Falcon Flyer Newsletter
September 24, 2020
Mission Statement
News from the Principal
Thank you for your patience and support as we shifted our 6-8 and then Pre-K - 5th grade levels into distance learning due to covid-19 cases within our school community. I am happy to report that the individuals who tested positive are doing well as they recover. Thank you for continuing to keep them in your prayers.
I wanted to update all of you on some changes we are making as we move forward and navigate a school year unlike any other. Our commitment to the safety of our students and staff remains our top priority. Through ongoing dialogue with the Catholic Schools Office and guidance from our local health departments, we are making two specific changes to our Better Together plan.
The first change will be designating which students and staff will be required to quarantine in the event of additional positive cases of Covid-19. We had previously been directed that any individual in the classroom cohort of a positive case should quarantine for 14 days. This recommendation was followed for our positive cases in middle school resulting in the current quarantine of grades 6-8. We were also directed and advised that due to proximate contact of up to an hour or longer in the classroom of our staff member who tested positive, we should also quarantine grades Pre-K 3 - 5th due to their risk of exposure. The decision/scenario trees we have been using to guide these decisions will soon be updated. Rather than quarantining entire classes/cohorts to quarantine in the instance of a positive case, updated recommendations will result in us quarantining only the individuals within a 6 foot radius of the positive case for 15 minutes or longer. Our teachers are currently submitting seating charts for all activities in which students are stationary for any timeframe above 15 minutes. These include lunch, classroom, dismissal, mass and elective courses. We will continue to be transparent and notify each classroom cohort and the school community if there are positive cases. It is my hope that these updated quarantining practices will result in less disruption to in-person learning.
One other area that has resulted in parents and families feeling concerned and/or frustrated was the notification that a member of our staff had returned to school while awaiting test results. I want to take full ownership in this decision as I directed this individual that it was appropriate to return to school since there were no symptoms and he/she was not identified as a close contact to the other known positive cases. I sincerely apologize for this. I realize now that this unknowingly exposed many others to a positive case. It also was a driving force in the decision to shift pre-k 3 - 5th grade students into distance learning. To prevent a potential situation as this, I am updating our plan to require that any staff member or student who is either symptomatic or has had known contact/exposure to a positive case for longer than 15 minutes and is awaiting test results remain out of school until confirmation of a negative test is received. Please also remember that this applies to members of the household who have either had a primary exposure and may be asymptomatic or are symptomatic and awaiting test results. If there is a confirmed or suspected case in the household, please keep all students home until you have contacted me directly.
These last few weeks and days have been very difficult for us all. We have all had to make a tremendous shift to carry forward on this path. We are resilient, and I am so grateful to our families, staff and students who have done this. I was saddened to learn that parents took to social media to complain and publicly criticize the decisions the school during these difficult days. To be clear, I am a huge proponent of transparency and honest dialogue. I want parents to feel as though they can share concerns openly and honestly. I am simply asking that this be done in a productive way that can result in a solution-oriented dialogue. Please contact the school directly if you have questions or concerns.
Please also keep in mind that any and all out of state travel should be reported to the school using the travel waiver. Families who knowingly travel out of state without documenting this with the school could face a required 14 day quarantine upon their return. Thank you for your help with reporting this important information.
Thank you for your continued support of our school as we navigate these times. I can't promise to be perfect or without error as we move through this school year. It is likely that there will be additional changes and adjustments to our plans as we navigate this year and more is learned about this virus and the risks associated with it. I will continue to share information as quickly and transparently as possible. Take care and enjoy a 3 day weekend!
In Christ,
Natalie Johnson
Principal
Congratulations Mrs. Sarah Parizek!
Dear SJN Families,
Our very own Mrs. Sarah Parizek has been named a finalist in the search for the Archbishop Paul S. Coakley Catholic Educator of the Year. The winner will be announced tomorrow at our Fall Education Institute. As a finalist, Mrs. Sarah will receive a $500 cash prize. If she is named the Educator of the Year, St. John Nepomuk Catholic School will also receive a $5,000 grant. Mrs. Sarah has taught at SJN for over 25 years! To learn more about how she shares her gifts with all of us here at St. John, I invite you to please read the nomination essay below.
