The Jaguar Journal
Volume 3 | Issue 15
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Dear SFX Family,
Thank you so much to our room parents, grandparents, and volunteers for decorating the doors of the school. It was so fun to return from the break to the festive hallways!
iGiveCatholic Day is TODAY! You can donate here. Please think about this as your Annual Fund donation since we moved it from August last year to alleviate some pressure in that month. The cost to educate a student is significantly greater than tuition. It is through generous donations that we are able to provide all that we do for our students. Any amount helps!
The New Student Application for 2023-2024 will open on Thursday, December 1st on our website! This includes siblings of current students. Please help us spread the word! Also, don't forget that this Thursday is a 1:30 Dismissal with no After School Care. It is also SFX Give Back Day at Luv2Play!
We are looking forward to the 4th Annual Old Metairie Christmas Market this Saturday from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. With over 100 vendors and fun activities, it is definitely going to be a fantastic day!
Please be reminded that in order to be considered supporting parishioners for the purposes of 2023-2024 tuition and fees, the supporting parishioner donation must be made to the church before December 31, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Bird.
2023-2024 Tuition and Fees will be announced later this week. As mentioned in the HSA Meeting before the break, BankPlus is ending the tuition and incidentals program for schools. You should have received an email or letter from them. St. Francis is in the process of transitioning to using FACTS for our financial management. Once everything is in place, we will send out information and instructions on how to use the system. It is very user-friendly and linked to our current student information system.
I hope you have a great rest of the week!
May God bless you and keep you,
Jessica
Jessica A. Dwyer, M.Ed.
Principal
P.S. To ensure you are able to receive our Parent Alert texts, please text START to 31706 from your mobile device. Any text alerts from our school will begin with SFX-LA.
TODAY IS THE DAY!
Today is the day!
iGiveCatholic ON GIVING TUESDAY
This year our school and parish are working together to ensure safety and security throughout our campus. Our goal is to install a KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM in all buildings on our campus. Thank you for your generosity!
Please support SFX by donating here.
FR. JOE'S MESSAGE
SFX School Community:
The "iGiveCatholic Campaign” ends at midnight TODAY. Please help us improve the Church sound system and secure our buildings with a keyless entry system by donating to this campaign. You may donate at go to SFX Church or SFX School. Thanks for your support.
We will have an URGENT HOLY HOUR this afternoon from 5-6 pm in Church. We will pray for 3 causes: (1) The murder victims in Covington (possibly a priest and church employee); (2) freedom for the Chinese people as they rise up against communist rule; (3) courage for US Senators to protect religious freedom in the "Defense of Marriage Act." Join us as we lift our hearts to God for these important causes.
Tomorrow night, Fr. Colm Cahill will give a talk on "Advent Hope in Challenging Times," which seems perfect for our world today. The talk is at 7pm. Confessors are available from 5:30-6:45pm. Refreshments with Hubig's Pies follow the talk. Hope to see you there.
God Bless,
Fr. Joe
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
- November 29 - iGiveCatholic Day!
- November 30 - School Mass, 9 A.M.
- December 1 -
- New Student Application Opens Online
- Reconciliation, Grs. 3-7
- 1:30 P.M. Dismissal with No After School Care - Luv2Play Give Back Day!
- December 3 -
- Feast Day of St. Francis Xavier
- Old Metairie Christmas Market, 9 A.M. - 2 P.M.
- December 4 - 4th Grade Sponsoring Parish Mass, 10 A.M.
- December 5-9 - KC Coats for Kids Drive
- December 8 -
- Feast of the Immaculate Conception
- School Mass, 9 A.M.
- Grandparents' Club Meeting, 10 A.M.
- SFX Give Back Day at Mark Twain's Pizza
- December 9 - SFX Give Back Day at Mark Twain's Pizza
NOTE: The most up-to-date information is on the school Google calendar.
ARTISTS AT WORK
The 1st Semester Art Club students made colorful Christmas trees and snowflake ornaments from recycled items to decorate our school tree in City Park for Celebration in the Oaks. They did an outstanding job! Our tree is located in front of Tilt-A-Whirl. Be sure to check it out!
Also, our 7th graders did a fabulous job making beautiful music collage ornaments representing the Twelve Days of Christmas for the tree at Bayou Metairie Park on Metairie Road across from Ruby Slipper. You can see them on December 6th during the Farmer's Market from 2:30-6:30. They will also have a Santa and face painting for the kids!
