Principal Hurley's Valentine's Newsletter

Dear Saint John's Families,

Despite Old Man Winter's fashionably late arrival, he made a no-holds-barred entrance this weekend!  Further, we welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the new Super Bowl Champions!   

I appreciate the input I have received from many of you via coffee with the principal and the recent parent survey.  The School Advisory Board met on Tuesday, February 2, 2020 to look over survey results and discuss areas of improvement.  We came to the conclusion that another survey was necessary to help guide our strategic plan.  Please take this survey  HERE .  Students will receive a free uniform pass after parents complete the questions by           February 22, 2021.

NO SCHOOL:
It is hard to believe that another recess from school is upon us and that just six weeks ago we were ringing in the New Year! Even though school will not be in session next week, maintenance and staff will be busy cleaning the building and many will be receiving their COVID vaccines.  I hope you all enjoy some enriching experiences and quality time with your students!   
Reminder:  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.
My next newsletter will be on Tuesday, February 23, 2021.

STUDENT COUNCIL:
There is still time to purchase a Valagram 
*** Please click  HERE  to read more about them in the piece titled, "So What's the Deal with Valagrams?" by Laura Haraldson.

MIDDLE SCHOOL STEM FAIR:
The Middle School STEM Fair was a success.  The 3 first-place winners will move onto the Big Bang Catholic STEM Fair in April. We wish them the best of luck as they represent our school community.  Click  HERE  to see all the winners!

CLASS PICTURE:
Would you like a class picture for your student?  If so, there is a slight change in how to order them this year.  Instead of being added to specific portrait packages, they are handled individually now.  You can order your child’s class composites  online, through Interstate Studios, until 02/17/2021 at 11:59pm.  Get yours today at  inter-state.com/order . Use Order Code 56490DQ. 

PARENT CONFERENCES:
We will have targeted parent teacher conferences on March 23 and 25. We would like these conferences to be reserved for teachers and parents to talk if there are academic or behavior concerns for students.  More information will be sent soon regarding sign ups.

FREE PARENT EVENT:
Parenting with Executive Functioning Skills in Mind: Simple Strategies to Build Skill
 
Many children procrastinate, lack organization, have emotional outbursts, get “stuck” in their worries, are poor planners, or demonstrate other Executive Functioning difficulties.  If your child frequently struggles in these areas, it might be impacting his/her school or social success.  During this talk, parents will learn about the role of Executive Functioning in child and adolescent development. They will better understand the areas of Executive Functioning and take away simple, concrete parenting strategies to help their children develop lagging skills.  Participants will also gain insight into their own EF skills and how the parent/child interactions can be improved through attention to these areas in ourselves and in others.  
https://calendly.com/drjulesnolan/parenting-with-executive-functioning-skills-in-mind-simple-strategies-to-build-skill
Thursday Feb 11 at 6:30pm
Monday Feb 22 at 6:30pm  
REMINDERS AND CALENDAR:
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.
Your application must be submitted and in good standing (all documents turned in and processed by TADS), by March 12, 2021, to be considered for financial aid for next year.  It is imperative you begin the process now so you have enough time to turn in all required documents for the application.  You will find the application in your TADS account.  Please note, you are required to apply for AIM Higher to qualify for Financial Aid.  If you have any questions regarding financial aid, please contact Kathy LaCasse at [email protected]

SCHOLARSHIP-DEADLINE FOR 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.
 
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 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 12: No school Bus Available.
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 registration closed, If you have questions regarding Eagle Club, please email Tayler Smith at [email protected].)

COVID PLAN:
PLEASE remind your student that the pandemic is not over with yet. We need to maintain our diligence on wearing masks and distancing ourselves. If your child has symptoms or is awaiting test results PLEASE keep them home. Failure to follow these simple rules has an impact on the whole community. 
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