Principal’s Letter

Be prepared! Be alert! Fr. Crispin reminded the middle school students at Mass this week to be ready, to be kind and compassionate at all times. As we move into November and the upcoming holiday season, we are reminded to a be gift to others and act for the common good in our Parish, our School and our community.

Join me in giving a huge shout-out to Karen Bombino and the Endowment team! They organized a very successful and enjoyable Endowment Tailgate event last Sunday. Thank you to Ethan Stowell and his team for hosting us in his beautiful restaurant, Cortina, where we enjoyed a delicious brunch and cheered on the Seahawks and the St. John soccer teams. On behalf of the current families and many generations of future families who will benefit from the endowment, congratulations and thank you, everyone!

I want to thank school nurse, Dora Hall, and her team of volunteers for providing hearing and vision screening on Tuesday to students in grades K, 2, 4 and 6. This is an annual screening provided by the school; if a child has been flagged for follow-up screening, these results will be shared at parent-teacher conferences.

Eighth-grade students are preparing to host the Halloween carnival on 10/31. Buddy classes will visit the carnival together and enjoy the creative Halloween games and activities prepared by our 8th-grade student leaders. Students may come to school in costume on 10/31 but please ensure costumes are school-appropriate, modest, and allow for easy movement by the child (think about recess and bathroom!). Please no scary costumes, which include weapons and props. Makeup, hair dye, and blow-up costumes are not permitted. Masks may NOT be worn throughout the school day but may be kept in backpacks and worn for the carnival in the afternoon.

I know you will join me in offering up prayers for the victims of another mass shooting – this time in Lewiston, Maine. Members of our administration team, today, attended a Crisis Reality Training assembly at Bishop Blanchet High School entitled “How to Survive an Active Lethal Threat Event.” Our Safety Committee also continues to work with Highlander 6 Safety Consulting in addressing campus safety and protocols for disasters and potential threats. You also received a message yesterday about crimes in our neighborhood targeting students. Before my tenure at St. John School concludes, I truly hope that a team of parents initiate and organize a walking school bus to campus. For 12 years, I have been encouraging the walking school bus for health and climate reasons. Now I am adding safety.

I hope to see all Parish families at this Sunday’s 10:30am Mass and State of the Parish presentation. If you are a school family paying the parish tuition rate, attendance this Sunday is one of your Parish obligations. And, I will see all of you next week during student/parent/teacher conferences. Take time before your conference to discuss academic goals with your child and hear about their hopes for a strong conclusion to first trimester and beyond.

Blessings,

Bernadette O’Leary