Dear Saints Joseph and John School Families,

“Hold fast to the hope that lies before us.” – Hebrews 6:18

The fall colors are in full swing and the upcoming holidays that are focused on family, gratitude and caring are upon us. We have much to be grateful for here at Saints Joseph and John School. We have a wonderful caring staff from our custodians, our office staff, and all of our teachers and aides. I am grateful every day for the opportunity to work with all of them and I know your children are in good hands with them. We have a group of supportive parents and community, a giving and engaged PTU, and a supportive and dedicated Board of Trustees to which we say thank you for all that they are doing this year to make SJJ a well-rounded community. And finally, we have incredible students, who challenge themselves every day to learn and grow. They are the reason we are all here every day!

When we return from Thanksgiving break, we will be in the season of Advent and we have so much planned as a school family in the final week of November and in the weeks leading up to Christmas! Please read on for more information.

Christmas in the Courtyard

SJJ is transforming the newly renovated courtyard into a winter wonderland with a special Christmas tree representing each grade and their families at SJJ.

We are asking each student to send in an ornament to hang on their grade specific tree in the courtyard. The ornament can be homemade or store bought, however, it must be able to handle the unpredictable Ohio weather. The ornament can be as simple or extravagant as you would like and we suggest that it represents your family in some way.

Your child will hang his/her ornament on their class tree on Tuesday, November 28 during the school day. In the evening, we hope you are able to go walking in our winter wonderland from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and see this beautiful transformation of the courtyard and spread some holiday cheer! Please see the Save the Date flyer below for more information.

Involvement in SJJ STEAM Night

We are seeking individuals employed in STEAM career fields to inspire and educate our students about the exciting world of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. In the spring, SJJ will be hosting a school-wide Family STEAM Night and we need your help to further enrich this memorable event. We are asking interested professionals to create an interactive activity or demonstration (tailored for students in K-8), to promote a deeper connection between your passion, skills, expertise, and the diverse facets of the STEAM field. Thank you in advance for your consideration as we know your participation will contribute to an impactful experience for our students. Please email Ms. Kopy at jkopy@sjjschool.org if you are interested in presenting or to learn more.

Family Mass Takeover

How blessed we are as a school family to celebrate our first Family Mass Takeover of the year at Saint John Neumann Parish. I am very proud of our students and families for their special roles they had in the Mass, and to the Children’s Choir for sharing the gift of their beautiful voices with us. It is a privilege to be able to share Sunday Mass with my school family. Our next Family Mass Takeover is scheduled for January 21, where we will feature our students in Grades 3 & 4 and their families.

Grant Work Approved

The Diocese of Cleveland this past week approved our capital project request to provide security upgrades to our school utilizing Ohio School Safety Grant funds. It is our plan to have all work completed by August 1, 2024.

Our School Families are the BEST

To our school families, thank you for being part of our SJJ family. We are blessed by you and recognize that you, partnered with our staff, is what makes SJJ so special. We hope you enjoyed the small token of appreciation today at the drop-off /pick-up line.

Parents of bus riders- Your turn is coming soon!!

Please Note

I will take a break from the Peek of the Week next Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) but will resume publication on Thursday, November 30.

Autumn blessings,

Mrs. Schenek