Principal's Update October 2018

Dear Saint John’s Families,  
 
I am happy to report that the first month of classes at Saint John’s has gone very smoothly; so far the 2018-19 school year is off to a fantastic start. Congratulations and thank you to all who have made the first month of school a positive and productive one.

Sincerely,

Margaret Rourke Granados
Principal

Parents Association Meeting:  Tuesday, October 2, 2018, at 7:00 P.M., the October Parents Association meeting will take place in the library.  All parents and guardians are warmly encouraged to attend.

College Financial Aid Night:  On Wednesday, October 3, 2018, at 7:00 P.M. in the Robert Jay Performing Arts Center in Founders Hall, the Counseling Office will sponsor a College Financial Aid Night, aimed at assisting parents of college-bound seniors with understanding the particulars of applying for financial aid, and what to expect once you've begun the process.

Raffle Drive:  As many of you know, our annual Raffle Drive is continuing.  If students meet 70% of the goal by Wednesday, October 3, 2018, the next day, Thursday, October 4, will be a relaxed dress code day, and school will be closed for an extra day for Thanksgiving Break. Families will be notified by the end of the school day on Wednesday if the goal was met.  All proceeds generated through this drive support our mission to keep our Catholic, college preparatory, Xaverian education accessible to Central Massachusetts and Metro West families. The Raffle Drive runs through Friday, October 12.

Close of Interim One:  Grades for the 1st quarter interim will close Thursday, October 4, 2018 and you will receive an email notifying you that interim reports are ready for viewing on the portal by Friday, October 12,  if not before. The interim report marks the midpoint of the 1st quarter. While interims are not part of a student’s “official” academic record, they are intended to give students and their parents a sense of academic progress at the midpoint of each quarter.  Please review your student’s interim report with him and discuss his academic progress thus far. Be sure to congratulate your son where appropriate, while also discussing ways to improve grades that are less than desirable.   Additional support can be garnered from your son’s teachers and school counselor. If you need assistance logging into the parent portal, feel free to email Jane Harrington at jharrington@stjohnshigh.org.

P-Cubed: All current Saint John’s students are invited to attend our first P-Cubed (Pizza, Pioneers, and Prayer) Retreat this Thursday, October 4, from 5:00-7:00 P.M.

Professional Development Day:  School is closed for students this Friday, October 5, 2018 so we may hold a Professional Development Day for Saint John’s colleagues.

Columbus Day:  In observance of Columbus Day, Saint John’s will be closed on Monday, October 8, 2018.

Grandparents Day/PSAT Testing/Senior College Visit Day:  Wednesday, October 10, 2018 will be a busy day at Saint John’s.  On October 10, all Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors will sit for the administration of the PSAT exam.  Students should have at least two # 2 pencils, a calculator and a valid email address (so they can receive their scores) for this exam.  The PSAT will conclude by 12:15pm and students will be dismissed at that time.
Seniors do not take the PSAT, and therefore will not have school on Wednesday October 10, 2018.  All seniors are encouraged to use the day to visit local colleges, as part of their college search process.
Grandparents Day also takes place on October 10. Each year, Saint John’s invites the grandparents of our Freshmen students to a brunch, where they learn about their grandson’s school.  At the conclusion of the brunch program, our freshmen students take their grandparents on a tour of our campus. For more information regarding Grandparents Day, please contact Jodi Fontecchio at 508-842-8934, ext. 279.

First Night Soccer Game: Our Pioneers will take on Marlborough at home, under the lights, on Saturday, October 13, 2018.

A Day Retreat for Parents and Guardians: On Saturday, October 13, 2018, from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., a retreat will be offered for our parents and guardians.  Large-group presentation, storytelling, guided meditation, silent reflection, optional small-group sharing, opening and closing prayer, along with fellowship over meals, will all be part of a rewarding and enriching day.  Please rsvp or address any questions to Mr. Galligan at cgalligan@stjohnshighschool.org.

Inaugural Dad's Prayer Breakfast: We invite all Saint John's Dads to join us on Tuesday, October 16 from 7:15am - 8:45am for our Inaugural Dad's Prayer Breakfast - a morning of prayer, breakfast, and fellowship as we explore together what it means to be a Pioneer Dad.
Mass will be held in the Chapel at 7:15am, followed by breakfast in our Campus Ministry Center. We will conclude promptly at 8:45am. Please RSVP to Headmaster Alex Zequeira by October 12 at azequeira@stjohnshigh.org

Saint John’s Open House:  Saint John’s will conduct its second Open House on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 6:00 P.M..   We ask all Saint John’s families to encourage prospective students to attend our Open House event, in order to obtain a full sense of the Saint John’s experience.  Thank you for spreading the good news about Saint John’s, and please direct any admissions related questions to Mr. Justin Smith at 508-842-8934, ext. 230.

Fall Recital:  The Fall Recital, our first Fine Arts event of the year, will take place on Thursday, October 19 at 7:30 P.M. in the Robert R. Jay Performing Arts Center in Founders Hall.  The program will last for approximately one hour. We invite everyone to come and support our student musicians, as they share their talents with our school community.

Daily Bulletin:  Each school day, Saint John’s publishes the announcements that are read to our students during morning announcements, and it is posted to our portal for parent perusal.  Typically, the announcements contain information regarding clubs, sports, upcoming events and the like. Parents who routinely access it report that the document keeps them well informed of school-wide events.  To access our daily bulletin simply visit the resources page on the portal.



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