Message from the Kranz' Family

Just wanted to be sure that everyone saw this note from Jayne and Paul Kranz:


Dear St. Joseph Families, Teachers, Friends and Classmates;

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for the tremendous outpouring of love and support extended to Emily and our entire family this past year. Watching her participate in the Christmas program with her peers and all the other beautiful children, was beyond words.

It is hard to fathom that last year she was in the ICU fighting for her life. The power of love and prayers are evident in Emily’s miraculous recovery. She is simply amazing! We are so proud of Emily and her remarkable patience and determination to get well. It is truly an honor to be her parents!

It is both a privilege and blessing to be part of community that cares so deeply for our daughter. We continue to be overwhelmed by everyone’s support and generosity. All of you have been instrumental in her healing process.

We would like to "give back" a little of the love that was bestowed on Emily and our family last Christmas. We are planning to delivery non-perishable food and holiday treats to the families whose children are in the ICU @ Loyola this Christmas. We would be extremely grateful for any contributions. Suggestions: breads, cookies, fruit, candy, money, gift certificates from Manna, magazines, small games for children of all ages. Families literally live in the waiting rooms @ the ICU, while their children fight for their lives. Please help us make their waiting more bearable this Christmas. If you can help, please deliver donations to Sister Dorothy by 12:00 p.m. on 12/24. If she is not @ home you may leave the items on her front porch!

We wish everyone a blessed holiday season and a happy healthy New Year! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything.

Sincerely,

The Kranz Family

Note to 8th Grade Girls: Poinsettia's for Tonight's Christmas Performance

Note from Mrs. Schmitt:

Today the 8th grade girls received a silk poinsettia to wear at tonight's Christmas performance. The girls may wear the flower anywhere ...in their hair, on their wrist, pinned to their outfit, on their belt, etc. Feel free to trim down the stems. The flowers can be glued to a headband or barrette also.

CSD99 - English Honors Testing Update

Because of the bad weather on the last writing prompt date and the fact that some of the private schools received late notification of the dates, District 99 is offering two more opportunities for students to come in and write an essay for placement in the English Honors program.

The additional dates and times are as follows:

Wednesday, January 6 at North High School, Room 210: 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 12 at South High School, Room C364: 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Confirmation Date Has Been Set!

Confirmation will be held on:

Saturday March 13, 2010 @ 10:00 a.m.

Please mark it on your calendars.

$5.00 Grab-bag - Gift Ideas

In case your child is looking for ideas, here are some suggestions for the grab-bag gift:

--Caribou, Starbucks, Great American Bagel or Every Day's a Sundae Gift Cards
--Ornament
--Candy
--Christmas items such as pens or pencils (items you can probably find at Factory Card Outlet or Hallmark)

Ideally the gifts should be non-gender specific. Hope this helps!

$5.00 Grab-Bag Needed - Friday December 18

All 8th Grader's are being asked to bring a wrapped, $5.00 grab-bag to school on Friday December 18, 2009.

In addition to some light snacks, the room moms are planning an exciting game for them to play during their Christmas Party. (At least we think it's exciting.) ;)

Hard to believe that Christmas break is already upon us!

Re-Post: Volunteers Needed on Monday December 21

There are only four (4) 8th Graders that signed up for this project. Chick really needs eighteen (18) in order to make this a special day for her Senior Citizens. If your child is interested in participating, please e-mail Mary Durkin (info below) as soon as possible.

Thank you for your help!


Volunteers Needed - Service Hours Opportunity December 21 10-11 a.m.
Chick Briner, SJ parishioner, who also works for Gloria Dei's Senior Citizen Day Care, is looking for 8th grade volunteers to work on a craft project. This is an annual event for the SJS 8th graders and this year it will be held on Monday December 21, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Each 8th grader is paired up with a Senior Citizen and together they make a craft project that the Senior then gets to keep. Chick says the Senior Citizens really enjoy this time and it truly brightens up their day. She is asking for eighteen (18) volunteers. If your child is interested in volunteering and receiving service hours, please RSVP to Mary Durkin at dkn61@comcast.net as soon as possible. Participation will be determined on a first come, first served basis in the order in which the RSVP’s are received.

