Survey Results Are In!

Dear Saint John's Families,

It is hard to believe we are 3 days away from Spring Break! I hope that during this Spring Break you can take the time to reflect, relax, and be with family and friends. Once we return, we will be in the home stretch making that final push to the end of the school year!

Parent Satisfaction Survey:
I would like to thank all the parents who took part in our annual Parent Survey. Having a wide range of parents completing the survey is useful in getting the best picture of viewpoints on our school.  The School Advisory Board and I went over the entire survey at our last meeting on March 1, 2022. 
Our school has developed in many ways over recent years, and this is evident every day by the successes of the students. I am very pleased to report that the survey also echoes these successes.
Highlights of the survey focused on the following areas, all of which gained scores of excellence:

• People are greeted with courtesy and respect when visiting or calling the school.
• High caliber teaching 
• Satisfaction with the overall religious education and offerings of Saint John's.
• Quality of overall technology services at Saint John's
• Admirable values/character-building activities 
• Your child/children’s teacher(s) are available when you have questions.
• And, perhaps most importantly, the overall educational services of the school are excellent

 What next? The survey indicated a couple of key areas for us to focus on. We are pleased to report that we had already uncovered these items and have begun the work to button these up:

• Increased parent information and guidance. We recognize the need for more opportunities for parents to find out about what their children are learning.  We will be looking at how to expand our communication and offer more opportunities for parents to understand how best to help their children with their learning.

• Student accountability: This is one of our areas of concentration. Manner’s Matter (Positive Behavior Intervention System) is our program for building school culture and raising expectations for student behavior at Saint John’s.  It has been tremendously successful.  However, as with any program, it is in need of review to ensure it is meeting all the criteria we feel necessary to continue encouraging the best behavior in students.  We have a committee who will be reviewing all our behavior expectations at school.  We will continue to teach these expectations to all our students and recognize students who meet or exceed them. The expectations will be the same for students in all areas of our school, including the playground, the lunchroom, the classroom, and on the bus. 

• Car Line: We are reviewing our Parent Pick Up and Drop Off guidelines.  We have a committee who will be looking at what is working and what changes can be made to make these times of day more effective and efficient while keeping safety protocols in mind.  

Once again, thank you to all parents for their feedback. We are all very proud of what the students are achieving at Saint John’s, and the partnership between the school and parents remains important to raise the bar even higher. I have no doubt this will lead to even greater success for the students and the Saint John’s community!
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SAINT JOHN’S FINANCIAL AID for grades K-8, applications are due  March 15, 2022:
Please note, you are required to apply for AIM Higher to qualify for Financial Aid.  Your Financial Aid application must be in good standing in TADS before the committee will consider any aid for your family.  This often takes several steps and following up with TADS to ensure everything gets processed, so it is imperative you stay on top of the process until you are in GOOD standing.  Please reach out to Kathy LaCasse with any questions you may have at [email protected]. 
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Young Rembrandts Spring Art: 
We are adding another session of Young Rembrandts, due to popular demand! 
Favorite Apps and Games: Thursdays (March 31-April 28, 3:35 pm-4:35 pm)
https://bit.ly/stjohnfaves
Spring Art: Wednesdays (March 30-April 27, 3:35 pm-4:35 pm)
https://bit.ly/stjohnspring

The classes fill up fast, sign up today!
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Save These Dates for Family Fun in our Parish
Some of you may not be aware of the regular family-oriented events hosted here at Saint John's Community on the weekends. These gatherings are often called Discipleship Sunday, here are a couple of the upcoming items of note:

Sunday, March 27, 9:30 AM: History of Saint John's Display & Church Tours | Gathering Space, followed by the Lenten Retreat (free doughnuts and coffee; lunch included in retreat)
Sunday, April 24, 11:30 AM: Easter Egg Hunt | Gathering Space Circle (outdoors)
See www.sjolc.org/discipleship-Sunday and www.sjolc.org/retreat for more details.
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Vintage Gala:
Have you secured your ticket to the most fun night in Little Canada on April 22, 2022, 5:00 -10:00 P.M? 

Check out our new website at https://vintagegala.givesmart.com/ to secure your tickets, be one of our elite sponsors, or donate an item from our wish list.
Some of the monies raised at the Gala will contribute much-needed financial aid to students and support one of the most influential programs we offer; Wilson Learning.
When you consider your annual giving, consider making a 100% tax-deductible donation to support the outstanding educators of our community;  a school driven by excellence and committed to providing personalized holistic education to our future leaders
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March Calendar: 
March 7-9: Middle School at Wolf Ridge.
March 10: End of Trimester 2
March 11: No School-Teacher In-Service  (Eagle Club Closed)
March 14-18: Spring Break (Eagle Club Sign up HERE)
March 25: Extra-Curriculars Yearbook Photos-Canceled 
March 30: Archbishop Hebda presided at all-school Mass, 9:10 a.m.
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SJOLC SOCCER SHOTS 
We are proud and honored to offer Soccer Shots a soccer clinic for ages 3-6 after school. Soccer Shots is an engaging children's soccer program with a focus on character development for ages 3-6. This clinic will be starting Wednesday, April 20, and ending on Wednesday, June 8 from 3:15 - 3:45 P.M.

Click on the picture to sign up for this amazing program.  Please contact Laura Haraldson at lharaldson@sjolc.org for furter information. 


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2022-2023 School Calendar:
Here is the 2022 – 2023 calendar for your scheduling purposes.  Please note items may change, so please always look to my newsletters and the school website calendar for updates throughout the school year. 
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Saint John School of Little Canada Parent-K-8 Student Handbook:
I would like families to review the uniform section of the handbook.  The staff recently reviewed the handbook, as we are noticing an uptick in violations.  As a reminder, students must come to school in appropriate uniform EVERY day, unless otherwise notified.  Please do not hesitate to talk with your teacher or me if you have questions or concerns.  Uniform Policy starts page 11: Handbook
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PRESCHOOL:
Schulze Early Learning Scholarship Program at the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence

The Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE), in partnership with the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, presents the Schulze Early Learning Scholarship Program to help middle-income families gain access to excellent preschool programs for their children.
 
CSCOE and the Schulze Family Foundation firmly believe in and support the strength of the academic experience, the caring community, and the spiritual development that is provided by the Catholic elementary schools.
 
Scholarships will be awarded ranging from $500 to $3000 and will be sent directly to the preschool to pay for tuition.
Applications are currently being accepted for 2022-2023

• You are eligible to apply if:
• Your child will be attending an eligible Catholic preschool.
• Your child will be in their last year of preschool in 2022-2023 and
• Your family is middle-income.

The Schulze Early Learning Scholarship application will be online at schulzefamilyfoundation.org. Click on Early Learning Scholarships.
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ADORATION AT SAINT JOHN’S:
Eucharistic Adoration is offered in the church from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. each Friday that school is in session.
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We are proud of our school and look forward to more exciting things coming our way!  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