Dear Saints families,
I hope that you had a joyful and restful Labor Day weekend! It will be wonderful to see you on campus for Parent Nights. Now that it's officially September our campus is buzzing, so be sure to stay up to date by reading Saints Weekly. God Bless you!
In Him,
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All-School Mass
All-school Masses at StJPII are very special times for our community to come together as the Body of Christ. All are welcome to join us on Friday at 8:30 a.m. for All School Mass.
We would like to remind everyone that even though the rooms we are in are a gym and cafeteria, on Friday mornings, they transform to our worship space to celebrate Mass. Please help us create a holy atmosphere by practicing the following:
- Mass will begin at 8:30. Please plan to arrive no later than 8:45 when the doors will close. The Front Office will remain open to sign in students, however Parents and Visitors who arrive late will not be able to get into the BAC/GSC once the Mass doors are closed.
- Upon entering the doors from the outside, silence yourselves and treat the space like you would treat the church that you attend on the weekend.
- Turn off your cell phones - please do not use them to take photos/videos.
- Save your food and drink for after Mass, please do not bring them with you.
- At the end of the Mass, parents will exit directly out of the back doors. You may save your hugs for after school.
Wednesday Masses: Optional daily Mass will continue weekly on Wednesdays. Mass starts at 7:10 and ends at 7:40 in the All Saints Chapel. (On 9/15, in lieu of Mass, we will pray the rosary for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. All are welcome!) Please enter the building through St. Jude Hall.
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SJV Bazaar Volunteers Needed
Attention all middle school students looking for service hours and including all Challenge girls, and Conquest boys: we are looking for volunteers to help serve in the cotton candy/snow cone booth at the SJV Bazaar on Sunday, October 10. There are 2 hour shifts available from 10am -6pm. If you are interested, then click on the sign up genius link below. If your child is 13 yrs old and younger a parent must sign up with them, please. Thank you for helping out and serving in your community. If you have any questions please contact Shannon Pietrak shannonpietrak17@gmail.com. Be not afraid...to serve !
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Altar Society Meeting on Sept. 15
Please join us for our first meeting of the year on September 15. We will meet at 8:15 a.m. in Saint Jude Hall. The Altar Society helps Mrs. Yohr, our Religion Coordinator, in preparing for Saint Family activities, Vocations Day, and other religious events. We will also need help with decorations, including making flower arrangements and building some plant stands. If you are interested in encouraging our students to love their Catholic faith, then please join us! New members are always welcome.
If you are interested in helping with Vocations Day specifically, we need helpers to make desserts and breakfast items. Thank you in advance!
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New Painting
On Friday after Mass, Fr. Shelly blessed this custom oil painting which now hangs across from the Main Office. It beautifully depicts the Holy Spirit guiding our Patron as he walks in Heaven between the facades of St. John Paul II Catholic School and St. Peter's Basilica.
This painting was inspired by a painting that is in the St. John Paul II Shrine in Krakow, Poland. The original features our Patron walking between St. Mary's Basilica, the Cathedral of Krakow where he was Archbishop, and St. Peter's Basilica. In our painting, which took about a year to complete, our beloved StJPII school building replaces the Krakow Basilica. The image of St. John Paul II's face is how he looked in 1988, the year our school was founded. The same is also true of all the other images of St. John Paul around our school, including the bronze statue in the Randall-Crosthwait Courtyard and the mosaic outside of our All Saints Chapel. Artist Kathy Behrendt skillfully painted his eyes so that no matter where you stand, his eyes follow you. You could be on the left, the right, or front and center and he looks you in the eye. Our campus is adorned not just with beautiful artwork, but it is also meant to inspire our students. St. John Paul II was a man whose only hope was to do his Lord's will, and there is no better example. It is our prayer that every morning when the children walk past this painting, they will look him in the eye and ask St. John Paul II to help them know God's will for them that day.
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Annual Fund
The 2021-2022 Annual Fund Drive will kick off next week. Please be on the lookout for your letter in the mail at home. The Annual Fund is our cornerstone fundraising campaign and your donation is so vitally important to help us sustain our mission. Thank you in advance for praying about how you may support us this year. Together we can make a difference for our school, for our students, and for the people of God. For it is in giving that we receive.
Your students may wear their favorite sports team jersey with uniform bottoms next week on Wednesday, September 15 to "kick off" the Annual Fund Drive!
