The Principal’s June 2024 Newsletter

The mission of St. Joseph Catholic School is to use the knowledge of God’s love to educate the whole child by instilling strong moral values, respecting and serving our diverse community, and achieving academic excellence for future success.

Greetings School Families,
It amazes me that we are already at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Time has flown by, and it has truly been an amazing school year. I am eternally grateful for our community and for the special gifts each and every member offers, in order to work together toward the mission of the school. Thank you for all that you do to support our kids!

We congratulate our students who have recently received the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion, and we pray for blessings on their lives, always. During the month of May, we have also had the special opportunity to honor our Blessed Mother Mary with prayer, song, and the offering of flowers at May Crowning. Holy Mary, pray for us. The teaching staff has also had the amazing opportunity to continue with Catechetical Magnificat classes, led by various young priests from the Diocese of Yakima. Our latest session, Truth of Faith and Dogma, led by Father Michael Kelly, was wonderful. It is such a blessing to grow together as a staff towards a deeper understanding of the beautifully rich and dynamic Catholic Faith. With this growth, we become better equipped to pass this to our families and children, as we are all on an endless faith journey through life.

Students have been completing end of the year testing at the school, and they have done a great job doing their best work. Several of our classes have also been on outdoor field trips over the month, embracing the opportunity to extend their learning to the nature that surrounds us. Thank you to Michelle Gutzwiler for leading our Math is Cool teams, with fourth graders competing at the regional competition in Moses Lake. A special thank you also goes out to our music specialists, Jennifer Cunningham, Tom McNair, and Wilson Alvarez, who have prepared the 4th and 5th grade Honor Choir to sing on the Apple Blossom stage, at Avamere Assisted Living, and for Friday school masses.

Preparation for sixth grade continues, and we look forward to the adventure and opportunity we have in front of us! The schedule is close to being finalized, and uniforms have been selected. We have hired our teachers for the 2024-25 school year and are excited to welcome them to the school! We continue to enroll students for the 2024-25 school year, but still have room in all of our classes (aside from PK-full day). Please spread the word to all families about our program and the opportunity to join our community. I would love to meet with any interested families! We are gearing up for our Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) accreditation self study, using the new Standards of Excellence format. The four domains of study include: Mission & Catholic Identity, Governance & Leadership, Academic Excellence, and Operational Vitality. The study will include involvement of all stakeholders. We are excited for this process and will continue to update the community on the process.

Thank you to the MayFest planning committee and to all of the parents who worked together to make the event a success. It was so fun to come together and build community, and we raised $2,343 for the school.

I pray that everyone has a wonderful summer break, and I look forward to the 2024-25 school year. Please mark your calendars for the School Supply Drop Off & Back to School BBQ on Wednesday, August 21st. The first day of school will be Wednesday, August 28th. Here is the 24-25 PARENT PACKET that includes everything you should need to prepare for the school year (calendar, supply list, uniform schedule, etc.). Please try to order all uniform items in advance from Lands End or French Toast. 6th grade uniforms are available from French Toast only. Office hours will be reduced in June and August, and the office will be closed in July. Please email me with any questions or needs that may come up during the summer. See you all in August! Blessings-Lisa Martinez