I am not sure who was more excited for the first day of school – you, parents, or the children! The playground was a sea of smiling faces yesterday morning. The faculty and staff are delighted to welcome back all the returning families and to meet so many new students. Thank you, Julie Lee and Jonna Skokan, for facilitating the lovely meet-and-greet coffee hour for the parents.
We didn’t waste any time appealing to the leadership of the eighth grade! They led us in a prayer service for the opening of the school year, at which Mrs. Tsagalakis taught us the chorus of this year’s theme song, “Be Kind!” Soon you will hear your children singing, Be Kind, Be Kind! Be Brave and Be Kind. Mrs. Tsagalakis also told the children that she is wearing a ‘strange hat’ because she is undergoing treatment for cancer, but she assured them that it is curable. Please hold her in your prayers.
In other music faculty news, Mrs. Ellen Pepin-Cato is on a leave of absence. She and her husband are expecting a baby. Please also pray for them. Cantionis is postponed for now.
Tomorrow, we kick-off the Jog-a-thon fundraiser with an assembly at 9am! Your children will bring home the sponsorship packets and you may have already seen an invitation to start fundraising in your email inbox! Start asking friends and relatives to pledge as the first student incentive day is Wednesday- Free Dress. Speaking of free dress, tomorrow is free dress for those students who completed a summer reading or math program.
This coming week is a busy one. For parents of students in K – 5, we host Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 12. You won’t want to miss this important meeting as the teachers will present the curriculum, procedures, and expectations for the year. The following evening, September 13, come back for the Welcome Back BBQ and Celebration! You won’t want to miss this either – Chef Michael and Ethan Stowell will present burgers, sausages, hot dogs, and salads with the expectation that you have fun and build community! Don’t forget about the dessert competition. We need bakers and we need volunteers to help make this evening a success! This is a great and fun-filled opportunity to get a head start on your fair share of volunteer hours! More information below. Please be aware that we are expecting a very large gathering and parking will be extremely limited. Our neighbors will be home and will need their spaces; the playground will be a playground and picnic area, NOT a carpark! I encourage you to car-pool, walk, ride your bikes. Help the environment and Be Kind to our neighbors!
New families, it is a pleasure to meet you all. Please remember to complete all the registration requirements, including immunization, birth and baptismal certificates, and emergency contact information. You will have received information on how to log into PowerSchool, our student information system, and we ask that you keep this updated with your contact information. You received the ID and Password in your welcome/acceptance packets. We hope you are settling in well and meeting other families.
Current families, if there are any changes to your address or contact information, update your PowerSchool account and also let the office know as soon as possible.
Thank you! Read on for news about all the events happening at St. John School!
Beannacht,
Bernadette O’Leary
