St. Joseph
Catholic School

Psalm 90

R - Fill us with Your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants! R

Fill us at daybreak with Your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Make us glad, for the days when You afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil. R

Let Your work be seen by Your servants
and Your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands! R

Calendar for the Week

Thursday, October 15
Library Closed @ 2:40-3:30 
Parent Survey Open
National School Lunch Week

Friday, October 16
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress or Fall Fest T-shirts
Library Closed 
Student Information Update Forms Due
Parent Survey Open
National School Lunch Week

Monday, October 19
Kindergarten Parents Meeting @ 4:30 
Parent Survey Open

Tuesday, October 20
Cross Country Pictures - Bring your uniforms to school. 
Student Council Meeting - 2:40-4:00
Parent Survey Open

Wednesday, October 21
Report Cards 
Parent Survey Open

Thursday, October 22
Prayer Service Grades 3-4-5
Last Day to Get $10 Armbands for Fall Fest
Literary Club Meeting 
Parent Survey Open

Friday, October 23
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress or Fall Fest T-shirts
Fall Fest - noon-2:00 in the Gym 
Parent Survey Open

Monday, October 26
Red Ribbon Week
Parent Survey Open

Tuesday, October 27
Red Ribbon Week
Fall Picture Retakes
Parent Survey Open

Wednesday, October 28
Red Ribbon Week
Parent Survey Open

Thursday, October 29
Red Ribbon Week
Reconciliation - Fifth Grade
Parent Survey Open

Friday, October 30
Red Ribbon Week
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
All Saints Day Celebration
Crusaders of the Month Announced at Mass
Parent Survey Open - LAST DAY!!!!

Parent Survey

St. Joseph School is participating the Diocese of Baton Rouge District Accreditation Process. A letter explaining this process was sent home today with oldest student in each family.

Your input is important to St. Joseph and to the Diocese of Baton Rouge during the self-study process. Please take the time to complete the online survey between October 15 and October 30. 

To take the survey, simply go to http://web.nsse.org/nsse-surveys/src/ and use the access code attached to the letter you received to log in. Survey codes have been supplied to schools at random. All responses are confidential. Only the group statistics will be reviewed and included in the data reports.

Students who return the enclosed Survey Verification Form by October 31 will receive a special gift from the superintendent! Thank you for your help with this important endeavor.

School Records Update

A student information form is being sent home today. Please check it carefully for accuracy.

Please fill in ALL blanks and make corrections as needed. If everything is already correct, just write "correct" and send the form back the the way it is. Forms are due to the school by Friday, October 16.

The information on the forms is the way the office updates school records. This information need to be accurate because these addresses and phone numbers are used for communications to and from school. 

If the parents/guardians of the student do not live together, please supply us with the correct address of the other parent/guardian. If you do not want contact to be made with the other parent/guardian, please note this on the form. 

Also, addresses for a lot of grandparents are not complete. The school does send bulletins to everyone, grandparents included, with pictures and updates that grandparents would thoroughly enjoy. We DO NEED THEIR CORRECT ZIP CODES along with the regular address. 

Thank you for your cooperation in updating our records.

Fall Fest

SJS 3rd Annual Fall Festival

Festival Date: Friday, October 23rd
Time: 12pm-2pm

For Our Pre-K thru 4th Graders:
We will have games with prizes, face painting, and several inflatables. We will be selling armbands which will include unlimited game play and 4 tickets to be used for refreshments. The armbands will be $10 thru Thursday, Oct. 22nd; $12 on the day of the festival. It is easier for everyone if the kids can get their armbands in the classroom prior to the festival. Tickets will also be sold for $.25 a piece at the Festival for anyone who doesn’t purchase an armband or for additional refreshments. You can begin sending money in now. Please mark the envelope with your child’s name and homeroom teacher. Checks should be made payable to SJS.

For Our 5th-7th Graders:
We will have Field Day behind the Notre Dame Center run by St. Thomas Aquinas Students. Refreshments will be provided.

For Our 8th Graders:
8th Grade has the distinct privilege of hosting the games for Pre-K thru 4th Grade.
All Students:
We ask that everyone please bring in one home-made treat to be sold at the concession stand. You can send them in a Ziploc bag the week of the Fair (Oct. 19th-23rd). Suggestions include: brownies, cookies, rice crispy treats, cupcakes or muffins. If you have an idea for a fun Halloween game, please call Jeanine Wisecarver at 504-616-5556 or Jennifer Tallo 985-687-7830. Thank you in advance for your time.

Parents are welcome!!! We can use any extra volunteers willing to help. Thank you all for your participation!

