Early Dismissal (12:30 PM) Thursday, April 6th
No School Good Friday, April 7th
No School Easter Monday, April 10th
NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents,
I am once again honored to announce significant achievements of two of our Jr. High students. Eighth-grader Jasmine Schlapfer has been named a 2023 recipient of the highly coveted Christian Service Award. This award is given to students who demonstrate exemplary Christ-centered behavior through volunteer service to their parish, school, and community. Jasmine displays a love and understanding of her Catholic faith and not only articulates a commitment to service but lives a service-focused life.
And during last Friday evening's 2023 Arizona Science and Engineering Fair (AzSEF) Award Ceremony, 7th-grader Sophia Bernardez received 2nd place in the Junior Division Animal Science category and the 2023 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge in recognition of her outstanding project, “Mighty Tiny Masked Heros—Mealworms and Face Masks.”
On staff matters, third-grade teacher Mrs. Samantha Monarrez is expecting her third child and will be returning to Michigan to be closer to her family. Although we will miss her dearly, I am grateful to Mrs. Monarrez for her love and dedication to her students and wish her many years of health and happiness with her growing family.
With our own growing SJB family, I am privileged to announce additions and updates to our 2023-24 Faculty and Staff. Please welcome 2013 SJB alumna Miss Laura Van House and Dominican Sister Merced Gumban, O.P., from the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary. Miss Van House will teach 3rd grade alongside Miss Curley, and Sister Merced will teach 5th grade alongside Mr. Tyler. We are thrilled to have the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary and an SJB alum join our St. John Bosco faculty next year!
Further, Mrs. Krissy Bileski will assume the role of Preschool Director in addition to teaching the 3-year-olds, and Mr. Hogan Macdonald will take on the role of Facilities Supervisor while continuing his responsibilities as IT Director, STEM, and AMP teacher. Please join me in celebrating these forthcoming changes to our upcoming school year!
Lastly, please remember we do not have school on Good Friday or Easter Monday; school will resume on Tuesday, April 11th. I pray you all have a blessed Triduum and Easter and enjoy the extended weekend!
Joyful Blessings,
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Do everything in love.
SCHOOL NEWS
48th Street Construction
The City of Phoenix construction project from Chandler Blvd. to Frye Road and is scheduled to continue throughout the month of April. Although we will have access to the St. Benedict and St. John Bosco parking lots, the traffic will be challenging as there will be only 2 lanes open — one lane in each direction.
As always, safety is our top priority. A police officer will assist with directing traffic during drop-off and pick-up times. In order to avoid back-ups and maintain the flow of traffic, the following traffic procedures will be put in place for the duration of the City of Phoenix construction project:
- Use Frye Road to access 48th Street to make a right turn directly into the St. Benedict and St. John Bosco parking lots.
- Use our school valet carpool service during drop-off and pick-up times.
- When exiting the SJB parking lots, drivers will ONLY be allowed to make a right turn.
- We highly recommend the following drop-off times:
a. Grades 5th–8th: Drop off between 7:30–8:00 AM
b. Grades Preschool–4th: Drop off between 8:00–8:30 AM
c. Families with multiple children in various grade levels: Drop off during the oldest child's time.
d. NOTE: Tardy slips will not be issued until after 8:30 AM - We highly recommend the following pick-up times:
a. Grades 5th–8th: Pick up between 3:00–3:15 PM
b. Grades Preschool–4th: Pick up between 3:15–3:30 PM
c. Families with multiple children in various grade levels: Pick up during the oldest child’s time - Please continue to pull forward into parking spaces (do NOT back in) to help maintain the flow and safety in our north parking lot. We need to avoid accidents and back-ups onto 48th Street.
We greatly appreciate your cooperation in following these procedures to maintain the safety of our community and ensure the flow of traffic to expedite drop-off and pick-up during school hours.
School Uniform Sale
Begins FRIDAY
Anton Uniforms announced their annual spring UNIFORM SALE will begin early — Friday, April 7. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to skip the back-to-school rush for your child’s SJB uniforms. Afraid your child will outgrow them before school starts in August? Click here for Anton's flexible exchange policy!