Planning Ahead - Graduation Pictures February 12, 2010

Graduation pictures will be taken at SJS on Friday February 12, 2010 during the school day. The students traditionally have their pictures taken in a Cap and Gown, as well as in their dress clothes. Typically the boys wear a suit and the girls wear dresses.

More information will follow as the day comes closer.

REMINDER - Confirmation Forms Due Wednesday December 16, 2009

The following forms are due on Wednesday December 16, 2009:

1) Information Form For Permanent Church Records; and
2) First Semester Service Hours (2 pages)

Both forms can be found in the St. Joseph Parish Confirmation Program red folder that was distributed during the 8th Grade Confirmation Meeting held on September 30.

Please make a note of this.

DGS & DGN English I Honors Program

All 8th graders were given a notice this week from District 99 about upcoming test dates for those students interested in enrolling in English I Honors at DGS or DGN. In case you missed it, here is the body of the message:

District 99 requires all students interested in English I Honors placement to complete a writing prompt. The process should take approximately 50 minutes. The students may choose to attend one of the following sessions:

Thursday December 3 @ South High - Room C364 - 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Saturday December 5 @ North High - Room 276 - 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Wednesday December 9 @ South High - Room C364 - 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Students do not need to pre-register; they should jut report to the assigned room on the day they choose. We ask that students bring loose-leaf paper and a writing utensil.

Volunteers Needed - Service Hours Opportunity December 21 10-11 a.m.

Chick Briner, SJ parishioner, who also works for Gloria Dei's Senior Citizen Day Care, is looking for 8th grade volunteers to work on a craft project.

This is an annual event for the SJS 8th graders and this year it will be held on Monday December 21, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Each 8th grader is paired up with a Senior Citizen and together they make a craft project that the Senior then gets to keep. Chick says the Senior Citizens really enjoy this time and it truly brightens up their day. He is asking for eighteen (18) volunteers.

If your child is interested in volunteering and receiving service hours, please RSVP to Mary Durkin at dkn61@comcast.net as soon as possible. Participation will be determined on a first come, first served basis in the order in which the RSVP’s are received.

Thank you!

Thank you's are in order for the following individuals on behalf of the 8th grade class:

MARIBETH RUF and KELLY ROTH for the Spirit Wear Sale. A special thank you to all the volunteers who helped fill the orders and deliver them to the classrooms for distribution.

ELLEN FLEMING and CAROLE MALONE for the Pumpkin Sale (especially for their efforts during a very rainy pick up day!) Thank you to Wannemakers for their delivery and for seeing that we had the best pumpkins available the day of pick-up.

TERESE LAMOUREAUX for organizing the Feed My Starving Children service project. Also a special thank you to all of the chaperones who doubled as chauffeurs the day of the event.

And although still a work in progress, DON and LYNETTE WADE for their work on the Coat Drive.

Final Details: Haunted Forest Walk - Saturday October 24

LOCATION/ARRIVAL TIME:
Please plan to meet at the Woodridge Park District, 2600 Center Drive, Woodridge at 6pm or shortly after...the event begins at 6:30 p.m.

KELLY NOVOTNY will be at the park at 6:00 p.m. to meet the group. If you need to make changes or add a name to the list of attendees, please call Kelly's cell at (630) 935-7934. By doing so the chaperone's will know when all students have arrived to begin the walk.

PICK UP:
Plan to pick up your child at 8:30 pm at the park.

COST:
Event fee is $7 and the students may wish to bring extra $$ for purchasing refreshments.

TRANSPORTATION:
Carpooling is suggested but is not required as you may drop off your child at the Park District.

Leticia Pedraza and Andrea Petrino have offered to drive after the conclusion of 5:00 p.m. Mass, so please contact them directly to arrange rides.

ATTENDEES:
The following 8th graders have currently signed up for the walk.

