The students bring so much joy each day, and yesterday was no exception. I could hear the lilt of (almost) Irish laughter as the kindergarteners discovered that Leprechauns had visited the classrooms! We missed the pipes, but I am very thankful to you, parents and teachers, for making St. Patrick’s Day very special.
And now it’s time to switch from Irish music to the heavy beats of Rock On, St. John! Have you registered? The bidding ‘wars’ are underway! Check out the staycations and the vacations! Plan with your pod friends and bid on packages together! Pick up your cocktail kit and your auction meal, tune into the St. John YouTube channel at 6pm on Friday and be ready for some great entertainment, spending sprees, and sharing the love for St. John! This year’s Fund-A-Need hopes to raise at least $100,000 for the operating budget, much of which covers costs incurred in order to open for in-person learning during the pandemic. Thank you auction team, sponsors, and parents who have supported the many facets of our school’s largest fundraiser. I know you will be there tomorrow night, again, to support the mission of our school.
The excitement doesn’t stop with the Auction! Opening night for the Middle School Musical is Saturday, March 27. Join the cast and crew of the Little Mermaid, Jr. as they take you on a virtual adventure under the sea! Tickets are available, or up your viewing experience, and snag Special Ticket Packages full of cookies, candy, crafts and so much more.
Before you Rock On or head Under the Sea, join us virtually at 9:30am tomorrow for Mass as we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph. During the darkest moments of this year, we have all searched for light, hope, and grace. And just as we start to experience a sliver of spiritual renewal, we are challenged by the senseless murders in Atlanta. As a school community, we are grieving and offering up prayers to those affected and for those in our community who may be feeling marginalized amid the uptick in crimes against Asian-Americans. The Pope’s recent message stating that same-sex marriages could not be blessed is hard to understand for our community as we are driven by a mission to be inclusive. St. John Parish School is committed to being a loving community. All are welcome here. Together we must help broaden our students’ perspectives, listen to people’s stories/experiences, and create a more complete narrative of the human experience. St. Joseph is a good example of how to handle these challenges with grace, courage, and trust in God’s will. He accepted a challenge he couldn’t understand. Let us remember the love that Jesus showed to all those he met during his years on earth.
The 8th-grade class would also like to invite you to pray the Stations of the Cross with them this week. They created original art pieces and prayers/reflections for each Station. These pieces hang around the outside of the church building. By the front doors of the church, you will find prayer booklets, which you are welcome to use to pray and reflect as you walk the Stations. These Stations will be up all week, and next week we will have a second set of artwork and prayers.
Many of our prayers are being answered as the vaccine becomes available to more people. I commend the teachers for committing to in-person teaching prior to getting the vaccine. Setting aside their own fears, they put our students first. By April 2, almost all our faculty and staff teachers will be fully vaccinated. They are feeling very grateful. A couple of folks have asked about changes that may occur when our teachers are fully vaccinated. You may see more specialists in the building, but vaccinations do not determine the number of students in a classroom. That determination is made by the local health department, not just the CDC. We are still bound by regulations regarding social distancing, sanitization, and mask-wearing. Though we believe live instruction and interaction with peers and teachers are critical to students’ social-emotional and mental health, our top priority is the health and safety of all members of the St. John community.
Congratulations to the alumni in our community! Eliza Wells and Frances Kent have been named Valedictorians, and Gavin LaMotte has been named Salutatorian at Bishop Blanchet High School, Class of 2021. Gavin has also been named a National Merit Scholarship Finalist and has advanced to the final round of consideration. We are so proud of our former Eagles!
I am excited to “see” you tomorrow night! Rock On, St. John!
Bernadette O’Leary
