The Principal’s March Newsletter

Greetings School Families,

I can hardly believe we are now in the month of March, and that we have entered into the Holy Season of Lent. I pray that your families can embrace this special time as an opportunity to carve out space for more prayer and giving of self.

Lent

At the school, we have added some special opportunities that we hope will enhance our community’s Lenten experience. Each morning we gather in the gym for song and prayer, and our 5th grade class leads us in a Lenten reflection. For hot lunch on all Fridays in March our lunch crew will prepare meatless meals from around the world that are common to the highlighted areas. In coordination with these meals students will watch CRS Rice Bowl videos about a family from each area so they can learn about how people live around the world. Here is the meal schedule.

March 3: Honduras-Bean Soup w/ Chayote Squash, & Rice
March 10: Philippines-Ginata Gulay, Rice & Fruit
March 17: India-Dalma w/ Spinach, Rice & Fruit
March 24: Nicaragua-Gallo Pinto, Cheese, Carrots & Fruit
March 31: Kenya-Pilau

Stories of Hope

We are also planning a time for reconciliation and worship at the church for 3rd-5th grade students during the last week of March. In addition to these events, we will have Stations of the Cross, made using silhouettes, on Friday, March 31 at 12:45 p.m. in the school gym. Our Empty Bowls Soup Dinner will take place on Monday, March 6, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at Kuykendall Hall (church). Pre-ordered bowls will be sent home with students on Tuesday. Painted ceramic bowls are $15 each (includes soup), and paper bowls with soup are $10 each. All proceeds go to support the food bank.

Auction

What a beautiful event and evening of celebration and community building! The 43rd annual Have-a-Heart Auction was a great success. MANY people put in MANY hours to make this happen. I can’t thank you all enough for your JOYFUL SERVICE, time, creativity, and deep commitment to the school’s mission! Thank you! Many parents serving in chair roles have been doing it for many years, and we are so grateful for their service. As it is important to offer leadership opportunities to all families, I would like to implement a system that supports a two year commitment in each chair position. The first year will be guided by the leading outgoing chairperson, and the second year will be the leading year, with a new parent assisting. Please think about how you can jump in to help with this event.

May Fest

Our International May Fest committee is hard at work planning for this wonderful event and school fundraiser that will take place on Saturday, May 20th. Leading up to the event, there will be a Latin brunch at the church on Sunday, March 26th, 9:30-12:00-make sure to get tickets! There will also be a Battle of the Soups on Sunday, April 16th. The funds raised at these events will be used to help with May Fest expenses. Please spread the word!

New School Position

Have you noticed an uptick in school marketing efforts and social media posts recently? We have recently hired Wendy Flanagan as our school marketing and advancement director-we are very excited to welcome her to our team! Wendy has a passion for Catholic education and St. Joe’s, and she has an abundance of experience and expertise in this field. Please extend a warm welcome when you see her!

Enrollment

Enrollment for the 2023-24 school year is now open to new families. If you have not yet enrolled for the
subsequent school year, and would like to return, please do so now. If you do not plan to return next year, please inform the office. Also, please share posts from our public Facebook Page and Instagram Page and invite new families to schedule a tour of the school.
Have a blessed month! – Lisa Martinez

Upcoming Events

EMPTY BOWLS Soup Dinner: Monday, March 3rd, 5:00-6:30 pm in Kuykendall Hall
(church)-all proceeds go to support the food bank
Student/Recent Alumni RECITAL: Friday, March 10th, 6:00 pm in the school gym
MATH is COOL COMPETITION (4th Grade): Friday, March 17th
FEAST of ST. JOSEPH: Sunday, 3/19
NO SCHOOL: Monday, 3/20 (Teacher PD day) & Tuesday, 3/21 (Spring conferences by appointment or invitation)
SCHOOL SLEEPOVER: Friday, March 24th, 6:00 pm-9:00 am (must have purchased ticket at the auction)
STATIONS of the CROSS: Friday, March 31st, 12:45 pm in the school gym 2nd Trimester Report Cards: Will come home on Friday, March 31st
SPRING BREAK: 4/3-4/10 (return to school on Tuesday, 4/11-off for Easter Monday)
HOLY WEEK: 4/2-4/9