Michael Delaplane
Colleen Durkin
Connor Economou
Bridget Guiffre
Sydney Huggins
Kaileen Mangan
Kelly O'Brien
Matt Pedraza
Charlie Roth
Lauren Ryan
Ryan Walaszek
Emma Welsh

It is not too late to sign up. The more the merrier...or should I say ....the more the spookier?

REMINDER: Reading Tree Registration due October 22

If you are interested in enrolling your child in the Reading Tree High School Entrance Exam Prep Course, the forms are due to the SJS office on Thursday October 22. Here is the original blog post:



Information on the high school entrance exam prep course, offered through The Reading Tree, was sent home last week to all 8th graders.

The eight (8) session course is offered on-site, after school at SJS starting on October 26, 2009.

Registration forms are due to the school office by Thursday October 22, 2009.

Volunteers Needed - Final Home Matches for Volleyball

Next weekend marks the last home matches/games for the 8th grade girls volleyball teams. As is tradition at SJS, the event is celebrated by decorating the gym and recognizing the 8th grade team members.

Volunteers are needed to help decorate the gym. If you are available, please contact Mary Durkin at dkn61@comcast.net or (630) 971-9214.

FYI, here are the dates and times for the final home matches:

8A - Friday October 23 @ 8:00 p.m.
8B1 - Saturday October 24 @ 1:00 p.m.
8B2 - Saturday October 24 @ 2:00 p.m.

Even if you are unable to volunteer for decorating, everyone is welcomed to attend to cheer on our 8th grade girl volleyball players on this special occasion.

RSVP Needed - Haunted Forest Walk

If your child is planning on attending the Haunted Forest Walk and Hayride on Saturday October 24, please send an RSVP to Anne Harris no later than Wednesday October 21, 2009:

steveharris70@comcast.net

In your note, please indicate if your child will be:

1) Attending mass at 5:00 p.m.; and/or leaving directly from SJ's; or
2) Meeting at Hawthorne Hill Woods.

Your RSVP will help inform the chaperone's who they are expecting so that everyone can walk together as a group at the event.

Please remember that transportation is not provided so car pooling is encouraged to help get the kids to/from the event.

Haunted Forest Walk & Hayride - Saturday October 24, 2009

Here is the information on the Haunted Forest Walk and Hayride at the Woodridge Park District on Saturday October 24, 2009. For those parents who signed up to chaperone and/or drive, the room mom's are suggesting that the children attend 5:00 p.m. mass and then leave from the church parking lot, arriving at the event between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m. However, this is not mandatory and the children can be driven directly to the event where they will meet as a group.

Haunted Forest Walk
Carpool to: Woodridge Park District
2600 Center Drive
Woodridge, Il 60517

Event begins at 6:30 p.m.

Hawthorne Hill Woods will be transformed into a thrill of scary scenes, complete with ghosts, ghouls and all sorts of creatures that slither and groan. There will be plenty of monsters and ghouls out to WELCOME you!

Park at the Community Center, 2600 Center Drive, and enjoy a hayride to Hawthorne Hills Woods.

Parental Discretion
$7.00 per person /evening hours
Tickets can be purchased when arriving to Woodridge Community Center.

Wear Gym shoes, walk will take place on wood chips.

8 – 9 haunted scenes will be viewed

Hot Chocolate and candy can be purchased

School Pictures - Clarified

During 8th grade, there are two different times in the school year that our children are officially photographed at SJS and pictures offered for sale.

--The first happens on Thursday October 15 and is the annual pictures that all children and teachers participate in at SJS.

--The second will happen in early February and will be for the 8th graders only. This is traditionally a more formal portrait of each student taken for graduation, as the students will also have an opportunity to pose for a picture in a cap and gown. There will also be a large class photo created of all of the 8th graders (both classes) in their caps and gowns. (Similar to the ones hanging outside of the School Office.) There may also be a group photo taken on the altar at church of all of the students.

Hope this clarifies some of the picture mystery for the 8th graders.

8th Grade T-Shirts - ACTION NEEDED!

