Fire Safety at Saint John's School!

Dear Saint John's Families, 

This is my favorite time of year. I love the changing weather and all the holidays coming our way. Among the things I enjoy most at Saint John’s are the moments when I’m able to welcome students at arrival, catch up on the playground, visit classrooms, eat lunch with preschool, and dance with the kids on Fridays. I look forward to the informal communication those times afford as it can be impossible during most of the busy school day to get to know the students.

In contrast, the job can be challenging.  I recently learned, Roseville Public Schools is ending our food contract on November 5, based on the job shortage in Roseville. I will be working with the Minnesota Department of Education and have meetings this week with vendors. I will guarantee you the students will still have hot lunch after November 5. Please consider working as an assistant manager with Roseville schools so we can keep this same service.  A link to this job is  HERE . (Please share the link with family, friends and neighbors). Furthermore, we are still seeking Eagle Club staff.  Please let me know if you or someone you know is interested  HERE .

A reminder that Falls Break is just around the corner! There will be no school from Oct. 21-22 and school will resume on Oct. 25.

I look forward to seeing students and families at Culver’s tonight-( 10/12/21 at 5:00pm-7:00pm, 2880 Rice St, Little Canada, MN 55113.  Dine in or drive-through ) Culver's night is an exciting time to socialize, eat burgers and enjoy fresh frozen custard! Saint John’s will receive a percentage of the dollars spent during this period to benefit student activities.  So please also invite friends and family to support the school and see our awesome community in action.
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Bullying Prevention Month:
We are currently completing activities and discussing bullying.

• Help kids understand bullying. Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help.
• Keep the lines of communication open. Check in with kids often. Listen to them. Know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns.
• Encourage kids to do what they love. Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from bullying behavior.
• Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.

On  Wednesday, October 20 , we encourage all students to WEAR and SHARE  ORANGE (This is a mass day, so please no sweatpants).   We do this   to come together in one giant message uniting our nation for kindness, acceptance and inclusion, to visibly show that we believe no child should ever experience bullying. As always, we embrace the journey of school together as a team. Together we make a positive difference!
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ATHLETICS NEWS: K-4 Soccer & Volleyball Clinics this Saturday (10/16)
Is your kindergartener through fourth-grader interested in Volleyball or Soccer? You can still register for our K-4 Clinics, which are THIS SATURDAY: Sign up HERE
9:00-10:30 A.M.: Volleyball Clinic, in the Gym
2:00-4:00 P.M.: Soccer Clinic, on the Field (or in the Gym if inclement weather)
 
After the weather postponement of our first Autumn Soccer Clinic, we were able to move some things around, and make our October 16 date a full two hours. As we are now close to the date, please contact Athletics Director Laura Haraldson directly ([email protected]) if your child is interested or you have any questions.
 
Sign Up for Winter Sports:
Thank you to the many sports sign-ups we've been getting for Winter Athletics. As a reminder, we hope to have basketball (girls & boys), hockey & swimming. Students CAN be in multiple sports, but we need enough interest to support a team. (Right now we are a bit light on both basketball teams.) Sign up today. Swimming is open to all kids able to swim 25 yards without assistance in grades K-8 (try-outs likely in younger kids). Register interest here: https://school.sjolc.org/information-calendar 

Calling All Coaches:
Did you know? All of our Saint John's coaches are unpaid volunteers. Please extend a note of gratitude the next time you have a chance. We especially thank our fall sports coaches, Dan Theisen, Pat Keenan and Jean Schreier, as their seasons start to wind down. Check the School Calendar if you still want to catch a game!
 
We welcome back Coach Jon Fox for hockey this year and have confirmed we'll be able to once again practice on Little Canada's Demont Rink (near RAMS) once the weather cooperates.

I'm also SO thrilled to announce that Carie Mike will be our Swimming Head Coach this year, assisted by Scott Haraldson, AND we are looking for more assistant coaches. Practices typically start in January, on Sundays at White Bear Lake Area YMCA, but stay tuned for more specifics as we get that confirmed.
 
We are in need of basketball coaches, so please reach out to Athletics Director Laura Haraldson: lharaldson@sjolc.org if you are interested or have any questions! 
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SAINT JOHN'S COVID DATA TRACKER
*All data is collected daily

Total positive cases0	0
Number of students out sick (MDH decision Tree)	0

Number of Students out (Community Close contact)	0
Face Mask Optional

Mask Matrix. 
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Peace of Mind-OCTOBER WEBINARS
Dr. Jules Nolan continues to host monthly webinars for  parents throughout the academic year. After the sessions, the webinar recordings will be available for 30 days.

PARENT SESSION 
"Psychological Wellness Begins at Home" — October 13 at 7 p.m.
Our children are more stressed and anxious than any time in modern history. How we parent and manage emotions at home can protect our children and bolster their emotional resilience, or it can hinder development and make things worse. This session will focus on parenting strategies that promote healthy psychological development. We’ll discuss the influences of technology, pressures of modern life and common parenting mistakes. Parents will leave with concrete strategies to help their children thrive. 

• CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

PARENT SESSION 
"We’re Back: Now What?" — September 22
Parenting during the pandemic, conflict in our communities, going back to school, and the uncertainty over the last 18 months have made our job as parents even more difficult. Many of us are worried about how to move forward as we once again enter a school year that will likely be influenced by the pandemic. In this session, we will bring it back to the basics of sound, practical parenting: What to attend to, what to let slide, and how to protect children’s mental health without “snowplowing” away the experiences they need to become strong and resilient.

• Link to webinar recording available until October 25: 
  https://youtu.be/44UHs_-oyn

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October:
Oct 12: Culver's Night: 5:00pm-7:00pm
Oct 20: Mid-Trimester
Oct 21-22: No School-Fall Recess.  Eagle Club Closed
Oct 29: Halloween Party Sneak Peek November:
Nov 2: No School, Teacher In-Service
Nov 4: Preschool Dad's Night (6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)
Nov 5: School Spirit Wear Day
Nov 11: Parent Conferences
Nov 12: Picture Re-Takes
Nov 16: Parent Conferences
Nov 25-26: No School, Thanksgiving Break. 
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Parent Opportunity - Archdiocesan Synod,
If you enjoyed that “marathon sense of community” as much as I did, here’s a new chance to connect with other school parents this fall. View this video invitation from Director of Communications and school mom Laura Haraldson. Please visit the Archdiocesan Synod web page (archspm.org/synod) for more information.
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Fine Arts:
If you are interested in signing up for Piano, Guitar or Voice lessons, please click HERE
Theatre: Annie Jr. Sign up HERE  
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All Saints Tricks-or-Treats
Did you know that the name "Halloween" is derived from the Christian-based holiday, All Souls Day (November 1)? All "Hallows (or Haloes) Eve" references this important feast day in the liturgical calendar commemorating the holy people in history who set an amazing example for us yet today. To celebrate, Saint John's Discipleship Sunday Committee is hosting a fun and informative youth All Saints activity this year, at 9:30 A.M. October 31. Kids begin in the Gathering Space, and then are supervised down to the lower church, where there will be stories and activities themed around the saints, along with Halloween treats. Check out www.sjolc.org/discipleship-sunday for more information! Registration is not required, so save the date, and we hope to see you there!
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We are proud of our school and look forward to more exciting things to come our way!  Check out the great that is happening daily on our school website and follow us on Facebook.
Thanks, 

Dan J Hurley, Principal