March 31, 2021
Dear St. Joseph School Families,
This week we observe the holiest week of our faith—the commemoration of the suffering, death and most importantly the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. On Holy Thursday we celebrate the sacraments of the Eucharist and Holy Orders. On this day we are reminded of our call to live in service to one another, to go forth to make the world a better place. Good Friday reminds us of the suffering that Jesus endured so that our sins might be forgiven. Being forgiven calls us to extend that forgiveness to others. On Holy Saturday the new fire, representing Jesus who is our light, is blessed, as is the holy water to be used in Baptism throughout the year. In the Hebrew tradition of the Sabbath this celebration occurs after sundown. On Easter morning we celebrate the empty tomb, signifying the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Holy Week is filled with symbolism and is truly a holiest of times. May you find peace in your hearts and many blessings through your participation in these observances and celebrations (either in person or live streamed from your parishes), as we prepare for the Alleluias of Easter to return to us once again!
I remind you that Holy Thursday is a 12:30 p.m. dismissal and because it begins the Easter holiday, there is no after school care on this day. Traditionally on Easter Monday, April 5th there will be no school.
We also remind you that our April vacation will take place during the week of April 12th through the 16th. School will resume on April 19th.
We congratulate our students who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this past week and who will receive their First Communion on April 11th. Please pray for them.
For future planning, warm weather uniforms will begin to be worn in May. This consists of khaki shorts not shorter than 4 inches above the knee; the royal blue polo with the school logo; black, white, navy or royal blue sneakers, and socks of the same colors. Patterned socks and sneakers are not acceptable. Anyone needing to order shirts should do so immediately, as they are made to order. The date in May will be announced in a future communication.
We wish to thank Mrs. Tierney for chairing the ButterBraid fundraiser. We were able to earn $1,500 for our school. Also, this week on Good Friday, Captain Scott’s will give a percentage of their profits for that day to Saint Joseph School. Thanks again to the Tierney Family. Please support this effort.
Re-registrations for current students for the 2021-2022 school year are due now. Please send your forms in as soon as possible. We do have waiting lists for most grades and would like to respond to the families who are waiting to hear from us. Application forms and the Kindergarten questionnaire must be completed for all prospective Kindergarten students, whether they are siblings of current students or not. These forms may be requested from the office, or printed from our website at www. sjsnl.com under Prospective Families. Kindergarten screening will take place at a date to be determined. Thank you for your prompt response.
We ask that you please remember to call the office the day before or the morning of the day that your child is going to be absent. Please do not email or text the teacher for this purpose.
The school has received a donation of a beautiful handmade afghan. We have decided to conduct a raffle of this lovely blanket for the benefit of our library. A picture of the afghan is on our Facebook page. Chances will be sold for $1.00 each and forms have been sent home for this purpose. Please complete the form with the number of tickets you would like to purchase and return it to school with the appropriate donation. The raffle will take place on the Friday after Easter, April 9th.
Our final Baptismal symbol, the White Garment with a butterfly will be the focus of our school prayer this week. This sign of a new life and resurrection is used to show that we are indeed brand new—that Jesus Christ died and rose for each of us, so that one day we might do the same. The white garment deepens our understanding of new life without sin and the butterfly speaks of rising to this life as a new and beautiful creation.
You are in our prayers as you commemorate this Holy Week and celebrate a Joyous Easter and bring back the Alleluias!
Sincerely,
Marianne Cote, Principal