Eagle's Eye

St. Joseph Catholic School fosters a diverse community of disciples empowered through a rigorous and inclusive Catholic education rooted in Gospel values and service to others.

The school office will be open Monday through Thursday, 9 am - 3 pm, and Friday 9 am- 12 pm. The office will be open on Monday, August 5th, from 12:30pm-3:30pm and Tuesday, August 6th, from 12:30 -3:30pm. We will be open regular office hours, 7:30am-3:30pm, beginning Wednesday, August 7th.

We would love to see you and your family at Mass this weekend! Mrs. Insua will be at the 4:30 pm Mass on Saturday. We hope to see you there!

We will have a summer spirit night tomorrow, Tuesday, July 22nd, at Chick Fil A on Cypress Gardens Boulevard from 5-8 pm. We hope you can join us!

Report cards were emailed on June 12th. If you haven't received a report card, please contact the office. You either have a balance or need to pick something up in the office.

New School Year Packets, including student's classroom assignments, will be available beginning Tuesday, July 23rd at 12pm for all students returning to SJCS. We will be open from 12 pm to 3 pm on Tuesday, July 23rd for those able to come to school that day. After Tuesday, July 23rd, parents may pick up information in the school office whenever the office is open. Please remember that parent/guardians must be the ones to pick up the information.

New and used uniform sales will be:

• Wednesday, July 31st from 12pm-5pm
• Saturday, August 10th from 9am-12pm
• Saturday, August 17th from 9am-12pm

Please make plans to bring your student with you during one of our uniform sale dates so that he/she can try on uniforms before purchase.

Want to get ahead on your service hour commitment for the 2024-2025 school year? SJCS parents are required to complete 20 hours of service to the school each academic year. Our Fall Uniform Sales are a great way to log some hours before the school year even starts. If you are interested in volunteering at any of the Fall Uniform Sales (see dates above), please reach out to Ms. Summer at sdehaven@stjosephwhschool.org or call 293-3311 to let us know that we can count on you.

When shopping for shoes for the new school year, please keep in mind the dress code for boys and girls:

Shoes — All black shoes are to be worn with laces matching. The shoes may not have any secondary/accent colors, including the sole and logos.

Below are some examples of shoes that are acceptable and those that are not.

Shoe Rule for Boys

Black tennis shoe or black dress shoe

Shoe Rule for Girls

Solid black tennis shoes or black dress flat (ie. ballet style) *Must be flat; cannot have a heel.

If you have questions about whether a shoe is appropriate or not, parents are urged to only ask Mrs. Magnole or Mrs. Insua. You are welcome to send either of us an email with a picture, or bring the shoes with you to Open House or Orientation. Also, consider keeping them in the box, and not wearing them until you know that they meet the dress code.

The full uniform dress code for this school year can be found at https://stjosephwhschool.org/eagleparents.

Summer homework for next year's kindergarten through 8th grade students is posted on our school website at https://stjosephwhschool.org/summer-resources. This will be due the first day of school.

Also, the supply lists for next year are posted there as well. Remember that you can order school supplies from School Tool Box and they will be delivered right to your home! Here is the link for summer homework and school supply lists: https://stjosephwhschool.org/summer-resources. For School Tool Box orders to arrive before school begins on Monday, August 12th, orders must be submitted by Friday, July 26.

Our first Orientation is on Thursday, August 8th.

• New families in any grade level will meet at 5:30 pm in the Parish Center.
• Entering VPK (Prek 4) at 6:00 pm in the Parish Center
• These grade levels will meet in the classroom at 6:00 pm
• Entering PreK 3
• Entering Kindergarten
• Entering 1st grade
• Entering 2nd grade

These meetings are for parents only. Children should not attend these orientation meetings. Thank you in advance for making other childcare arrangements for your child(ren).

Important calendar dates for the 2024-2025 school year are listed below. ***Please note that the school intentionally schedules school closures at times throughout the school year. We are giving these dates to you early to help your planning for the 24-25 year. Families should schedule family vacations and other commitments during scheduled school closures; vacations should not be scheduled when school is open. Vacations are not considered excused absences and are a violation of the School Attendance Policy. Thank you for your attention.

August 12th: First Day of School

August 30th: Teacher Workday: No School for Students

September 2nd: Labor Day Holiday: School Closed

November 25th-29th: Thanksgiving Holiday: No School

December 23rd - January 3rd: Christmas Holiday: No School

January 20th: Martin Luther King Day: No School

March 17th-21st: Spring Break

April 18th-23rd: Easter Break

May 26th: Memorial Day: No School

May 29th: Last Day of School

Absences (Including Early Dismissals)

• 10 absences, the parent receives an automatic email notifying them of the number of absences accumulated thus far and reminding them of the policy.

• 15 absences without documentation, the parent will either receive communication or be required to attend a meeting with a school administrator; the student could be placed on attendance probation.

• At the 19th absence, school administration will evaluate the documentation provided and determine if the student can remain at St. Joseph Catholic School.

