January 12, 2023
January 12, 2023
Dear Parents,
Happy Thursday!
SJB’s enrollment grew by one new student on Monday bringing our total to 202 students. Kellen joined our preschool 3-year-old room, and we are so thankful to have him and the O’Brien family as part of our faith and learning community! Welcome to SJB!
Parent Club Update: The numbers are in for a few of our fundraisers. Santa’s Secret Shop brought in nearly $1,900 and we earned $2,328.62 Scholastic dollars during the book fair in November. It was the most successful book fair we have had since I have been here! Once we decide how to use the Scholastic dollars, I will share with you. Last year, we purchased some classroom rugs, some furniture for preschool, some books for classroom libraries, and a new projector. Thank you so much for all of your support and generosity! Parent Club is gearing up for the Winter Carnival, which kicks off Catholic Schools Week, and takes place immediately following 5:00 PM Mass on Saturday, January 28 in Sebahar Hall. Please see the posting for more details. (Please see information about the Talent Show as well. We are looking for entries!)
Speaking of generosity and support, the Children’s Annual Appeal mailing was sent out in December, and to date, we have received over $16,000 in donations, which is over one third of the way to our goal. If you didn’t receive a report, and would like one, I have some copies in my office. Please contact me if you would like a copy. You can also make donations at Give (wesharegiving.org). Simply click on Children’s Annual Appeal in the Give Now dropdown menu. The appeal is one of our core fundraisers for the year, and no contribution is too small.
One of our parent’s, Elizabeth Woodbury, is interested in starting a Choir for students in third grade and above. If your child is interested in joining, please come to the first session on Monday, January 23. They will be meeting in St. Cecilia Hall at 3:00 PM.
Do you have a child who will be three by September 1, 2023, and are planning on sending them to our wonderful preschool program next year? If so and you haven’t let me know already, please email or call so that we can save a spot for your child. Registration forms will be available within the next few weeks and priority will be given to current SJB families. (Remember children need to be able to independently use the bathroom.)
The annual Tuition Transfer Grant that St. John the Baptist offers to families who transfer their child into grades 1-7 from any local private*, public, charter, or home school is also an incentive for new families to the school. With this two-year grant, families receive $1,000per student in year one, and $500 per student in year two, which will be applied to offset tuition. *Please note that students transferring from another Catholic school within the Dioceses of Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield, and the Archdiocese of Chicago are not eligible. For more information, please contact the school office. If you know of anyone who is looking for a change and wants a faith filled community with excellent teachers and academics, please refer them. SJB could very well be the place for them, a place to call home. Remember, your referral of a child who registers, enrolls, and attends our school results in a $500 tuition credit.
As a reminder, families can make a reservation for a 2023-2024 Empower Illinois tax credit scholarship on Wednesday, January 18, 2023! Like in years past, the reservation form will open on the Empower website at 6:30pm before submission at 7pm. Have questions about the application process, please see the following information:
English
Spanish
Please prayerfully consider making a donation to the program and pray for donors so that all scholarships are funded for all those who are qualified and applied. We are excited about the possibilities of what the tax credit scholarship has to offer our school. As you may recall, fifty-seven St. John’s students received scholarships this year through the program, and we cleared our waitlist!
Open House for prospective families and students will take place from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM on Sunday, January 29. An appointment is required to attend. Here is the link to select a time for an appointment for our January Open House: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040E4FACAA2AA3F49-open. The link can also be found on our school website at St John the Baptist Catholic School - Winfield, IL (sjbwinfield.org)
Thank you for your generous support of the Cook’s Night Out at Chipotle. We received a check for $327.54 for our Athletics Department! Many thanks go to all who supported this fundraiser. Also, on Monday, January 31, as part of Catholics School Week, there will be a Cook’s Night Out at Pal Joey’s in West Chicago. It is open from 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM. 20 percent of sales when the flyer is presented will go to our Athletics Department. Please mark your calendar. More information about this fundraiser will be coming soon.
SJB’s basketball teams have away games this weekend. Our sixth grade girls’ team plays tonight against St. Raymond in Joliet at 8:30 PM. Our eighth grade boys’ team is scheduled to play tomorrow night at 8:00 PM at St. Alphonsus and St. Patrick in Lemont, and at 8:00 PM on Saturday at St. Joseph in Downers Grove. Our sixth grade boys’ team will be playing at 5:00 PM at St. Joseph in Manhattan on Saturday. Good luck, Wildcats!
Please pray for our second grade students who are preparing to make their First Reconciliation on Wednesday, January 18 at 6:30 PM. They have really been working hard, preparing to receive the sacrament. It is getting so close - they practiced with Mrs. Brennan and Miss Policht today to make sure that they are ready.
Please pray for our seventh grade students on Saturday as they will be continuing their preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation and will be taking part in their retreat on Saturday afternoon. Their special time will conclude with 5:00 PM Mass.
May God bless our retreatants and second grade students and envelope them with His love.
In closing, I wish you a wonderful four day weekend. Please remember that we will not have school tomorrow, Friday January 13, due to a Teacher Institute Day, and on Monday, January 16, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
Have a blessed week,
Joanne