NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents,
Today marks the final opportunity to secure your child's spot for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. As we gear up for Catholic Schools Week, the review and acceptance of new students will begin. Several classes are already full with waiting lists in place. To ensure your child's enrollment, please complete the re-enrollment process by midnight tonight. All current families have received re-enrollment emails multiple times this past month and received another reminder this week.
This weekend marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week, the most thrilling time for our students and community! Encourage your children to wear their SJB school uniform to Mass at your home parish this weekend to display their school spirit. As a special incentive, every student who wears their school uniform to Mass this weekend will enjoy a Free Dress Day on Thursday, February 8th.
Mr. Caradonna has organized another fantastic Field Day, but he requires your assistance to make it a success. Kindly sign up HERE to contribute to the fun and games. Remember, each family is expected to volunteer at least 25 hours annually, making this an excellent opportunity to fulfill your volunteer commitment and enjoy the great outdoors with your kids!
Joyful Blessings,
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Do everything in love.
SCHOOL NEWS
Catholic Schools Week!
It's finally HERE! The week kicks off with Penny Wars so make sure children bring coins starting Monday. And in typical Catholic take-care-of-our-neighbors fashion, we also request canned or boxed food to fill the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry for our annual Cans Across Campus tradition.
Click the button below for the entire Catholic Schools Week Schedule:
SJB on the Radio
Make sure to catch the insightful broadcasts on Radio Family Rosary 1010 AM or check out their podcast this Monday morning at 8:30 AM. Our very own Principal Jamie Bescak will be sharing the significance of celebrating Catholic Schools Week and shedding light on how each one of us can play a part in supporting our Catholic Schools. It's a chance to gain valuable insights into the essence of our schools and the collective effort it takes to make them thrive.
But that's not all! Tune in again Wednesday at 8:30 AM to Radio Family Rosary for a special segment. This time, 8th grader Carter Acosta will take the mic to share the inspiring story of our beloved Patron Saint, St. John Bosco. Get ready to learn more about the life of this remarkable saint and how our school strives to embody his mission in everything we do. It's a unique chance to hear directly from one of our students about the values and spirit that drive our community forward. Don't miss out on these engaging radio moments!
CANS Across Campus
Our annual drive to restock the shelves of our St. Vincent de Paul food pantry will take place on the Monday of Catholic Schools Week (January 29).
Help our students live their faith by participating in this Corporal Work of Mercy: Feed the Hungry. Non-perishable items may be brought in now with our sincere gratitude for your generosity. Click HERE for Details.
Penny Wars Are ON!
"Penny Wars" is a fun, school-wide contest played during Catholic Schools Week to raise funds for Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos, an amazing charitable organization to help children overcome poverty. SJB has been sponsoring two deserving children since 2002 and raised $63,502.70!
FIELD DAY is TUESDAY!
January 30
One of our students' favorite days of the year is TUESDAY and parents are invited to join the fun!
We celebrate the joy of Catholic education with a morning of fun and games followed by a free lunch for everyone! But it takes a village to pull it off so we invite parents to sign up below to help and enjoy the day with your kids!
OPEN HOUSE
Wed., Jan. 31, 5:30–7:00 PM
Thurs., Feb. 1, 9:00–11:00 AM
Join us for the Catholic Schools Week Celebration of Learning Open House and bring a friend! It promises to be enjoyable for the entire family featuring singing, art, science, laughter, and community building. Highlights include:
- SJB Choir's captivating short concert
- Excitement of the Kindergarten Egg Drop
- Exploration of the Jr. High Science Fair in the MPR
- Campus-wide Display of STEM and Science Projects
- Artistic Showcase with Art Masterpiece Projects in Every Classroom
- Opportunities to Visit with Teachers and Friends
We welome our current families and those interested in joining our SJB Community next school year. We encourage everyone to attend this fantastic event and invite your family and friends to discover what makes St. John Bosco Catholic School the BEST Private School in Ahwatukee!
Art Masterpiece for SALE
Students' Art Masterpiece projects will be on display in their classrooms for parents to admire and/or purchase. $25 each, not to exceed $50 per family.
2024-2025 ENROLLMENT
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.
Just Released!
We're already looking forward to the next school year! For your planning convenience, please see this 2024-2025 School Year Calendar.
Spring Sports Registration
LAST CHANCE! Deadline TOMORROW, January 27
Spring sports start soon; register here. SJB offers boys' baseball & girls' basketball for grades 5–8
Practice will begin 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 either sport.
Attention ALL SJB Parents: PTO wants YOU!
The amazing events that help build this beloved community would not be possible without the help of MANY.
We are looking forward to setting the board and committees for next year for our newly organized PTO and need YOU to be involved! Many event and administrative positions are available: PTO Coordinator, Event Chairs, Event Committee Member, PTO Reporting, PTO Treasury… just to name a few.
Please visit the PTO website to get a better view of positions and events. Reach out to ptosjb@sjbosco.org to let us know how you would like to be involved! We are excited to hear from you!
Our next PTO meeting is February 6th, 6:00 in the SJB Library. See you there!
Sun. 01/28–Fri. 02/02: Catholic Schools Week!
Wed. 01/31, 5:30–7 PM: Open House
Thurs. 02/01. 9–11 AM: Open House
ST. BENEDICT
PARISH NEWS
St. Benedict Knights of Columbus
FREE THROW COMPETITION
Tomorrow, Jan. 27 @ 10 AM
Boys & girls ages 9–14 are invited to join the
St. Benedict Knights of Columbus Fr. BOB BINTA COUNCIL free throw competition on Saturday, January 27@ 10 AM on the SJB basketball courts.
Winners will advance to the Regional Free Throw Championship in February. Last year all three winners received 3rd place in the State of AZ! Save time and complete this registration form now.
Winners will advance to the Regional Free Throw Championship in February. Last year all three winners received 3rd place in the State of AZ! Save time and complete this registration form now.
Employment Opportunity
St. Benedict Catholic Church has an opening for a full-time staff member for the Coordinator of Children’s Faith Formation. This position provides vision and coordination for the parish’s efforts in ministry to preschool through 5th-grade children and their families.
For more information and a full job description, please visit the parish website at stbenedict.org/employment.
COMMUNITY NEWS
The NUN RUN! Sat. March 2
The Poor Clare Nuns invite you to participate in the 15th Annual Nun Run in Tempe. Choose from a 10K, 5K Run/Walk, or 1-mile Walk. Registration is $40 for adults (early-bird by Feb. 18) and $15 for children 18 and under before race day.
To learn more about the Poor Clare Nuns and to register, CLICK HERE.
Sponsorship Opportunity
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
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:
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's online calendar
