Dear Parents-

 

I do hope that we all continue to find joy in this Easter Season, notwithstanding the coronavirus. The responsorial psalm from Mass on Sunday was perfect for the pandemic. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want , comforts us that God is with us when times are good, and He is right by our sides when times are challenging. We can create in our minds the image of a loving God walking with us through this challenging time!

 

In support of all our hard work and sacrifice, Bishop Burbidge will celebrate Mass Wednesday, May 6 at 10 AM from the Cathedral of St. Thomas More for all parish school communities. The Mass will be live-streamed from the Diocese’s Facebook and YouTube Channel. Use this link, https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/covid19resources/

 

Each new experience provides an opportunity for growth, and the distance learning is no exception! At this writing, it is not possible to predict whether there will be future disruptions to the school schedule. With this current situation, we were all thrown into the deep end of the pool, came together as one community, and learned to swim. Your feedback will help us to evaluate the current distance learning program, and make adjustments, so that should we ever need it again, we all feel prepared! I invite you to complete a short survey to help inform our decisions. The survey can be found at https://www.esurveycreator.com/s/a2c2749 . Thank you.

 

By way of reminder, I mentioned a few weeks ago, that starting with the 2020-2021 school year, boys in grades 1-4 will wear the polo shirt in the winter months. Flynn and O’Hara will sell a long sleeve polo shirt option. As we transition away from the button down in grades 1-4, either shirt will be acceptable this coming winter. No family should feel pressured to buy polos if you have button downs that fit. Flynn and O’Hara will no longer sell the button down as part of the grade 1-4 boys’ uniform.

 

I hope that all our families are doing well...you are greatly missed. Stay well, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Stay well, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Welcome one another....as Christ welcomed you!

                                                                                 (Rom 15:7)

 

Denise Rutledge

Principal

  Building Wisdom and Faith Through Service to God

It was discovered yesterday that the form that was sent to many volunteers to acknowledge the new Child Protection Policy has an error/issue with the signature block. If you received your email from Beth Covert, please delete it. The form will not work to sign it electronically. As soon as the Diocese corrects the form, a new email will be sent out. We are sorry for this confusion. If you have any further questions, please contact Beth Covert at [email protected]

Starting at a new school can be overwhelming, not just for the students but for the entire family. To ease the transition for our new families, and make their experience positive from day one, we are asking for volunteers to become part of our "Welcome Saints" program!

As a veteran SJS family, you will be paired with a new family and help address questions they may have as well as share your experiences with them! You will very likely have many questions - about the uniform, carpool, the dining hall, the extended day program, recess, textbooks, supplies, etc.

We pride ourselves on the many warm welcoming families we have at SJS - why not share that hospitality with our new families? Interested? Please contact

JoEllen Mountcastle at [email protected]

May is  Mental Health Awareness Month !   Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being. While 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health.  This May Mental Health America is aiming for 1 million mental health screens at  MHAscreening.org  to normalize preventative measures for mental health conditions and encourage people to seek help.

Click here for a COVID-19 & your Mental Health infographic

May 10-16, is Allergy Awareness Week . " With quarantines keeping us home, neighbors looking for a change of scenery are passing by our windows now more than ever. Show that you care about people living with food allergies by proudly displaying this cheery  downloadable poster  – and let Teal Love shine in your community! "

Please click on links below for some educational resources and review.  

 

https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/what-food-allergy  

 

https://www.foodallergyawareness.org/newly-diagnosed/  

https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/food-allergy-myths-and-misconceptions   

https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/how-read-food-label   

  ***All parents/guardians, especially if your child has a food allergy/asthma, please go to the nurse's webpage sometime prior to the next school year to read the SJS Food Allergy Management Plan  

I know it's hard to think about school supply shopping, especially right now. However, we are happy to work with our continued partner, 1st Day School Supplies, to provide you with the convenience of ordering supplies online! You can make your purchase right now by clicking the button below! Deadline to order supplies is June 15, 2020.

Thank you to all supporters of Spring Fling. Since we had to cancel the event on April 25th we wanted to give an update on the raffle drawings and program advertisements. We are hoping to have an in-person event in the early fall when restrictions are lifted. We do not have specifics on this event yet, the planning process is fluid as we get more guidance from the governor and the diocese. 

Our plan is to hold the raffle drawings in person at this event. Everyone who purchased raffle tickets are still in the pot for the drawing and the drawing will be held at a later date. Tickets will continue to be available on the Spring Fling website: https://one.bidpal.net/denimdiamonds2020 . For those who have purchased program advertisements we are coming up with an alternative way to showcase your ad, possibly on the website, on FB/Twitter, or in Bernie's Bark. We appreciate your support as we have had to pivot given the circumstances. If you have any questions or concerns please email [email protected] and we will be happy to reply!!

Weekly Saints Quote

St. Joseph Catholic School

750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, VA 20170

Tel: 703-880-4350 Fax: 703-880-4320