NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
The Bulldog Bite will not be published the
next two Fridays (March 8 and 15) while recessed for Spring Break
Dear Parents,
Thank you to all who have filled out the Parent Survey! If you have not had a chance, there's still time. We sincerely 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 Parent Survey by March 8th.
Read Across America week is next week. Our dedicated teachers have planned a variety of activities to celebrate the joy of reading, promising an engaging week for our students. Please see the event schedule below for further details.
Our collective aim is to make these final months of the school year memorable and enriching for all our learners. Together let's strive to finish strong and celebrate the growth and accomplishments of each student. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our faculty, staff, and parents for their unwavering support and active involvement in our school community.
Lastly, it’s hard to believe that spring break is upon us. Spring break extends from Friday, March 10 through Friday, March 15. Teachers will attend a Diocesan In-Service on Friday, March 8; school will resume Monday, March 18. The next Bulldog Bite and teachers' newsletters will be emailed on March 22. Wishing you all a safe and refreshing spring break!
Our collective aim is to make these final months of the school year memorable and enriching for all our learners. Together let's strive to finish strong and celebrate the growth and accomplishments of each student. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our faculty, staff, and parents for their unwavering support and active involvement in our school community.
Lastly, it’s hard to believe that spring break is upon us. Spring break extends from Friday, March 10 through Friday, March 15. Teachers will attend a Diocesan In-Service on Friday, March 8; school will resume Monday, March 18. The next Bulldog Bite and teachers' newsletters will be emailed on March 22. Wishing you all a safe and refreshing spring break!
Joyful Blessings,
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Do everything in love.
SCHOOL NEWS
Call for SAB Applications
The School Advisory Board (SAB) is comprised of parents, grandparents, community members, and faculty whose purpose is to advance the common good for all students, promote academic excellence, counsel and advocate for school-wide initiatives, and represent the voice of the community. Advisory Board efforts and actions are aligned following the Mission and Philosophy of St. John Bosco School and the traditions of the Catholic Faith.
If you are interested in serving, please see more details about the SAB here and find the application here. Applications should be submitted via email to Principal Mrs. Bescak and current Board President Marianne Biegler or dropped off at the school office. Applications should be submitted by Monday, March 25.
Thank you for considering volunteering your time, knowledge, and professional experience to support the administration, faculty, and students of St. John Bosco.
A Night of Prayer and Reflection
March 22 @ 6 PM SJB Courtyard
All are invited to a night of prayer and reflection as SJB hosts the Family Stations of the Cross on Friday, March 22 @ 6 PM. Families may sign up to read a station reflection (see below). We will end the night with a Fish Fry immediately following consisting of two portions of fish, coleslaw, chips, and water for $10.00.
Review the Stations' readings and reflections HERE. Find a station that is best suited for your family and sign up for the particular slot for that station. (There are other opportunities besides reading to assist in this family event.)
Follow this link to the Signup Genius to be part of this special night. This event is an opportunity for students and/or parents to complete service hours. More importantly, it is a beautiful time to come together as a family during Lent.
ALL Parents Invited!
Parenting in the digital age can be a daunting task. Keeping up with the newest apps, video games, and how to monitor and supervise and keep children safe is an extra layer of parenting that many parents struggle with. In this interactive session, parents will take a deep dive with Katey McPherson into the life of kids being raised in the Digital Age. We will tackle the physical and mental health impacts of screen time, social media, and gaming, as well as how to manage consumption of suitable content and how you can learn alongside your child in a tandem effort to share the responsibility of safety and wellness together to build trust and confidence in your relationship and communication.
Be sure to watch the documentary Childhood 2.0 over spring break before attending the session on March 25th.
And The Winner Is ...
Our trusty Student Council dutifully counted the Penny Wars contributions from Catholic Schools Week and determined the winner to be the 4th Grade Class! Congratulations students of Mrs. Day and Mrs. Perezchica! You have earned a Free Dress Day (date TBD).
Thank you to the entire SJB student body for your awesome generosity to these deserving children of Nuestros Pequeños!
Art Masterpiece
For those who couldn't make it to the open house and are interested in purchasing your child's Art Masterpiece work, they're still available for sale. Simply ask your homeroom teacher for more information. Please note that your invoice will be emailed on March 1 and your FACTS account will be charged shortly thereafter.
Parent Accreditation Survey
LAST CALL!
