Principals' Peek at the Week

Saints Joseph and John School - January 16, 2025

SAVE THE DATE

Event Information

State of the School

UPDATED LOCATION: GYM

The SJJ State of the School meeting is a new tradition at SJJ and marks the beginning of the enrollment period for K-8 for the 2025-2026 school year. We are thrilled to offer this opportunity for us to come together as a community to reflect on the blessings of our school and discuss our vision for the future.

More details to come soon!

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

When?

Thursday, Jan 23, 2025, 06:30 PM

Where?

Sts. Joseph & John School, Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH, USA

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ANGEL FUND- NOT A DONATION~A DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR TAX CREDIT

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:

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

KEEPING SJJ HEALTHY: A FRIENDLY WELLNESS REMINDER

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.

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flu-guide-for-parents-2020.pdf

Tips-for-Preventing-Flu-Kids.pdf

Hand-Washing-Steps-for-Children.pdf

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THIS WEEK'S LEARNING AND SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Mrs. Tortorici's second grade class listened to the story, Snowflake Bentley today. They created snowflakes with glue, salt, and watercolors.

Mrs. Cary's Enrichment Reading class held a wooden raft challenge. Students were given popsicle sticks, yarn, masking tape, and glue to design a wooden raft however they wanted. Their goal was to design the raft that holds the most weight.

This month, we had a team of students compete in the Classroom of Champions at St. Ed's High School. Our team placed third out of 15 schools. The topic was European history. The team was comprised of Jonathan G., Martin T., Manny A., and Freddy B.

We also had six 7th graders and four 8th graders compete in a Power of the Pen Tournament on Saturday, January 11. There were 22 schools and 180 writers at the competition. Jessica K. placed 9th overall for 7th grade and Jonathan G. placed 4th overall for 8th grade. Congratulations! Thank you to club moderators, Mrs. Cary and Miss Jakulin for doing a great job coaching our Power of the Pen students.

LITTLE VIKINGS PRESCHOOL LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS

Preschool stayed busy and warm inside this week and took advantage of the winter weather to work on snowflake shapes, night skies, and indoor ice skating!

Our P3 classes looked at the model of the Holy Family and took time to pray over our individual families in class.

VIKING CAFE UPDATES

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January Lunch Menu.pdf

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NEW SNACK BAR PROCESS FOR BIRTHDAY TICKETS

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

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Snack Bar Order Form.pdf

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FROM THE SJJ PTU

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, January 28 or Wednesday, January 29. The book fair will also be open during the Catholic Schools Week Open House even at SJJ on Sunday, January 26. Please consider volunteering to work a shift! We need both cashiers and re-stockers/shopping helpers. You can find the class schedule below. SignUp Genius link for the different shifts needed:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4EA5A82AA2F49-54074899-catholic

February 10 - our virtual SJJ PTU Committee & Parent Meeting from 6:30-7:30 PM - learn about upcoming PTU events 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 flyer below. More details will be released soon on how students can sign up to work this events and earn service hours!

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!

February 22 - Tickets and tables are now available to purchase to the SJJ Viking Gala! Link to purchase: http://sjjgala2025.givesmart.com/ For any questions, email Mandy Miller and Kelly Zamiska: sjjbot@sjjschool.org

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

KIDS OF FAITH FOR GRADES 6-8

SJJ'S OFFICIAL COLORS, LOGOS and FONTS

SAVE THE DATE

Check Out Our Updated Website

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.

Digital Academy is SJJ's New Education Management System

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!

2024-2025 DAILY SCHEDULE

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.

DRESS CODE REMINDERS

Please follow the guidelines as stated in the SJJ Student Handbook:

Field Trips: Traditional School Uniform or Gym Uniform (based on the nature of the trip and determined by administration).

Spirit Wear Days: On designated days, students may wear school-approved spirit wear (sold by the SJJ PTU or purchased through CYO only) with uniform bottoms and school shoes. If this day falls on a gym day for some students, the student may wear gym uniform bottoms and tennis shoes with their spirit wear top.

Our students have been doing a great job adhering to the dress code so far this year. To keep this year running smoothly we ask that parents and students familiarize themselves with the Dress Up Day policy.

When students are permitted to be out of uniform, they will dress up. Days include but may not be limited to:

Picture Day: Dress Up Only
Birthday: Dress Up Only
Dress Up Day defined:

Girls may wear dresses, skirts, blouses, sweaters, dress shoes, dress slacks. Make-up and

jewelry guidelines apply.

**Note: Leggings or tights are permitted only with uniform length skirts or dresses.

Boys may wear slacks, dress shorts (during warm weather uniform months), collared shirts, dress shirts, ties, sweaters, dress shoes, socks appropriate for school.

Jewelry guidelines apply.

The following items are not permitted to be worn on a Dress Up/Out of Uniform Day:

Tanks, sleeveless, or narrow strap tops; Top that are revealing low-cut necklines, or expose bare midriffs when sitting, stretching, stooping, etc.; Athletic shorts or jeans; Pajama pants;

Low or sagging pants or shorts; Skirts or dresses shorter than the top of the knee; If dresses or skirts are shorter than the top of the knee, they must be paired with tights or leggings;

Leggings or other tight fitting pants, unless paired with uniform length skirts or dresses;

Ripped or torn clothing; Hoodies

Administration reserves the right to deem what is appropriate. Students not adhering to rules on

Dress Up/Out of Uniform days will call home for either a change of clothes or their school uniform. If a school uniform or change of clothing is not brought to school by 8:30am, a uniform violation will be issued to the student.

Students are always welcome to wear their traditional school uniform instead of dressing up.

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.