Dear Parents-
Today we celebrate The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Bible is silent on this event, and nothing is really known about the birth of Our Blessed Mother, however, "Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Virgin Mary, of whom was born the Sun of Justice.... Her birth constitutes the hope and the light of salvation for the whole world.... Her image is light for the whole Christian people" (From EWTN.com).
With much joy we welcomed all our in-person kindergarten students to class today for the first time since school opened. The students have their tabletop shields that add an extra layer of protection for our youngest Saints. With that, and with many of the technology glitches worked out, we can settle into the routine of being back in school.
We remain ever vigilant in following all the COVID-19 mitigation protocols, and I want to thank all parents for helping the children understand how important it is that they follow the guidelines. Students are willingly wearing masks and maintaining distance. No one wants to be in a pandemic, but everyone working together keeps us all safe. In this week’s COVID update we notice the continued uptick in cases and positivity rate in Virginia as a whole. This week the infection rate in Virginia is 1.02 with a test positivity rate of 7.2%. Infection rate in Fairfax County was also up slightly at 1.04. Websites that track the virus indicate COVID in Virginia as a whole is concerning; Fairfax County continues to spread in a slow and controlled fashion. As always, I remind our families to wear masks, wash hands, keep distance and avoid crowds.
For many years students have broadcasted the morning news show throughout the school building. Siblings were asked to lead prayer and oftentimes, parents came in to watch their children lead the school in morning prayer. This year, students will still broadcast the news, and it is important that our distance learners are a part of this! To make this happen, DL 8th grade students will be able to volunteer to anchor the news alongside an in-person anchor! Also, all families are invited to video the family leading the prayer! So, gather all the kids, mom and dad, the whole family, and video your family reciting the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be. These videos will be shared in the school for morning prayer, and will be a powerful connection for the community! Send your video to Mrs. Hatley at wsjsnews@sjschoolva.org.
We will run a test of the SJS Emergency Broadcast System on Tuesday, September 15. This test will involve distance learning families as well as in-person families. Please make sure that your contact information is updated and complete on PowerSchool, so that our test is efficient, and in the event of an emergency we are able to keep everyone informed.
We are in SCANTRON testing week 2, for in-person learners.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions, or if I can be of assistance.
Go to Joseph
(Gen 41:55)
Denise Rutledge
Principal
Building Wisdom and Faith Through Service to God
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Uplift Arlington with Bishop Burbidge |
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Join Bishop Burbidge in prayer during a Holy Hour at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More and via livestream. During this evening with our Lord, we will pray for increased faith and relief from stress and anxiety.
September 10
8:00-9:00pm
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I just want to thank everyone for their cooperation in keeping our school community safe by being conscientious in monitoring your child's health before sending them to school, keeping your child home if they are sick and helping your child put into practice the safety precautions such as keeping their physical distance, frequent washing of hands and wearing their face covering. As mentioned at the beginning of the year, masks with valves are NOT allowed since the valves expel the wearers respiratory droplets to those around them. Gaiter masks MUST be multi-layered, not see-through in order to be acceptable to wear in school. In addition, if you travelled internationally, please quarantine for 14 days and if you travelled to a "hot spot" within the US, SJS highly recommends that you quarantine for at least 10 days after you return since it can take 2-14 days after exposure to become sick
REMINDER: It takes about 2 weeks for your body to build immunity against influenza after you receive the influenza vaccine (FLU SHOT); so remember to talk with your doctor about a good time to get your influenza vaccine, the sooner the better
*IMPORTANT*: Thank you to everyone who has sent in their child's Confidential Student Health History Update Form. If you are yet to send it in, please do so by tomorrow. This form was sent home the first day of school and was due back last week. It alerts me to any new health concern/allergies update that your child has and allows for us to plan better to assist your child. You may either email the completed/signed copy directly back to me or send it to me with your child by backpack mail tomorrow.
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SIGN-UP NIGHT! – Virtual ZOOM Session Sept 9th 7PM
For boys in grades K-5: learn about the adventure of Cub Scouts and be part of our St. Joseph Pack 913! Cub Scouts is a year-round family program with siblings very welcomed. Our Pack has exciting events with activities that are fun for kids and the entire family. Our Cubs learn about important life skills, personal safety, and environmental stewardship. They take part in fun outdoor activities, get involved in their community, and learn to be part of a team. Safe social distancing guidelines are observed at all times.
Date: Wednesday, September 9th Time: 7:00pm
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Join the Girl Scouts virtual webinar on September 17 at 7:00pm!
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TMIY IS BACK!!
MONDAY NIGHTS & FRIDAY MORNINGS
STARTING SEPTEMBER 14 & 18
That Man is You! gives you the opportunity to go deeper in your faith.
Come join the Men of our Parish in enriching relationships with
both Christ and family.
All men are invited to attend TMIY (Parish Hall A)
Monday evenings at 7pm
Friday mornings at 6:30am OR
Zoom Videoconference.
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Scripture Based Sharing Group
Girls Grades 6-8
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September
September 8-11: SCANTRON Week 2 (In-person Learners only)
September 14-18: SCANTRON Week 3 (In-person Learners only)
September 25: 11:30am Dismissal (In-person and Distance Learners) (DFE)
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Stay Connected!
SJS Mobile App, Twitter and Facebook
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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)
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750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, VA 20170
Tel: 703-880-4350 Fax: 703-880-4320
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