Principal’s Letter

It’s been a wonderful week, full of special celebrations. Our students participated in Day of the Dead events and enjoyed creative games and activities at the 8th grade hosted Halloween Carnival. Tomorrow we will kick off the morning with our Trophy parade, recognizing our championship soccer team and finalists, followed by our All Saints Day mass at 9am – we hope to see you there. Recall: this is a dress uniform day for all students.

Thank you for attending the State of the Parish last weekend; it was wonderful seeing many of you there. Attendance at the State of the Parish Presentation is required for all school families who are paying the Parish tuition rate. If you were unable to attend, the presentation was live-streamed and is available to view HERE. Click on the School Parish Families option where you can add your name to the list of those who “attended” the State of the Parish. Thank you for prayerfully considering an increase to your Parish pledge this year; every gift makes a difference, and an increase of just $3 per week will help us meet the continuing financial needs of our Parish Family.

I’d like to share with you some news about our PreSchool program. St. John is continually striving to meet the needs of our growing community. As we take a close look at our demographics, the needs of our community members, and our neighboring school programs, we recognize an opportunity to expand our impact, and we are excited to announce a change in our curricular offerings. Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, St. John School will move to an all-day preschool program. We will continue to offer our valued Extended Daycare (XDC) program before and after school, as well as during holidays, summer break, and no-student contact days. Changes, such as these – while exciting – do invoke feelings of uncertainty and anticipation. As we work to strategically establish this new all-day preschool format, we are committed to transparent communication along the way, honoring the good work and dedication of our current XDC staff and program. Expect to hear from the school soon with answers to the questions you might have about this change. We are excited for what’s ahead. Change brings opportunity-opportunity to grow and further live out our Mission.

Speaking of PreK, we invite families interested in our PreK and K programs to our Open House on Wednesday, November 6. Families will have the opportunity to meet teachers, visit classrooms and find out about our application process. Tell your friends and neighbors! RSVP here.

St. John School is in regular contact with our local Greenwood Public Library branch. Librarians, teachers, and administrators exchange information regarding curriculum enrichment and academic support. The Greenwood Library welcomes our students to this space, but there is an expectation of self-monitoring that students must observe and model for each other. We learned recently an unknown individual attempted to grab a student’s backpack during an after school visit. Library staff were immediately notified, intervened, and called their security team. The unknown patron was escorted off the premises and has since been excluded from the library. Parents of the student involved were notified.

The Greenwood Library enjoys having our students, but as with any public space, students are expected to self-monitor and be aware of their surroundings. The library staff is not responsible for the direct supervision of students. And the library is not a daycare. I ask you to review their Policy for Unattended Children and also our own Greenwood Library Agreement.

Administration makes frequent visits to the library to check in on our students. We ask you to do the same – make your presence known at the library. We also ask that you talk to your child about being vigilant about their surroundings and what to do if they ever feel uncomfortable in a public setting. And, please encourage your children to watch out for each other when in the neighborhood. Be sure to read A Message from the Greenwood Library, in this week’s Newsviews. The Greenwood librarians offer great suggestions for making the most of our local library.

Don’t forget to change your clocks this weekend! Daylight Saving Time ends.

Principal Mansfield