Principal’s Letter
Yesterday at the middle school Mass, Fr. Crispin referred to the Gospel reading from Matthew and asked students, “Do you really know Jesus?” The answer, of course, is not that simple. The more we try to live in his image the more we get to know him. We follow His commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” As Fr. Crispin would say, “Be little angels on earth!” Be sure to RSVP (here) for Father’s final Mass at St. John and celebration. Wish him well (here). Please do so by June 17.
I have observed many examples of our students’ goodness: acts of kindness, persistence, making wise choices, acts of service and missionary discipleship. Last week, the 7th grade-led Bake Sale Fundraiser to support Mary’s Place brought in over $2,000! The Dream Big Campaign matched this total. Jake Gustafson, St. John parent and Chief Development Officer for Mary’s Place commented, “Wow! This is so amazing! The students have done such a great job and are helping make a real impact for the most vulnerable families in our community.”
The eighth-grade students will begin graduation activities next week. Fr. Crispin will celebrate a special Mass for the graduating class on Wednesday. Parents of graduates, you are all invited to attend and pray for the Class of 2024 as they prepare for the next leg of their academic journeys.
In other journeys, Mrs. Frances Quevedo, who began working as the Front Office Assistant at St. John in 1996 announced her retirement. Mrs. Q.’s unwavering presence in the school office was without interruption. She tirelessly worked the phones each morning, tracking attendance, all the while welcoming latecomers, delivering forgotten lunches, and prepping ice bags for recess. Besides being a master record keeper/recorder, she was a listener. Students and staff alike found her presence to be welcoming and comforting. Sadly, after 28 years in the Captain’s Chair, we say goodbye to Mrs. Quevedo and wish her a happy retirement. If you would like to leave a message for her, please visit the Kudoboard.
St. John School is pleased to welcome Mrs. Stephanie Wade and Mrs. Melanie Munoz-Solomon as the new Front Office Assistants. Mrs. Wade and Mrs. Solomon will share front office duties. They are both parents of current St. John students. Mrs. Wade has been a reliable, friendly, and dependable substitute for Mrs. Q. during the 2023-24 school year, and Mrs. Solomon has started onboarding for the role this month. Mrs. Solomon will also take on an additional part-time role in the school’s Development Office.
After 13 years as the School’s Development Assistant, Mrs. Mary VandePutte announced her retirement early this Spring. Mrs. VandePutte has worked behind the scenes supporting all things Development. Her attention to the fine details of fundraising, tracking donor contributions, and preparing financial data for publication was top-tier. We wish Mrs. VandePutte the best and thank her for supporting the school mission.
Two of our Student Support Team teachers will add to the families in the fall. Mrs. Sarah Olsen and Mrs. Dana Edwards are expecting and will take maternity leave in the fall. New hire Mr. Erik Skipper will be covering the Math Specialist position for Mrs. Olsen during her leave, and Mrs. Mary Baur, also a new hire, will be the Intermediate Student Support Team Specialist and 4th grade teacher’s assistant. Mr. Skipper and Mrs. Baur bring extensive teacher experience to St. John School. Mr. Skipper has been a regular substitute at St. John School and is a parent to a current 6th grader. Mrs. Baur has 21 years of experience as a Literary Specialist in Denver, CO.
And finally, after completing his teacher certification program, we are pleased to announce Mr. Ted Metcalf will be our new 6-8 Religion teacher. Mr. Metcalf completed his student teaching with Mrs. Halley. He is the parent to a graduating 8th grader and his older children all attended St. John School. Mr. Metcalf started as a volunteer in the school’s Physical Education program. He’s coached numerous CYO teams over the years and is a product of Seattle Catholic Schools.
Welcome to our new faculty and staff!
Bernadette O’Leary
