The St. John School Parent Association facilitates, encourages and ensures ongoing community-building by providing activities, events, and service to the parish and school community. The Parent Association is a vehicle for supporting communication between home and school, offering a mechanism for education and serving as a structure for political action when needed. All parents/guardians of students attending St. John School are members of the Parent Association and are welcome to join meetings

  • Raising Digital Natives: Solutions for Healthy Screen Time Habits with Delaney Ruston

    The St. John Parent Association, in partnership with ParentMap, provided an opportunity to hear Delaney Ruston, documentary filmmaker, author, and physician speak to our community on November 19, 2024. Ruston is the creator of the Screenagers film series. During this hour-long interview, Dr. Ruston explored the impact of screens on kids and how families can find balance in the digital age. See below for some of the insights discussed during this session.

    • The impact of screens on kids can be evaluated using the acronym AND.
      • A – Attachment/addiction
      • N – Negative experiences online
      • D – Displacement (of sleep, competence, etc.)
    • Research shows a connection between depression and sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is associated with screen use in kids’ bedrooms.
    • When evaluating the amount of screen time that is appropriate for your child, take the full picture into account. Screens shouldn’t be a big part of their life pie, but rather, just a piece.
      • How do they spend their time?
      • What are they using screens for? Tech as a tool, treat, or talking.
    • Keep communication constant. Consider having a periodic Family Tech Meeting to check in on how things are going and what could be changed. Don’t be afraid to experiment and change what’s not working.

    Additional Resources

    Click below to access the recording of the event. Use the password: ed*talks*replay
    Video Thumbnail

  • PA Meeting – 11/15/24

    Thank you to those who joined our November Parent Association meeting. We were fortunate to have Lauren Exnicios, Co-Chair of the 2025 St. John Auction, join our meeting and talk about all things Auction. See the summary of what was discussed during our meeting below.

     

    Oktoberfest Endowment Event: We received positive feedback about the event and reached our fundraising goal. We will aim to repeat something similar next year. Thank you for all your help supporting the event and the Endowment!

     

    Parent Education: November is a busy month in our ParentEd Talks series. As a reminder, we are offering these virtual events in partnership with ParentMap. Register for FREE for the next event or the whole series using promo code STJCATHSCH.

    We are determining how best to bring conversation about the ParentEd Talks to our St. John community in a more personal way. Look out for more information about future facilitated talks with Principal Mansfield and Assistant Principal Kelley after the new year.

    Raising Digital Natives: Solutions for Healthy Screen Time Habits, Delaney Ruston – November 19

    Our next event will feature Delaney Ruston, M.D., creator of the Screenagers documentary series. Ruston will share valuable insights on navigating screen usage, fostering communication around negative experiences online, setting meaningful boundaries, and finding a balance between online and offline activities.

    • Tuesday, November 19, 7-8pm
    • Register for the event to watch it live or receive a link to the recording following the event.
    • Use promo code: STJCATHSCH

    Level Up: Winning Strategies for Parents of Gamers, Dr. Alok Kanojia

    On November 7, Dr. Kanojia shared his experience as a psychiatrist, lifelong gamer, recovered gaming addict, and cofounder of Healthy Gamer. He promoted a no-nonsense approach to navigating the nuances of gaming limits and lessons. Click here for highlights and the full video recording of the event.

     

    Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities:

    • Volunteer for Grand Day! We are still looking for people to bring sweet treats (no nuts, please) and help with setting up.
      • The event will take place on Wednesday, November 27 in Egan Hall for Intermediate students and their special friends and family. The schedule will be as follows:
        • 3rd Grade: 9-9:45am
        • 4th Grade: 10-10:45am
        • 5th Grade: 11-11:45am
      • Grand Day for Primary students will take place in the Spring.
    • Join the Spirit Day Planning Committee that will host Spirit Lunch as part of Catholic Schools Week on Friday, January 31. Email Parent_Association@st-johnschool.org to join.
    • Join the Spring Family Dance Committee that will plan a family dance event, tentatively scheduled for Friday, February 21. Email Parent_Association@st-johnschool.org to join.