"Is your light shining for Jesus today"? Sarah begins each religion lesson with this challenge for students. Her students get so excited and can hardly wait to help her turn on your battery powered led light to help show the kids that Jesus' light is present in the room as they learn. Sarah's radiating smile is hard to miss. She absolutely SHINES when coming in to teach the early childhood theology classes. Sarah puts much thought and planning into her lessons. Sarah has an amazing ability to reach each and every child and she does that by using their senses and different ways of learning each day. The kids don't just sit and listen - she has them up, acting out stories with props, shouting out praises to God, marching through Jericho, fighting the giants, singing His promises, quietly talking to Jesus in their hearts all while being still enough to hear His soft voice.
Sarah feels very strongly about letting the littlest of children know this is THEIR Church and that the physical church is not just for adults, but that God wants each and every one of them to come and be an active part of the Mass. She leads them through the church letting them touch, sit and ask questions about the altar, ambo, chairs for the Archbishop, Deacon, and Priest, the choir loft, baptismal font and even takes them to the sacristy to share the preparations that go on and what the priest is doing when getting ready for Mass. She shares the stations of the cross in a unique way, making a lasting personal impact on students. This is evident because even the youngest of students can tell you about each station and what we can learn about Jesus through it. Sarah keeps all important details in mind as she prepares for lessons with students. She hangs the liturgical color of the altar cloth up in front of our class and the kids know when it is Ordinary time, Advent, Lent, etc. She sneaks in before the day starts, changing the liturgical cloths hanging up in the classroom. The best part is that is THE FIRST THING the kids notice when coming into class! They scream out "The cloth is changed," and they can't wait to tell her when they see her throughout the school before theology classes even begin. Sarah is diligent to make sure that Catholic Identity is part of her class as well. She slows the prayers down making a point to give proper respect to the Lord as well as correcting placement of hands during prayers. She makes sure that the children understand different Saints and involves families by connecting her service projects with home. She makes sure that she sends family letters and takes time to write individual notes to each child and their family. Her love for the Lord and faith shine through her dedication to the children. She often speaks of seeing them in Mass on the weekends as well to bridge the gap between church and school. Sarah is determined to share the Gospel message however possible. The school closure during the spring of 2020 served as a remarkable opportunity to make deeper connections to the domestic church like never before. Entire families participated in her lessons by acting out the Easter story. At a time where anxiety and fear were high, Sarah was a calming force helping families celebrate Christ's sacrificial love in new and meaningful ways.
In addition to the lasting impact Sarah makes in our school community as a catechist and assistant, Sarah and her husband, John are faithful servants to St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church. Sarah is a proud member of the Altar Society, an usher, a greeter, and she was a driving force of planning our parish anniversary celebration in 2019. She has also helped in safely re-opening the church during the Covid-19 pandemic by volunteering to sanitize the church between Sunday mass times.
Mrs. Sarah Parizek is extremely deserving of this award because her "light" is ALWAYS shining and she lives out what she teaches. She is not only the best catechist for our early childhood students, but she is a great mentor, friend, confidant and supporter of each of us within the school. She is the quiet spirit of our school that sets us on a strong foundation. Sarah never gives up and even when working with challenging students or ones not wanting to be engaged, she goes the extra, extra mile to reach them and make sure they are hearing and truly feeling the love of God. She believes what she teaches and she lives out her words and faith every day! She amazes us, she inspires us, and we learn something new each day from her. The entire St. John Nepomuk community is so truly blessed and thankful to have her here making a life-long impact on her students and families.
Please join me in congratulating Mrs. Sarah on this amazing honor and recognition.
Sincerely,
Natalie Johnson
No School Tomorrow : Teacher Professional Day
School Picture Day
October 1 is Free Dress Day and Fall Individual Picture Day! Extra picture forms/envelopes are available in the school office. I will have a Late Envelope for any order forms that come after the photographer leaves tomorrow. Every student will have his/her picture taken with or without an envelope. These will be the pictures included in the school yearbook. If your child is absent absent on picture day, don't worry. They will have their yearbook photograph made on retake day November 5. Any student NOT turning in an envelope will receive a paper proof when pictures are returned. The paper proof will have a web address and a passcode unique to each individual student for the parents to use if they wish to order online. Oklahoma School Pictures phone number is (405) 753-6800 and their website address is Oklahoma School Pictures (www.okschoolpics.com). They will be very happy to help anyone with questions or needing assistance ordering.
Coming Soon... FALL Auction Raffle!
School Calendar Change -- Discipleship Building Move
We are eagerly anticipating moving into our new Discipleship building. Through conversations with our team from Boldt, we feel very confident that the building will be ready to move into during the 3rd week of October. This is such an exciting thing come to fruition as we will now have a brand new middle school as well as a storm shelter for our students and staff! We have been dreaming of this for quite some time, and we are so close!!
