Principal's Note 4/1/25

Fourth Grade Presidents Deliver Speeches Fourth-grade students made their annual presentations about the presidents before students and families. Planning for the Summer? See the SJB Summer Camps Page Current SJB students are invited to three exciting weeks of Christ-centered summer fun! SJB Summer Camp is led by our dedicated SJB teachers and staff. The camp is open to all students entering Kindergarten through 8th grade at SJB. Go here for more information about camps, pools, and tutors. Order SJB Spirit Wear See the flyer for the SJB 2025 T-Shirt . Orders are accepted through April 14. Proceeds go to SJB School. Are you Interested in Helping with Career Day? Complete the career day form if you are a parent with child-protection certification and you are interested in talking with students about your career on the morning of Wednesday, April 16. There's Still Time to Register for Tee Ball See the SJB Athletic Ministry webpage for more information and to register. Get Your Tickets for the May 3 Father-Daughter Dance The Father-Daughter Dance is set for 7 pm on Saturday, May 3. Here's the invitation with ticket-ordering information . Buy Tickets to Father Daughter Dance Lenten Food Drive The school is supporting the parish Lenten food drive to benefit the John S. Mulholland Family Foundation and the nine parish food pantries that serve DC's poor. Classes will collect non-perishable food until Friday, April 4. ● Canned Tuna or chicken ● Cheerios or other low sugar cereal ● Canned vegetables (green beans, corn, peas) ● Canned soup (hearty varieties are best) ● Peanut butter and jelly (plastic only; no glass) ● Baked Beans, Mac & Cheese, Chef Boyardee ● Pasta and Pasta Sauce (plastic only; no glass) ● Giant Food $25 Gift Cards

Students in grades 5-8 have been spending their afternoons rehearsing for the spring show, High School Musical. Performances are set for the nights of Thursday and Friday, May 1 and 2, in the SJB gymnasium. Mr. Mendoza has been directing with the help of Dr. C (choreography) and Ms. Dodson (costumes). Sixth Grade Off to Outdoor Ed This Week Our 6th grade students will be spend the next three days hiking, team building, and learning about the outdoors. They leave for the Skycroft Center in western Maryland on Wednesday and return on Friday. Continuing a long tradition, the SJB 6th graders will be joined by the 6th grade students of St. Bart's Catholic School in Bethesda. Two Reminders Half Day on Friday -- Dismissal is at 12 noon on Friday, March 21. No School on Monday -- There is no school on Monday, March 24, for the staff retreat. Are you Interested in Helping with Career Day? Complete the career day form if you are a parent with child-protection certification and you are interested in talking with students about your career on the morning of Wednesday, April 16. Flag Football and Tee Ball Registration are Open Flag football registration closes on Saturday, March 22. Tee Ball registration closes on April 3. Our teams need coaches. See the SJB Athletic Ministry webpage for more information and to register. Thank You, Volunteers, for Your Help with Arts & Academics Volunteer judges are essential to our 6th and 7th grade art presentations and science projects. Thank you, parents and supporters, for volunteering to judge the presentations and projects. Thank you to all of the parents, friends, and relatives who came to the Arts & Academics showcase on Wednesday. Thank you, parents, for supporting your children as they worked on their projects. Volunteer Credits to Be Counted in May Volunteer credits are tallied by the HSA from August to the start of May. Families with K-8 students that did not get at least 4 credits (or 2 credits for single-parent families) will see volunteer credit fees added to their tuition invoices in May. The fee for a family that receives 4 credits: $0 The fee for a family that receives 3 credits: $125 The fee for family that receives two credits: $250 The fee for a family that receives 1 credit: $375 The fee for a family that receives no credits: $500 Credits cannot be carried over to the next year. The SJB volunteer page includes a form for requesting credit for volunteer work you have done, an HSA overview of the volunteer-credit program , and a guide to HSA events and volunteer needs, as well as a lunch-duty signup form and a list of steps to child-protection certification. SJB Blood Drive March 23 St John the Baptist is committed to strengthening our community and helping meet hospital and patient needs through blood donations. The Luminis Health Blood mobile will be in the SJB Lyon’s center parking lot Sunday March 23, from 8:30 to 1:30. Please join in this life saving event. To donate you must be age 18-74, in good overall health and at least 110 pounds. It takes 10 minutes to donate blood. Signup link: https://calendly.com/luminishealthdrives/stjohn-thebaptist Contact Anna M. Moretti at morettia310@gmail.com for questions or assistance with sign up.

