Dear St. Joseph’s School Parents,
Greetings from St. Joseph’s School! We have had another wonderful week at school. Our teachers and students are getting back into the routine of the school day. Please continue to review this Friday Letter, as it contains very important information regarding Parent Teacher Conferences, our 2021 Catholic Schools Week, and all the happenings at St. Josephs’ School.
Parent Teacher Conferences (Virtual) - Sign up Now Open
Mid-trimester Progress Reports for students in grades 4-8 will be emailed to families today. Parent Teacher Conferences for grades K-8 are scheduled for Tuesday, February 9 (evening) and Thursday, February 11 (evening). Please click here to schedule a conference through Sign Up Genius.
Mid year conferences are set by teacher request (you will receive notification from the teacher to sign up) and/or parent request (parent signs up). Although these conferences are not required, they are highly encouraged allowing parents to receive an update on their child’s academic and social development during the school year.
Catholic School Week Activities K-8
Catholic Schools Week is scheduled for January 31 - February 5, 2021. A variety of activities are planned to celebrate Catholic education and our school. We have our dress-up days scheduled for our students and teachers (in person and remote learners). If students choose to not participate in the scheduled dress up day, they should plan to come to school in their school uniform.
Along with our week of dress up days, we have included some fun activities for our students! Wednesday afternoon we will do an all school Bingo with prizes. Students will play from their classrooms and from home as Mr. Wesely will calls the numbers. This is a fun tradition at St. Joes! “B-7, BINGO!”
Friday afternoon we will have an all school Raffle. Each student will be given 1 raffle ticket to enter into a drawing for a chance to win a special gift card. In addition, the first Jaguar Blacktop Boot Broomball tournament. Our fourth and fifth grade students will participate in a Jaguar Snow Soccer Tournament. Students in Grades K-3 will also be participating in special indoor and outdoor activities and games.
Mon. Feb. 1: Pajama Day
Tues. Feb. 2: Summer Day
Wed. Feb. 3: Jersey Day - All School Bingo
Thurs. Feb. 4: Decade Day or Mismatched Day (you choose!)
Fri. Feb 5: Jaguar Spirit Day - All School Raffle
The Home and School Association is still asking for donations for our special week. Please click here to view the Sign up Genius.
Mittens, Hats, and Socks Collection is Underway!
Our fifth grade students are sponsoring their seventh annual mittens, hats, and socks collection for the Hats and Mittens of Minnesota and Sharing and Caring Hands. The items may be brought to school between Monday, February 1 and Friday, February 5, 2021. Students may place the hats, mittens, and socks in the Laundry basket in their classroom. Thank you so much for your participation and your generosity in this special work of mercy. Your donations will assist people in staying warm during the winter months.
Middle School St. Joseph Award
Congratulations to our recipients of the St. Joseph Award! Michael Schneeman, grade 6, Elizabeth Ferguson, grade 7, and Maria Becker 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. The award is presented to Middle School students at the mid-trimester and at the end of the trimester.
St. Joseph’s School Virtual Open House Events
We would like to share with you that our 2021-2022 Open Houses are scheduled for Preschool and Middle School. Our Open Houses will be virtual this year and take place on;
Our Kindergarten Open House was held on Saturday, January 23. A recording of the Open House is available in the event that you were not able to attend.
During the Open Houses, families will meet administration and faculty, learn about our school programs, and receive information on registration for the 2021-2022 school year.
We encourage all current and prospective families to attend any of the Open Houses. In addition, if you know someone that is interested in learning more about our school and our programs, please have them contact our school office; 651-457-8550 and/or email limayernik@stjosephwsp.org.
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. Please click here to view the flier.
Registration for the 2021-2022 School Year
It’s time for families to enroll for the 2021-2022 school year! Prospective school families may visit our school’s website clicking on the “Visit Us” tab to obtain information about our upcoming virtual Open Houses, registration, and take a short virtual tour.
For additional information and/or questions about enrollment for next school year, please contact Lindsay Mayernik, Enrollment Coordinator at limayernik@stjosephwsp.org or by calling 651-457-8550.
NWEA MAP Assessments
This week students in grades 2-8 completed the winter administration of the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments by completing the Reading assessment. We thank Mrs. Budge, Mrs. Nordgren and Mrs. Bruce, along with our grade 2-8 teachers and staff for coordinating and administering the assessments for our students.
St. Joseph’s School Calendar Update
Please note that some adjustments have been made to our original 2020-2021 St. Joseph’s School calendar. There will be no school for students and staff on Friday, February 12th and Monday, February 15th as we observe the President’s Day holiday on Monday. School will resume on Tuesday, February 16th. Enjoy your long weekend!
School Guidance Counseling – Welcome Jillian Sirany!
David Hoy and Associates provides school guidance services to our school. They have informed me that Mrs. Kari Goeden is not able to continue providing services for our school through the remainder of the school year. We would like to welcome Ms. Jillian Sirany, who will join our school faculty and provide the school counseling services.
Mrs. Goeden shares the following; “I am sad to be transitioning out for the time being, but know that you'll have a great experience with Jillian. She is wonderful and has experience working in the Catholic school system as well. I'm sure she will be liked by students and staff alike!”
Ms. Sirany began her position at St. Joe’s Tuesday, January 19. Please join me in welcoming her to our school community.
St. Joseph’s Preschool Welcomes Hilary Lamusga and Jessie Kocourek
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Jessie Kocourek and Mrs. Hilary Lamusga to our Preschool staff. Jessica will be with Ms. Peg and her Terrific 3s children on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Hilary will be with Ms. Peg and her PreK 4s children on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Thank you ladies for joining our Preschool family!
Preschool - Catholic Schools Week
Our youngest Jaguars will enjoy a fun week filled with special dress up days! Please watch for a list of dress up days provided by your child’s teacher.
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.
Home and School Association Information
Our next Home and School Association meeting is Wednesday, February 3, at 7 pm. Since this is a virtual meeting, if you would like to attend for any reason, or if you have comments or suggestions for the administration or the group, please reach out to Betsy Joyce (betsybjoyce@gmail.com) or your grade reps. Minutes from the meeting will be posted on our website a day or two after the meeting.
District Food Service
District food service will resume on that date as well with the free hot lunch program continuing through the end of the school year. Please note that the “bag lunch” option is no longer available to students. Milk only option is a charge. Please click here for the February lunch menu.
School Mass
Our next school Mass will be on Friday, February 5 at 9:00 a.m. This will be our Catholic Schools Week Mass. Our students and faculty will return to attending Mass in person by following the parish’s established guidelines and protocols to do so safely. 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 continue to not be open to families and the public. We thank Fr. Creagan and Fr. Wratkowski for presiding at our school Masses.
First Reconciliation Retreat and Sacrament
Please pray for our 2nd grade students who will be receiving their First Reconciliation tomorrow, Saturday, January 30. The students will attend a special retreat before receiving the sacrament with a priest. We thank Fr. Creagan, Fr. Wratkowski, Mrs. Fallon, Mrs. Taplin, members of the parish’s Faith Formation Office, and our families for preparing the students to receive this special sacrament of God’s mercy and love.
Does Your Employer Offer a Matching Gift Program?
Employer matching programs are a wonderful way to maximize your donation to St. Joseph’s School. Please look into your employer programs to see if they may participate in this program. If you have any questions or need help with the process, please contact Lisa Wrobel in our school office. Thank you.
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.
January/February Look Ahead: