Parent Letter 5/10/19

Dear Parents,
 
“St. Joseph’s Catholic School educates students through faith formation, academic excellence,
and the development of virtue to be disciples of Christ.” 
 
Thank you for supporting our mission and entrusting your children to our care each day.
 
Today, at our school Mass, we celebrated Mary, the Mother of God and all mothers.  Prior to the Mass, our first grade students sang a beautiful song and we had our annual May Crowning ceremony.  Isla Hughes and Cayden Capiz carried the crown and rosary in their first communion attire and Caroline Ferguson placed the crown on the statue of Mary in the church sanctuary.  During Mass, everyone sang some very special Mary songs.  Many school parents and family members were present to pray with us during the Mass.
 
St. Joseph’s School faculty extends a very Happy Mother’s Day to all of our moms!  Enjoy this special day with your family.  Mary, Mother of God pray for all of our mothers!
 
Muffins with Moms – Amazing!
This morning, we were all very excited to welcome our students’ mothers and grandmothers to Muffins with Moms.  The parish Great Room was full of families enjoying spending time together prior to the beginning of our school day.  Thank you to the hundreds of people that attended this special event to recognize and thank our mothers.  We also sincerely thank the dads (a.k.a. the muffin men) who assisted with the set up and serving at the event.  Special thanks to Mrs. Wrobel for her “behind the scenes” work in organizing the event. 
 
Fr. Creagan’s Deployment
Fr. Creagan is a military chaplain for the Minnesota National Guard.  He will be leaving the parish in the next week for a 90 day deployment to Afghanistan.  His return to the parish is scheduled for mid-August.  Below is a portion of his May 5th Church of St. Joseph bulletin article.
 
“ I am grateful (along with many Catholic Soldiers) for your support of the upcoming deployment.  My 90 day deployment will assist in offering sacraments to Catholic Soldiers who may be Active, National Guard or Reserve and even some Soldiers from partner nations.  I know it is an inconvenience that I am absent for a few months, but it is offering a great gift to some who might go without Mass.  I am grateful to Fr. Wratkowski, the deacons, the staff and volunteers for assisting with the many activities we have planned for the parish this summer.  Let us continue to pray for peace in our world.  Over 100 years ago Our Lady at Fatima asked for the praying of the Rosary each day for conversion and peace. Let us redouble our efforts to keep praying daily for peace.”
 
Today at our school Mass, we presented Fr. Creagan with a banner to take with him on his deployment.  It included a picture of the entire school – students, teachers, and staff, the statement “we are praying for you”, and the signatures of 350 Jaguars.  Please pray for Fr. Creagan and all men and women who are serving in the armed forces. 
 
Feast of Our Lady of Fatima – Rosary
Parents and family members are invited to pray the Rosary with our students and faculty on Monday, May 13, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, beginning at 9:00 a.m. the church.

MAP Assessments
Students in grades 2-8 completed the NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments this week.  Thank you for your support in having your child(ren) do their best work.  Our teachers are receiving, reviewing, and discussing their students’ results.  Student reports will be mailed to parents next week.  Upon receipt of your child’s assessment results, please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions.
 
Spring Band & Choir Concert
St. Joseph’s School’s Spring Band & Choir Concert will be held on Thursday, May 16 at 7:00 pm in the gym.  A dress rehearsal will be performed at 2:00 pm in the gym for all students.  We hope you are able to attend our evening performance and listen to the musical talents of our students.  We thank Music teacher Mrs. Bowe and Band Director Mrs. Bachelani for sharing their love of music with our students and preparing for this special concert.
 
Confirmation
St. Joseph’s School eighth grade students will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation on Monday, May 20 at the Cathedral in St. Paul.  Please pray for our eighth grade students as they receive this important sacrament.  We thank Ms. Rowe, the Church of St. Joseph Faith Formation Office staff, Fr. Creagan, Fr. Wratkowski, the parents of our eighth grade students, and the students’ sponsors for preparing our students to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the important sacrament.
 
Tuition Agreements
Tuition agreements have been sent out via email from TADS.  It is important that you complete your agreements by the provided deadline.  If you have any questions, please contact our school office.
 
2019-2020 Enrollment
Our school administration and faculty continue to prepare for another exciting school year.  Please continue to assist our school in increasing our student enrollment at all levels by encouraging any families you know to “come and see” our school.  We ask that you think of inviting them to school for Mass, a special event, or even just stop by for a visit.
 
