ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL

201 E. Cass St.

St. Johns, MI 48879

Phone 989-224-2421                   www.stjoecatholic.com                      Fax 989-224-1900

 

Dear Families,

August is upon us…the days are shorter, the nights are cooler, the store aisles swell with ’Back to School’ specials and Labor Day looms around the corner.  How quickly the summer days race by.  It is, indeed, time to gear up for the upcoming school year.  I sat in church last Sunday, (when I should have been listening to a sermon) and contemplated the many years I have spent as an educator at St. Joseph School.  My thoughts went immediately to the many families I have been blessed to know in those years.  As parents, you have reflected to me such a pure goodness as people who love your children and truly want the very best for them.  You are willing to sacrifice your time, your gifts, your money, in order to provide for your children.  There is a kind of beauty, even holiness, in that.  I have been surrounded by it all these years.  It humbles me.  I thank you for your presence in my life and assure you that the staff and I are grateful for your trust in us as we begin a new school year in service to you.  We look forward to joining with you as we work together to help your child grow academically, spiritually, and emotionally.  The journey continues.

 

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL falls on Tuesday, September 2nd this year.  We will have our ‘Walk Through’ on Thursday, August 28, from 8:30-10:30 and 12:30-2:30. This will free you up for a 4-day weekend if you plan to travel over Labor Day weekend.  We invite you to bring your students to meet the teachers and get re-acquainted with their friends.  We will again set up stations in the gym to take payment for materials fees and September or yearly tuition payments.  Additionally, you will be able to find out about the tuition credit you have accrued through participation in the TRIP program.  Class lists will be posted in the gym where you can find your room assignments before visiting your teachers.

 

ST. JOSEPH PARENT SCHOOL COUNCIL will have representatives available to answer questions about participation in school events.  As you know, this is our version of the PTA and you are all members.  They will have sign up sheets for various events which they sponsor throughout the year with special emphasis on the fall carnival which is already being planned. They will also be asking you to make sure your information in the school directory is current and correct.  Please take a minute to do this.

 

THE TIME SCHEDULE FOR THIS YEAR is the same as last year with the school day from 9:00-3:55.  Playground supervision begins at 8:30 A.M. but there is no after school care provided. 

As you know, Cass Street can be busy and congested in the 20 minutes before school starts in the morning.  The good thing about that is that it slows down traffic.  The bad thing is that it can be unsafe if everyone does not proceed with care and caution. 

A few important reminders:

Ø  In order to accommodate morning traffic flow, please be aware of leaving room for busses to drop off students in front of school.

Ø  Do not drop children off on the south side of Cass and allow them to cross unattended.

Ø  The north side of Cass is a NO PARKING zone.  Those who need time for hugs and kisses, or long farewells, can drop students off from the parking lot north of the playground with access from State Street.

Once again I add my plea for patience as new bus routes are put into motion.  Experience has demonstrated that it will take time to work out the bugs. 

 

 

HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP!

We are in need of some additional help with playground/lunch supervision.  I have one person who is willing to job share this position, but we need someone to cover on Wednesdays and Fridays.  This is a paid position from 11:45-1:30 daily.  Please call the office if you are interested or if you have a friend, relative, or even a reliable acquaintance, who might be interested.  It is essential that we fill this spot before school begins.

 

A DRAFT OF THE SCHOOL CALENDAR is included with this mailing.  This will allow you to get a general feel for dates for the upcoming school year.  There are still some things we need to iron out, so we will send a final version in September. Please check in local papers, and with the transportation office, for bus schedules and routing. 

The staff for the 2008/09 school year is as follows:

Diane Glowacki & Rose Schmitz – K                   Rose Rennells – 1st

Nancy Goerge – 1st/2nd                                                   Linda Kurncz – 2nd

Dorian Cormier & Dorella Page-Hunter – 3rd             Sarah Presocki & Cheryl Wieber – 4th

Amber Carn & Sherry Winkler – 5th                             Pat Snyder & Julie Zielinski – 6th

Donna Besinger – Library                                    Nancy Poff – Music

Carlene Deitrich – Teacher Aide                           Stephanie Padgett – Title I

Wendy Jakus, Larry Barnum, Lisa Suidgeest – Lunch/Playground supervision

Tom Karek – School Maintenance

Kitchen – Ann Parker (Supervisor), Mary Jo Eiseler, & Andrea Klein

Terrilynn Voisin – Secretary                                Tomi Ann Schultheiss – Principal

 

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY THE TUITION INFORMATION included with this mailing.  Our payment procedures are outlined on the form.  Additionally, there is a form which must be signed and returned to the office by the first day of school.  We have included tuition coupons for those who use them, as well.

 

 

GREAT NEWS for our school!  Plans are in the works to completely revamp our computer lab in the upcoming school year. We have been working this summer in conjunction with St. Johns Public Schools in order to offer our students a similar experience to that which they will receive at the middle school, and to take advantage of bulk pricing for hardware and licensing agreements.  This will also provide a seamless transition for our students when they move on to 7th grade.  Financially, we are able to pay for the bulk of the initial expense thanks to money left over from a bequest, combined with Parent School Council funds and other donations which have accumulated.  Long term, we will need to look at additional funding to expand and regularly update technology in the years to come. 

     We will also be redesigning the room by building new furniture and reorienting the room so that the instructor can see all computer screens at once.  The design for this is in place, but we will need some volunteers for construction.  If this happens to be one of your talents, please let us know that you are willing to help.  If all goes as planned, we will be able to get things up and running early in the school year.  This is a big project, financially and physically, but St. Joe families always come through for their kids and we’re counting on that happening once again.

 

Enclosed with this letter you will find

 

Enjoy these final weeks of summer with your families before early bedtimes, homework scrambles, morning rushes, and tight schedules replace these relaxing summer days.  To your daily prayers, please add a plea for a successful school year for your children and for all of us who work with you to help make that happen.  We pray that you will continue to feel God’s embrace in your daily life and look forward to the year ahead.  Welcome back!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Tomi Ann Schultheiss, Principal

 

 

ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

     We believe that each child is a unique gift from God and that a relationship with God should be fully integrated into the life of every student.  It is our purpose at St. Joseph School to assist parents in the spiritual, social, and intellectual development of their child within the framework of Catholic teachings and moral values.  We are committed to providing a strong academic environment that nurtures life-long learners and encourages all children to become productive, Christian citizens.