Principal’s Corner – August 9, 2022

Dear SJCA Families:

Thanks be to God for such a beautiful first day of school, including a morning rainbow over the buildings and our prayer time.

Thank you to all the parents/guardians/caretakers who joined us for morning prayer.  Fr. Kennell went room by room blessing every student, teacher, and building on our campus.

Classrooms were magnificently prepared and communicated welcome, adventure and the joy of learning everywhere your children looked.  As I circulated throughout the campus there were happy hearts, smiling faces and so much joy all around.

A heartfelt thank you to every faculty and staff member who worked tirelessly to prepare for today.  I am overwhelmed with gratitude for each and every one of you.

Some important points:

• SCHOOL MASS, Weds. 8.10.22 is our first school mass.  Parents are invited to join us in the Church after dropping your child off at school. Attendance will be taken in the classroom at 7:50  and the students will relocate to the Church by 8:05 – 8:10.

  • Students MUST be dropped off no later than 7:50 in order to attend Mass with their peers.

  • AFTER 7:50am parents are invited to attend Mass with their student, sitting in the day chapel area (not with their classmates).  Teachers may not take custody of their students prior to them being checked in after Mass in the school office,  at approximately 9:00am.

  • Please understand that our attendance policies ensure every child’s safety and our accountability for them.  Emergencies happen, should you find yourself running late please attempt to call the office before 8:00am.

• VPK Pick Up:

  • 11 am pick up for K4 happens at the Preschool Door.  Students will be loaded into their parents cars in the carline parking lot.

  • Full Day VPK pick up is at 2:50-3:00 and occurs in the Preschool side carline beginning promptly at 2:50.

  • VPK students with elementary siblings will be joined by their older sibling on the preschool side.  Older siblings will be given a PINK tag on their backpack tomorrow August 10th to help identify and organize pick up. We have evaluated our first day hiccups in pick up and look forward to prompt improvements tomorrow.  Thank you for your patience.

• CARLINE:

  • PLEASE have your concierge number clearly placed on your windshield EVERY day.  The first weeks are challenging for our staff as they stand out in the hot sun facilitating pick up.  By having your students’ numbers clearly visible we demonstrate support and respect for the task we have asked them to do.  We deeply appreciate your attention to this critical step of our carline procedure.

• AFTERCARE

  • After Care Pick Up:  After care pick up will be coordinated from the PRESCHOOL DOOR ONLY.  Please ring the bell and a staff member will ask what student(s) you are picking up, they will check that you are on the approved pick up list on file on their registration form.

  • Staff Members carry walkie talkies and will assist with dismissal from aftercare at the Preschool Door.

  • PLEASE allow us two weeks to build a working spreadsheet of our students who attend regularly along with their usual pick up time.  A more detailed schedule with options for alternate pick up locations will be developed as we come to understand our families needs.  Your patience is greatly appreciated while we organize a robust program for your children. We are blessed to have a full team of committed professionals with our students in the afternoon.

  • Please feel free to contact Mrs. Overfield (our Aftercare Coordinator) at colleen.overfield@sjseagles.org for any questions or concerns.

• Servant Leaders

  • Our eighth grade students are developing their legacy activity as they enter into their final year as a St. John Eagle.

  • They will begin to serve our youngest and most vulnerable students tomorrow at Mass.  They will serve as ushers, consoling, inspiring and encouraging our littles in their integration into the liturgy.

  • We look forward to seeing the fruit of their heartfelt service and love, growing into lifelong disciples of Christ.  Please congratulate and encourage them as the senior servant leaders of our student body, class of 2023.

Through Christ our Teacher ~

Sister Grace Ford, Er Dio

Principal – SJCA

sistergrace@sjseagles.org