Happy Groundhog's Day from Principal Hurley

Dear Saint John's Families,

We ended January with a memorable Catholic Schools Week (CSW).  Bishop Andrew Cozzens was impressed by our students at Sunday mass.  The teachers had a great in-service on Monday, attending a webinar titled,   "Thriving Teachers: Coping with Challenge and Uncertainty" and looking over student assessments.  On Tuesday, we had a huge turnout and fun at our community skating and hockey game.  ‘Of course’  the dads let the students win!  In fairness, I did purchase pizza for the entire school for the student's defeating the dad's.  The kids loved movie day on Wednesday.  We closed the week with an amazing Art fair and Minnesota day.  The free dress days displayed creativity and school spirit!  I know the staff and students had fun, and we still had a full week learning.  Thank you to all parents for your support and the CSW committee for putting together the activity schedule.  Please visit our  Facebook page  to see pictures of the week. 
 
We are now past the half-way mark of the school year and am happy to say we have done this together in-person!  I cannot believe it is already February! February will be a short but busy month here at Saint John’s. 
(Brace yourself for six more weeks of winter.  That is, if you like to get your weather prediction from a groundhog in Pennsylvania.  Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Tuesday morning and, as legend holds, that means six additional weeks of heavy coats and mittens.)

STUDENT COUNCIL:
The student council will once again be selling Valagrams this year! A Valagram is a note of friendship/caring for students, teachers, staff, and even families. Click  HERE  for more information!

REFER A FRIEND:
We will continue to offer a special referral program to our current parents, to show how we appreciate you and your marketing for the school!  Click  HERE  for details on Refer a Friend.

TRANSPORTATION:
Please remember there is no Roseville bus on Friday, Feb 12th. We are in school that day, but Roseville district is not.

FINANCIAL AID:  MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MARCH, 12, 2021.
Now is the time to apply for financial aid for next school year.  Please click,  Here  for information on financial aid.  When you are ready to apply for financial aid for grades K-8, you will find the application in your TADS account.   Please note, you are required to apply for AIM Higher to qualify for Financial Aid.  

SCHOLARSHIP-DEADLINE FOR AIM HIGHER:
Enter to win:   TWO ( 2 ) $ 1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS by February 6, 2021  HERE
This year's application deadline is February 20, 2021.  Aim Higher awarded 1,955 scholarships this year which means they are supporting more than 10% of the K-8 students in the Archdiocese!  Even more exciting is they expect to exceed that number this year. If you need help navigating the application process, please reach out to AIM Higher, Laura Hester at  lhester@aimhigherfoundation.org  or 612-819-6711. Please click  HERE  for application.

PRINCIPAL COFFEE TALK:
I will continue hosting virtual coffee talks. These informal meetings are a great opportunity to talk about goals and decisions for the school, meet other parents, ask questions, and hear what questions others have.  Please join me, 6-8th grade parents!  7:45 a.m. to 8:15 .m.  Friday, February 5. HERE 

AUCTION:
Please take a minute to read the recent Auction update.  HERE .  Get involved! Email auction chairperson  Missy Machkhashvili  or  Gretchen Hopeman  today! 
*SPECIAL* PEACE OF MIND:
Our school community has benefited from mental health and wellness sessions provided by a licensed psychologist through the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE). We're excited to share with you that as part of its Peace of Mind initiative, CSCOE is hosting a special virtual session for ALL parents, not just those in Catholic schools.  Join licensed psychologist Dr. Jules Nolan with host Super Bowl Champion Matt Birk for "Parenting During Times of Uncertainty" via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on February 9.  Register at this link and share it with your family and friends! 
REMINDERS AND CALENDAR:
TADS:
Tax season is here. Tuition and Eagle Club payment reports can be pulled directly from TADS. Here are the instructions:
1.       Log into your account at https://secure.tads.com
2.       Click on the Billing tab
3.       On the left side of the screen, click on the "Household Paid Tuition Tax Report" link
4.       Enter the proper tax year and click "submit"

SUMMER EAGLE CLUB:
Our summer care program is available to all children ages 3 to 12. Eagle Club is offered from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily. We keep children engaged and entertained all summer long through activities like arts and crafts, games, science/STEM, reading and math, nature and, of course, field trips once a week. We also maintain and grow a vegetable garden, as well as spend lots of time outside playing and enjoying the nice weather. 
Summer registration CLICK HERE.  Please contact Tayler Smith with questions. 

SCHULZE EARLY LEARNING SCHOLARSHIP: 
Preschool families, the Schulze Early Learning portal is now open for scholarship applications. We encourage you to apply for this very generous scholarship opportunity.  If families have any questions about the program, please contact Marla Friederichs at 612-801-1431 or mjfriederichs@schulzefamilyfoundation.org.  Please click HERE to learn more.

FEBRUARY CALENDAR:
February 2: School Advisory Board meeting, 5:00 p.m. Gathering Space. 
February 5: School Spirit Wear
February 5: Grades 6-8 Coffee Chat with Principal Hurley: 7:45 – 8:15am
February 17: Ash Wednesday (First day of Lent - the time of reflection and penitence leading up to Easter Sunday.)
February 15 thru 19: NO SCHOOL (Eagle Club open 16th-19th, Sign Up HERE)

UPDATES TO OUR COVID PLAN:
INFO GRAPHIC UPDATE:  For your convenience, we've updated our Infographic At-a-Glance, and highlighted the updates mentioned above. We appreciate everyone continuing to be diligent with the social distancing and sanitation measures put forth by the Governor and the Archdiocese. 
View and share the Saint John's online virtual school tour here.
Tell a friend about Saint John’s School!

Dan J Hurley, Principal