St. Joseph's School Parent Letter

A Message from Principal Rickbeil
Thank you for a wonderful first week of school!  It has been such a joy to see our students excited for the beginning of the school year, and to see them so enthusiastic and eager to learn.  Of all of the joys of this week, witnessing our first Mass yesterday was a particular joy for me, and reminds me that I am right at home in our Saint Joseph’s School Community.  Our school year is off to a great start, indeed!

On a lighter note, please see this video for some announcements about our coming Oktoberfest, including Father and I in our best German garb.  Please mark your calendars for 12:00 PM on Sunday, September 10, and we hope to see everyone there!  We are also looking for volunteers to assist in our celebration, so please click here to sign up. 

No School - Labor Day Weekend
There will be no school on Friday, September 1  and Monday September 4.  Please enjoy the Labor Day holiday weekend with your family!  We look forward to seeing our students when they return on Tuesday, September 5.

Change to End of Day Pick Up for Preschool Students and Siblings
In an effort to lighten the traffic in the back parking lot at the end of the day we have adjusted our preschool end of day pick up.  Beginning Tuesday, September 5, Preschool students (All Day Prek and Prek 4’s/5’s) will be dismissed in the front of school on Seminole Ave. at the end of the day.  Parents are to park on the school side of the street and exit your car to pick up your preschooler at 3:00pm  Preschool parents who have children in K-8, will stay parked on Seminole Ave. and wait for your K-8 student to exit the front of the building at 3:10pm and walk out to your car. Please turn right on Butler when exiting Seminole to keep traffic moving.  

Parents with K-8 students and do not have preschool aged children being dismissed at the end of the day, you will continue to pick up in the back of the building.  K-8 students who do not have preschool siblings at the end of the day will not be permitted to exit from the front of the building.

ISD 197 Food Service
ISD 197 will begin providing grab and go breakfast items and  hot lunch to our students on September 5th.  Please visit our school website under the Parents section for a monthly menu. Breakfast and hot lunch are free of charge for all students.  There is a charge for milk if a student brings a lunch from home and chooses a milk. If students are interested in a breakfast item, when they arrive at school in the morning they should go to the cafeteria before going to their classroom.

ISD 197 Transportation
Bus transportation will begin on September 5th.  You should have received bus cards directly from ISD197.  Please let your child’s teacher know what their bus numbers are for their records.   If you have questions regarding bus transportation please contact ISD Transportation directly:  651-403-8320 or transportation@isd197.org.  Please note, school buses WILL BE LATE the first couple of weeks, please be patient as drivers learn their new routes.  

School Mass
Our first Mass of the school year was celebrated on Wednesday.  It was a beautiful way to celebrate the week.  Our school Masses are typically scheduled on Wednesdays  beginning at 8:45 a.m. in the Church.   

Parents are welcome to attend Mass, but students may begin sitting with their parents on September 27th.  This gives the classes four Masses to become familiar with their assigned pews and participation expectations as they often receive a grade related to their Mass participation.

St. Joseph’s Preschool
Our youngest Jaguars had a great start to the new school year!  We are so proud of our preschoolers and our tremendous preschool staff for such a wonderful transition.  Please watch for exciting updates from our preschool in upcoming newsletters.

St. Joseph’s School Student Parent Handbook
The Student Parent Handbook has been published and is located on the website under the Parents tab.  Please take time to review our school handbook with your child by clicking here.

Spiritwear Day - Friday, September 8
Friday, September 8 is our first spiritwear day.  Students are asked to wear their Jaguar spiritwear.  If your child does not wish to participate in spiritwear, they should wear their school uniform.  Students must follow the spiritwear dress code expectations.  

Spiritwear dress expectations:

• St. Joseph’s spiritwear Shirt
• St. Joseph’s spiritwear pants or shorts (mid-thigh) or loose fit athletic shorts (mid-thigh) or pants,  jeans (no rips or holes)
• St. Joseph’s PE uniform shirt and shorts 

Curriculum Nights at St. Joseph’s School!
Parents are welcomed and encouraged to attend Curriculum Night for their children’s grade levels.  The Middle School event is on September 7 and the K - 5 event is on September 12.  Both events begin at 6:30 p.m. with a 15 minute presentation by our administration and then parents will be invited to rotate to their children’s classrooms for a 15 minute presentation.  There will be 3 classroom sessions to help you get to most of your children’s teachers. We look forward to seeing you there!  

Parent Letters and Attendance Communication
All non-emergency communications will come electronically through this Parent Letter.   Parent letters will only be sent out by email every Friday (or the last day of the school week.)  Friday Letters may be found on the school website, www.stjosephwsp.org.   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”.

Parent Volunteers - Virtus Requirement Prior to Volunteering
We are very excited to welcome our parents into the building to volunteer.  We have many opportunities throughout the year where we will invite parents and grandparents in to share their time and talents with us.  All Catholic Schools in MN require that all  employees, and volunteers who interact with minors, are required to complete and maintain safe environment credentials through the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.  The program through the Arch is called Virtus.  

If you are a new volunteer and have never completed your Virtus Training, please click here and follow the instructions.

If you are an existing volunteer and need to update your account (updates are required every 3 years), please click here for instructions.  

Some existing accounts have been placed in an inactive mode if you have not volunteered recently.  If that has happened and you are interested in becoming reactivated, or if you have any questions,  please contact  Lisa Wrobel liwrobel@stjosephwsp.org.  

