Issue 2
August 17, 2016
The Good News from SJB… Mark Your Calendar
Back to School Night (parents only) August 18
Accelerated Reader (AR) Begins August 22
Labor Day No School September 5
Annual Appeal Kickoff: A Gift from the Heart (formerly Fall Fest) September 11
Principal’s Weekly Letter The school year began with students, grades 1-5, celebrating the Feast of the Assumption with Saint John the Baptist Middle School. As Catholics, we believe that Mary was free from all sin. The Archangel Gabriel recognized her as “full of grace” and “blessed among women.” Mary has been given an extraordinary role in the history of salvation, and it is customary in the Church to give Mary unequaled admiration and respect, greater than any other saint. You are welcome to join Saint John the Baptist Elementary for Mass next Wednesday, August 24, and each Wednesday thereafter unless noted on the calendar. The Cross for Vocations program will begin next Wednesday as well, in which a class and family host a crucifix for the week and pray for vocations. We usually identify priests, deacons, sisters and nuns, as having vocations. However, everyone has a vocation, or a particular calling from God. The Catholic Church recognizes that there are four “states of life” through which we live out our particular calling from God - marriage, single life as a layperson, Holy Orders (bishop, priest or deacon), and consecrated religious. Each of these states of life provides a structure within which the person lives out his/her universal call to holiness. It also guides the person in using the unique gifts and talents he or she has received from God for the service of others in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your cooperation and patience with Saint John the Baptist Elementary’s arrival and dismissal procedures. The students have done a fantastic job lining up, modeling consideration, friendship and respect for other students when they arrive. For the safety of all students, dropoff and pickup in Bell Tower Circle are only allowed between the numbered signs 1-5. The students are dismissed as follows: 3:00pm (12:45pm): 1st Grade 3:01pm (12:46pm): 2nd Grade 3:02pm (12:47pm): 3rd Grade 3:03pm (12:48pm): 4th Grade 3:04pm (12:49pm): 5th Grade
Issue 2
August 17, 2016
Principal’s Weekly Letter (cont.) They are walked by their teacher to dismissal locations in the following order: Bell Tower (including Walkers) - Guardian Angel Daycare – Kindergarten Doors. While the first few days seem hectic, all students have been picked up by 3:20pm, and the flow of traffic will continue to improve. Your cooperation and patience in following both the arrival and dismissal procedures assists in ensuring each child’s safety. Back to School Night is tomorrow – Thursday, August 18. Back to School Night is an opportunity for you to learn about the curricula your son/daughter will be exploring, classroom expectations, homework policies and more! This year’s evening is structured as follow: •
General Sessions (Multipurpose Room) o 7:00pm: Last Name A-K o 7:20pm Last Name L-Z Meet the administration, School Board, members of the Home & School Association, learn a few tidbits about the school and understand how you can support Saint John the Baptist Elementary.
•
Classroom Sessions: 7:00 – 7:25 – 7:50pm o Choose from one of the three sessions that will be held in your child(ren)’s classroom(s).
Even though Saint John the Baptist Elementary has been constructed with materials that do not contain asbestos, federal regulations require that schools be inspected for the presence of asbestos, a toxic material that has been used in the construction industry for a number of years. A letter from the architect stating the fact that Saint John the Baptist Elementary has no asbestos containing material has been sent to the State Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality, Salt Lake City, Utah. Copies of this letter are on file in the school office and at the Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Salt Lake City, 27 C Street, Salt Lake City, Utah. Please call – 801-984-7116 - or email –
[email protected] - with questions/concerns. Due to school and Diocesan commitments, please make an appointment when necessary to ensure that I am available and able to attend to your questions/concerns. I will be off campus next Monday-Wednesday, August 22-24, to take my son to college. Mrs. Burchett, Assistant Principal, and Mrs. Romero, Administrative Intern, will be available. On behalf of the faculty and staff, we are looking forward to working with you in your child(ren)’s educational endeavors! In Christ, Nikki Ward, Principal
Issue 2
August 17, 2016
DIBELS & STAR Assessments: Saint John the Baptist Elementary uses three schoolwide assessments - DIBELS, STAR Math & STAR Reading - to examine how students are doing in reading and math. DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, and the individual tests, called subtests, vary from grade to grade. Each DIBELS subtest takes only about one minute to do because they are used as indicators. Much like using a thermometer to take a child’s temperature is an indicator of overall health, each subtest is an indicator of how well a child is doing in learning a particular early reading skill. DIBELS is used with millions of children throughout the United States. A child’s score on a subtest tells us whether the child is likely “on track” in reading, or whether that child may need some additional help. The STAR Assessments (Math & Reading) are computer-adaptive tests administered to look at student achievement. In addition, they are used to monitor growth throughout the school year, and help teachers plan instruction. Next week, August 22-26, students will be assessed in DIBELS (Grades 1-5) and the STAR Assessments (Grades 2-5). You will receive your child’s results once the assessments have been completed.