     

    2025 Auction: Save the date – Friday, April 4 – and get your best yacht rock outfits ready to Come Sail Away. The Auction is our largest fundraiser and a fun community event benefiting our operating fund. We hope to see you there! Check out this presentation for more information on the Auction, how to help and get involved, and what to expect with the changes to format this year. Email Lauren Exnicios at lmexnicios@st-johnschool.org with any questions.

     

    School Updates from our Admin Team

    • Auction: We are excited for the new Auction format this year and are looking forward to seeing our community turn out in a big way in support of St. John.
      • The money raised at the Auction supports our operating fund and we need you to give!
      • We are also looking for more sponsors.
    • Vincent de Paul Thanksgiving Drive: The 6th grade is leading a food and hygiene drive this month. Bring accepted items to school by Tuesday, November 26. Thank you for your generosity!
    • Early Dismissal Dates: Look out for two early dismissals prior to holidays as we wrap up the year.
      • Wednesday, November 27 – Noon Dismissal, Dress uniform
      • Friday, December 20 – Noon Dismissal
    • School Picture Retakes: If your child missed Picture Day, or would like to have their photo retaken, school picture retakes will take place the morning of Tuesday, December 3.
    • Christmas Concerts: Please note there has been a change to the Intermediate Christmas Concert date. Christmas concerts will take place on the following days.
      • Wednesday, December 4 – Preschool AM & Preschool PM Christmas Concerts
      • Thursday, December 12 – Primary Christmas Concert
      • Thursday, December 19 – Band & Intermediate Christmas Concerts
      • Tuesday, December 24, Christmas Vigil Mass & Cantionis

     

    PA Survey: Thank you to those who provided feedback on the Fall PA Survey. Generally, the feedback we received was positive. You are loving the PA events and finding meetings useful. We will do our best to incorporate constructive feedback into our work throughout the remainder of this school year and beyond.

     

    Any Questions? Reach out to Parent_Association@st-johnschool.org.

  • Level Up: Winning Strategies for Parents of Gamers with Dr. Alok Kanojia

    The St. John Parent Association, in partnership with ParentMap, provided an opportunity to hear Dr. Alok Kanojia speak to our community on November 7, 2024. Dr. Kanojia is a psychiatrist, lifelong gamer, recovered gaming addict, and cofounder of Healthy Gamer. During this hour-long interview, Dr. Kanojia explored a no-nonsense approach to navigating the nuances of gaming limits and lessons. He advocates for the following:

    • Encouraging the development of a healthy relationship with technology to promote self-regulation, self-awareness, and self-control in our kids,
    • Rather than instituting time-based limits or restrictions, emphasizing the importance of completing real world commitments first (e.g., homework, activities, family time) and giving kids freedom to choose what they want to do with their remaining free time, including playing video games,
    • Creating open dialogue with your kids about what they love about gaming, why they play video games, how they feel when doing different activities (e.g., playing video games, going to the park to play with friends),
    • Using the 25% Rule when the amount of time gaming becomes problematic – at first, only reduce the amount of time gaming by 25% and create some positive associations for the new activities filling that time (e.g., social interactions, sports, family activities). Then, collaboratively talk about the change and continue making adjustments, and
    • Tactical actions such as learning who your kids are playing video games with virtually (just like you would in the real world), keeping gaming consoles out of kids’ bedrooms, and using speakers for virtual gaming rather than headphones.

    Additional Resources

    Click below to access the recording of the event. Use the password: ed*talks*replay
    Video Thumbnail

  • The Anxious Generation: Essential Strategies for Rewiring Childhood with Jonathan Haidt

    The St. John Parent Association, in partnership with ParentMap, provided an opportunity to hear Jonathan Haidt speak to our community on October 15, 2024. As an American social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, Haidt explored the key factors behind the rising rates of anxiety in kids through research and his own expertise. In sum, Haidt believes we, as parents, overprotect our kids in the real world and underprotect them online. We need to work to reverse this trend.