Arts & Academics is Here Student projects and judges of the 6th grade arts presentations are asked to arrive at the gym at 5:30 on Tuesday, March 11. The first round of 6th grade art presentations begin at 6:00. There is a break with dinner provided, followed by the second round of presentations at 7:00. Volunteers are schedule to come to the gym throughout Tuesday to judge 7th grade science projects. Arts & Academics Showcase is Wednesday at 7:00 Families are welcome to view the Arts & Academics projects in the gym on Wednesday, March 12, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Projects of students in all grades will be on display. Families should take the projects home at the end of the gallery walk. See the gallery walk flye r. Cereal Collection for Food Pantry Was a Success We collected many boxes of cereal for the SJB Knights of Columbus, which took them to the St. Camillus Food Pantry. Thank you for your donations. Before we handed over the boxes cereal, we had a little fun with them. Ballet Theatre of Maryland Performs for SJB Students Students in all grades enjoyed the Ballet Theatre of Maryland's performance of Sleeping Beauty last Friday. Here are a few of the dancers . Afterward, several dancers stayed and talked with the students about their art and their performance of Tchaikovsky's ballet. The dancers said SJB's students were their best audience yet. Congratulations, 7th graders Aman Solomon and Shanthi Solomon Each was a winner of the Catholic Business Network essay contest. Each won a $1,000 scholarship. Seventh grade students at more than a dozen area Catholic schools entered essays in the contest. Congratulations, Aman! Congratulations, Shanthi! Are you Interested in Helping with Career Day? Complete the career day form if you are a parent with child-protection certification and you are interested in talking with students about your career on the morning of Wednesday, April 16. Thank You, Athletic Ministry, for the Sports Equipment Shed In addition to the recess equipment kept in each classroom, there's now a common recess shed stocked with sports equipment including basketballs, soccer balls, volleyball, tennis balls, footballs, nerf balls, and a pump. The equipment in the shed is available to all students during recess. The 4th grade has agreed to be in charge of opening and locking the equipment shed. The school is grateful to the Athletic Ministry and the Fitzgerald family for donating the shed and assembling and installing it over the weekend. Yearbook Ad Deadline Approaching Get your yearbook recognition ads in by March 16! See the flyer for link to design and purchase. Volunteer Credits to Be Counted in May Volunteer credits are tallied by the HSA from August to the start of May. Families with K-8 students that did not get at least 4 credits (or 2 credits for single-parent families) will see volunteer credit fees added to their tuition invoices in May. The fee for a family that receives 4 credits: $0 The fee for a family that receives 3 credits: $125 The fee for family that receives two credits: $250 The fee for a family that receives 1 credit: $375 The fee for a family that receives no credits: $500 Credits cannot be carried over to the next year. The SJB volunteer page includes a form for requesting credit for volunteer work you have done, an HSA overview of the volunteer-credit program , and a guide to HSA events and volunteer needs, as well as a lunch-duty signup form and a list of steps to child-protection certification. Please See the HSA Newsletter Here is the HSA newsletter for March . SJB Blood Drive March 23 St John the Baptist is committed to strengthening our community and helping meet hospital and patient needs through blood donations. The Luminis Health Blood mobile will be in the SJB Lyon’s center parking lot Sunday March 23, from 8:30 to 1:30. Please join in this life saving event. To donate you must be age 18-74, in good overall health and at least 110 pounds. It takes 10 minutes to donate blood. Signup link: https://calendly.com/luminishealthdrives/stjohn-thebaptist Contact Anna M. Moretti at morettia310@gmail.com for questions or assistance with sign up. Prayers for Father Glen We are praying for Father Glen Willis, who died on Saturday, March 8. Here is the letter from our pastor, Father Andrew, to parishioners about Father Glen's passing. Dear Friends, As we announced