August 14, 2020
School Entrance Health Physical Form
For all Kindergarten and any new students: Please make sure to submit the School Entrance Health Physical Form prior to the start of school.

  1. School Physicals are required for students enrolling for the first time in elementary whether it is virtual or in person. 
  2. Immunizations are required for school attendance. 
  3. Hearing and vision screening has not been waived for the 2020-21 school year. . However, both screenings need to be scheduled on the school calendar within the first 60 days of school. School must complete screenings within the 2020-21 school year. This applies to in-person or virtual school. 
1st Day of School
*August 26 - First Day of School (Three grade levels per day)
*August 27 - First Day of School (Three grade levels per day)
*August 28 - First Day of School (Three grade levels per day)

*The plexiglass shields needed for kindergarten have not yet been delivered, and without those the kindergarten start date may be delayed. We will communicate the grade level start dates in next week's Bernie's Bark.
Kindergarten Back to School Night

Monday, Aug. 24 Kindergarten Back to School Night (parents of in-person learners)

Tuesday, Aug. 25 Kindergarten Orientation -details provided at Back to School Night
Mask Reminder
Please make sure that masks have multiple layers. One layer of material is not sufficient. Also, no fleece masks!

If you can see through the mask when you put it up
to a light and you can blow through it easily, it
probably is not protecting anybody.

The type of fabric and layers on a mask are key in stopping the spread of COVID-19. As none of the masks are medical grade, it is not possible to prevent every droplet from escaping into the air.

In lieu, of the recent studies, regarding the most effective masks, we ask you that as you purchase or sew masks for your child to take into consideration these factors. Per the study, the N95 & 3 -ply surgical masks ranked highest in effectiveness, but we are asked to reserve those masks for the health care workers.

According to the results of the studies, the next effective masks were the layered cloth masks. As a guide, if your mask is layered, is not see through and you cannot blow out a candle while wearing it, it is believed to be effective in trapping respiratory droplets. Please consider these points as you purchase/make your masks. For the gaiter masks, following the guide mentioned above, if the gaiter mask is not layered, is thin, see through and you can blow out a candle while wearing it, then it is not an effective mask to be worn.

Please note that the same study revealed that the masks with a one-way valves or vents allow air to be exhaled through a hole in the material, which can result in expelled respiratory droplets. This type of mask does not prevent the person wearing the mask from transmitting COVID-19 to others. Therefore, the CDC does not recommend using masks for source control if they have an exhalation valve or vent.
Distance Learners
Textbook Pick Up
Please plan to drive by St. Joseph Catholic School to claim the textbooks your child will need to successfully participate in classes from a distance.  

Students that are Distance Learners can pick up their
textbooks on
Thursday, August 20 from 2:00pm-6:00pm

Where? GYM entrance 
When? Thursday, August 20, 2020 from 2:00-6:00 PM  

Please bring a card with your family name printed on it 
and be prepared to open your trunk for contactless delivery. Thank you! 
School Supply Pick Up

For those that ordered the school supply kids through Frist Day School Supplies, your kits will be available for pick up on August 20 from 2:00pm-6:00pm.

Where? GYM entrance 
When? Thursday, August 20, 2020 from 2:00-6:00 PM  

Please bring a card with your family name printed on it and be prepared to
open your trunk for contactless delivery. Thank you! 
Nurse's Corner
Travel and Quarantine Information

For families, students arriving from abroad to the USA, please self- quarantine for 14 days and after completing your self-quarantine and you are symptom free and well, you may report to school. “Virginia currently does not have any quarantine requirements upon arrival from travel within the US. You should check with the state or local health department where you are, along your route, and where you will be visiting to get the most up to date information, in case there are new travel restrictions, stay-at-home orders or quarantine requirements upon arrival, or even state border closures” (VDH, latest updated 7/21/20).

Since Texas, Arizona, Florida and California are hot spots now, we ask that you consider self-quarantine and check for symptoms at least for a minimum of 10 days prior to starting school for the safety of your school community. Per VDH guidelines, call the local health department to see if you need to quarantine after returning from any domestic travel. ****If we work together united, we have a very high chance of succeeding in staying healthy and keeping our school community safe.

Plan to keep checking for updates as you travel. Please check the Virginia Department of Health travel guidelines via this link https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus/travel-to-areas-with-
widespread-ongoing-community-spread/ .

In addition, you may go to this link and plug in your travel location for more details. THN: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/ AND
Allergy Plan

Dear Parents-If you have not read the SJS Allergy Plan on the nurses’ page, please do so prior to the start of school. Included in this plan are the names of the necessary forms that need to be completed if your child will have an Epi-pen or an Inhaler in school regardless of whether they will be in person or virtual. ****There is an acknowledgement form at the end of the document that parents of students with an allergy or asthma are required to complete and sign and submit to me. You may submit it with their medication on the first day of school OR email it to me if your child will be virtual. Email: [email protected]
SJS Used Uniform Sale




The PTO sponsored Used Uniform Sale
is going on now.....ONLINE!

Make a list of what you need and happy shopping!
Box Tops for Education
Box Tops for Education is a super easy way for you to help St. Joseph Catholic School earn money! There are 2 ways to help! IT'S SO EASY!

  1. Download the free Box Tops app for your phone, shop, and scan your store receipts through the app! By scanning, the app knows which products count! Super easy!! Download the app - when you create your login, assign your rewards to St. Joseph Catholic School. You can find the school by entering the zip code (20170) or searching for the school.
  2. Cut and send in the physical box top found on products. The physical box top clips are being phased out but are still being accepted. We will be able to collect these when we get back to school in a few days!
Thanks for your support!
Stay Connected!




Don't forget to follow the official St. Joseph Catholic School Facebook page (sjschoolva), Twitter account (@sjschoolva), and download the mobile app from the App Store (St. Joseph Catholic School, VA)
Don't forget to follow SJS
on Twitter and Facebook!
A lot is happening at SJS and you don't want to miss out!
Twitter: sjschoolva
Facebook: sjschoolva
St. Joseph Catholic School
750 Peachtree Street
Herndon, VA. 20170