Kiwanis Ahwatukee Easter Parade
Saturday @ 10 AM
Bring the kids and lawn chairs to the Easter Parade on Saturday, April 8 @ 10 AM. The parade runs along 48th St., from Warner to Elliot Roads.
Celebrate the "Best Private Elementary School in Ahwatukee" and see the SJB float escorted by our campus ambassadors. Mrs. Bescak, Mrs. Bileski, Mrs. Snyder, and students will wave to you from your school's beautiful float!
Battle of the Books
The final battle of the Battle of the Books took place on Monday, April 3 in the library. The winners of the overall competition (including the 3 battles) were The Quizzical Queens. Valeria Vanegas and Sally Salloum read their way to the top! They will be representing Saint John Bosco Catholic School in the city semifinals on April 19.
We would like to thank all four SJB teams for their hard work and perseverance.
Team #1: Teutonic Knights
- Noah Raso
- Autumn Iniguez
- Avery Fisher
Team #2: The Jousting Knights of St. John Bosco
- Seton Underwood
- Charlie Becerra
- Jalen Robertson
Team #3: The Quizzical Queens
- Valeria Vanegas
- Sally Salloum
Team #4: The Dueling Damsels
- Regina Mendez
- Elizabeth Villalba
Are you missing something?
Did you know that the school events calendar lists all our school activities and is available at the bottom of the home page on our school website? The link is also listed at the bottom of each Bulldog Bite (scroll down). School Calendar: https://sjbosco.org/calendar
We don't want you to miss anything!
Talent Show
The Student Council will present the annual SJB Talent Show on Thursday, April 20. Students in Grades K–8 still have time to participate in the Art Show portion by creating a piece of art and scanning it to Mrs. Rafford to be included in a slide show (krafford@sjbosco.org). Art show submissions are due to Mrs. Rafford by Friday, April 14.
Message from the Librarian
One of the greatest gifts you can give to your children is sharing your love of reading. Here is an opportunity for you to engage your family in literacy for a lifetime. The public library offers reading programs, reference resources, technology assistance, commu-nity outreach, information delivered electronically, and books galore. Go forth and use your library! And a BIG thank you to Mrs. Jessica Brown for spearheading this campaign.
Applications were distributed to your child's classroom. Check those backpacks and:
- Complete the application
- Have your child return it to the classroom
- Phoenix library cards will be issued from St. John Bosco
You may also take the application to any Phoenix library to start checking out books immediately. Ironwood Library is located a few short blocks from St. John Bosco School: 4333 E Chandler Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85048.
Students may reside in any city in Maricopa County to be eligible for a Phoenix public library card, and you may hold more than one library card from various city libraries in the county. Stuff your wallet!
$$$ Catholic Education IS Affordable $$$
Re-enrollment invoices were sent on April 5th from your FACTS account. This is an invoice only. If you are enrolled in Autopay the funds will be taken from the account associated with FACTS on Friday, April 28th.
If you are not enrolled in Autopay, please make sure to pay all outstanding balances in your FACTS incidental account by May 5th. Any unpaid balances in your incidental account after May 5th will result in forfeiting your enrollment spot for the 2023-2024 school year.
Tuition $$$ Available for 2023–2024 School Year
Need tuition money? Apply now for financial assistance for next school year. Applications are available HERE for STOs/scholarships. Most are due April 15.
If you plan to use the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA), check the ESA website regularly to find out when they will begin accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year.
Employment Opportunities
Join Team Bosco! Our school is growing and we have several part-time openings:
- Regular Maintenance/Janitorial position
- Summer Maintenance/Janitorial position
- Preschool Instructional Assistants for the 2023-2024 school year
For more information or to apply, please click here.
Dads' Club Golf Tourney
Whirlwind Golf Club, May 5 @ 2 PM
Grab your clubs and gather your team for the annual Birdies “Fore” Bosco Charity Golf Tournament at Whirlwind Golf Club on Friday, May 5 at 2 pm shotgun start. Awards and dinner buffet to follow.