The reprinted 8th Grade t-shirts have arrived and will be distributed during lunch on Tuesday October 13.

All students must turn in their original, misprinted t-shirts in order to receive the new shirts.

Please let your child know to bring the old t-shirts with them to school on Tuesday (tomorrow).

Thank you.

Kazma Family Foundation - Tuition Assistance Grant

Mrs. Stasi would like to share the following information from the Catholic Education Foundation of the Diocese of Joliet with all of our 8th Grade Families.

Please note that the attachments referenced in the letter below will be sent to all 8th Grade parents via e-mail :


_____________________________________
October 2009

Dear Eighth Graders,

The Catholic Education Foundation is pleased to announce a tremendous opportunity for eighth-grade students.

The Kazma Family Foundation will be providing a four-year renewable tuition assistance grant to students entering any of the Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Joliet. Thirty-five students will be selected based on financial need.

Please review the attached information regarding the Kazma Family Scholarship and complete the application by February 19, 2010.

If you have any questions regarding this grant, contact Jane Lagger at the Catholic Education Foundation at 815/834-4033 or jlagger@dioceseofjoliet.org.

Sincerely,

Jane Lagger, Director
Catholic Education Foundation

Confirmation Retreat - Out of Uniform Tomorrow

Thursday October 8 is the 8th graders confirmation retreat at school. It is an out of uniform day but the children should be neatly dressed.

Entrance Exam Prep Course - The Reading Tree

Information on the high school entrance exam prep course, offered through The Reading Tree, was sent home last week to all 8th graders.

The eight (8) session course is offered on-site, after school at SJS starting on October 26, 2009.

Registration forms are due to the school office by Thursday October 22, 2009.

T-Shirts - Please Read!

As some of you may have already noticed, the 8th Grade Class T-Shirts have a typo on them. Instead of SJS 2010, it reads SJS 2009.

We have contacted the vendor and they will be reprinting new t-shirts for the class. There is no delivery date as yet.

We will be collecting the original shirts for distribution to a needy charity.

More information on the return, and the delivery date for the reprinted t-shirts will be posted at a later date.

Spirit Wear Orders Due Wednesday September 30!

A reminder that the 2009 Spirit Wear orders are due to the School Office on Wednesday September 30. If you need an order form, go to the school website http://www.stjosephdg.org/school/index.php.

Proceeds benefit the 8th grade dinner/dance and any extra proceeds will benefit St. Joseph School.

REMINDER - Gift Wrap Orders Due Monday 9/28/2009

Gift Wrap orders are due tomorrow, Monday September 28, 2009. If you are not ordering via the Internet, remember to return the order form (all copies) and payment (checks made payable to St. Joseph Parent Forum) in the large, white envelope provided earlier with the catalogs.

Homecoming 2009 Wrap-up

Thank you to everyone who made St. Joseph's School 2009 Homecoming a huge success! From the pep rally to the 8th grade pizza party to the day of events at Montini, it was a fun weekend for all.

We would like to especially thank:

Mrs. Stasi - For agreeing to the Pep Rally during school hours on Friday.
Sharon Harte - Pep Rally/Volleyball Games reschedule to Montini
The Roth's - Hosting the 8th Grade Pizza Party at their house for the 2nd year in a row!
Maribeth Ruf - Spirit Wear Sales

And most importantly, a big THANK YOU to Mary Durkin who works tirelessly year after year in making SJS Homecoming Weekend the best event anywhere for both children and parents.

Volleyball Games Location Change for Sunday 9/20/2009

All scheduled SJS Home Volleyball games will played at Montini this Sunday, September 20, 2009 in honor of Homecoming. This will affect the following teams:

5B @ 1:30 p.m.
7A @ 2:30 p.m.
8B-2 @ 3:30 p.m.

A very special THANK YOU to Montini for the use of their gym!

GO CRUSADERS!

Protecting God's Children

With so many activities this year, please be sure to have completed the Protecting God's Children Program and a Background Check* if you are planning to volunteer your time at St. Joseph's. This is a requirement set forth from the Diocese which St. Joe's enforces out of safety and concern for our children.

