Dear Parents-

 

At the end of this week we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which commemorates the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, as well as the building of a basilica on Calvary. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been recognized as the site of Christ’s crucifixion since the 4th century. More importantly, the feast is a celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection, and the salvation that brings for us.

 

Saturday was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed a truly wonderful, community building parish barbecue!  Many thanks to our wonderful and generous school community for contributing to the success of the barbecue. After the hectic start to the school year, it is so nice to have this day to come together as a community for a social gathering and fellowship. It was so good to see so many families, and all the Friars, enjoying the glorious afternoon together! Special thanks to Danny Rucker, Laura Stump, and the entire facilities team, for your hard work!

 

Our first of the year Coffee with the Principal is scheduled for Friday, October 4 at 8:30. I will be joined by our assistant principal, Lisa Carson, and our counselors, Patty Farrell and Beth Henry. We will provide an overview of our plans to address school climate and the social-emotional needs of our students.

 

The Scantron testing window opened Monday and testing will continue until September 27. Students should be well rested and relaxed in preparation for the tests. If you must schedule student appointments during the testing weeks, please check with your child’s teacher for the exact testing schedule so that you can avoid conflict, and schedule around test time. Scantron test results will be made available to parents as soon as possible, after the testing window closes.

 

Thank you to all who participated in the Back to School Night survey. The results were overwhelmingly in support of separate nights for lower school and middle school. There were some good suggestions with respect to logistics for volunteer sign-ups, and we will look at ways to make sure the experience is the best it can be.

 

Please note that if you weren’t able to attend the parish barbeque, check below for additional social opportunities that bring families together. Thanks to our awesome PTO for organizing these events.

 

We will have an 11:30 dismissal on Friday, September 13 , the first of our DFE half-days.

 

As always, if you have any questions, or if I can be of any assistance, please let me know.

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

                                                                                  (Rom 15:7)

 

Denise Rutledge

Principal

  Building Wisdom and Faith Through Service to God

Dear Parents,

We are off to a good start so far. Thank you for all your effort and cooperation in keeping your child healthy. In order to continue keeping our children safe/healthy, please take note of these few reminders as we begin the 4 ^th week of school.

Remind your child to cough & sneeze into their elbows, use tissue paper to wipe their nose and most importantly to WASH their hands afterwards, before eating and after using the bathroom etc.

If your child has an orthopedic injury, a note MUST be sent to us from their doctor especially if your child is required to wear a brace, cast or use crutches etc. It is for their safety that we know what their restrictions are and what accommodations we need to make, if any, while at school and especially for PE class.

If your child is sick with a fever, please remember to keep them home until they have been fever free for 24 hours without taking any OTC medication for fever relief. In addition, please don’t forget to notify the clinic if your child is diagnosed with a highly contagious illness such as the flu, strep, conjunctivitis so that we can take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the illness within the school community as best as we can.

If your child is sent home because they vomited due to an illness, they may not return to school until they have stopped vomiting for >24 hours.

The parent or guardian MUST transport ALL medications to and from the school. All medications need to be in their original container and labelled with your child’s name, exact dose & frequency. You may transport the medication in a Ziploc bag. The appropriate medication authorization forms need to be completed and accompany the medication otherwise, we are not allowed to dispense that medication to your child. You can find the forms on the nurses’ page for your convenience.

COMING SOON: Please watch out for the vision/hearing permission forms which will be sent home in the near future for grades 3, 5, 7

SJS will be offering a 7th and 8th grade weekly Math Club, using a renowned program called MathCounts. Club members will work with peers and our own Math Coach (Mrs. Brenda Hart) to expand their math knowledge, sharpen their math skills, explore a variety of math topics, learn to work as a team to solve problems, and HAVE FUN! The Math Club at SJS will include the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series: All registered club members will have an opportunity to participate at a school level competition in January, and SJS will send a team of up to 10 selected members to the local Chapter competition in February (and possibly advance to

State or National competitions!) 

If you like to sing, want to learn, and enjoy music – then choir is for you!

   Choir rehearsals take place on Thursdays, after school from 3:30pm - 4:30pm (TBD occasional Lunch/Recess rehearsals). The choir will sing for school liturgies and other events. Please make a commitment to attending rehearsals regularly. Choir practice ends at 4:30pm and students will be dismissed to the front lobby. Any student remaining after 4:35pm will be sent to Extended Day.

Please visit the Choir page for the Choir form and more information!

Questions? Please contact Ms. Bambino at [email protected]  

Are you a 5th or 6th grader who likes to compete?

Do you also like a good story?

Then consider joining the BATTLE OF THE BOOKS!

Interested students in grades 5 and 6 should

mark their calendars for

Tuesday Sept. 17 which is the date

of the first club meeting. 

On that day the meeting schedule will be handed

out and the requirements put forth!

If you are up for the challenge or just like to read,

join us in the library at 3:15 on Sept. 17!   

Got Spirit?

SJS cheerleading tryouts will be held

Wednesday, September 18 - Friday, September 20

from 3:15-4:30 pm

Cheerleaders will practice each Tuesday after school from 3:15-5:00pm

Click here for more information and permission slip .

All participants must complete a permission slip and return to

Miss Denneny no later than Tuesday, September 17.

Show your school spirit and help support the Class of 2020 in fundraising

for their graduation activities. 

ONLINE STORE IS NOW OPEN!!

 St. Joseph Catholic School Extended Day program is looking to hire responsible, understanding, nurturing, and caring individuals to join our wonderful team.  

Positions are part-time, Monday through Friday, 6:45 am to 8:00 am and/or 3pm to 6pm with an occasional 11:30am-6:00 pm on scheduled early dismissals.