SCRIP SHOP
The Scrip office will be placing the next bulk order for physical gift cards when we return from Easter break on Tuesday, April 11th @ 8:00 AM. This is a great opportunity to order any physical cards through the RaiseRight app. Cards ordered before 8:00 AM on April 11th should arrive at the school by Wednesday, April 19th for distribution to families.
Of course, you are always encouraged to order e-cards anytime through the app; the deadline above only applies to physical card orders.
If you still need to enroll in the RaiseRight app, click here for detailed instructions.
Please email Katie at sjbscrip@sjbosco.org with any questions.
Window Hours: Mondays 7:30–8:15 AM & Fridays 12:00–12:45 PM
Spring Basketball Camp April 29 & 30
SJB School Counselor Mr. Michael Cortez and his father will hold a 2-day basketball camp for boys and girls ages 7–15. The camp will be held at Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School in Phoenix on Saturday & Sunday, April 29 & 30,
9:00 AM –1:00 PM. Participants should bring a basketball, snack, and refillable water bottle. See the flyer below for more details and register at www.levelupsports.org. Contact Michael Cortez at (480) 479-8736 with any questions.
SUMMER CAMPS
SJB Summer STEM Camp
June 19–23, 2023
Saint John Bosco is happy to announce the return of our full-day (9:00 am to 3:30 pm) Summer STEM Camp. We will be partnering with invent.org to use their curriculum and modules but the camp will be taught by our trusted SJB teachers for students in Grades K–8. Please keep an eye out for sign-up information in the coming weeks.
Summer Volleyball Camp
June 5–8, 8:30–11 AM, SJB Volleyball Courts
All incoming 4th–8th graders are welcome to join the fun and bring a friend!
Learn basic passing, hitting, and serving skills while helping to raise money for a new school volleyball net.
Cost: $120 per camper. Please contact Amy Vaughan to reserve your spot before May 19th.
Vacation Bible School
Coming in JUNE!
Mark your calendars for Monday, June 12 – Friday, June 16, 9 AM–12 noon. St. Benedict will host a STELLAR week of faith, fun, and new friends! Online registration will open in mid-April for children currently in Kindergarten–5th grade. We need many adult & teen volunteers to make this a success and various roles are available. (6th–8th graders are welcome to volunteer with a parent.) If interested in being part of the VBS Team, email Heather for more details at hmooney@stbenedict.org. Volunteers receive a discount on their child's registration cost. It's going to be out of this world!
Innovation Learning
Summer Camp
Innovation Summer Camp registration is now OPEN!
Camp Hours
Monday–Friday 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Extended Day Programming
Monday–Friday 4:00 – 6:00 PM
- Weekly (5 days): $239/week
- Daily (single day): $63/day
- Extended Day (4:00–6:00 PM): $55/week
Please contact Customer Service at info@innovationlearning.com with any questions. You may also reach out to your State Director at dkoltes@innovationlearning.com or 612-229-5797.
- Fri. 4/7–Mon. 4/10: Easter Vacation
- Tues. 4/11: School Resumes
- Thurs. 4/20: Talent Show
St. Benedict
PARISH NEWS
MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL TEENS:
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SERVICE HOURS?
St. Benedict needs your help to make the 2nd annual Children's Easter Egg Hunt eggstra special for our younger kids! Volunteers are needed to hide Easter eggs from 9am–9:45 AM on Easter Sunday. If you are able to volunteer, please contact the events committee at events@stbenedict.org
COMMUNITY NEWS
Stay up to date on classroom happenings by following us on Instagram@sjbbulldogs or Facebook@stjohnboscocatholicschool. We also encourage families to tag SJB on any photos or videos they post of their child(ren) from their personal social media accounts.
Until TUESDAY ...
Below are helpful links to information over the weekend:
School Website: https://sjbosco.org/
School Calendar: https://sjbosco.org/calendar
Faculty & Staff Contacts: https://sjbosco.org/faculty-staff
School Lunch Program: https://sjbosco.org/school-lunch
Parish Website: https://stbenedict.org/
The Bulldog Bite: Dr. Teri Pistacchio Aguiar, editor
Past Bulldog Bites: https://sjbosco.org/ (below Principal Bescak's picture)
Upcoming events are always available on our website events page.
For a more detailed list of yearly events, check the SJB website online calendar.