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Yearbooks are Here
The 2020-2021 StJPII The Spirit Yearbooks are here! All families who attended StJPII during the 2020-2021 school year (last year) will receive a yearbook with their Tuesday folder. A limited number of extra yearbooks will be available for purchase. A drive through distribution will be scheduled soon for the Class of 2021 to pick up their yearbooks. Questions? Contact Mrs. Hiltbrand at sehiltbrand@jp2.org.
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Homecoming - Save the Date
All current and former families are invited to our Homecoming football game on Wednesday, September 29 to kick off the school year! Fun and festivities will abound as we cheer our Saints to victory! We’ll have the cheerleaders, food trucks in the parking lot, and more! So grab your picnic gear and make plans to meet your friends at this fun StJPII tradition!
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Parent Nights - This Week
Parents are invited to attend and learn more about StJPII. You will have the opportunity to hear about your child(ren)'s academic year with their teachers in the classrooms. These events begin at 6:00 p.m., and are for parents only, so please make plans for your children to stay at home.
Please click the buttons below to download the agenda for each evening.
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September Service Project - Through the End of September
The 7th grade class would like to donate to the Christians suffering in Afghanistan. They will be collecting monetary donations starting in September, and the last day for donations will be Sept 30. Please send your donations with your child to class. Their teacher will have an envelope to collect it. The people of Afghanistan have lived through decades of conflict, poverty and uncertainty, Afghan parents are struggling to provide their children with food, clean water and education. When you give, you provide immediate assistance for your Afghan sisters and brothers who face this devastating situation. Thank you for helping the people that are suffering in Afghanistan. You may click here to learn more about the organization leading this effort.
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Casual Uniform Orders - Due Today
StJPII offers Optional Casual Uniform top pieces for sale online. Access the order form by clicking the link below or visiting our website under the "Community" tab, then click "Uniforms".
· Last day to order is TODAY, September 7
· Orders will be delivered at the end of October
· All prices include state sales tax
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Let's Be Pals - Sign Up Party for PreK/Kinder
Our littlest Saints and their new pals will kick off their weekend with a playdate at Ray Miller Park on a Friday, September 17 (NEW DATE) after school! Siblings are welcome, and you'll get to mingle with other families in your child's grade! You're the bees knees, moms and dads, because you've got dinner figured out. Pizza, frozen treats, water, and juice will be provided for these cool kids! Open to current StJPII PreK and Kinder students and their siblings. Click the button below to participate. If your soccer practice is that day, feel free to stop by the party before or after your practice!
- Current PreK and Kinder students $25
- Siblings of current PreK and Kinder students $10
Date: September 17, 2021
Time: 3:45pm
Location: Ray Miller Park Gazebo
Sponsored by: The Lieng family and the Montesino families
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Love and Logic: Parenting, Phones, and Technology
Although the basics of parenting remain the same, rapidly evolving technology involving cell phones and the Internet have left many parents wondering what limits are appropriate, how to hold their children accountable for misuse of technology, and how to help kids learn the decision-making skills required to make healthy technology choices when they leave home.
Click the link below for an article which includes a link to Love and Logic's Technology course.
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Parent Teacher Organization |
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Spirit Day at Russo's on Thursday |
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Thank You
A HUGE THANK YOU to all our parents who signed up to donate to the FFL this month.
Our teachers deserve ALL of this and more, thanks to your generosity it was made POSSIBLE.
THANKS!!!!
Mary Hernandez, Melinda Del Rio, Katarzyna Przybylska, Danielle Nunez, Christine Bailey-Navarro, Rose Nguyen Shelton, Lorrie Rudd, Ervina Widjaja, Tricia Nino, Heidi Galito, Vanessa Briceno-Hinestroza, Marielisa Gutierrez Peraza, Kathy Forbes, Tara Michaels, Victoria Folkner, Julia Hillier, Mariana Burgoa, Noha Tuma, Holly Michael, Lauren Baker, Analia Gugliotti, Ofelia Hernandez, Elena Csekitz, Jason Schuckle, Hana Byun, Machi Marquez, Veronica Villareal, Donna Peters, Jamie Kopulos, Danille Lalonde, Stacey Cline, Alexandra Riveros, Bruna Yearwood, Karol Rivera, Mindy Bazan, Ida Centeno, Valentina Bracho-Rodon, Maliah Akinyele, Felix Rantow, Sandra Vreedenburgh, Nicole Lambert, Gina Quant, Meredith Kopp, Beatriz Moreno.
