Please Consider Becoming a Room Parent for Next Year
SJB needs new room-parent volunteers to keep the community informed and active.
The room parent's role is to serve as a communication liaison between the classroom teacher and the classroom parents. There's at least one room parent for each grade. Room parents help to communicate to the class parents before special events like Halloween and Breakfast with Santa.
If you want to volunteer and aren't sure how, becoming a room parent can be a great way to start. Most of the communication is directed by the school room-parent coordinator, Mrs. Jeanine Regan (Madelyn 4th), who has been the coordinator for several years. We're happy to report that Mrs. Mary Lombardo (Jonathan 6th, Theodore 3rd) will be the room-parent coordinator for the 2021-22 school year.
If you are interested in becoming a room parent for your child's class next year, please write your name and the grade you are interested in serving on the Room Parent Sign-Up Form.
If you have questions, contact Mrs. Jeanine Regan at jeanine.regan@sjbsilverspring.org.
May Crowning is Wednesday, May 12
The annual May Crowning procession will take place at 10:30 am on Wednesday, May 12.
It's tradition that students bring flowers and wear white or navy blue shirts for the May Crowning procession.
Instead of having the ceremony and prayer service in the church, the crowning of Mary and the prayer service will take place outside this year.
Here's what's coming at SJB:
Wednesday, May 12
8th Grade Pictures 9:30 am
May Crowning 10:30 am
May 10-13 Teacher Appreciation Week
Wednesday, May 19 Outside Living Rosary 11 am
May 24-26 8th Grade Exams
Monday 8:20 LA Literature 12:30 Social Studies
Tuesday 8:20 Science 12:30 Spanish
Wednesday 8:20 LA English 11:30 Math
Thursday, May 27 8th Grade Make-ups
Friday, May 28 Field Day & 12 Noon Dismissal
9:00-10:00 am Activities Preschool to Grade 3
10:15-11:15 am Activities Grades 4-7
11:30 am School Relay Race
12 Noon Dismissal
Saturday, June 5 8th Grade Graduation 10 am
June 7-10 Final Exams Grades 5-7
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FINAL EXAMS |
Grade 5 |
Grade 6 |
Grade 7 |
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Monday, June 7 |
Math |
Language Arts |
Language Arts Social Studies |
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Tuesday, June 8 |
Language Arts |
Math |
Science Spanish |
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Wednesday, June 9 |
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Math
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Thursday, June 10 |
Make-ups |
Make-ups |
Make-ups |
Friday, June 11
Last Day of School
11 am Prayer Service
12 Noon Dismissal
Thank You For Your Feedback on Cultural Celebrations
The results of the cultural backgrounds survey will help the school plan events and activities for the 2021-22 school year. We want each child and family to feel a sense of belonging at SJB. If you missed the survey, here's a link.
To view current SJB demographics, see the About SJB webpage and scroll down for the 2020-21 data.
Are You Interested in Serving on the SJB School Advisory Board?
The advisory board meets once per month, in person or online, during the school year. Contact the principal at brian.blomquist@sjbsilverspring.org if you are interested.
SJB 4th Grade Writing, Friendship and Service Featured in Washington Post
SJB Celebrates Vietnamese Hung King Day
Students wore colorful clothes for Hung King's Day, a major Vietnamese holiday and honored Vietnam and our many families of Vietnamese heritage with a Hung King procession around the field. Students were encouraged by the Vietnamese parents and grandparents who came out to watch.
Students Proud of Their "Motherships"
Students completed their Mothership creations last week. Made entirely of recycled materials and based on George Clinton's famous funk-delivering Mothership, the students said their motherships brought peace, love, friendship and many other positive qualities to the world.
Students collaborated online with their older or younger "buddies" to plan their Motherships last month.
Chalk the Walk = Great Fun and Fun Art
SJB Raises $1,000 for Clean Water for South Sudan
The SJB service project led by the 6th grade raised $1,000 for Water for South Sudan. The students learned about the water-filtration project and the Lost Boys of Sudan by reading A Long Walk to Water in language arts class.
We're Getting the Band Back Together
Last week, our 8th grade band members practiced together for the first time since the start of the pandemic more than a year ago. Our terrific band director, Ms. Tifford, has outside practice sessions scheduled for 7th grade band members this Thursday (4/22) and 6th grade members next Thursday (4/29).
While they practice together in the courtyard outside the church, the students maintain 6 feet of distance and wear masks except when they're playing their instruments. We've scheduled separate sessions for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades... for now.
St. John the Jogger
See this page for information about the St. John the Jogger, a 5K run to benefit the St. Camilllus Food Pantry.
The SJB grade with the highest participation in the Jogger will be awarded an out-of-uniform day.
SJB Families Made 1,000 Sandwiches for the Poor & Hungry
Shop and benefit SJB at the same time
Go to Amazon Smile and select St. John the Baptist School in Silver Spring as your charitable organization.
Click on the icon to go to the SJB Amazon page.
Remember... SJB Online Calendar has the latest info
Praying to Sleeping St. Joseph to Take Our Worries
We're encouraging the children to pray to sleeping St. Joseph to take away their fears and worries. 
Pandemic Poetry Contest
April is National Poetry Month, and this year SJB invited students in grades 1-8 to write poems with the pandemic in mind. Poetry helps us understand and appreciate that we are not alone when we experience emotions such as grief, pain, joy, or happiness. Contest winners will be announced at the end of the school year.
Apply for BOOST Scholarship for 2021-22 School Year
Applications Due before May 17
Several SJB students receive BOOST scholarships for tuition ranging from $1,000 to $4,400.
Pride in Our 8th Grade
We are proud of our 8th grade students: the SJB Class of 2021.
We pray for them as they make their high school decisions and prepare for the new challenges of high school. They applied to high schools before Christmas and received admissions letters two weeks ago.
Here's a closer look at the Class of 2021 by the numbers.
24 – Number of 8th Grade Students
15 – Number of Students Who Applied to Catholic High Schools
44 – Number of Catholic High School Acceptances
$238,000 – Amount Offered in Merit Scholarships
Individual Catholic High School Acceptances
14 – Our Lady of Good Counsel
8 – St. John’s College High School
5 – St. Vincent Pallotti
5 – Academy of the Holy Cross
4 – DeMatha
1 – Elizabeth Seton
1 – Connelly School of the Holy Child
1 – Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
2 – Gonzaga
Tuition Payment Plans Sent
Tuition payment plans have been sent by email through TADS.
Go to Agreements in your TADS account, select your tuition payment plan, and click submit.
Check Out the Video Playlist Celebrating Our Catholic School
4th Grade Pen Pals Are National News
SJB 4th graders were featured on the CBS Evening News, which was watched all over the United States. Here's the 90-second CBS video feature, which focused on the 4th grade students' pen-pal relationships with elderly residents of Brooke Grove retirement village. The network news team came to the SJB courtyard to watch and talk with the students, Ms. Herritz, the 4th grade teacher, and Mrs. Jenkins, the writing teacher.
Diversity Panel Membership
If you are interested in being a part of the SJB Diversity Panel, please reach out to Elisabeth Chakmakian-Lodge (Gus 7th, Milo 3rd) or Stephanie Mitjans (Ava PK, Sierra 3rd) at echakmakian@gmail.com or stephanie.george1@gmail.com. The panel supports the school's efforts to provide a true sense of belonging to all students and families.
Is it Too Soon to Think About Summer Babysitting?
Robin Hood Swim Club in Sherwood Forest is accepting new member applications. Several SJB families are members at the pool. Learn more by going to the website, calling 301-758-3894, or emailing membership@robinhoodpool.club.
School Directory Accessible on Portal App
The school directory is accessible to families through the password-protected Parent Portal and the Parent Plus app on their phones. School parents may view the directory by staff, student, or parent.
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SJB Website in Vietnamese: Trang web SJB bằng tiếng Việt
SJB Website in Spanish: Sitio web de SJB en español
Box Tops Have Gone Digital
Just a reminder that the Box Tops for Education program is now digital. With the Box Tops app, snap a picture or email the Box Top to give SJB credit and $$$.
To download the mobile app, just search for Box Tops for Education (in the App store).
- Register to support SJB
- In the app, take a picture of your receipt (within 14 days of purchase) and it will automatically add your Box Tops to SJB's earnings
- Or email online receipts to receipts@boxtops4education.com from the linked email address registered to the Box Tops app
SJB Now on Instagram
If you are on Instagram, follow us at sjbsilverspring.
Class Information Posted on Portal
Homework assignments are typically posted each afternoon by 4:00 pm.
To see what's coming up, go to the class summary. Look for your child's name and then look to select the Classroom tab to the right. Select the name of the class from the drop-down list, and then select Class Page. You should see Class Summary, Announcements, Files, and Links.
Parents, are you on Facebook? We are!
Follow our SJB page: https://www.facebook.com/SJBSilverSpring/
Admire the latest and greatest masterpieces in the Art Room: https://www.facebook.com/ArtWithMrs.Leishear
Discover what's happening in the Computer Lab: https://www.facebook.com/sjbtechnology
SJB Athletics is on Facebook. Visit and "like" the SJB Athletics Facebook page to receive more timely information about registration, events and opportunities to participate in SJB Athletics.