In order to make the move happen mid-year, we will need an additional day out of school during our previously scheduled fall break. School will not be in session on October 20. This adds an additional day out of school to the break already scheduled for October 16 and 19. Our school faculty and staff will spend Oct. 19-20 moving our 4-8 grade classrooms. Our 6-8 grade will shift into the new building and 4-5 grades will shift into the existing middle school classrooms. Mrs. Burris will also move into the permanent music/choir room on the 2nd floor of the PAC building.
Should the building opening timeline change and the move not be possible on October 19-20, I will communicate with families as soon as possible. Please plan forward with this day being a day out of school as we plan our transition into this new space.
Thank you to all donors and supporters of this project. We are so grateful for this opportunity!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Natalie Johnson
Principal
Fall Parent Teacher Conferences
Dear SJN Families,
It's hard to believe, but it's time to schedule the Fall Parent Teacher Conferences for your child(ren). Please remember, these conferences are required. Our school-wide conference days will be Tuesday, Oct 13 and Thursday, Oct 15 with school being out on Friday, Oct 16. Conferences will look different this year with our Covid-19 procedures in place. Teachers will create a Zoom link for each conference DAY rather than SESSION. They will use the waiting room feature and admit each parent/family member(s) at their designated time. Teachers will share these links and access information with families just prior to the conference dates. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns about this process.
We will be using SignUp.com to schedule our conferences. The link to schedule schedule your time is posted below. Please schedule a time to meet with your child/children’s teacher(s). You may schedule only ONE conference time slot per student. The conference scheduler links are organized by teacher. Please be mindful of this as you begin scheduling conferences. The scheduler will lock on October 6. Any appointments that need to be made after that date should be accomplished by calling or emailing Mrs. Johnson at njohnson@sjnok.org or 354.2509.
For those students in 6th through 8th grade, one conference time will be scheduled per child at which all four middle school teachers will be present. One other afternoon/evening of conference times on Wednesday, October 14 will be made available to middle school parents to accommodate the number of conference times needed.
Again-- please remember, all parents in grades Pre-K (3) through 8th grade are REQUIRED to schedule and attend a fall conference. WE WILL HAVE EARLY DISMISSAL ON TUES, OCT 13 & THURS, OCT 15 AT 2:30 P.M. Please remember NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, OCT 16.
We are looking forward to connecting with families at conferences! Please contact the office if you have questions or concerns.
In Christ,
Natalie Johnson
Principal
Youth Ensemble Information
With our safeguards and protocols in place, we have decided to resume our parish Youth Ensemble. This group, made up of singers and instrumentalists in grades 6-12, generally meets twice per month and sings at one Saturday evening Mass. If you are a student, or parent of a student, who would like to join, please see Mr. Noble after a weekend Mass or email him at dlm@sjnok.org.
Rehearsals: Sept. 15 & 22, 7-8pm
Mass: Wed., Sept. 23, 6:00pm (special Votive Mass for Families)
Rehearsals: Oct. 13 & 20
Mass: Sat., Oct. 24, 5:00pm
Rehearsals: Nov. 10 & 17
Mass: Sat., Nov. 21
Rehearsals: Dec. 1 & 7 (yes, Monday)
Masses: Tue., Dec. 8, 6:30pm (Holy Day, singing with Parish Choir), and Sat., Dec. 12, 5:00pm
Rehearsals: Jan. 5 & 12
Mass: Sun., Jan. 17, 10:30am
Rehearsals: Jan. 19 & 26
Confirmation Mass: Sun., Jan. 31, 4:00pm (singing with Parish Choir)
Parent Portal Access
RenWeb School Management Software gives you, the busy parent, an opportunity to get more involved in your child’s academic progress and future success – all via the Internet!
RenWeb’s Family Portal is a private and secure parents’ portal that will allow parents to view academic information specific to their children, while protecting their children’s information from others. You may view your child’s grades, attendance, homework and conduct as well as other useful school information. You can also communicate with teachers and other school staff online whenever necessary. All you need is an Internet-capable computer or mobile device.
Here’s how to access our easy-to-use RenWeb ParentsWeb:
Make sure that the school has your email address in RenWeb.
In Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox or Safari, go to www.renweb.com and click Logins.
Type the school's District Code STJN-OK
Click Create New Family Portal Account.
Type your email address and click Create Account. An email will be sent which includes a link to create your ParentsWeb login. The link is active for 6 hours.
Select the Click to Create your Family Portal login link.