Here is the link to the information on the school website or contact the school office for more information.

http://www.stjosephdg.org/school/parent_volunteer.php

*If you are a "seasoned" St. Joe Parent who has already gone through the PGC Program, you may need to have a second background check performed as they are only good for a set amount of time. The School Office will contact you if you need to submit to a new background check.

8th Grade Motto T-Shirts - Orders due 9/16/2009

The order form for the 8th Grade Motto T-Shirts was sent home in the Friday folder last week.

ORDERS ARE DUE BY WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2009.

The cost is $10 and the order form and payment (if check, payable to St. Joseph School) needs to be returned to Anne Ryan c/o Lauren Ryan Room 101 by Wednesday.

LAST CALL - Feed My Starving Children Attendees

Feed My Starving Children - Tuesday November 10

Anyone who did not sign up their 8th grader at the Meet and Greet will need to contact Terese Lamoureaux ASAP if their 8th grader would like to participate. We have 40 of 50 slots filled. If we do not get another 10 8th graders, we will fill the empty spots with some family members who have expressed interest.

2009 SPIRIT WEAR ORDERS - 8th Grade Fundraiser

Information on this year's Spirit Wear Order, which is the major fundraiser* for the 8th Grade Class, was sent home last week and is available on-line through the SJS Website. Here is the link:

http://www.stjosephdg.org/school/spiritwear.php

Orders are due by September 3o, 2009.

*For those of you who missed the 8th Grade Parent Meeting after Meet and Greet last month, the 8th Grade Class traditionally sponsors various fundraisers through-out the year to offset the cost of the 8th Grade Dinner-Dance which is free to all students and their parents. In addition, at graduation, the class then makes a contribution to the school as a legacy to their years at St. Joe's. Previous gifts have included outdoor benches, crucifixes/religious statues, and most recently, carpeting and hallway improvements to the gym area.

Basketball Try-outs

Basketball Try-out dates and times have been published:

8th Grade BOYS - Saturday September 12 from 2:15 - 3:45 p.m.

8th Grade GIRLS - Saturday September 19 from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

All students signed up for basketball must attend the evaluation for their grade.

Any student unable to attend their evaluation will be placed on the B team.

Teams are made by dividing the best evaluated athletes on A team. Then the remaining athletes are slotted for the B team. If there are 2 B teams, the athletes will be divided up equally per B team.

DGN & DGS/District 99 Registration & Pre-Entrance Test

All 8th Graders should have received the Community High School District 99 (DGN and DGS) Enrollment packet which was sent home last week via school.

The packet contained important information on the registration process and form (blue-DGS or purple-DGN) which must be returned to its respective high school by September 18, 2009. In addition, the packet also contained information on the Pre-Entrance Test scheduled for Saturday September 26 from 7:45 a.m. to approximately 11:45 a.m. at Downers Grove South (for both schools.)

Even if you are planning on sending your child to a private school at this time, considering registering with District 99. First, the Pre-Entrance Test is good testing practice and it will have your child in place to go to District 99 if you choose to go with the public high school after all. (It is only September you know. Next year is a long ways away (relatively speaking of course!))

8th Grade Confirmation Meeting - 9/30/2009

Grade 8 Parent & Student Confirmation Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, September 30
TIME: 7-8:30 pm in the Church

7th & 8th Grade Halloween Party

7th & 8th Grade Halloween Party

Who: 7th and 8th Grade Classes
Where: Orchard Brook Clubhouse
When: Saturday, October 31st
Time: 7 pm to 10 pm
Price: $10.00 includes pizza and beverage
R.S.V.P. with payment: Theresa Lucas co: Karoline Rm#201
Special Note: This is a lock in, once in, your child may not leave until a designated parent picks them up.