    Haidt shared practical steps parents can take to protect our children’s mental well-being through four norms helping to move away from a phone-based childhood. These include:

    • No smart phones before high school
    • No social media before age 16
    • Phone free schools (not just phone free classrooms)
    • More independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world

    Click here to access resources from ParentMap on the Antidote for the Anxious Generation. This site includes many useful articles and tools to support parents on the topics of smartphones, social media, and screen time as well as youth mental health, the importance of play, and more.

    Click below to access the recording of the event. Use the password: ed*talks*replay
    Video Thumbnail

     

  • PA Meeting – 10/11/24

    Happy Jog-a-thon celebration day! Excitement was in the air as Egan was prepared for Cash Grabbin’ Gecko. Congratulations, St. John community, for exceeding our fundraising goal and bringing in over $109,000 in donations. PA held a shortened meeting so the celebration could begin. Please see a summary of the topics that were discussed below.

    Next PA Meeting: Our November PA meeting will be held on Friday, November 15 at 8:30am in Egan Hall. Hope to see you there!

     

    Parent Education: The first speaker in our ParentEd Talks series will take place next week. These virtual events held in partnership with ParentMap, will provide our community with access to nationally recognized speakers on topics you care about.

    • Register for the first event now – The Anxious Generation: Essential Strategies for Rewiring Childhood with Jonathan Haidt, American social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation.
      • Tuesday, October 15, 12pm-1pm
      • Use promo code: STJCATHSCH
      • A recording will be provided following the event. Please register, even if you plan to watch the recording. ParentMap is holding a contest for schools with the most registrations.
    • Register for all 12 virtual events here using the same promo code: STJCATHSCH

     

    Jodee Blanco spoke to our parents, students, and faculty this week about her experience with bullying.

     

    Oktoberfest supporting the St. John endowment fund: Get your tickets now! This will be a fun, adults only event. Ticket sales close Sunday, October 13.

    • Event Details: Saturday, October 19, 7pm, Egan Hall
    • Come enjoy lots of games, watch the football game, and munch on food from Ethan Stowell and our fabulous kitchen.
    • Please volunteer! And get the word out to others to volunteer.
    • Learn more about how the John endowment supports our school’s teachers and helps prepare for the future. Donations are welcomed. Thank you for your support!
    • Our PA co-chairs, Rachael and Maile, have been busy planning Oktoberfest as part of the endowment event committee. Thank you! PA will not hold our own fall event this year.

     

    School Updates from our Admin Team

    • We have a busy week next week:
      • October 15 – Student Picture Day – students have free dress appropriate for portraiture.
      • October 17 – Great Washington ShakeOut – students will participate in an earthquake drill.
      • October 18 – On-campus Flu and COVID vaccination clinic – students must bring a copy of their insurance card to receive a COVID vaccine.
    • We need Crossing Guards, especially for Thursdays, 2:55-3:15pm. If you are interested, please reach out to Jonna Skokan at jskokan@st-johnschool.org.

     

    Spring Family Dance: We are bringing back the spring dance this year!

    • Dates are yet to be determined but the event will likely take place in February or March 2025.
    • We are currently looking for people to join the planning subcommittee. Please email Parent_Association@st-johnschool.org if you are interested in joining.

     

    PA Survey: We want your feedback! Please take time to provide input to help us plan and execute PA activities for the rest of the school year.

    • Click here to complete the survey.
    • Anyone can participate in the survey but we are targeting those who hold PA roles this year as well as those who held roles last year. (Room Parents: You do not need to send this information out to your classrooms.)
    • Thank you for your time and input!

     

    Hospitality Update: Thank you to all our Hospitality Chairs for the great work in support of our teachers.

