January 12, 2024

Weather Delays or Cancellations

St. Joseph Catholic School follows Fairfax County Public Schools with regard to a delayed opening, early closure, or cancellation of school due to inclement weather.  An email, text, and phone call notification will be sent to parents and a message will be placed on St. Joseph Catholic School website, Twitter, and Facebook page. If school is dismissed early or cancelled, all after school activities are also cancelled.  

Re-Enrollment for the 2024-2025 School Year

With our 93% retention rate, it is reasonable to streamline our re-enrollment processes. The process is restructured so that current students will be automatically re-enrolled for the 2024-2025 school year. Enrollment fees of $300 per student will be scheduled for your February 2024 payment date from the FACTS account on file. Families in need of an extension payment plan must also contact the Business Office by January 12. Re-enrollment fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.


If, for some reason, your student will not be returning to St. Joseph Catholic School, notification in writing is needed by January 12, 2024. We are confident that you will find this expedited and recurring re-enrollment process helpful. If you have any questions, please contact Tisha Hilliard (thilliard@sjcherndon.org or 703-880-4355) in the Business Office.


**CORRECTION** - The $50 per family FACTS management fee will be charged directly from FACTS for the 2024-2025 tuition.

No School - Monday, Jan. 15





January 15 - NO SCHOOL

(Martin Luther King Jr. Day)


Submit Yearbook Photos!

Do you have pictures from school events, sports, or activities? Please use the yearbook portal to submit pictures for the yearbook!


If you don’t want to put names on the photos, please put the grade level. All pictures will be considered but submission is not guaranteed.


Yearbook Sales are Coming!

Upload Photos HERE

PTO Meeting - Virtual!

Jan. 18 - 7:00pm

January 18 PTO Meeting Zoom Link:


Topic: PTO Meeting

Time: Jan 18, 2024 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)


Join Zoom Meeting

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/89799868753?pwd=apf1H0JiAv5ZsVoLmg0r21Lxr3cGvJ.1


Meeting ID: 897 9986 8753

Passcode: s0BrXH

Nurse's Corner

95210 Health Initiative for the month of January:

“Eliminate (0) or minimize consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages” daily 



The Centers for Disease Control defines sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), as any liquids that are sweetened with various forms of added sugars like brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose. Per the CDC, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) or sugary drinks are the leading sources of added sugars in the American diet.

 

The frequent consumption of these sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain/obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis (CDC). High amount of sugar in our diet typically results in an increase of toxins which when broken down produce inflammatory messengers which may result in arthritis or other forms of inflammation. Research has shown that when the consumption of the SSBs is decreased, people are able to maintain a healthy weight and have a healthy diet. Click HERE to read more!

Take Back Day


If you missed DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, you can still take advantage of the nearly 17,000 year-round drop-off locations.


DEA has launched a new campaign – Every Day is Take Back Day – to encourage the public to utilize year-round disposal sites across the country between biannual Take Back Days.


Clean out your medicine cabinets and help prevent dug misuse before it starts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts 14,675 people died last year of prescription opioid poisoning or overdose.


You can drop off your old, unneeded, or unused medications at one of the pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses, working to help clean out medicine cabinets throughout the year. In addition, many police departments provide year-round drop boxes.


To find a location, click HERE.

Myopia: Children Need Time Outside (even when it's cold out)


Did you know that the increasing rates of myopia (nearsightedness when vision is clear at near and blurred at far) is considered an epidemic? The Vision Council released a new research report in December 2023 highlighting parents’ awareness and experiences with childhood myopia. They found a significant gap in parental understanding regarding childhood myopia, which provides an opportunity for all of us to educate families about preventing or slowing the progression of myopia and keeping children’s eyes healthy.


Advice from the report: “Spending time outdoors and limiting screen time are well-researched strategies for preventing myopia in children, but it needs to happen before a child becomes myopic, so early awareness is important. Click HERE for more information.


Click HERE for information on Children's Vision Digital Screen Tips.


Prevent Blindness observes 

National Glaucoma Awareness Month in January

to raise awareness of the “Silent Thief of Sight.” 

Volunteer Corner

**All volunteers must be compliant through the Child Protection Program. For more information, please contact Beth Covert at bcovert@sjcherndon.org

Volunteer for Lunch and Recess!

