October 6, 2021
Dear St. Joseph School Families,
The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary in honor of our Blessed Mother, Mary. Each week the children will say the Rosary in their classrooms with their teachers. Weather permitting, we will say the first decade outside together. The Rosary, when prayed with The Mysteries, tells of the important events in the life of Jesus, his mother Mary, and the followers of Jesus. We began the first week with the Joyful Mysteries: The Announcement by the Angel Gabriel that Mary would be the Mother of Jesus, The Visit to Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, The Nativity, The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, and The Finding of Jesus as a teenager in the Temple by his parents. As we can see from these Mysteries, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were very real people. The Rosary is often prayed for peace in our world and in our hearts. May we pray in our homes for the same, and may Jesus, Mary, and Joseph watch over us.
Reminders:
- Please note that October 8th and 11th are NO SCHOOL days, due to a required professional development day and Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day, respectively.
- The wearing of regular uniforms begins on October 12th. (Long pants, shirts and ties for the boys and skirts, jumpers or blouses for the girls. If you have not received your shoes at this time, students may wear sneakers; however, a written note to that effect from parents is required.)
- Band practice will begin on the afternoon of October 13th from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Child should be picked up promptly at 3 p.m. at the front door of the school.
- Masks are required for school. All students must come to school with a mask and have a spare in their back pack.
- If your child is going to aftercare, a note must be sent to the office or a call must come to the office before 1 p.m. in order that arrangements may be made. The same rules are expected at aftercare as during the regular school day. Respect of the mothers that care for your children during this time is of the utmost important.
- At. St. Joseph School we do assign homework. The homework assigned is a part of each student’s grade. When homework is not completed, this will reflect on the student’s learning, progress report and report card grade. Progress reports will be distributed on October 15th and parent teacher conferences will be held virtually on October 21st and 22nd. Please make your appointments using the forms sent to you through email.
- Children are required to bring their reusable water bottles to school to be used during the day, as only water bottle fillers are available, not water fountains. Drinks, other than water, are only allowed at snack time and lunch, and not in the classroom during the day.
The Pie and Cookie Dough Fundraiser ends on October 12th. Delivery will be on November 16th, in time for Thanksgiving. Please send your orders with payment to the main office by October 12th.
All payments for chocolate bars are due. Please send payment to the office with the child’s name on the envelope. We have a few boxes remaining for those who are interested in selling them. Fundraising is a necessity to provide for our school as it is in most schools. Anyone wishing to take an additional box to sell may do so. Simply send a note to the office requesting this. All money raised is used in the school to benefit your children. Thank you for your assistance in our fundraising opportunities, which help to fund our extra activities for the school year.
The school is planning to take additional outdoor field trips as the year progresses. Since we will be transported by bus and our school faculty and staff, as well as bus drivers, are vaccinated, the school is requiring only vaccinated chaperones on these trips, when chaperones are needed. Our goal, as always, is the health and safety of all of our students. The Kindergarten and Grade 1 will travel to the Arboretum on October 7th.
The School Handbook may be found on the school web site at sjsnl.com. Everyone is asked to become familiar with the Handbook, containing much information to assist with the success of your children at St. Joseph School. Please note the uniform section, regarding the specifics of the uniform, accessories, make-up, and jewelry. Disciplinary information is also contained therein. All of the information will be helpful throughout the year and is updated as needed, including the faculty and staff assignments. A letter, indicating that you and your children have read and discussed its contents, has been sent home electronically, and was required to be signed and returned to school by October 5th. If you have not done so, please send this in as soon as possible.
Please keep us in your prayers, as you are in ours daily.
May God Bless You!
Marianne Cote, Principal