October 6, 2026

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Dear Saint Families,

As we turn the page to a new month and begin the second quarter of the school year, we are grateful for all that God continues to do within our Saint community. October brings many opportunities to grow in faith, strengthen relationships, and celebrate the wonderful things happening at St. John Paul II.

This month, we will focus on the virtue of Reverence, showing our deepest respect for the things of God. May this virtue guide us in the way we pray, worship, serve, and care for one another.

October is filled with meaningful opportunities to connect and build community. Parent-teacher conferences provide a valuable opportunity to celebrate your child’s accomplishments, discuss their progress, and partner together in supporting their continued growth. We also look forward to gathering for the Living Rosary, Trunk or Treat, and Vocations Day, special events that bring joy to our campus while helping us deepen our faith and strengthen our Saint family.

Thank you to the many parents who joined us, both in person and online, for our first Coffee with the Counselors. We are grateful for your willingness to engage in meaningful conversations about raising resilient, confident, and faith-filled young men and women. These gatherings provide a wonderful opportunity to connect with other parents, share experiences, and learn from one another. Please mark your calendars for our next Coffee with the Counselors on October 27 for another look and dive into the book “The Anxious Generation.”

We are also excited to welcome all StJPII parents to campus for Totus Tuus Night on Thursday, October 15 from 5:00-6:30pm, in the Gutierrez Student Center as we celebrate the many accomplishments made possible through our recent For Every Saint Capital Campaign. It will be a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate what we have accomplished, and the many ways our community continues to invest in our students and the future of St. John Paul II.

Thank you for being such an important part of our Saint community. We are blessed to walk alongside you as we continue to grow in faith, serve others, and live out our mission together.

Principal

There will be no Friday Mass this week due to the Student Holiday (Teacher Inservice) on October 9.

Optional daily Mass tomorrow, October 7. All are welcome! Mass starts at 7:10 and ends at 7:40. It’s in the All Saints Chapel every Wednesday before school. What a beautiful way to start the day by worshiping the Lord!

Calling All 8th Graders!!

8th Grade students: Looking for a way to earn service hours? Serve our community by helping serve a meal at Parkway Place Retirement Home or baking a sweet treat for the residents.

Father-Son Spring Break Pilgrimage: Walk the Camino de Santiago March 5-13, 2027

Join Fr. Eamonn for a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the Camino de Santiago! Designed for 7th and 8th grade boys (both incoming and newly graduated) and their fathers, this is more than simply a walk across Spain. It is a pilgrimage that has inspired travelers for centuries - an unforgettable journey of faith, friendship, challenge, and discovery. 

Over six days and 115 kilometers (72 miles), fathers and sons will journey together on foot through some of Spain’s most breathtaking countryside, following the ancient paths that lead pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. Along the way, participants will share meaningful conversations, moments of prayer and reflection, and the thrill of adventure together. 

The Camino has a unique way of deepening spiritual and human relationships, building character and resilience, and creating lifelong memories. Whether you are seeking adventure, connection, spiritual renewal, or simply quality time together away from the distractions of daily life, this pilgrimage offers a truly extraordinary experience. 

Come walk the Camino and discover why this ancient pilgrimage continues to transform hearts today. Register today!

Save The Date!

Join us at the Moms & Dads Overnight Retreat. Step away from the business of everyday life, refocus your heart on Christ, and renew your strength as a spiritual leader for your family.

October Faith Focus

Click to view October's Faith Focus!

Annual Fund

We are so grateful for all of our families who have already contributed to the Annual Fund! We are pleased to let you know that each family that makes a gift or pledge to the Annual Fund before December 31, 2026 will receive a printed pocket directory! The directories will go home in Tuesday folders starting TODAY. Give now by clicking the button below or make a pledge by emailing development@jp2.org.

Trunk or Treat

Join the StJPII community for our annual Trunk-or-Treat festivities in the StJPII parking lot on Friday evening, October 23 from 5:00–7:00pm! Kids and parents are encouraged to dress in costume for safe trick-or-treating, games, food, photos, and fun!

Your participation is key to helping make this event a success...without trunks, there are no treats! If you are interested in reserving a spot in the parking lot to decorate your vehicle, sign up below. We can't wait to see your spooky, silly, or saintly ideas!

Can’t host a trunk but still want to help? Sign up to donate candy for our trunks! Candy donations will help supplement the treats provided by our trunk hosts and can be dropped off at the StJPII Front Office on Friday when you come up for your conference! Every bag helps us keep the treats flowing for our little ghosts and goblins!

Grandparents and Special Friends Day is coming soon!

We are looking forward to celebrating Grandparents & Special Friends Day on Friday, November 20th, the Friday before Thanksgiving. Invitations will be mailed SOON!

2027/2028 New Student Applications

Applications for the 2027/2028 school year ARE OPEN. If your family has a NEW sibling applying to attend StJPII, please be sure to complete the online application and submit all required documents by February 4, 2027. For more details on the application process, click the button below.

Please contact Aly Zimny at azimny@jp2.org if you have any questions.

STEPS FOR STUDENTS

For the first time, we have a tie for fastest homeroom to reach goal! Congratulations to Ms. Fama, Mrs. Dias, and Mrs. Sudkamp's homerooms. They will each receive pizza and ice cream sundae parties. Special congrats to Ms. Fama's class. They reached 100% participation, which is amazing. They have received donuts for the amazing feat. 

There is still time for the other homerooms to win a pizza or sundae party. Each class needs 75% participation to win. Sign up today using the link below. Check last week's newsletter for all of the other great incentives that are offered. 

