Dear SJRCS Families,

It is nice seeing that everyone has settled into the new school year with students adjusting to their new teachers and classmates, while teachers communicate their yearly expectations.

HSA Movie night was a fantastic experience for all participating families. It was heartening to witness so many families taking part in the event. Many thanks to the HSA team for organizing such an enjoyable evening!

I want to express my gratitude to all the families who have submitted their Family Income Surveys. Your participation has significantly contributed to funding programs that benefit all our students. Thanks for your support.

I apologize for having to address this issue once again, but it is important to note that students should not be picked up or dropped off on the SKD side of the building. Instead, please use the designated drop off and pick up areas. I understand that everyone has busy schedules and waiting in line can be frustrating; however, it is crucial that we all follow the rules and guidelines to ensure the safety of all students. Adhering to these policies will help to make arrival and dismissal run more efficiently. Thank you for understanding and cooperation.

We also ask that you kindly show respect and courtesy towards the residents of Sunlight Drive in the Clover Ridge neighborhood across the field from St. John’s. The neighborhood has experienced a surge in parking during pick-up times, hindering the residents' access to their homes. Improperly parked vehicles, such as those parked in the wrong direction or partially blocking the road, make it hard for school buses to navigate and drop off students. This situation is also causing difficulties for the neighbors to enter or leave the community. Your appreciate your cooperation with this matter.

Celebrate the joy of your relationship with God, and thank you for choosing Catholic education to raise such amazing students.

With a grateful heart,

Mrs. Kim Hanner

Principal

You may click on the picture to open calendar view

September:

16 (Mon) MapGrowth Testing Begins - Students in Grades 2-8 may wear their gym uniform

17 (Tues) MapGrowth Testing - Students in Grades 2-8 may wear their gym uniform

18 (Wed) MapGrowth Testing - Students in Grades 2-8 may wear their gym uniform

18 (Wed) H.S.A. General Meeting - No Homework

18 (Wed) Band Demonstration Program: Grades 4-8

19 (Thur) Mass (10:00 AM)

20 (Fri) Noon Dismissal; No Wildcat Care; Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day

23 (Mon) Student Pictures grades PK3, PK4, K, 1st

24 (Tue) Student Pictures grades 2, 3, 4, 5

25 (Wed) Student Pictures grades 6, 7, 8

Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day is quickly approaching. Please be sure to click here to register your Grandparent of Special Friend. Please note that students will not be permitted to leave with a visitor without the permission form found in the link above. All visitors who will be taking students with them MUST present a valid picture ID.

Due to morning drop off and limited parking, parking in the lots for Grandparents will be available beginning at 8:20 AM in time for the front doors to open at 8:30 AM. All students must be dropped off following our normal morning drop off procedure and after 8:30 grandparents will be welcomed to join their grandchild in the classroom.

Grandparent or Special Friend Arrival Times as follows:

Last Name L-Z: 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Last Name A-K: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

We are still in need of volunteers for Grandparents' Day! Please click here to sign up.

Student Picture Day is coming up! The dates for pictures are as follows:

Monday, September 23rd: PK3, PK4, K, 1st grades

Tuesday, September 24th: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th grades

Wednesday, September 25th: 6th, 7th, 8th grades

Photo order forms will be sent home soon!

The St. John Regional Catholic School Annual Golf Tournament is always a fun time! Golfers of all skill levels are invited to play. Single players and foursomes are welcome! Please click here to register today!

Have you taken a look at our Community Partners page yet? Sponsorships play a crucial role in helping us provide enriching experiences and resources for our students. Whether you're a local business or a passionate individual, your contribution can make a significant impact on the success of our school.

Together, we can ensure a brighter future for our students! Thank you for your support! Reach out to our Advancement Director, Katharine Galvas, for more info! kgalvas@sjrcs.org

Click here to learn more about Community Partnership at SJRCS

When you may have a respiratory virus...‎

Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.

