NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents,
Today marks the end of the 2nd trimester! Report cards will be sent via email on Tuesday, February 13th, and conferences are scheduled for the following week on February 21, 22, and 23. Please be aware of early dismissal (12:30 PM) on all three days to facilitate conferences between teachers and parents. Ensuring prompt pickup or registering with Innovation Learning for aftercare is crucial to allow teachers to start their conferences on schedule.
This Tuesday marks Mardi Gras, and we will maintain our tradition of "resting" the Alleluia banner with a brief afternoon ceremony led by the kindergarten. Every Mardi Gras, our entire staff and student body gather in the MPR for the "banner-resting" event and contribute their Lenten commitments to the Lenten box. This ceremony marks the beginning of the Lenten season when we refrain from using the word "Alleluia." The event is set for next Tuesday, February 13th, at 2:30 PM, and parents are warmly invited to attend.
Today marks the end of the 2nd trimester! Report cards will be sent via email on Tuesday, February 13th, and conferences are scheduled for the following week on February 21, 22, and 23. Please be aware of early dismissal (12:30 PM) on all three days to facilitate conferences between teachers and parents. Ensuring prompt pickup or registering with Innovation Learning for aftercare is crucial to allow teachers to start their conferences on schedule.
This Tuesday marks Mardi Gras, and we will maintain our tradition of "resting" the Alleluia banner with a brief afternoon ceremony led by the kindergarten. Every Mardi Gras, our entire staff and student body gather in the MPR for the "banner-resting" event and contribute their Lenten commitments to the Lenten box. This ceremony marks the beginning of the Lenten season when we refrain from using the word "Alleluia." The event is set for next Tuesday, February 13th, at 2:30 PM, and parents are warmly invited to attend.
All K–8th-grade students will attend Ash Wednesday Mass at 8:15 AM at St. Benedict Church. Therefore, please refrain from wearing spirit wear on that day; school uniforms are required. Families are, as always, encouraged to join us for Mass.
Lastly, although we believe St. John Bosco is an outstanding Catholic school, even the most exceptional schools have room for growth and improvement. We value honest feedback from our parents, faculty, staff, and students regarding their experience at St. John Bosco so I kindly ask all parents to take a few minutes to fill out the 2023-24 Parent Survey by March 8th. Faculty and staff will be emailed a separate survey on Monday, and kindergarten–8th-grade students will be given the student survey in class next week.
Joyful Blessings,
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Do everything in love.
SCHOOL NEWS
Congratulations
Science Fair Winners!
First Place: Sophia Bernardez
"The Potential of Using Artificial Intelligence in Studying for Reading Comprehension Tests"
Second Place: Lucas Pagazani
"AI vs. Humans: When Driving a Car, Who is Faster in Hitting the Brakes?"
Third Place: Madison Minnitti
Third Place: Madison Minnitti
"Soil: The Future of Power"
"Salt: Soil's Power Booster"
"Salt: Soil's Power Booster"
Spread the News!
We invite you to share the joy of our school by posting positive reviews on Google, Greatschools.com, and Facebook. Your experiences and feedback will help spread the good news about the uniqueness of our community. Let's showcase the warmth and excellence of our school to prospective families.
Thank you for your support!
Log Volunteer Hours
for 2023-24 School Year
Please remember to log your volunteer hours into Renweb. Click HERE for step-by-step instructions. The volunteer reports will be shared with all families at the end of the 2nd Trimester.
Please Note: All families are required to complete at least 25 hours each school year. Your service and involvement in your children’s education are priceless!
Below are just a few opportunities for involvement at SJB this school year:
- PTO — Mother-Son Kickball
- PTO — Organize the Uniform Closet
- Dads' Club — Father-Daughter Dance
- Dads' Club — Bosco Golf Tournament
- Classroom volunteers (contact your child's teacher)
- Athletics — coach, score games, and more (contact Mr. Caradonna)
To find out more, we encourage you to attend the next PTO or Dads' Club meeting.
2024-2025 ENROLLMENT
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 every two years by your home parish and include the parish seal. Please complete this form and submit it to the SJB front office ASAP. For further explanation of this policy from the Diocese of Phoenix, please click here.
*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.
Dads' Club Meeting TONIGHT!
Friday, February 9 @ 7 PM in the MPR
PIZZA PROVIDED!
Father-Daughter Dance
TOMORROW NIGHT
Saturday, February 10, 6–9 PM
SAVE THE DATE!
The second annual Mother-Son Kickball event is on March 22nd, 4–6 PM.
This is a FREE event; pizza & water will be served!
Sign-up Link Coming Soon!
Scrip Shop
Fri. 02/09: Trimester 2 Ends
Fri. 02/09: Dads' Club Meeting 7PM MPR
Sat. 02/10: Father-Daughter Dance 6–8PM
Tues. 02/13: Report Cards Emailed
Tues. 02/13: Resting the Alleluia Banner
Wed. 02/14: Ash Wednesday Mass 8:15AM
Mon. 02/19: Presidents' Day — No School
Wed.–Fri. 02/21–02/23: Spring P-T Conferences; 12:30PM Dismissal
ST. BENEDICT
PARISH NEWS
THANK YOU
Cans Across Campus!
The St. Benedict St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry offers its heartfelt thanks to SJB students, families, and staff for their amazing generosity over Catholic Schools Week to stock the shelves. This simple but critical act of charity helps SVdP feed our hungry neighbors.
Knights of Columbus
Free Throw Champions
Congratulations to the following St. Benedict parishioners for winning their age group in the recent free throw contest:
Age 9: Connor Acosta
Age 10: Blake Hlavin
Age 11: Grayson Bileski; (Runner Up Brody Rivas)
Age 12: Blake Snyder
Age 14: Carter Acosta
These players will advance to the district challenge on February 17 on the SJB basketball courts. Our champions will compete against the Holy Cross Champions.
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 support St. John Bosco at the same time? Do you enjoy Faith & Family in Ahwatukee and Chandler each month and want to continue receiving 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
