|
|
350 Emery Street
Longmont, CO 80501
Ph: (303) 776-8760
|
|
Letter from the Principal |
|
Dear St. John's Family,
I pray this letter finds you well as we settle into our first month of school. This week we had the first session of our new Parent Book Club. We are reading "Raising Upright Kids in an Upside Down World" by Dr. Ray Guarandi. I enjoyed the opportunity to come together and discuss issues relevant to forming our children. Our next meeting will be on September 29th at 7:00 PM to discuss chapters 4-6. If you didn't make it to our first meeting, you are welcome to join any you can attend.
During our discussion last night, I had an overwhelming feeling of deep gratitude for all of the tricky waters you navigate with your children in the secular world. A question that is starting to come up more and more is talking to children about transgender issues.
Transgenderism includes a wide variety of identities and behaviors and may also be called "gender dysphoria," "gender confusion," or "gender identity disorder." It's tough enough for adults to understand this subject. So when our children encounter this confusing issue, what do we say? Most importantly, how do we help them develop a biblical, Christian perspective on this issue?
While the media sometimes portrays a different perspective, most Catholics are compassionate by nature and want to support others. So what is a constructive approach that we as Catholics can take and teach to our children without endorsing gender ideology and transitioning?
Our faith calls us to treat everyone with respect and kindness, acknowledging the person's dignity before us, a person truly loved by God. We need to be compassionate toward those who suffer and accompany them on their journey.
The more complicated question is what compassion looks like in a given circumstance and the direction in which we accompany the person. Authentic understanding seeks the other person's good and accompanies them on a path toward healing and happiness in light of God's plan. It is not compassionate to validate a person's unhealthy choices or accompany them down a dangerous path, morally or physically.
Catholics striving to be compassionate to a person who identifies as transgender need to see the good for that person, according to God's plan. The Catechism teaches that each person should accept their sexual identity. In "Amoris Laetitia," Pope Francis reminds us that our bodies are a gift from God. No one can be born in the wrong body. If a person's self-perception conflicts with the reality of the body, helping the person gain a clearer self-perception in alignment with the truth is the first step to helping.
A rapidly increasing number of children are being thrust into the transgender trend. So much of the culture surrounding us in the secular world teaches our children that their identities are self-defined and that the body can be manipulated to match their self-perception. Feeling unhappy or having a hard time fitting in is not proof that a child is transgender, but that's often told to young people. The reasons why a person feels discomfort over his or her identity are complex, but altering the body to match a distorted self-perception is not the answer.
One of the most important lessons to teach our children in regards to gender identity issues is kindness. We work to maintain God's heart for all people. Our children pick up on our cues, and we can serve as a great model for individuals with gender identity issues. Prayer is one of the most powerful examples of God's love. Pray for God's heart and the ability to convey this to your children.
We will do all we can to support your efforts. The Goal of Catholic education is to form students with the foundation they need for this life and the one to come. Given the recent struggles in society, our children must know their worth and the dignity of every person they encounter. We want to raise a generation of faithful believers and evangelists who will share the truth and beauty of our Catholic faith.
Blessings,
|
|
Poll Question
Quick Links
Important Calendar Events
SJB News
Upcoming Events
The PTO Post
SJB Fundraisers
|
|
Viking Athletics
Student Council Corner
Catechesis Connection
Mr. Jolly's Magnificent Math
Pre Scoop
Important Handbook Policy Reminders
Holy Family News
Parish News
|
|
|
|
|
Have you checked out the new PTO portal on our website?
|
|
|
|
If you haven't checked it out, visit the PTO portal HERE. Link is also in our Quick Links section of the newsletter!
|
|
Important Calendar Events |
|
September 19
September 21
- All School Mass - Wear Mass Uniforms
- Individual Picture Day
- 4th Grade Reconciliation
September 23
- K-4th Mass Day - Wear Mass Uniforms
- 8th Grade Shadow Day @ Holy Family High School
September 24
- Football Frenzy Ticket Stub Deadline
September 28
- All School Mass - Wear Mass Uniforms
- 5th Grade Reconciliation
September 29
September 30
- 5-8th Mass Day - Wear Mass Uniforms
October 1
- No School - Professional Development Day
|
|
October 7: CSAL Basketball Registration Closes
October 8: 3-P Coffee in Benedict Hall @ 8:30 A.M.
