Psalm 29

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace. 

Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire. 

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace. 

The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.


R. The Lord will bless his people with peace. 

The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever. 

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

From the Principal

Duke TIPS Qualifiers: 
front row, left to right: Lauren Hebert, Leigh Fresina, Lauren McKneely, Holly Guay, Katelyn McKneely
back row, left to right: Blake Piediscalzo, Kitch Taylor, Emily Waddell, Savanna Barrient, Jeb Kraft, Scott Dufreche


Dear Parents,

The School Fair is slated for March 18, 19, and 20. The first planning meeting was held last week. The packet with all the information parents need for the fair will be going home next week with the oldest or only child. The St. Joseph Fair page on the school website is being reactivated and information will be posted as preparation for the event proceeds. We ask for your generous support of the fair, not only financially, but by volunteering your time to assure its success. Please do not wait to be asked to help. Come to the Fair meetings and be informed. The money raised has helped pay for many of the school projects including the purchase of the playground, the renovation of the second grade classrooms, the expansion the technology through the purchase of Starboards for the classrooms. Much remains to be done. Be assured that as money is raised, parents will see the progress in both plant and program.

Mr. Tommy, with the assistance of Mr. Joe, cleaned and painted the boys' restroom in the main building over the Christmas break. Light fixtures were changed. They have also painted the outside wall of the gymnasium between the buildings and are repairing and repainting the entrance ways to the gym. A chain wall has been constructed at the base of the playground privacy fence to halt erosion. Finally, a contract has been let to build a fence along the back of the red building which will contribute to the safety of the area and also enhance the look of the building. We continue to make progress. Father will have some positive news for the school this Sunday at the Masses.

The following students in seventh grade have qualified to take the ACT with the high school students this spring. Seventh graders qualified with high scores on the Terra Nova on last year’s test: Savanna Barrient, Scott Dufreche, Leigh Fresina, Holly Guay, Lauren Hebert, Jeb Kraft, Katelyn McKneely, Lauren McKneely, Blake Piediscalzo, Kitch Taylor, and Emily Waddell.

Congratulations to Thomas Casey, a fourth grader, who qualified to represent in St. Joseph School in the Geography Bee. He competed against students in grades four through eight and emerged the winner.

Finally, we ask for your prayers for Mr. Joe’s family. His sister’s son was killed in Afghanistan by an IED. The young man is from Kenner and the services are being planned.

-- Gerard Toups

Current Calendar

Wednesday, January 12
* Advisory Council @ 6:00

Thursday, January 13
* Penance Prayer Service - Grades 6-7-8

Friday, January 14
* Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
* Spirit Dress
* Parents Circles of Care
* Sock Hop - Grades 5-8 - 7:00-10:00

Monday, January 17
* MLK Holiday - No school

Thursday, January 20
* Reconciliation - 8th Grade

Friday, January 21
* Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
* Spirit Dress 

Monday, January 24
* Accelerated Reader Hornets Basketball Game

Thursday, January 27
* Reconciliation - 7th Grade

Friday, January 28
* Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
* Crusaders Announced
* Spirit Dress

Sunday, January 30 - Saturday, February 5
* Catholic Schools Week

Geography Bee Winner

On Monday, January 10, SJS held the annual National Geographic Bee. It is open to students in Grades 4-8. 

Fourth grade student Thomas Casey was named winner of the Bee. Second place was a tie between Joseph Pelliteri (sp) and Brennan Currier.

Thomas will now take a written qualifying test to be sent in to the National Geographic Bee headquarters in Washington, D.C. The test will checked and scored by their officials. The school will be notified if the student qualifies for the State Level Bee. The State Level Bee is held in Baton Rouge. 

Congratulations to Thomas, Joseph, and Brennan for their outstanding performances and many thanks to all the participants in this year's Bee.

Mrs. Brenda Allen is Bee Coordinator.

Winter Sock Hop

SJS will hold a Winter Sock Hop on Friday, January 14, from 7:00-10:00 p.m. in the gym.

Students in grades 5-8 are invited to participate. Cost is $10 per person.

SJS students may bring one non-SJS guest who must also be in grades 5-8.

A dress code will be enforced. The dress code has been announced to the students. Any questions about dress code may answered through the office.

This sock hop is sponsored by the 8th Grade Class, and proceeds will go to offset costs of their upcoming Mobile Classroom Trip.

MLK Holiday

Monday, January 17, will be the observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.

St. Joseph will not have school on that date.

Classes resume on Tuesday, January 18.

Circles of Care

The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People requires that all children enrolled in Catholic Schools and Parish Schools of Religion receive Safe Environment training. The Diocese of Baton Rouge will provide such training for grades k-12 utilizing the program, Circles of Care.

The Circles of Care lesson for you child's grade level is schedule on Tuesday, January 18. Parents have the right to opt their children out of receiving Safe Environment training. If you choose not to have your child participate in the training, it is required that you sign and submit a form to the school office by Friday, January 14. You may return the form in person or by FAX at 985-386-0560. The op-out form was sent home today for your convenience. Additional forms are available in the office.

It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to ensure that the school is in recept of this form. 

The Circles of Care lesson plan for your child's grade level may be reviewed at www.diobrocyp.org. 

You need only sign and return the form if you do not want your child to participate in the safety lesson.

In addition, a presentation for parents/guardians regarding cyberbullying is available from the school office. Please contact Mrs. Suzanne Little for more information.

Open House for Students of Prospective Students

We ask parents now to begin to recruit students for the school for next school year. Open House this year is scheduled for February 21, which is President's Day.

As parents, you come into contact with other parents who have school-aged children. This often happens at Christmastime. You are our best recruiters. You have family, friends, and co-workers who have children starting school, who are moving into the area, or who are not happy with the education their children are receiving. Let them know about St. Joseph. Let us know about them.

Please send the names and addresses of parents who you think might be interested in sending their children to St. Joseph. We will simply invite them to the Open House. The prospective parents need not know how we received their names. Increasing school enrollment will allow us to provide a better education for all the students. Please us the form sent home today for that purpose.

Louisiana Life March

Everyone is invited to join the Louisiana March for Life in Baton Rouge on Saturday, January 22, for the first Louisiana Life March. 

The march will begin at the Old State Capitol and proceed up Fourth Street to the Capitol steps for prayer, worship, and insirational presentations by Dr. Richard Land, Father Shenan Boquet, and others. 

There will also be an opportunity to learn about various life ministries already bringing hope to our communities. A rosary will be recited at St. Joseph Cathedral that morning at 8:00 a.m. for those able to attend. 

For more information, pleae visit the LA Life March website or contact Deacon Mike at 225-242-0135.

St. Joseph Parish

Personnel
Rev. John Dominic Sims, O.P. - Pastor
Larry J. Melcanon - Deacon

Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil Mass - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday Mass - 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 5:00 p.m.

Contact Information
Address - 255 North 8th Street (P.O. Box 368), Ponchatoula, LA 70454
Phone - 985.386.3749
Website - www.stjosephsonline.com


MARRIAGE MINISTRY
The St. Joseph Marriage Ministry Presents: Evenings at Paul’s An Evening for Married and Singles from St. Joseph Parish and School Date: Thursday January 27, 2011 Time: 7:00 to 9:00 PM Location: Paul’s Café in Ponchatoula Topic: Making Good Marriages Great – Married Love and Natural Family Planning Presenter: Father Jose I. Lavastida, Rector of Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans Married Couples and All Singles Adults 18 or Older are Welcome Admission is Free – No Advance Registration Required Snacks and Refreshments will be offered


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