Dear Saint Families,
What a wonderful weekend! Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make our first Father-Daughter Dance a huge success! It truly looked like a wonderful celebration of fathers and daughters. (Mothers, mark May 3 on your calendars...then it will be YOUR turn to celebrate during our first Mother-Son Bowling party!) This past weekend, we also had many students participate in the St. Pius X Academic Rally. They all did an amazing job and represented us well; I'm so proud of their accomplishments which are listed in the article below.
I would like to update you on our Elementary Counselor, Mrs. Laura Doherty. Unfortunately, she is unable to fulfill her position due to medical reasons. We will miss her and will continue to pray for her. At this time, we are blessed that Mrs. Dorothy Tiedt, who has been serving students and families in Mrs. Doherty's absence, will remain with us through May on a part-time basis to assist in our elementary counseling needs.
Coming up this weekend, I will be at the Steps for Students 5K downtown and I look forward to seeing many of you there! Blue Ribbon Saints proud!
Finally, I would like to ask you to pray for our future Saints who have submitted applications and will be testing in the next few weeks. It's a great time to be a Saint and we are always excited to welcome new families into our community. Likewise, as the Spring approaches, we are reminded that our own 8th grade Saints have applied to their future high schools. Please join me in praying for a peaceful and joyful transition for the many families going through this process. Be not afraid...to be patient and trust that our Lord has great plans for us!
"Wait on the Lord, be of courage, and He shall strengthen thy heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14
In Him,
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Upcoming Special Dress Days
February 14 (this Thursday)- StJPII will observe St. Valentine's Day. Students may wear red or pink shirts with uniform bottoms.
February 22- StJPII will observe Go Texan Day. Students may wear western-style rodeo attire (please leave your spurs, whips, guns and handcuffs at home). "Go Texan" attire can be as simple as jeans, a t-shirt or western shirt, with boots. Cowboy hats are allowed. If you choose not to dress "Texan", then students may wear a spirit shirt with their uniform bottoms (this is NOT a free dress day). Please follow the general dress code guidelines which are noted in the Student Handbook.
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Online Auction: Bidding with Bernie
The StJPII Online Auction, now known as "Bidding with Bernie," will launch later this month! We are so excited about the opportunity to offer up for bid popular packages such as Principal for the Day, Graduation Seating, Reserved Parking, #1 Spot in Carpool, Spirit Baskets, and MORE! All monies raised will benefit St. John Paul II Catholic School. "Bidding with Bernie" will go live on February 27 and will close on March 5. Stay tuned to future issues of Saints Weekly for more information.
And back by popular demand, the Online Auction will include SIGN-UP PARTIES (formerly "Great Gatherings")! This year we will to offer a Ninja Zone Party at Biron Sports Center on March 30 (for PK-2nd grades), a Movie Party on March 23 (for 3rd and 4th grades), a Main Event Party on May 20 (for 5th-7th grades), and a StJPII 8th Grade Lock-In (date TBD, 7:30-11:30 p.m.). These parties are awesome ways to get involved and support StJPII! But we can only offer these opportunities if we have families willing to host or sponsor the events. Please contact
Brittany Haley if you may be interested in helping coordinate the fun!
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VIRTUS is now CMGConnect
The CMG Safe Haven online training is replacing the VIRTUS training. The training consists of three vignette style training videos that is approximately 60 minutes.
These trainings are available in English and Spanish. We will no longer offer live trainings, all Safe Environment trainings will only be available online. Past VIRTUS training is grand-fathered in to the CMG Safe Haven system. Please visit the
StJPII Volunteer Approval/CMGConnect webpage
under Parent Corner for more information. To access this page, please go to the
StJPII website
, select the "Community" tab, and then use the drop down menu to find "Volunteer Approval/CMGConnect." See the screenshot below.
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Academic Rally
On Saturday, February 9, middle school students from 20 archdiocesan schools met at the St. Pius X Academic Rally. The academic team from StJPII finished the day with a 2nd place sweepstakes win! Congratulations to the following winners:
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In addition, the quiz bowl team (Ryan Gruen, Analiese Carlile, Adam Przybylski and Caleb Sudkamp) brought home a third place win in the significance tournament.