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Art à la Carte Starts on Friday, September 17th
This year, AALC will be offered to PreK and Kinder classes 4 times a year. We need volunteer-approved parents to make it a success! Parents will need to help out in all 3 classes of their grade. While the lessons are being taught by the Class Lead, parents will hand out art supplies, assist in clean up and set up for the next class, and help the little ones when needed in mixing colors, painting or drawing. No artistic experience or ability necessary! Just come and have fun with your child(ren) and their friends! Please contact Sandra Vreedenburgh at svreeden24@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering. PreK parents will need to be at school from 9:30-11:30, and Kinder parents will need to be at school from 11:30-1:30. Details about the lesson will be sent to the selected volunteers via email about 1 week prior.
AALC dates for the 2021-2022 school year are 9/17, 11/5, 2/11 and 4/8.
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Birthday Club
Packages for the Birthday Club are selling fast, order yours soon!
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.
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Future PTO Meeting Dates - Worth Repeating
Please mark your calendar for the upcoming 2021-2022 PTO meetings to be held in St. Jude Hall at 8:30 am on the following dates:
- October 6
- November 3
- December 1
- January 12
- February 9
- March 9
- April 6
- May 11
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WHCSA Elementary Athletics
We are ready to kick off our Soccer season! All the teams are finalized and the coaches are ready to go! Parents should be receiving emails with the necessary information regarding practice days and times, games info, equipment, etc... Please familiarize yourself with the website which lists all the important dates going forward. Also, please continue to read Saints Weekly each week to keep up on all information as well as updates for each sport!
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GHCAA Middle School Athletics
Opening week had "W's" across the board! Soccer kicked off their season with the Varsity team defeating St Anne Houston, while Football defeated St Anne Tomball! Our Cheer squad did an amazing job up in Tomball cheering on our team! Meanwhile back home our Varsity Volleyball team played incredible in their win against St Teresa Sugar Land! Team spirit, enthusiasm, and talent shown by all!
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Note regarding BASP and Elementary Soccer Practice
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PreK - 1st Grade: If your child attends aftercare, you must pick him/her up to get them changed into their soccer gear and to practice on time. For safety reasons, we cannot help them change their clothes, nor escort them outside to the field.
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2nd Grade and up: If you have children attending aftercare who are planning to participate in soccer, the BASP teacher will release them to attend practice. However, the parents need to pick them on the field once practice is finished.
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After School Activities
Click on the various links to see club flyers, contact information, and online registration.
· Art Club (6th-8th Grade) – contact Ronda Stieber - will begin on Monday, September 13th. Students will report to the Art Room at dismissal and will end at 5:00 p.m. - parents will pick up their child in the carpool line.
· Mini Art Club (4th-5th Grade) – contact Ronda Stieber - will begin on Wednesday, September 15th. Students will report to the Art Room at dismissal and will end at 5:00 p.m. - parents will pick up their student in the carpool line.
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Challenge Club - Calling All 5th – 8th Grade Girls
Do you want to strengthen your friendship with Jesus and have lots of fun while doing it? Then SJPII Challenge Club is what you’re looking for! Games, crafts, service, sharing & deepening your faith alongside old friends and making new ones – with fun high school (mostly SJPII alums) team leaders.
Join us for a discovery meeting on Friday, September 10th after school. Girls: Come to St. Jude Hall after dismissal. Parents: At 4:00 in St. Jude Hall, we will present more information about Challenge Club and the city-wide events scheduled for the upcoming year. You will have the chance to meet the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, the missionaries, & the high school team leaders who will be working with the girls. We can't wait to see you!
Want a preview? Click on the YouTube link to see more!
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Fall Math+ at Strake Jesuit - Starting 9/14
The Math+ program includes 6 courses. Each Math+ course focuses on 1 major idea based on key concepts included in Stanford University’s introductory math sequence. This Fall’s course will focus on Probability – a mathematical concept that has both practical relevance and important mathematical applications. The course will teach probability while exploring many real-world applications from finance to decision-making to poker. The six session course will be taught at Strake Jesuit on Tuesdays (except for the second session which will be taught on Monday, September 20th) from 5:00 to 6:00 pm starting on Tuesday, September 14th and ending on October 19th. Families can sign-up at www.RedwoodPrep.com.
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St. John Paul II Catholic School |
1400 Parkway Plaza, Houston, TX 77077
281-496-1500 • 281-496-2943 (fax)
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St. John Paul II Catholic School prepares all students spiritually
and academically to succeed in life and to do God's will.
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