March Newsletter

• February 24-March 14: SJHS Course Request Open
• February 28: 6:00 PM PTO Family Movie Night
• March 3: 8:00 AM, EFA 2025-2026 Applications Open (Renewals and New Families)
• March 5: Ash Wednesday, All School Mass, Lent begins
• March 7: Stations of the Cross
• March 12: Middle & High School Grandparents’ Day Lunch
• March 13: 4th Grade Play of Ranita the Frog Princess
• March 14: Third Quarter Ends
• March 14: Stations of the Cross
• March 17: Fourth Quarter Begins; Middle School St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
• March 21: Preschool Spring Fling, 10:30 - 11:15 a.m.
• March 21: Stations of the Cross
• March 24-28: SPRING BREAK!

For a full list of school events including athletic competitions, visit the school website, stjosephconway.org, or download the school app, "St. Joseph, Conway AR".

The Arkansas Educational Freedom Account (EFA) program provides students in grades K-12th with state funded accounts to cover approved educational expenses, including private school tuition. For the 2025-26 school year, all students in grades K-12th are eligible for these funds, and it is not income based, so all Arkansas residents are eligible to apply. The 2025-26 application is now OPEN. We encourage all SJS families to apply.

• To start the application process, visit https://online.factsmgt.com/grant-aid/inst/4R2K5/landing-page.

• You will be asked to create a new FACTS account. This will be a separate FACTS account than the FACTS account you currently have at SJS.

• Select 2025-2026 term.

• The application questions and required documentation will be different based on if they are a new or returning student.

  • If a family just has returning students, they will not have to upload any documents.

  • If a family includes both returning and new applicants, they will only be required to upload the age verification for the new students (birth certificate, passport, etc).

  • If a family only has new applicants, they will be required to upload residency verification and age verification.

• You will be asked to enter your child's Social Security number. If your child does not have a SSN, the application will have instructions on what to enter.

• Once your completed application has been submitted, FACTS will review your application, you should expect to receive notification of application status in about 10 days from time of submission.

St. Joseph School does not review the EFA application or verify age or residency. It is all handled through the AR Department of Education. If you have questions, reach out to Mrs. Heathscott, 501-513-6808.

ACE Scholarships applications for those seeking financial assistance for the 2025-26 school year are now open through April 15th. This scholarship is available for students in K-12th grade and is based on family income. The link for more information, financial guidelines and the application can be found at https://www.acescholarships.org/become-a-scholar/ .

Questions? Contact Mrs. Jalisa Allison, PTO President, pto@sjbulldogs.org.

The cut off for service hours for the 2024-2025 school year is May 1, 2025.

• Our Volunteer Center always has projects where volunteers are needed, so contact Angela Rawls, arawls@sjbulldogs.org.
• Mrs. Rawls also could use volunteers for the Middle & High School Grandparents Lunch.
• The Flea Market often has spots to fill, so contact Kathleen Gueringer, kgueringer@sjbulldogs.org, to see what is available.

Questions about your support hours? Contact Jane Royal, jroyal@sjbulldogs.org.

Middle School/High School Grandparent Lunch is on Wednesday, March 12th, in the Spiritan Center cafeteria.

• Please click on the button below to fill out the RSVP form by Friday, March 7th.
• The form must be filled out and money must be turned in by Friday, March 7th!
• Please fill out the form even if grandparents do not want a tray. This will help with planning how many tables and chairs we need.
• If grandparents have grandchildren from multiple families to eat lunch with, please have them fill out one form and list all the grandchildren. This will help keep the tray count more accurate and avoid duplicate trays for grandparents.
• Lunch times: 6th grade 10:30, 5th grade 10:40, 4th grade 10:50, 7-9th grades 11:45, &10th-12th grades 12:05
• Cost of a guest tray is $8 cash or check or $8.50 if paying by Venmo.
• We will have a picture backdrop set up, grandparents are welcome to snap pictures with their grandchildren using their phones.

Questions? Reach out to Angie Rawls - arawls@sjbulldogs.org

St. Joseph School has the following job openings for 2025-2026. If you or someone you know is interested, please visit the school website for more information and how to apply.

• Elementary School & Middle School Teacher - Library Media Center
• Preschool Aide
• Preschool Teacher
• Registered Nurse

Dr. Ferrer earned her Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from the University of Alabama - Huntsville, and then she went on to receive her Master's and PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Virginia. This year at St. Joseph High School, Dr. Ferrer teaches Algebra I, Algebra II, and Chemistry, and she also serves in a leadership position as Science Department Chair. She is one of our Certified ACT Instructors and does an outstanding job helping students prepare for the ACT each year. We are so blessed to have Dr. Ferrer sharing her love of math and science with our high school students!

Dr. Ferrer is married to Dr. Gabriel Ferrer, and they will be celebrating their 25th anniversary this July! They have five amazing kids! Their oldest is Juliana who graduated from St. Joseph in 2021. Juliana is a Senior at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She will earn a degree in Marine Biology in May and then move to Costa Rica to work at a non-profit organization that rescues Leatherback Sea Turtle nests. Carolina also graduated from St. Joseph in 2024. Carolina is a Freshman at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is a computer science major.Their other children--Thomas in 11th grade, Daniel in 6th grade, and Veronica in 3rd grade--all currently attend St. Joseph School.

Dr. Ferrer enjoys many hobbies! She loves crocheting, traveling, hiking, and leading two Girl Scout troops (6827 high school girls and 6746 elementary girls).

What do you love most about teaching at SJS in the Math & Science Departments?

I enjoy the small classes and seeing students over multiple years as they learn and grow into deeper understanding.

Our math department focuses on preparing students for the ACT and doing well in college math classes. I enjoy challenging students to look for patterns and explore different ways to find a solution. We spend many days standing at the whiteboards collaborating on problems and sharing our approach.

This is my second year teaching chemistry, and I am having so much fun creating experiments that help the students to better understand the theory we are studying in class. They particularly enjoy the ones that (safely) involve fire and those that involve food.

What is your favorite quote or Bible verse?

“I plead with you — never, ever give up on hope; never doubt, never tire and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” St. John Paul II

This year, Lent begins on March 5 with Ash Wednesday. School Mass that day is at 9:00 AM. As a part of Lent at St. Joseph School, students will participate in the Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus' last day on Earth as a man. Stations of the Cross are schedule for each Friday starting on March 7.

Here are calendars with daily reflections during Lent provided by the USCCB:

• 2025 Daily Lent Calendar English
• 2025 Daily Lent Calendar Spanish

The traditional Lenten Dinners and the Knights of Columbus Fish Frys are also planned this year for families who are interested.