Parent Letter 10/8/21

Dear Parents, 

I am so pleased to share with you that we have completed our sixth week of the 2021-2022 school.  It continues to be a joy to have our students and faculty at school.  

We are very grateful to you for your support during these past weeks.  Your children are coming to school each day ready to learn.  They are continuing to do a very good job following our school expectations and getting into a regular routine.  In addition, our families have been doing a tremendous job of communicating with our school office.

I am very grateful for our faculty who continue to work extremely hard to provide for the learning needs of all of their students.  They are creatively planning learning experiences and successfully supporting the learning needs of their students. 

Please continue reading this Friday Letter to receive information and learn of several important events taking place during the upcoming weeks.  St. Joseph, pray for us!  Go Jaguars!

COVID-19 Update
St. Joseph’s School had 2 lab confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 to report during the sixth week of school.  State law requires our school to continue to report to the Minnesota Department of Health any cases of lab confirmed COVID-19 that occur among students or staff in our building.  In addition, the Archdiocese of St. Paul Minneapolis requires Catholic schools to report a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a student or employee associated with our school each week.  

St. Joseph’s School was notified of a positive Lab Confirmed COVID-19 test of a staff member in the 4^th  grade of  St Joseph's School with exposure dates of (10/4/21 & 10/5/21).  Our nurse, Amy Milosch, has worked closely with the MDH.  Those who have had close contact with the case, have successfully been contacted.  If you have not been contacted directly by Nurse Amy Milosch it was determined in cooperation with the MDH that you did not have close contact with the case. 

St. Joseph’s School received a report of a lab-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis of a student in the 4th grade of our school community on 10/4/21.  The individual was last present in the school on 9/24/21.  Based on the information we have been given, this individual was not in the school building while contagious (up to 48 hours before showing symptoms or while symptomatic). Therefore, there is likely no increased risk for exposure to COVID-19 for those in the school building due to this lab-confirmed case. 

Parent Teacher Conferences - October 26, 28, and 29 
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held for families with students in grades K-8 on October 26 and October 28 from 4:30-7:30pm.  In addition, conferences will be held for families with students in grades 6-8 on October 29 from 9:00 am-3:00 pm.  Please watch for more information and an email message with a link to a SignUp Genius for signing up for conferences.

No School - October 21-22, 2021
School will not be in session for students and teachers on Thursday, October 21, and Friday, October 22 because of Education MN (M.E.A.).  Enjoy the break from school with your family and friends!  We will see everyone back at school on Monday, October 25.

October - Month of the Rosary
The month of October is the Month of the Rosary and a special devotion to Mary.  On Thursday, October 7 (Memorial Our Lady of the Rosary) our students and staff prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.  During our prayers, we asked Mary for her help and intercession as we continue through this school year.

We also encourage you and your family to consider taking the time to pray the Rosary as a family.  You may choose to join Father Rocky (Fr. Francis Hoffman), Executive Director of Relevant Radio, as he leads the praying of the Rosary each evening from 7:00-7:30 pm during the “Rosary Across America”.  If you recall, fr. Rocky visited St. Joseph’s in September and prayed the Rosary live from our Church.  This may be heard on 1330 AM radio, online at relevantradio.com, and /or the Relevant Radio app.  Mary, Queen of the Rosary, pray for us!

Respect Life Month
October is Respect Life Month.  Our school is having a Layette (baby item) Collection during this month.  The collection will be Monday, October 25-Friday, October 29.  Please consider donating Diapers size 5-6, Pull Ups,  Wipes, Baby wash and Shampoo, Socks-infant size, Infant toys & books, Pacifiers, and Bottles to benefit and support the work of Wakota-a Guiding Star Center in West St. Paul.

St. Joseph’s School Gala 2021
The St. Joseph's Gala is our largest annual fundraising event of the school year.  It's an opportunity for our community (parents, staff, parishioners, alumni, friends and supporters) to come together and celebrate the legacy of our school and raise the funds necessary for its continued success in educating our children.

Gala 2021 will be an in-person event held at the Intercontinental Hotel in St. Paul MN on Saturday, December 4, 2021.   Please start making your plans to attend and participate in this special event.  Please consider inviting family and friends to join you at this special event.  Ticket sales and table reservation information will be forthcoming.  

We would like to thank Katie Sullivan for chairing this year’s Gala as well as the other parents and grandparents who are assisting her!  If you are interested in learning more about this event or if you would like to volunteer, please contact Katie: Katherine.Walcher@gmail.com .

At this time, our Gala Committee is seeking sponsors for the event to help us meet our fundraising goals.  If you are interested in sponsoring this event or know of businesses that might be interested, please email Sophia Paramo at sophia.rodriguez.2012@gmail.com.

