The St.John's MAL volleyball team returns a serve from the IAS team.

THIS WEEK'S NEWS AND EVENTS

HEAD OF SCHOOL FINALIST VISIT

Dr. Edwin Gordon is visiting St. John's today and tomorrow. Edwin will meet with the community for Q&A on Tuesday, October 30 from 8:15 - 9:15 a.m. in Clements Hall.

EUCHARIST ON HALLOWEEN
First through eighth grades must be in full dress on Wednesday, October 31. Middle school students who purchased a wristband from Student Council may change into their costumes after Eucharist.

BLAZERS AND SWEATERS FOR EUCHARIST
Beginning next week, Wednesday, November 7, students will need to wear their blazers or sweaters to Eucharist.

LOWER SCHOOL HALLOWEEN GUIDELINES

This year's Halloween celebrations will take place Wednesday, October 31. We invite parents to gather outside in the Lower School carpool area shortly before 1:00 p.m. if you would like to view the parade. Because of space limitations, only the designated Halloween party volunteers will be present for the classroom parties. Get all the Halloween details for Lower School.

MIDDLE SCHOOL HALLOWEEN GUIDELINES
Student Council is sponsoring a Middle School Halloween costume fundraiser. StuCo reps are currently selling wristbands for $5 during Middle School lunches through Tuesday. Middle School students who purchase a wristband may change into their Halloween costumes after Eucharist on Wednesday, October 31. Costumes must follow free-dress guidelines on page 43 of the school handbook. Also, no masks, makeup, weapons, inflatable costumes, or costumes considered inappropriate for Lower School students to see.

CRUSADER CLUB BREAKFAST

The next Crusader Club breakfast will feature food from Barbec's and will be held on Friday, November 2, in Parish Hall at 7:30 a.m.

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS + LUNCH MENU

The birthday blessing schedule is posted on ParentsWeb (School / Resources). You will also find the monthly lunch menu in ParentsWeb (School / Resources), as well as under the Current Families page of the website. See the November menu.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Most parents are pretty familiar with the term "cyberbullying" and know it's when someone is mean to another kid online over a period of time. But what do we do when it happens, and is it always that simple? This week's entry provides basic tips and for tools that will help your child(ren) be kind and responsible digital citizens.

NEWS FROM THE CLINIC

We will be performing state-mandated spinal screenings for girls in fifth and seventh grades and boys in eighth grade during P.E. classes on Tuesday, November 6 and Friday, November 9. The purpose of the spinal screening is to detect the signs of abnormal curves of the spine at their earliest stages so that the need for treatment can be determined.

Scoliosis, a common spinal abnormality found in adolescents, is a sideways twisting of the spine. It is usually detected in children between the ages of 10 and 14. Students will also be checked for kyphosis, an exaggerated rounding of the upper back that is often confused with poor posture. Many cases of spinal curvature are mild and require only ongoing observation by a doctor. Some can worsen as the child grows and may require bracing or surgery. Early treatment can prevent the development of a severe deformity, which can affect a child's appearance and health.

Nurses will look at your child's back while he/she stands and then while bending forward. Boys and girls will be seen separately and privately. It will be necessary for students to remove their shirts for the screening, so please be sure girls wear a sports bra to PE.

Parents will be notified of screening results only if a referral for physician follow-up is necessary. Please contact Amy Johns if you have questions.

COMING UP

STUDENT PHOTO RETAKES
Student photo retakes will take place Tuesday, November 6. If your child was absent on picture day and you haven't purchased a package, visit MyLifetouch.com and use the St. John's code, TX038013Q0. If you would like to request a retake, email Lynn Granello to add your child to the retake list. (Please note: you must return the first set of pictures/proof in order to get retakes.) All students retaking photos must be in full dress including a sweater or blazer.

HEAD OF SCHOOL FINALIST VISIT

We will have our last candidate for Head of School, Meshea Matthews visit St. John's on Tuesday, November 6, 8:15-9:15 a.m. in Clements Hall.

PA MEETING WITH SPEAKER

Everyone is invited to the next PA meeting on Tuesday November 6, at 12 p.m. in Parish Hall. Voting for the PA nominations committee will take place, so please don't miss this important date! A light lunch will be provided. Immediately following the PA business portion of the meeting we will be joined by Elizabeth Didlake, our guest speaker on navigating tough conversations.

Speaker Topic

• conflict is a natural part of life, so it's necessary to learn how to manage it
• coaching children and adolescents through conflict 
• discerning between when to let go, when to coach and when to intervene in conflict situations

THEOLOGY ON TAP

Father Houk will host a discussion for St. John's dads on Tuesday, November 6 in the Parish Hall at 7:00 p.m. Beer will be served.

LOWER SCHOOL ADMISSION COFFEE

St. John's is excited to host another open house for Lower School Wednesday, November 7, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Please invite your friends who are evaluating lower school options for their child next fall. See open house details and R.S.V.P.

