Principal's Peek at the Week

Saints Joseph and John School - January 25, 2024

Dear Saints Joseph and John School Families,

“Hold fast to the hope that lies before us.” – Hebrews 6:18

MAP assessments are a day behind and our assessment schedule has been rearranged a bit, due to our snow day on Tuesday. Your child's teacher(s) will be able to share more on particular testing schedule changes for specific classes. Please be sure that your child gets a good night's rest, eats breakfast, brings a snack and a water bottle to school. We reminded the students this week that these assessments help their teachers help them to learn and grow. We only want them to do their best to show what they know and are ready to learn next.

PRIORITY ENROLLMENT FOR 2024-2025 ENDING SOON

Please log onto Digital Academy and complete re-enrollment from now through February 5. SJJ families have first priority to retain spots until February 5, as well as discounted enrollment fees.

We have strong interest from new families to join our school next year in grades K-8. Please complete your re-enrollment by February 5.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK IS JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 3

All are invited and welcome to join us for Mass at 10:30 a.m. on January 28 at Saint Joseph Church to kick off Catholic Schools Week 2024. Then head on over to our school for our Open House as our faculty will showcase the fabulous things that SJJ has to offer! Our Book Fair will also be open during that time in Room 5. Funds raised at the book fair help to stock our book vending machine!

OPTIONAL PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

A conference request form was sent home with K-8 students today with details about the optional parent teacher conferences. Conferences will take place at SJJ School on Thursday, February 15 beginning at 2:30 p.m. Parents who would like a conference are asked to please fill out the conference request form and return to it to the main office no later than Friday, February 2. Your child's teacher will then be in contact with you to schedule a conference for February 15.

GOD BLESS OUR 2nd GRADERS

Our 2nd grade students joyfully celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation last weekend at Saint John Neumann Church and will do so this Saturday at Saint Joseph Church. Please continue to keep our 2nd graders and their families in your prayers as they prepare for First Communion in the coming months.

STUDENTS IN THE NEWS

Members of our 3rd and 4th grade Girl Scout troops were featured on Channel 3 this week, when they visited Oatey University to learn what's behind the walls of a house. This training center highlights Oatey's plumbing products, from simple connections to high-end fixtures. The girls are working to earn a 'The House That She Built' badge.

See our students featured here: https://www.wkyc.com/article/tech/science/growing-stem/growing-stem-the-house-that-she-built/95-28a4ebe0-97ad-49da-bf6d-d409d00856a9

Congratulations, girls! You are fabulous representatives!

ROCKIN' REVERSE RAFFLE

Don't forget to save the date for March 2 as our PTU's Rockin' Reverse Raffle takes place at St. Paul’s Hellenic in North Royalton. Event tickets are required to be purchased in advance. Please support our PTU as they work to support our students and faculty, and join in the fun for this adults-only night out!

GRANDPARENTS'/SPECIAL PERSON DAY MARCH 14

Our spectacular Grandparents' /Special Person Day Committee made up of faculty members Mrs. Kazimir, Mrs. Ketterick and Ms. Kopy are planning an event that will be bigger and better than ever! Please see below for more details.

Have a wonderful rest of the week, and hope to see you this Sunday at Mass.

Blessings,

Mrs. Schenek

Father Andy visited all classrooms this week to meet our SJJ students. Here, he is presented with a welcome poster from Mrs. Nadeo's 3rd graders.

SJJ January Calendar

Please click on the button above to take you to the SJJ Calendar. Please be sure to check back frequently, as the calendar may update as events are added.

Event Information

Opening of Catholic Schools Week Mass

When?

Sunday, Jan 28, 2024, 10:30 AM

Where?

St. Joseph Catholic Church, Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH, USA

location_on Open maps

Catholic Schools Week Dress Code Reminders

All dress down days during Catholic Schools Week must remain school appropriate.

Students dressing up for future profession day, for example, should remain free of makeup, face paint, jewelry or other items that will be distracting for teaching and learning.

Sweatshirt/Hoodie and jean dress down may be accompanied with tennis shoes. Only students who have gym class that day may wear their gym uniform bottoms instead of jeans.

Jeans cannot have any rips, holes or tears.

If a student does not want to wear jeans, they must wear their traditional school uniform bottoms unless it is a gym day for them.

Anytime uniform bottoms are mentioned, school shoes must be worn. Only students who have gym class on spirit wear day (Monday) or favorite team shirt day (Thursday) should wear their gym uniform bottoms paired with the theme day top.

As always, students are welcome to wear their complete school uniform or complete gym uniform on their scheduled gym days instead of wearing theme day attire.

