The Spirit Newsletter- August 31, 2023

IMPORTANT DATES, REMINDERS, & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thank You for a Wonderful End of Summer Social and Visit Day!

We are so grateful to all who attended our Annual End of Summer Social! It was a record turn out and our students, families, and staff had a marvelous time outdoors! Thank you to our friend Steve with Kona Ice for being there to help beat the heat with some frosty treats, and to Spirit Bear, who braved the warm weather and made an appearance, which our students loved!

The SJPDS Teachers and Staff were so happy to welcome our students back to campus for our Visit Day to take a peek at their classrooms! It is such a nice way to get everyone familiar with their new environment and prepared for the first day of school!

Our entire team is looking forward to welcoming all 322 students on Tuesday, and the Parent's Association (PA) is excited to host their annual BooHoo/Yahoo Social for the parents on Tuesday morning!

First Day Reminders and Updates

Please Read Carefully

As we prepare for another wonderful school year, we want to send out a few updates to ensure we have a nurturing, fun, and safe environment for all in our community. Please read the following reminders carefully and reach out to communications@stjohnspds.org with any questions:

Medical Forms and Emergency Cards are now Past Due. All overdue forms must be turned in to school on the First Day of School. You may bring all completed forms to the Main Office on Tuesday, September 5, or fill them out online PRIOR to the First Day of School. Please fill out your Medical Forms and Emergency Cards
No Before Care or After Care on Tuesday, September 5. Lower School Students may arrive between 8:10-8:30 AM and Early Childhood Students may arrive between 8:50-9:15 AM. Early Childhood will dismiss at 3:00 PM and Lower School will dismiss at 3:30 PM.
Complimentary Care will be Offered to Early Childhood students who have a sibling in Lower School. Complimentary Care will be available from 8:10- 8:50 AM, and from 3:00-3:30 PM.
Carline Procedures are in place to ensure the safety of all students, staff, and other community members on campus. Please be mindful of street signs on campus and do not exceed 5 MPH while on campus. Children are on our campus daily, and we all must be mindful that we do not exceed the speed limit. The video below details our carline procedures for the 2023-24 School Year. Please be patient as we all get acquainted with carline procedures during the first week of school.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Teacher In-Service Week

Our faculty and staff have been Busy Bears during our annual Teacher In-Service week! They have been learning about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, doing team-building activities, understanding how to create and implement a Responsive Classroom, practicing safety drills, and more! SJPDS even had a visit from the Howard County Police Department to review safety measures to continue to ensure that our campus is as safe as possible and that our staff is prepared for a number of potential emergency situations. Go Bears!

A special Thank You to our incredible Parent's Association for providing our teachers and staff with a delicious breakfast bar on Monday to kick off our week of learning!

While it was a busy week of learning, our staff had a fantastic time connecting and growing as a community. Congratulations to the winning team of our SJPDS Amazing Race:Diana Cagas- EC 4's, Katherine Baldwin- EC 3's, Alison Wilkins- STEM Teacher, Kelly Mintzer- Kindergarten, Sue Aschman- School Nurse. Special appearance by Mrs. Dani Boarman, who coordinated the scavenger hunt and made teacher in-service such a fun team-building activity!

We're Wild About our Media Center

Mrs. Jenny Moulding, our new Librarian, has been tirelessly working to update our Media Center and create a fun and interactive learning environment for our students! She has updated all of the reading centers, reorganized and re-shelved books (with the help of some amazing alum and volunteers!) and decorated in a fun and exciting theme! Our Wild Media Center focuses on making reading and learning about media fun and exciting, while relating to one of our major global outreach efforts, Kenya Connect! We can't wait to show you more of our incredible Media Center!

Keep up with the going's on in Mrs. Moulding's Media Center with her newsletter, which you can find here!

PARENTS' ASSOCIATION NEWS

Boo Hoo/Yahoo Social

Tuesday, September 5th from 8:15- 10:15

Whether you need tissues for your tears or someone to hear your cheers, the Parent's Association welcomes you to a gathering immediately following drop off on the 1st day of school! This event is a time to share your excitement and tears (hopefully happy!)about your child(ren)'s first day of school. The annual event will be held in the undercroft of the Historic Church. Look for the entry door on the right side of the church by the parking lot and take the stairs down to the basement. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. We hope to see you there!

PA Volunteer Sign-Up

Please consider volunteering for the Parent's Association (PA) this coming school year via the 2023-24 Volunteer Sign-up! The PA is still in need to fill a few key positions such as the Fall Fundraiser Chair, Fall Family Fun Day Chair, and Spirit Wear Chair. We thank everyone who volunteers and hope you are able to donate your time to help with the PA's important work this year!

SJPDS Girls on the Run Chapter

St. John's is excited to host their very own chapter of Girl's on the Run! The link to register girls 3rd through 5th grade is now live. Please click HERE to sign up. The Bears will have practices Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM beginning September 19th. Sign up details can be found here. Questions about this program? Please reach out to lisaboardgardner@gmail.com . We're looking forward to this fun initiative!