NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents,
Can you believe we’re already in the second week of Advent? Before you head into Christmas break, be sure to join us for two of our favorite events at St. John Bosco Catholic School!
Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 PM is our 22nd Annual Christmas Program. Music Director Dr. Luis Rodriguez has created a very special program that will take place outside in our festive courtyard and showcase our kindergarten through 5th-grade students singing and playing instruments. Our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will be reciting Scriptures and assisting Dr. Rodriguez behind the scenes. The program will be outside, so please dress accordingly.
To keep you cozy, PTO has arranged for Buzzed Goat Coffee to be available on-site with delicious warm beverages. They will also be selling SJB blankets and 20th Anniversary ornaments. I also want to assure you that there will not be a bad seat in the house! Mr. Macdonald will email a live stream link for families to view at home Wednesday evening as well as record the Christmas program and email the video to all parents by Thursday afternoon. We kindly ask that everyone remain in their seats and keep their cameras and phones in their lap so everyone can enjoy the experience of watching the students perform.
All families are invited to join us Thursday, December 14 at 7:00 AM in the MPR and courtyard to begin the day with Pancakes with Santa, presented by our very own PTO and Dads’ Club. Students and families may also wear Christmas apparel and take pictures with Santa!
Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 PM is our 22nd Annual Christmas Program. Music Director Dr. Luis Rodriguez has created a very special program that will take place outside in our festive courtyard and showcase our kindergarten through 5th-grade students singing and playing instruments. Our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will be reciting Scriptures and assisting Dr. Rodriguez behind the scenes. The program will be outside, so please dress accordingly.
To keep you cozy, PTO has arranged for Buzzed Goat Coffee to be available on-site with delicious warm beverages. They will also be selling SJB blankets and 20th Anniversary ornaments. I also want to assure you that there will not be a bad seat in the house! Mr. Macdonald will email a live stream link for families to view at home Wednesday evening as well as record the Christmas program and email the video to all parents by Thursday afternoon. We kindly ask that everyone remain in their seats and keep their cameras and phones in their lap so everyone can enjoy the experience of watching the students perform.
All families are invited to join us Thursday, December 14 at 7:00 AM in the MPR and courtyard to begin the day with Pancakes with Santa, presented by our very own PTO and Dads’ Club. Students and families may also wear Christmas apparel and take pictures with Santa!
Lastly, I want to remind everyone that Thursday, December 14 is a FULL day of school ending at 3:00 PM, and we DO have school and Mass on Friday, December 15 with a regular 12:30 PM release.
Joyful Blessings,
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Do everything in love.
SCHOOL NEWS
SJB Christmas Program
Wed. Dec. 13 @ 6 PM
SJB's Annual Christmas Program is NEXT WEEK! Please ensure students are practicing at home and have memorized their assigned music.
See important notes below:
- Wednesday, December 13 @ 6:00 PM
- Students should dress warmly in their “Christmas/Sunday Best.” It will be chilly outside in our winter wonderland.
- Students have been memorizing the lyrics to their songs in music class but additional home practice with parents is highly encouraged. Suggestion: Ask your child to perform the songs for you at least once or twice this week.
Questions may be directed to Dr. Luis Rodriguez. Thank you!
CHRISTMAS Free Dress Day
Thursday, December 14
All students and faculty may enjoy a Free Dress Day (yes, that means jeans may be worn) on Thursday, Dec. 14 with an Ugly Sweater or Christmas Shirt.
2024-2025 ENROLLMENT NEWS
DON'T LOSE YOUR SPOT!
Due to the high demand for enrollment spots for the 2024-2025 school year, we will accept applications
and open re-enrollment earlier than usual this year.
EXISTING STUDENTS
For students currently enrolled at SJB, re-enrollment began on December 4, 2023. Please follow the instructions carefully. Re-enrollment may be accessed through your RenWeb account. DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR AN EXISTING STUDENT; USE THE RE-ENROLLMENT LINK ONLY.
NEW STUDENTS (Siblings)
If you are an existing family with a sibling who will be NEW to SJB in the 2024-2025 school year, please apply now. As always, siblings of existing students will have priority as long as we receive an application before open enrollment for all students. Applications for siblings must be submitted before February 5, 2024, to guarantee a spot for next year.
MONEY-SAVING OPPORTUNITIES
Early Re-Enrollment: Families who re-enroll by January 26, 2024, will receive a discounted enrollment fee of $150 per K–8 student and/or $200 for Preschool, with a family maximum of $250. On January 27, enrollment fees will increase to $200 for K–8 students and/or $225 for Preschool, with a family maximum of $300.
Bonus Incentive: Families who re-enroll their student(s) by Friday, January 26 will receive a free dress day for their child(ren)!
