Newsletter (Archived): Newsletter 872 - Feb 10, 2010 - Feb 17, 2010 [Archive]
Psalm 138
R In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with all my heart,
for You have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing Your praise;
I will worship at Your holy temple
and give thanks to Your Name. R
Because of Your kindess and Your truth;
for You have made great above all things
Your name and Your promise.
When I called, You answered me;
You built up strength within me. R
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth;
and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord:
"Great is the glory of the Lord." R
Your right hand saves me.
The Lord will complete when He has done for me;
Your kindess, O Lord, endures forever;
forsake not the work of Your hands. R
From the Principal
Dear Parents:I am sure everyone has had a great time being part of the “Who Dat” nation. It has been a great ride. As has been said numerous times, the Saints have demonstrated what teamwork can accomplish.
George Waddell is our own Sean Peyton and he has done a wonderful job in organizing the Fair. The school is dependent on everyone supporting him as the Fair gets closer.
Please remember that February 22 is the Open House for prospective parents. Again,
please send in any names and addresses of families that you might think have an interest in the school. We will forward a personal invitation to them.
A huge thank you is extended to all the coaches who generously give their time and energy to the school. Many of our students receive recognition because of their dedication.
Congratulations to the Girls’ Junior Varsity Basketball Team for their second place in NIAL. Team members are Blair Atkins, Leigh Fresina, Emily Hines Claire-Chapin Perilloux, Lydia Pevey, Andee Poche', Emily Waddell.
Congratulations also to the cheerleaders. On January 31, they placed second in Kickin’ it for Kids, an annual charity competition. St. Joseph School made a $300 donation to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge in the name of SJS students..
Our competing cheerleaders are: (8th) Colleen Atkins, Zacary Barrient, Katie Bougere, Callie Fulmer, and Calyn Landaiche; (7th) Grayson Boudreaux, Morgan Fontenot, Bethany Herrick, Lexie Hoover, Kirsten Jackson, Dani Majeau, Erin Pereira, Sarah Ryals, and Krystal Waddell; (6th) Savanna Barrient and Emily Waddell; (5th) Blair Atkins and Ally Serigne.
We would especially like to thank any visitors who came to cheer on our teams. They represented St. Joseph School well.
-- Dr. Gerard Toups
Calendar for the Week
Wednesday, February 10MidQuarter Reports - Deficiencies Only
Thursday, February 11
Reconciliation - 6th Grade
Friday, February 12
Deadline for Current Student Re-Registration
Mass @ 8:30- All are invited.
Spirit Dress
Krewe of Crusaders Parade at 1:00
Monday-Tuesday, February 15-16
Mardi Gras holidays - No school.
Wednesday, February 17
Ash Wednesday
Mass @ 8:30. - All are invited.
Late fee ($100/student) begins for late registration.
Friday, February 19
NO MASS
Fair T-shirt Order Forms Due
Spirit Dress
Stations of the Cross @ 1:55 in church. Grades 1-8. - All are invited.
Monday, February 22
Open House for Parents of Prospective Students - 10:00-2:00 & 5:00-7:00
New Student Registration Begins.
Current Student Re-Registration
Forms for re-registration of current students for the 2010-2011 school year were sent home last week and another copy is going home today.
Forms and the registration fees are due in the school office on or before Friday, February 12.
Fees must accompany the form to ensure a place in the class for next year.
After February 12, an additional $200 late registration fee per student will be charged.
Siblings of current students who are new to SJS next year can be added to the form. A new student registration packet will be sent to parents who indicate an additional student next year.
If your child is not returning to St. Joseph next year, a space to indicate such is on the bottom of the re-registration form.
All forms are due into the school office on or before Friday, February 12. Current students registering after this date will be charged an additional $100 per student late registration fee
New Survey
In an effort to improve system practices, St. Joseph School is conducting an online survey on Catholic Identity. Your input through this survey is a valuable tool for the school.The survey will be through February 12. Your responses will be anonymous. Your honest opinion is appreciated.
The survey website and the access code needed to complete the survey were sent home January 27. A letter from Dr. Melanie Verges, Superintendent of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, was also included.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Haitian Donations
A total of $1868.23 was collected by the St. Joseph students to send to the Doctors without Borders, USA organization for relief of the suffering in Haiti due to the recent earthquake.
A large thank-you to all the generous students, their parents, and the faculty and administration of St. Joseph School. A special thanks is also extended to Seventh Grade students Blaze D'Amico and Shelby Bagby for spearheading this drive. What a wonderful example of helping others this has been!
February 12 Schedule - Parades, Etc.
Friday, February 12 is a very busy day at St. Joseph.We will have a special speaker following our 8:30 Mass. Our Distinguished Graduate Tommy Waller, Jr. will address students about the impact of Catholic education on his life.
Students will be in Spirit Dress on this date.
The annual Krewe of Crusaders Mardi Gras parade will roll through the church parking lot at 1:00. PreK and Kindergarten students will be pulled in decorated wagons by Eighth Grade buddies and other upper grade students.