You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:

-Your symptoms are getting better overall, and

-You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).

When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors. This is especially important to protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses.

For More Information: https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/about/index.html

Dear Parents,

It’s band registration time! .

Brian Smolinski, our band teacher, will be giving a band demonstration on the 18th for students

in grades 4-8. Mr. Smolinski will be reaching out via email/phone to assist those who are

interested in registering. Please visit the band website for information regarding registration,

instrument rental, and the band schedule.

For more information about the Band Program:

● Band Website to sign up: https://sites.google.com/view/mrbriansmolinski/home

● Instrumental rental info Instrument Rental Flyer click here

● Email: smolinski101b@gmail.com

● Phone: (443) 671-8864

Let's Go Band!

Upcoming H.S.A. Events:

H.S.A. General Meeting - September 18, 2024 at 8:30am in McElroy Hall

All are welcome to attend this meeting to learn more about H.S.A. initiatives for the year and the Homeroom Parent opportunity.

H.S.A. Fall Fest at Summer’s Farm - October 11, 2024

The Fall Festival at Summer’s Farm will be Friday, October 11, 2024. Keep an eye out for additional details. We hope you’ll join us!

Member Sign Up:

If you’d like to join the HSA as a member, please click here

SJRCS is excited to offer Chess Club through Magnus Chess Academy for students in Grades K-8. Each week students of all levels do a fun but challenging lesson with one of our great coaches from our world class curriculum followed by practice games against other students in the class. If you are interested, please click here to register.

Looking to earn some tuition credits? Do your older children at Saint John's Catholic Prep need volunteer hours to meet graduation requirements?

Come join us on Saturday, September 14th to finish cleaning up the Mary garden and to keep the grounds of SJRCS beautiful! Bring your coffee, your tools, and your friends! Please click here to sign up!

Attention all parents of current SJRCS 8th graders! Please be on the lookout for our new 8th Grade Newsletter. It will be emailed to you directly and you can access it here! Our new 8th Grade Newsletter will be updated as needed and will be full of information about high school testing, shadow days, important dates and deadlines, as well as other pertinent information for both local private and public high schools.

Mark your calendar for the Harlem Wizards vs Team Frederick Game at FCC on Saturday, November 9th. Mrs. Hanner will be playing and St. John gets $3 per ticket donated back to the school to be used towards the Garden Committee

This is FUN for the whole family. The tickets will go on sale Friday 8/30/24, and can be purchased here. Get your tickets early before they sell out

We need your help! Every year our school has an opportunity to participate in federal and state programs that benefit our students with a variety of materials and services. Some examples of available opportunities are:

• The Maryland Textbook & Technology Funding Program
  

• The Nonpublic Aging School Program

• Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV services under the Every Child Succeeds Act

• Discounted rates on high speed internet services and infrastructure through the School and Libraries Universal Service Program or E-Rate Program

In order to determine the funding available for these programs, we must have an accurate record of family income information. To obtain this information, we are asking each family to complete our 2024-2025 Income Survey. Ten minutes of your time, can translate to large benefits for our school community.

This year we have provided two ways for you to complete the income survey.

1) Online Survey

2) Paper- Please complete the enclosed survey and return it to your school office

Please be assured that the information you provide is held in strict confidence. The information provided is maintained securely by our school and the information is used ONLY for the purposes described above.

As always, thank you for your support and cooperation, we ask that you please complete the survey by THURSDAY, September 19, 2024.

**Dear SJRCS Community,**

We are excited to announce that SJRCS is offering Girls on the Run again this year. To sign up, please click here. Girls on the Run cannot happen without the support of parent volunteers. If you are able to volunteer and are VIRTUS certified, please click here here to register.

This year, we also hope to start a "Let Me Run" program for boys. Please click here to learn more about the program.

Thank you for your continued support of our students!