ZEBRA PHEST

The 12th Annual North Texas Zebra PHest will be on Saturday, November 10. Join us in support of alumna Emma Gray-Gonfalone by participating in this event, which includes a 5K race, 1-mile walk, a free 100-yard dash for kids, face painting, raffle, silent auction, vendor booths, music, pitching booth, photo booth and a picnic. You can even be a virtual runner in support of Emma! Zebra PHest supports the Pulmonary Hypertension ("PH") Association. PH is high blood pressure in the lungs, a serious, debilitating and progressive condition. Learn more about the event.

ANGST MOVIE SCREENING

Angst is a 56-minute film that explores anxiety, its causes, effects and what we can do about it. We will hold a screening of the film followed by a discussion on Tuesday, November 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Clements Hall. Angst features candid interviews with kids and young adults who suffer, or have suffered, from anxiety and what they've learned about it. The film includes discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, as well as help, resources and tools. Please R.S.V.P. to reserve your spot.

GRANDPARENTS AND SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY

We look forward to seeing our students' grandparents and friends on the morning of Friday, November 16. Invitations were mailed to them last week. If they didn't receive their invitation, please contact Andrea Tierney to confirm the address and we will ensure that they receive an invitation.

MILLS UNIFORM SALE

Mills Uniform is holding a sale until Saturday, November 17 for all in-store and online orders. See here for details.

STUDENT NEWS

RED HOT PEPPERS
Students Wishing to Join: We will host tryouts for the Red Hot Peppers on Wednesday, November 7, 4:30 - 5:00 p.m. in Owen Gym. Our Peppers will continue to be led by coaches Katie Specht and Morgan Martinez. To qualify for Red Hot Peppers, a student must be in first grade or older and be able to jump 10 "basic bounces" in a row without missing. (A basic bounce is a two-foot jump of the rope with no extra bounces in between.)
Returning Jumpers: First practice will be Wednesday, November 14.
Please Note: Jumpers will need to bring his or her sneakers and jump rope each time. Ropes may be purchased at practice for $5. Practices will be in the Owen Gym Wednesdays from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Aftercare is available at a special rate of $10 for Peppers who attend Wednesday practices.

THIRD GRADE WATER CONSERVATION
The third grade was excited to welcome the Water Utilities Department of the City of Dallas to present on Water Conservation last Monday. Students learned about how they can have a positive impact on the city and the earth by conserving one of our most precious resources. Over the rest of the week, third graders investigated how water interacts with different natural resources.

RED RIBBON WEEK
Middle School comes to the end of Red Ribbon Week, an initiative to educate MS students in alcohol, tobacco, and drug prevention. Advisory Red Ribbon Week posters are due Wednesday, October 31. The winning poster will be announced at the end of the day.

PARENT ORGANIZATIONS

PA NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

The Parents Association is in the midst of the nominations process for the 2019-20 school year! We are currently forming the nominating committee, which is the committee that helps identify volunteers to serve on the PA Council each year. Consider nominating one fellow parent (or self-nominate) from Lower School and Middle School to serve on the nominations committee. (Nominees will be contacted to confirm they have time and would like to serve if elected.) Please e-mail Melissa Eakes with your nominees' names by Thursday, November 1.

CRUSADER CLUB CARPOOL DUTY + COAT DRIVE

Dads are invited to assist with morning carpool November 12-16, 7:15 - 8:00 a.m. This is a fun, quick way to support the school by helping the little ones out of the cars. Choose a shift. In conjunction with this, the Crusader Club is once again hosting a coat drive. Please drop off new or gently used coats (infant through adult sizes) with one of the dads November 12-16. A collection box will also be placed in the front reception area.

CHAPLAIN'S CORNER

What comforts you? For some children, it's a stuffed animal or a favorite blanket. For some adults, food can be a comfort – autumn favorites like hot apple cider and pumpkin pie are mine! Or maybe the best comfort is just a big hug from a loved one. When we experience times of stress or difficulty, we often need something to settle us down, relieve our anxiety, and re-center us on a broader perspective. In chapel this week, our hymn of the month builds on this idea: "Comfort, comfort ye my people," says the Lord. "Speak peace to my people." After decades in exile, God's people receive a word of comfort from the prophets. They have learned their lessons and they are ready to return to their own land. This comforting message is also a chance to further commit to God's ways – God will not hold a grudge but desires everyone to come and be comforted.

This week is Halloween, as well – parents, please remember that normal dress code is in effect and costumes should only be put on after chapel. But Halloween will not be absent from our observances: we will be hearing a very special message of comfort on that day that features skeletons (Ezekiel 37). And we will also observe All Saints' Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls' Day on Nov. 2 through our prayers.

In Early Childhood Chapel, we will begin the week talking about Halloween, learning that God comforts us especially when we are afraid. Then we will hear several exciting stories about Elijah and Elisha the prophets for the rest of the week.

St. John's Episcopal School is dedicated to a program of academic excellence designed to train

the mind, strengthen the character and enrich the spirit of each student in a Christian environment.

St. John's Episcopal School | 214-328-9131

stjohnsschool.org

View in browser | Unsubscribe