Dear Saint Families,
Welcome back! It brings me great JOY to see our students back on campus today! As we gathered this morning for our morning assemblies, it was so wonderful to see our saints and I could feel their enthusiasm for the wonderful year that lies ahead.
A special welcome to our newest saint families! We are so glad you are here! Thank you to our many Ambassador Families for guiding and welcoming them to our community. Also, special thanks to PTO and many volunteers who worked Ice Cream Social and Meet & Greet. From the distribution of carpool tags, to showcasing the many ways our new and returning families may get involved - thank you so much for your time, we appreciate you!
This is our first edition of Saints Weekly for the 21/22 school year. This is one of our main ways that we will communicate with you, so please make sure you take time to read this newsletter so you can stay informed. You may click on the blue buttons too, which will link you to important information. Please note that we have pushed back the Parent Nights to after Labor Day. The new dates are listed below.
Happy reading...St. John Paul II, pray for us!
In Him,
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P.S. Our school calendar is also a wealth of information! StJPII stays busy! We suggest you bookmark this page so you can easily see the plans for the week, month, and year. |
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First All School Mass for the 2021-2022 School Year
All-school Masses at StJPII are very special times for our community to come together as the Body of Christ. This Friday will be our First All-school Mass of the school year at 8:30 a.m in the BAC. All are welcome to attend.
As we plan for our first 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. We are so privileged that we can gather together again, and so it is our intention to do so with reverence. Please help us create a holy atmosphere by respecting the following:
- 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.
- Save your food and drink for after Mass, please do not bring them with you.
- Out of respect for the celebration of our Divine Savior, we ask that you do not take photos.
- At the end of the Mass, we will all exit our church silently. As the children exit out of the front and side doors, parents will exit directly out of the back doors. You may save your hugs for after school.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation! We appreciate you for modeling proper worship etiquette, and more importantly, helping us maintain a holy space where we can all pray and worship together.
Wednesday Mass
Optional daily Mass will begin this week. All are welcome! Mass starts at 7:10 and ends at 7:40. It’s in the All Saints Chapel every Wednesday before school. What a beautiful way to start the day by worshiping the Lord!
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Parent Paperwork - Due TOMORROW
Be on the lookout for the first day of school paperwork which was sent home in today's Tuesday folders. All parent paperwork is due back to school to your homeroom teachers by tomorrow, Wednesday, August 18. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention.
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Parent Nights - NEW DATES!
Sept. 8 - PreK, Kindergarten, Middle School Parents
Sept. 9 - 1st-5th Grade Parents
Parents are invited to attend and learn more about StJPII. (Please note the new dates that have been pushed back to after Labor Day.) 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.
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From the Nurse's Office
If you have medication for the school nurse, then put it in a Ziploc bag labeled with your child's name and give it to the faculty/staff working morning arrival. The zip lock bag needs a medication permission form signed by the parent and physician. If at any time your family has a question or concern, please contact School Nurse Jeanne Aertker at jaertker@jp2.org or (281) 496-1500.
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Picture Day is Coming Soon
Thursday, August 26 will be Individual Picture Day. All students will take individual pictures for the yearbook and they must wear their full dress uniform. Order forms will be sent home with students this week. You can order picture packages online or return the order form with cash or check BEFORE Thursday, August 26. Any purchases made after August 26 must be made online.
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Casual Uniform Orders
StJPII offers Optional Casual Uniform top pieces for students to wear any day of the week that is not designated as a “Full Dress Uniform” day. The online order link is currently active. Access it by clicking the link below or visiting our website under the "Community" tab, then click "Uniforms".
- Last day to order is September 7, 2021
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Orders will be delivered at the end of October
- All prices include state sales tax
- Orders will only be accepted online through the link below.
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Carpool Procedures
You may read our Parent Student Handbook for a complete overview of carpool line procedures, including rainy-day carpool. Here are a few reminders about our process:
· Starting tomorrow, parents are not allowed to walk their students into school. You must use the carpool line or walkers.
· Students in PreK-1st Grades should be sent to school with a name-tag listing their full name, homeroom teacher, Family ID# and how they are going home (carpool, Brimhurst, Manderly, BASP) for the first week of school.
· All PreK and Kindergarten students waiting for older siblings will be kept in Mrs. Layfield's Kindergarten classroom. Please instruct older siblings to retrieve them and escort them to their dismissal location.
· Write your Family ID# on the outside of your student's backpack.
· Remain in your vehicle at all times. Students may only get out of the car when in front of the school; they may not be dropped off on Parkway Plaza. Do not park on the street and walk your children to the door.
Fire Lane
Please do not park along the red curbs in the parking lot. This is a fire lane and needs to remain clear at all times. Thank you in advance for using the visitor parking spaces when dropping off/picking up your children for the BASP program, early dismissals and late arrivals.
Reserved Parking Lot Spaces
Please respect the parking spaces designated for a particular individual or staff member as indicated. Visitors are welcome to park in the designated "Visitor" spaces in the parking lot or along Parkway Plaza next to the school during non-carpool hours. In appreciation for their volunteer efforts, we have reserved a space for our PTO President, Gala Chairs and Clergy visiting the school. These individuals, as well as our business assistant and administration, attend meetings or have business away from the office throughout the school day and many times when they return someone has parked in their space, so please do not park in these spaces even for a brief moment.
#1 Spot in Carpool
We have some generous families who have purchased the #1 spots in 3:00 and 3:20 carpool lines. These passes allow their cars to bypass the line and get in and out of the parking lot quickly. Thank you for making way for their vehicles! You too will have a chance to win this coveted privilege at our Gala in February, so stay tuned!
