WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 23, 2017
Students and parents enjoy Donuts with Dads as they shop the Book Fair
THIS WEEK'S NEWS AND EVENTS
THANK YOU, BOOK FAIR VOLUNTEERS!
We offer special thanks for the hard work of Book Fair co-chairs, Pam Stuart and Stephanie Taylor, with support from assistant co-chairs Tammy Buck and Elizabeth McCoin! Appreciation also goes to the team of volunteers who helped throughout the week and shoppers who purchased books, with all sales supporting our fabulous library. The teachers are also very thankful for the fulfillment of their classroom book wish lists. Tell your children who received Birthday Books in their honor to be on the lookout for their personalized book and birthday cake with Ms. Powers.
RED RIBBON WEEK
To promote drug and alcohol awareness, Student Council will sponsor Middle School Red Ribbon Week today through Friday. The week's activities are:
- Monday - StuCo will distribute awareness bracelets to Middle School students
- Tuesday – Posters for the poster competition are due. Students may create a poster to spread awareness about drug and alcohol abuse. They must be school appropriate for all ages, and a faculty panel will choose which students win the prize of a private pizza party.
- Thursday – Patrick Wright from Bonton Farms will speak to middle schoolers about drug and alcohol awareness from 8:00 - 8:25 a.m.
According to The National Family Partnership, sponsor of the annual Red Ribbon Week, "Children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those who don't, yet only a quarter of teens report having these conversations." We hope you will use this week's activities as a bridge to having more of those conversations at home. Find more information about Red Ribbon Week.
ADMISSION COFFEE
St. John's is excited to host another open house for early childhood Wednesday, October 25, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Please invite your friends who are interested in pre-k and kindergarten for their child next fall at St. John's. See open house details and R.S.V.P.
STUDENT SUPPORT TEAM SPEAKER SERIES: ACHIEVING OPTIMAL LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR
Please join us Thursday, October 26, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. to hear Sally Fryer Dietz, internationally recognized pediatric physical therapist, sensory integration specialist and author of When Kids Fly. Reserve your seat.
- Ever wonder if your child is right on track? Or if there are ways to set them up for optimal success?
- Do you want to know what motor skills and meltdowns have in common?
- In this fast paced world we live in, learn how to bring out the best in your children to set them up for success in learning and behavior.
SIXTH - EIGHTH GRADE DANCE
The dance is moving to Owen Gym this Friday, October 27, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.! Drop-off and pick-up will be at the Lower School carpool entrance. Please note that ONLY the Lower School carpool doors will be open for entry and exit. Tickets are $5 each and will be on sale during breaks and lunches beginning Tuesday, October 24.
DRESS CODE: OUTERWEAR
Only St John's-branded outerwear items are allowed in the building. When walking to chapel, students may wear a coat/jacket, but they must remove it during the service. Blazers/dress uniform sweaters are the only outwear allowed to be worn during Eucharist (even if they're not yet required due to weather).
SAFETY CONCERN: STUDENT DROP OFF
During morning carpool, we have observed students being dropped off on Harter Road prior to the entrance of the school. This is a safety hazard for these students, as they must maneuver down the entrance of the congested driveway with incoming and outgoing cars. If your child must be dropped off outside of carpool procedure, please pull pass the entrance and let them out next to the green space. This path allows students to more safely walk through the grassy area and over the bridge, leading to the designated school crosswalk. Thank you for your cooperation.
NOVEMBER MENU AND BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS
The November birthday blessings schedule is posted on ParentsWeb (School / Resources). See the November lunch menu. You will also find the monthly lunch menu in ParentsWeb (School / Resources), as well as under the "Current Families" tab on the school's website.
GRANDPARENTS DAY
We look forward to seeing our students' grandparents and friends the morning of Friday, November 17. Invitations will be mailed this week, so please encourage them to look for them. If they don't receive their invitation, please contact Andrea Tierney to confirm the address and make sure they get one.
COMING UP
LOWER SCHOOL HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS
This year's Halloween celebrations will take place Tuesday, October 31. We invite parents to gather outside in the Lower School carpool area shortly before 2:00 p.m. if they 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.
CRUSADER CLUB BREAKFAST
Join the Crusader Club at this dads' breakfast on Friday, November 3, 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. in Owen Gym. Please enter the building through the main doors. Attendees will enjoy a Barbec's breakfast.
WILLY WONKA TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Great Oompah Loompah! Join the eighth grade as they perform five shows of the musical, Willy Wonka Jr. Enjoy the timeless story of the world-famous candy man. Click links below to purchase general admission tickets. There will be a minimal number of tickets available at the door and a stand-by list.
Thursday, November 2, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 4, 1:00 p.m.
ZEBRA "PHEST" WALK
Join Team Emma for the 11th Annual North Texas Zebra PHest on Saturday, November 11. The fun 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.