We have over 550 registrations so far. We only need 239 to reach our first goal of 800. Thanks to everyone who has registered so far. We are going to have a great time.

Calling ALL StJPII Parents!

Join us for Totus Tuus Night! Raise a glass to the For Every Saint Capital Campaign with us. Hear remarks from leadership, enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres as we celebrate. Childcare WILL be provided for StJPII students (PreK-5th grade). You do not want to miss this!

Share Your Fall Sports Photos

We love to see your photos of our saints in action! If you get a great shot at any fall sports function, practice or game, please share with StJPII! Your photo(s) may be featured on social media, Halo News, or in The Spirit yearbook. Please upload them directly using the button below. All grade-level sports pictures are needed and appreciated.

Thank you to all parents who joined us last week, both in person and online, for our first Coffee with the Counselors this semester! We look forward to seeing you again, and welcome all parents to our next session on Tuesday, October 27 at 8:15 am. Watch for more details coming soon.

For those of you that requested the slide show, and anyone interested in what we discussed, please send an email to ljackson@jp2.org.

Last Call for Vendors!

We’re wrapping up our vendor lineup and have a few spots left!

If you’re a local business, artisan, maker, or small shop, we’d love to have you join us for a festive evening of shopping, food, family fun & Christmas cheer!

Don’t miss your chance to be part of SNFF! Vendor applications close on October 10.

Join Us for Our Next PTO Meeting!

Please join us for our second PTO meeting of the year on Tuesday, October 13, at 8:30 a.m in St. Jude Hall. We’ll discuss upcoming PTO events, including the DARR Skate Party, Used Uniform Sale, and much more!

Everyone is welcome—we hope to see you there!

👻🪩 DARR Skate Party Is Back—and It’s Going to Be Spooktacular! 🪩👻

Dust off your skates and get ready to roll into a night of mystery! DARR Skate Night is back this year with some fun new twists, including a disco ghost theme, mystery cauldrons, and plenty of spooky surprises along the way.

👻 Thursday, October 29 | 4–6:30 p.m. 

🛼 Dairy Ashford Roller Rink | 1820 S Dairy Ashford Rd

🎃 Come in costume! The best costume of the night will win a party for 10 at DARR! So wear your best costume and get ready to boogie.

🎟️ Want to reserve your spot? Presale tickets are on sale now through October 27, so grab yours early! Admission is just $10, with $5 skate rentals available—or bring your own skates and save.

Come skate, boogie, and see what spooky surprises are waiting for you!

Upcoming Used Uniform Sale

Our next Used Uniform Sale will take place on Friday, October 23, from 9:00 am - 11:00 am. We are looking for volunteers to help us sort uniforms on October 19 and to set up and help with sales on October 23. Sign-up here! 

Please plan to shop the sale in person. We cannot take orders in between sales. 

The collection window will be Tuesday, October 13 through Friday, October 16. Please only drop off used uniforms during this time. We understand that schedules can be busy, but respecting the designated drop-off and sale times is crucial for our volunteers and staff. Thank you for your generosity, cooperation and understanding.

Donation guidelines: 

• All items must be clean and freshly washed.
• All zippers should be fully functional.
• All buttons should be securely attached.
• Items should show only minimal fading.
• Items must be free of stains, holes, tears, and excessive wear.

Birthday Bundle and Blessing

Make your child’s birthday even more special! Celebrate with a birthday shirt, marquee recognition and a special birthday blessing during Wednesday Morning Mass! Order your Birthday Bundle today! Thank you for supporting our PTO.

Elementary Athletics

Each week an elementary soccer player shares how much fun they have with their team. It shows how well our coaches are doing in developing skills and building a caring learning environment for our student-athletes.

Picture Day is Friday, October 16 from 4pm to 6pm. A detailed timeline is being developed to make this event run smoothly.  

Middle School Athletics

Our 8th grade students will be attending the annual trip to Washington D.C. this week. All other student-athletes will attend practice as scheduled. Coaches will modify activities to continue skill development but make practice fun.

Football has a two-game winning streak with another hard-earned victory last week against St. Theresa, 54-34. There is no game this week, but a big division game against Epiphany of the Lord on October 14th will determine playoff seeding. 

Volleyball had a strong, straight-set victory over St. Thomas More last Monday and then experienced a heartbreaking loss to St. Cecilia on Tuesday. The team will enjoy this much earned break from games and be ready to go on the road Tuesday, October 13th against St. Michael.

6th grade and JV will participate in the St. Thomas More tournament October 9th-10th.  

Soccer picked up two victories last week against St. Vincent de Paul and St. Anne. 

Cross Country participated in its third meet this season at the 9th Annual FPR Hay Bale Cross Country Championship.  

2 miles MS Boys Championship(254 Competitors):

Jackson Olenius: 32nd

JJ Lim: 54th

MS Girls Championship(189 Competitors)

Mica Montilva Canas: 33rd

Camila Esteva: 41st

MS Girls Rising Star(133 Competitors)

Joy Kim: 36th 

Basketball season is just around the corner. The season officially begins on October 24th. Everyone is invited to open gym to continue skills training with volunteer coaches on the weekends.  

Boys Basketball Training - SATURDAYS 2 - 4pm

Girls Basketball Training - SUNDAYS 2 - 4pm

Please visit the Athletics Calendar for full details on game dates and times.

St. John Paul II Catholic School prepares all students spiritually and academically to do God's will and to succeed in life.