2/28/25 PA Meeting

Next PA Meeting: Our March PA meeting will be held on Friday, March 28 at 8:30am in Egan Hall. Hope to see you there!

Thank you to those who joined our February Parent Association meeting. It’s been a busy month for PA with the Spirit Lunch, Family Sweetheart Soirée, Parent Education talks, auction preparations, and hospitality efforts. Thank you to everyone who volunteered in any capacity to support these activities. Our community is vibrant and lively because of all of your hard work!

See the summary of what was discussed during our meeting below.

 

Feedback Session: We opened our meeting with an opportunity to provide feedback on the CSW Spirit Lunch, the Sweetheart Soirée, and the parent education virtual events through ParentMap.

 

Parent Education: ParentMap continues to offer great education events that you can join or watch the recording for free.

  • In case you missed it…A recap and recording of our February events can be found below.
    • Confident Conversations: Guiding Kids Through Puberty and Adolescence with Julie Metzger, founder of Great Conversations, and Peter Metzger, pediatrician. Details here.
    • The Lost Art of Civility: Raising Respectful Kids with authors Robert B. Brooks and Sam Goldstein. Details here.
  • Our next event will be Harmony at Home: Successfully Navigating Parent-Child Differences with Dr. Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, pediatric pyschologist and parent coach.
    • Thursday, March 20, 12-1pm. Zoom link provided with registration.
    • Register here using the promo code STJCATHSCH
  • Community Event: The PA will host a ParentEd “Wine Down” in early April to discuss the parent education events we have taken part in this school year. This will be a great opportunity for our community to come together to discuss some of the parenting topics we have learned about through the ParentMap series. More details to come.

 

The Welcome Committee kicked off their efforts for the 2025-2026 school year. Look for the return of summer play dates, PreK/K Happy Hour, welcome notes, and the buddy program.

 

The St. John Garden team will hold a seed sale on Thursday, March 13 at 3pm in front of the flagpole. All proceeds go to the garden. More details here.

 

2025 Auction Update: It’s almost time for the Auction – get ready for some fun on Friday, April 4 at 5pm at Fremont Studios. Make sure you’ve purchased your tickets for this great event, St. John’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

  • Our Auction Co-Chair, Lauren Exnicios, held a “Mythbusters” session during our meeting to help dispel any rumors you hear out there. Here’s what you need to know.
    • MYTH #1: Tickets are sold out.
    • MYTH #2: There won’t be very much food at the Auction.
      • NO! There will be tons of food so come hungry. We will have buffet-style stations instead of a sit down dinner this year. There will also be a signature cocktail, mocktail, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages.
    • MYTH #3: There won’t be anywhere to sit at the Auction.
      • NO! There will be cocktail tables, seating pods, and “soft seating.” For the Live Auction, there will be theater seating.
    • MYTH #4: There won’t be a Live Auction this year.
      • NO! There will be a Live Auction but the program will be shorter, including 10-12 items.
    • MYTH #5: We don’t need to raise as much money this year.
      • NO! Our goal is to raise as much money as possible in support of our operating budget. Let’s set a new record and raise more money than ever before.
    • Consider volunteering! We’re looking for someone to lead the Auction next year and we can always use more helping hands to support the event. If you are interested, reach out to Lauren Exnicios at lmexnicios@st-johnschool.org for more details.
    • Have questions about the Auction: Reach out to Lauren Exnicios at lmexnicios@st-johnschool.org or Chris Sourov at fundraising@st-johnschool.org.

 

PA Planning: As we begin to plan for next year, please consider getting more involved in PA! If you are interested in taking on one of our leadership roles, please reach out to Parent_Association@st-johnschool.org. We will provide more information about available roles next month.

 

Admin Update: Principal Mansfield shared the following updates with us:

  • Auction Co-Chairs: We are still looking for someone to lead the Auction team next year. This could be co-chairs or a small group. This is our most important event of the year and we know there’s someone great out there who can lead the charge. You’ll have a supportive team behind you.
  • Admissions: Offers will go out mid- to late-next week.
  • STEM Night: Join us Thursday, March 27, 5-6:30pm in Egan Hall. This event is ideal for students PreK-4 with their families. All activities were created by the MakerSpace Elective led by Mr. Bretz.
    • Supplies Needed: We are looking for clean plastic water bottles and toilet paper rolls. If you would like to donate, please drop off in the bins located by the MakerSpace.
  • Middle School Musical: Get your tickets for Annie, Jr.! Tickets are on sale now and will not be available
    • Friday, March 14, 7pm
    • Saturday, March 15, 7pm
    • Sunday, March 16, 2pm
  • Important Dates: Mark your calendars…
    • Friday, June 13
      • Last Day of School
      • Early Release
    • Thursday, August 28
      • K-8 Student/Parent Drop-in Day, 1-3pm
      • PreK Student/Parent Onboarding (details to come)
    • Friday, August 29
      • PreK Student/Parent Onboarding (details to come)
      • K Orientation (details to come)
    • Monday, September 1 – Labor Day
    • Tuesday, September 2
      • First Day of School
      • Early Dismissal
      • First Day of XDC

 

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