About this Newsletter:

All parents of rising 6th-8th Graders at St. John Neumann should be receiving this email. If you know of families who are not in the Rooted program for any reason but are still members of this age group at SJN, please check to make sure they are receiving this email as their children are welcome to join us for Branching Out events.

There are two sections of this newsletter:
  • The first section focuses on information specific to the Rooted program.
  • Second, you'll see information regarding Branching Out (our Youth Ministry for 6th-8th grade) and other events/information which are appropriate for that age group.


***All youth volunteer (service hours) opportunities are labeled in RED for your convenience.***
Dear Parents,

I am excited to welcome you all to 2019/2020 Rooted program! There is a lot of information to share with you, so please read the announcements below carefully.

In addition to these newsletters (which will be sent out about monthly), you will receive reminder emails for each session. These reminder emails will let you know some specific details about what will be covered in the upcoming session and suggest some car talking points for the ride home from Rooted for each session.

I look forward to seeing you soon at our Rooted Parent Meetings (see below for more information).

God Bless,
-Angela Davis
Parent Newsletter
Here is the latest information pertaining to the Rooted program!
Rooted Parent Meetings

All parents are expected to attend a Parent Meeting which will happen in the Chapel during each sessions first Rooted session. We invite parents to join with their children for our snack and opening which will then be followed by the parent meeting. This will not last the entire duration of the Rooted session. The parent meeting itself will take about 20 minutes, but total (with snack and the opening), please plan to be here for the first hour of the session.
Join us for the Closing

Parents and families are encouraged to join us for the closing of our first session. This will begin 15 minutes before the end of the session. We will be doing a meditative prayer similar to Visio Divina and Lectio Devina and we would love it if you would join us. Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the close of the session so that everyone can be seated quickly and we can end on-time.
Rooted Material

If your child has been in the Rooted program in the past, they are expected to bring their book and bag with them again this year. These materials (along with a Bible which will be given out new this year) are to last throughout the entire Rooted program. So please make sure that they come prepared with their Rooted materials from last year (they will get a new journal, so they don't need to bring their old one).
***Youth Volunteer Opportunity***

Youth and Adult Summer Volunteers Needed

We need help setting up for each Rooted session. This is a great opportunity for tweens, teens, or adults. Please sign-up at the link below.

Youth and Adult Summer Volunteers Needed

We are asking families to sign-up for a month to donate snack items. Please see the sign-up genius for more information and a link to an Amazon list for your convenience.

Attendance Updates

This year, we are implementing a new reporting form for any children who will be absent, late, or in need of an early dismissal. If your child falls into this category for the first session, please complete the form below.
2019/2020 Calendar

The Rooted Calendar is available on the website in two formats for your convenience. There will be an update version with additional information available next week.


Parent Newsletter
Here is the latest information pertaining to the Branching Out program!
***Youth Volunteer Opportunity***

Day-Off with Branching Out
Hike and Bake Cookies

We will have our first "Day-Off with Branching Out" for the year on October 14th 8:30am-4:30pm. We will meet at SJN, attend the 9:00am Mass together and then head to Sky Meadows State Park for a few hours of hiking and lunch. We will then return to SJN and back cookie for the Kairos Prison Ministry. Participants will be able to claim 1 1/2 hours of community service for the cookie baking. Registration is required (stay tuned for more information). Cost is $35 per person and includes transportation, snacks, and supplies for the service project. Friends (must be 6th, 7th, or 8th graders) are welcome, but must be registered as a guest online.

***WE WILL ALSO NEED A FEW ADULT CHAPERONES***

Online registration will be available soon.
Looking Ahead:
EDGE Summer Camp 2020


It may seem early to begin thinking about summer 2020, but these camps fill up the first day they open registration which is in mid-September. We'd like to bring a group of Middle Schoolers to camp Hidden Lake in Dahlongega, Geogia in the summer of 2020 for an EDGE camp. EDGE is a Catholic middle school ministry. Here is a small amount of information, more to follow in the next few weeks:
  • WHO: Students who will be rising 6th through 9th graders at the time which means those who are currently rising 5th through 8th graders are eligible to attend.
  • COST: About $800 per camper (this will include all lodging, transportation, meals, and activities)
  • REGISTRATION / DEPOSIT: All campers wishing to attend will need to register and provide a $100 deposit in the beginning of October 2019. Space will be limited.
  • WHEN: Sometime during the summer of 2020. We would leave SJN early on a Sunday and return very VERY late on the following Saturday. We are assigned our date by the camp.
  • CHAPERONES: We will be in need of a few chaperones who will need to provide their own camp registration fee and can assist with driving 12 passenger vans. We will need both male and female chaperones.
  • TRANSPORTATION: We will drive down in rented 12 passenger vans.
Stay tuned for more information.

Salesian Youth Mass

Bring the whole family to this monthly Mass centered on teens and Salesian spirituality. There will be one this coming Sunday (9/22) at the 5:00pm Mass and another on October 27th at the 5:00pm. This includes a personal reflection on a Salesian theme given by one of our High School youth.
Overnight Lock-In
Laser Tag

Join us on  November 4th-5th  for an overnight lock-in at Ultrazone. We will meet there at 9:00pm for an overnight of unlimited laser tag, pizza, snacks, movies, games, and some down time . Registration is $35 which includes food and unlimited laser tag.

***WE WILL ALSO NEED ADULT CHAPERONES***

Online registration will be available soon.
Branching Out T-Shirts

Branching Out t-shirts are on sale for $10. They are available for purchase, however there will be a supply on hand in the Faith Formation Office for off-site Branching Out events where all participants will be required to wear one to assist with better supervision and accountability. Participants may purchase one to own or may choose to just wear one of the extras when attending off-site events. Shirts can be purchased during Rooted sessions or any other time that staff is available in the Faith Formation Office.
2019/2020 Calendar

The Branching Out Calendar is ready, but be aware that there are other potential events that may be added as the year moves along! There will be an update version with additional information available next week.

Thank you for all you do to make your children's faith formation a priority and for inviting us to support you in this wonderful journey.

Angela Davis
Coordinator of Middle School Faith Formation
St. John Neumann Church
Reston, VA 20191
[703-390-2345]  [[email protected]]  [www.saintjn.org]