Psalm 37

R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom. 

Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication. 

R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom. 

The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom
and his tongue utters what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not falter. 

R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom. 

The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him. 

R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

From the Principal

Dear Parents,

Remember that Friday is the last day to submit re-registration to assure that no late fee will be assessed.

See the pictures of the Religion Fair winners in the PHOTO ALBUMS. Names are also listed in a separate article in this newsletter. The judges were most impressed with the students' work. Thanks to Mrs. Dyer for coordinating the effort and to all the teachers who worked to help students prepare for the fair.

Mother Seton Award ballots are being sent home today. Please carefully read the criteria for selection and forward your choice to the school by this Friday.

The booklets for the Math-a-Thon are coming home today. Students have worked hard in the past, and the drive has been very successful. Proceeds go to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Finally, congratulations to Lauren McKneely and Zackery Fortier. They were chosen by their teachers and their fellow students as recipients of the Neighbors' Way Award. The award is presented to the student who represent the core values of integrity, respect, trust, stability, community involvement, honesty, empathy, ethical behavior, and fairness in their daily activities, both in and away from school. These students were fine choices for this award.

-- Dr. Gerard Toups
    Principal

Calendar for the Week

Wednesday, February 8
Midquarter - Remember to Check EDLINE
Re-Registration Continues

Thursday, February 9
Reconciliation Grade 6
Group Pictures (in uniforms)
8th Grade Cap & Gown Pictures
Re-Registration Continues

Friday, February 10
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress
Adopt-a-Child Collection
Re-Registration Ends
Mother Seton Ballots Due
Krewe of Crusaders Parade @ 1:00

Tuesday, February 14
Valentine's Day
Wear Red Shirts with Spirit Dress $1.00

Friday, February 17
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress
Cheer Clinic Registrations Due
Wild West Spring Fest T-shirt Order Forms Due FAIR T-SHIRT
Wild West Spring Fest Sponsorships Due

See more plans for the year at CALENDAR

Cheerleader Clinic

St. Joseph Cheerleaders will be hosting their annual mini cheer clinic for St. Joseph students in PreK - 4th grades on Saturday, March 10, from 9:30-1:00 (with a performance @ 12:30), in the St. Joseph gym.

Cost is $25 and includes a t-shirt and ribbon. Participants will learn a cheer, dance, cheer techniques, and jumps.

Participants should bring their own lunch and drink, but snacks will be provided.

The form was sent home February 1. It can also be downloaded at CHEER CLINIC. Please return it by Friday, February 22.

Math-a-Thon

St. Joseph School is excited to participate in the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Math-a-Thon program. The Math-a-Thon will be sponosred by the Junior Beta Club, and participation is open to any student in grades 1-8.

It's time to get started on those math problems! The funbooks went home today, February 8.

Don't forget to collect pledges. Use the envelope to collect your pledges from your sponsors. Return it along with your pledges to school by the deadline on Wednesday, February 29. If you are fundraising and working problems on Math-a-Thon online, be sure to print your total online donations and turn them in with this form. Checks should be made out to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

To learn more about St. Jude, visit www.stjude.org. For additional information regarding the Math-a-Thon program and a complete list of prizes, please visit www.mathathon.org.

Through Math-a-Thon, you and your child make it possible for St. Jude to treat patients regardless of a family's ability to pay.

Mother Seton Ballots

Ballots for the Mother Seton Award have been sent home. These are due in the office by Friday, February 10. Please circle or highlight ONE NAME on the ballot.

Criteria for Mother Seton is as follows:

The Mother Seton Award was created to honor those individuals whose volunteer service and dedication to home, school, and church has been exemplary. This individual should be recognized as an outstanding volunteer and cannot be a paid employee of the school. Strong Catholic values and a selfless dedication to Catholic schools should be manifest in the honoree chosen. The honoree should have at least three years involvement in the SJS Catholic school community and be an active member of his/her church parish.

• Diocesan Home & School Association dues have been paid.
• Nominee is a current (dues paying if applicable) member of the local home and school organization.
• Nominee is a volunteer.
• Nominee has been an active Home & School volunteer for at least three years.
• Nominee espouses Gospel values and emulates the qualities of Elizabeth Ann Seton.
• An individual may receive this award more than once IF presented by a different school.
• Nomination is made by the Home & School Association with the approval of the school principal. 

Please return ballots to the office by Friday, February 10. Ballots received after that date will not be counted. Thank you for your help selecting our winner for this most important award.

Neighbors Way Award

St. Joseph School is proud to congratulate Lauren McKneely and Zackery Fortier as the 2012 recipients of the Neighbors Way Award. 

This award, voted by the administration, 8th grade faculty, and 8th grade students, was presented during Catholic Schools Week.

The award is reserved for the students who most exemplify the Neighbors Way core values of integrity, respect, trust, stability, community involvement, honesty, empathy, ethical behavior, and fairness in their daily activities, both in and away from school.

Picture This

Order forms for class pictures were sent home last. This is a pre-paid program. An 8x10" class portrait costs $12.00 and is payable to Barberito Photographers.

