October 22, 2024

Weekly Mass Schedule

Optional daily Mass will be tomorrow, Wednesday, October 23. All are welcome! Mass starts at 7:10 a.m. and ends at 7:40 a.m. It’s in the All Saints Chapel every Wednesday before school. We will not have All School Mass this week due to Parent Teacher Conferences.

Save the Date for November 1st

Friday, November 1, we will be celebrating All Saints Day. Kindergarten will start us off by parading into Mass at 8:30 a.m. Students are to wear full-dress uniforms. November 1 will also continue our First Friday Mass Devotion.

Thank You

We had an incredible Vocations Day! A huge thank you to all the wonderful moms who supported me. They welcomed our speakers, provided coffee and breakfast items, and helped serve a delicious lunch. Some even prepared food and delightful desserts. We are especially grateful to Jenny Hoang, Erica O’Connor, Khristine Salvatierra, Alicia Molina, Hilda Hickman, Sarah Scafide, Dung Dinh, Nikki Dias, Jasmine Olea, Brenda Medrano, and Amanda DeBroeck. We truly appreciate each of them. We would also like to thank our ECI staff for contributing to the meal we provided for the speakers.

*Click on the button below for more Faith Focus information. You can find the monthly virtue, Saints of the month, and service projects.

We are now accepting applications for NEW STUDENTS for the 25-26 school year! We open the application process for prospective families each year in October. Please help us spread the word - YOU are our best form of advertising! Did you know that last year, 37% of applicants heard about StJPII via word of mouth? Other ways people hear about us are...



37% - are Referred by StJPII Family

21 % - Live in the neighborhood

19% - Sibling attends

4% - Website

3% - Alumni

3% - Previously attended

3% - Church Bulletin

10% - Other

Chick-fil-A Spirit Afternoon

Head over to our favorite neighborhood Chick-fil-A (13412 Briar Forest, right by Eldridge) for Spirit Afternoon, Today, Tuesday, October 22, from 2:00-6:00 p.m., This is not just a meal – it’s a fun way to support StJPII. Grab your friends, grab your nuggets, and remember to mention St. John Paul II Catholic School when ordering. Even better, Chick-fil-A will donate 15% of the proceeds back to our school; please thank them for being such awesome partners!

NEW THIS YEAR, FOR MOBILE ORDERS, use code 'JP2Saints' to show your school spirit.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Friday, October 25 is Parent/Teacher conference day. This is not a regular school day.

• Prekindergarten Students are not expected to be present for the Parent Teacher Conferences. 
• Elementary and Middle School (Kinder-8th) Students are expected to be present for the Student-Led Parent Teacher Conferences.

Use the signup genius link sent by your student's homeroom teacher to schedule your time slot.

October Newsletter

In this month's newsletter, we are breaking down the science behind gaming addiction and why it’s more important than ever to understand how gaming can affect your child’s brain. Many of the tactics used in gaming are also used in social media (particularly short-form videos) so the effects can be the same. Click on the button below to assess the October Newsletter from Smart Families.

Sign Up Party 11/1

Join us for a Night in Italy where you'll enjoy Italian wines and hors d'oeuvres while playing Bocce and mingling with friends! Andiamo a divertirci!

Click the button below to sign up! If you're interested in hosting a sign up party, please contact Development@jp2.org!

Red Ribbon Week

This year's Red Ribbon Week will take place from October 21-24, 2024. The purpose of Red Ribbon Week is to bring awareness to students about the dangers of drugs and the importance of taking care of ourselves, our friends, and our community. This event is sponsored by the Student Council. We hope the students enjoy our Disney theme this year and learn valuable skills in order to safeguard their bright futures!

Trunk or Treat

Join the StJPII community for our annual Trunk-or-Treat festivities in the StJPII parking lot this Friday evening, October 25 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.!  Kids and parents are encouraged to dress in costume for safe trick-or-treating, games, food, photos, and fun! 

Your participation is key to make this event a success...without trunks, there are no treats! If you're interested in reserving a spot to decorate your vehicle, sign up by clicking the button below. Families decorating trunks may arrive as early as 4:00 p.m. General attendee trick-or-treaters should plan to arrive when the event begins at 5:00. Thank you!

Grandparents Day

We are looking forward to celebrating Grandparents & Special Friends Day the Friday before Thanksgiving, the morning of November 22. Invitations have been mailed, so please tell Grandparents and Special Friends to be on the lookout in the coming days. If you need an extra invitation to forward, you may download and share an invitation, which can be found by clicking the button below.  

Steps for Students

It's that time of year again! Time to sign up for Steps for Students. Sign up today to take advantage of early bird pricing for this year's Step for Students 5K Run/Walk Race. The race will take place on the morning of February 8, 2025. Click on the button below to register. Be sure to check out the incentives this year!

Camp Invention 2025

Get ready for a summer packed with creativity, discovery, and unforgettable memories! Introducing the all-new 2025 Camp Invention program: Discover, where kids embark on exciting STEM challenges that spark curiosity, inspire teamwork, and fuel innovative thinking. From optical illusions to penguin-powered eco-missions, this one-of-a-kind camp delivers hands-on fun that turns big ideas into reality!