October 11: Chipotle Restaurant Night Out 5-9 P.M. (Chipotle on Ken Pratt)
October 21: Parent/Teacher Conferences - Noon Dismissal
October 22: No School
|
|
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL EVENT SPONSORS! |
|
Spirit Order Deadline: September 19 |
|
Reminder - please turn in all stubs and collected money by September 24th. Tickets can also be purchased online - CLICK HERE!
|
|
Did you miss the PTO Kick Off Zoom Meeting? Don't worry!
|
|
Upcoming Fundraiser Events |
|
These fundraisers are coming soon! Football Frenzy Fundraiser tickets have been sent home. You can also purchase tickets online! Directions can be found in Quick Links. Our first "Restaurant Night Out" is coming up October 11th! Get a night off cooking and head on over to our local Chipotle on Ken Pratt between 5:00 - 9:00 P.M. Our school will receive 33% of all event sales for the night! |
|
These fundraisers are on-going throughout the school year and provide an easy option for families to give back to our school. SJB receives a donated portion of your purchase through popular shopping platforms such as Amazon, King Soopers, and a variety of online vendors. If you haven't already, please sign up for one or more of these options listed below:
-
SCRIP Program: Each family has an obligation to purchase $3600 worth of SCRIP or pay an opt out fee of $400. SCRIP cards can be purchased through the school or parish office (options include Walmart, Target, Starbucks, and much more). You can also purchase SCRIP online and charge your own credit card through the online program!
instructions for online purchasing!
|
|
RaiseRight is the mobile app used to shop with online scrip directly from your phone! It is available for download on Apple and Android devices!
|
|
-
King Soopers Community Rewards Program: This program is tied to the King Soopers Loyalty Card. Every quarter, King Soopers will send St. John's a Rebate check for a percentage of total sales for that quarter. This program will not alter the way customers earn Loyalty Points or Gas Rewards. You must link your King Soopers card with St. John's and submit monthly proof of purchases.
For instructions on how to follow this program - CLICK HERE
-
Restaurant Night Out: Get a night off cooking! Certain restaurants throughout the area will give us a percentage back on meals purchased on a certain day/time.
|
|
-
Amazon Smile: This program is a simple and automatic way for you to support our school every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to St. John the Baptist Catholic School.
-
How do I shop at AmazonSmile? Go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. Simply search for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School in the search bar for your charity selection. Follow the directions and start shopping! You might want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier. You can even use your existing Amazon account on AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, wish list, registries and other account settings will all remain the same.
|
|
-
Milk Caps for Moola: This is a program sponsored by Longmont Dairy that helps students earn money for their school. Just bring those used and washed milk caps to the school office for collection and Longmont Dairy donates 5 cents for every bottle cap!
|
|
-
BoxTops for Education: No more clipping! No more sending BoxTops to school. All you need is your phone. Download the ALL-NEW BoxTops App, shop as you normally would, and then scan your store receipts to find participating products. The app automatically credits your school's BoxTop earnings online. St. John's will receive a check twice a year!