Visitors to Campus
To ensure the safety of our students, all visitors and parents are asked to enter through the front doors of the main building and check in at the office where you will be asked to provide a driver’s license or valid ID. The license or ID will be scanned by our Raptor system, and once cleared by the system, the individual will be issued a visitor or volunteer badge. Parents will only be asked to do this the first time they visit StJPII each school year if they have gone through the Volunteer Approval Process.
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Student Services - BASP & Cafeteria |
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Before And After School Program
BASP is back in full swing! Students in PreK- 2nd grade start the morning in St. Jude Hall. Students in 3rd-8th grade should be dropped off at the BAC (gym).
For our students' safety, all parents picking up in the afternoon should check-in at the front office. Your student(s) will then be called down to meet you. For more information about Before and After School Care, please contact Leticia Velasco.
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ECI Cafeteria Service
Our school cafeteria is run by ECI Management Group and provides lunch meals daily for registered students. Students use cash or personalized debit cards that are managed online through www.diningpay.com. (For those who used the debit card system during the past school year, the account balance will carry forward.) For more information, please contact ECI@ecimanagementgroup.com or 713-722-7773.
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Get Involved
Our PTO welcomes all families back to school! There are many ways to get involved - opportunities that are big and small - there is something for everyone. Just like our school's theme, volunteering at StJPII can "SPARK JOY" in your heart.
Please click the buttons below to review the 2021-2022 Parent Opportunities Handout, or send an email if you are interested in serving as a Room Parent.
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Volunteer Approval Process
We love our volunteers! If you wish to volunteer during the upcoming school year, you must be volunteer approved. Click below for a checklist for how to become volunteer approved. First time volunteers, please note that processing the paperwork will take four to six weeks to complete, so don’t delay!
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Volunteer in the Library
Attention Library Volunteer Angels! Do you like to help children find a just right book? Do you like to help your school save money? Do you love giving service to the school here on campus? Library Volunteer Angels could use your assistance! We love having CMG certified parents to help us here in the library. Working in 30 minute or hour long shifts, parents can perform such needed tasks as: stamping books, attaching covers, stickers and more, checking students in and out, helping little ones in finding the perfect book to check out, and more. We would love your assistance. Please reach out to Mrs. Stephanie Dunn, our head library volunteer. She will gather your information. After an orientation training session you will be ready to serve the school with valuable help to our students. Reach Mrs. Dunn at her email address dunn_steph@hotmail.com. I look forward to seeing you in the school library!
Happy Reading,
Sherry Lamb, MLS
StJPII Librarian
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Spirit Store
The PTO Spirit Store sells a variety of awesome products featuring our school name and logo. Visit the online Spirit Store catalog today to get ready to show off your StJPII pride! Contact the Spirit Store if you have any questions, spirit@jp2.org.
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Join the Birthday Club
The PTO has a Birthday Club fundraiser that helps you celebrate your child's birthday. Click on the button below to order your birthday t-shirts, school kits, or name on the marquee. Birthday t-shirts can be worn on the actual birthday, except if it falls on Full Dress day. The Birthday Club is now ONLINE! Place your orders today by using the button below.
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Elementary Athletics
PreK- 5th grade Elementary Soccer registration is going on now and will close on August 20th. StJPII cannot offer Elementary Sports without you! We need you!! All of our coaches are volunteer approved parents. As a coach you will have the entire StJPII family behind you for support! The teams are coached by Volunteer-Approved Parents. If you are not volunteer approved, please start the process NOW so you can be approved by August. Teams are formed in order of registration and the number of teams is based on the number of registrations and the availability of volunteer coaches. StJPII is a member of the West Houston Christian Sports Association (WHCSA), a skill building league. We cannot accept late registrations. Please see the Elementary Sports page on our website for additional information about Soccer, including frequently asked questions and coaching information. For more information, you may contact Elementary Athletics Director, Mary Beth Hewitt.
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Middle School Athletics
Our Middle School athletic program is governed by the Greater Houston Catholic Athletic Association (GHCAA). We open the school year with our Fall sports that begin in August. Our tryout schedule for Volleyball and Soccer is posted on the athletic calendar. Varsity Football practice will begin regular after school practice starting today, 3:30-6:00 and Cross Country will begin practices on September 13. Again, everything is on the Athletic calendar!
The GHCAA league has put out the Fall Sports Schedules and I am in the midst of posting them to the athletic calendar, remember to click on the event to see all pertinent information. Every student who will participate in a Middle School sport must have a new physical dated after May 1st 2021 submitted prior to tryouts or the start date for non-tryout sports. Your physical will be for the entire school year for all sports. For more information, you may contact Mary Beth Hewitt, Athletic Director, at mhewitt@jp2.org.
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Congratulations Advanced Band |
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The 2020-2021 StJPII Advanced Band submitted two of their contest recordings last spring in the Association of Texas Small School Bands annual Outstanding Performance Series. Recordings are adjudicated by class in each of the 22 regions across Texas and the top two are advanced to one of five Areas in Texas (each Area comprises 4-5 regions). From there, the top two are advanced to State Adjudications where the top two recordings are named the Outstanding Performance in each class (Class 1C Middle Schools- like StJPII , Class 2C/3C Middle Schools, Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A High Schools).
Both of StJPII's recordings advanced from Region to Area and from Area to State. While they were not selected as the very top two recordings in their class state-wide, they were in the top 15 in Class 1C Middle Schools in Texas!
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Click on the various links to see club flyers, contact information, and online registration.
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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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