October 1, 2024

Dear Saints, 

Happy October! This month, we are learning about the virtue of “Friendship,” which is sharing a mutual love that seeks the good of the other.  

As we move into the second quarter, we look forward to a busy and exciting month filled with community events. Parent-teacher conferences will provide you with the opportunity to discuss your child’s growth and achievements. We also invite you to join us for some special events, including the Living Rosary, Vocations Day, Trunk or Treat, and our very special celebration of St. John Paul II Catholic School’s fourth National Blue Ribbon School award from the U.S. Department of Education on October 22nd!

We are truly blessed at St. John Paul II Catholic School. From earning recognition from the National Institute for STEM Education to receiving our fourth Blue Ribbon and the Catholic Impact Award, these accomplishments are grounded in aligning our will with His will. None of this would be possible without the grace of God and the unwavering support of our dedicated staff, families, volunteers, and Board members, who all work together to carry out the mission of our school.

Thank you,

Principal

All School Mass

Please join us for our First Friday Mass this week on October 4. According to the First Friday Devotion given to us by Saint Margaret Mary, we will receive special graces from Jesus by attending Mass on 9 consecutive First Fridays. In keeping with this tradition, we all have an opportunity to receive these special graces through our All-School Masses.

Save these dates for these First Fridays during the school year:

 11/1, 12/6, 1/3 (during Christmas Break, visit your home parish), 2/7, 3/7 (daily Mass before school in the Chapel due to Ash Wednesday), 4/4, 5/2



Wednesday Mass

Optional daily Mass is tomorrow, Wednesday, October 5. 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!

Second Annual Overnight Retreat This Weekend

The second annual overnight retreat for the Moms Club will take place this weekend October 4 through October 6. Space is limited, so sign up today. Please contact Kristi Yohr with any questions, kyohr@jp2.org

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

The Annual Fund is the cornerstone of all our fundraising efforts and is made up of annual gifts from parents, faculty, board members, grandparents, alumni, former parents, and friends. The Annual Fund generates revenue that provides the extra margin of excellence not afforded by tuition and is critical to the school’s operations. All donations are unrestricted contributions that support the mission of StJPII in the current academic year. The Annual Fund sustains every aspect of our Catholic mission and helps us pay teachers, fuel innovation, maintain our beautiful campus, and provide tuition assistance. We are so grateful for all of our families who have already contributed to the Annual Fund this year!

Upcoming In-Service and Conference Days

Please note that the October calendar includes a few day that are out of the norm:

• Friday, October 11 is a student holiday for a teacher in-service day.
• Tuesday, October 22 is an early dismissal day (2:00/2:15/2:30 p.m.) 
• Friday, October 25 is Parent/Teacher conference day. This is not a regular school day; students will report to school during the parent/teacher meeting time. You will receive a signup genius from your student's teacher to reserve your time slot (s). Be on the look out.

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.

Smart Families

Join Smart Families for an exciting online talk on the impact of gaming on adolescent brains, featuring special guests from the Houston Neuroscience Brain Center. We’ll dive into how gaming can affect impulse control, risk-taking behaviors, and the emotional highs and lows of in-game trash talk. Learn how gaming shapes behavior, learning, and social dynamics, while gaining expert insights into the vulnerabilities of the teenage brain. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or gamer, this fun and eye-opening session will reveal the risks of virtual play and the real-world impact of those heated gaming moments. 

Don’t miss this chance to hear from neuroscience experts. To access the event, click the button below.

St. John Vianney Bazaar 

StJPII has a booth at the SJV bazaar and we want to invite you and your child to sign up to help with a shift. They are still in need of helpers so please consider signing up with your child. It is a fun way to serve the community and have fun at the same time. We appreciate your help. Please click on the button below to sign up. 

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.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day is Coming Soon!

November 22 - We are looking forward to celebrating Grandparents & Special Friends Day the Friday before Thanksgiving. Invitations will be mailed SOON!

Time to Celebrate!

The U.S. Department of Education named St. John Paul II Catholic School a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, placing StJPII among the top-performing schools in the country! StJPII has won this award four times—1997, 2008, 2018, and now in 2024—more times than any other elementary school, public or private, in Texas, and is one of only nine elementary schools in the entire U.S. to receive this distinction as many times. These accolades are only possible thanks to the grace of God! We will celebrate this AMAZING accomplishment on our Patron's Feast Day, October 22 at 1:00 p.m. in the BAC.

Join the StJPII community for our annual Trunk-or-Treat festivities in the StJPII parking lot on 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 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 will have pizza being sold by the slice. All the proceeds will go back to the 8th Grade Class. (cash only!)

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!

Monthly PTO Meeting

Please join us for our next PTO meeting on Tuesday, October 8 from 8:30-9:30 am in St. Jude Hall.  We will be discussing fall and winter events. All are welcome!

PTO DARR Halloween Skate Party

Save the date and join us for the Annual PTO DARR Halloween Skate Party on October 24!

Elementary Athletics

Our younger grades have had a great start to their soccer season with such beautiful weather! Our fields are packed all week with practices, and our Coaches and parent community have been so supportive. Thank you all for showing our kiddos how to be greater!

Middle School Athletics

We are coming into the home stretch for Athletics! Our teams have achieved some amazing results in their respective sports, and it looks like we have a good chance at playoffs and Championships! Please check out the Athletic calendar for our games coming up this week.

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.