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Many congratulations to our outstanding academic team. Go Saints!
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Thank you to all the Father and Daughters who attended our first Father Daughter Dance at StJPII. It was a huge success! Special thanks to the committee members
(Elsa Zeidan, Rosanna Halter, Sandy Russell, Gabi De la Rosa, Heidi Dietrich, Tiffany Doucette, Kristen Matthews, Hanna Barrios and Caryn Craig De lange)
who worked to create such a memorable event. Here are a few of the highlights:
- 362 people in attendance
- Donut wall
- Dancing
- Father Daughter games
- Lifetime of memories
All photos that were taken the night of the dance are free and are downloadable.
There is no charge to download your favorite photos. The "Buy Photos" option is if you would like a hard copy of the image directly from SmugMug. We have included a link to the event's album below.
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Spirit Afternoons
Join us on
Friday, February 15 for Chick-fil-A (CFA) SpiritAfternoon! Swing by our neighborhood CFA and treat yourself! They have graciously offered to donate 10% of their proceeds back to StJPII. All purchases made at the 13412 Briar Forest location (around the corner at Eldridge) between
noon-3:00 p.m. will be eligible. When ordering at the drive-thru or register, please share you are with St. John Paul II Catholic School or StJPII so they can make a donation.
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Steps for Students 5K Run/Walk is THIS WEEKEND
There is still time to register for Steps for Students downtown this Saturday, February 16! Thanks to the 35+ StJPII saints who have already registered! It's easy to sign-up and create your website - just visit steps4students.org and designate StJPII as your school of choice!
Student Prizes
Anyone who registers will win a Free Dress pass and get their name posted on the wall in the gym
A pizza party for the homeroom with the most registrations
PE Teacher for the Day for the individual Top Earner
Steps for Students Timeline
6:30 a.m.- 7:15 a.m. Sunrise Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
8:00 a.m. Race begins
9:00 a.m. Post-race party and awards presentation
The final individual packet pick-ups will be this Thursday and Friday at the St. Dominic Chancery from noon until 7:00 p.m. If you have already registered, plan on meeting the StJPII crew at our Saints tent in the Catholic School village. And, be sure to wear your Blue Ribbon t-shirts so we can cheer for you on the race course!
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Ladies Retreat- February 27
The St. Katharine Drexel Society is our "Mom's Club" which is similar to the "Dad's Club." It is intended to form life long bonds of sisterhood and charity. It is an opportunity to help each other grow in our faith, strengthen our devotion, and be good stewards of the word of Christ.
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Men's Retreat
Save the date for the next Men's retreat on March 23, 2019. More information will be available in upcoming editions of
Saints Weekly.
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Box Tops Contest - Ends this Week!
It is time to turn in those Box Tops! Our Spring contest runs from February 5- February 15. Please neatly clip and turn in Box Tops to your child’s homeroom teacher in a labeled envelope by
3:00 p.m. this Friday. A big “thank you” for helping to support our school and remember to keep clipping for future contests!
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DARR- Valentine Skate Party- Thursday, February 14
Please join us for skating and sweet treats from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. at Dairy Ashford Roller Rink, Thursday, February 14. Admission is $7.00 and skate rentals will be $3.00. We hope to see our StJPII “valentines” for this annual, fun event!
*This is a PTO fundraiser event
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Half-Day scheduled for February 15
February 15 is a half day for StJPII students. There will be no BASP in the afternoon, nor will there be cafeteria service. Please mark your calendars. Spring Parent/Teacher Conference Day will happen in the afternoon on this day. These spring conferences are required for ALL new students, OR if a teacher or parent requests a conference.
*Please also note that Monday, February 18 is a Teacher In-Service and Student Holiday.