at our Masses this past Sunday, Fr. Glen Willis, SDS, was called home to the Lord last Saturday, March 8th. As many of our parishioners know, Fr. Willis faithfully served at St. John the Baptist for many years as a weekend associate, blessing our parish community with his warmth, kindness, and music. A priest of the Society of the Divine Savior (Salvatorians), Fr. Glen also served for many years at Camp St. Charles in southern Maryland. Please keep Fr. Willis's family and loved ones in you prayers, as well as members of the Salvatorian community, during this difficult time. All are welcome to join us for Fr. Willis's Visitation/Prayer Service at Collins Funeral Home and Funeral Mass at St. John the Baptist next week: Sunday, March 16th , from 2:00-4:00pm (Prayer Service around 3:00pm) Visitation/Prayer Service at Collins Funeral Home 500 University Blvd W, Silver Spring, MD 20901 S Monday, March 17th , from 10:00am-11:00am Visitation at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Monday, March 17th, at 11:00am Funeral Mass at St. John the Baptist Eternal rest grant unto Fr. Willis, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace, and may his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. In Christ, Fr. Andrew

Arts & Academics Next Week We are still looking for judges for the 6th grade art presentations. Please see the flyer to find out how to become an Arts & Academics judge for volunteer credits. Students and judges of the 6th grade arts presentations are asked to arrive at the gym at 5:30 on Tuesday, March 11. The first round of 6th grade art presentations begin at 6:00. There is a break with dinner provided, followed by the second round of presentations at 7:00. Volunteers are schedule to come to the gym throughout Tuesday to judge 7th grade science projects. Gallery Walk is Wednesday at 7:00 Families are welcome to view the Arts & Academics projects in the gym on Wednesday, March 12 , from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Projects of students in all grades will be on display. Families should take the projects home at the end of the gallery walk. Yearbook Ad Deadline Approaching Two weeks left to get your yearbook recognition ads in! Ads must be submitted by March 16. See flyer for link to design and purchase. Sleeping Beauty Comes to SJB The Ballet Theater of Maryland will perform an abridged version of "Sleeping Beauty," set to the music of Tchaikovsky, before a student audience in the gym on Friday morning. SJB Students to Attend Ash Wednesday Mass Ashes will be distributed at the end of Mass on Ash Wednesday, March 5. The school attends Mass on Wednesday morning at 8:30. What did SJB do for Black History Month? With the support of the SJB Diversity Committee, which is made up of parents and teachers, the 7th grade took a field trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture . What else happened in February? The preschool created Alma Thomas-inspired heart collages. The kindergarten read Ron's Big Mission about astronaut Ronald McNair. The 1st grade read about Jackie Robinson and made a baseball fact craft. The 1st grade also read about Rosa Parks, Mae Jamison, and George Washington Carver. The 2nd grade learned about writer and poet Nikki Giovanni. The 3rd grade made Christian Robinson-style self portraits and did Black History Projects. The 4th grade learned about the Heidelberg Project of Detroit artist Tyree Guyton and about W.W. Law of Savannah, Ga. The 5th grade learned about the colorful abstract paintings of Alma Thomas and did art-inspired math activities. The 6th grade read The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley and, in math, studied Gee's Ben quilts . The 7th grade completed math activities related to Hidden Figures . The 8th grade created circle art geometry inspired by artist Alma Thomas and, in language arts, read stories and poems of the Harlem Renaissance. The 8th grade also started reading the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird . Mrs. Pifer's English Language Learner reading groups did activities related to jazz and Trombone Shorty. Study skills students in 6th grade did activities related to Reggie Laurent's collages . In Library, Mrs. Castillo read stories by Black authors and about Black characters throughout the month. Connections See the weekly Bulletin . See SJB Instagram . See the SJB Athletic Ministry .