Thank you for your support.

Funds Raised During the Book Fair Will Help Stock the Book Vending Machine!

It’s that special time of year for the BOOK FAIR! It will be OPEN during the SJJ Open House on Sunday, January 28 and during school hours January 30-31.

Students can pay with cash, check, e-wallet, credit card, and Apply Pay.

Last Week to Donate to the Playground Fundraiser

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It is the final week of fundraising for the playground project! We are so excited that we have currently raised $141,820 with a total goal of $147, 572. This is so exciting! The last day to donate is February 1, 2024. To donate please click on the "Donate Here" button below.

Donate Here!

Preschool Peek at the Week

Our winter weather has kept us inside and Preschool loves to burn some energy in bike room!

Our busy week had us celebrating our color of the month (blue), discussing that prayer and praise both start with the letter P, and we are ending the week with Pajama days!

Our teachers are looking forward to Open House on Sunday and parent-teacher conferences next week!

Ed Choice Expansion Scholarship - Window to Reapply Opens February 1

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The window to reapply for Ohio Department of Education scholarships, including the EdChoice Expansion Scholarship for the 2024-2025 school year (Fiscal Year 2025) will open February 1.

You will receive an email from us on February 1 about the steps necessary to reapply for the 2024-2025 (Fiscal Year 2025) school year. In most cases, families will only need to complete a renewal application form and upload a current utility bill. For renewals, Income Verification is not required again unless your family income has changed significantly and you choose to resubmit.

In the meantime, more information about Ohio Department of Education scholarships can be found here: https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-Resources/Scholarships

If you're still waiting on the scholarship award of your child’s 2023-2024 EdChoice Expansion application, Income Verification is most likely the hold-up. Please ensure this step has been completed.

Please note that Preschool or PreKindergarten students are not eligible for the state scholarships. However, families may apply for Diocesan Tuition Assistance through FACTS (Please see the post below).

Meanwhile, tuition reimbursements for the 2023-2024 school year continue to take place as soon as the school receives the full amount of scholarship reimbursement from the state. The business office will then issue a refund check to families as quickly as possible.

Should you have any questions on any of the above topics, please contact Business Manager Patty Briggs at pbriggs@sjjschool.org

Important Diocesan Scholarship Information for All Families is Now Available.

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For Fund A Dream $2500 Scholarships: Click Here for information on the application process.

Other Diocesan scholarships are also currently available for all families who qualify. Information can be found in the PDF attachment below:

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Grants and Scholarships Available to Families (1).pdf

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Grandparents'/ Special Person Day- Bigger and Better Than EVER!

We are getting ready to roll out the red carpet for our Grandparents and other VIPs on Thursday, March 14 from 8:15-11:15 am.

Mrs. Schenek and Mrs. Francis have given us the gift of time and we are so excited to host a memorable morning spent with loved ones!

On March 14, students will report to school as usual. After attendance, Grandparents/VIPs will report to the youngest grandchild’s homeroom. Then the adventure begins! Our Grandparents/VIPs will move around SJJ and participate in various activities with their grandchild(ren) or special friend(s). To accommodate all aspects of building transportation on this day, please note our event will conclude promptly at 11:15 am and students will be dismissed from school at 11:45 am.

Parents, keep a lookout for the Google form link to RSVP which will be sent out after Catholic Schools Week. We cannot wait to share our school with your child’s grandparents/VIPs!

Enrollment Update from Mr. Clark

Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is well underway at Saints Joseph and John School! We are excited to embrace another school year with you, our families that make SJJ such a special place!

Priority enrollment for current families remains open until February 5, 2024, so as to allow for our families to easily retain their spots, while receiving a discounted enrollment fee. Please be sure to fill out the enrollment forms for next year by logging into Digital Academy and filling out the forms on the right hand side of your screen in a yellow box. You may refer to an email sent on January 3 from Digital Academy and Mrs. Schenek. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Clark at jclark@sjjschool.org or (440) 238-4877 x101.

On February 5, enrollment will be open to families that are not currently at Saints Joseph and John School. We would love to have all of our current families enrolled by this point!

To that end, please plan to attend our open house on Sunday, January 28 from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM and see work from your student(s), fellow classmates, and of course the great staff here at SJJ. Further, please send the flier and open house information to a friend of yours who you think should consider sending their students to Saints Joseph and John. The two greatest forms of uplifting our school occur from our excellent teachers and from families who love being here.

Thank you for being part of the Saints Joseph and John School community, and may God bless your family and you!