Please take a few minutes to fill out this 2023-2024 Parent Survey by March 8. Faculty, staff, and K–8 students were sent a separate survey. Thank you for helping us help your children.
Log Volunteer Hours
for 2023-24 School Year
Remember to log your volunteer hours into Renweb. Click HERE for step-by-step instructions. Reports will be shared with all families next week.
SJB will be joining schools across the nation in celebration of Read Across America Week! Note the following daily privileges our students will enjoy during the week of March 4th-7th:
Monday 3/4: Save the Earth Day. Students may wear an appropriate green shirt with their uniform bottoms. (Please follow our dress code in the handbook.)
Tuesday 3/5: Read My Shirt Day. Students may wear an appropriate shirt that others can read with their uniform bottoms. (Please follow our dress code in the handbook and choose a shirt with an appropriate message )
Wednesday 3/6: Wacky Wednesday. Students may wear wacky socks and any Spirit Day shirt backward with their school uniform.
Thursday 3/7: Hats off to Reading/Read Across Campus Day. Students may wear a Cat in the Hat hat or any hat with their school uniform. The whole school will step outside at noon and read for twenty minutes with their buddies. Students may bring sunglasses and blankets for reading outside under the sun.
Tuition $$$ Available for
2024-2025 School Year
APPLY NOW
Most applications for Tax Credit financial assistance are now open! If you plan to use Tax Credit Funds next year, please note that most applications are due April 15. See a list of STO scholarship organizations HERE.
Codes for CEA: School Code 700 Password cea700
If you plan to use the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA), please check your email regularly to renew your contract or check the ESA website regularly to find out when new applications for the 2024-2025 school year will be available. If you used ESA this year, you do not need to create a new application.
If you have an incoming kindergartener, please contact Kelly McLean to discuss the best options for financial assistance.
**VERY IMPORTANT**
If you have used ESA this year, but have "Recommended Funds" at an STO, you MUST have an application in for the 2023-2024 school year in order to retain your funds for future years!!!
Save the Dates! Details coming SOON
June 3–6: Baseball/Softball Camp 8–11:00 AM
June 10–14: St. Benedict/St. John Bosco Vacation Bible School 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
June 17–28: STEM Camp 8:00 AM–3:00 PM
June 3–28: Innovation Learning 6:30 AM–6:00 PM
Mother-Son Kickball T-Shirts
Order Deadline TODAY!
Mother-Son Kickball is March 22 @ 4:30 PM, with games starting at 5:00 PM. Join us for FREE fun, pizza, and this cool spirit shirt! Sign up soon – the last day to register for a T-shirt is Friday, March 1st to enable shirts to be made in time.
There will still be time to register for the free event after March 1st but T-shirts will not be available. Click the button below to register:
Scrip Shop
Do those uniforms need a refresh? The Scrip office has plenty of Anton Uniform gift cards on hand. Stock up now for their upcoming spring sale! Plan ahead for spring break and stock up on Dutch Bros, In-N-Out, Barros Pizza, and Someburros for those road trips and lunches out!
REMEMBER: March 17 is the last day to earn for this SCRIP year. Earn as much as you can before the March 17 deadline.
Bricks 4 Kidz
A new session (and final of the school year!) of building and learning with Legos is starting April 5. Register below:
Thurs. 03/07: Early Dismissal (12:30 PM)
Fri. 03/08–Sun. 03/15: Spring Break (NO SCHOOL)
Fri. 03/22: Mother-Son Kickball
Thurs. 03/28: Passion Play 9AM
Thurs. 03/28: Holy Thursday Early Dismissal (12:30PM)
Fri. 03/29: Good Friday (NO SCHOOL)
Mon. 04/01: Easter Monday (NO SCHOOL)
Tues. 04/02: School Resumes
PARISH NEWS
Join us every Friday of Lent @ 6 PM at the St. John Bosco School courtyard for Stations of the Cross, followed by a Fish Fry in the MPR. Dinner includes two portions of delicious fish, coleslaw, cornbread, chips, dessert, and water for $10 per person.
COMMUNITY NEWS
NUN RUN TOMORROW!
Sat. March 2 @ Kiwanis Park, Tempe
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.
To learn more about the Poor Clare Nuns and to register, CLICK HERE.
FREE 1-DAY Football Clinic
Saturday, March 23, 8–11:30AM
All 5th–8th Graders Invited
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, March 18 ...
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
