Principals' Peek at the Week

Thank you to all who attended this evening's State of the School address. During the meeting, we discussed several important topics about the school’s direction, including detailed information on tuition and fees for the upcoming year, as well as available scholarships and tuition assistance.

K-7 families: Please check your email for enrollment information for the 2025-2026 school year. For your reference, we have also attached documents below that include the tuition details, scholarship opportunities, and a checklist for returning students. We encourage you to review these materials and reach out with any questions or if you need further clarification.

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to provide an excellent and faith-filled education for our students.

This Saturday, our second graders will be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time at St. Joseph Church or St. John Neumann Church.

This is a significant and special moment in their faith journey, as they experience God’s grace and forgiveness in a deeply personal way.

Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare for this important Sacrament. We are so proud of their efforts and excited for this next step in their spiritual development and look forward to continuing to support our second-graders as they grow in their faith.

Get ready, because Catholic Schools Week is just around the corner, and it’s going to be AMAZING! Kicking off on Sunday, January 26, we’ll start with Family Mass at 10:30 am at St. Joseph Church followed by our CSW Open House at the school from 11:30am to 1:00pm. It’s the perfect opportunity to check out all the great things happening at our school, as we also welcome perspective families touring our school for next year. And don't miss out on our Scholastic Book Fair during the Open House. Check out the shopping schedule below for your child’s class time to get some new books.

The excitement continues on Monday, January 27, as we launch our Penny Wars. Each grade level will compete to raise the most money for charity—let the games begin!

But that's not all! The week will be packed with tons of fun, including:

- Prayer Walk

- Creating a School Community Mural

- Writing Thank You Letters to our amazing SJJ staff

- A Pep Rally

- A performance by the St. Ignatius Trash Talkers

- National Hot Chocolate Day celebration and fundraiser

- Acts of service to give back to the community

- A special surprise for parents

-And a week of Festive Dress Days!

We can’t wait to celebrate our incredible school community with an unforgettable week of fun, faith, and school spirit!

Let’s make this Catholic Schools Week 2025 one to remember!

We are wrapping up winter MAP tests this week for those needing to complete makeups, and we are excited to see how all of our students have progressed. These assessments help us track their growth and tailor our support to ensure each student is reaching their full potential.

Next week, we will be sending home the Winter MAP Progress Reports for each student. These reports will provide valuable insight into your child’s performance and growth areas. Please look for them in your child’s backpack by the end of next week.

As always, if you have any questions or would like to discuss the results further, feel free to reach out to your child's teacher.

Thank you to all of the students who participated in the Power of the Pen District Tournament at Fairview High School. Your dedication and creativity are commendable!

Congratulations to our regional qualifiers:

7th Grade
Andrew B.
Claire C.
Jessica K.

8th Grade
Johnathan G.
Sophia N.

Power of the Pen's next tournament is scheduled for March 8th at St. Charles Borromeo School in Parma.
The schedule will run similar to our first tournament. More information to come!

Thank you, again, to everyone for your support and enthusiasm. We are so very proud of all our SJJ writers!

Miss Jakulin and Mrs. Cary

January 28 and 29 - is our 2025 SJJ Scholastic Book Fair! Our students will have an opportunity to shop during the school day on Tuesday, Jan 28th or Wednesday, Jan 29th. The book fair will also be open during the Catholic Schools Week Open House event at SJJ this Sunday, January 26th. We are still in need of parent volunteers - please consider if you can help. *Must be Virtus trained. SignUp Genius link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4EA5A82AA2F49-54074899-catholic?useFullSite=true#/

There are many ways for your student to shop! Payment can be made via cash, check or by setting up an E-wallet using our school’s homepage: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/ssjosephjohnschool1

Please note that book purchases are subject to tax so please ensure your child has the appropriate budget. You can also choose to purchase books online at the link shared above. SJJ will earn valuable “Scholastic dollars” to be put back into the school for additional books and resources. Profits will also help restock our Scholastic book vending machine located in our school lobby where students can earn coins from their teachers and pick out their favorite books!

