Principal Hurley's Newsletter: CSW Edition

Dear Saint John's Families,
 
It’s an exciting week at Saint John's! We had a chance to kick off Catholic School Week with the Most Reverend Andrew H. Cozzens. Further, I received many positive comments from people after mass, yet this email from a  parishioner , goes to show what a great school we have!  "I just wanted to post you and say what a pleasure it was to hear the kids present at the 10:30 Mass today.  Beyond being TOO CUTE for words, they all demonstrated such skill and demeanor in their readings.  That does not happen without a lot of effort, guidance, and patience by parents, teachers and others."
 
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK- Refer a Friend
We are now at the time of the year where we need to think ahead to next fall. We are setting in place our classes and staffing.  We are always adding and fine tuning our programs.  Our enrollment is up, and even with a pandemic, positivity and learning is at an all-time high. 
As a thank you, we are offering 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.
 
SKATING/HOCKEY at Fire Barns Skating Rink:
Yes, tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the  Fire Barns Skating Rink , I'm coming out of retirement and lacing up my skates!  I hope to see everyone skating or joining in on a game between parents and students!  I will have a treat bag for all who attend!  
 
SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD:
We are still in need of one more community member or parent to join our board.  The next meeting is on  Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.  in the gathering space.  One item on the agenda, includes reviewing the current parent satisfaction survey.  All parents are welcome to attend, even if you are not on the board.  
If you would like to make any comment on the agenda (forthcoming), or a specific topic; please email Board Chair, Alisha Coury at  [email protected] .  Please plan your comment or topic for no longer than 5 minutes.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
10 of our staff have received the 1st COVID-19 vaccination shot!  We will, in the near future, have all staff vaccinated!
  *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.
6:30 p.m. February 9
Register at this link and share it with your family and friends! 
 
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. 

IMPORTANT REMINDER-REGISTRATION-(We are nearing a wait list in elementary grades):
There are only a couple more days to take advantage of the lower enrollment fee!  The enrollment fee is $100/family until January 29, 2021.  As of January 30, 2021, the enrollment fee increases to $200/family.  (If you have more than one student, you should only be assessed the enrollment fee on one child.  If you get charged again for this, please reach out to Karla Schultz at [email protected]. 

AIM HIGHER:
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.

SAINT JOHN’S FINANCIAL AID:
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.  

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.

SAINT JOHN’S 2021 AUCTION:
Learn more about our annual School Auction at the following links:
General School Fundraiser information
Auction Website
Donation Form
Get involved! Email auction chairperson Missy Machkhashvili or Gretchen Hopeman today! 
Parents: it's time to solar into this year's Gala! We are seeking donations such as art, entertainment, food wine and spirits, gift certificates to local businesses, Health and Beauty in spite tickets, travel, Electronics, great experiences, fashion, gift cards, home, parties, and any kind of Saint John school spirit swag.  We will be gathering gracious donations during carline this Friday after school. Look for student council or Gretchen Hopeman, the Advancement Director to make an easy Covid friendly drop off. Looking to make it even easier on yourself, ship your donation directly to St. John's through Amazon Prime...Check out our wishlist at www.amzn.to/3gz7ve3. 
Thank you for supporting your child's and their friends' education and we are so grateful for your generosity

JANUARY CALENDAR:  
January 24-January 29: Catholic Schools Week.
January 30 - enrollment fee increases to $200/family  

FEBRUARY SNEAK PEEK:
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
TRAVEL UPDATE: In November, we asked that anyone traveling more than 50 miles away for 48+ hours self-quarantine for 5 days. Going forward, anyone traveling only to or from a COVID hotspot will be required to contact us to discuss a possible quarantine. Hotspots include ALL air travel (from the last time you were on an airplane), as well as those updated daily at this website: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view. Important note: This quarantine is for travel only. At some point, you might find that you "live" in a hotspot (we're all in the metro area); this update to our protocols is specific to travel only, as our travel habits are different from our lifestyle habits.

CLOSE CONTACT UPDATE: Going forward, if anyone has close contact with a positive COVID case outside of the house, and they remain symptom-free, they will be able to return 10 days after contact. (This is a change from the previous 14 days symptom-free.) Close contact inside your home remains 14 days, even with a negative test result. 

COVID TESTING: In an effort to help ensure we can continue to prioritize in-person learning at Saint John's, the staff will be taking on-site COVID tests.  Our 1st test was last Friday, and we will continue bi-weekly tests to protect the health and safety of students and families. 
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.
Check out the great that is happening daily on our school website and follow us on Facebook.  Tell a friend about Saint John’s School!

Dan J Hurley, Principal