Principal’s Letter

There are so many days I wish you could be a fly on the wall here at school watching our kind, creative team of teachers as they instruct your students throughout the day. This week I saw third-grade mathematicians learning about area; they were engaged in collaborative math talks explaining their thinking, and using this knowledge of how area works, designed animal reserves in partner groups. I witnessed sixth-grade scientists carrying petri dishes throughout the building eagerly swabbing surfaces for their bacteria growth project. I got to join second graders as they danced to GoNoodle for their mid-day brain break. I heard seventh graders presenting wonderful Saint projects they researched in religion class. I listened in on our fourth-grade kindness club and smiled every time I passed their Kindness Day posters in the hallway. I could go on and on, but needless to say, our teachers are the best, and your students are receiving an engaging curricular experience every day. Encourage your student to persevere and stay focused these last two weeks of trimester one.

Speaking of encouragement, please encourage your student to bring, and wear, a rain jacket. We had several very wet students in the building this afternoon, and as I watched them transition back into the building from lunch, I could count on both hands the number of students who were actually wearing a jacket. Our students are frequently outside throughout the school day as they transition from specialist classes and lunch. And, unless it is torrential, we do have outdoor recess in the rain. It may not be fashion forward for your child, but let’s get those PNW appropriate jackets back into daily rotation, please.

I hope to see many of you at our Parent Association meeting, tomorrow morning, at 8:30am in Egan Hall. Come and learn more about our new Auction format, upcoming holiday events, service projects, and other ways you can be involved in the St. John community.

We have several important dates coming up: next Tuesday, November 19, we will host our annual Vision and Hearing Screening for grades K, 2, 4, and 6. Later that evening we have our next PA Parent Ed Event, Raising Digital Natives: Solutions for Healthy Screen Time Habits, at 7pm via Zoom (find more information in today’s PA News post). Wednesday, November 27, is Grand Day for grades 3-5, RSVP here. This ½ day marks the end of Trimester 1 and is a Dress Uniform day for all students, K-8. Winter concerts are fast approaching; note the schedule change for our intermediate concert.

Thank you to our sixth-grade students and teachers for sponsoring the St. Vincent de Paul Thanksgiving Drive; please help them help others. The drive ends 11/26. Details here. Thank you also to our Parish for offering the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults Adapted for Children for students who are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith or becoming Catholic. More information can be found here.

Our 7th and 8th grade dance is in Egan Hall on Friday evening. We will be hosting students from other North Deanery schools. Thank you to the parent volunteers who will be present to chaperone the event. And good luck to the Speech Team and CYO basketball teams who will be competing this weekend. We appreciate, also, the parent volunteers who are judging and coaching this weekend.

In thanksgiving,

Principal Mansfield