April 4, 2023

Dear Saints,

Happy April! It was a blast seeing our Saint community enjoying each other at the Crawfish Boil this past weekend!  Despite the lines that were unexpected (that will be improved next time), our community of awesome families enjoyed the beautiful weather, great music, and celebrating as ONE!

As we continue through the remaining nine weeks of the 2022-23 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! Everyday is important for our students so we appreciate you respecting the calendar.  

During this month of 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. Let us be open to trusting to the will of the Lord in everything and following Him obediently. How very appropriate for Lent!

I pray that you are allowing this Holy Week to open your hearts. This Lenten season a few of our saint staff have been journeying together through “The Ascension: Lenten Companion”. This devotion has opened our hearts and deepened our relationships with the Lord. This Holy Week continues to be special because we have been guided through prayer and meditation, placing ourselves at the foot of the cross. We’ve been focusing on the beauty of this time in our faith - Jesus dying on the cross for us!! I am hopeful that your personal Lenten journey has given you the opportunity to grow in your faith in a way that gives you renewal.

On Holy Thursday we will participate in the Stations of the Cross, led by our 6th graders. What a beautiful StJPII tradition leading into the Triduum. The students will also work on a saint family service project together - it’s going to be a beautiful faith-filled day!  I leave you with a prayer from Dynamic Catholic as you enter into the Triduum at the end of the week… 

Jesus,

No one knows change better than you. You died on the cross, and three days later you rose from the dead. Forty days later you ascended into heaven and left the world transformed for the rest of time. Help me to transform my soul, to die to sin and death and be reborn in your love and eternal life. Amen.

In Him,

Principal

Holy Thursday, Stations of the Cross

We will have Stations of the Cross, this Thursday, April 6, (no Mass) and early dismissal. Here are the details:

• Stations of the Cross will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the BAC/GSC.
• Students should wear their Saint Family shirts.
• Special thanks to the 6th-grade class for leading us through the Stations.
• ONLY 6th Grade Parents are invited to attend.
• Saint families will meet to put together Easter baskets for the less fortunate.
• The cafeteria will be closed.
• Early release times: PK/K at 12:00, 1st - 5th grades at 12:15, and Middle School at 12:30.
• There will be NO BASP after dismissal.

Dad's Retreat

April 5, 2023

St. Jude Hall

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

All Dads are welcome

Service Project Opportunities

Clothing Drive - St. John XXIII

Help St. John XXIII by collecting clothing for Joseph's Coat. Spring and summer clothing is preferable; but any size, season, or type will always be accepted. Please help by going through your closets and donating. Please put donations in the bins in the hallways. We will collect items April 5-21st. 

Animal Shelter Items - 8th Grade

Help the 8th Grade class collect items to donate to the animal shelters.

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

Important Dates

April 6: Early Release (12:00/12:15/12:30) NO BASP

April 7: Good Friday Holiday, No School

April 10: Easter Monday, No School

April 28: Tuition is due for current families

Tuition Raffle: Coming Soon

The StJPII tuition raffle is back! This will be your chance to win FREE StJPII TUITION for your oldest child for the 2023-2024 school year! All raffle proceeds benefit St. John Paul II Catholic School. It’s easy to participate! Tickets will be sent home in today's Tuesday Folder. You can also download a copy of the raffle tickets by clicking the button below. The winner will be drawn after Mass on April 21, 2023.

Family STREAM Challenge: Fun with PEEPS

Easter and Peeps go together like peanut butter and jelly, but if you don’t eat Peeps what can you do with them? Try one of this month’s StJPII Family STREAM Challenges! 

STREAM Challenge: Try one or try them all. 

Parachuting Peeps

Catapult a Peep

Easter Symbols using Peeps Playdough

How do you participate in the STREAM Challenge? Click on the button below to go to this month’s challenge. Complete the Peeps challenge(s) and share what you’ve done on social media using the hashtag #StJP2STREAM  Or send your picture or video to communications@jp2.org for us to share on StJPII social media. 

Questions? Email Dr. Hiltbrand at sehiltbrand@jp2.org  

THANK YOU

The 7th Annual Saints at Sunset Crawfish Boil was a great time! A special thank you to all those who volunteered to help make this event such a success! Can't wait to see you all again next year!!

THANK YOU

A HUGE THANK YOU to all our parents who signed up to donate to the Faculty Meeting Food and Drink for the March 2023. Our teachers and staff deserve ALL of this and more, THANKS to your generosity it was made POSSIBLE.

Amber Leech, Ana Maria Esteva Parra, Beverley Huck, Beverly Alexander, Danille LaLonde, Donna Petets, Gail Anderson, Gwen Montesino, Hilda Hickman, Julie Cole, Katherine Montano, Kathy Forbes, Mariamelia Calcano, Meryem Johnson, Rocio Morales, Rose Nguyen Shelton, Sandra Vreedenburgh, Thien Nguyen, Tiffany Doucette, Tricia Nino, Valentina Bracho and Victoria Forkner.

If you would like to sign up for upcoming Faculty Meetings, please contact Aida Patino aidilla84@gmail.com and 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!

