You may want to put a heads up in the Principal’s Note that students will be taking the Faith Knowledge Assessment in the coming weeks. Eighth graders will also take the required Science test for BOOST and their end of year Scantron tests. Grade 1-7 will do their end of year testing in May.
Final Steps in Enrollment
- March 31 -- Returning Families Complete Registration To Guarantee Placement
- April 12 -- Parish Verification Forms Submitted for Catholic Rate
-- Forms Submitted to Request Parish Tuition Assistance
- May 1 to May 31 -- Families Select Tuition Payment Plan
-- $100 Fee Applies After May 31
Registration, enrollment, and tuition are done on TADS.
Registration must be completed by March 31 to help the school set enrollment for the 2019-20 school year. We want all of our families to return to SJB. If you are thinking about leaving, please contact me so that we can discuss your concerns. We want our families here to be happy with the school, and we want families seeking Catholic education to know about the opportunities at SJB.
After completing enrollment, there is one step to go. You must submit a tuition payment plan. In early May, you will receive a tuition payment plan email from TADS. If you don't receive the email, it may have gone into your junk mail. Or, you can log directly into TADS and go to agreements.
You will need to choose your tuition payment plan by June 1 or you will be charged a fee of $100. If you miss the June 1 deadline, you must submit your tuition payment plan by June 15 or you will be charged a fee of $150.
Please call the TADS parent support line (612.548.3320 or 800.477.8237) if you have questions about your TADS account.
Spring Play Cast Members Prepare for The Lion King
Parents of children in the spring play, please remember to check Mr. Shillingford's schedule, which was updated last week. Mr. Shillingford sent an email to all spring play families last Friday. There's a webpage dedicated to the spring play with a rehearsal schedule and cast information.
The spring musical is one of SJB's great traditions. Many families come to watch the student actors perform, and there's usually an audience section full of alumni. On the final night, the Erin Tervo Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a 7th grade student with some of the same qualities that made Mrs. Tervo beloved by students, faculty, parents, and friends: passion for the arts and mathematics, love of SJB, willingness to help others, Catholic loyalty.
Creative Writing Contest Launched
Traditions are highly valued at SJB. Our annual Creative Writing Contest is one tradition enjoyed by students and teachers. Every year a topic is announced which sparks the creativity and imagination in our young writers. This year will be our 26th year. Writing is such an important skill and we do try to give our students opportunities to exercise that skill. This year our topic will revolve around our school theme "Blessings." Life is filled with many blessings ~ sometimes small ones and sometimes big ones. Students will use their creativity and experiences to tell about the "Blessings" in their lives. We look forward to many SJB students entering this year. The judges cannot wait to read all the student entries. Here is the entry form. Deadline for entries is Friday, April 12. Share your blessings through a poem, picture book, or story!
SJB Students Offered $228,000 in Merit Scholarships
We are both proud and humbled by the impressive recognition of our 8th grade students in the form of high school acceptances and scholarship offers.
Four students were accepted by Elizabeth Seton High School. Scholarships of $66,000 were offered.
Six students were accepted by St. Vincent Pallotti. National Merit Scholarships of $28,000 were offered.
Eight students were accepted by St. John’s College High School. Two students were offered the presidential scholarship and entrance into the De La Salle Honor Program. Total scholarships of $32,000 were offered.
Five students were accepted by DeMatha High School. Merit scholarships of $20,000 were offered.
Five students were accepted by the Academy of the Holy Cross. One student was offered a scholarship of $20,000.
One student was accepted by Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart.
Two students were accepted by Gonzaga College High School.
Nine students were accepted by Our Lady of Good Counsel. One was offered the $50,000 St. Francis Xavier Scholarship. Three were invited into the Xaverian Honors and STEM programs. One was offered a National Merit Scholarship of $20,000.
The tentative total of academic, merit scholarships to the 27 members of the SJB Class of 2019 is $228,000.
Beyond the Catholic high schools, one student from SJB student was accepted to the following schools:
Richard Montgomery High School (magnet program)
Springbrook High School
Blake High School
Northwood High School
Please contact the school office (georgine.baugher@sjbsilverspring.org) to request more details of 8th grade high school applications.
Here is the order form for Hot Lunch Thursday for the 4th Quarter.
Apply Now for State Tuition Assistance
BOOST Deadline is April 17
Applications for Maryland BOOST scholarships are open until April 17. Families may use BOOST money to pay for private school tuition. SJB is a participating school and has families that have received money through BOOST. To complete a BOOST application, go to this website.
If you are asking, Should I apply or not? the chart below may help. The BOOST Program provides scholarships for students who would be eligible for the free lunch or reduced-price meals program if they were in a public elementary school. Here are the income requirements for those programs:
SJB Athletics Needs Sports Commissioners and Athletic Director
Please see the SJB Athletics information bulletin about the volunteer jobs that must be filled to carry on SJB sports.
Please see the Spring Sports Guide, as well.
Please Remember to Drive Slowly in the Neighborhood
There are children walking to school and families with children, so please be considerate of our neighbors as you drive to and from school in the morning.
Food will be collected by each class and held until March 30-31, when the parish will deliver food to the St. Camillus Food Pantry.
Eighth Grade Service
Bowie Baysox "Read and Hit a Homerun" Reading Program
A note from the program coordinator: The Bowie Baysox Reading Program posters have finally arrived! There were problems printing them and then our first set was delivered to the wrong address. Please encourage your child to finish reading the required four books (anything read inside or outside the classroom is fine) and simply check the box on the poster next to his or her name. Books read in January through March 29 (deadline extended one week) will count. Upon completion of this program, each student will receive two tickets(one can be used by an adult) to the Bowie Baysox baseball game on Saturday, May 18 at 6:35 pm where your child's accomplishments will be celebrated! It is a fun night, including a pre-game on-field parade and an amazing fireworks show after the game. Tickets will be distributed electronically. Please let me know if you are interested in carrying on this fun tradition by running this program next year. Thanks so much!
Maria Hippchen (Nicholas 8th) mbhippchen@gmail.com
SJB Summer Camp - Register Now!
SJB is offering a competitively priced childcare option during the first full week after the school year ends, June 17-21 from 8:30am-3pm. SJB camp is directed and staffed by faculty. Your child will get a head start on their summer math and reading work, create some masterpieces in art class, take a theater class, and make new memories with friends in a relaxed and nurturing environment. Registration is now open! See flyer for details.
Registration Begins for SJB Summer Science Camp
Camp Sessions at SJB from June 24 until Aug. 2
Here is the flyer for the SJB Camp this summer.
Here is the website for the SJB Science Camp.
Here is the registration page, and here is information on camp locations.
Register for Knights of Columbus Summer Camp
Here is the registration form.
LENTEN GRATITUDE CALENDAR
List one thing that you are grateful for everyday as a family or as an individual during Lent. Some ideas are filled in for you. At the end of Lenten, share it with others if you'd like. Submit your completed calendar to Cynthia Norris cnorris@sjbssparish.org to share with parishioners in the SJB bulletin during the Easter Season.
Here is your Lenten Gratitude Calendar.
Knights of Columbus Hershey Park Day
Check out the flyer for more information, and look for this on the Gold Folder page starting next week.
First Day of 2019-20 School Year is Tuesday, Aug. 27.