June 2018 Update
St. John Nepomuk Catholic School
Mission Statement
Personnel Updates
Dear St. John Nepomuk Families,
I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying your summer break! Welcome to our new families who are receiving their first school newsletter! We are so happy you have joined our school family! It is with great pleasure that I announce the hiring of new faculty members who will join our St. John community next school year.
Please read about and meet our new teachers and staff below. These talented and eager teachers look forward to becoming part of our community and working with our students. We are delighted to welcome them to St. John Nepomuk!
We are still actively seeking a candidate to fill our middle school language arts position. If you know of a potential candidate, please send them my way!
Please pray for our new staff members as they join our community. I would appreciate your continued prayers in seeking the best candidate to serve as our middle school language arts teacher. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Natalie Johnson
Principal
Meet Mr. White, our New PE Teacher & Athletic Director!
Meet our New 3rd Grade Teacher, Mrs. Casciola!
Hello! My name is Maria Casciola, and I'm thrilled to say this is my 17th year of teaching. I grew up in Oxnard, California and graduated with a Bachelor of Art degree in Liberal Studies from Fresno State University in 1998 and a Teaching Certification in Bilingual Education, with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education and a Supplemental Certification in English and Spanish from Fresno State University Kremen School of Education in 1999. I began my teaching career in the Fresno School District. I have taught fifth grade, first grade and Kindergarten before moving to Oklahoma to be with my oldest son and his family. Last year, I had the wonderful opportunity to teach Spanish at Mustang North Middle school.
This year, I am pleased to be teaching third grade here at Saint John Nepomuk. Currently, I live in Yukon with my husband, Marco. My other two boys live, one in Washington State and the other in Florida.
I enjoy reading, gardening, hiking, watching movies, and spending time with my family.
I look forward to meeting all of my students!
Meet Mr. Delgado, our Middle School Science & Social Studies Teacher!
Hello! I am Ryan Delgado. I am a recent graduate of Oklahoma State University! I am taking my professional goals/aspirations one day at a time, but I would love to pursue a Master's in something Theology-related within the next few years. For someone who always looks for opportunities to grow as a young teacher, I love learning from experienced teachers/administrators and how they have found success in their given field. I have a passion for working with individuals who have special needs; I volunteered at a program called Adult Basic Education from the start of my junior year at Oklahoma State until the end of my Fall Semester as a senior (Due to student-teaching). I have a minor in Coaching Science, and love doing research on the psychosocial aspects of sports. I believe the greatest difference in whether you achieve success in your sport or career depends primarily on how strong you are mentally. My ideal sports to coach are cross country and track.
I have varied personal interests! I make it a priority to attend Mass and Adoration every single day. I believe a day without receiving the Eucharist is a day where personal growth (spiritual, particularly) is limited and the Holy Spirit doesn't have as much room to come in and guide you. I love spending time reading the Bible and other good Catholic books that help deepen my understanding of the Faith. My favorite book in the Bible is the Gospel of John, which includes my favorite passage in the Bible, the Raising of Lazarus (John 11). If I had to select another bible passage that described me aside from that one, it would be David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). I also love praying as much as reading, because you have to ask God how you're going to apply all of that newly read knowledge into your everyday endeavors, right? Outside of spiritual passions, I am a huge sports fan. My favorite professional teams are the Oklahoma City Thunder, New England Patriots, and Boston Red Sox. I could watch any sport that's on TV, but when it involves running, basketball, and football, there's a good chance I won't be changing the channel or letting my phone distract me. I am also a huge fitness enthusiast. I used to train a lot in running while I was in college, but after I strained my hamstring during my junior year, I focused more on weightlifting, and have not looked back since. Ever since I lived in Colorado as part of a summer program last year, I picked up a passion for hiking and outdoors. Anytime I get the chance to go out and appreciate the beauty of God's creation, I struggle to get myself to leave afterwards. When it goes to music and movies, I am very old school. My favorite genres in music generally range from the 50s through the 80s, but anything outside of that I find enjoyable too (disregarding most of today's stuff, though). As for movies, I can be quite picky, and usually refer to the book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" or Rotten Tomatoes/Metacritic before I am certain a given movie is worth watching. Outside of all of this, I love getting out of my comfort zone and trying out new things; I am usually not disappointed after my first time learning something new!
