Principal’s Letter

Thank you to teachers, the Parent Association, parent volunteers, Chef Michael, the Kitchen Crew and the maintenance team for making Spirit Day 2023 simply spectacular! When students arrived at school on Friday, decked out in their purple and gold finery, I knew the day would be special. I wasn’t disappointed!

After some learning fun, students were treated to a delicious lunch in a tropical paradise, and from there it only got better. Students headed to the gym where they celebrated our eighth graders. Much to everyone’s delight, our special guest, Blitz, was on hand to celebrate everyone! And with the enthusiasm through the roof, everyone enjoyed the games — volleyball, basketball, donut-eating — between teachers and eighth-graders. I must say, the teachers held their own! Again, thank you all for a Spirit Day that captured the vibrancy, kindness, and optimism of our community.

We head into next week, where we will again display the special spirit that is St. John. On Monday, February 13, we welcome the Accreditation Team for a three‐day visit, where they will visit classes and meet with students, staff, Fr. Crispin and parents from the School Commission. Students, dress uniforms are required for these three days, February 13-15. You may recall accreditation is “a process for determining the quality of a school’s overall Catholic Identity and educational program. The Catholic school examines itself in order to understand what is working well for the total school community and what it needs to do better to meet the learning needs of the students and to ensure long-term viability and vitality.” (Western Catholic Accreditation Association)

The Accreditation Team has reviewed our Self‐Study document, including our Action Plan, for ongoing improvement and will determine our accreditation status for the next six years. Visiting our campus and meeting with community members will help the Accreditation Team see our school in action as they finalize their report. The School Leadership Team will review the report, along with school leadership and the Superintendent for Catholic Schools. Thereafter it will be presented to the faculty and staff. The final copy of the report will arrive before the school year ends, and we will be honored to post it for the school community to review.

A big thank‐you goes to all the faculty and staff for the 18 months of hard work in preparing the Self‐Study and for preparing for the upcoming visit. Thank you parents for participating in surveys, attending stakeholders’ meetings, and furthering the mission of the school. Now is a great time for you to ask your child about the Schoolwide Learning Expectations (SLEs). Our students strive to be Christ-Centered, active learners who are empowered to act for the common good. Ask them about our Mission Statement too ‐ they recite it weekly. If you run into members of the Accreditation Team next week, be sure to give them a warm St. John welcome!

Two housekeeping items before I wish you a ‘happy long weekend’ – remember faculty and staff have Professional Development and Curriculum Day tomorrow, so school and XDC are not in session – tomorrow is also the last day to order new logo uniform items and spirit gear for this month. Show your school spirit and come out and support our 7th-grade boys’ basketball team this Saturday, 6pm at Bishop Blanchet High School as they vie for the championship title.

Go Eagles!

Bernadette O’Leary