STUDENT NEWS
MIDDLE SCHOOL HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
Student Council is sponsoring a Middle School Halloween costume fundraiser again this year. Middle School students may purchase a wristband for $5 to wear a Halloween costume Tuesday, October 31. Because Middle School students won't go to chapel that morning, they may wear their costumes to school. Please follow free-dress guidelines on page 43 of the school handbook. Also, no masks, weapons or costumes considered inappropriate for Lower School students to see. StuCo will sell the wristbands during breaks and lunches beginning Tuesday, October 24.
BUDDY DAY
Last Thursday, the school held its second Buddy Day of the school year. The theme was "Respect," which is also the same focus in Chapel Applied this month. The students met with their buddies and discussed what respect looks like, and then created something together that shows respect using three pipe cleaners and two sheets of foil. Visit Facebook to see more of their creations and photos.
PARENT ORGANIZATIONS
PA NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE
The PA needs YOU! The Parents Association is starting the nominations process for the 2018-19 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 one for 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 Kristi Bare with your nominees' names by November 3. Voting for the nominations committee will take place at our next PA meeting on November 7.
ST. JOHN'S NIGHT AT RAISING CANE'S
Join Raising Cane's in raising money for St. John's students. Plan to get dinner at Raising Cane's Greenville Avenue location Tuesday, November 7. Dine in, pick up or drive thru between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m., and 15% of sales will be donated to the school (Please mention St. John's when you place your order.) Volunteers are needed to greet customers and remind them to mention St. John's when they order. Choose a shift and bring the kids!
CRUSADER CLUB CARPOOL DUTY + COAT DRIVE
Dads are invited to assist with morning carpool November 13-17, 7:30 - 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 13-17. A collection box will also be placed in the front reception area.
NEIMAN MARCUS SOCIAL
Please join the PA at the Downtown Neiman Marcus on Wednesday, November 29, 6:00 p.m., for the annual ladies' social. Enjoy a festive "Our Favorite Things" themed evening! Mix and mingle with friends, enjoy bubbles and bites, plus a presentation from beauty brands. NM team members will share their favorites in beauty and holiday gifts for everyone in your home, including you! Tickets are $100 per person and each attendee will receive $25 gift card to use that night as well as a fabulous swag bag. Make your list and check it twice - you won't want to miss this fun night! Purchase your ticket now. Hostesses: Lisa Andersson, Carolyn Coleman, Kelli Culpepper-Hall, Sarah Donahue, Julie Halverson, Lindsay Loughlin, Carrie Matthiesen, Sarah McCallum, Dena Robinson, Jennifer Robinson, Alison Silliman, Kelly St. John, Stephanie Taylor, Clair Parker Tompkins and Donna Vaught. Reserve your spot.
FAMILY CHRISTMAS SOCIAL
Join the PA at this very popular family social Friday, December 8, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Enjoy the holiday lights while progressing to several houses on Avalon Avenue with surprises at each stop, including festive snacks and drinks, an outdoor movie, crafts, a carriage ride and pictures with Santa. Generously hosted by the Bare, Berg, Burnett, Campbell, Carter, DeGroote, Hardin, Johnson, Lamont, Leake, Methvin, Miller, Stevens, Stuart and Wylie families. Get your family's tickets.
WEEK IN SPORTS
>>See the full athletics calendar. Contact your child's coach with sports-related questions.
CHAPLAIN'S CORNER
Did you dream last night of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels going up and down? Did you wake up this morning with a divine plan to march around St. John's seven times to make its walls fall down? Did an angel appear and announce that you ought never to cut your hair because you were destined to fight the Philistines? In chapel this year, we've heard the stories of Sarah and Abraham, Jacob, Joshua, Deborah, Gideon and Samson – all of whom experienced amazing moments with God when His actions and words changed their lives. These moments still happen to people today; but most of the time, for most of us (and for these heroes, too), life does not consist of all extraordinary moments. Most of the time the call of God comes to us through daily life, when we see a need and know we can help, in little decisions to follow Christ and be kind to others.
In chapel this week, we hear the story of Ruth. God never speaks once in this entire story. There are no angels, no fire from heaven, no parted seas. But there is a simple refugee woman who loves her mother-in-law. When everyone else abandons the elderly Naomi, and even she gives in to bitter despair, Ruth's determined love brings hope and a future to this story. Her confession of faith, "Your people shall be my people, and your God my God," honors God and puts Ruth in the position to experience God's extraordinary grace. Ruth's simple but determined decision to love Naomi has deep implications for Israel's history, for she will be the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus.
Parents, this is a good week to talk to your children about reading the unseen needs around them. What are the signs that a person shows when they, like Naomi, are sad, stressed or worried? Often people who really just need some love or loyalty act out in all kinds of inappropriate ways; children sometimes need help to look past others' superficial behavior and see the emotional needs underneath. Help them feel empowered in the knowledge that they have the power to help meet those needs, just by showing love and kindness.
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
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