NEWS AROUND SFX
- 11-15-22 HSA Meeting Minutes link
- Luv to Play Giveback day is this Thursday, December 1st. Click this link to reserve your spot and sign the waiver. 25% of the sales will be donated back to SFX!
- Mark Twain's SFX Giveback nights are on December 8th and 9th! Don't forget to mention SFX at checkout because 15% of all sales will go directly back to SFX! Also, the teacher of the homeroom that has the most participation will get a gift card to Mark Twain's.
- The HSA would like to thank our amazing room parents, grandparents, and parent volunteers who took the time to decorate the classroom doors this past Sunday. The doors all look amazing!
Questions? Email Home & School at homeandschool.sfx@gmail.com.
- The Men's Club will be putting up the Christmas lights along Metairie Rd. this Thursday, December 1st at 8:00 P.M. Please join us if you can help!
Questions? Email the Men's Club at sfxmensclub@gmail.com.
OLD METAIRIE CHRISTMAS MARKET
ATTENDANCE REMINDERS
- Notification - Please be sure to notify your child's teacher and/or Mrs. Denise Secrest of an absence.
- Tardies - The school day begins at 8:00 A.M. sharp. Students who arrive after will receive a tardy. Please be reminded that per our handbook, "Students will be marked as absent from one day of school for every 5 tardies that they receive during the school year."
- Absences -
- Regular school attendance is essential for a student to make the most of his or her education – to benefit from teacher-led and school activities, to build on the previous day’s learning, and to grow as an individual. Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s mastery of the instructional materials; therefore, families should make every effort to avoid unnecessary absences.
- A doctor's note must be provided when a student is absent for three or more days.
OLD METAIRIE FEST
SFX IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!
Old Metairie Fest 2023
March 25, 2023
11:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M.
Featuring KARMA
It's time to start looking for sponsors for Old Metairie Fest this year! Below is the sponsorship packet. If you or anyone you know is interested in being a sponsoring, please complete this packet.
All sponsorship information must be in by January 4, 2023 to ensure proper recognition.
GRANDPARENTS' CLUB
CALLING ALL GRANDPARENTS!
Our grandparents are integral parts of our lives, and we want them to be involved in our school. We are starting a Grandparents' Club! The funds we receive help enhance the school life of our grandchildren and help in planning and putting on activities for the school and our teachers. We are open to new ideas and activities as we want this club to be a success!
Meetings will be held either monthly or every other month. Even if you are unable to attend meetings, there are many ways we can use your help! Yearly Dues: $10 per person/ $15 per couple
Please send your membership form and check made payable to St. Francis Xavier School to the office with your grandchild.
WE ARE NOW ON AMAZON SMILE!
Who doesn't love and use Amazon? You can now earn money for the school each time you place an order! Follow the link below to choose St. Francis!
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL REMINDERS
- Please be respectful of our neighbors, driveways, and thru traffic!
- Do not line up more than 10 minutes prior to dismissal time.
- There is no direct turn onto Avenue B from Metairie Road.
- Cars must only enter Betz via Avenue B.
- We also ask that you share them with anyone who may drop off or pick up for your family.
COVID-19 GUIDELINES & PROTOCOLS UPDATE
We received the following from Dr. RaeNell Houston and will be following this update:
In accordance with the most recent guidance published by the CDC, as of August 17, 2022, at minimum the following updated COVID protocols shall be observed in our schools and parish schools of religion. In addition, please keep in mind that we must follow any future mandates, especially those that are more restrictive, that may be set forth by state and/or local civil authorities. Each school and/or parish community may impose more restrictive policies based on the conditions present in their community.
GENERAL REMINDERS
- All volunteers must be up-to-date with Safe Environment training and background check. You can take the class or renew online at www.virtus.org.
- Early check-outs are not allowed past 2:30 PM on a regular day or 1:00 PM on an early dismissal day. Please only use early check-outs when absolutely necessary.
- If anyone in your immediate family tests positive for COVID-19, please notify Ms. Dwyer immediately. You can call the school, 833-1471, or email if after hours.
- Students should be kept home if they have any symptoms and their doctor should be consulted. Please do not assume it is allergies or a cold or send them to school after giving medication.