Please contact Nancy Lisk at [email protected] 

further information.

Show your St. Joseph Catholic School pride with a car magnet!

Magnets were given out in morning carpool yesterday to each family.

If you didn't get one, stop by the office!

Have a second car or need a second magnet?

Magnets can be purchased from the office for $5!

Come and get them - while supplies last!

Are you looking for a part-time, paid position at St. Joseph Catholic School? We have openings for lunch monitors during the school lunch period, Monday-Friday. It is a great opportunity to meet the students and work with your fellow parents. The shift is only two hours so you will have plenty of time left in your busy day! You can also work as many or as few days per week, depending on your availability. 

Please note that you must be compliant in the Arlington Diocese Child Protection Program, or in the process of becoming compliant.

Monday- Friday

11:30a-1:30p

If you would like to inquire about this position, please contact:

Laura Stump

Kitchen & Event Manager

571-512-0551

[email protected]

SJS PTO presents

Friday, September 13th after early dismissal @ Bready Park 

Popsicles in the Park

Come play on the playground and fields after early dismissal, we will have popsicles for the kids!! 

Tuesday, October 1st 7-9pm Parish Hall 

10 Ways to Stop Defiance, Disrespect & Yelling Workshop

Celebrate Calm Founder Kirk Martin, and his son, Casey, will provide parents and teachers with a dozen strategies that will eliminate defiance, disrespect, yelling, bullying, sibling fights and more that characterize our homes and classrooms. Kirk provides concrete, practical strategies that work with kids ages 2-22 in everyday situations to:

• Get your kids to listen the first time.

• Stop defiance, disrespect, and yelling.

• Stop whining, tantrums and sibling fights.

• Get kids off video games/screens without a fight. 

• Create stress-free mornings, homework time and bedtime.

 

Visit  https://celebratecalm.com/attend-live-events  for a sneak peak of what you will experience. Arrive early for the special Q&A with Kirk (that begins 10 minutes prior to the workshop beginning).

Parent Social @ Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern in Downtown Herndon  

Join us at Jimmys after the 10 Ways to Stop Defiance, Disrespect & Yelling workshop to meet and socialize with other SJS parents! We will see you there!

 Saturday, November 9th @ Northwest Federal Credit Union Annual 5K Race

Want to help make Bernie’s 5K Dash a huge success?? We are currently seeking event sponsors, donations and volunteers, please email  [email protected] !

It's game time!

Registration for CYO sports is now open!

See the information below on

sports being offered!

Registration is now online - click the

button below to register!

Go Saints!

St. Joseph Catholic School Golf Program

Starting Late September

for 4 ^th -8 ^th Graders!

Is your son or daughter interested in learning the game of golf or looking to improve their golf game? If so, why not do it through the St. Joseph community! Starting in late September, a new program will be held for interested 4 ^th -8 ^th grade St. Joseph students and St. Joseph CCD participants. This program will be held at Herndon Centennial golf course, and for Fall 2019, will be held once a week for roughly 6 weeks. The program will be taught by a combination of parent volunteers and golf course staff. Please see below for additional details:

·          When: Start in mid-late September and will run for roughly 6 weeks through October, to be held one night a week (aiming for Monday evenings) for 1-1.5 hours each week during the 6 weeks.

·           What: Will include basic instruction and practice for the Fall session, including learning to hit the ball/improving on the driving range, learning/improving chipping and putting, and learning the basics of the game of golf including etiquette. Note that for the Fall session, there will be limited course play.

·           Who: Fourth-Eighth grade St. Joseph Catholic School students and St. Joseph Parish CCD participants.

·           Equipment/Attire: Does your child have clubs already? Great, please bring them. Don’t have golf clubs? No worries, there are additional sets of junior golf clubs that can be used at the course. Sneakers are suitable (golf shoes not required), and dress will be a golf shirt (or similar) and golf shorts (or golf pants when the weather is colder).

·          Cost: Anticipated costs are $50-$80 per child. This will be finalized based on the number of participants.

Please register by September 18 ^th , as the program will likely

start as early as Monday, September 23 ^rd . 

To register, or for more information or questions, please contact

Joel Woodson at [email protected] or

Tammy McGowan at [email protected] . 

Brats & Brew 

All 21+ men of the Parish are invited & welcomed!

Friday, September 13   

6 :30 pm, Parish Field

Come out for a causal evening and enjoy a 'free' brat and cold beer along with some conversation with fellow parishioners.

We host this night simply to create an opportunity for parish men to connect,

as St. Francis was big on hospitality and fellowship.

Please pass the word and bring a lawn chair if you want a seat.

We'll be profiling ministries within the parish for general awareness.

Divine Mercy Chaplet at 6:15 pm

Dinner bell at 6:30 pm

 questions:  [email protected]

Join our DL at: https://goo.gl/forms/z3zdrLhZqcrBlfCl2

Pace e Bene! - Peace & Good!

That Man is You! gives you the opportunity to go deeper in your faith.

TMIY is an interactive, multi-media men’s program focused on the development of authentic male leadership. Each lesson successively considers men in their relationship to God, to their spouse and to their children. The program content harmonizes current social and medical science with the teachings of the Church and the wisdom of the saints to develop the vision of a man fully alive.

Come join the Men of our Parish in enriching relationships with both Christ and family.

There is no fee and all men are invited to attend either on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm starting September 17 ^th or Friday mornings 6:30 am starting September 20 ^th .

For more information contact Jack Matney at [email protected] . 

Registration at:  https://admin.paradisusdei.org/location_details/st-joseph-herndon .

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

Weekly Saints Quote

St. Joseph Catholic School

750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, VA 20170

Tel: 703-880-4350 Fax: 703-880-4320