Referral Program: Each referring family will receive $300 credit towards their child’s tuition/fees for each family they refer and who enrolls for the 2024-25 school year. Spread the news about what our school has to offer!
PARISH VERIFICATION
Beginning in 2024-2025, each family enrolling or re-enrolling will be required to provide a valid Parish Verification Form to receive the Active Catholic* Rate. The form must be completed by your home parish and include the parish seal. We will require this verification every two years. Please have this form filled out by your parish and submit it to the SJB front office as soon as possible.
*Active Catholic means a practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church. One or more parents in the household are Catholic and raising their child(ren) in the Catholic faith. Their child(ren) is baptized and will receive sacraments at the appropriate age designated by the Church.
Progress Reports TODAY
Trimester 2 progress reports will be emailed TODAY- Friday, Dec. 8. Check your inbox.
Parent/Student Handbook Reminder
page 11
Grade level programs
During the academic year, each grade level arranges and presents a program for the school community and/or parents of students. The presence of parents, grandparents, and other relatives at school and classroom performances is highly encouraged. However, we request parents to avoid removing student siblings from their classes during these performances. It is crucial for them to stay in class to ensure they do not miss out on essential knowledge, skills, and assignments.
Tonight's Dads' Club Meeting
CANCELLED
So sorry — See you next time.
Spring Sports Registration
Baseball, Basketball, Soccer
Spring sports will begin shortly after the new year. Get an early start and register here. SJB offers boys' baseball, girls' basketball, and the CYAA soccer (tournament).
The double elimination soccer tournament is for 7/8th boys and girls; there will be a separate tournament for each. The registration deadline for the soccer tournament is January 5. Practices will start the first week of January. This event will run from January 27–February 9. We are seeking coaches!
Boys' baseball and girls' basketball will begin practicing the first week in February. The registration deadline for both sports is January 27. No exceptions! Please email bcaradonna@sjbosco.org if you are interested in coaching any of these three sports. Register Here Click HERE for Printable Medical Forms
SCRIP SHOP
The final Scrip order for the year was placed Monday, December 4 at 8:30 AM. This was the last opportunity to order physical cards in time to get them distributed at school before Christmas break. Any physical cards ordered after 8:30 AM December 4 will be delivered to the school in January, so please plan accordingly & please double-check your orders before checking out, as not all vendors offer E-cards.
You are always encouraged to order e-cards anytime through the app; the deadline above only applies to physical card orders.
*Please note: If you place a "ship to home" order anytime this month, RaiseRight has advised that ship-to-home orders can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. They are sent USPS and there is no tracking available.
If you still need to enroll in the RaiseRight app, click here for detailed instructions.
Fri. 12/08: 2nd Trimester Progress Reports Emailed
Wed. 12/13: Christmas Program @ 6 PM in the Courtyard
Thurs. 12/14: Pancakes with Santa; Free Christmas Dress Day; Classroom
Christmas Celebrations
Fri. 12/15: School Mass @ 8:15 AM; 2nd Grade Our Lady of Guadalupe Play
following Mass; 12:30 PM Early Release
Mon. 12/18/23–Mon. 01/01/24: No School — Christmas Vacation
Tues. 01/02/24: School Resumes
ST. BENEDICT
PARISH NEWS
COMMUNITY NEWS
Call for Sponsors
Do you want to grow your business and help support St. John Bosco at the same time? Do you enjoy reading Faith & Family in Ahwatukee and Chandler every month and want to continue to receive it?
We are looking for business sponsors for the Faith & Family in Ahwatukee and Chandler magazine. There are options at pretty much any level, so please consider jumping in. The magazine is mailed directly to 3,300 Catholic households in the local community.
St. John Bosco School and St. Benedict Parish benefit directly and financially from any additional business sponsors in our community. If you would like to learn more, please contact Kevin Muir at 602-722-6123 or kmuir@decidedexcellence.com
Continue the Festivities
If you're looking for something to do over Christmas vacation, take the kids to see a local production of
The Nutcracker. Several talented SJB students are performing to make the experience extra special!
Allison Becerra - Kindergarten; Victoria Coker - 3rd; Jenna Hansen - 8th;
Aurelia Taveras - 2nd; Salome Taveras - Pre-K; Jillian Vanderzyl - 4th;
Lauren Wiscombe - 8th; Madelyn Wiscombe - 3rd
Aurelia Taveras - 2nd; Salome Taveras - Pre-K; Jillian Vanderzyl - 4th;
Lauren Wiscombe - 8th; Madelyn Wiscombe - 3rd
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 Next Week ...
Below are helpful links to information:
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.