DON’T FORGET… Back to School Night is tomorrow, August 18, 2016 at 7:oo pm (Parents Only)
All students at Saint John the Baptist Elementary have an account on IXL (www.ixl.com), a subscriptionbased program for Math (Grades PK-5) and Language Arts (Grades 1-5). Your child’s username is the first initial of his/her first name and last name (nward) or first name and last name (nikkiward), depending on the year that he/she entered Saint John the Baptist Elementary. His/Her password is 1234. IXL is integrated into the classroom, as teachers may assign specific topics for students to complete for homework, and is utilized for both intervention and enrichment. IXL automatically adapts to each student's individual skill level. If a student is struggling with a topic, questions will get a little bit easier until the student proves he or she is ready to move on to tougher challenges. Your child can currently utilize the Math skills on IXL, and by Monday, August 22, will be able to access the Language Arts skills. There is good information for parents on the IXL website. Two ways to access your son/daughter’s account: 1. www.ixl.com Username (not case sensitive) followed by @sjb. 2. www.ixl.com/signin/sjb Username (not case sensitive) Thank you to the many students who turned in their IXL Summer 2016 Bingo Challenge and will be recognized individually!
Issue 2
August 17, 2016
Congratulations to the following students who were the 10 top-performing students (based on skills mastered) per grade on IXL this summer: PreKindergarten: Vincent Amidei, Kooper Doran, Ryan Gredvig, Karl Haisch, Samuel Kruse, Brylee Larson, Jarleyn Perez Ramirez, Domenic Roddy, Tyce Sanders & Sam Sapienza Kindergarten: Treesa Anil, Alexandra Aris, Malcolm Brown, Jesse Galati, Isaac Garcia, Noah Gaytan, Aadi Jaikumar, Jakeb Swanson, Casmiro ValDez & Jameson Wigton 1st Grade: Catherine Aris, Ryan Brinkerhoff, Riley Brown, Mia Fortune, Christopher Joklik, Natalie Lafave, Olivia Raleigh, Zachary Sapienza, Gavin Wagner & Thayra Woolcott 2nd Grade: Olivia Aiello, Garrison Aris, Isabelle Garcia, Nolan Jones, Jerry Joseph, Parker Kolkebeck, Aidan Mack, Boston Roberts, Bella Swanson & Khoi Tran 3rd Grade: Joseph Anil, Miranda Bosh, Ella Fortune, Phinnaeus Johnson, Kian Mazur, Malena Modtland, Aidan Neal, Jacob Tanner, Ivannah Ugarte & Maz Wilker 4th Grade: Gavin Brady, Ava Brinkerhoff, Gabriel Gold, Avery Kolkebeck, Owen Kotter, Kristen Lafave, Alexander Modtland, Abigail Quigley, Caitlin Ridings & Paige ValDez 5th Grade: Gael Almonacid, Roman Elvidge, Isabella Hategan, Sophia Moeller, Lucas Neal, Emma Pasternak, Maya Reid, Lara Shroff, Chaz Swanson & Aidan Wigton
Dear Parents and Families, The Scholastic Book Fair will be at our school September 7th to September 9th from 8:00-3:30 and a special Fall Fest Event is scheduled for September 11th from 3:00-7:00 pm. Our new Book Fair theme for fall 2016 is Bookaneer Book Fair: Where books are the treasure! This season’s Book Fair will be a swashbuckling celebration full of adventurous activities and hundreds of books kids want to read.
We need your help! Click HERE to volunteer. Thank you so much!
Issue 2
August 17, 2016
Juan Diego Youth Lacrosse Boys & Girls Kgt-8th
To introduce kids of all experience and ability to the empowering and lifeenriching practice of long distance running through a positive experience that emphasizes FUN and rewards effort, attitude and personal bests. Early Bird Registration (June 1 - July 31): $65; Regular Registration (August 1-15): $80 including team jersey; $15 discount for parents willing to volunteer for at least four (4) practices. Enter the coupon code VOLUNTEER at checkout. Click HERE to view flyer
register at: jdlax.weebly.com
Issue 2
August 17, 2016
It’s time for 5th 8th UCAA Volleyball!! Playing other sports? Not to worry! UCAA is a fun, recreational way to learn volleyball. Each team practices 12 times per week depending on coach’s needs. There are 2 games every Saturday for 6 weeks starting on 9/10 and ending on 10/29 with a tournament (dates may shift by one week). This is an enjoyable, recreational sport where you don’t need any experience. You will learn as you go while having fun with your peers. REGISTRATION: This year you will need to register online. Please go to:
https://goo.gl/T5STJZ Payment options are not available online, so you will need to turn in the REGISTRATION FEE of $65.00 to the office. Make checks payable to: Saint John the Baptist. Please mark the check or money for UCAA Volleyball Attention: Denise Page. If you are unable to pay the registration fee, please let me know because we want all children to be able to play. If your child would like to be on a team with specific people, make a notation with your registration money. Please note we will make every attempt to place you together, but there is no guarantee.
DEADLINE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 Please email (preferred),
[email protected] or call Denise Page at 8016315469 with any questions you may have.
COME JOIN THE FUN
Issue 2
August 17, 2016
Celebrating+Skaggs+Catholic+Center+Schools’+++
Annual+Appeal+Kickoff+++++ “A Gift from the Heart”
FALL FEST 2016 SUNDAY SEPT. 11 3pm - 7pm
SJB GAME BOOTHS * JDCHS DISPLAYS * FOOD TRUCKS * BEER TENT JD CHEER * JD SILVERLINE DRILL * JD COLOR GUARD * SJBMS CHEER TOURS OF THE NEW WING * SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR and MORE!
