Blue Jay Flyer

Parents and Guardians,

Last night, we celebrated our 7th grade students who made their Confirmation down at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. Archbishop Robert Casey presided over the Mass and had some great advice for our students. His message was so strong I wanted to give a quick recap for all those that were not in attendance.

Archbishop Casey was able to connect personally with the students and their guests by sharing stories from his upbringing. During his Homily, he told a story about the time that he jumped off a cliff into a Canadian lake when he was in high school. He described how that trip and his decision to jump changed his life forever. He explained how that lesson carried into other milestones in his adult life where he needed to put his trust in God and “jump,” including the decision to accept the appointment to be the Archbishop of Cincinnati. I thought this was a great message to our young students who are starting to take ownership of their own personal faith journey.

At the final blessing, the Archbishop discussed a very sad statistic with the students. He stated that out of 100 students who go through Confirmation, only 15 will still be practicing Catholics into their twenties. After this statistic, he challenged our students to not fall into the 85% and instead be #16. His message was heard loud and clear by many of our students. Today, many teachers overheard students talking about wanting to be number 16 at school.

I was very impressed with how Archbishop Casey was able to connect with our students in such a short time last night. While his message throughout the Mass was intended for our newly Confirmed students, I feel as if it is a great message for everyone to hear. Each individual person has the power to not to be part of the 85%. We do this by continuing to be the best Catholic we can be and trusting in what God has planned for us in this life. I look forward to learning more from Archbishop Casey as he starts his journey as the leader of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Sincerely,

Courtney Weinheimer

Congratulations to our Confirmandi! Our seventh grade students, along with other members of the Blessed Trinity Family, continued their sacred journey on Tuesday evening at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in a beautiful ceremony led by Archbishop Casey. May the Holy Spirit fill them with wisdom, courage, and love as they continue to grow in faith.

Place an order for Shopping Cent$ gift cards on Friday, April 4 or Thursday, April 10 and your child(ren) may be OUT OF UNIFORM on Monday, April 28 when we return from Easter break. Order forms were sent home in the Blue Jay folders this week or can be printed from the attachment below. No minimum order requirement.

Please include your children's names and homerooms on the order form to be sure they each receive credit for the incentive.

It's almost time for Student Council's April Tops & Socks Day! On Friday, April 11, students who bring in $1.00 may dress in "Freaky Friday" tops and socks apparel with regular uniform bottoms. Be creative and have fun with it while thinking crazy mismatched stripes, patterns and designs.

Students who do not wish to participate may still wear a spirit wear top per usual on Fridays.

St. John's Performing Arts Troupe

proudly presents

The Wizard of Oz

May 2 & 3

7:00 pm

Parish Center/Gym

The enrollment period for both Traditional and Expansion Ed Choice Scholarships opened on February 1, 2025. If you will be applying for the first time, please refer to the attachment below for instructions. To obtain a renewal or request application and for any other information, please click here to visit our school website.

Please follow the link below for information regarding spring and summer opportunities for grade school students within the community:

• Mercy McAuley BIG REVEAL, Summer Camps, Wolfpack Preview Night
• Camp TAG - Food Allergy Friendly Day Camp in Lebanon, Ohio.

• Summer Reading Skills Program
• Design Contest for 4th of July Pray~Hope~Believe 5K Walk/Run
• Poster & T-Shirt Design Contest for Pray Hope Believe Foundation 5K Walk/Run
• Mount Notre Dame Summer Camps
• Seton Summer Camps
• Western Hills Country Club Summer Caddying Jobs
• Laffalot Summer Camp (Ages 6-12)
• Elder Spring Events & Panther Club (Grades 1-8)
• St. Ursula Academy Theater Preview Night (Gr. 6-7), Sneak Peek (Gr. 7), Girls' Night (Gr. 6 -7), Summer Camps
• Ursuline Academy Summer Enrichment & Sports Camps
• St. Xavier Summer Camps (Grade 2-8)
• Roger Bacon Summer Art Camp (Grades 6-8)
• Docentitos Academy (Ages 9-12)

Spring & Summer Opportunities

Eighth grade students visited the Holocaust & Humanity Center, located in the lower level of Union Terminal. The museum’s environment is thoughtfully designed to share not only the powerful stories of Holocaust survivors, but to also foster tolerance, empathy, and critical thinking skills that are essential for building a more compassionate and informed society. Through a combination of carefully curated artifacts, films, and interactive exhibits, our hope is that students were able to connect with history on a deeply human level.

Field Day will be held on Friday, May 16th. Please see all the important information below regarding

t-shirts, pizza orders, and volunteering.

➡️ T-shirt and pizza orders are due by WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16th! ⬅️

Mark your calendars for the next PTO Membership meeting!

Wednesday, April 30

7:00 pm

St. John's Cafeteria

Mark your calendars for our last PTO skating party at The Place!

Monday, May 19, 2025

Stay tuned for more details.

We love to share exciting news about our St. John's alumni with our school community! If you have an older child or know anyone who graduated from St. John's who has an achievement to share, please send information and any photos to Laura Heidorn at lheidorn@stjohnsdrschool.org.

All are invited to help us Create the Good again this Easter for the families residing at Bethany House Services, which provides homeless and at-risk women and children with shelter, compassion and a pathway to self-sufficiency. We hope you and your families can join us on Tuesday, April 15th at 6:30 pm in the St. John's gym/parish center to help assemble 120 Easter baskets.

DONATIONS NEEDED THIS YEAR:

• Easter candy, prewrapped only
• Girl & boy items under $5 (coloring/activity books, crayons, Playdoh, Hot Wheels, puzzles, beach towels, sunglasses, etc.)
• $10 gift cards for teens (McDonald's, Target, Dunkin). Gift cards are available through Shopping Cent$ before and after Masses at St. John's.
• For monetary donations, please contact Heather Smith at 513-616-8353 or hbsmith35@gmail.com.

• THEY ALREADY HAVE PLENTY OF EASTER BASKETS/BUCKETS, GRASS, FILLER, SIDEWALK CHALK AND BUBBLES.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

• Dine-in and carry-out
• Every Friday during Lent (except Good Friday)

• 4:30 to 7:30 PM
• Please note that there will NOT be a drive-thru this year.
• Proceeds to benefit St. John the Baptist School Help-a-Student.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We are seeking volunteers to help take orders, work drive-thru, wash dishes, clean up, etc.

If you are interested, please follow the link below to sign up: Fish Fry Volunteer Sign-Up

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

ST. JOHN NEUMANN: DANIEL HALL

• Dine-in and carry-out
• Every Friday during Lent (except Good Friday)
• 4:30 to 7:00 PM
• For carry-out, please call 513-742-2224 by 6:45 pm.

Pregnancy Center West is offering a FREE summer retreat at St. Antoninus for 7th and 8th grade students! On July 12, 2025, students are invited to come for a day filled with games, skits, friends, prayer, and finding their identity in Christ, the light of the world!

Registration is due by June 13, 2025. Scan the QR code below or visit supportpcw.org for more information.

Exciting news! The annual St. John's Festival Blue Jay Raffle is officially open! Get your tickets now for a chance to win a whopping $10,000 grand prize

We also have four early bird prizes of $1,000 each drawn every month until the festival! With over $20,000 in total prizes, you don't want to miss out! Only 500 tickets available. Prizes will be drawn during the festival weekend, August 1-3.

Don't wait – grab your tickets here and support St. John's!

Mark your calendars for St. John the Baptist Vacation Bible School this summer! Stay tuned for more details and registration information.