Eagle's Eye

St. Joseph Catholic School fosters a diverse community of disciples empowered through a rigorous and inclusive Catholic education rooted in Gospel values and service to others.

O Blessed Joseph, faithful guardian of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, protector of Mary, the virgin Mother of God, I choose you this day to be my special patron and advocate and I firmly resolve to honor you all the days of my life. Therefore, I humbly ask you to receive me as your client, to instruct me in every doubt, to comfort me in every affliction, to obtain for me and for all the knowledge and love of the Heart of Jesus, and finally to defend and protect me at the hour of my death. Amen.

Please mark your calendars to join us on Wednesday, May 28th for Mass at 8:15 am to celebrate our 8th grade graduates. Please use this link to sign up to attend this Mass. https://forms.gle/mfB6DmYm9NcMSBeY6

The graduation ceremony will also be on Wednesday, May 28th at 6:00 p.m. in the Church. All are welcome!

• Family members of students at St. Joseph Catholic School who would like to attend school Mass at 8:15 a.m. must preregister by 12pm on Tuesday, May 27th.
• If you have previously visited SJCS and been cleared through the Raptor System using your driver's license, simply submit the form below.
• **Please note that you must be cleared through the Raptor System each school year. If you have not had your driver's license scanned this year, please go to the school office to have this done.
• If you haven't been cleared through Raptor, please complete the form below AND you must go to the school office to have your driver's license scanned into our Raptor System for attendance at future events by 12pm on Tuesday, May 27th.
• If you submit by noon on the Tuesday before Mass, please plan to arrive at the back doors of the church in the courtyard by the Parish Center between 7:55 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. on the day of the Mass. The church doors on the Avenue M side will be locked and no admittance will be given to anyone attempting to enter on that side.
• Once Mass begins, we will not open doors to visitors for the safety of our students.

*****Please use your name on the form that appears on your driver's license.

With all the wonderful events happening this next week, here is some information for those who are not Catholic.

If you are not Catholic but attend a Catholic Mass, you are welcome to approach the altar during Communion to receive a blessing instead of the Eucharist. To indicate this, you can cross your arms over your chest—placing each hand on the opposite shoulder—when you reach the priest or minister. This gesture signals that you are not receiving Communion but would like a blessing. It is a respectful way to participate in this sacred moment of the Mass while honoring the Catholic Church’s belief in the Eucharist as a sacrament reserved for those in full communion with the Church.

Additionally, it is important to note that there is no eating or drinking allowed in the church, out of reverence for the sacred space and the solemnity of the liturgy.

Several students from the SJCS Class of 2021 were here last Friday to walk through the halls to the applause of our students and staff before their high school graduations. We are so proud of them and look forward to hearing about their future educational endeavors! #alwaysaneagle

The last day of school for the 2024-2025 school year is next Thursday, May 29th at 12pm. There will be no aftercare available and all students must be picked up by 12:30pm that day. Any student not picked up by 12:30pm will be subject to late fees. Please see the Eagle’s Perch section of the Parent Student handbook for more info.

Beginning today, summer homework for next year's kindergarten through 8th grade students will be posted on our school website. Also, the supply lists for next year will be posted there as well. Remember that you order school supplies from School Tool Box and they will be delivered right to your home! Below is the QR code to order. Ordering opens on June 1st.

Click here for a full listing on our website: https://stjosephwhschool.org/summer-resources

For parents and family members who are coming to school events, all vehicles need to be parked in the parish center parking lot in the spaces along the recess field (the roadway that connects with the Unity way exit, not the spaces in the drop off/pick up line) or in spaces closest to the soccer field. Please do not park in the school office parking lot as there are limited spaces there. Also, please do not park in the Church offices parking lot as those parking spaces are for Church office business or the chapel. Once parents and family members have parked, they can walk down Unity Way to reach the school office.

Please ensure that your student has a water bottle when he/she stays for aftercare. It can be one that is refillable. With the hot weather, students need to stay hydrated. Also, please ensure student water bottles are labeled with his/her name as many look alike.

The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring an appreciation picnic for all altar servers and their families at the Knights Hall (3308 Ave W NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881) on Saturday, June 7 from 10 am until 1:30 pm. Altar servers will receive their certificates and food will be provided.

Please RSVP to Mrs. Richer (hebecitta@gmail.com) how many people in your family will be attending no later than Tuesday, May 27.

Please know that when planning classes for the upcoming academic year, special care is taken to ensure that each child is placed in an environment where they can thrive both academically and socially. The process involves careful consideration of each student’s individual needs, learning styles, and personality traits, as well as input from teachers who know the students well. Additionally, efforts are made to create balanced classrooms that promote a positive and effective learning atmosphere for all. Please note that we are unable to take individual parent requests for specific teachers or class placements. Thank you for understanding and trusting in our process. Teacher assignments will be shared with families during the new school year packet pick-up.