Summer Office Hours are Tues.-Thurs. from 8-4!
Please see the 2018-2019 Master Calendar below. Please watch for updates and additions as dates are scheduled!
Summer Basketball Information-- DATE CHANGE
Dear St. John Families,
I am excited to share an opportunity to provide our students with additional skills work and practice time over the summer months for basketball at no cost to our families. Gym usage has been reserved at St. John Nepomuk on the following Wednesdays between the hours of 5:00-6:30 pm. The Gym is not available July 11 as previously reported.
June 20 & 27
July 25
August 1
Please know that these sessions are specific only to basketball skills practice. These will not be formalized practices, but could include scrimmaging.
Students participating must be enrolled in 6-8 grade at St. John Nepomuk for the 2018-2019 school year and have a signed waiver and release on file prior to the initial practice session. The information and registration form is available for download HERE. All volunteer coaches and students should enter and exit the building through the West PAC door to the school.
This opportunity would not be possible without the help of our dedicated volunteer coaches. If you have completed the safe environment protocol and are interested in earning Care & Share hours as a volunteer, please contact me by email.
If you have any questions about this program, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Natalie Johnson
Principal
School Uniform Update
I am excited to share that we have a Dennis Uniform Fit Kiosk located in the school. The purpose of this kiosk is to provide families with samples of each uniform item to try on before purchasing online. If you'd like to schedule a time to fit your child(ren) for uniform items, please call Mrs. Hope to schedule a fitting time any Tuesday-Thursday that the school office is open from 1:30-3:30 pm. Appointment times are required to use the fit kiosk. Thank you for your cooperation in this request.
Please note that the grey SJN t-shirt will still be available for purchase at the school. Pre-K 3 & 4 students will wear this shirt with uniform bottoms as their uniform each day. Students in grades K-8 wear the grey t-shirt a maximum of twice weekly. Fleece jackets, spirit wear and grey SJN sweatshirts are only available for purchase through the school. Families will have the opportunity to purchase these in August at Back to School Night. Please contact the school office if you have any questions or concerns.
Check out our Dennis Uniform Fit Kiosk!
Back to School Safe Environment Training Opportunities
Two trainings will be offered in July. They will take place on Monday July 23 at 10 am and 7 pm. Applicants should only plan to attend one training.
Before attending the training, please complete the documents below and return to the parish or school office to begin processing your application. Please be sure to fully complete each section of the application. Make certain contact information for references is accurate and complete as we will contact each reference. An incomplete application could result in delayed processing.
Code of Conduct Signature (return last page complete with signature)
Social Media Guidelines (return last page complete with signature)
If you have questions regarding the application process or training, please contact Mariavis Fitzmorris in our parish office at 354-2743 or at dre@sjnok.org.
Summer Reading and Math Information
Dear St. John Families,
In keeping with St. John Nepomuk Catholic School’s commitment to improving and enriching the reading skills of all of our students, we are excited to continue our required summer reading assignment for those students entering Pre-K through 8th grade. We will also be continuing a Summer Math requirement for our students entering first through sixth grades. Summer Reading & Math Assignments were sent home with students before summer break. This information was also mailed to new students. All information and assignments are available below for online access.
Summer Math
St. John Nepomuk student entering grades 1-6 will begin using a web-based program, Mathletics. Mathletics is a targeted, rewarding and highly captivating online learning resource to power math learning from first grade through Elementary School. Your child is expected to spend a few minutes each day practicing math on the computer or iPad. Students can begin earning points towards their summer math total beginning May 25th. Each student who is expected to use Mathletics is provided with access codes that have been generated by the school. These access codes are being sent home with students today. Each teacher has specific programs for their grade level. Students entering grades 1, 5 & 6 will have teacher selected programs/requirements to complete in working to obtain their 4 certificates. All other students will need to earn a minimum of 4 certificates from May 25-August 13. These certificates may be earned by completing grade appropriate review content or Mathletics Live activities. Please note that only one certificate may be earned per week, and progress resets each Sunday.
