St. Joseph
Catholic School

Psalm 72

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. 

O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment. 

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. 

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. 

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. 

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save. 

R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

From the Principal

Dear Parents,

Our prayer is that the New Year brings you peace and joy and God’s every blessing. 

On behalf of Fr. Cayet and the entire St. Joseph Staff, thank you for your kind remembrances at Christmas. Your generosity was most appreciated. All of us at St. Joseph feel blessed privileged to serve this community. Your children are a gift to us everyday.

The most important date on the calendar for the school today is February 18: Open House for Parents of Prospective Students. Please continue to talk the school up in the community and refer new families to St. Joseph. Enrollment increases have been very instrumental in giving us the resources to continue to improve the school. 

As prospective parents tour the school, the renovated classrooms in the main building and the two new classrooms in the new building offer new elements to the attractiveness of the school. Much work needs to be done, but, with your help and support, we will continue to make St. Joseph a better place for the children to work, play, and grow in the Faith. 

-- Dr. Gerard Toups
    Principal

Calendar for the Week

Thursday, January 10
Meeting for 8th Grade Parents Sending Students to PHS @ 6:00 p.m. in the Library

Friday, January 11
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress

Monday, January 14
Geography Bee (after school)

Tuesday, January 15
8th Grade Cap & Gown Fittings

Wednesday, January 16
January Birthdays

Thursday, January 17
Field Trip - 6th Grade
Reconciliation - 8th Grade
Parent Night @ PHS - 8th Grade 6:00 p.m.

Friday, January 18
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress

Monday, January 21
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - No School

Tuesday, January 22
Classes Resume

Wednesday, January 23
In-House Registration Begins for 2013-2014
Fair Sponsorship Letters Due

Thursday, January 24
Reconciliation - 7th Grade

Friday, January 25
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress
Crusaders Announced
Fair T-Shirt Order Forms Due

Monday-Friday, January 28-February 2
Catholic Schools Week

Monday, January 28
Mass @ 8:30 - All are invited to attend.
Spirit Dress with Red Shirts

Wednesday, January 29
Spirit Dress with Red, White, or Blue Shirts

Thursday, January 30
Religion Fair

December Crusaders

Congratulations to our December Crusaders!

Landon Davis (4th grade) is our Crusader. 

Paige Johnson (3rd grade) is our Mini-Crusader. 

Great job, Crusaders!

Special Education Survey

The Diocese is in the process of reviewing its special education offerings with the intention of offering a quality Catholic education that meets the spiritual, educational and practical needs of all students with disabilities throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Your input is vital to this effort and would be greatly appreciated. Please complete the survey and provide as much detail as you deem useful in their effort. 

You can access the SURVEY.

Report Cards - Wednesday, January 9

Report Cards for the second quarter have been sent home with students today.

Please sign the envelope, and return it to school tomorrow.

The report card itself can be kept by the parent.

January Birthdays - Wednesday, January 16

All students at St. Joseph who have a birthday in January may come out of uniform on Wednesday, Janauary 16. This is the only day students with January birthdays may come out of uniform. There is no make-up day. Out of uniform guidelines can be found on the WEBSITE.

School Holiday - Monday, January 21

St. Joseph Catholic School will have no school on Monday, January 21, in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Classes resume as usual on Tuesday, January 22.

Re-Registration - Wednesday, January 23

In-house (those students already enrolled) registration for the 2013-2014 school year will begin on Wednesday, January 23. 

Re-registration papers and details will be sent home on that date.

Re-registration is open for in-house students until Friday, February 1.

Tailgate Party! - Sunday, January 27

Come join us for our second annual

Mother/Son Tailgate Party!

Sunday, January 27

2:00-4:00 p.m.

St. Joseph Catholic School

$25 per Mother/Son Ticket

Food and Drinks to be Served

Tickets Can Be Purchased on EDLINE

Payment Needs to be Sent to the Office in a Marked Envelope

Jumping Inflatables Courtesy of J&J Inflatables

If you have questions, please contact Veronica Pierson at 

985-386-7799 or 985-320-4543 or veronica.pierson@lpsb.org.

8th Grade News

Important Information for Parents of 8th Grade Students:

Thursday, January 10
Meeting in SJS library beginning at 6:00 p.m. for parents of students attending Ponchatoula High School in the fall. This meeting is conducted by the counselors of PHS.

Tuesday, January 15
Cap & gown fittings - This is quick and done during the school day. Please make certain students are at school on this date.

Thursday, January 17
Meeting for parents at Ponchatoula High School in the auditorium starting at 6:00 p.m.

Prospective Students

If you have friends, neighbors, or relatives who might be interested in sending their children to St. Joseph School, please provide us with their names and addresses so that we may send them an invitation to our Open House.

Prospective parents will be able to see classes in session, meet and talk with the teachers, ask questions, and get a "feel" for St. Joseph School at this Open House.

Our parents are our best advocates. Thank you for your tremendous support.

You may download the form at OPEN HOUSE, fill it out, and send it to the office. You may also email information to sjsoffice@sjscrusaders.org.

Cheerleaders

Please support our cheerleaders!

The SJS Cheerleaders will compete at a Charity Competition
Date: Sunday, January 13
Place: SLU
Time: TBA (call school office)

2nd Grade Toy Soldiers

Our second grade students presented a festive holiday parade of toy soldiers on the last day before Christmas break. See all of their pictures at http://sjscrusaders.org/photo-albums/298.html.

Nativity

Blair Atkins as Mary and Carson Wyld as Joseph gaze upon their Baby Jesus (played by Rachel Aymond) during the presentation of the Live Nativity on December 20. More pictures of the Nativity are on the school website at http://sjscrusaders.org/photo-albums/300.html.

PreK & K

Our PreK and Kindergarten students wish everyone a very Merry Christmas on December 20. More pictures can be see at http://sjscrusaders.org/photo-albums/299.html.

Fifth Grade Science

Fifth Graders Alexis Vega and Madison Gill watch carefully as their "tornado" spins. For more science experiment pictures, please visit http://sjscrusaders.org/photo-albums/297.html and http://sjscrusaders.org/photo-albums/294.html.

Parish News

Personnel
Fr. Cayet Mangiaracina, O.P. - Parochial Vicar and Administrator
Fr. David K. Seid, O.P, - In Residence
Larry J. Melancon - Deacon
Mike Agnello - Deacon
Dr. M.J. "Dutch" Schanzbach - 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