A web browser displays your Name and RenWeb Person ID.
Type a User Name, Password, and Confirm the password.
Click Save User Name and/or Password.
A message displays at the top of the browser, "Username/Password successfully updated."
You may now log in to Family Portal using your new Username and Password.
ParentsWeb allows you to access:
Student attendance and daily grades
Progress reports, report cards and transcripts
Lesson plans and homework
School events and lunch calendar
SCRIP and Raise Right
Do you shop at Wal-Mart, Target, Sprouts, Lowes? Do you eat at Chili’s, Panera, Starbucks?
If you said yes, then you should be shopping with RaiseRight. Hundreds of vendors offer our school a discount to shop at their stores using gift cards. It’s easier than ever with the new app, RaiseRight. If you were previously using MyScripWallet all your information transfers to RaiseRight automatically. St. John Nepomuk Enrollment code: CBD17ALE937
Here’s the short version...You purchase a gift card at face value then that vendor provides us a rebate. Then we share the rebate with you to cover lunch or tuition. Here are some examples…
$100 Target Card (2.5% Rebate)
You pay $100 for the card
The school gets a rebate of $2.50. We split that with you, so you get $1.25 and we get $1.25. Imagine if you did that all year long everytime you shopped. We have some families earning $200 per year, which means the school also earned $200!!
Gap/Old Navy (14% Rebate)
$100 gift card purchase earns you $7 and the school $7
$100 Sprouts (5% Rebate)
$100 gift card purchase earns you $2.50 and the school $2.50
We keep limited stock on hand in the office but the easiest way to shop is using the app, RaiseRight! You can purchase and receive your e-gift card within minutes!
Physical gift card orders can take over a week to receive. Shop the box first or order online for the fastest service.
Shop the box for on-hand gift cards currently available as of 8/26/2020…
Braum’s $25 (Qty3)
Chili’s $25 (Qty 1)
CVS $100 (Qty 1)
Dennis Uniform $20 (Qty 2)
Panera Bread $10 (Qty 3)
Papa Murphy’s $10 (Qty 3)
Sprouts $100 (Qty 5) $50 (Qty 4) $25 (Qty 5)
Target $100 (Qty 2) $25 (Qty 1)
Walmart $250 (Qty 1) $100 (Qty 2) $25 (Qty 13)
If you have a specific order or questions about getting started call/text 405-208-3200 or email rebecca.grelle@gmail.com. Gift cards will come home via backpack express!
Click Below to Join our SJN Parent Group on Facebook
Subscribe to SJN Catholic School Calendar
All important school events are added to a Google Calendar that is visible on our school website. Parents and families may also subscribe to this calendar to see school events alongside their own calendar events. To subscribe, please visit this LINK and click the plus sign in the bottom right corner of the page. Once the calendar has opened, please follow the prompts to integrate to your existing calendar.
Parents as Partners Reads and Resources
Upcoming Events
Important Safe Environment Information
The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City through its programs, organizations and events, has numerous daily contacts with many minors and vulnerable adults. It is, therefore, important that all Archdiocesan Personnel, clergy, seminarians, religious, employees and volunteers, protect the rights of children and vulnerable adults and be alert to the possibility for child abuse and abuse of vulnerable adults. Under Oklahoma State law, all individuals MUST report an incident or suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor (person under 18 years of age) to the civil authorities immediately. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has established a statewide abuse hotline for reporting: 1-800-522-3511. This number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have reason to believe a child is in immediate danger of harm call 911. For the safety of children and vulnerable adults and the healing of victims, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City provides an Abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults Pastoral Response Hotline for reporting the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults (in the past or presently) by a member of the clergy or other church personnel: 1-405-720-9878. The Archdiocesan Victims Assistance Coordinator, a licensed professional counselor, will respond to calls to the Archdiocesan Pastoral Response Hotline. A report to the Archdiocese does not relieve the individual of the duty to report child abuse to civil authorities as required by Oklahoma State Law. In Oklahoma, failure to report child abuse is a misdemeanor punishable by law.
St. John Nepomuk Catholic School
Natalie Johnson
Principal
Cell: (405) 578-4656 - Office: (405) 354-2509
The office is open from 7:40 am - 4:00 pm on school days.
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Email: njohnson@sjnok.org
Website: sjnok.org/school
Location: 600 Garth Brooks Boulevard, Yukon, OK, USA
Phone: 405-354-2509
Facebook: facebook.com/sjnok
Twitter: @sjnfalcons