NEW THIS WEEK

Picture Retake Day

Tuesday, November 7th is Picture Retake Day.

• Uniforms should be worn. Any student having their picture taken/retaken who prefers to wear their polo shirt instead of their winter uniform may do so.
• If your child is having his/her picture retaken, please send in the original picture packet so that your child may return it to the photographer at the time of retake.
• If your child is being photographed for the first time and you are interested in purchasing the pictures, please have your child bring in a completed order form and payment. A blank order form will be sent home with your child tomorrow.
• This is the last opportunity for children to be photographed for the class picture that appears in the yearbook.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office at 610-696-5249.

CYO Yearbook Pictures

On Thursday, November 9th team photos will be taken for the SSJ Yearbook. All fall athletes are asked to bring in their jerseys. Cheerleaders can bring their uniforms and change for the picture.

SSJ Theatre Department News

Tickets for A Christmas Carol go on sale to the public tomorrow! Shout-out submissions for cast and crew are due tomorrow, Friday, November 3rd. See more details below. Auditions for the spring musical The Little Mermaid Junior will be on November 20 and 21. More details below.

Class of 2025 Fundraiser

The 7th grade class at SSJ is excited to announce our 2023 holiday fundraiser in partnership with BloomBox to help raise funds for our 8th grade activities! BloomBox is a local online garden center that sells handmade wreaths, fresh wintergreens, holiday planters, garland & more. Order online and they'll hand deliver right to your home! You can order your holiday décor now and 15% will be donated directly to SSJ's Class of 2025!

Visit getblooming.com and shop for holiday greenery. At checkout enter SSJ15 into the 'fundraising code' box. After you order, BloomBox will hand-deliver your purchase directly to your home between the dates of November 17th and December 6th. It’s really that easy! The fundraiser will run between November 1st and 15th so get your orders in soon!

Safe Environment Lesson Reminder

The Office of Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia requires the instruction of Safe Environment lessons to all students PreK 3 through 8th grade twice a year. Age appropriate lessons will be taught at Saints Simon and Jude on Wednesday, November 8.  If you do not wish your child to participate in these lessons or would like further information, please contact the school office at 610-696-5249 or email the office at ssjschool@simonandjude.org prior to Wednesday morning. The office will notify your child’s teacher.

Winter Uniform Reminder

Winter uniforms began today, Thursday, November 2. Please click here for the required items of the winter uniform.

We Fill Buckets at SSJ!



During the week of November 6th, students will acknowledge: Mrs. Lucia Biddle (Rm. 6); Miss Jennie McIntyre (Music); and Mrs. Michelle Fasano (Physical Education).

This year we are promoting kindness at SSJ School for our faculty and staff. Every week, three faculty and staff members will have a bucket, and students are invited to fill their buckets. Items that might be good would be thank you notes, candy, class supplies, trinkets, or something you think that person would enjoy.

FROM SSJ'S HOME & SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

Lo Piccolo's Deli Orders due Tomorrow

Place your preorder by November 3rd for pickup on November 12th. Click here for an order form.

Raffle Winner

Congratulations to the Gerhart family for winning last week’s raffle of $250! Who wants to be our next winner? If you would like to purchase a ticket for $50 click here or return the tickets that were sent home with your youngest SSJ student in September.

Trivia Night - RSVP Today!

Join us for Trivia Night on Friday, November 10th! Gather your friends for a night of FUN! Your team will battle to prove who has the most trivia knowledge! All trivia questions provided by MCM Entertainment. Each table forms teams to answer questions about pop culture, tv shows, history, sports, movies, literature and more! You can form your own 8,10 or max 12 person table. Or if you don't have a group, contact Katy Coley at 215-438-6317 or Tara Foret at 610-731-7302 and they will help fill your table (great time to meet new people). Please consider making 2 tables if you have more than 12 (we will put your tables next to each other). Trivia night will be held in The Meehan Center 6:30-9:30pm. Trivia begins promptly at 7:30pm. Tickets are $45 and includes dinner, dessert, and water (BYO adult beverages). EZ passes will be sold at the door for $10 (this will be explained during the event) so don't forget your cash! Prizes will be awarded to the winning table. CLICK HERE for the link to the SignUpGenius and CLICK HERE for a PayPal link to purchase tickets.

Trunk or Treat

A big thank you to Sandy Snyder, Christine VonDerStuck, and all who volunteered for Trunk or Treat this past Friday! It was a wonderful night for children and parents alike! 

Breakfast with Santa

Join us for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 2nd 9:30-11:30 AM in the cafeteria. SignUpGenius and registration form coming soon!

Pica's Dine & Donate

Mark your calendars for another Dine & Donate on Wednesday, November 15th at Pica's in West Chester. Mention 'Saints Simon and Jude' when placing your order for dine-in or pickup. 15% of the sales will be donated back to SSJ.

FROM SSJ'S THEATRE DEPARTMENT

Audition Dates for Spring Musical

Auditions for The Little Mermaid Junior speaking roles will be held November 20 and 21after school. A sign up link with 10 minute audition appointments will be sent to grades 5 to 8 on November 10th. All audition info is on the Google Classroom (class code: 3hn6kfy). No need to audition to be in the show. The Little Mermaid Junior runs the weekend of April 25th and rehearsals are usually M-T-W after school. Any questions, contact ssjtheatre@simonandjude.org.