Prayers for 8th Grade Students -- We are praying for our 8th grade students who are receiving admissions notices from the Catholic high schools this week. A few schools notified our SJB students last Friday. Most schools will notify students of their admissions decisions this coming Friday after 3:00 pm. Please keep our students in your prayers. Prayers for Our Parents Who Are Federal Workers – We are praying for the parents who are at risk of losing their jobs, and we are praying for the families of those parents. If you are a school parent who recently has been laid off, please contact me about making an emergency application for Archdiocesan tuition assistance. Unexpected job loss or change in health status are reasons for consideration of an emergency tuition assistance application. Father Andrew, our parish pastor, is available if you need to talk to someone about the difficulty you may be experiencing. Father can be reached at awakefield@sjbssparish.org . The Archdiocese of Washington posts potential jobs on its career opportunities page , which might be worth checking. Reminder – There is no school Friday for teacher professional development. SJB 12U Girls Are CYO Champs! Congratulations to the 12U girls basketball team on winning the CYO championship. The SJB girls team defeated Blessed Sacrament in the semi-finals and St. Jerome’s in the championship at Georgetown Visitation. Congratulations to Coach Will Mitjans (Ava 3rd, Sierra 7th) and all of the players. Blood Drive at SJB on Sunday, March 23 St John the Baptist is committed to strengthening our community and helping meet hospital and patient needs through blood donations. The Luminis Health Blood mobile will be in the SJB Lyon’s center parking lot on Sunday March 23, from 8:30 to 1:30. To donate you must be 18-74 yrs old, in good overall health and at least 110lbs. I t takes approximately 10 minutes to donate blood. Sign up here . Contact Anna Moretti at morettia310@gmail.com for questions or assistance with signing up. Also in the parking lot on March 23, the Lions Club mobile unit will be providing FREE vision, glaucoma and hearing screenings to ADULTS (18 +).

Students May Come Out of Uniform for Valentine's Day Students may come to school on Friday out of uniform, wearing Valentine's Day colors, with a suggested donation of $2 for Girls Progressing, a charity started by two 8th grade students and supported by the SJB Student Council. The money goes toward feminine-hygiene care packages for girls in Ethiopia. See the flyer. Reminder: No School for President's Day Monday There is no school on Monday, Feb. 17, for the Presidents' Day holiday. Order Pizza Lunch Remember to order pizza lunch by Monday, Feb. 17. Pizza lunch is Thursday, Feb. 20. Girls 12U Playoff Game on Saturday The SJB girls 12U basketball team plays in the semifinals on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 5:15 at St. Elizabeth. If the girls win, they will play in the CYO championship on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 2:30 pm at Georgetown Visitation. Go SJB! Father-Daughter Dance Moved to May 3 The Father-Daughter Dance will take place in the SJB Gym on Saturday, May 3, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. The dance was moved from its originally scheduled date of Feb. 22. Volunteer Opportunities Sign up for lunch duty here . Sign up to be a judge for Arts & Academics. Request volunteer credits for volunteer work you have done. SJB Follows MCPS Decisions on Snow Days St. John the Baptist follows the decisions of Montgomery County Public Schools on weather-related closures, and the school communicates decisions to families by email and text. If winter weather causes school to close for two consecutive days or more and there has been time to prepare, SJB core-content teachers in grades 5-8 will communicate with students and families on the second snow day to schedule online classes and provide meeting invitation links.

