Principal's Note 4/9/19

School Board Needs New Members

The SJB School Board is looking for a few good candidates for its board.  Here are the openings:

• 1-year-term as Governance Chair
• 1-year-term as Public Relations Chair
• 1-year term as Nominations Chair
• 2-year-term as Treasurer

If you have any interest in any of these positions, contact the principal at brian.blomquist@sjbsilverspring.org.

There Are Openings for Lunch Duty 

Do you still need to make your quota of five lunch-duties? There are spots open for lunch duty. Go here to sign up.

Third Quarter On-A-Roll Awards

Students in grades 5-8 received 3rd quarter awards on Monday. Students in grades K-4 receive awards on Thursday. The academic and Christian-spirit awards have gone out after each quarter this year.

Preschool Will Include Small Group of 3-Year-Olds

We are giving our current school families the first chance to sign up for preschool for their 3-year-old children for the 2019-20 school year. We plan to have one small group of five 3-year-olds, so space is limited.

Go here to apply.

Please read the preschool letter to learn more.

Volunteer for Great Books in the Classroom

One of our favorite academic traditions is our own SJB version of the Great Books program. We need parent volunteers to make the Great Books program successful.

Here's how it works:

Teachers in Kindergarten through third grade select five or six students to participate. Volunteers for each grade coordinate a seminar during the school day with the teacher. Seminars are typically 30 minutes. The time limit is determined by the teacher. During a seminar, you read a story with the students and lead an activity. You make the plan, though there are lots of ideas you can use. In the past, students have enjoyed role playing, interactive sessions, group discussions. You are expected to lead five seminars and discuss one story per session. Stories, ideas, and props  from past years are provided.

This is a great opportunity for a parent who wants to volunteer in the classroom. It's also a great way to get to know a group of students.

If you have any interest in leading a Great Books group, please contact Mrs. Vinson at cryspyfry@gmail.com.

Remaining Faith Knowledge Assessment Schedule

Eighth graders will take their final Scantron tests earlier than students in grades 5-7.

Eighth Grade Reading & Math Scantron

Students in grades 1-7 will do their end of year Scantron testing in May. We will post the schedule when it is set.

Students May Wear Summer Uniforms

Students may now wear shorts as part of their summer uniforms to school. For detailed information, school uniform code may be found on page 30 of the Parent Handbook, which states:

Order Deadline Tomorrow for 8th Grade T's

To order a t-shirt, complete the order form. Anyone with an 8th grade T-shirt may wear it on May 10.

Parish Verification Forms Must Be Submitted by April 17

To be eligible for the sibling discount and/or the Catholic rate, a completed Parish Verification Form must be provided to the school office by April 17. It is parish policy that the Parish Verification Form be completed each year. To receive the Catholic rate, outside parishioners must submit a Parish Verification Form with their pastor’s signature (or an attached letter from their pastor). Families may use the Parish Verification Form to request parish tuition assistance. A printable Parish Verification Form can always be found on the Tuition page of the school website.

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 April 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 information can be found here...

Summer camp information is here...

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!

Apply Now for BOOST 

Tuition Assistance 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.