    • Make sure you get your volunteer signups for Coffee and Donuts and Monthly Luncheons out with plenty of time for people to sign up.
    • The teacher survey collecting information on personal preferences for being appreciated is working great. We are streamlining this process and ensuring the information can be passed along year over year.

     

    The St. John Auction will take place on Friday, April 4, 2025.

    • Lauren Exnicios will share more details about the auction at our November PA meeting. If you are interested in becoming more involved in the auction, please come.
    • We are also looking for people who are interested in leading our 2026 auction. If you love event planning and want to take a leadership role, please reach out to Lauren at lexnicios@gmail.com and take the opportunity to shadow our leads this year.

     

    The Middle School Musical is still looking for one or two parents to volunteer as Sound Engineers to help students run the soundboard and actors’ mics. If you are interested, please reach out to Kari Aguila at kaguila@st-johnschool.org.

     

    PA Rep Social Events: As you plan your grade-level social events, please share details on this spreadsheet.

    • We would like to ensure we are not overlapping dates/locations and have a helpful repository for future planning ideas.
    • Reminder: We encourage PA Reps to plan at least two grade-level socials per year.

     

    Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is looking for more volunteers to assist on Sundays during the 10:30am Mass. We would like to have enough volunteers to hold CLOW each week. This is a great opportunity for High School students looking for volunteer hours as well. If you are interested, please reach out to Sarah Vialpando at sarahfranklin107@gmail.com or Jennifer Sullivan at sullivanjennifer18@gmail.com.

    Any Questions? Reach out to Parent_Association@st-johnschool.org.

  • Mark You Calendar – Upcoming Parent Education Events

    October 7 – Sponsored by the Seattle Archdiocese

    October 15 – Sponsored by the Parent Association

  • PA Meeting – 9/13/24

    Welcome back, St. John PA! We are already off to a great start for the 2024-2025 school year. Thank you to everyone who joined the Back to School BBQ as well as our first meeting of the year, led by Rachael Groark and Maile Sullivan, PA Co-Chairs for the year. See a summary of what was discussed below.

    Next PA Meeting: Our October PA meeting will be held on Friday, October 11 at 8:30am in Egan Hall. Hope to see you there!

    PA Participation: The Parent Association facilitates, encourages and ensures ongoing community-building by providing activities, events, and service to the parish and school community. Every St. John parent/guardian/caregiver is a member of the PA and welcome to join meetings. Check out this summary for more information and a calendar of upcoming events.

    Grade-Level PA Roles: We still have some great PA opportunities supporting each grade. Check out the available positions and sign up today. This is a great way to support PA activities, work with others in your grade, and complete your volunteer hours for the year. Ideally, we like two individuals in each role in every grade.

    • Room Parent: Acts as teacher liaison, handles parent communications, and coordinates any teacher/classroom needs and opportunities for involvement.
    • PA Rep: Volunteers to support as many school-wide and grade-level events as possible, encourages others to volunteer in support of school and parish events, attends monthly PA meetings, organizes grade-level socials, and serves as liaison for your grade level team.
    • Hospitality Chair: Oversees gift-giving for teachers/assistants and school staff throughout the year, coordinates grade-level voluntary contributions, and manages gift giving budget.
    • Auction Liaison: Serves as main point of contact for class auction information, coordinates class Auction package, and manages the class Auction art project or appoints an Art Lead to design/create a class art project.

    Leadership Roles: To support School and PA activities, we have a great group of leads this year.