Why is Summer Math necessary?
We understand that summer is a great time for kids to explore, play and develop. Completing math work during the summer hardly falls into a favorite activity for most students. The importance of mastering important math skills and fact fluency, however, cannot be understated. At St. John Nepomuk we have great success (as evidenced by test scores) in our students’ reading abilities. Parents often speak of the importance they place on daily reading. The reality, however, is that both math and reading critical skills that we as adults use daily. A student who attains greater math fluency enjoys a sense of confidence and more time in class to focus on the conceptual aspects of the lesson. Please help us give our students the gift of mathematical success.
Summer Reading
Students will also be required to complete the attached reading packet based on the grade that they will enter for the 2018-2019 school year. Directions and information are included in this packet and will be posted on the school website as well. The Summer Reading program must be completed no later than Monday, August 13, 2018.
Why is summer reading important?
In order for children to develop good reading habits and to grow in their ability to read and comprehend texts, reading must take place every day. To help our students meet this expectation, we will require all students entering Pre-K 3 through 8th grade to read and complete the corresponding assignments. Parents are encouraged to read with and to their children.
It will be the student’s responsibility to obtain his or her own books whether they are from a library or bookstore. Students must demonstrate mastery of the summer reading by completing the attached assignments (which will be discussed in class) to show their comprehension of the books. Some teachers have included the Accelerated Reader Book Levels to help you in choosing titles appropriate for your child’s reading level. This is noted by the AR BL following the title. If you need further access to book levels, you might try http://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx for further information.
The assignments should be submitted to teachers no later than Monday, August 13, 2018. The assignments are considered part of the child’s grade for the first quarter of the 2018-2019 school year. Summer assignments may not be submitted late. Any student who fails to complete the entire summer reading assignment will receive a failing grade for the assignment. Any summer reading/math project submitted on or after August 13th will be considered a zero. The office will be open each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm during the summer. Please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have questions.
Sincerely,
Natalie Johnson
Principal
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Falcon 5K & Fun Run Update & Sponsors Needed!
Dear Friends,
Back by popular demand, St. John Nepomuk will host the 2nd Annual Falcon 5K & Fun Run on Saturday, September 29, 2018. My name is Kari Dannemiller. I served as the Inaugural Falcon 5K & Fun Run chairperson in 2017 and this year I am co-chair along with Bill McManus. We have begun the initial steps to plan for this family-friendly event. With the support of our valued Sponsors in 2017, we reached our goal! We were able to install 2 NEW Elkay water fountains with filters and water bottle filling stations on St. John’s campus.
About the 2nd Annual Falcon 5K & Fun Run
We are excited to announce that the 2nd Annual Falcon 5K & Fun Run will fund products that will directly have a positive impact throughout the day with students that attend St. John Nepomuk. With the funds we raise, we will purchase a combination of Desk Bicycles and Flexible Seating – using Stand-Up Desks, Yoga Balls, Wobble Stools, and the like, for each classroom. We believe by providing healthy classroom environments, we are demonstrating to our students, unique methods to incorporate fitness in everyday life. Research shows that after 20 minutes of physical activity, students tested better in reading and math, and were more likely to read above their grade level (activelivingresearch.org). By investing in all of our classrooms, we hope to encourage/enhance the ability to focus and increase fitness levels while learning.
About Our Purpose
At St. John’s, we continue to strive to create opportunities that partner this academic excellence with a firm foundation and commitment to health and wellness for our students. We firmly believe we have an important duty to nurture the student in Mind, Body, and Spirit.