We are still in need of a head coach for each. Girls on the Run is a run club for girls in grades 3-8 that focuses on empowerment and developing confidence, and Let Me Run is a boys run club for grades 3-8 that focuses on teaching boys to be their best selves through a character development program powered by running. The success of these programs depends on the support of our parent volunteers. Parents will receive tuition credit for their volunteer hours. Each coach will need to complete training on these programs, and the training days are quickly approaching. Without coaches, these programs will not be able to run. To learn more about the programs, please visit the links below. If you are interested in volunteering for coaching, please contact Advancement Director, Katharine Galvas at kgalvas@sjrcs.org or 301-662-6722.

Let Me Run https://letmerun.org/about-the-program

SJRCS Athletics will will be running an in-house volleyball clinic with instruction and games! Please click here to sign up!

If you are interested in ordering lunch from school, please be sure to create an account with All About Lunch Deli by clicking here. For those families who have money left over on their MSB account from last year, you will be refunded through FACTS by the end of September.

It has been brought to our attention that skirts from Flynn O’Hara are experiencing shipping delays; please expect a month for delivery.

With the beginning of the school year upon us, here are a few reminders about the SJRCS uniform policy.

Gym Shorts:

• Gym Shorts, Shorts, and Skirt Length must be 2 inches above the middle of the knee
  

Shoes:

• Shoes should be white or LIGHT gray with minimal color accent

Boys' Hair:

• Must be cut above the eyebrows, ears, and collar
• Must remain its natural color

Girls' Hair:

• Must remain its natural color.
• No dyed hair, "fairy hair," tinsel hair, or any fad hairstyles are permitted.

Makeup:

• No makeup is allowed for students.

Nails:

• Students must have natural nails with no nail polish.

These guidelines help ensure a uniform appearance and maintain the school's standards. Please refer to the Family Handbook for additional details.

If your child will be absent, or your child has an appointment and will need to be picked up early from school, please fill out the absentee form by clicking here. In doing so, the front office will be notified and can mark your child's attendance report accurately, as well as, have your child ready for you when you arrive to pick them up for the appointment.

Please note - per AOB regulations, early dismissal ends at 2:20 PM. Parents arriving after that time will be instructed to wait in the parking lot for regular dismissal.

It is important for parents to follow the designated drop-off and pick-up times for their children at school. The school cannot take responsibility for any supervision or accidents that occur before 7:55 a.m. or after 3:15 p.m.. If a parent is unable to pick up their child on time, enrolling in the school's aftercare program is a helpful option. However, instances of tardiness will result in an additional late pick-up fee. If the student is participating in a supervised activity outside of school hours, specific arrangements must be made for drop-off and/or pick-up at the designated times. Please value and respect the school staff, teachers, and administration by being punctual and adhering to the designated drop-off and pick-up times. See page 32 of the handbook for more information.

Students in Grades 3 - 8 who are designated as walkers or bike riders should live within a two-mile distance of the school. They will require the written permission of a parent or guardian and the school administration to be released with these groups. Please click here to register your child as a walker or bike rider.

Google Classroom is an important tool used at SJRCS. Teachers post homework daily and give assignments using Google Classroom. It is important that parents become familiar with Google Classroom to support their students. It is very helpful to use your child’s log in information so that you can see everything your child sees. We encourage parents to view a short video on how Google Classroom works. Please reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions regarding Google Classroom.

Google Classroom How To

If you are visiting the school during the school day or for evening school events, we ask that you park in the Pk-3rd grade parking lot. Please do not park in any of the numbered spots as those are reserved for teachers and staff. We also ask that you not park in the spots on the side of the school reserved for the Parish Offices.

This tip line is offered to expand the means for students, staff, and the community to come forward if they are aware of threats, possible self-harm by a student or other behavior that could adversely impact a particular school community. The tip line is administered through a partnership of the Maryland Center for School Safety and the Maryland Department of Emergency Management.

Report a Tip

8414 Opossumtown Pike Frederick, MD 21702

Phone: 301-662-6722

www.sjrcs.org