    • Rachael Groark and Maile Sullivan, PA Co-Chairs, lead, manage, and oversee all PA activities and lead monthly meetings. They also interface with Admin and represent PA on School Commission.
    • Stephanie Glassburn, Communications Lead, manages communications for the PA at the school level and partners with Room Parents to support parent/guardian communications.
    • Aleah Valley and Liz Le Johnson, Hospitality Co-Leads, oversee the grade-level Hospitality Chairs and the All-Staff appreciation events as well as Coffee & Donuts for the parish.
    • Alex Punsalan, Events Lead, manages PA-sponsored events such as the Back to School BBQ, Bingo Night, Spring Dance and more.
    • Amy Vithayathil, Volunteer Lead, focuses on creating greater visibility for all the volunteer opportunities across our School and Parish.
    • Ainslee Wagner and Jean Magbitang, Welcome Committee Co-Leads, ensure all new families feel welcome in the St. John community and get them information they need for a smooth transition. They facilitate the Buddy Family program, summer play dates, and much more.
    • Lauren and Andrew Exnicios, Auction Co-Chairs, lead our Annual Auction and the team who helps make our Auction so fabulous.
    • Megan Richards and Kate Demotts, School Garden Co-Leads, strive to make the School Garden beautiful while integrating what students are learning in the class with what’s going on in the garden. Go check it out – the entrance is just south of the portables.

    WhatsApp Groups: To increase ease of communication, many grades have started WhatsApp groups. Reach out to your Room Parent or PA Rep if you would like to join your grade’s WhatsApp group. To ensure sharing of contact information and allow messages to be sent across grades/classes, we now have a WhatsApp community as well. When you join your grade/class group, you automatically become part of the community, allowing messages to be sent to all groups at once. Don’t forget – please be responsible when sending messages in WhatsApp groups.

    Volunteer Pool: There are many opportunities to volunteer at St. John! Make sure you are aware of the volunteer opportunities that suit your interests and skills by signing up for the Volunteer Pool. This is not a commitment; you will be contacted when opportunities/needs arise. Parents, caregivers, and extended family are welcome to volunteer within our community. All volunteers must complete Safe Environment Training.

    Recess Monitoring is a great volunteer opportunity that allows you to watch your kids play, meet their friends, and see what’s really happening at school. Join the awesome crew of volunteers supporting recess everyday between 11:05am and 12:20pm. We are especially looking for volunteers on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Learn more here.

    Parent Education: This year, we are trying a different approach to our Parent Education Nights. St. John has joined Parent Ed Talks, powered by ParentMap. This virtual series of nationally recognized speakers offers crucial education for families on topics you care about.

    • Featuring 12 different speakers and topics for the 2024-2025 school year.
    • Each talk will be a 60-minute conversational, Q&A format.
    • You can choose to join the live event via Zoom or watch the recording using a link we will provide.
    • Register for the first event now – The Anxious Generation: Essential Strategies for Rewiring Childhood with Jonathan Haidt, American social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation.
      • Tuesday, October 15, 12pm-1pm
      • Use promo code: STJCATHSCH
      • Note: Registration is required to attend the live virtual event. If you prefer to watch the recording, registration is not required. The link will be provided following the event.
    • View the rest of the speaker/topic line-up here.

    Welcome Committee: As the school year begins, look out for new families and welcome them to our community. If you are new to the St. John community, Welcome!

    The St. John Auction will take place on Friday, April 4, 2025 and the theme will be (…drumroll please…) Come Sail Away! More information to come later this Fall.

    Jog-a-thon fundraising is underway! We have already raised over $40,000 on the way to our goal of $100,000 by September 27. Help us reach the goal by donating. All PreK through 8th Grade students will run a course in and around campus at scheduled times on Friday, September 20. Check out the Jog-a-thon Information Packet for more details including scheduled run times and prizes.

    School Updates from our Admin Team

    • A Crossing Guard is needed for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If you are interested, please reach out to Jonna Skokan at jskokan@st-johnschool.org.
    • Coming soon – Community Photos: With so many amazing things going on in our community, we need your help. Share the best of the best photos you capture at activities in our community to be featured in NewsViews and on social media. Information on how to submit photos will be provided soon.
    • PLACT Training for CYO Parents: If your kiddo participates in CYO sports, make sure you have completed the PLACT training. CYO will be tracking this closer, and your child may not be able to play if you have not done the training. More information is available on TeamSideline.
    • Parent Teacher Conferences will be held in person October 23-25. Please make sure you are available to attend this important meeting with your students.

