WEEKLY NEWSLETTER MAY 20, 2019 Congratulations to our Penguin Award winners for the final trimester of the school year!
CLASS OF 2019 AND THEY'RE OFF! For graduating eighth graders, Friday began with a fun prank focused on their next adventures; the day ended with the dedication of their class gift and a screening of their parent-created video. We bid Godspeed and congratulations to the Class of 2019.
We are extremely proud of the 41 members of our graduating class. Our graduates embody a passion for learning and life and are well prepared to succeed in their high school careers. Collectively, our eighth graders received 90 acceptances from 11 excellent high schools, and they accepted offers at 9 of those schools. Members of the Class of 2019 will be attending:
Booker T. Washington School for the Performing and Visual Arts The Episcopal School of Dallas Greenhill School The Hockaday School Jesuit College Preparatory School Woodrow Wilson High School – The International Baccalaureate Program Ursuline Academy of Dallas Vines High School EIGHTH GRADE GIFT OF GRATITUDE As a part of their end-of-school activities, the St. John's eighth grade students presented the school with a donation of over $2,000 for the Class of 2019 Financial Aid Fund. We are grateful for the creation of this thoughtful gift to the St. John's community and its future students. BACCALAUREATE The Class of 2019, along with their parents, attended a special church service at the culmination of their time at St. John's. Students who began their St. John's career in kindergarten or earlier have attended more than 1,300 chapel services by the time they graduate. Baccalaureate brings the school and church together as one worshiping community, in appreciation of the school's mission. We offer thanks for the church for hosting this meaningful service.
THIS WEEK'S NEWS AND EVENTS BAKED GOODS NEEDED FOR GRADUATION Calling all parent bakers! Help celebrate the Class of 2019 by providing cookies or bars for the graduation reception. Baked goods can be dropped off in morning or afternoon carpool tomorrow, May 21. Please remember that all items must be nut-free! Sign up now. CARNIVAL VOLUNTEERS Volunteers are needed for our Under the Big Top Carnival on the last day of school! Parent help is requested starting at 10 a.m. for set-up, through the end of our celebration at 3 p.m. Please choose a shift that works best for you, from rides to activities to manning the grill. Let's make the last day of school one to remember! EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATION TOMORROW The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2019 will take place tomorrow, May 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the church. Each student's family has received eight graduation invitations. Doors to the church will open at 6:00 p.m. A reception in Parish Hall will follow the ceremony. STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTION The representative elections for 2019-2020 Student Council are now complete. Representatives who have previously served on Student Council may choose to run for officer positions. These include president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. The officer election will take place tomorrow, May 21. LAST DAY OF SCHOOL The school year will conclude Friday, May 24, at regular grade level carpool times. There will be no ASP that afternoon or Homework Club. As a reminder, here are the regular dismissal times: Pre-k 2 PM - 2:00 p.m. Pre-k 3 PM - 3:00 p.m. K through second - 3:00 p.m. Third and fourth - 3:30 p.m. Fifth through eighth - 3:45 p.m. DENISE BROWN ART SHOW Lower school art teacher Denise Brown's artwork is on display at the Craighead Green Gallery 2019 Annual Art Exhibition through June 14. The gallery is located at 1011 Dragon Street Dallas, TX 75207. See the website for more details. MASCOT UPDATE Our mascot committee continues its work, reviewing a large and diverse number of mascot ideas submitted by members of the St. John's community. Thank you for your interest! Due to the large number of good ideas, the committee and school are taking a little extra time to complete its due diligence. The committee's top priority is to provide three strong mascot options that will generate engagement and excitement throughout our students, faculty, families and alumni. The committee appreciates everyone's participation and patience as they consider and prepare the top three finalists that best represent St. John's past, present, and future. An email will follow soon with dates and next steps as we work together in choosing a new mascot for St. John's. MILLS UNIFORM SUMMER SALE COMING UP The Mills Uniform Summer Sale will run from June 8 - June 22. Deals include 10% off everything / 25%+ and more off clearance items and $5 shipping on orders $100+ placed during the sale. Shop at millswear.com
TIP OF THE WEEK - How Much Is Too Much When It Comes to Sharing About Your Kids Online?
END OF YEAR SUMMER INFO UPDATE CONTACT INFORMATION
Student medications will be sent home with them on the last day of school, with the exception of controlled substances (ADD meds) which must be picked up by an adult. Medication cannot be stored over the summer for next year.