Give a Shout-Out to the Actors, Actresses and Crew Members! 

These messages will appear in the programs that will be handed out during the shows. Let them know how excited you are to see them perform! Each shout-out is $10 and submissions are due by Friday, November 3rd. Please complete this form and pay via Paypal. 

A Christmas Carol Service Project

In preparation for our fall show, A Christmas Carol, we would like to continue the spirit of giving with a service project! The list of items below were sent from Christ's Home in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Donations will be taken up until November 20th, so the children receive the items before the holidays. Donations can be brought to school and your child can deliver to Room 1. Unfortunately, they do not take used items. Christ's Home is in need of: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, hair brushes, toothpaste, joggers (all teen boy sizes), leggings/yoga pants (all teen sizes), size 5 diapers, and cosmetic bags. Thank you so much for your help and generosity.

PRAYER REQUESTS

We are happy to pray for the needs of our school family. If any family has a prayer request please send it to srelinich@simonandjude.org. 

For the repose of the soul of Mrs. Elaine Hynes, grandmother of Nate (room 6 ), who has died. May she be enjoying the promise of eternal life and peace. May Our Mother of Sorrows console and comfort her family and all who mourn her passing.

For Mr. Peter Federico, first chair of SSJ’s School Board of Limited Jurisdiction, who has died. May he be resting in God’s loving embrace. May Our Mother of Sorrows console and comfort his family and all who mourn his passing.

For Mr. Leo Stenson, father of Miss Stenson (room 12), who is ill. May Christ’s healing hand grant him a complete and speedy recovery.

For Mr. Ronald Paiste, grandfather of James Dougherty (room 17), who is ill. May Christ’s healing hand comfort him and grant him a complete recovery.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Parent/Grandparent Volunteers for Preschool Lunch

We are still in need of volunteers to help with our preschoolers at lunch time from 12:00-1:00PM. You do not need to have a child or grandchild in preschool. If you are able to volunteer one or more days a week please contact the school office. Clearances are needed. If you do not have them we will assist you in obtaining them. Thank you very much for your willingness to help the youngest members of our school family.

Relief Fund Golf Outing

Please note, there is a new date for the Relief Fund Golf Outing... Thursday, November 14th. Click here for more details.

Angel Tree Program 2023

Saints Simon and Jude will once again participate in the Angel Tree program, providing gifts for less fortunate children in the Delaware Valley. Sadly, after 35 years of service to the community, the Delaware Valley Children’s Charity closed its door, but the Angel Tree Program will continue our support through You Give Goods. This year we are sponsoring 170 children from the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County and the Care Center of Chester County. The charity will continue to be a virtual giving event. Just as last year, you will not need to shop at stores, wrap gifts, and deliver them to the church. You will be able to shop online, from the comfort of your home, from our special website, yougivegoods.com/saintssimonandjude2023, which is now open through November 30th. You will also receive a receipt for tax purposes. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. You can call, text, or email me at 484-995-2319 or cindymoribondo@gmail.com. Thank you so much for your continued support and generosity. Much love and gratitude, Cindy Moribondo

Walk-a-Thon Results & Winners

Thanks again to everyone who supported our annual Walk-a-Thon! We raised a total of $27,678.77! Congratulations to our students:

• 296 students met the $50 goal and won a dress down day.
• Room 14, Mrs. Farrell had 100% class participation and won an extra recess.
• The class with the most funds raised per student ($3,335) was Room 14, Mrs. Farrell and they won a pizza party.
• Mason DiStefano was our top fundraiser with a total of $1,150 and he won a $250 gift card to Best Buy.
• The top 20 families with most funds raised were entered into a drawing and Beau Anthony was the lucky winner of a $250 gift card to Best Buy.

Makerspace Monsters

Students in Room 11 read the book How I Met My Monster by Amanda Noll and created their own Halloween monsters as a fun Makerspace activity in the Library Media Center!

Halloween Contest Winners

Congratulations to Amy DelFra who won the jar of candy corn! 348 was the actual number and she guessed 349! Congratulations to Jake Smith won the Halloween baskets of fun! Thank you to our Student Council for planning both contests.

Pumpkin Contest Winners

A big thank you to all the families who participated in our annual pumpkin carving and decorating contests. Each year, it gets harder and harder to pick winners because all the pumpkins are so unique and creative. All the details and effort certainty did not go unnoticed by the students or staff. 

Our winners for the best carved pumpkins: 1st place was awarded to the Colket family, 2nd place was given to the DeYulia family, and a tie for 3rd place between the Hammen family and Gaudiosi family.

Our winners for the best decorated pumpkins: 1st place was awarded to the McAllister family, 2nd place was given to the Zeminiski family, and a tie for 3rd place was given to the Zimmerman family and Kirchner family. 

Truly, thank you to everyone who participated. This event would not be possible without all our participants! Time to start brainstorming for next year!

1st Grade Saints Play

1st grade students entertained their parents and 8th grade buddies with a play and song as they dressed as their Patron Saints. Our 8th graders also surprised their buddies with homemade Patron Saint booklets.