St. Joseph Catholic School will implement a 12-hour family service requirement, effective with the 2023-2024 school year. All families are encouraged to participate, and many opportunities exist to volunteer time, talent, or treasure, including class field trips, parties or other classroom help, cafeteria, recess and hands-on activities such as art or outdoor classroom activities. The PTO also has numerous opportunities such as the auction, Donut Sundays, etc.  All volunteers must be compliant through the Child Protection Program if they will have substantial contact with students. Families that do not participate in the service program will be charged a $120.00 fee, or partial fee of $10 per hour for hours not volunteered.

Log Volunteer Hours Here

High School News

Walking with Purpose

Morning of Reflection with Kristy Malik!

Mark your calendar - Morning of Reflection

(bring a friend!)


The members of Walking with Purpose and the Ladies Society invite all women of the parish to attend a Morning of Reflection with Kristy Malik on Saturday, January 13th, following the 8 am Mass in the Parish Hall. The talk and discussion will be from 9:15-11:00 am.


Kristy Malik will discuss God's design for friendship and community and how to cultivate it in our own lives. Click HERE for more information.


Please RSVP to Mary Kirby in the parish office by January 10, 2024, so we can plan our continental breakfast accordingly. You can email her at mkirby@sjcherndon.org

March for Life




Friday,

January 19, 2024 Washington, DC

Father/Daughter Dance

Knights of Columbus

Good Samaritan Council #6175

2024 Youth Free Throw Championship


All boys and girls ages 9 to 14 are invited to participate in the local level of competition for the 2024 Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship on Friday, February 9th from 6-8 pm at the St. Joseph Catholic School gymnasium. Click HERE for more information and how to register.

Plenary Indulgence

Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence by praying before a Nativity scene


This year, Pope Francis granted the request of the leaders of the Franciscan Family to be able to receive a plenary indulgence from December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to February 2nd, 2024, the Feast of the Presentation by praying before a Nativity scene in a Franciscan church. The request celebrates the 800th anniversary of the creation of the Nativity scene in Greccio.


There are two churches in the Diocese of Arlington entrusted to the care of Franciscans: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 18825 Fuller Heights Road, Triangle (See parish web site for more information) and St. Joseph Catholic Church, 750 Peachtree Street, Herndon (See parish web site for more information).


What is a plenary indulgence?

A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ, Mary, and all the saints to remove the temporal punishment due to sin. The indulgence cleanses a person of all temporal punishment due to sin. However, it must always be accompanied by a full detachment from sin. 


Conditions to receive a plenary indulgence in all cases:

Detachment from all sin, even venial.


Sacramental confession, holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope. Sacramental confession and receiving the Eucharist can happen up to about 20 days before or after the act performed to receive a plenary indulgence. 

It is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed. One sacramental confession is sufficient for several plenary indulgences. However, for each plenary indulgence one wishes to receive, a separate reception of the Eucharist and a separate prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father are required.


Prayer Leaders

January 15: NO SCHOOL

January 16: Peerenboom, J. and T.

January 17: Pelham, A.

January 18: Petruncio, J.

January 19: Pierce, D.


January 22: Pinto, D.

January 23: Plante, K. and D.

January 24: Plourde, J. and C.

January 25: Plummer, A., V., and M.

January 26: Porcelli, M. and V.


Prayer leaders are to report to the library no later than 7:50 AM in order to appear on the morning news show. 


**At this time, parents will not be able to watch the taping of the news.

Upcoming Events

JANUARY



January 12: School Mass

January 15: NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

January 16: NWEA Testing Week

January 18: PTO General Meeting

January 19: School Mass

January 19: Interims

January 22: NWEA Testing Week

January 26: School Mass

January 28: Catholic Schools Week

January 29: NWEA Testing Week


FEBRUARY

February 2: School Mass

February 4: PTO Donut Sunday

February 9: School Mass

February 14: School Mass (Ash Wednesday)

February 15: First Penance

February 16: NO SCHOOL (Teacher Professional Development)

February 19: NO SCHOOL (Presidents Day)

February 21: Stations of the Cross

February 23: School Mass

February 24: Confirmation

February 28: Stations of the Cross

Stay Connected!





Don't forget to follow the official St. Joseph Catholic School Facebook page (sjschoolva), and Twitter account (@sjschoolva)

St. Joseph Catholic School

750 Peachtree Street

Herndon, VA. 20170

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