St Joseph High School - A Catholic College Preparatory Community
Dear Friends,
 
Greetings from St. Joes. I hope that you had a splendid weekend. On Friday, the Class of 2021 was reunited on campus for a Senior Brunch and Lawn Games. The unexpected wet weather, while disappointing, could not dampen the joy and spirit of our senior class reconnecting and spending precious time together. Our 2021 Cadets continue to Carry On! A special thank you to Senior Class Moderator, Colleen Piatak, and the faculty and staff for facilitating a fun event for our SJ Seniors. Bravo to all!
 
Our innovative Admissions Team also continues to successfully Carry On with reimagined, in-person enrollment and recruitment events. More specifically, on Wednesday morning, we safely and responsibly conducted our second Cadet for a Day program for approximately 25 prospective SJ Cadets and it was outstanding. Yesterday, we hosted our Fall Open House and prospective students and families were given the opportunity to meet and engage with our Student Ambassadors, faculty, and staff members and enjoy a live “SJ Experience.” Thank you to our students and adults who came to campus on a Sunday afternoon for this important event. Nice work!
 
As you well know, we have experienced several medically confirmed cases of COVID-19 within our SJ community during the past two weeks. With that comes fair and appropriate inquiries about why we have not transitioned to a fully remote educational delivery system. With each medically confirmed case, we have meticulously implemented our contact tracing protocol with the direct assistance and guidance of the Trumbull Office of Emergency Management. The careful analysis of the data associated with the medically confirmed SJHS cases to date does not warrant a school closure and the transition to remote learning. We will continue to communicate with your family in a timely and forthright manner regarding this fluid situation.
 
I wish you and yours a highly productive and fulfilling week ahead. Thank you for your unwavering support and partnership.
 
In Faith and Fellowship,
 
David J. Klein
President   
Open House Was Filled to Capacity
Many, many thanks to everyone who spread the word about our Fall Open House! Yesterday, St Joes hosted over 300 guests from 30+ towns on structured, safe, and socially distant tours around our campus.

Thanks to the St Joe's Admissions Team, faculty and staff for coming together and making Open House a complete success! We couldn't have done it without you!

If you know someone who missed Open House but is interested in learning more about St Joes, there are multiple visit opportunities coming up:
  • Cadet for a Day Visits (Nov 4, 11)
  • Personal Family Tours (by appointment)
  • Virtual Open House (Nov 11)
October 26
School Mass for Sophomores
Team Maroon

October 27
School Mass for Sophomores
Team Gold

October 29, 5:30PM
Pizza & Prayer
St. Pius X in Fairfield, CT

October 30
Early Dismissal at 12PM

October 30
Freshmen Class Event

October 31
SJ Entrance Exam

November 4
Freshmen Parent Social
(Virtual)

November 5
Junior Class Event
(Details to come)

Join World Languages and Campus Ministry for a Season of Giving
This fall, St Joseph High School is proud to host a Season of Giving! - dedicated to serving and giving back to those less fortunate during the holiday season, and especially for those who have been hard hit by the pandemic.

From today, October 26, through December 21, please consider donating everything from food to clothing to toys. In addition, this year, students will have the ability to earn service hours for the items they donate (see the flyer for additional information). All items can be brought to Ms Sullivan in Room 107. Thank you for your support!
Pizza and Prayer is Back
Pizza & Prayer will be returning on Oct 29 at 5:30PM! The event will be held at St Pius X in Fairfield (834 Brookside Drive).

Pizza & Prayer will meet from 5:30PM-7PM. All are welcome!
Nick Couture ’21 will be our first speaker on the subject of “Transition and Friendship”.

For those who cannot attend in-person, Nick's talk will stream on google meet and the worship adoration will stream on St Pius X's youtube channel (found here) .
Holiday Wreath Sale
We can't believe the holidays are already approaching! Support the Parents Association by purchasing a holiday balsam wreath today! Wreaths are 22" in diameter and are $20 each. Wreath pickup will be after school on December 3 & December 4!
Students: Join the First Meeting of Model Congress
Model Congress is one of St Joes' newest clubs!

Be sure to join them for their first meeting on Wednesday, October 28 in Room 106!

You can learn more about our Clubs at sjcadets.org/clubsfair!
Congratulations to our NHS Inductees
Congratulations to our 74 Cadets from the Class of 2021 inducted into the National Honor Society last week! Many thanks to the faculty, staff, and of course, the parents & guardians who support our students each day!
Fall Play Rescheduled
Heads up, Cadets: the dates of our Fall Play have been moved. The Live Streaming of Almost, Maine will now take place the weekend of January 28th-30th. 