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. We appreciate our Saints Families! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at ambassadors@jp2.org. Thank you, Ambassador Family Committee

Fun in the Sun-Friday, May 19th

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!!!! We are so excited to show off this year's Fun In the Sun shirt! “We are One” at Fun In the Sun!! Fun in the Sun early registration opened through April 15th. Click the ‘Fun In the Sun’ button below to register and don’t forget to purchase a lunch/tickets/t-shirt during registration. Each child needs a separate registration. The cafeteria will be closed during Fun in the Sun, so your child will need to purchase a Chick-fil-A lunch (online) or bring one from home.

This year we are extending our EARLY BIRD special of $10/shirt until April 15th! Don’t MISS out and REGISTER your students now!

Show your school pride and wear the shirt on weekly Spirit Days! A big THANK YOU to Houston Orthodontic Specialists for again sponsoring this year's Fun In the Sun shirts!

Volunteers

What is the most fun you’ll have all year? Don’t forget to mark your vacation calendar now. Volunteering for Fun in the Sun, of course! Spots fill up quickly; you do not want to miss out! Click the button below to sign up as a parent volunteer.

Our school campus will be closed to visitors that day, except to FITS volunteers, in an effort to ensure your child’s safety during this fun-filled day. We also hire extra security to help us out. It’s all about the kids!!!

Brick Paver Sale – Coach Gifts

CALLING ALL BASKETBALL PARENTS

It’s a great time of year to HONOR your team’s coaches with the gift of an engraved brick paver! The personalized brick pavers will be placed in pathways around the StJPII campus. Funds from the sale support our garden.

When purchased, your coaches will receive a certificate that they have been honored by the team with a brick paver, and then will receive a photograph when the paver is installed.

Reduced Pricing for Coach Gifts

4”x8”- 2 lines* $50 per brick (reg. $75)

8”x8”- 5 lines* $100 per brick (reg. $150)

*16 character maximum per line of engraving

The Birthday Club

Birthday Club packages are selling fast, some t-shirts sizes are sold out, don’t forget to order yours soon! 



Remember that orders are honored on a first come, first served basis and must be received at least 2 weeks before the birthday to guarantee prompt delivery.

Summer Enrichment Program

Early registration ends next week! REgister today! Click the button below for more information.

Middle School Athletics:

Well we are coming into the Home Stretch with Middle School Spring sports! Our boys' lacrosse team ended their season this past week. It was a difficult yet great season all at the same time. Great because the boys learned a brand new sport, they found a fierce passion for the sport, and each week/game they improved tremendously! The difficult part was we got better and better but just couldn't score 1 or 2 more goals to get a win. The boys never ever gave up and we are so proud of them for that!

Baseball & Softball continue to earn their wins with hard work and teamwork! Both teams look to go into the GHCAA playoff's as the # 2 seeds so please continue to check out the Athletic calendar for our games as we wind down the season! T&F have gotten 2 Meets completed and WOW we are doing great! We have had several 1st & 2nd place events in shot put, hurdles, relays, 200m, 4x4 and 4x1, for both the boys and the girls! They will end with 2 more Meets so we will hope for a strong finish! Our Lady Saints Lacrosse team continues to get stronger and more confident in their new found sport! We had our 1st win yesterday and the girls were so proud! Beautiful job by all of our athletes!

Elementary School Athletics:

Elementary sports completed their 2nd week of Baseball, Softball, and Volleyball! The kiddos are having a great start and are having a lot of fun! Always want to say thank you to our coaches and parent community for giving your time to support our programs!

Share Your Spring Sports Photos

We love to see your photos of our saints in action! If you get a great shot at any spring sports function, practice or 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. All grade-level sports pictures are needed and appreciated.

Strake Jesuit Debate Camp

Strake Jesuit Debate will hold its 16th Annual No Limits Debate Camp June 19 -30 at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (9:00 AM to 1:00 PM June 30). They are offering training in Lincoln Douglas and Public Forum Debate. Click the button below for more information.

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Incarnate Word Summer camp

Summer fun at IWA begins in June! Your daughter can join for the 1st, 2nd or even BOTH weeks. Each course is $150. Morning and afternoon courses are available; choose all that fit your summer schedule. Register today as courses fill up fast. Open to rising 6th - 9th grade girls. (Course minimum is 10 students; maximum 22.)

St. Thomas Study Skills Program

Success in high school, success in college, and success in life require the mastery of a set of skills. Step Up Study Skills will be offered by St. Thomas High School in the summer of 2023 to prepare students for the rigors of high school and beyond. The classes are coed and open to all rising ninth-grade students. Five different sessions, each session with four separate class dates will be conducted as follows:

Session 1 – June 5-8, Monday through Thursday, 7:30-10:00 AM

Session 2 – June 12-15, Monday through Thursday, 7:30-10:00 AM

Session 3 – June 19-22, Monday through Thursday, 3:00-5:30 PM

Session 4 – June 26-29, Monday through Thursday, 3:00-5:30 PM

Session 5 - July 10-13, Monday through Thursday, 9:00-11:30 AM

Step-Up Study Skills will be taught by Rod Takacs, Dean of Students and Summer

Study Skills Instructor, St. Thomas High School, and Camille Hagerty, eighth-grade

teacher. Mrs. Hagerty taught at St. Christopher School, as well as in the Goose Creek

and La Porte Independent School Districts. Mr. Takacs can be reached

at rodney.takacs@sths.org if you have questions. The cost for each session is $399

and includes class notes as well as access to online courses for effective follow-up and

reinforcement throughout the school year.