What's New in STEAM at SJJ

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Roller Coaster STEAM Project

Our 6th graders are digging deeper into the principles of physics by designing and building a stable roller coaster with four thrilling features such as hills, loops, turns, and freefall drops. By applying their knowledge of kinetic and potential energy dynamics, students are engineering a roller coaster ride that harmonizes safety and excitement. Throughout this hands-on project, students are empowered to problem-solve and think outside the box.

Rube Goldberg

Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist and inventor known for creating whimsical, elaborate contraptions that perform simple tasks, inspiring creativity and problem-solving in STEAM fields. The 7th graders are creating an intricate ping pong ball run by designing a series of interconnected contraptions that explore cause-and-effect relationships to achieve the longest possible duration for the ball's journey.

SQL Programming Language

The 8th graders have been learning skills used in the SQL programming language, a powerful tool for managing and querying databases. SQL, or Structured Query Language, enables students to interact with and manipulate data efficiently, laying a foundation for understanding database management and analysis.

Save The Date- PTU Committee Chair and Parent Meeting

Parents - Please join the PTU on Thursday, February 1 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. as we go through the events and fundraisers planned for the rest school year. Help is always appreciated!

At this meeting we will discuss the events we held in the past, as well as upcoming events, and the type of assistance that is needed.

Hope to see you there!

Google Meet joining information:

Video call link: https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/lraBCgJKlWiP1DBXBsNCJVA?domain=meet.google.com

Or dial: +1 470-485-9706 PIN: 871706597

From the SJJ PTU

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BOOK FAIR

Come join in the fun at our SJJ Scholastic Book Fair! The Book Fair will be open during the Open House from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Sunday, January 28 and ALSO open to students at designated times during school hours January 30 and January 31. Parents – reminder that students can pay with cash, check, e-wallet, credit card and Apple Pay! We are still in need of Book Fair volunteers – sign up here if you can: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F4BA8AD29A7FC1-46642156-sjjbookfair?useFullSite=true#/

SJJ Tobogganing

The PTU is hosting an SJJ Night at the Chalet on Tuesday, coming up on Tuesday, February 6 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Limited tickets available for purchase so secure your families spots today! Click here to purchase your tickets: https://sjj-night-at-the-chalet-tobogganing-event-copy.cheddarup.com

Note: Participants MUST be 42” tall to ride.

SJJ PTU Rockin’ Reverse Raffle

Get ready to ROCK it out on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 6-11 p.m. at St. Paul’s Hellenic. We are still seeking sponsorships, advertising, and donations for silent auction/raffle baskets. You can purchase tickets and sponsorships at https://2024-rockin-reverse-raffle.cheddarup.com

For questions or to inquire about participation, contact Kerry Woloszynek at email: kerrywoloszynek@gmail.com

PTU EXECUTIVE BOARD:

Co-Presidents- Natalie Pratt, Roxanne Yurcik
Treasurer- Tina Dzik
Secretary- Laura LaNasa
VP of Operations- Krista Klefos
VP of Marketing- Julie Lytle
VP of Fundraising- Kristina Arch

To reach our PTU team please email stsjjptu@gmail.com

Skating Party to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Claire, a junior at Strongsville High School, was chosen to represent Strongsville City Schools as this year's Leukemia and Lymphoma’s Student Visionary of the Year. As one of her fundraisers she is having an ice skating party for students in grades 5-8 at Brunswick Auto Mart Arena on Friday, February 23. Claire is the sister of SJJ student, Danny. Please see below for more information.

Join Mrs. Kimble for Kids of Faith

Kids Heart Challenge Kicks Off Tomorrow

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It’s time to CELEBRATE heart health. The month-long Kids Heart Challenge™ kicks off TOMORROW, January 26 at SJJ. We have some exciting things planned this month to get us moving, helping

others, and having fun.

Families can learn more by clicking the links below:

http://www2.heart.org/goto/sjjschool

www.Heart.org/khcenvelope

Please Note Drop-off Times in the Morning to Prevent Tardies

MORNING

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.

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

Please do not drop children off at the Main Entrance during morning drop off. All cars must go through the car line for everyone's safety, as there is heavy bus traffic along the drive between the church and school.

Dress Code Reminder

Dress down days include themed tops or special colors for holidays or other special events, SJJ spirit wear and uniform bottoms and shoes. Occasionally, other school appropriate bottoms (jeans with no rips or tears, athletic pants or leggings) may be permitted, but that will be specifically stated for the specific dress down day.

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Sts. Joseph and John School Handbook 2023-2024.pdf

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