Principal’s Letter
Spring is in the air, the sun is out, the energy is high, and activities around here are ramping up. Thank you to the PA for planning such a fun evening last Friday – playing Bingo and Mingo, building community, and truly having a ball! We invite you to join us tomorrow morning as we celebrate May Day with our Crowning of Mary community Mass at 9am in the Church. This is a Dress Uniform day, and students are invited to bring in a flower for Mary. Tomorrow is also the last day to bring in food for the food drive – thank you for helping us fill our St. Vincent de Paul food pantry before we head into the summer months.
Next week is a busy week here at St. John School. Our students in grades 2-8 will begin taking the MAP assessment. We administer this test in the fall and again toward the conclusion of the school year. Our goal with these assessments is to see measured growth in your child’s academic progress this year. Please take a look at the teachers’ newsletters this weekend and note the time(s) your student will be testing; when possible, try to avoid scheduling outside appointments during these testing windows. On Friday, May 8, we are excited to welcome Grandparents and Special Friends to campus for our K-2 Grand Day extravaganza. See all of the details in the post below. And, Wednesday, May 6, is Bike & Roll to school day. The weather forecast is predicting sunny and 71 degrees – grab those helmets and hop on those scooters and bikes, get some exercise and ride or roll your way to school!
Speaking of sunnier weather and biking to school, please consider parking the car in the neighborhood and walking in to collect your student(s). The car line-up on Greenwood Ave. is reaching 3-4 blocks in the turn lane, and neighbors are noting the congestion and potential danger. One particular neighbor, who resides on 78th St., wrote in yesterday saying, “I was nearly hit for the third time trying to turn left off Greenwood onto my street. At the end of the school day, the line of cars filling the turn lane on Greenwood creates a very dangerous traffic situation. It is impossible to see and safely turn left onto and off of Greenwood Ave.” If the turn lane of Greenwood Ave. is highly congested at student pick-up time, please consider parking or circling the block. And please travel safely through the neighborhood – I’ve also received frequent messages from neighbors about school parents speeding down side streets.
We want to extend congratulations to our 8th grade students who participated in the National History Day State competition this past weekend. Kaia S., Holland P., and Marlo O. competed in the Group Exhibit Category (National Women’s Party), Mack B. competed in the Individual Website Category (Seattle School Boycott 1966). Alex N.S., Sam U., and Gus E. took 5th Place in the Group Documentary Category (1960 Valdivia Earthquake & Tsunami). And Ellie D. took 2nd Place in the Individual Exhibits Category (Chinese Railroad Strike in California) and will be representing St. John in the National competition in June! Way to go, Ellie! Thank you, Mr. Bretz, for providing our 8th graders with this enrichment opportunity.
Enjoy the beautiful weekend; we all have something this world needs.
Principal Mansfield