    Any Questions? Reach out to Parent_Association@st-johnschool.org.

     

  • Optimizing Online Safety with Christy Keating

    The St. John Parent Association recently hosted a profound Parent Education Night featuring Christy Keating, the founder of The Heartful Parent Collective. Keating, a licensed attorney with extensive experience in prosecuting sexually violent predators, shared invaluable insights into optimizing online safety for children.

    Click here to access resources, including discount codes for purchasing tools, Keating shared with us.

    Click above to view the recording of this event.

    About Christy Keating: Christy Keating brings a wealth of expertise to the realm of parenting in the digital age. As the founder of The Heartful Parent Collective, which includes various platforms such as Heartful Parent Coaching, Savvy Parents Safe Kids, and The Heartful Parent Podcast, Keating is dedicated to empowering parents and educators. With over 25 years of experience as a public speaker and group facilitator, she passionately advocates for creating safer online environments for children.

    Key Themes and Questions: During the Parent Education Night, Christy addressed critical themes and answered thought-provoking questions from participants. Key topics included setting ground rules for online behavior, understanding the risks associated with online activities, and empowering children to become responsible digital citizens.

    Advice by Age: Keating provided practical advice tailored to different age groups, emphasizing the importance of constant supervision for younger children, open communication for preteens, and setting boundaries for teenagers. Additionally, she highlighted the significance of waiting until 8th grade before providing unrestricted internet access, as advocated by the Wait Until 8th organization.

    Online Risks and Strategies: Participants gained insights into identifying and mitigating various online risks, including exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and predatory behavior. Keating emphasized the role of parental controls, monitoring software, and open dialogue in safeguarding children’s online experiences.

    Empowering Digital Citizenship: A central theme of the discussion was the importance of fostering digital empathy and responsible online behavior. Keating encouraged parents to model good digital citizenship and engage in ongoing conversations with their children about the impact of their online actions.

    Resources and Recommendations: Keating shared valuable resources, including books such as “Good Picture Bad Picture Jr.” and “Good Picture Bad Picture,” as well as organizations like Culture Reframed and Common Sense Media. Additionally, she provided practical tips for addressing safety concerns during playdates, such as discussing safety rules and supervisory arrangements with other parents.

    Conclusion: The Parent Education Night with Christy Keating was an enlightening and empowering experience for the St. John School community. As we continue our journey towards enhancing online safety for our children, let us remain vigilant, informed, and supportive of one another.

    Thank you to Christy Keating for her invaluable contributions, and to all participants for their active engagement and commitment to creating a safer digital environment for our children.

    If you were unable to join the talk live, the recording is available here.

    St. John Parent Association

  • Hope you can join our Parent Education Night – 5/21/24

  • PA Meeting – 5/3/24

    Thanks for joining us at the last PA meeting of the year. We celebrated a successful year with coffee and sweet treats. We want to thank you for your support of the PA and all your efforts to enhance our amazing St. John community. Below, please review a summary of the topics we covered during the meeting.

    See you next year! We won’t have another PA meeting until September 2024.

    Volunteer for Principal O’Leary’s Celebration, Sunday, May 19. We need your volunteer support to make sure Principal O’Leary’s celebration is a success! There are opportunities to complete preparations on Saturday and Sunday as well as work the event on Sunday. Please consider signing up. Check our event website for full details and make sure that you:

    • Sign the kudoboard by May 6 to celebrate, thank, and say goodbye to Principal O’Leary.
    • RSVP by May 6 here.

    Father Crispin’s Celebration, Sunday, June 30. This event will honor Father Crispin and will include Mass and a picnic with the Parish. We acknowledge this is a holiday weekend, but we really want to get as much school family involvement as possible. If you are in town, please come!

