Parent Letter 12/10/21
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Dear Parents,
Hello from “snowy” St. Joseph's School! Our students and faculty have had another wonderful week of prayer, teaching, and learning. Please continue to read and review this Friday Letter to keep updated on all of the happenings at school.
Report Cards
Families received Report Cards for their child(children) for the First Trimester via email on Monday, December 6. Upon receiving and reviewing your child’s report cards and progress, parents need to send an email reply to acknowledge receipt of the report card. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions regarding your child’s academic progress or their learning behaviors. Thank you!Advent
Advent is the season of preparing for the arrival of Jesus (both his first coming and his second coming). This Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent. The third Sunday of Advent is called "Gaudete" Sunday. Gaudete is a name taken from the first word of the entrance antiphon of the Mass, which is: “ Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” This is a quotation from Philippians 4:4-5. The liturgical color is rose instead of purple. This is the Church's way of further heightening our expectations as we draw ever nearer the Solemnity of Christmas. May you continue to have a blessed Advent as we prepare for Christmas.Sacrament of Reconciliation
Today, our students in grades 3-8 received the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of our preparation for Christmas. We thank Fr. Creagan, Fr. Bruno, and the six visiting priests were present to hear confessions.Festive Sweater Day - Thursday, December 16
Do you have a festive Christmas sweater? On Thursday, December 16th, our school will be having our annual Festive Sweater Day. Students are encouraged to wear a festive sweater/vest/sweatshirt to school, along with gaudy accessories to share holiday cheer and Christmas spirit. This is an out of uniform day; please click here for St. Joseph’s School Out of Uniform Expectations. Students who do not participate by wearing a festive sweater will need to be in school uniform. Merry Christmas!!Lifetouch Picture Retake Day - Thursday, December 16
Picture Retake Day is on Thursday, December 16. All students may be out of uniform on this day. If you would like to have your child’s picture retaken, please send back the original pack of school pictures on December 16 . If your child is getting pictures taken for the first time, order forms are available in the school office. You may also order online at mylifetouch.com and enter our Picture Day ID: EVTXTZRKK.This is festive sweater day, please have your child come to school dressed for picture day and they may change into their festive sweater following pictures.
School Raffle - 2021 Ford Escape AWD!
We are excited to announce the kickoff of our Annual School Raffle for next Friday, December 17th. What a tremendous gift that we have received the donation of a new 2021 Ford Escape ($31,940 MSRP) for this student-focused fundraiser. 100% of all proceeds goes to support St. Joseph’s Catholic School. Please look for tickets and information to be sent home with students later next week. The winning ticket will be selected at the School Gala on February 25, 2022.Middle School News
Congratulations to our second recipients of the St. Joseph Award! Anna Fitzgerald, grade 6, Owen Welk, grade 7, and Ethan Salas grade 8. This award recognizes Middle School students that are following the example given by St. Joseph of living a faith-filled life and being a hard worker.We would also like to recognize students who are on the middle school Honor Roll for Trimester One. Congratulations to all of our students on their continued hard work and dedication to their education.
Congratulations!
Fifth grade students Anna Rogers, Ellie Parish, and Maddie Lahr competed in the High Tech Kids Lego League tournament in Woodbury on Sunday, December 5. They were awarded a “Rising Star Award” for their innovation project. The girls did a fantastic job giving an awesome project presentation, sharing about their robot design, and running their robot programs three times on the competition floor! Congratulations Anna, Ellie, and Maddie! We are so proud of you!Family Christmas Cards
School families are invited to bring/send a Christmas card to the school office. All cards received will be displayed near the office. Please join us in sharing the joy of Christmas with everyone.The Weather is Changing
The cold and snowy weather has arrived in West St. Paul. Please send your children to school with their sweaters, sweatshirts, and “snow gear” including boots, snow pants, jackets, hats, and nylon gloves/mittens so your child’s hands remain dry. Please remember to label all of your child’s clothing so that it can be returned to him/her in the event that it is misplaced or lost while at school. If your children are missing any articles of clothing, they should check the Lost and Found is located on the first floor outside of the cafeteria.School Masses
Our next school Mass will be on Friday, December 17 at 9:00 a.m. in the Church. This will be our last school Mass prior Christmas. Parents and family members are welcome to attend our school Masses.Inclement Weather- School Closing Notification
In the event of inclement weather, St. Joseph’s School will notify families through email and post information on our school website regarding school closure.Panera Restaurant Night - December 13th
Please join us for our November restaurant night at Panera in West St. Paul on Monday, December 13 4:00-8:00pm. Please make sure to mention that you are there for St. Joseph’s School. We thank Mollie Rubenzer and our Home and School Association for coordinating this event and all of our restaurant nights during the school year!St. Joseph’s School Gala 2021 - Rescheduled for Friday, February 25, 2022
The St. Joseph's Gala is our largest annual fundraising event of the school year. The Gala has been rescheduled for Friday, February 25, 2022. Please start making your plans to attend and participate in this special event. Please consider inviting family and friends to join you. Tickets continue to be available by clicking here.Volunteers Needed for Recess Supervision & Home and School Association Information
Our school is looking for assistance with supervising our students during their recess for the remaining months of school. Whether our students are outside or inside because of the weather, volunteers offer tremendous assistance in providing supervision of students. Please click here to volunteer in December.School Mass - Friday, December 17
Our next school Mass will be on Friday, December 17 beginning at 9:00 a.m.Attendance Communication
Our Attendance Hotline is 651-457-3031. If your child is going to be absent or late due to a morning appointment, please leave a message on the “Hotline”.Hot Lunch Menu
Mission
“St. Joseph’s Catholic School educates students through faith formation, academic excellence,
and the development of virtue to be disciples of Christ.”
For Your Information
St. Joseph’s School is an important ministry of the Church of St. Joseph. Some of our school families are not members of the parish. In our efforts to serve all school families, our Friday Letter may at times include information about activities and events that are taking place at the Church of St. Joseph.Marian Feast Days
Very special Marian feasts are happening during this week; December 8 - Immaculate Conception, December 10 – Our Lady of Loretto, and December 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is a wonderful time to offer prayers to Mary requesting her protection and intercession especially during this time of pandemic. You may choose to pray the Rosary, the Hail Mary, the Memorare, the Hail Holy Queen, and/or any other Marian prayers. Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us.Announcement of New Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Paul Minneapolis
Pope Francis this morning named Father Joseph Williams, a priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, as Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Bishop-elect Williams is currently the pastor of the Church of Saint Stephen and the Church of the Holy Rosary, both in Minneapolis. Father Williams also serves as Vicar for Latino Ministry for the Archdiocese.December Look Ahead:
- Thursday, December 16 - Picture Retake Day - Festive Sweater Day (out of uniform)
- Friday, December 17 - 9:00 a.m. Mass
- Monday, December 20 - Friday, December 31 Christmas Break
- Saturday, January 1, 2022 - Happy New Year! Welcome 2022!
- Monday, January 3 - School Resumes - Welcome Back!