February 10 - our virtual PTU Committee & Parent Meeting is from 6:30-7:30 PM - learn about upcoming PTU events, how the PTU board can support event chairs and how you can get more involved! Video Call link: https://meet.google.com/yry-uvze-dqt

February 26 - Save the Date for Culver’s Restaurant Night - see the flyer below. More details will be released soon on how students can sign up to work this event and earn service hours! Parents and Students can volunteer to help! Please consider signing up via the links below.

Adult volunteers sign up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040844A4A92CA4F85-54522400-sjjptu

Student volunteers sign up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040844A4A92CA4F85-54522861-sjjptu

February 20 - March 20 - we're launching a Malley’s Chocolates and Candy Sale online! YUM! Be on the lookout for the ordering link soon!

March 9 - we are excited to announce a Save the Date for our Father/Son Event at TOP GOLF on Sunday, March 9th from 1-3PM. Tickets will include 2 hours of golf time, food and soft drinks. Link to purchase tickets will be sent out soon!

April 12 - we are excited to announce a Save the Date for our Father/Daughter Dance on Saturday, April 12th held at the Columbia Ballroom in Columbia Station. Invites will be sent out soon!

We have received many inquiries about the Angel Fund. This is a direct, dollar for dollar tax credit against your state tax liability.

For individual returns, your maximum credit is $750 and for couples filing jointly, your maximum credit is $1,500.

Simply put, if you are going to owe the state taxes, please contribute to the Angel Fund. You have until April 15th, 2025 to contribute to the Angel Fund in order to receive the credit against your 2024 tax return.

Would you rather your tax money go to the state or to our school?

It’s that simple. Below are the steps:

1. Click here: Donate to Angel Scholarship Fund | Catholic Community Foundation | Cleveland, OH
2. Fill in the following (if your Parish is St. Joseph, select: St. Joseph – Strongsville - #289
3. Fill out payment information and submit.
4. Print/Save your receipt.

We have recently noticed an uptick in illnesses among our students, including cases of Influenza. The school has been working closely with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health this past week to help ensure the health and well-being of our entire school community,

We ask that you review the resources the Department has provided to families, found below.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind families of an important protocol:

Please keep your child at home if they are not feeling well, and ensure they stay home until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of medication.

Your partnership in adhering to this policy makes a significant difference in preventing the spread of illness and supporting the health of all students and staff.

We know that it can be challenging to balance school attendance and illness, but by staying vigilant and keeping students home when necessary, we can all contribute to a healthier, safer learning environment.

SCHOOL POLICY FOR ILLNESS (p. 27 of the Saints Joseph and John School Handbook)

Please keep your student home if there is evidence of sore throat, fever, nausea, rash, swollen glands, eye infections, etc.

School guidelines for when to return to school after an illness are:

Conjunctivitis: 24 hrs after treatment is started.

Cough: Cough no longer persistent especially with thick/constant nasal drainage.

Diarrhea: 24 hrs after last episode without use of medicine.

Fever: 24 hrs after fever-free.

Head Lice: Hair is treated and nit-free.

Impetigo: 24 hrs after treatment start; sores should be covered.

Ringworm: 24 hrs after treatment starts; area should be covered.

Strep Throat : 24 hrs after treatment starts and fever free.

Vomiting: 24 hrs after last episode without use of medicine.

Please see the new form below for purchasing snack bar tickets for your student's birthday.

Our school website is updated and available to access. The changes that were made were aimed at enhancing the site’s design and functionality, with a particular focus on improving our marketing and outreach efforts.

As a result, the new SJJ website prioritizes marketing aspects over detailed information for school families. Information and resources such as the school handbook, school policies, lunch menus, gym uniform and book store order forms can be found by going to the SJJ Families Group under the "resources" tab on auth.digitalacademy.org.

Our goal was to create a vibrant and engaging online presence that effectively showcases our school’s strengths and achievements to the public, while Digital Academy houses the information that is school-family focused.

This school year, we have transitioned to Digital Academy, a new and comprehensive system designed to enhance various aspects of our school operations. As we work to implement its features, please be aware that this process will take some time.

We anticipate encountering a few glitches along the way as we navigate this learning curve. We are dedicated to addressing any issues promptly and efficiently as possible. Our goal is a smooth transition without overwhelming anyone and to get everything up and running at a manageable pace.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we adapt to this new system. Thank you for your support!

PLEASE NOTE THE SCHOOL SCHEDULE FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR:

MORNING

6:30 am- Mornings at Cove opens (pre-registration is required, fee involved)

7:15 am- Building opens and students may enter the building to report directly to McGraw Hall.

Car drop-offs may not occur prior to 7:15am unless students are being dropped off at Viking Cove

7:30am- Teachers pick up students from McGraw Hall and escort students to homeroom. Students arriving after 7:30am report directly to their classrooms.

7:45 am- Tardy Bell Rings.
Students not in their seats and ready to learn at 7:45 am will be marked tardy.

AFTERNOON

2:00pm- End of day bell, dismissal after closing prayers.

Saints Joseph and John School offers a safe, teacher-operated before- and after-school care program for K-8 students enrolled in our school: Viking Cove and Mornings at Cove.

Viking Cove is our after-school care program in our Viking Visionary Center. Available for students in grades K-8, Viking Cove operates from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. During their time in Viking Cove, students will have access to supervised homework time, after-school snacks, outdoor activities, open gym time, and the resources of our Viking Visionary Center.

Please note that Viking Cove is offered every day that school is in session, except for scheduled early release days and the last day of school. The fee for Viking Cove is $5 per hour per student, with charges billed in 60-minute increments.

In addition to Viking Cove, we offer our Mornings at the Cove, our new before-school care program. Open to students in grades K-8, Mornings at the Cove takes place between 6:30 AM and 7:15 AM. Students will receive a light breakfast and be taken to McGraw Hall at 7:15 AM. There is a flat rate Mornings at the Cove of $10 per student for this program.

Please click here if you would like more information.

We believe Viking Cove and Mornings at the Cove provide valuable support and care for our students and their families. If you have any questions or need further information about these programs, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Rosanne Puliafico at rpuliafico@sjjschool.org.

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If your child is attending Viking Cove or Mornings at Cove be sure to sign up for our REMIND messaging. On your iPhone or Android phone, open your web browser and go to the following link: rmd.at/vikingcove. Follow the instructions to sign up for Remind. You’ll be prompted to download the mobile app.

For pick up send a REMIND 10 minutes before arriving. A teacher will have your child ready at Door E and bring them out to the car. Please pull into the parking lots outside Door E.

If you need your child to attend MORNINGS AT COVE send a REMIND to notify staff you will be dropping off in the morning. Mornings at Cove drop-off begins at 6:30 A.M.

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Viking Cove is always looking for new or slightly used games, toys, flashcards, and puzzles. Send any donations to the Viking Visionary Center. We thank you for your consideration in advance.

Please see below regarding the proper names, colors, font, and logos for Saints Joseph and John School. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Cimino at vcimino@sjjschool.org.

Shelly Schenek, Principal~ Lower School

sschenek@sjjschool.org

Jennifer Francis, Principal~ Upper School

jfrancis@sjjschool.org

Angela Bosko, Little Vikings Preschool Director

abosko@sjjschool.org

Patty Briggs, Business Manager

pbriggs@sjjschool.org

Victoria Cimino, Director of Marketing and Enrollment

vcimino@sjjschool.org

Fr. Barry Gearing, President

FrBarry@sjnohio.com

Fr. Andy Gonzalez, Treasurer

agonzalez@sjohio.org