    • Sign the kudoboard here.
    • RSVP by June 17 here.
    • Volunteer here.

    Auction Update:

    • Skipping School for Sundaes: All students will participate in Skipping School for Sundaes on Friday, May 24. Thank you to Nutty Squirrel for their generous donation to help make this event so special. You can donate to support St John School and offset any additional costs associated with this summer celebration. Payments can be made here. Select “Other” and note “Skipping School for Sundaes”. The recommended donation is $10 per student.
    • Auction Team: Lauren and Andrew Exnicios will again lead the 2025 Auction team. We are also looking for new members to take the lead in the Auction in the future. It would be great if they could shadow our leads this year. Please email Lauren at lexnicios@gmail.com if you are interested.

    Last Day of School Class Gatherings: PA Reps – remember to consider plans for the last day of school’s early release. If your class will have a meetup, please add the information to this spreadsheet and communicate it out to your class. If you choose not to have a meetup, it would be helpful to communicate this as well.

    Immediately following the 10:30am dismissal on the last day of school, there will also be popsicles on the blacktop.

    Recess Monitoring: Malen Musgraves will return as our Recess Monitor Coordinator for the 24/25 school year. We are looking to recruit new volunteers for next year. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Malen at malen.musgrave@gmail.com.

    Parent Ed Night: Join us for our last Parent Ed Night on Tuesday, May 21, at 7pm when Christy Keating will join us virtually. Her talk, Savvy Parents, Safe Kids – Optimizing Online Safety: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Them, is sure to provide helpful tips and thoughtful guidance. Click here for more information.

    Emergency Communication Plan: Remember to review the Emergency Communication Plan. Pablo shared with us that there was a “stay put” hold recently when a student was injured in the Play Pit and everything went really smoothly. The school continues to work with Highlander Six Consulting on emergency preparedness.

    The Back to School BBQ will be Friday, September 6 and we will be kicking off planning in May. This event will welcome us all back to school and incorporate a warm welcome to our new school and parish leadership. The Planning Committee will meet approximately once a month until school starts.  If you are interested in joining the Planning Committee, please email Parent_Association@st-johnschool.org.

    Hospitality Update: Thank you for all your efforts to make Teacher Appreciation Luncheons and Coffee & Donuts a success this year. If you are interested in giving Scrip this year for teachers’ end gifts, look out for information coming soon. If you have any questions, please email Chris at csourov@st-johnschool.org.

    The 2024 Jog-a-thon: All preschool through 7th grade students are encouraged to submit artwork for the 2024 Jog-a-thon art contest. More details to come. We are also looking for sponsors this year. Please email Chris at csourov@st-johnschool.org.

    Welcome Committee Update: We will be full in every grade except First Grade. If you know any families with 2024-2025 First Graders who might be interested in St. John, encourage them to reach out to Jonna Skokan at jskokan@st-johnschool.org.

    The Welcome Committee Happy Hour to welcome new families will be held Thursday, May 16, 5:30pm in Egan Hall. The event will include beer, wine, light appetizers, socializing and a quick presentation to welcome and acclimate parents to some key information. Buddy families are asked to attend this parents only event.

    Volunteer Opportunities: Jonna Skokan shared the following additional volunteer opportunities for next year. If you are interested, please email Jonna at jskokan@st-johnschool.org.

    • Sports Uniform Ordering: Help coordinate the sports uniform ordering and distribution processes.
    • Social Media Support: Upload high quality pictures capturing special moments for each grade. Look for more information in NewsViews.

    Thank you to our PA Leadership Team!

    • Auction Chair Lauren Exnicios
    • Welcome Committee Co-Chairs Julia Tsurusaki and Kirsten Evangelista
    • Volunteer Lead Amy Vithayathil
    • Events Lead Madeline Pennington
    • Hospitality Lead Chris Sourov
    • Communications Lead Stephanie Glassburn
    • And, of course, our amazing PA Co-Chairs, Rachael Groark and Maile Sullivan