Two of our 8th grade girls are raising money for feminine hygiene "care packages" for girls their age in Ethiopia. The girls (Meti and Hoa, pictured above) recently registered their charity, Girls Progressing, as a non-profit organization. The St. John the Baptist Student Council is supporting their charity and will help them raise money with a tag day next Friday, Feb. 14. Students are encouraged to bring $2 and to come to school out of uniform on Friday, Feb. 14, for Valentine's Day. The money will go toward the charity for teen-age girls in Ethiopia. 2-Hour Delay on Thursday -- Winter weather is forecast to return overnight and next week. St. John the Baptist will open at 10:00 on Thursday 2/6, following the weather-related decision of Montgomery County Public Schools. The morning care program will be from 9:00 to 10:00. Regarding Valentine's Day - - Parents of students in lower-grade classes should look for teacher communications about class parties on Valentine's Day. Students who bring in Valentines must have them for all the students in their class. No School Monday - - Catholic school teachers are attending professional-development training at St. John the Baptist on Monday, Feb. 10. There will be no school on Monday. February Pizza Lunch Order by Feb. 17 for pizza lunch on Thursday, Feb. 20. Volunteer Opportunities Sign up to volunteer as a judge of Arts & Academics projects. Go here for more information. Sign up for lunch duty . Winter Weather Continued... For Grades 5-8 ... On Friday (2/7), teachers will instruct students in grades 5-8 to take home their Chromebooks. There is no school on Monday (2/10) due to the professional development training scheduled at St. John the Baptist. There is snow forecast for Tuesday. If there is a snow day on Tuesday (2/11), parents and teachers should look for a late-morning communication from teachers on Wednesday (2/12) with an online class meeting schedule and TEAMS links for language arts, math, science, social studies, and religion.

Order Family Lunch for Thursday, Jan. 30 Family Lunch takes place in the gym at 12:00 after Family Mass and Open House. See the Catholic School Week event schedule below. Parents may order lunch for themselves and their children. Notes about Family Lunch: Because of the large number of people attending, families are dismissed by section from the church to walk over to the gym. Teachers and school staff members, who serve lunch, are dismissed first, followed by 8th grade families and the students who eat together with teachers. There are designated seating tables in the gym for the 8th grade families and for students eating with classmates and teachers. Two staff members, Ms. Schwab and Mrs. Morris, invite families by section to the serving tables for lunch. If there is enough food for second servings, Mrs. Morris will announce it after everyone has had a first serving. Here is the link to order family lunch . Lunches must be ordered by Monday, Jan. 27. The school will be unable to sell lunches on the day of the event. Sign Up For Lunch Duty on Any School Day – Parents may sign up for lunch duty any day of the week starting in February. Until now, only Fridays were available for lunch-duty signups. There are lunch-duty slots open from now until Easter. Parents must be Virtus certified to sign up. Each lunch duty counts as 1/4 of a volunteer credit. Go here for the sign-up form . Enrollment for 2025-26 Extended to Jan. 27 Thank you, parents, for your cooperation during re-enrollment. We are extending the re-enrollment deadline from Friday, Jan. 24, to Monday, Jan. 27. Re-enrollment instructions were emailed on Jan. 2 by FACTS, which will manage school enrollment and tuition for the 2025-25 school year. Before you can enroll your children, you must first create an account. Go to the Facts Family Portal and create an account using the email address of the parent who received the Jan. 2 email. After creating an account, return to the portal and select Apply/Enroll and then Enrollment/Reenrollment and follow the steps for each child you wish to enroll for next year. MAP Growth Winter Testing Begins – The testing dates have been posted on the SJB online calendar . Tuition Assistance Applications Now Open -- Applications for archdiocesan tuition assistance are open until Feb. 21. Tuition assistance application must completed on TADS by going to the