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8th Grade Yearbook Ads
Send a personal message to your special 8th grader…purchase an ad in the StJPII 2019 yearbook, The Spirit. The ads are a great way for parents, grandparents, or special friends to honor, appreciate, and congratulate your eighth grader on his/her accomplishments. The PTO is also offering an additional way to permanently honor your 8th grade student through the purchase of a garden pathway brick when packaged with an ad. For more information, read the hard copy order form is in today's Tuesday folder or click the link for a pdf version of the
order form. Deadline for ads is Friday, February 22, 2019. Contact
Mrs. Hiltbrand with questions.
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Middle School Sports
Track & Field, Baseball, Softball, and Girls and Boys Lacrosse teams are all formed and all are ready to get their season underway! This week our T&F team will be off and running with practice today February 12 and then our parent meeting immediately following practice at 5:30 p.m. in the GSC. Parents, please make every effort to attend this meeting. We are excited to see all of our Saints out on the fields to kick off their seasons, so remember to check the
Athletic calendar
so you can come out and support our teams!
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Elementary Sports
Our little Saints are having a great Basketball season so far! The kiddos and their Coaches are working hard every week to improve their basketball skills! Our Spring Sports registration is open for Baseball/Tball, Softball, and Spring Volleyball until this
Friday, February 15
. Please check the
Elementary Athletic page
for more info. There was a "glitch" in the registration page on
Acceptiva
where you could not designate what sport you are registering for, but Mrs. Hewitt was able to piece it together based on grade level and your student's name! It is fixed now, so all should be good going forward...we apologize for the inconvenience!
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Elementary Parents, please join the StJPII WHCSA album to share and save your favorite photos of the season by clicking on the link below. Thank you to all of our volunteer Coaches, you make it all such a great experience for our kiddos!
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Training for Fitness Excellence Class
Training for Fitness Excellence is a class offered by Coach Laverne Jones-Ferrette OLY, a four time Olympian and 6th fastest of all time in the 60m dash! Starting on
December 1.
The class is geared to help condition your body. So if you have a student who is interested in Spring sports it is time to start getting ready through this fitness class. All boys/girls 5-8th grade are welcome to enroll. Additionally, if you are a parent, know an alum, or have a friend who is interested in fitness and exercising, then this is the class for you. For more information click on the button below.
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St. John Vianney Parish Events
Parish Breakfast at St. John Vianney – This Sunday, February 17, in the Activity Center after all morning masses. $5 per person and Kids 7 and Under Eat Free!
Family Fun Night at SJV - Friday, February 22, 6:30 p.m. in the Activity Center. Join us for a Family Night of Food, Fun, Fellowship and Bingo!
RSVP needed by February 20. To reserve and pay online
click here, or call 281-497-1555, or email [email protected]
CAMP SJV- St. John Vianney Summer Day Camp: Faith, Fun & Friends - For Ages 4 – 12. June 3 – August 2, Monday – Friday. For more information, visit their website at
www.stjohnvianney.org or call 281-497-1555.
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Dads' Basketball
StJPII dads play men's basketball on
Wednesday nights
in the gym at 7:00 p.m. Please contact Mark Gugliotti to be added to the distribution list and for more information:
[email protected]
or 832-301-1681. Everyone is welcome. It's a fun way to meet other dads and get some great exercise!
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Challenge Retreat
Girls Challenge Weekend Retreat (grades 5th-8th)
March 1-3
Challenge Girls Summer Camp June 9-15, 2019
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Conquest Retreat
Boys Conquest Weekend Retreat (grades 5th-8th) February 15-17
Conquest Boys Texas Summer Camp June 23-29, 2019
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Did you know...St. John Paul II Catholic School is the first and only Middle School Athletics program in the Archdiocese to offer BOTH boys and girls lacrosse teams? This Spring we are looking to building on the success of our inaugural 2018 season!
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To view events related to StJPII, please click on the school calendars below.
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St. John Paul II Catholic School
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1400 Parkway Plaza, Houston, TX 77077
281-496-1500 • 281-496-2943 (fax)
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St. John Paul II Catholic School prepares all students spiritually
and academically to succeed in life and to do God's will.
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