We are excited for our Kindergartens to be completing the school year! The kindergarten graduation will be at 9am in the church on Thursday, May 29th. To attend, please sign up on the Google Form. Attendees must preregister by 12pm on Wednesday, May 28th. https://forms.gle/V6rNA8QdVRmF6bax8

There is no school next Monday, May 26th, in observance of Memorial Day. We pray for all the brave men and women who have fought for our country on this day.

We will have our end of the year awards program for grades K through 7 at 11:00 am in the Church on Thursday, May 29th. To attend, please fill out the Google Form on this link: https://forms.gle/Siy2PtN188xnaHDa8

We have so many wonderful things happening in May!

Wednesday, May 28th 8th grade Baccalaureate Mass at 8:15

Thursday, May 29th Kindergarten graduation program at 9am in the church

Thursday, May 29th End of the Year awards at 11am in the church

We will have a summer SJCS spirit night at J Burns pizza on Tuesday, June 10th. Please come join us for food, fellowship, and fun and see your SJCS friends!

All Kindergarteners and 6th graders for the 2025-2026 school year need an immunization before they will be admitted to class next year. Please make sure you turn in an updated DH 680 ( Florida Immunization Form ) as you get it ( if you haven’t already). If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Brown at sbrown@stjosephwhschool.org.

Educational summer camps offer exciting and enriching opportunities for students to continue learning and growing outside the traditional classroom setting. We encourage families to take advantage of these valuable experiences to help students stay engaged and inspired throughout the summer. Spots are limited and go quickly – register today!

Roberts Academy Summer Reading Camp - Intensive reading instruction in a whole group and small group setting along with independent practice. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math) – Students will be immersed in instruction to enhance learning. https://www.flsouthern.edu/academic-life/academic-centers/roberts-center-for-learning-and-literacy/summer-reading-camp

Kids At College – For children ages 5 – 13, choose from a wide variety of classes in topics including 3D Printing, Games Unplugged, Rocketry, Ninja Warriors, and Magic! https://www.polk.edu/kids-at-college/

Camp Early Bird – Camp Early Bird helps incoming kindergartners develop pre-reading skills through hands-on activities and learning centers based on reading readiness while continuing to support motor, social, and cognitive development. https://www.polkschoolsfl.com/quicklinks/earlybird

Please consider helping teachers with packing or cleaning, lost and found clean out, summertime prep, etc. This is a great way to earn your 20 required service hours for each family. Reach out to your homeroom teacher to see what you can do to help. Volunteers will need to be fingerprinted if help is provided during the school day.

All library books were due last week. Please help your students locate those and return them to the school. Any student with books still checked out have been given an overdue notice listing the titles and price of the book. If you are not able to locate a book, you will need to replace it with another copy or pay the school for the cost of the book. If you have any questions about your child’s overdue books, please email me kmcgillin@stjosephwhschool.org

If you are still looking for a way to fulfill the 20 hour service hour requirement, please consider donating a book off our Book Fairy Wishlist. These books were once a part of our collection but have been lost or damaged. Reminder: Every $10 is 1 service hour.

Book Fairy Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2S6G0MFCC15VU?ref_=wl_share

The first day of the 2024-2025 school year will be Monday, August 11th, 2025.

We are beginning to work on the calendar for the coming school year. Here are some key dates for you to put on your calendar:

August 11: First Day of School for all students

November 24-28: Thanksgiving Break

December 22 - January 2: Christmas Break

January 6: School Resumes

March 16 - 20: Spring Break

April 3 - 6: Easter Break

May 29: Last day of school

* A full calendar will be shared this summer.

Thank you to Room Parent chairs, Ruth Quintana and Cindy Martin for a great year! We are looking for room parents for next year. Anyone interested in becoming a room parent (2025-2026, grades PK3-8th), please contact the school office.

Here are a few of the room parent responsibilities:

• Communicate by email with the teacher and other parents in the class
• Help facilitate teacher requests (help with class parties, field trips, etc.)
• Help coordinate donations for Fall Fest and Gala fundraiser baskets
• Help plan teacher and aid birthday celebrations
• ...and many more things that help make our school GREAT!

Please reach out to Cindy Martin (863) 207-0749 or Ruth Quintana (267) 231-5366 with any questions.

Please see the information below about the Food Allergy Management Program from Machio's for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.

