PA Meeting – 11/4/22

Halloween Carnival Whack-a-Mole! Thank you to 8th grade for leading the charge on this amazing event.

*Classroom Parents: Please feel free to use this information in your communications with parents. Copy and paste or tailor to your classroom’s needs as you see fit.

It was so nice to see many of you at our November PA Meeting. It feels wonderful to come together in person and we look forward to many more school gatherings as we close out 2022. As always, St. John’s events calendar is full and there are many opportunities to give of yourself – through gifts of time, effort, or money. Whatever type of giving fits in your life is very much appreciated and help keep our school community vibrant. We acknowledge this looks different for all of us and changes over time.

Vaccination Clinic: Dora Hall, our part-time School Nurse and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, joined us to share about St. John’s first Vaccination Clinic taking place on Tuesday, November 8 during school hours. Over 200 kids are signed up to receive the flu and/or covid vaccines through the Safeway Clinic. Volunteers are needed to help ensure this clinic runs smoothly. Remember to submit your child’s consent form by Monday, November 7.

The Welcome Committee focuses on bringing new families into the St. John community by providing buddy families, summer play dates for primary students, and family social events. The last meeting for this year’s Welcome Committee will be December 8. More details to come. Next year’s Welcome Committee activities will kick off in Spring 2023 and we are looking for a new Chair or Co-Chairs. If you are interested, reach out to Julia Tsurusaki.

Ski Bus: A few spots remain available on this winter’s ski bus. Join us virtually for the Ski Bus Information Night on Monday, November 7 at 8p.m. For more information, contact Amanda O’Rourke.

 St. John Band: We are still looking for a few more students to join the St. John Band. Students in Grades 5-8 who play brass or reed instruments are encouraged to join. If interested, reach out to Bernadette O’Leary ASAP.

Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place on Wednesday, November 9 (in person) and Thursday, November 10 (virtually). Grades K-2 in-person conferences will be held in your child’s classroom. Grades 3-8 conferences will be held in Egan Hall. As a reminder, school will not be in session November 9-11.

Service Projects: As we near the holidays, it’s a great time for us all to give back to our community through service. The following grade-level service projects are already underway:

  • 4th Grade will partner with Lunches of Love to provide non-perishable meals to our unhoused and vehicle dwelling neighbors.
  • 6th Grade will manage an all-school Food Drive. More details to come.
  • 6th-8th Grade Farm to Table Elective Students will host a Thanksgiving meal serving our neighbors at the Martina Apartments.

Grand Day for students in grades 3, 4, and 5 and their grandparents and special friends will be on November 22. Please RSVP by November 18. Also, look out for opportunities to volunteer at this special event. A Grand Day for students in grades K, 1, and 2 will take place in Spring 2023.

Christmas Concerts: Ms. Villanueva shared a sneak peek of our upcoming student performances to celebrate the holidays. More details to come.

  • December 1, 6:30p.m. – Intermediate Students: Grade 3, 4, and 5 students will participate in a Christmas Caroling Celebration followed by a reception.
  • December 7 – Preschool Students: Christmas concerts will be performed by the AM class at 10:30a.m. and by the PM class at 2:30p.m.
  • December 15, 6:30p.m. – Primary Students: Grade K, 1, and 2 students’ performance will include a Nativity and singing.

The Endowment Event was a great success with 140 people attending to celebrate St. John’s 100 years and honor Michele Thornquist. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible. The new St. John logo was revealed at the event. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look!

The Auction is coming! This year, we will gather on March 17, 2023 to “Shake Your Shamrock” at Fremont Studios. Keep your eyes out for auction communications every Tuesday. Our timeline is pushed up by about a month this year because of the auction occurring earlier in the year. Our first procurement deadline is November 18 – turn in your donation or auction item by this date for a chance to win one free admission to the auction. We are also looking for sponsors!

Grade Level Holiday Giving: It’s time to start thinking about holiday gifting for teachers and staff. If your grade wants to include Scrip, the deadline is December 10. Gift cards for specific denominations from specific retailers are available. Questions? Email stjohnscrip@st-johnschool.org.

PA Guest Speaker Series: Our next speaker for the PA Guest Speaker Series will be in March 2023 featuring information about kids and technology/screen use. Look for more details to come!

Campus Security: Our meeting concluded with a few parent questions relating to our campus’ security and safety protocols. This is a topic that is always top of mind for our Admin team and continues to be revisited with our children’s safety in mind.

Next PA Meeting: Friday, December 2, 2022