Pictures will be taken on Thursday, February 9. Students are to wear regular school uniforms. They should also be in their SJS sweatshirts.

Eighth grade cap and gown pictures will be taken the same day. Information for this picture has been sent home with the eighth grade students.

Re-registration

In-house re-registration for the 2012-2013 school year is from February 1 until Friday, February 10.

A form for re-registering has been sent home. It can also be downloaded atRE-REGISTRATION FORM. Please complete this form and return it with the registration fee for each child.

A late fee will be charged for each registration (of anyone currently in the school) received after February 10.

This form is also to be used to inform the school of any siblings coming to St. Joseph next year. Space is tight in several grades, so it is necessary to let us know which children will return and where new siblings will be added. If you add a sibling on this form, a formal registration packet will be sent later for you to fill out. Registration fees for siblings should also be included with this form.

It is most important that this registration be returned whether or not your child is returning to St. Joseph. Returning this form reserves a place in the class for next year. Later in the month, the school will begin filling any unreserved places with new registration.

Thank you so much for your help with this process.

Religion Fair Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the SJS Religion Fair held in conjunction with Catholic Schools Week! The Eighth Grade winners are pictured above. Pictures of all winners are displayed in the PHOTO ALBUMS on this site.

The winners are as follows:

2A - 1st Ayden Hager, 2nd Sadie Bohning, 3rd Ali Foster

2B - 1st Eva Delatte, 2nd Paige Johnson, 3rd Hayden Asprion

3A - 1st Sydnee Coates, 2nd Hayden Broussard, 3rd Elle Gaasch

3B - 1st Alec Dufriend, 2nd Emily Wells, 3rd Jude Dulski

4A - 1st Mason Sibley, 2nd Camryn Ernst, 3rd Taralyn Bivona

4B - 1st Phoenix Lofton, 2nd Brady Nunez, 3rd Caroline Casey

5A - 1st Taylor Poirrier, 2nd Emily Babineaux, 3rd Justin Hutches, 3rd Ethan Mauterer (tie)

5B - 1st Dane Schmitt, 2nd Cody Flynn, 3rd Charley Guzzardo

6 - 1st Rebeckah Bass, 2nd Michael Dickson, 3rd Mallory Vining, HM Jayden Berthelot & Caroline Demars

7 - 1st Brennan Meetze, 2nd Ian Waller, 3rd Zachary Schwaibold, HM Joey Gaines

8 - 1st Collin Dillon, Lauren Hawkins, McKenzi McNemar, Zachery Fortier
      2nd Nathan Barron, James Danley, Jarrett Jordan, Paige Polito
      3rd Holly Guay, Lauren Hebert, Nicholas Jackson, Cole Wolfe.

Wild West Spring Fest

T-SHIRT ORDERS DUE FEBRUARY 17!
The shirt cost will be $13.00 for all sizes.
The t-shirt design is pictured above.
The order deadline - with NO exceptions - is February 17.
All orders are final.
Students will be able to wear the Spring Fest t-shirts every Friday in March before the Spring Fair.
Order forms have been sent home to every school family, or they be downloaded at FAIR T-SHIRT.
Please use a single check made out to St. Joseph H&S.

WEEKEND RIDE PASS ORDER DUE MARCH 16!
The Spring Fair Committee is pleased to announce the return of GoldStar Amusements as our ride company.

We will again have PAY ONE PRICE ALL WEEKEND pass. The pass will be good for the entire fair (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). These bracelets will be $50.00 each. If you bought every session during the fair individually, it would cost $100. That's half price off the individual session bands!!!

We are pre-selling ONLY the ALL WEEKEND passess until Friday, March 16. You will be able to redeem your voucher anytime during the fair, but a special line will be set up on Friday from 5:00-6:00 p.m. where the voucher can be redeemed early. We are NOT pre-selling the individual ride sessons.

Make your check payable to St. Joseph H&S.

Order forms have been sent home with every school family. Extra order forms are available in the school office. Order forms may also be downloaded at RIDE PASS.

Community News

PONCHATOULA YOUTH BASEBALL/SOFTBALL
Walk-in registration for youth baseball/softball will be held each Saturday in February from 9:00-noon.

The final registration will be Saturday, March 3, from 9:00-noon at the Recreation Park Gymnasium on Hoover Road. (NOT the Community Center)

Forms received after March 3rd will be put on a waiting list and will contacted if a spot becomes available.

The registration fee for boys baseball for ages 9-19 is $75.00

The registration fee for T-ball, Coach Pitch, and Softball for ages 5-18 is $60.00.

Registration forms are available in the SJS office.

Title I Parent Center Parent Activities 2012

Title I Parent Center Parent Activities 2012

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.

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


ST. JOSEPH ALTAR SAINTS
The St. Joseph Altar Committee is looking for children (grades 3-12) to play the role of saints for St. Joseph Altar. The Altar will be held on March 18. The children will be asked to participate in the rosary procession, Mass, and feeding of the saints.

Children must furnish their own costumes. A short practice will be held on Monday, March 12, at 6:00 pm in the gym.



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