About St. John Nepomuk School
St. John Nepomuk Catholic School is open to children of all faiths Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade. St. John Nepomuk invests in each child and shares with its families the hopes and dreams that they will achieve once they graduate. Our mission is to provide children with tools to become a just, good, respectful, trustworthy, and loving student who is at an academic level to compete and achieve in high school and beyond. Students who graduate from St. John Nepomuk Catholic School reflect that they have received a quality education, enriched by Gospel values.
As a Catholic community of faith, the mission of St. John Nepomuk Catholic School is to model the teachings of Jesus Christ and the principles of the Catholic Church. We are committed to the education and development of life-long learners and leaders.
Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you for taking the time to consider making a donation to our school.
Sincerely,
Kari Dannemiller (Co-Chair)
Bill McManus (Co-Chair)
SJN Falcon 5K & Fun Run
Website: http://bit.ly/falcon5k
Do you know a business or individual who would be willing to sponsor and support our event? Send them our way!!
Thank you to BOUNCE ACADEMY for Serving as our PRESENTING SPONSOR!
Falcon 5K Registration Is LIVE and Available Below!
2018 Falcon 5K & Fun Run Volunteers Needed
Volunteers Needed:
- Course Volunteers (we need a total of 60 volunteers to ensure safety for all!)
- 5K Course Leader (Meets Full Care & Share Requirement for the 18-19 SY)
- 1 Mile Course Leader (Meets Full Care & Share Requirement for the 18-19 SY)
- Finance Coordinator (Meets Full Care & Share Requirement for the 18-19 SY)
- START/FINISH Line Volunteer Leader (actual Care & Share hours logged)
- Post Race Refreshments / Finisher Item Distribution Leader (actual Care & Share hours logged)
- Pre-Race Staging/Clean-Up/Vendor Co-Coordinator (actual Care & Share hours logged)
Thanks for your consideration of generously giving your time and talent to benefit our event!
2018-2019 School Supply Information & Update
The master supply list is available below in the event you'd like to purchase your supplies through another store or distributor.
Planning for the 18-19 School Year!
Dear St. John Families,
As we look to closing this school year, we are already well into planning for next year. I would like to share opportunities that are currently in need of volunteer coordinators for the upcoming school year. If you have an interest in serving in one of these areas, please contact me. I would love to share details about each commitment. Thank you for sharing your time, talent and treasure at St. John!
Volunteers Needed
- Czech Fest Coordinator (Kindergarten Family) (Meets Full Care & Share Requirement for the 18-19 SY) FILLED- Goodman Family
- Czech Fest Cheer Coordinator (actual Care & Share hours logged) FILLED- Hobbs Family
- Hospitality Coordinator (actual Care & Share hours logged)
- Homeroom Parents (by grade level) (actual Care & Share hours logged)
- Homeroom Parent Coordinator (Meets Full Care & Share Requirement for the 18-19 SY) FILLED- Holly & Ray McPherson Family
- Parent Partner Coordinator (actual Care & Share hours logged) FILLED- Wilson Family
- Back to School FFN Event Coordinator (actual Care & Share hours logged)
- FFN Bingo Night Coordinator (actual Care & Share hours logged)
- FFN Movie Night Coordinator (actual Care & Share hours logged)
- Falcon 5K Volunteers (noted below in separate blurb)
In Christ,
Natalie Johnson
Principal
Please share the link below with prospective families!
Comment Box
In an effort to keep the lines of communication open at St. John Nepomuk Catholic School, we have created the Comment Box. Our hope is that parents will utilize this convenient approach to express thoughts, ideas, and issues involving our school. Please leave a comment or concern for St. John Nepomuk Catholic School principal, Natalie Johnson. Be sure to indicate if you would like to be contacted regarding your submission.
St. John Nepomuk Catholic School
Natalie Johnson
Principal
Cell: (405) 578-4656
Office: (405) 354-2509
Fax: (405) 354-8192
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Email: principal@sjnok.org
Website: sjnok.org/school
Location: 600 Garth Brooks Boulevard, Yukon, OK, United States