If your child has received shots recently or receives any immunizations over the summer, please send an updated shot record to Amy Johns. The school nurse will send email notifications mid-summer to parents of all students who have incomplete immunizations according to school records. In addition, be aware that all students entering the seventh grade will need their meningococcal immunization (MCV), second Varicella (chicken pox) and the diphtheria/tetanus booster (Tdap) before school starts. Make sure your rising seventh graders have received all of these shots before they return to school in August. SUMMER READING LISTS Please view the summer reading lists for students entering first through fourth grade: Entering first grade reading list Entering second grade reading list Entering third grade reading list Entering fourth grade reading list
Also, please view summer reading lists for middle school students: Entering fifth grade reading list Entering sixth grade reading list TEACHER GIFTS Many of you may be considering a year-end gift to your child's teacher. As you may know, due to potential conflicts of interest and issues of fairness and morale, St. John's employees are not permitted to accept gifts that are estimated to be worth in excess of $25. In the spirit of fairness, we ask that parents not pool resources to purchase a more expensive gift.
If you would like to recognize your child's teacher with a gift, please consider a donation to the Teacher Endowment Fund. Designed to provide ongoing funds to attract and retain the best faculty, the endowment supports the school's greatest asset -- our teachers. A gift to the fund shows your gratitude for the impact teachers have on our students' lives and continues a wonderful legacy of teaching. Your teacher will be notified by the school that a gift has been made in his or her honor. SUMMER AT ST. JOHN'S It is not too late to register for a great summer of camps at Summer at St. John's. Come join your school friends and make new friends as you explore interests, play games and have fun! We have lots of great camps available for kids ages four through fourteen. Grab a friend and join us! Visit our website to view camp choices and register. Don't be left out! WHERE TO FIND INFO THIS SUMMER Bookmark our Current Families page and use it as your go-to resource for back-to-school info this summer. Starting next week, you will find information about summer reading lists, textbook purchasing, back-to-school events, lunch account setup and more.
STUDENT NEWS ART OF GREEN Art Integration Specialist Donna Knox facilitated an elective class for seventh and eighth graders, "The Art of Green." Students researched and studied the negative effect plastic has on the earth. During the trimester, they educated their classmates about the importance of ecologically-sound consumption, worked with the school to reduce the amount of trash it produced, and advocated for the adoption of environmentally-friendly packaging by the vendors who supplied the school. Their school-wide approach has won over teachers, administrators, and fellow students from every grade. SERVICE LEARNING PRESENTATIONS Last Monday, eighth grade students gave presentations describing the community service that they performed with non-profit organization around Dallas. By articulating what they have learned over the course of the year and outlining the importance of the organizations that they worked with, the soon-to-be graduates demonstrated both emotional intelligence and civic engagement. MODEL U.N. Thirty-five Model UN members competed this weekend at the GEMUN event at Brookhaven College. They did an excellent job, presenting 35 resolutions and getting 31 passed. They all worked very hard throughout the year and it showed with how well they delivered and defended their resolutions. Will Moore was recognized in UNEP as an outstanding delegate. All these successes were made possible by the parents who volunteer to be sponsors. CLASS OF 2015 REUNION Last week, alumni from the Class of 2015 reunited to reminisce about their experiences at St. John's and to discuss plans for the future.
PARENT ORGANIZATIONS THANK YOU PARENT ORGANIZATIONS We would like to extend special thanks to the PA and the Crusader Club for all of the hard work that they have put in this year. The dedication and sacrifice that you put into the auction, golf tournament, carnival (editions 1, 2, and 3) and other events this year filled the school with excitement and energy. We are so grateful for your time, generosity and tireless enthusiasm. 2019-20 PARENT VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION The St. John's Parents Association organizes hundreds of volunteers and many wonderful community-building events throughout the year, touching virtually every part of the school. In addition, the Crusader Club gives dads a direct way to support the students and school. You are automatically a member of both organizations. To really share in the life of the school and enjoy one of St. John's greatest assets - its community spirit - we encourage you to sign up to volunteer during the upcoming school year. You should have received an email on May 16 (subject line "2019-2020 St. John's PA Volunteer Registration") containing your unique login information. If not, please contact Sarah Donahue.
CHURCH NEWS ST. JOHN'S CHURCH VBS From July 29 to August 2, blast off with the first VBS to land on the moon! Cokesbury's To Mars and Beyond helps children discover the wonders of God's universe. Children ages 4-10 become voyagers on a journey through space, exploring where God's power can take them. The adventure includes out-of-this-world fun, Bible stories that inspire, plus science experiments, awesome crafts, tasty snacks and stellar games. VBS runs from 9:00 a.m. to noon each day. The registration fee is $20.00 per child, with a $50.00 family cap if you register before June 30, 2019. The fee increases to $30.00 per child, with a $65.00 family cap after June 30, 2019. If a parent/guardian volunteers, all fees are waived. Please fill out your registration form and mail or drop your check, made out to St. John's Episcopal Church, to the church office. For more information, please contact Jenee Echard.
CHAPLAIN'S CORNER We would like to give heartfelt thanks to Fr. Thorpe for all of the Chaplain's Corner features that he has written for us over the years. We wish him the best as he moves forward in his calling.
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 |