters from middle schoolers to veterans 
• TAPS at Arlington National Cemetery 

“Be kind to one another, compassionate, and forgiving one another as God has forgiven you.” 

Ephesians 4:32

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 

We hope your students feel empowered by the military heroes in our community and that they strive to change the world by performing random acts of kindness for one another every day. Be sure to check back next week for pictures from this special day. 

Thank you for your support of World Kindness Day and Veterans Day!

The StJPII Student Council 

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.

Thank you

A HUGE THANK YOU to all our parents who signed up to donate to the Faculty Meeting Food and Drink for October. Our teachers and staff deserve ALL of this and more, THANKS to your generosity it was made POSSIBLE.

Analia Gugliotti, Danille LaLonde, Gail Anderson, Hilda Hickman, Jackie Tharao, Julia Hillier, Luciana Molinari, Sarah Moore, Alexandra Riveros, Ana M. Esteva-Parra, Beverley Huck, Beverley Huck, Beverly Alexander, Catalina Solari, Donna Peters, Gabriela Montiel, Gail Anderson, Gwen Montesino, Kike Oyediran, Rocio Morales, Rose Shelton, Sandra Vreedenburgh, Thien Nguyen, Tiffany Doucette, Tricia Nino, Valentina Bracho-Rodon Victoria Forkner, Aida Patino and Valentina Lares.

If you would like to sign up for upcoming Faculty Meetings, please contact Aida Patino aidilla84@gmail.com and/or Valentina Lares valentinalares@yahoo.com. This is an easy way to show appreciation to teachers and staff, and a simple way for working parents to get involved. There are nearly 80 StJPII faculty and staff members who thank you!

Middle School Athletics

Congrats to the 2022-2023 boys and girls basketball teams! A huge welcome to our new head coaches, Quintina Young and Tyler Henderson!

Elementary School Athletics

Soccer season is coming to a close. We only have a few more weeks left with the season as we are trying to schedule our make up games from rainouts! Also, remember basketball registration is open and you must register each child separately!

Coach Jones Conditioning Camp

Coach Jones will host a conditioning camp to keep the athletes active to prepare them for Track and Field or the spring sports they will be participating in here at school.

Overview

I will be working on each athlete's individual need for the sport/event they will be participating in. Training will entail endurance runs, speed endurance, agility, Balance, coordination, Core strength, mental strength and other form of exercises. If you know someone who does not want to do track and field but is interested in becoming better in another sport or in life they are welcome to train. It's open to all 5-8th grade students.

Start Date

Start date will be November 8th. The start of this date allow athletes to get in shape before the holidays or maintain fitness throughout the year. I want athletes get an introduction on what's its like getting in shape for any sport! It's open to everyone at any fitness level.

Start date: NOVEMBER 8th through January 19. 

As of now Practices will be held Tuesday's and Thursday's 3:30-5:30p on Campus. Days and time are subject to change. Will inform ahead of time with any changes. During holiday's I will inform you all on training days and time through team snap.

Registration Fee: $300 per athlete

Payments can be made through Zelle, Cash or Check (Zelle Info: Laverne Jones/405-532-9099). To confirm participation please have payment made by November 10th. If paying by check just click on the availability on the calendar and drop off on first day of training.

If you can't participate reach out and I will remove you from team snap emails. Feel free to spread the word! Any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to reach out! Thank you!

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.

St. John XXIII

The admissions team at St. John XXIII College Preparatory will be here at StJPI this Friday, November 11 at 8 am. They will be providing coffee and donuts for 8th-grade parents. This is a great chance to meet the admissions team at SJ23 and bring any questions you may have about the admissions process. 

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!

Sacred Relics of the Saints 

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church

1530 Norwalk Dr.

Katy, TX 77450