Please see the information below about the Step Up for Students scholarship. Here is the link for the Application Checklist.

https://go.stepupforstudents.org/hubfs/Scholarship%20Info/Scholarship-Application-Checklist.pdf?utm_campaign=SCHOOL%20PROVIDER%20-%20GENERAL%20Communication&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--GcARUeCd0J0qJWsoArEhr7zZfKOCptd0zf-xM1mZIsmx7ri9EAeTtiGWfaiPsDhxbddjlNUKHyk-5tDm_bVCq8-MydCMmApmqhaMCkVoDmlIgkIs&_hsmi=344541403&utm_content=344541403&utm_source=hs_email

We have several different choirs at SJCS.

School Mass Choir
Students in grades 3-8 are invited to sing in the choir at all school masses. Practice will be once a month. Please don't arrive to pick up your child(ren) until 4:00 pm if they are staying for choir.

Church Children's Choir

The Children's Choir for our church will practice from 3-4pm on Thursdays. Jitka Cinibulk, music director from our church, coordinates this ministry. This is for students to sing at weekend Masses. If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email her at jcinibulk@stjosephwh.org.

Concert Choir with Mrs. James

Students in 3rd-8th grade have the opportunity of joining Concert Choir. The SJCS Concert Choir performs at various community events during the school year including Carols in the Park, the Christmas program and singing the national anthem at the Rays, Bucs and Tropics games. During rehearsals, students will be developing many vocal concepts such as correct posture, resonance and technique. We will be singing a range of repertoire and work on two and three part harmony.

Grades 3-5

Rehearsals: 3rd, 4th & 5th grade on Wednesdays at 3:15-4:00pm on Wednesdays

Middle School Rehearsals: Thursdays from 7:15-7:45am

Please e-mail Mrs. James at vjames@stjosephwhschool.org if you have any questions. Thank you!

Church Handbell Choir

The Church Handbell choir is looking for 2-3 new ringers. The starting age is 10, so if any student is interested, this would be a great time to join us. Practice is on Thursdays 6-8 pm in the church. If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email Jitka Cinibulk at jcinibulk@stjosephwh.org.

The next Middle School Edge will return at the beginning of the school year in August. Parents who volunteer to help with EDGE may earn SJCS service hours.

St. Joseph Catholic Church's religious education coordinator is Mrs. Melady Roque.

If you intend for your child to receive any sacraments (such as First Communion or Confirmation) through St. Joseph Catholic Church, you can call the church office at 294-3144 or email Melady Roque at mroque@stjosephwh.org.

Confirmation classes will begin in the fall. Confirmation is open to grades 8-12. Parents can contact Mr. Nathan Hayes with any questions at nhayes@stjosephwh.org or by calling the office at (863) 294 - 3144 ext. 224.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.”

Our next Box Top goal is $600. Remember all you need to do is scan your receipts to help us reach this goal and all students will earn another dress down day.

This section of the Eagle's Eye will remain in every edition of our newsletter. It will contain links to information that parents may need from time to time. When parents have questions, we urge you to check this section for possible links that could get you the information that you need.

• School Calendar
• Lunch Menus
• Maschio's Birthday Order Form
• Registering for a lunch account
• PikMyKid User Guide (English)
• PikMyKid User Guide (Spanish)
• Fingerprinting/Safe Environment Certification Instructions
• Fingerprinting/Safe Environment Certification
• Uniform Company
• Technology Responsible Use Policy for Students
• Parent Student Handbook
• Attendance Policy
• Accessing Facts Family Portal
• Family Portal Login
• Logging Service Hours: Parents and students can now enter and view their own service hours. You can use your app to view the hours, however, you have to use the web version to enter new hours. go to FACTS Family Portal. The district code is STJC-FL. Once logged in, click on the Family option in the menu on the left side. At the top of the screen, select the family member who will be adding the service hours. Click on the Add option on the right side of the screen in the Service Hours box. Fill out the information and click Save.

Important calendar dates for the 2024-2025 school year are listed below. ***Please note that the school intentionally schedules school closures at times throughout the school year. We are giving these dates to you early to help your planning for the 24-25 year. Families should schedule family vacations and other commitments during scheduled school closures; vacations should not be scheduled when school is open. Vacations are not considered excused absences and are a violation of the School Attendance Policy.

• May 26th: Memorial Day: No School
• May 29th: Last Day of School

Principal: Mrs. Insua

Assistant Principal: Ms. Lucarelli

Assistant Principal: Mr. Kupka

Parochial Administrator: Fr. Glenn Lopez

Canonical Administrator: Fr. Tim LaBo

Superintendent: Dr. Erika Wikstrom

Email: jinsua@stjosephwhschool.org
Website: stjosephwhschool.org
Location: 535 Avenue M Northwest, Winter Haven, FL, USA
Phone: 863-293-3311