St. Joseph
Catholic School

Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. Glory and praise for ever! 

“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.” 

R. Glory and praise for ever! 

“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. 

R. Glory and praise for ever! 

“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.” 

R. Glory and praise for ever! 

“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.” 

R. Glory and praise for ever! 

“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.” 

R. Glory and praise for ever!

From the Principal

Dear Parents,

The school is thankful to all of our families for their support of the Fair. 

The net proceeds should be in excess of $60,000.00. The profit is $10,000.00 higher that any previous school fairs. 

The increase in income from such events as the fair helps to pay for the increased cost of technology. The school now has fiber optic cable service to every school building. The students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades are using i-Pads in their classes daily. Younger students will be exposed to additional technology in the years to come. 

Finally, parents should know that the school enrollment has never been higher. Next year more than 470 students will attend St. Joseph and receive the moral guidance, religious instruction, and academic preparation that the residents of Ponchatoula have benefited from for over a century. 

-- Dr. Gerard Toups
    Principal

Calendar-at-a-Glance

Thursday, April 10
Terra Nova Testing (8th grade only)

Friday, April 11
Spirit Dress
Stations of the Cross
Retreat (8th grade)

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 11-13
Strawberry Festival Parking

Sunday, April 13
Palm Sunday

Monday, April 14
Rice Bowls Due
Terra Nova Testing (8th grade only)

Tuesday, April 15
Field Trip (3rd grade)

Wednesday, April 16
Field Trip (7th grade)
No Mass
Midquarter

Thursday, April 17
Holy Thursday 
Living Stations of the Cross @ 8:30
Summer Reading Orders Due

Friday, April 17
Good Friday - NO SCHOOL

Sunday, April 20
Easter Sunday

Monday, April 21 - Friday, April 25
Easter Holidays - NO SCHOOL

Monday, April 28
Class Resume

Monday, April 28 - Friday, May 2
Terra Nova Testing (grades 2-7)
8th Grade Trip

Thursday, May 1
Tuition or Loan Papers Due to the School Office

Friday, May 2
Spirit Dress

No ASC - April 11

Due to parking issues related to the Strawberry Festival, there will be no After School Care on Friday, April 11.

Strawberry Festival Parking - April 12-13

It's that time of year again and SJS needs your support for this fund raiser. The Strawberry Fest is April 12 and 13. We will be parking cars on that Saturday and Sunday.

Shifts are as follows....

Saturday
10am - 1:30pm
1pm - 5pm

Sunday
11:30am - 2:30pm
2:15pm - 5pm

Please email me your name and cell number and shift you would like to work. Thank you for your support. You may also sign up on EDLINE.

Jeff Schmitt
j2ads@yahoo.com  
985-320-7711

Rice Bowls Due - April 14

St. Joseph School is participating in CRS Rice Bowl again this year. Your child will receive a cardboard Rice Bowl to collect Lenten alms. Also, included with the Rice Bowl is a Lenten calendar to provide inspiration for your Lenten journey.

More information can be found at: RICE BOWLS. Please use the Rice Bowls and return them on Monday, April 14th.

Advisory Council Ballots Due - April 15

It is time once again to elect new members for the St. Joseph School Advisory Council.

New members must meet the following requirements:
• Be the parent/guardian of a student at St. Joseph School. Because this is a three-year commitment, at least one of these students must be currently in Grade 5 or younger.
• Be a practicing Catholic.
• Be available for monthly meetings for a three year commitment.

The current elected members of the SJS Advisory Council are:
Corey Berner, Stephanie Brothers, Sarah LaCroix
Jeff LeSaicherre, Raymond Mauterer, Angelique Richardson, Jeff Schmitt, and Artie Thompason.

Terms are ending for Stephanie Brothers, Jeff LeSaicherre, and Jeff Schmitt.

Stephanie Brothers and Jeff LeSaicherre eligible for re-election.

Please mark your ballots on EDLINE by Tuesday, April 15, at noon.

Summer Reading Orders Due - April 17

St. Joseph School Summer Reading List for 2014 was sent home with students today in grades Kindergarten through Fourth Grades.
 
Students are required to read all selections from their appropriate grade level for the 2014-2015 school year. Students will be responsible for these books through tests or projects at the beginning of the 2014 school year.

For your convenience, the library will be offering the required books for sale directly through school. The school receives a discount on these titles, and if you participate in this offer the savings get passed on to you. Most of our prices are lower than the same new paperback titles on Amazon.com.

We will try our best to distribute the books to the students before school dismisses for the summer. If we are unable to get the books to you before the end of the year, they will be available for pick up in the office, and we will notify you when they are here. 

Please mark your selections on the form sent home, and return the form with a check for the total purchase payable to St. Joseph School. All pre-paid orders must be received no later than THURSDAY, APRIL 17.

Tuition/Loan Papers Due - May 1

Tuition and Loan Papers for the 2014-2015 school year are due in the school office on Thursday, May 1.

The loan application was sent home with students. It can also be downloaded at LOAN APP.

Terra Nova Testing - April 28-May 2

Because of the 8th grade trip, all of our 8th grade students will take parts of the Terra Nova test on the following dates:

Monday, April 14.

The students in grades 2-7 will take the Terra Nova test the week of April 28-May 2.

Altar Server Training

Registration and initial training session for those interested in becoming Altar Servers is scheduled for Sunday, April 27th.

Please gather in the chapel immediately following 11 a.m. Mass. Prospective Altar Servers must be baptized Catholic, have received First Communion and be in at least the fourth grade (born prior to Fall 2004). We will begin with a short talk by Father McDuffie then proceed to registration and training. Parents need to register their children and we highly encourage you to stay for the entire session. This initial session should last approximately an hour. We look forward to seeing you there! Glen and Michele Ernst

We will begin with a short talk by Father McDuffie then proceed to registration and training. Parents need to register their children and we highly encourage you to stay for the entire session. This initial session should last approximately an hour. 

We look forward to seeing you there! 

Glen and Michele Ernst

Fifth Grade Science Experiment

Our 5th graders were hands on with their science experiment (and really enjoyed having a wading pool in their classroom). 

To check out the steps of their experiment, please visit our Photo Albums section on our website or SCIENCE.

Fifth Grade Field Trip

Our 5th grade students recently took a field trip to East of Italy Restaurant to make pizzas using fractions and measurements learned in math class. 

To see all of their pictures, please visit our Photo Albums section on our website or EAST OF ITALY.

LIGO Field Trip

Our 8th grade Physical Science I class and the 6th grade physical science classes took a field trip yesterday to LIGO. 

To see all of their pictures, please visit our Photo Albums section on our website or LIGO.

Community News

Tired of all those Mardi Gras throws all over your house?
We will take it all!
We sell to Krewes to help pay for medical expenses for abused and neglected animals.
Once they are healthy, they are put up for adoption.
SAVE-AN-ANGEL is a non-profit organization!
We need beads, trinkets, and stuffed animals!
My name is Cherrie and my daughter is an 8th grader at St Joseph.
If you can help:
Please Contact me at 504-256-7906
or
email me at cher5362@gmail.com  
like us on facebook
Thank You!!!

Our Parish

Personnel
Fr. Paul A. McDuffie, Pastor
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.

Weekday Mass Schedule
The week day Masses on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday will be at 8:30 a.m. Reconciliation (Confessions) will be available before all week day Masses at 8:00 a.m. in addition to Confessions on Saturday from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

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