We would like to remind you that there is a $500 Referral Credit available to our current school families for referring new families that register to attend St. Joseph’s School.  Families may contact Christy Frost, our Enrollment Coordinator (651-457-8550) to learn more about our programs and schedule a tour of the school.
 
Jaguar Playground and Greenspace
It has been very interesting talking with our students about plans to build a new play structure and enhance the green space on our school campus.  The students are really excited to have swings and soccer goals on the playground greenspace.  Information about this important project for our school is included on our school website.  Click here to view this exciting information!
 
Please prayerfully discern how you may be able to financially support this project allowing for work to begin in June and the project to be completed in August prior to the beginning of the new school year.  All gifts are important and will assist us in reaching our goal of $200,000 for the project.  Thank you for your generosity!  Please contact Mr. Wesely and/or Mrs. VanDiver if you have any questions or would like additional information on the project.
 
Library End of the Year Information
Next week will be the last week to check out books from our school library.  We encourage you to help your students look for overdue library books that they may still have checked out.  Thanks for your help.
 
School Mass – Friday, May 17
Please join us for our school Mass on Friday, May 17 at 9:00am in the church.  School families, friends, and members of the parish are always invited to pray with our students and faculty. 
 
2019-2020 Important School Calendar Dates
As we work to complete the 2019-2020 School Calendar, we would like to share a few of the important dates with you.  The final calendar will be sent out shortly.

• September 3:1^st Day of School Grades 1 – 6
• September 4:1^st Day of School Grades 7 – 8
• September 5:1^st Day of School Kindergarten
• December 23 - January 1:Christmas Break
• October 16-18:MEA No School
• March 30- April 3:Spring Break
• April 10-13:Easter Break
• June 4:Last Day of School

 
2018-2019 St. Joseph’s School Yearbook
We do have a small number of extra yearbooks on order.  If you would like to reserve one, please send your payment in an envelope with your child’s name and homeroom teacher listed.  Checks should be made out to St. Joseph’s School.  
 
Attention School Volunteers - Virtus Training
The Church of St. Joseph and St. Joseph’s School will be hosting a Virtus Training on Monday, May 13 at 6:30-9:30 pm in the parish Great Room.  Any parent or family member who wishes to volunteer in the school or preschool, must attend 1 Virtus Training, followed by recertification and completing a background check and signing a code of conduct every 3 years.  There is no cost, but you must pre-register.  For more information on Virtus Safe Environment Training, see the attached flyer or you may go to: www.virtusonline.org  Thank you in advance for completing this process prior to volunteering.
 
Lost and Found
Students and families are highly encouraged to check the school’s “Lost and Found” for any items that may be missing from home.  Our “Lost and Found” is located in the main entrance of the school near the office.  Unclaimed items will be donated to a clothing shelf after June 15.
 
Attendance Hotline
An important reminder to parents: please call the Attendance Hotline (651-457-3031) if your child will be absent or late.  Also, if your child is leaving early, please send a note to school so we can put them on our appointment list for teachers.  Thank you!

Just a Reminder 
Please continue to review our Friday Letters, check your child’s Family Folder, our school website, Facebook, Twitter, and the St. Joseph parish bulletin to keep updated on all the exciting happenings at St. Joseph’s School. 
  
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. 
 
Upcoming Parish Events and Information Include:        
                                              
Please click on the link to the bulletin below for additional information and activities at the Church of St. Joseph.
 
Click here to link to the weekly St. Joseph’s Church Bulletin.
 
Important Links:
CDH Soccer Camp
CAA Flag Football
Pioneer Pathways Summer Catalog
WSP Parks & Rec Summer Flyer
 
May Calendar Look Ahead:
Please consider joining us for some of the special events at our school.
 

• Thursday, May 16 – Spring Band and Choir Concert 7pm Gymnasium
• Monday, May 20 – 8^th Grade Confirmation 7:00pm St. Paul Cathedral
• Wednesday, May 22- 8^th Grade Confirmation Celebration 7-8:30pm Great Room
• Thursday, May 23 – Preschool Spring Program 3’s 10am; 4/5’s 2pm Great Room
• Friday, May 24 – Mass 9am, Preschool Spring Program 4’s 10am Great Room
• Monday, May 27 – No School Memorial Day
• Tuesday, May 28 – School Resumes
• Tuesday, June 4 – 8^th Grade Commencement 6:30pm Church – Reception to follow
• Wednesday, June 5 – Fitness Fun Day
• Thursday, June 6- Mass 9am, Last Day of School – 12:45 Dismissal – NO District Lunch Service