PreK and Kindergarten students do not report to school on that date until 12:30. They should come already costumed for the parade.
Following the parade, students will enjoy King Cake in their classrooms.
Free Throw Championship
The Knights of Columbus Council 4874 will host a Free Throw Championship on Sunday, February 21, in the St. Joseph School gym. The competition will begin at 11:00 a.m. and is open to boys and girls ages 10-14.Entry forms for the competition may be picked up in the school office or you can register on site. For more infomation, please contact Ray Cheek at raycheek@gmail.com.
Wild West Spring Fest
In response to feedback, the Home and School Association has sent home a user-friendly Fair Packet.The packet provides you with an early look at all the information needed to plan a fair strategy. It shows all scheduled events, items for purchase, contest, entertainment, etc. Deadlines for each are also outlined. These deadlines are necessary in order to meet planning, schedulings, and production limitations.
Please review the packets carefully and save them for future reference. A new tab on this website has also been added for up-to-date fair news. We hope everyone finds this a convenient and easy way to plan for the fair.
Looking for Saints
Calling all Students - Grades 3-12St. Joseph Parish is looking for children to paly the role of saints for the St. Joseph Altar.
The altar will be on Sunday, March 14.
The children will be asked to participate in the rosary procession, Mass, and feeding of the Saints. Each child is responsible for his own costume. There will be a short practice on Monday, March 8, at 6:00 P.M. in the gym.
Anyone interested in participating, please contact Mrs. Fay Murray at 985-386-8151 or call the rectory office at 985-386-3749.
Altar Serving Training
Training for anyone in Grades 4-12 who wishes to become an Altar Server will begin Sunday, February 21st at 1:30 pm. We ask that parents meet us in the Narthex to register their child and schedule their small group training. After that, they are welcome to stay, or they may leave and pick up their child after the training session.We look forward to seeing you there!
Glen and Michele Ernst
Community News
PONCHATOULA YOUTH BASEBALL/SOFTBALLRegistration for Ponchatoula youth baseball and softball is now underway. Players must be between the ages of 5-19.
The baseball fee is $75.
The fee for Coach Pitch T-ball and Softball players is $60.
There is a $5 discount for each additional sibling.
Registration fees and a copy of the birth certificate must be included with the registration form (if the birth certificate is not already on file).
Walk-in registration dates are January 30 and February 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Ponchatoula Community Center in the Second Floor Conference Room.
Registration forms are available in the school office and will be accepted until March 6, 2010.
St. Joseph Parish News
Parish WebsiteMass Schedule
Saturday evening at 5:00
Sunday morning at 8:00 and 10:30
Sunday evening at 5:00
ST. JOSEPH ALTAR
St. Joseph Altar Committee will sponsor its annual St. Joseph Altar the weekend of March 13 & 14. Traditionally, all items used for the altar are donated and all proceeds collected from the altar are distributed to the poor of the parish through the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
The members of the St. Joseph Altar Committee are contacting you at this time to ask for donations of goods, services, and money towards the preparation of the altar. The following items are needed for cookies: all purpose flour, sugar, 3 pound can of Crisco shortening, powdered sugar, evaporated milk, and dried figs. If you can donate any of these items, please bring items to church, place in the box marked St. Joseph Altar. Please contact Fay Murray at 985-386-8151 for additional information.
We will bake cookies on Saturday, February 13, at 8:30 a.m. at Ponchatoula High School cafeteria. Bring a rolling pin and a small knife.
RECONCILIATION SERVICES FOR LENT
At the direction of Bishop Muench the priests of our deanery have been asked to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation more frequently during the season of Lent at two central locations within the Northeast Deanery.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. on the following Wednesdays at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Hammond and St. Helena Catholic Church in Amite on February 24, March 3, March 17, and March 24.
In addition to the abvoe dates and times, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will also be available during the Parish Mission here at St. Joseph on Tuesday, March 16 at 8:00 p.m. Several priests will be available at all three locations.
This Lenten plan offers a wonderful opportunity for all of us to participate ini this very important sacrament. All our parishioners are urged to take advantage of this opportunity dyring this Lenten season.
ARE YOU DISCERNING A VOCATION AS A PRIEST OR BROTHER?
If you would like to explore a vocation as a Dominican friar (Order of Preachers), you are invited to the Dominican Experience Weekend. This weekend of prayer, community, and information sharing is designed to help men explore the possibility of a vocation to Dominican life. College-age and older men are invited February 26-28 to St. Anthony of Padua Priory in New Orleans, LA. For more information, visit the website.
TRAINING FOR NEW ALTAR SERVERS
Training for anyone in Grades 4-12 who wishes to become an Altar Server will begin Sunday, February 21st at 1:30 pm. We ask that parents meet us in the Narthex to register their child and schedule their small group training. After that, they are welcome to stay, or they may leave and pick up their child after the training session.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Glen and Michele Ernst
Prayer for Priests
The Year for Priests 2009-2010Dear 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
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