St. Joseph
Catholic School

Psalm 40

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. 

I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood. 

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. 

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come." 

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. 

"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!" 

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. 

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. 

R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

From the Principal

Dear Parents,

Today report cards are being forwarded to you. Please sign the report card and return it to school. If you feel a grade is in error, contact the school and ask to speak to the teacher.

We have a number of more weeks of cold weather, and, as the winter proceeds, the school continues to collect sweatshirts and other garments that are not marked with the student’s name. Please know that if the item is marked, the Student Council will go through the items periodically and return the lost object to the owner. This goes also for pencil cases, lunch boxes, and other personal items of value. Take a minute and mark your child’s possessions.

Finally, I remind you that there are simple ways to help the school at no cost to you. Continue to use your Winn-Dixie cards when you shop. The grocery chain is very generous to schools and the school receives a check for $1800.00 each quarter. General Mills Box Tops for Education brings the school over five hundred dollars each school year. There are numerous General Mills products (cereals, cake mixes, freezer bags, paper products) that have the coupons attached to them. It takes just a second to cut out the coupons, collect them and forward them to school. This company pays the school cash. 

Community Coffee also pays the school cash. Cut off the proof of purchase and forward them to the school. They are very generous. Finally, Target has a Visa Card, called the Red Card, if St. Joseph School is designated recipient, Target will pay 1% of the Red Card purchases at Target to the school. The school receives a couple of hundred dollars a year for the school since they opened a local store. 

Every little bit helps so speak to relatives and friends, register with Winn Dixie, save the Box Tops and Community Coffee proofs of purchase, and register and use a Target Visa Red Card when you shop a Target. Ask grandparents, friends and neighbors to collect these items also and send them to school. We will make sure they are redeemed. 

-- Dr. Gerard Toups
    Principal

Calendar for the Week

Monday, January 9 - Friday, January 13
National Vocation Awareness Week

Wednesday, January 11
Report Cards
Advisory Council @ 6:30

Thursday, January 12
Penance Prayer Service Grades 6-7-8

Friday, January 13
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress

Monday, January 16
School Holiday - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 

Tuesday, January 17
Circles of Care OPT-OUT FORMs Due

Wednesday, January 18
Circles of Care Lessons

Thursday, January 19
Reconciliation Grade 8

Friday, January 20
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress


See more plans for the year at CALENDAR

Alter Servers

TRAINING FOR NEW ALTAR SERVERS: 

Registration and the initial training session for those interested in becoming Altar Servers will be held Sunday, January 22, beginning at 2:00 p.m. in the church.

Please make every effort to attend this first session because much of what is covered is not repeated in subsequent sessions. Parents who do not already have a child who has served at St. Joseph are asked to remain for the first session following the registration.

Prospective Altar Servers must be baptized Catholic, have received First Communion, and be in at least the fourth grade. 

The length of this session will depend on how many people attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

Circles of Care

Dear Parents and Guardians,

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 your child’s grade level is scheduled on Wednesday, 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 this form to the school office by Tuesday, January 17. 

You may return the form by fax to the following fax number 985-386-0560 or in person. 

It is the responsibility of the Parents/Guardians to ensure that the school is in receipt 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 this form if you do not want your child to participate in the safety lesson.

OPT-OUT FORM

Confetti Eggs

It's time for confetti eggs again! The Spring Fair is scheduled for March. It'll be here before we know it. Every year we ask for eggshells to be used at the very popular confetti egg booth. 

Please save your eggshells when cooking.

To easily clean eggs:
1. Poke a hole in the top of the egg with a knife.
2. Peel a small amount of the top of the shell (about the size of a nickel).
3. Pour out the egg.
4. Rinse well and air dry.

December Crusaders

Congratulations to our December Crusaders!

Mia Piazza (1st Grade) is our Mini-Crusader.

Brianna Slade (4th Grade) is our Crusader.

Photos

Pictures from December events are now posted on the website. Check them out by clicking on PHOTO ALBUMS.

Prospective Parents' Names

Now's the time we ask parents of current St. Joseph students to suggest names of parents of prospective students so that we may send them invitations to our Open House on February 27.

At the Open House, these parents of prospective students can tour the school, see classes in session, meet the faculty, and ask questions about all that St. Joseph has to offer their children.

It's very easy to send names so that the school can mail invitations. Just fill out the form sent home today or click on PARENTS OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS FORM, provide the needed information, and send the form to the school office.

We thank you for helping spread the word about St. Joseph School.

Title I Parent Center Parent Activities

Title I Parent Center Parent Activities 2012

Call 985-429-9043 for additional information.

Note:
Individual consultations are given daily to parents seeking guidance in improving their children’s academic skills.

Call 985-429-9043 for more information. Limited seating in computer lab sessions.

January 13 9:00 – 11:00
Basic Word , Part 2
Technology Dept. Lab
Technology Resource Teache
Hammond Jr. High

January 20 9:00 – 11:00
Computer Fun with Photos Using Word, Part 1
Technology Dept. Lab
Technology Resource Teacher
Hammond Jr. High

January 27 9:00 – 11:00
Computer Fun with Photos Using Word, Part 2
Technology Dept. Lab
Technology Resource Teacher
Hammond Jr. High

February 3 9:00 – 11:00
Introduction to Excel
Technology Dept. Lab
Technology Resource Teacher
Hammond Jr. High

February 10 9:00 – 11:00
Excel Basics
Technology Dept. Lab
Technology Resource Teacher
Hammond Jr. High

February 17 9:00 – 11:00
Introduction to PowerPoint
Technology Dept. Lab
Technology Resource Teacher
Hammond Jr. High

February 24 9:00 – 11:00
PowerPoint Basics
Technology Dept. Lab
Technology Resource Teacher
Hammond Jr. High

March 2 9:00 – 11:00
Introduction to Publisher
Technology Dept. Lab
Technology Resource Teacher
Hammond Jr. High

March 9 9:00 – 11:00
Publisher Basics
Technology Dept. Lab
Technology Resource Teacher
Hammond Jr. High

May & June Summer Workbooks PreK to K through Gr. 7 to 8

Note:
Individual consultations are given daily to parents seeking guidance in improving their children’s academic skills.
Call 985-429-9043 for more information. Limited seating in computer lab sessions.

Parish News

Personnel
Rev. John Dominic Sims, O.P. - Pastor
Rev. Cayet Mangiaracina, O.P. - Parochial Vicar
Rev. J.D. Logan, O.P. - In Residence
Larry J. Melcanon - Deacon

Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil Mass - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday Mass - 8:00 a.m., 11:00 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