Dear Parents-

Celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. gives us the opportunity to reflect on the similarities between Dr. King’s vision for social justice, and that of the Catholic Church. We are united in our belief that individual self-worth is not dependent on race, gender, occupation or family background. In Dr. King’s vision,“Anybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t need to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.” This quote is so powerful and reminds us that we are here to serve each other and contribute to the common good.

This month we begin our "Honor His Holy Name'' initiative. Students will receive holy cards and pledge to protect the Holy Name of Jesus from improper use. As part of our Catholic Schools Week celebration at the end of January, 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).

We are in week 2 of Scantron 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.

The Office of Child Protection and Safety for the Diocese of Arlington provides programs to ensure a safe environment for children within the community of the Church, and the Diocese is committed to providing a safe environment to all children entrusted to our care. To meet this goal, Formation in Christian Chastity is taught to all children in grades 1-8 in our Diocesan schools and in parish religious education programs. SJS teachers will complete the lessons before January 31, and course material is available here.

We look forward to seeing you at our general PTO meeting, on Wednesday, January 18…don’t forget to dress comfortably, and wear sneakers to join us in line dancing fun!

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

Is the date on your calendar? Make sure to secure a babysitter because you don't want to miss this year's dinner and auction fundraiser! Doors open at 6:00pm. Tickets go on sale February 7!

Do you own a beach house or business? Are you creative and want to donate a themed basket full of goodies? Love to entertain? You (or a few families) can host a BBQ, Italian dinner, or seafood boil! Consider donating an item, service, experience, or basket to be up for bid at the auction! Donation suggestions include: gift cards, vacation home stays, concert tickets, sports tickets, tours of local landmarks, golf rounds, hotel night stays, the possibilities are endless!

How about giving a 'shout out' to your graduating 8th grader or an ad of encouraging words for your child(ren)? Check out the Program Ad form for details.

Be sure to check out the Sponsor and Underwriter opportunities - lots of great perks at all giving levels!

Visit the Shaken Not Stirred auction fundraising website for forms and information!

Email Jessie Ingham at events@sjschoolva.org to join the planning committee or to become an auction sponsor!

Stay tuned for more information!

The March for Life Rally will take place Friday at noon on the National Mall, and Bishop Burbidge will offer the Opening Prayer. (For those taking Metro, the closest stops are Smithsonian and Federal Triangle.) Following the Rally, the March will begin on Constitution Avenue at 12th Street at approximately 1:00 p.m. 

Different from past years, the March will end at the U.S. Capitol, so therefore Bishop Burbidge will be waiting to greet March for Life participants from the Diocese of Arlington at a new location at the corner of Third Street and Independence Avenue, SW.

More information about the March and related events is available at https://marchforlife.org/national-march-for-life/

95210 Health Initiative for the month of January: “Eliminate (0) or minimize consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages” daily

The Centers for Disease Control defines sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), as any liquids that are sweetened with various forms of added sugars like brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose. Per the CDC, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) or sugary drinks are the leading sources of added sugars in the American diet.

The frequent consumption of these sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain/obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis (CDC). High amount of sugar in our diet typically results in an increase of toxins which when broken down produce inflammatory messengers which may result in arthritis or other forms of inflammation. Research has shown that when the consumption of the SSBs is decreased, people are able to maintain a healthy weight and have a healthy diet. For more information, click HERE.

New, Lower Prices From Yay Lunch!

The team at Yay Lunch is taking your feedback about pricing to heart and have been working with their food partners to offer new, lower prices on our menu. Take a look at a few of the new, lower prices now available on your Lunch Calendar

St. Joseph Catholic School

750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, VA 20170

Tel: 703-880-4350 Fax: 703-880-4320