This change allows our students to have additional time to rehearse while in the hybrid model.
Freshmen Parent (Virtual) Social!
Class of 2024 Parents -- the SJ Parent Association invites you for an evening of online trivia and connection! This is your opportunity to connect with other Class of 2024 parents and learn how to get more involved!

On November 4 at 7:00pm, join us online for a fun, interactive trivia night – connecting with others and competing for prizes, all from the comforts your living room! We’ll also host a Q&A on ways to get involved.
Virtus Training for Parents
Per the Diocese of Bridgeport, all parents who wish to volunteer during SJ events need to be VIRTUS certified. The Diocese is currently offering online VIRTUS training! Recertification only needs to be done every 5 years. (Click the link below and choose "Bridgeport".
Freshmen Class Event on Oct 30!
This Friday, October 30, the entire Freshman Class will have an opportunity to come together as one for some great activities!

The freshmen activites will begin at 10:00am. Maroon Team students will already be in school, and Gold Team students may be dropped off at 9:30am to the gym. Gold Team students are still responsible for attending their period X and F classes virtually.

Freshmen will be allowed a "Seasonal Dress Down" day (Fall/Halloween theme/colors are encouraged, but no costumes will be allowed). Additional information will be shared with students via google classroom.
Junior Class Event on Nov 5
On Thursday, November 5, the Class of 2022 will have the opportunity to come together as one!

Planning for the day is still in progress, but details will be sent to students via google classroom from Junior Class Moderator, Dr Marino.

As to Junior Ring events, we are hoping to schedule an event in the Spring. In the meantime, all ring orders have been placed with Jostens and will be ready by late December.

Additional details to come!
Volunteer Opportunity for our Cadets!
Cadets -- are you looking for a volunteer opportunity? The Scouts Annual Food Drive will take place the weekend of November 13-15 and they are seeking high school students to assist with sorting and packing food.

The event is located at Wasson Field parking lot on West Main Street in Milford. Please see attached press release for further details. Students are welcome to attend the event anytime that weekend to assist!
Senior Lawn Games and Brunch!
On Friday, October 23, the Class of 2021 came together to enjoy games out on the lawn as well as a picnic brunch.

We were so glad to have the entire class together once again -- even the rain didn't stop us!

Many thanks to Mr Hatton for taking photos of our students!
Purchase Your Tickets for St Joe's Maroon & Gold Gala on Nov 21!
Join Us for The Big Night In. This year's Maroon & Gold Gala is taking on a hybrid model, with both live and pre-recorded segments! Participants will be able to view the event from home while simultaneously bidding on auction items through our mobile bidding platform!

Each reservation includes a Gala Gift Box for two to enjoy throughout the event. Proceeds from the Gala will benefit the St Joseph High School Scholarship & Tuition Relief Funds.
Walkathon a Great Success!
Many thanks to all who participated and supported Walkathon, SJ's longest running student-driven fundraiser.

To date we've raised $32,543! Walkathon may be over, but you can still fundraise until November 20. Continue to share your fundraising pages with family and friends. Every gift makes a difference and brings us closer to our $50,000 goal and closer to a day off!

Though you may not be able to log your miles, you can still create your fundraising page. If we get 75% of the school to participate in Walkathon fundraising, anonymous donors will give us $3,500 toward our goal. Currently, 39% of the student body has participated in this year's event.

Stay tuned for more information on which class took home the grand prize and won a dress down day!
Homecoming Assembly: November 6!
This year’s Homecoming Assembly will take place November 6! Seniors have been busy voting for their Homecoming Court, sorting through photos, selecting music for the slideshow, and contacting a couple of special speakers for the assembly. 

Sydney Leifer, Class President, has been overseeing all the aspects of the assembly and will be the Master of Ceremonies this year! 

Homecoming 2020 will include many of the SJ traditions, but there will be some changes due to CDC Guidelines. Only seniors will be in attendance, but please know the event will be taped so families can come together at home and view it. We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2021!
SJ Students, Parents, and Staff: Share Your Thoughts!
Share your thoughts on how our Hybrid Model has been working so far. We invite all parents, students, and staff to share their feedback.

Student Academic Center Workshops This Week!
The Student Academic Center will host two workshops this week in Room 209:
  • Improving Critical Thinking and Analysis Paragraphs (2:15pm-2:40pm)
  • Tips for Hybrid Learning Organization (2:40pm-2:55pm)

The workshops will take place in-person for the Maroon Team on Monday, October 26 and for the Gold Team on Tuesday, October 27.