To ensure successful completion of the requirements, follow the information below before creating your VIRTUS account. If you have an existing VIRTUS account, contact Lisa Wrobel liwrobel@stjosephwsp.org for assistance so your account can be updated prior to login. 

Lego Robotics
We are so excited to continue Lego Robotics this year at St. Joseph’s. We are looking to have an exhilarating second season. The official start date for Lego Robotics is September 11th. We will meet in the Maker’s Space from 3:15 p.m. - to 4:30 p.m. every Monday and one Saturday each month until the competition in December. Kathy Wilcox will be the head coach for the season and Katie Jamieson has graciously offered to help coach again this year. Thank you, Katie! If you like to build with Legos, engineer robots, and research scientific information, this team is for you! Click the link below to register. (Payments will be charged through your TADS account.) Lego Robotics Registration

Lifetouch Picture Retake Day
School picture retake day is scheduled for Monday, September 18.  This will be an out-of-uniform day for students that are having their pictures retaken or taken for the first time.   

First Sacrament and Confirmation Parent - Required Meetings
First Sacrament Parent Meeting, Tuesday, September 19 at 7 pm in the Church. Parents who are interested in First Reconciliation and First Communion for their 2nd-grade children are required to attend this informational meeting   Fr. Marquard, our new Pastor, will be speaking about the importance of these sacraments and your role as parents in this process. Important dates and information will be given out that evening. 

Confirmation Parent Meeting, Wednesday, September 20 at 7 pm in the Church. All parents who are interested in Confirmation for their 8th-11th grade child are required to attend this information meeting. Fr. Marquard, our new Pastor, will be speaking about the importance of this sacrament and your role as parents in this process. Important dates and information will be given out that evening. 

St. Joseph’s Home and School Association 
Your Home and School Association exists to support our faculty, students, and families by coordinating volunteers, organizing community events, and providing enrichment opportunities for our students.  Did you know that YOU are a part of the St. Joseph’s Home and School Association?  Every family is a member, and all members are represented by grade representatives and an executive committee.  Everyone is welcome to learn more about Home and School.  Please contact Bri Brekke  or Alex Fitzer to learn more!  We are looking forward to a GREAT year at St. Joseph’s!

Used Uniform Sale * Book Covering * Coffee & Donuts  - Thank you!                                                                                                            

Thank you to Home & School  and the many volunteers for organizing the Used Uniform Sale in July, for organizing the Book Covering event.   These events brought in dollars for our school.  Thank you to the Home & School Team for the wonderful donuts and coffee for our families to celebrate this new school year.   THANK YOU!

Gerten's Fall Mum Fundraiser: Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who purchased plants through our Gerten's Fall Mums Fundraiser. Over $3,000 worth of plants and gift cards were sold! Orders will be available for pick-up in the church parking lot on Thursday, Sept. 14 from 2:30-5:30 p.m. If you would like to volunteer to help with the pick-ups, please sign-up here. Our Gerten's Christmas Greens & Poinsettia Fundraiser will go live Sept. 22! Place your orders before Oct. 23 for pick-up on Nov. 30. Did you know? Proceeds from all our fundraisers go directly back to Home & School to fund field trips, teacher appreciation efforts and community spirit events. Thank you for your support!

Recess helpers wanted! Want to volunteer, but running short on time? Sign up to be a recess helper! In just 20 minutes, you'll get to enjoy some fresh air and give our amazing staff a little extra support. Have a little more time? Sign up for more than one slot! Have a grandparent who wants to volunteer? Anyone who has completed their VIRTUS Training is welcome, so feel free to share with other family members, too. Click HERE to sign up.

Famfare Kitchen is back this school year to give you a monthly night off from cooking while supporting our school! 15% of all orders will be donated back to the school.

What it is: Famfare Kitchen is owned and operated by two Midwestern moms, they provide hot, homemade, family-style meals which serve 4-6 people. Meals include an entrée, salad, sides and/or bread, prepared fresh, delivered hot and ready to eat! We also offer frozen meals, great for the weekend or another busy night during the week!

How it works: You can place your food orders by using our dedicated sign up link. On the day of our fundraiser you can pick up your meals at the school between 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm, go home and enjoy a hot meal without the mess or stress! Ordering is available for the rest of 2023 so place your orders today!

Next Give Back Date: Tuesday, Sept. 12 

On the Menu: Grilled Chicken Pitas (Hot Option) and Tortellini Soup & Fresh Bread (Frozen Option)

Order by: 3:00 pm on Sunday, Sept. 10

Pick up: St. Joe's School parking lot (by the church entrance) between 3:00 and 3:30 p.m.

Order here: https://famfarekitchen.com/raisefunds

Please contact Christina Mahady, Home & School Fundraising Coordinator, with any questions.

m the school parking lot! Visit https://famfarekitchen.com/raisefunds to place your order today! 
 

Please click here to view The Church of St. Joseph Website or view the Church Bulletin by clicking here.

• Friday, September 1 - No School
• Monday, September 4 - No School Labor Day
• Wednesday, September 6 - Mass 8:45am
• Thursday, September 7 - Curriculum Night (6-8) 6:30pm
• Friday, September 8 - Spiritwear Day
• Sunday, September 10 - Oktoberfest 12 - 3pm
• Tuesday, September 12 -  Curriculum Night (K-5) 6:30pm 
• Wednesday, September 13 - Mass 8:45am
• Monday, September 18 - Picture Retake Day
• Tuesday, September 19 - First Sacrament Parent Meeting 7pm- Church
• Wednesday, September 20- Confirmation Parent Meeting 7pm- Church
• Wednesday, September 20 - Mass 8:45am