CLICK HERE for more information. The app is available for download
|
|
-
American Furniture Warehouse: This is a year-around fundraiser for our school. Purchases made at any AFW location, online, or by phone will help our school!
|
|
Cross Country Season Is Underway |
|
Our SJB cross country team competed in the first meet of the season, the Adam Ginther Invite, held at Nativity Catholic School in Broomfield. The weather made it a hot day for running, but everyone gave their best and competed well! The following runners earned top placements:
JV Girls - 3rd Place
Hailey Williams - 3rd; Emily Senn - 7th; Lexi McIntosh - 8th
JV Boys - 3rd Place
Max Roby - 4th; Daniel Flores - 7th
Varsity Girls (No Team Score)
Maggie Greene - 5th; Marley Tatum - 8th
Varsity Boys - 1st Place
Ryan Carmichael - 1st; James Grothe - 3rd; Will Cavanaugh - 5th
|
|
PLCT Parent Workshop Class Required! |
|
ATTENTION PARENTS! If you have a child who will be participating in a CSAL sport in the fall (cross country), winter (basketball), or spring (volleyball), you are required to take a Parent Play Like A Champion class. This course must be completed in order for your child to participate in any CSAL sport. Parents who have previously completed the PLCT Parent Workshop class, do not need to take this training as it is a one-time requirement.
Registration for September classes is now available to parents. There will be two classes offered via zoom. In order to receive the zoom link to the meeting, advanced registration is required. The confirmation email will contain the zoom link.
September 8 - 7:00 P.M.
September 16 - 8:00 P.M.
Register for one of these classes by:
- Go to www.csalden.org
- Click "Register Now"
- Click either September 8 or September 16 class
|
|
CSAL Cornhole Tournament Announced! |
|
CSAL is excited to introduce a new sport for the 2021-2022 School Year: Cornhole! CSAL will host their inaugural Cornhole Tournament on Saturday, October 23rd at St. Thomas More Catholic School (7071 E Otero Ave, Englewood, CO 80112). The cost to participate is $20 per player which includes the cost of a commerative t-shirt.
Registration opens Sunday, August 1st and closes Friday, October 8th. The tournament is available to boys and girls in 3rd through 8th Grades. Advanced registration is required through the CSAL website. Go to www.csalden.org, select “Register Now”, then click “CSAL 2021 Cornhole Tournament".
The format of the pool play and single/double elimination tournament will be determined by the number of registrations. Our goal is to have three brackets (3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th, and 7th and 8th grades). This is a coed tournament.
Students registering will be able to request their teammate but the name will need to be inputted at the time of registration. Teams are comprised of 2 players. For participants who register as a solo player, he/she will be placed with another individual player. Teams do not need coaches.
Many details of the tournament will be based on the number of participants, please note the following information:
- Registration opens August 1st and closes on October 8th.
- Saturday, October 8th, 2021. 8am or 9am start – end TBD.
- Three levels-all coed. 3rd/4th grades, 5th/6th grades, and 7th/8th grades. Format of pool play and tournament will be created resulting from the number of registrations.
- Cost $20 per person includes 4 games minimum.
- Players must be familiar with basic Cornhole rules.
- Ask your Athletic Director if the players can wear their school's jersey.
- 2 players per team.
- Deadline to register Friday, October 8th.
- COVID Protocols will be communicated as the tournament approaches. Tri-County Health guidelines will be followed.
|
|
CSAL Fall Golf Tournament Announced |
|
CSAL is hosting their annual Fall Golf Tournament on Friday, November 5th. Tournament play will be an 18 Hole Golf Tournament and begin at 3:00 P.M. with a shotgun start. Students in grades 5th-8th (boys and girls) are welcome to participate.
The tournament will be played at Homestead Golf Course in Lakewood (11500 W. Hampden Ave, Lakewood 80227) 720.963.5181.
Registration for this event opens September 24!
To register, go to www.csalden.org, click Register Now, and select 2021 CSAL Fall Golf Tournament. Players may request specific teammates.
Participation is limited to 64 players. The cost to participate includes lunch and a commemorative T-shirt. Green fees ($55) are non-refundable.
Spectators can ride along with the foursome; an additional cost may be charged at the time of the rental.
Players can check-in 30 minutes before their group tees-off.
COVID-19 Protocols will be announced as the date for the tournament approaches.
|
|
CSAL 3v3 Basketball Tournament |
|
CSAL will be hosting their annual 3v3 Basketball Tournament on Friday, December 31st at Holy Family High School (5195 W 144th Ave, Broomfield, CO 80023). This tournament will be co-ed and available to boys and girls in 3rd through 8th Grades.