The 7th Grade Moms have come up with the idea of having a Halloween party for the 7th & 8th grade SJS classes on Halloween night. We have reserved the Orchard Brook clubhouse and have arranged for Fr. Matt to join us in the festivities with swing dance lessons! We will however, need everyones' help for the following activities.
**Music (put together a play list of great music on an ipod, approx. 2 hours worth of music, repeats ok)
**Games (fun activities such as apple bobbing)
**Haunted House (the girls locker room is available for a funfreaky haunted house - spaghetti guts, fake chain saws, anything you can think of)
**Decorations (streamers, pumpkins, etc.)
**Set up (setting up tables and chairs, electric cords for stereo, etc.)
**Tear Down (putting it all away!)
**Parent Chaperones

We can assign these tasks to teams (i.e. 7th Grade Girls Volleyball B team takes set up) to make it easy but it would be best if each team volunteered for something that they would like to do.

We need an 8th grade contact person and a 7th grade contact person.

For more information, please contact Theresa Lucas at (630)728-9915 or via the web at tlucas3649@gmail.com

Thank you for attending the 8th Grade Parents Meeting!

There was a great turnout for the 8th Grade parents meeting held after Meet & Greet on Wednesday August 26. Many volunteers signed up to the help and/or chair the various activities throughout the year. The response was overwhelming.

The list of events and volunteers will be posted in the near future.

SAVE THE DATE - Saturday September 19 - Homecoming Party

The Roth's have generously offered again to host a Homecoming party for the 8th Graders on Saturday September 19. More details to follow.

Feed My Starving Children - More Info

As you read in the last post, the 8th Graders can participate in a service project "Feed My Starving Children" on Tuesday November 10, 2009. The hours of commitment, including travel time to Aurora, is from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

At this time we are still working out the transportation details, but we are anticipating that we will need parents to volunteer to drive. We wanted to mention this since this is also the day of Parent-Teacher conferences at SJS so please schedule accordingly if you are also willing to help transport the 8th Graders to Aurora on November 10. Thank you!

Additional Info for Meet & Greet - 8th Grade Parents Meeting

Hello 8th grade parents!

As previously posted on the 8th grade blog, we will have a brief meeting for all 8th grade parents at the conclusion of the Meet & Greet night, on August 26th. At this time, we will give an overview of the special events that will occur during our children’s 8th grade school year. We will provide an opportunity for all parents to volunteer to assist in one of the many activities. The planning for the following activities/events is already underway with the following chairpersons:

*Class T-shirts - Anne Ryan
*Spirit Wear sales- Maribeth Ruf and Kelly Roth
*Homecoming/face painting at the football game - Mary Durkin
*Haunted Hayride/Haunted Walk - Kelly Novotny
*Service Project- "Feed My Starving Children"- (Nov 10, 2009) Terese Lamoureaux
Please note: For more information on this service project, please go to the
website http://www.feedmystarvingchildren.com/. Due to the nature of this program, we will need a firm commitment in the next few weeks, as to whether or not your child will be able to attend.

The following events still need a chairperson:

*Pumpkin Sale (fall)
*Coat Drive (Dec)
*Ski Trip (Jan or Feb)
*Fun Fair/organize Cake Walk and Face Painting (Jan)
*Great America Trip (May 26, 2010?)
*Sox Game
*8th Grade Dinner Dance

We will have sign-up sheets available at the meeting and encourage everyone to participate in some capacity. We are looking forward to a great year for our kids!

8th Grade Parents Meeting--Immediately following the conclusion of Meet & Greet - August 26

Please plan on attending a special 8th Grade Parents meeting at the conclusion of Meet & Greet on Wednesday August 26, 2009. The meeting will take place in the 8th Grade classrooms (exact location TBD) and is expected to last 15 minutes.

During this meeting important information on the upcoming school year will be shared and you will have an opportunity to sign up to volunteer for the many different event and activities that are planned for the 8th Graders.

In the coming days, the list of events and activities will be posted so you can have a preview of what's to come in the 2009-2010 school year.

We hope to see you all there!

First day of school - Monday August 24, 2009

The first day of 8th grade begins on Monday August 24, 2009, with dismissal at 11:25 a.m. Full days the rest of the week!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 School Year!