Parent Association

News

We would like to say a big thank you to those who joined the Parent Association meeting last Friday. The meeting provided us with an opportunity to reconnect and learn about the exciting events already underway for the coming year (next on the calendar: Jog-a-thon this Friday!). PA meeting notes are available on the Parent Association website.

If you would like to learn more about the Parent Association, check out this summary. We continue to work to finalize our PA grade-level teams for the year. Thank you to those who have already taken a role. If you are interested in joining your grade-level team, check out the descriptions of the four roles that support each grade and sign up here.

We hope you had a wonderful time at the Back to School BBQ last Friday. We had a record turnout for this PA-sponsored event and enjoyed being together on a beautiful summer evening. What a way to start the school year! Thank you to the many volunteers who worked so hard to make this event a success. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Mark your calendars for the next Parent Association meeting: Friday, October 6, 8:30am in Egan Hall.

Supporting Our Community

The Parent Association facilitates, encourages and ensures ongoing community-building by providing activities, events, and service to the parish and school community. As part of our mission, we aim to support families in need within our community.

We have learned of a family who needs support. This weekend, St. John alum, John McDonagh, received news that his toddler son has been diagnosed with stage IV liver cancer, requiring a liver transplant, chemotherapy, and extended hospital time. If you feel compelled, you can support John and his family through their GoFundMe campaign. Thank you for your consideration.

If you or someone in your family is experiencing hardship and feel it would be helpful to have your need for support communicated to the St. John community, please reach out to Parent_Association@st-johnschool.org. We will partner with you to determine the best way for the Parent Association to support you in your time of need.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Erin

Save the date! We are excited to announce our first PA Guest Speaker of the year; Erin Schoenfelder Gonzalez, Ph.D. will join us on October 24, 7pm to discuss executive function. Dr. Schoenfelder is a psychologist at Seattle Children’s in the PEARL (Program to Enhance Attention, Regulation and Learning) clinic. She focuses on helping youth and their families become resilient and successful.

During this parent education event, Dr. Gonzalez will discuss executive functions (EF), activities based in the brain’s frontal lobe, which is the “boss” or “executive” of our brain. Executive functions help us plan, organize, and manage our thoughts, actions, and emotions. For children, this means things like paying attention, setting goals, and controlling impulses. Developing strong executive functions is crucial for success in school and in everyday life. The elementary school years are the ideal time for children to learn good EF habits and strategies to compensate for EF weaknesses.

During our time together, Dr. Schoenfelder will share:

  • A “lens” for understanding core executive functions and their impact on school and other childhood activities.
  • How parents can support their child’s EF by modeling organization and time management tools, providing consistent routines, and scaffolding children’s decision-making.

This event will take place virtually on Tuesday, October 24, 7pm. A Zoom link will be provided in advance.