Advanced registration is required through the CSAL website. Go to www.csalden.org, select “Register Now”, then click “CSAL 3v3 Basketball Tournament”.
Three brackets will be played: 3rd/4th, 5th/6th, and 7th/8th. Additional brackets may be created as result of registration. The cost to participate is $30 per person and is payable at the time of registration (refunds will not be provided).
Registration: October 1st - December 15th.
Students registering will be able to request their teammates but those names will need to be inputted at the time of registration. Teams must have a minimum of three players but no more than five players are allowed to be on a team. For participants who do not have a full team or who will be registering as a solo player, he/she will be placed with other individual players or on teams that don’t have five players. Teams do not need coaches.
Many details of the tournament will be based on the number of participants. Please note the following information:
- Friday, December 31, 2021. 8:00 A.M. start. End will be TBD (maybe as late as 8:00 P.M.)
- Three levels. Coed. 3rd/4th grades, 5th/6th grades, and 7th/8th grades. Additional levels/brackets may be created resulting from the number of registrations.
- 3rd and 4th grade brackets may play on courts on a lower rim if equipment can be rented.
- Cost is $30 per person and includes 4 games minimum.
- Members of the team are to wear similar colors or an identical jersey. Bring two different color tops in case the other team is wearing the same color. Ask your Athletic Director if players can wear your school's jersey.
- 3 players min & 5 players max.
- Deadline to register is Wednesday, December 15th.
- COVID Protocols will be communicated as the tournament approaches.
|
|
Mr. Jolly's Magnificent Math |
|
Do you like pyramid graphic math puzzles? Click on the link below for hundreds more of these pyramid puzzles ranging from easy (page one) to difficult (page 300). Answers to the problems are given in the back. Have fun!
|
|
Important Handbook Policy Reminders |
|
Safe Environment Training |
|
All volunteers are required to complete a Safe Environment Training course. Our school is committed to protecting all children and young people through continued education, building awareness, and maintaining a safe environment for everyone.
If you plan on volunteering at St. John's, you must attend (or have attended within the last five years) one of our Safe Environment Training sessions, sign the Archdiocese of Denver Code of Conduct, and have a completed background check on file with the school. For more information on this policy, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE to register for a Safe Environment Training Course.
Questions? Feel free to contact the office!
|
|
Attention Catholic School Students In Grades 6-8th! |
|
Additional Important Choir Information! |
|
For children who do not attend St. John's School, please meet the rest of the choir downstairs in Martin Hall anytime after 3:00 P.M.
For children who attend St. John's School, supervision will be provided between 3:00 P.M. and the beginning of choir rehearsal. Parents - you do not need to pick up your children from school on choir days. Teachers will direct the children where to go.
We ask you to provide a simple snack for your child(ren). Please remind them to clean up after themselves AND...Martin Hall is NOT the gym or playground.
|
|
Mass & Confession Schedule |
|
Confessions:
Thursday @ 4:30
Saturday @ 3:30
Also by appointment
SJB Schedule Masses:
M-F @ 8:30 and 12:00 PM
Misa en Español Jueves @ 6:00 p.m.
Saturday Mass –
5:00 PM English
6:30 PM Misa en Español
Sunday Mass –
8:30 AM English (Livestreamed)
10:30 AM English
12:30 AM Misa en Español (Livestreamed)
4:00 PM English
|
|
Non-Discrimination Policy |
|
Notice of Student Non-Discrimination Policy
The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Denver, under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, S.T.L. and at the direction of the Superintendent, state that all of their Catholic schools admit students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the schools. Furthermore, Archdiocesan schools admit disabled students in accord with the policy on Admissions in the Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools Administrator’s Manual. These schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, disability, color, and national or ethnic origin in the administration of their educational policies, employment practices, scholarship and loan programs, athletic or other school-administered programs.
|
|
To update your address for future issues of the SJB Newsletter, please contact
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
