NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents,
As a Catholic school, we have the distinct honor of welcoming our students into the greater faith community by providing them with sacramental preparation as part of our curriculum. Sunday, April 23, Most. Rev. Bishop John Dolan presided over the St. Benedict Catholic Church Mass and conferred the sacraments of First Holy Eucharist and Confirmation upon our students.
The following week, our own Fr. James Aboyi conferred these same sacraments upon students belonging to Corpus Christi Catholic Church and presided over the Mass.
Please join me in congratulating all of our students for receiving these two important sacraments of initiation.
And to cap off this wonderful news, it was recently brought to our attention that yet another SJB student was granted the Christian Service Award from the Catholic Community Foundation! Eighth-grader Ryan Cepeda was selected to receive this highly coveted award for his numerous volunteer hours of Christian service throughout the valley. Please join me in congratulating Ryan as he heads off to Seton Catholic Prep next year with this amazing scholarship!
Joyful Blessings,
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Do everything in love.
SCHOOL NEWS
Thank you, PTO
... for providing the teachers and staff with a fabulous week of international fare and decor. We are extremely blessed to have such a considerate, caring, and creative PTO here at St. John Bosco Catholic School. You are simply the best PTO on the planet!
Coffee with the Principal and AD
Parents are invited to enjoy a cup of coffee with Principal Jamie Bescak and Athletic Director Brett Caradonna on Tuesday, May 9th @ 8 AM in the MPR. Mrs. Bescak and Mr. Caradonna will share updates on SJB's athletic program. Please join us!
Scholastic Book Fair
May 8–12
Our school will celebrate the power of reading next week at the Scholastic Book Fair. You are invited to help our school create a culture of reading, build our school libraries, and have the opportunity to shop and select books with your child for your home library. A portion of all proceeds will go back to our school.
NEW In-School and Online Shopping Options! Book Fair eWallet, our new digital payment option, allows your student to shop the Book Fair cash-free. Can’t make it to the Book Fair? Shop The Scholastic Store™ online to choose from over 6,000 products! Visit our homepage to access eWallet or shop online: SJB Book Fair link
Thank you for your support!
Welcome back, Nurse Jean!
We're so glad to have you back, even if for just a few hours a day while you return to full strength. And we're sincerely grateful to Mrs. Mullally for filling in whenever possible. We are truly blessed to have such a caring team here at SJB!
It's Not Too Late...
. . . to order your yearbook! See instructions on flyer below or email Mrs. Bileski.
The PTO would like to give a BIG THANKS to Brad Donovan & Heather Cisek, Francis & Jessica Brown, and the Elsberry, Gonzales, Hall, Osmundson, Schroeder, and Seidel families for sponsoring breakfast and lunch throughout the week for teachers and staff. We also had many volunteers that helped make this week a success. This was a memorable Teacher & Staff Appreciation celebration and we thank you for making the week so special. We truly have the best teachers and staff in the world at SJB!
And mark your calendar for the next PTO meeting on Tuesday, May 9th @ 6 PM at Pita Jungle on Ray Road.
Road Construction
Resumes on 48th St.
The City of Phoenix construction project from Chandler Blvd. to Frye Rd. will resume through May. Although we will have access to the St. Benedict and St. John Bosco parking lots, the traffic will be challenging with only two lanes open.
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 be allowed to make a right turn ONLY.
- We 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.
ESA News
Applications for the 2023-2024 school year are now open on the ESA Website. THIS IS ONLY FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE NEW TO THE PROGRAM.
If you currently have an active ESA account, you will be sent a new contract to sign soon. Please see page 53 of your ESA Parent Handbook.
Also, please mark your calendar for Thursday, May 18th at 6:00 pm for a VIRTUAL meeting where we will be discussing financial assistance for the 2023-2024 school year. We will touch on tax credits and the Empowerment Scholarship Account. There will be a change in how ESA invoices will be processed next year so we highly encourage you to attend this event. Use this link to join the meeting.
Kelly McLean
kmclean@sjbosco.org
480-219-4848 ext 5106
School Uniform Sale
Anton Uniforms announced their annual spring UNIFORM SALE. Don’t miss this chance 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!
Employment Opportunities
Join Team Bosco! Our school is growing and we have several part-time openings:
- Regular Maintenance/Janitorial position
- Preschool Instructional Assistants for the 2023-2024 school year
SCRIP SHOP
Mother's Day and Graduations are right around the corner! The Scrip office has Visa gift cards in $25, $50, and $100 increments with no activation fee!
Don't forget that the Scrip office carries Anton Uniform gift cards in $25 and $50 increments. Stock up to take advantage of the current sale going on at Anton! If you can't make it to the window, email Katie at sjbscrip@sjbosco.org to fill your order.
Window Hours: Mondays 7:30–8:15 AM & Fridays 12:00–12:45 PM
SJB 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 partner 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.
Summer Volleyball Camp
June 5–8, 9–11 AM (4 Days)
SJB Back 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: $100 per camper. Please contact Amy Vaughan to reserve your spot by May 19th.
Innovation Learning
Summer Camp
Innovation Learning Summer Camp registration is 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.
- Mon. 5/8—Fri. 5/12: Scholastic Book Fair; Library
- Tues. 5/9: PTO meeting 6 PM at Pita Jungle on Ray Road
- Fri. 5/12: 8th Grade Last Day & Clapout; Awards Dinner-Dance
- Wed. 5/17: 8th Grade Graduation 7 PM SJB; Courtyard
- Fri. 5/19: Pre-K Graduation 11 AM; MPR
- Thurs. 5/25: Pre-K–7th Grade Last Day of School; 12:30 PM Dismissal
St. Benedict
PARISH NEWS
COMMUNITY NEWS
Seton Catholic Preparatory is accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year!
Is your student interested in attending Seton Catholic Preparatory? We have private tours available to answer any questions you may have. Please contact Abigail Stoll at astoll@setoncatholic.org to schedule your tour.
We are still accepting applications on a rolling basis. Space is limited, apply today!
See steps on ‘How to Apply’ here.
Concerned about the cost of tuition? There are many ways to afford a Catholic education. One option is The Pat & Mary Ellen Hennessy Scholarship. This
scholarship is provided to an incoming ninth-grade student who will attend Seton Catholic Preparatory. The award is for half of the annual tuition and it is paid directly to the school. The award for the 2023-2024 school year is approximately $7,000! Find the application and criteria here and the recommendation form here. The application deadline is Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
480-963-1900 Ext. 2127 • astoll@setoncatholic.org • 1150 N Dobson Road Chandler, AZ 85224 • www.setoncatholic.org/
Seton Catholic Prep will be hosting summer camps over summer break for all ages! Click HERE for info and registration.
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 Monday ...
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.