financial aid section. Award notices will be sent in late March or April. Catholic School Week at St. John the Baptist Sunday, Jan. 26 – Student speaker at 11:30 Mass on “Why I love my Catholic School” Monday, Jan. 27 -- “Hats Off to Catholic Schools” - Students may wear fun hats before and after school and during recess. Student Appreciation Day – no homework, no tests on Tuesday Start of Cereal Box Food Drive for the St. Camillus Food Pantry Students in grades 2-4 may join Father Andrew for lunch from 12:00 to 12:20. Last day to order family lunch Tuesday, Jan. 28 -- “Turning Pages, Building Friendships” -- Students may wear pajamas for Roll Out of Bed and Read Day. There will be DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time in the morning and Buddy Reading in the afternoon. Students in grades 5-8 may join Father Andrew for lunch from 12:00 to 12:40. Wednesday, Jan. 29 -- “SJB Will Knock Your Socks Off!” -- Students may wear funny socks with their uniforms. Thursday, Jan 30 -- “Faith, Family, Food!” -- It’s Family Day at SJB. Family Open House from 8:30 to 10:30 Family Mass at 11:00 Family Lunch in the Gym after Mass at about 11:50 Camp St. Charles will talk to students in grades 1-7 at 2:15 After-school band practice from 3:00 to 4:00 Friday, Jan. 31 -- “One, Two, Three, SJB!” -- SPirit Wear Day at SJB Students may come to school out of uniform and in their SJB gear, or in their PE uniforms. 10:45 am – the annual free throw contest in the gym – with student council announcers Noon Dismissal Cereal Box Food Drive continues through Feb. 2 Volunteer Credit Status -- In the next couple of weeks, each family will get a status report on their volunteer credits. Families have until May 1 to earn volunteer credits or pay fees. See the volunteer page for more information. This is a reminder that parents must submit their request for volunteer credits after they have volunteered.

We pray that all of our families had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, including an extended snow break. The HSA Newsletter went out by email this morning with information about events in January. SJB Family Day is Thursday, Jan. 30, with the following events planned: 8:30-10:00 Open House -- Parents will be able to visit their children in their classrooms. 11:00 Family Mass -- Parents are invited to attend our Catholic Schools Week Mass. There will be a candle by the altar at the Family Mass, and at all school masses this year, in memory of Father David Brault, our former pastor, who died on Dec. 21. 12:00 Family Lunch -- Parents are invited to attend Family Lunch in the gym. More information about Family Day and Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 26-31) will be included in next week's Principal's Note. Pizza Lunch -- Pizza lunch is Thursday, Jan. 16. The last day to order is Monday, Jan. 13. Here's the link to order pizza . MAP Growth Testing -- Students will take winter MAP Growth assessments in language arts and math from Jan. 22 to Jan. 29. The final schedule will be posted on the calendar . Jubilee Year -- The 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope offers us an opportunity to strengthen our faith and relationship with God and to "help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision," as Pope Francis said in his jubilee letter . Change in the Archdiocese of Washington -- There will be a change in the Archdiocese of Washington. Cardinal Wilton Gregory, 77, will retire after serving five years as archbishop of Washington. Cardinal Gregory will be replaced by Cardinal Robert McElroy, who has been archbishop of San Diego since 2015. We are praying for all of our church's leaders. Re-Enrollment -- Re-enrollment on FACTS, the school's new enrollment system, began on Jan. 2 and will continue until Jan. 24. Thank you, parents, for working patiently with us with the new system. Coming Up Monday, Jan. 13, at 7:00 pm -- SJB School Board and Home School Association Meeting in the Library Friday, Jan. 17 -- Cardboard Challenge for students in grades 5-8, last day of the 2nd quarter Friday, Jan. 17 -- Half Day, Dismissal at 12:00 Monday, Jan. 20 -- No School for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Thursday, Jan. 23, 8:30-9:30 am -- Open House for Prospective SJB Families Thursday, Jan. 30 -- 8:30-10:30 am Open House for Current SJB Parents 11:00 Family Mass 12:00 Family Lunch