Dear St. Joseph’s School Parents,
Hello from St. Joseph’s School! This week we reached the 100th day of school. Our kindergarten and first grade students completed special activities to mark this very special occasion. This is awesome and a terrific accomplishment! We together have reached this point in the school year because our teachers and staff, our families, and our students have followed our school’s protocols, procedures, and routines to create a safe and healthy learning environment! Great job everyone!! Let’s continue to work together to get to the end of this unique school year.
Lent began on Ash Wednesday, February 17. Our students and faculty celebrated Mass with the distribution of ashes happening during the Mass. Our students, faculty, families and members of the parish will have the opportunity to grow in their faith and prepare for Easter through classroom work, prayer, Mass, Stations of the Cross, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (grades 2-8), the Rosary, and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd instruction. In addition, during Lent, we are called to practice three disciplines; prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
In preparation for Lent, our preschool through fifth grade students decorated “Alleluia” cards in the Atrium. Our middle school students also participated in creating a card during their Religion class with Mr. Butler. The cards were “buried” by placing them into a box. The box was covered with a purple cloth and is located in the first floor hallway of the school near the Good Shepherd statue. The Alleluias will be “unburied at Easter when we will rejoice at Jesus’ resurrection.
Mission
“St. Joseph’s Catholic School educates students through faith formation, academic excellence, and the development of virtue to be disciples of Christ.”
We thank all members of our school community for assisting us in carrying out the mission of St. Joseph’s School.
A Message from Mrs. Dovenmuehler and her family
As many of you know, Mrs. Debbie Dovenmuehler, 1st grade teacher, was diagnosed nearly a year ago with an aggressive form of brain cancer called Glioblastoma. Mrs. Dovenmuehler had undergone surgery and treatment over the course of the year. At this time, they have shared with us that she is no longer able to continue treatment and has transitioned to a Hospice Care Facility. The intention for our Mass on Ash Wednesday was for Mrs. Dovenmuehler. Daily, our faculty are virtually gathering to pray for her and her family. Please continue to keep Mrs. Dovenmuehler and her family in your prayers (see below).
Spiritual Bouquet for Mrs. Dovenmuehler
Mr. Wesely would like to present Mrs. Dovenmuehler with a Spiritual Bouquet of prayers. Spiritual Bouquets are prayers or devotional acts that someone (the giver) offers for someone else (the recipient). It can be given from an individual or a group to express care and best wishes.
We are creating a Spiritual Bouquet for Mrs. Dovenmuehler and would request your family participate. Please click here to place prayers or devotional acts(Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Adoration Holy Hour, other) that you are offering for her. Thank you for participating in this Spiritual Bouquet.
An Important Message from Our School Nurse
St. Joseph's School parents . . . If you have ANY member of your household that is being tested for COVID-19 due to an exposure, potential exposure, or with COVID symptoms - please keep ALL family members home from school until those test results have been received. This simple mitigation greatly decreases any “close contact” exposure that could happen if a positive asymptomatic family member remains at school until those test results are known. Thank you for your cooperation and helping to keep our students and faculty in school!
2021-2022 School Enrollment - Help us make our mission happen and grow our
school!
St. Joseph’s School is the largest ministry of the Church of St. Joseph. The enrollment of new families and students continues at our school. Please continue to share our school’s good news and story! Thank you for assisting us in growing our school by sharing information about our school with relatives, alumni classmates, neighbors, and parish families.
If you know someone that is interested in learning more about our school and our programs, please invite them contact our school office; 651-457-8550, and/or email Lindsay Mayernik, Enrollment Coordinator; limayernik@stjosephwsp.org. Families may also visit our school website to learn more.
St. Joseph, pray for us! Go Jaguars!!
Financial Aid Deadline February 20th - Grades Kindergarten - 8
If you are interested in applying for Financial Assistance for the 2021-2022 school year, please log into your TADS account and begin that process now. All Financial Assistance Applications are to be completed online through TADS. The deadline to apply for and complete this process is February 20, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact our school office or contact TADS at 612-548-3320.
Aim Higher Scholarships for 2020-2021 - Deadline February 20th
The Aim Higher Foundation provides two scholarships for students to attend Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Mpls. The application period ends February 20th, 2021.
NWEA MAP Assessments
Last month, our students in grades 2-8 completed the winter administration of the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments. Our teachers and administration are reviewing the students’ results monitoring their progress, identifying areas of growth and for development for our students, and planning instruction for addressing these areas.