Tardies

• 10 tardies, the parent receives an automatic email notifying them of the number of tardies accumulated thus far and reminding them of the policy.

• 15 tardies without documentation, the parent will either receive communication or be required to attend a meeting with a school administrator; the student will be placed on attendance probation.

• At the 19th tardy, school administration will evaluate the documentation provided and determine if the student can remain at St. Joseph Catholic School

All students in grades 6 through 8 are required to attend Boot Camp on Friday, August 9th from 9am until noon. Middle school students should be dropped off between 8:45am and 9am using morning carline procedures. Students must be in full regular school uniform (not Mass uniform) and should bring school supplies. Parents should park their cars and pick their middle schooler up from the homeroom class at noon. This is mandatory for all middle school students!

St. Joseph Catholic School understands that a child's birthday is a special day. Students in Pre-K through Grade 8 may come to school dressed out-of-uniform on their birthday or half-birthday. If a student’s birthday falls on a Mass day, the student should dress out on an alternative day. Invitations to parties are given to all members of a class or mailed to individual students if all students in the class are not invited. Students should not exchange individual gifts at school. This gesture only creates hurt feelings among other students. If a family chooses to celebrate their child’s birthday with a treat for the class, Maschio’s (our lunch provider) is happy to provide the class with a treat at a nominal cost to the family. Birthday treats may not be sent in with the student. They must be purchased from Maschio’s and will be shared during lunch in the cafeteria. Parents must purchase these birthday treats in advance using the form provided by Maschio’s.

Please remember that there are many times throughout the school year, where parents choosing to come on campus must be fingerprint cleared through the Diocese of Orlando. This includes volunteering at special events or chaperoning field trips. The fall is always such a busy time for the diocesan fingerprint office, and clearance can take weeks depending on circumstances. If you are a new parent to SJCS, or your fingerprints have expired, we urge you to consider taking care of this requirement now!

The steps for being fingerprint cleared are as follows:

With the new security procedures put in place this past school year for adults attending Mass and attending ceremonies, all driver license IDs must be scanned in the main office for the new school year. Please stop by the office this summer and have your ID scanned now. This will ensure you are able to attend all events this coming school year and will not have to scan your ID for the remainder of the year.

Please know that when planning classes for the upcoming academic year, special care is taken to ensure that each child is placed in an environment where they can thrive both academically and socially. The process involves careful consideration of each student’s individual needs, learning styles, and personality traits, as well as input from teachers who know the students well. Additionally, efforts are made to create balanced classrooms that promote a positive and effective learning atmosphere for all. Parents will be informed of their child's teacher assignment on July 23rd at the new school year packet pick up.

All middle school students are required to have 10 service hours per year. Students can start now to attain those hours. The form for tracking those is below.

All 6th graders need an immunization before 7th grade. Please make sure you turn in an updated DH 680 ( Florida Immunization Form ) as you get it ( if you haven’t already). If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Brown at sbrown@stjosephwhschool.org.

Please continue to scan your receipts so we can earn funds from Box Tops for our school. Our next goal is to earn $100. Students will have another dress down day once we reach this goal.

This section of the Eagle's Eye will remain in every edition of our newsletter. It will contain links to information that parents may need from time to time. When parents have questions, we urge you to check this section for possible links that could get you the information that you need.

• School Calendar
• Lunch Menus
• Maschio's Birthday Order Form
• Registering for a lunch account
• PikMyKid User Guide (English)
• PikMyKid User Guide (Spanish)
• Fingerprinting/Safe Environment Certification Instructions
• Fingerprinting/Safe Environment Certification
• Uniform Company
• Technology Responsible Use Policy for Students
• Parent Student Handbook
• Attendance Policy
• Accessing Facts Family Portal
• Family Portal Login
• Logging Service Hours: Parents and students can now enter and view their own service hours. You can use your app to view the hours, however, you have to use the web version to enter new hours. go to FACTS Family Portal. The district code is STJC-FL. Once logged in, click on the Family option in the menu on the left side. At the top of the screen, select the family member who will be adding the service hours. Click on the Add option on the right side of the screen in the Service Hours box. Fill out the information and click Save.

O Blessed Joseph, faithful guardian of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, protector of Mary, the virgin Mother of God, I choose you this day to be my special patron and advocate and I firmly resolve to honor you all the days of my life. Therefore, I humbly ask you to receive me as your client, to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction, to obtain for me and for all the knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus, and finally to defend and protect me at the hour of my death. Amen.

Principal: Mrs. Insua

Assistant Principal: Ms. Lucarelli

Assistant Principal: Mr. Kupka

Canonical Administrator: Fr. Tim LaBo

Superintendent: Dr. Erika Wikstrom

Email: jinsua@stjosephwhschool.org
Website: stjosephwhschool.org
Location: 535 Avenue M Northwest, Winter Haven, FL, USA
Phone: 863-293-3311