Inflatables donated by:
J & J Inflatables
Owned and operated by: Chris Strahan and Casey Hendrix

Student Council

Our 2009-2010 Student Council representatives are as follows:

Fourth Grade
Jourdan Cheek
Rebekah Bass

Fifth Grade
Joey Gaines
Emily Ransom

Sixth Grade
Leigh Fresina
Lauren Hebert

Seventh Grade
Madison Perrin
Sarah Ryals

Eighth Grade
Colleen  Atkins
Zacary Barrient
Aaron Basso
Emily Buddy
Olivia Currie
Calyton D'Antoni
Jake Kraft

Meetings:

Tuesday, October 20
2:40-4:00
We will elect officers and make ribbons for Veterans' Day

Tuesday, November 3
2:40-3:40
We will finish making ribbons for Veterans' Day

Student Council sponsors are Robin Scruggs, Amy Strohmer-Wood, and Brenda Allen.

Hobby Day

Students at St. Joseph will have a Hobby Day on Wednesday, October 28, during Red Ribbon Drug Free Week.

We are in need of interested parents, guardians, and friends who would like to share their hobby interests and information with our students on that date. The time will be 9:00-11:00 in the gym.

Please contact Ms. Mims either at school (985-386-6421) or via email (jmims@sjscrusaders.org) if you can help or need more information.

Altar Servers Changes/Training

To all active altar servers:

In the very near future, there will be additional duties during Mass for Altar Servers. The additions are not difficult, but they are critical to the proper celebration of the Mass. You only need to attend one of the training sessions. If you are absolutely unable to attend either of them, please let Mrs. Michele or Mr. Glen know as soon as you can. We are very excited about these changes and think that you will be also! Thank you for your service to God and His people…

Active Altar Server Training: Wednesday, October 28th at 5:30 pm

Sunday, November 1st at 2 pm

St. Joseph Parish News

Knights of Columbus Blood Drive

The annual Knights of Columbus blood drive will be held on Sunday, October 18, from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The Bloodmobile will be parked in the church parking lot for your convenience during the morning Masses. 

There is an acute shortage of blood. As a community, it is important for us to support the Blood Center and our area hospitals. the Blood Center provides blood to over 30 area hospitals in southeast Louisiana. 

If you have any questioins or would like to pre-register, please call Mr. Lawrence Kluka at 225-294-2071. Even if you do not pre-reigster, please feel free to donate blood that day and "give the gift of life".

Life in the Spirit Seminar

Starting this fall, a Catholic Charismatic prayer group will meet at St. Albert Chapel and Student Center on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The prayer group will kick off with a Life in the Spirit Seminar. 

The seminar will begin October 14 and will continue through December 9. It is an introduction to Catholic charismatic spirituallity and a life lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Through a series of talks, participants explore faith topics including the basic message of salvation, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as the potential and the power of the Holy Spirit.


Night for Marriage Enrichment 
 On Thursday November 12th from 7 to 8:30 pm in our church, the St. Joseph Marriage Ministry is offering a free presentation for married couples on God's awesome plan for married love. The presentation given by PHS graduate, Jason Angelette will focus on the Church's beautiful teaching on marriage and will concentrate on the body of work from Pope John Paul II as it pertains to authentic love and the steps needed for a joy filled marriage. Couples attending will have the opportunity to win prizes to two local restaurants and to a married couple retreat. Mark you calendars and plan to share the night with us.

Community News

CAMP BEARABLE

Camp Bearable is a weekend grief therapy camp to help children ages 7-12 cope with the loss of a loved one and provide a healing eperience. 

It will be held at Whispering Pines Girls Scout Camp in Independence on November 6-7-8. The cost is $30 per child for all three days. Meals and snacks will be provided.

Children will be divided into age groups for appropriate arta dna grief therapy sessions. The activites are dsigned to help children identify their feelings which may be associated with grief. The activities will also help children to express their feelings and will help to provide tools for them so they can continue to work through their grief in a positive and healthy way.

Camp Bearable is proudly sponosred by the volunteered efforts of Hospice Foundation fo the South, Vital Hospice, St. Joseph's Hospice, and Memorial Hospice and Palliative Care.

For more information, plese contact Kathy Busco wit Hospice Foundation of the South at 985-643-5470.


PONCHATOULA YOUTH BASKETBALL

Registration forms for Ponchatoula Youth Basketball are now available in the school office.

Basketball is available for boys and girls ages 5-18.

Registration will take place on October 10 from 9:00-12:00, and October 17 from 9:00-12:00 at the Ponchatoula Recreation Park on North Hoover Road.

For additional information, please email Chris Delatte at ponchatoulayouthbasketball@yahoo.com.



LOUISIANA CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY CENTER

Charter membership packages are now available for the Louisiana Children's Discovery Center in Hammond. Flyers with detailed information are available in the school office. Additional membership information can be found by calling 985-340-9150.

Prayer for Priests

The Year for Priests 2009-2010

Dear Lord,

We pray that the Blessed Mother wrap her mantle around Your priests and through her intercession strengthen them for their ministry.

We pray that Mary will guide Your priests to follow her own words,
"Do whatever He tells you." (Jn 2:5)

May Your priests have the heart of St. Joseph, Mary's most chaste spouse.

May the Blessed Mother's own pierced heart inspire them to embrace all who suffer at the foot of the cross.

May Your priests be holy, filled with the fire of Your love, seeking nothing but Your greater glory and the salvation of souls.

Amen 

St. John Vianney, pray for us.