Rod Cina Fundraiser - Oct. 17
Rod Cina is a beloved member of our St. Joseph’s Community and was a 5th grade teacher at our school for 20 years.  Rod has been battling Colon Cancer and recently suffered more health issues.   Please continue to pray for Mr. Cina and his family!  Thank you to Jameson’s for sponsoring this event for Mr. Cina!  Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser on Sunday, October 17th 4:30-7:30pm at Jameson’s.  Please click here for more information.  

2021-2022 School Raffle - Date Change
For the past two  years, one of our school’s Development activities has been to hold an all School Raffle.  The raffle has been held in the Fall.  School administration, in working with our generous donor of the new vehicle, has made the decision to hold the raffle in February 2022.  This event over the past few years has been a positive and fun way for students to actively demonstrate their support of the school. Additional information about the school raffle will be provided as we approach the event.

Fire Prevention Safety Week
This week, October 3-9, has been Fire Prevention and Safety Week.  We would like to thank our local firefighters, first responders, paramedics, EMTs, and law enforcement officers for watching out for the safety and well-being of our school and communities.  We ask for the intercession of St. Florian, patron saint of firefighters, and St. Michael the Archangel, patron saint of first responders, paramedics, EMTs and law enforcement officers to keep these men and women safe in their service to others.

Preschool News
This week, our preschool children did a variety of activities with the letter W.  Ms. Kirsten and Ms. Peg use a program called Zoophonics to present letters and the sounds the letters make when being pronounced.  Each letter has an animal picture to assist the students in recognizing the letters and pronouncing the sounds.  For example; W is Willy Weasel.  In addition, each letter and animal symbol has a specific movement .  Our preschool children really enjoy learning letters and sounds using Zoophonics.

As the students studied the letter W, some of the activities they completed this week were; Weather Watcher Week, read a story about the wind, practiced the shape and sound of the letter W, brainstormed and identified things that begin with the letter W, and had a special visit from Mr. Wesely.

Jaguar Athletics
This year, St. Joseph’s School is participating in athletic programs through the Catholic Athletic Association.  Students in grades 5-8 are participating in football, volleyball, and soccer this fall.  Various sports will be scheduled during the winter and spring seasons.  We would like to thank Mr. Reyes, PE teachers and Athletic Coordinator,  and all of our volunteer coaches for their time in working with our students and their families.  We would like to recognize our student athletes for their hard work and sportsmanship as they compete during the season. 

Volunteers Needed for Recess Duty 
Our school is needing help for recess supervision 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 October.

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”. 

Hot Lunch Menu

October Menu

The Weather is Changing
As fall weather is fast approaching, it is a good time to start sending your children to school with sweaters, sweatshirts, and jackets.  It can be very cool at the bus stops and on the playground.  Please remember to label all of your child’s clothing so that it can be returned to them in the event that it is misplaced or lost while at school. The last day to wear shorts is October 31^st.

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. 

Middle School Youth Group
This year the parish will have a middle school youth event once a month.  We are looking for Adult volunteers.  If you are interested, please email Jake Debolt jake.debolt@churchofstjoseph.org.  

• Thurs, Nov 11 - NET Night: 3:30 to 7:30 PM
• Tues, Dec 21 - Christmas Party: 4 to 7 PM
• Tues, Jan 11 - New Year Celebration: 4 to 7 PM
• Tues, Feb 15 - TOB Night: 4 to 7 PM
• Tues, Mar 15 - Service Night: 4 to 7 PM
• Tues, Apr 12 - NET Night: 3:30 to 7:30 PM
• Tues, May 10 - Summer Kickoff: 4 to 7 PM

Archdiocese Synod
Members of the parish and school community are invited to support the important work of our Archdiocese and our Parish by participating in the Synod Small Groups at St. Joseph’s this Fall.

The Synod Small Groups will be held on Tuesdays at 8:30-10:30 a.m. or at 6:30-8:30 p.m.  You may register online at churchofstjoseph.org/small-group-registration.  Please contact the Parish Office for more information; 651-789-8350.

St. Joseph Church Bulletin

October Look Ahead:

• Friday, October 15 -  Mass 9:00am
• Thursday, October 21 & Friday, October 22 - No School MEA
• Tuesday, October 26 - Parent Teacher Conferences - 4:30-7:30 pm
• Thursday, October 28 - Parent Teacher Conferences - 4:30-7:30 pm
• Friday, October 29 -  Mass 9:00am   Middle School Parent Teacher Conferences 9:00am-3:00pm