Next week, our teachers will meet with Gina Keenan, an educational consultant with Tierney. She is assisting our teachers reviewing the assessment data specifically focusing on math in order to make data-driven decisions about our curriculum and instruction. We thank CSCOE (Catholic Schools Center of Excellence) for underwriting this professional development for our school.
Preschool News
Please note: Calendar change for PreK4s: The PreK4s WILL be in session on Friday, March 5th.
Father Wratkowski visited the preschool on Ash Wednesday and visited the 4s and 4/5s children. He gave ashes to the students. Father Wratkowski talked about the cross being a sign that reminds us of love (please see the picture on our school’s Facebook or in the parish bulletin this week.) All of our Preschoolers made footprints in class that will be posted on the walls leading up to the classroom crucifix. These represent our footsteps in following Jesus. The children will be trying their best to be kind, loving, prayerful and gentle during the season of Lent. In addition, our 4/5s children buried the word "Alleluia" as part of their Good Shepherd lesson. Shh..... be sure you don't say "Alleluia" until Easter morning.
School Masses
Our next school Masses will be on Friday, February 26 in the Church. Our students and faculty will attend Mass in person following the parish’s established guidelines and protocols to do so safely. Our teachers shared with me how excited their students have been to return to the church to celebrate Mass. Masses will be held; 9:00 a.m. for grades 4-8 and 10:00 a.m. for grades K-3.
Our remote learners and school families are invited to continue to watch the Mass live streamed on the Church of St. Joseph website; www.churchofstjoseph. Our school Masses are not open to families and the public. We thank Fr. Creagan and Fr. Wratkowski for presiding at our school Masses.
February Lunch Menu - Updated
Please click here to view the updated February lunch menu for our school.
Culvers Restaurant Night - Save the Date Tuesday, March 2nd 5-7pm
Please join us for our March restaurant night at Culvers in West St. Paul on Tuesday, March 7th 5:00pm-7:00pm. Please make sure to mention that you are there for St. Joseph’s School or show them the Culvers Flyer and they will donate 10% to our school! Thank you Bri DeLeon and our Home and School Association for coordinating this event!
Early Childhood Screening for Preschool Aged Children
Please be sure to make an appointment for Preschool Early Childhood Screening through the school district you reside in. Screening is required now for most schools, instead of highly recommended as in the past. It is suggested the screening be completed at the 3½ age level. Even if your child is past the age recommendation, it is still necessary to make an appointment. Please contact our school office if you need more information
651-457-8550.
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.
Fr. Wratkowski’s Message - Meet the Saint: Catherine of Siena
When I was studying Italian in Siena, I would go and pray at the chapel built adjacent to the family home of Saint Catherine of Siena, and she would quickly become a favorite saint and intercessor. Catherine has an amazing story, which is told beautifully by Sigrid Undset in her book Catherine of Siena, and which I highly recommend. Her life exemplifies the truth of a well known quotation from her: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” Since her birth on March 25, 1347, the life of Catherine shows how God can work great wonders through those who are faithful to him and desire to do his will, how God can bring the fire of his love to the world through us.
Refusing to be married, and even fasting and cutting her hair short to mar her appearance, Catherine sensed a call to live as a single lay person while following the Third Order of St. Dominic. When she encountered the poor, she would give away her family’s food and clothing...so much so that her siblings started locking their clothes in their drawers! All this was motivated by a love for Jesus, with whom she had a mystical experience of marriage. Catherine shows that in response to this experience of love
experienced in a deep life of prayer, she sensed the call to dedicate more of her life to help the poor and the sick, visiting hospitals and homes where they were. She also began to travel and tend to the Church at large, beckoning the Church to reform and calling people to turn more wholly to God. She even travelled all the way to Avignon France to convince the Pope, who had been living there for years, to return to Rome, where he was supposed to be the bishop!
In Catherine’s day, things certainly appeared ‘messy’. Instead of being discouraged, Catherine did all she could to first encounter the love of Christ, to let it set her on fire, and then to share that love with the
Church and the world. By doing so, by becoming the person God created her to be, the Lord used her to set the world on fire. By God’s grace, and the prayers of Saint Catherine, may we become the people God has created us to be!
Seven Sundays of St. Joseph
The Seven Sundays of St. Joseph is a devotion to the patron of the universal Church. On the seven Sundays preceding his feast, March 19, the faithful have traditionally contemplated a series of circum- stances—seven sorrows and seven joys—in St. Joseph’s life so that they might confront the joys and sorrows of their own lives as he did. Please click here to view part 3 of the reflections on the life of our beloved patron, St. Joseph.
Links:
Mendota Heights Baseball
February/March/April Look Ahead: