Principal's Note 1/3/18

Spring Play Will Go On

Thanks to the spirit and dedication of our parent volunteers, SJB will continue with its traditional spring musical. A few things will be different, but a plan is in place for student performance of Mulan Jr. in April. 

All students in grades 5-8 who are interested in participating in the spring play -- either onstage or offstage -- are invited to attend an initial workshop from 3 to 5 pm on Friday, Jan. 5, in room 6. Parents are invited to attend, too. 

Students and parents will be introduced to our new production team, led by Allan Brown (Eleanor 5^th). The directors and choreographers will explain their coaching and teaching methods, as well as their expectations for students. 

The practice/audition schedule that was sent home before the break has changed, so please use the calendar below as your guide. All rehearsals will take place in the Lyon Center. The one exception is the workshop on Friday, which will take place in room 6.

Performance dates remain the same:  

Wednesday, April 25, at 1 pm 

Thursday, April 26, at 7:30 pm 

Friday, April 27, at 7:30 pm 

Auditions for Mulan Jr. will be held on Monday, January 8, from 3 to 5 pm. 

Callbacks, if needed, will be Wednesday, January 10. 

The first read-through will be Friday, January 12, from 3 to 5 pm. 

Rehearsals generally will be after school from 3 to 5 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  On many days, rehearsals will require the attendance of specific actors.   

We will do our best to make sure that parents are notified ahead of time of their kids' rehearsal dates and times. Nancie Tassara (Sofia 7th) was enormously helpful last year with organization, coordination, and communication for the students and parents involved in the play. We are grateful that Mrs. Tassara has agreed to help with the coordination of the play. 

Students in grades 5-8 are encouraged to participate in the spring play, but it's not mandatory, and it won't count for a grade.  

During after-school rehearsals, school rules are in effect. Students are expected to support each other and to make the most productive use of their time, which means studying and doing homework during any performance breaks. 

The production team will require any student wishing to join the play to show that the student is in good academic standing. Students will need to maintain good academic standing to remain in the play. 

The production team recognizes the tradition of giving preference to 8^th graders when it comes to choosing students for lead roles. The directors say they will honor that tradition. They've asked faculty members to help them make an impartial assessment during auditions. 

For the first time, however, students in 5^th and 6^th grades may try out for roles in the play. It is the directors' goal to find roles for all students who want to participate. There is no plan to have a class chorus in the play. 

About the Director 

Allan Brown is an actor, director, and educator who has worked in Arlington County public schools teaching theatre for over 22 years.  He has a degree in performance and two masters in education.  He has directed over 50 middle and high school plays, and won two best production CAPPIES awards and eleven others for his high school productions.  He is building a team of vocal directors, choreographers, and technicians from around the region to produce Mulan Jr. this year.  He is currently the theatre teacher at Williamsburg Middle School in Arlington, Va.  His son Aidan graduated from SJB in 2017, and his daughter Eleanor is in 5^th grade. Kelly Brown, his wife, is an active parent volunteer. 

More information will be provided at the Friday workshop, and a current spring play calendar will appear on the Gold Folder webpage.

Mid-Term Exams To Begin Soon

Mid-term exams for students in grades 5-8 begin on Thursday, Jan. 11.

Fifth grade students take 1-hour exams in math and language arts and sixth grade students take 1-hour exams in language arts, math, science, social studies and religion. Students in 7th and 8th grades take 1.5-hour exams in all core subjects, including Spanish. They take two exams in language arts, one focusing on literature and one focusing on English.

 Join After School Science, STEM, Coding, Chess Clubs

Register here for after-school science club by Friday, January 26

Hot Lunch Orders Are Due

It's time to send in your orders for Thursday Hot Lunch.

Please send your completed order form and cash/check to the school office by Friday, Jan. 19.

Order Your Catholic Schools Week Family Lunch

Jan. 19 is also the deadline for the separate order form for the Catholic Schools Week Family Lunch on Thursday, Feb. 1. Please make sure that you send your order and payment on time so that we can order enough food for the lunch. The Family Lunch is a great SJB tradition. The community eats lunch together in the gym after Catholic Schools Week Mass and our morning Open House for current school parents. The children really look forward to having their parents visit them in the classroom and then attend Mass and eat lunch together.

Please mark Thursday, Feb. 1, on your calendar.

• Open House begins at 8:30 am.
• Mass begins at 10:45 am.
• Family Lunch begins after Mass.

The SJB faculty is planning to offer some extras for the families who attend this wonderful family lunch.

 Lunch Order Forms

 Christmas Show on Video

The Christmas Show is available on the school's Vimeo account using this link.

Thank you, Mr. Trebel, for dedicating hours to make the video. 

Please Be Considerate of Our Neighbors