 Illusion Workshop™ – Step into the world of special effects magic! Campers dive into the science behind visual tricks in art, movies, and theater. They’ll build their very own spinning animation device and create moving props like professional illusionists! Claw Arcade™ – It’s time to build, play, and innovate! Kids design and construct a fully functioning claw machine, learning the secrets of physics while unleashing their creativity. They’ll channel their inner entrepreneur as they pitch their prize-filled arcade experience to friends and “investors!” Penguin Launch™ – Adventure awaits in Antarctica! Campers will explore penguin habitats and invent their own launcher to send plush penguins across the South Pole. With a robotic rover by their side, they'll learn how to make a positive impact on the planet – all while having tons of frosty fun! In Control™ – Hit the road and explore the power of technology! Campers will build custom control panels, use AI like a pro, and navigate maps as they design their own travel experience. Along the way, they’ll gain confidence and learn how to overcome any obstacle life throws their way.

Spaces are limited – Don’t miss out on a summer filled with creativity, exploration, and laughter! Sign your child up today and let them embark on a journey where science and imagination collide. 

Save the date: July 7-11, 2025. Register now to give your child the gift of discovery!

Book Fair is almost here. The link is listed below so you can load a gift card for your students to purchase books at the fair. The Literati Fair opens Friday, November 1, and runs the following week 7:40 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The last Friday we will be wrapping up and packing up, so come early.  

PTO DARR Halloween Skate Party

The Annual PTO DARR Halloween Skate Party is next week! Join us on October 24 if you DARR! 

Used Uniform Drop Off Dates and Upcoming Sale

The next used uniform sale will take place Friday, October 25 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in SJH.  Donations of gently used uniforms will be accepted through THIS FRIDAY only. Drop-off boxes will be located in the foyer by the front office.

Volunteers Needed for Used Uniform Sale

PTO is looking for volunteers to help with the used uniform sale. This is a fundraiser for the 8th grade class and the PTO. You can help by preparing the inventory and assisting with the sale. Scan the QR code or click below to sign-up! 

Brick Paver Sale - Great Coach Gift!

FALL SPORTS ARE COMING TO A CLOSE

We are blessed beyond measure by the dedication of our school coaches and volunteer parent

coaches. It’s a great time of year to honor your team’s coaches with the gift of an engraved brick

paver! The personalized brick pavers will be placed in pathways around the statue of St. John

Paul II in our Pope Garden. Funds from the sale support our garden.

When purchased, your coaches will receive a certificate that they have been honored by the team

with a brick paver, and then will receive a photograph when the paver is installed.**

Reduced Pricing for Coach Gifts

4”x8”- 2 lines* $50 per brick (reg. $75)

8”x8”- 5 lines* $100 per brick (reg. $150)

*16 character maximum per line of engraving

**production, shipping, and installation of brick pavers can take up to 3 months

Elementary Athletics

We are coming to the end of Fall Soccer, only 3 more weeks til the last WHCSA game! Team pictures will be held on Tuesday 10/29 on the soccer field. Your coaches received an email yesterday with each team's time slot. Parents please arrive 10 minutes prior to your assigned time so your coach can gather the teams. Also, we ask for only the Coaches to bring their team to the picture area, parents please wait patiently for them to return to the other end of the field.

Lastly, BASKETBALL REGISTRATION OPENS NOVEMBER 1st!!!!!

Here is the link to the Elementary website for all information:

https://www.jp2.org/athletics/elementary-athletics

Middle School Athletics

This year the Cross Country Championship was once again phenomenal! All athletes ran their season best. They trained hard and accomplished what was expected of them. Top 25 received medals. Our Boys Team placed 3rd out of 13 teams and girls got 10th out of 10 teams due to the limited number of athletes. There was an overall total of 135 competitors in the boys division and 101 in the girls.



Medal winners: 

Martin El Fady 1st place 

Jorge Pruneda 13th

James Dowdy 24th

Sophia Lozano 8th place

Our Lady Saints ended their season with our last game at home and despite playing GREAT all 3 teams took the loss. Varsity narrowly missed out on making the playoffs but overall all of the girls had a great season!

Our Football team had a tough time against Epiphany in our last game but the boys showed such great enthusiasm and support for one another! They are a resilient group of boys with a great attitude and we are so very proud of them!

Soccer closed out their district play last week with the JV team ending with a 9-1-0 record, and Varsity with a 10-0 record....WOW! We are very proud of both teams and their never ending dedication to play their very best! Varsity will play TODAY in the first round of the GHCAA Playoffs vs Epiphany here at home at 4:30 pm. 

Great Job to all of our Saints, you make us very proud!!!

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.

2025/2026 New Sibling Application & Current Student Re-enrollment

Applications for the 2025/2026 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 5, 2025. For more details on the application process, click the button below.

For all students who are currently attending StJPII, the online re-enrollment contract and forms for the 2025/2026 school year will be emailed to your primary email address in January. Please contact Jessica Ande at jande@j2p.org if you have any questions.

Fifth Grade Camp Allen Meeting for Parents

There will be a parent meeting for fifth grade parents on Thursday, October 24 at 8:15 a.m. in the Library. Please plan on attending to learn more about the November 18-20 trip to Camp Allen. Teachers will speak about the agenda, what to pack, expectations, etc. Paperwork for the trip will be sent home next week, so please be on the lookout.