New Second Grade Teacher is Mrs. Dodson
Our new 2nd grade teacher is Mrs. Jessica Dodson.
Mrs. Dodson recently moved with her family to the D.C. area from Hawaii, where her husband was on active-duty in the Navy. Mrs. Dodson's husband is now retired. They have two children and are parishioners at St. Joseph in Beltsville.
For the past three years, Mrs. Dodson has been a teacher in the English Language Learning program at Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary in Hawaii. She also taught preschool and religious education classes at St. Damien Catholic Church while living in Hawaii.
Mrs. Dodson previously lived in the DC area and taught 4th grade and 5th grade in Prince George's County Public Schools. Mrs. Dodson received her Bachelor's degree in elementary education from Chestnut Hill College in Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Dodson and Mrs. McGowan have been helping by teaching 2nd grade for the past week. Our previous teacher left the school after teaching for just over a week.
As Mrs. Dodson takes over, we wish to express our gratitude to the 2nd grade parents for their patience and support during this unexpected transition. We thank Mrs. McGowan for stepping in to teach the 2nd grade. Mrs. McGowan has been a substitute teacher and classroom teacher at SJB for years.
Mrs. Dodson said she has enjoyed getting to know the 2nd grade students, as well as the faculty members and some of the parents, and she is excited to teach the 2nd grade students over the school year.
Friday is a Half Day
This is just a reminder that dismissal is at 12 noon on Friday, Sept. 21. After Care will be available from 12 to 4 pm.
Home Access to Educational Websites
Parents, did you know that you and your children have subscriptions to several educational websites? The website list and home access information can be found on the Rediker Parent Portal under School Links and Files. Through the SJB Library, the school provides access to BrainPOP, World Book, Scholastic Go!, CultureGrams, SIRS Discoverer, and IXL Math and Language Arts. There are two files -- one for home access and one for school access. World Book is an online encyclopedia for the children, parents, and teachers. SIRS is part of the ProQuest research database, and CultureGrams provides information about the 50 states and places in the world. BrainPOP provides academic enrichment in all subjects.
7th Grade Bake Sale on Oct. 4
Money to Help Buy Bikes for Vietnamese Families
The 7th grade is having a bake sale during lunch on Thursday, Oct. 4, to support Viet Kids Inc., the organization started by Thanhha Lai, the author of the novel the 7th grade students read over the summer. The organization raises funds to buy bikes for Vietnamese families in need.
Lunch Duty SignUp
The lunch-duty signup link can be found on the Volunteer page and on the School Lunch page.
Here is the direct link to sign up for lunch duty.
Just follow the link, select an available date, select an available classroom, and then sign up for the open slot.
There's no need to register.
Family Flix is Friday, Sept. 28
Family Flix photos are due by Sept. 21.
Please send your summer-fun photos to sjb2018_ed76@sendtodropbox.com. We are limiting submissions to five photos per child to allow all to be seen in a timely manner. The photos will be compiled into a video shown before the movie on Sept. 28, Family Flix Night. We encourage SJB parish parents to participate. Please not that there is an underscore after the 8 in the email address.
Volunteers Needed for Family Flix
Please consider volunteering to make Movie Night a memorable evening for the kids. Complete the volunteer form, and if you have not bought tickets yet, please do!
Volunteers are needed for the following jobs:
- lug the projector screen equipment down to the field during the day on Sept. 28th
- help with concessions before or during the show
- be available to help on the day of Family Flix
Enjoy Picnic and Movie Under the Stars
All are welcome to this popular gathering of families and friends for a picnic and movie on the SJB field. Here's what you need to do:
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Mark the calendar (a parent's job)
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Send your funniest, greatest, favorite, recent family/friend pictures to the Trebel family for the traditional SJB pre-show before Sept. 22 (a parent's job)
Email to sjb2018_ed76@sendtodropbox.com. Please note that there's an underscore character in the email address after the 8. Thank you, Kevin Trebel, for volunteering once again to edit the video.
The order form was sent home in the Tuesday Folder.
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Coming soon ☺ Vote for your favorite movie during school time (a kid's job)
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Pack your beach chairs, blankets, and warm fleece jacket, grab grandma and grandpa on the way and come out to the SJB field on Sept. 28 at 6:30 pm and have fun (everybody’s job!!!)
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Family Flix Night is meant to entertain the whole family. There is no drop-off or pick-up option. There is NO supervision of children without an accountable adult.
For questions please contact Dianne Branch at branchfamilyof4@aol.com
SJB Plant Sale Flyer In the Tuesday Folder
Please see the Gold Folder for the SJB Plant Sale flyer. Plants will be delivered and may be picked up on the afternoon and night of Family Flix.
Join Us for International Night on Friday, Oct. 5
We are Blessed when we come together as a Community!
You are cordially invited to attend The SJB Cultural and Talent Night 2018.
WHO: St. John the Baptist School and Parish Community
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 5
TIME: 7-9 PM
WHERE: SJB School Gym
Join us in building our community spirit and celebrating St. John the Baptist cultural diversity. There will be live performances, international booths to visit, and international food to sample.
All kids are encouraged to participate in the “Parade of Nations” which will start at 7:20 pm. They can also dress up in their favorite traditional outfits.
If you are interested and would like to...
· Host a table from various countries around the world (provide food samples, information, photos, souvenirs, etc. from the sponsored country)
· Be part of the entertainment program for the evening (music, singing, dancing, story-telling, etc.)
· Help set-up/clean-up for the event
Please contact Jeannette Barberena via email at j_nette1@hotmail.com or Pamela Coupard-Nazir at bebegringa@gmail.com for further details or to sign up.
Register Here for Monday Afternoon Chess Club
Please see the flyer for the St. John the Baptist Chess Club.
Half Day & Lunch Grill -- On Friday, Sept. 21, there will be a $5 lunch grill after school. The lunch will include burger or hot dog, bag of chips, dessert, and water. The grill lunch will start right after dismissal at 12 noon. Proceeds will go toward 8th grade graduation activities. Parents who plan to stay for the grill lunch should park along the SJB or White Oak field fence so that they don’t block-in other parents. Because Friday is a half-day, After Care will be from 12 noon to 4 pm, and After Care children will be able to order from the grill. The 8th grade parent organizers who run the lunch said they will try to keep the line moving. Things slowed down last time when they had to change the propane tank.
No More Weekend Cleaning Crew -- The parish has eliminated its weekend cleaning service, and that will have an impact on weekend events planned by school parents. Parents completing an Event Request Form will have to identify volunteers to help with setup and cleanup.