THE BLUE JAY FLYER

F rom the Principal’s Desk...

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PTO Dine to Donate Sunday, September 30

11:30am-9:00pm

Dine in or Carry-Out

Pebble Creek Restaurant will again be donating 10% of all food sales to St. John the Baptist

School. This includes Dine-in and Carry-out orders. All proceeds go directly to our Student Enrichment Programs.

You must tell your server that you are dining for St. John the Baptist School.

Make sure to purchase your Pebble Creek Gift Cards through Shopping Cents at mass this weekend and our school will earn even more money!!

Who do you say that I am?

Dear Parents,

This morning I attended Mass with grades 6-8. After Mass, the candidates for Student Council spoke.

Their comments were fairly simple and direct. One of my thoughts after listening to them was they all want

to be of service to the school. Even at this level, this desire says a great deal. Our students, who desire to

have leadership positions, want to be servant leaders.

This Friday the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul. This saint was, and through

the St. Vincent de Paul Society, continues to be an amazing example of servant leadership. His commit-

ment to serving the poor has persisted for five centuries.

If we take seriously our Mission and the opportunities we have to serve the poor, the lonely, the needy

and the forgotten, we are becoming like St. Vincent de Paul. We herald God’s love when we take care of

one another.

The Gospel for this Friday reminds us when Jesus questions his disciples, “Then he said to them, but

who do you say that I am?” (LK 18-22). Jesus is asking his disciples to recognize, acknowledge and fol-

low him as the Christ. He is asking them to join him as a servant leader. Later he reminds them that they,

too, must take up their cross and follow him.

As we continue this school year and as we choose Student Council leaders, may we always be choos-

ing to be servants. This week I encourage you to talk with you daughters and sons about what it means to

be of service. Perhaps get in touch with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and see what they need. When

we choose to act as servant leaders, we are answering Jesus” question. Who do you say that I am?

Sincerely,

Daniel A. Minelli

September 25, 2019

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Sept 27 PTO Kickball Tournament 6:15pm Athletic Fields

Sept 30 Mass Grade 3 8:30 am Oct 1 PTO BRINK for a Cause 6-9 pm Oct 2 Interims Sent Home Oct 3 PTO High School Info Night 6:30-8:00pm Church SHOPPING CENTS FILLED Oct 4 GRANDPARENTS DAY Fall Book Fair Begins Blessing of the Animals 2:00 pm Oct 7 Mass Grade 7 8:30 am Oct 9 Mass Grades 1-5 8:30 am Oct 10 Walk-a-thon

UP

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In-house School Supply Store

Our in-house bookstore is a great service for the students who need to

replenish school supplies such as notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, gluesticks, etc. In addition, it is also a great opportunity for our 8th graders to learn responsibility and leadership skills.

St. John’s has three bookstores for our students. One is located by grades 3/4, one by grades 5/6, and one in the junior high hallway. They are open each day before morning announcements. Check out the available supplies and prices on our website located under the Parent Info section.

Calendar of events Curious Why the Library is Having a SPECIAL Fall Book Fair This Year?

The St. John the Baptist Library is very excited to welcome local award winning author, and Miami University graduate, Jeff Alt, to come speak to our students this winter! Not only has Jeff Alt written 6 award winning books, but he is also a hiking and camping expert, and a talented speaker! He has shared his inspirational "Lessons from the Trail" presentation with thousands. He has also hosted the annual Sunshine Walk, 5K Run and Roll for over 20 years, raising over half a million dollars to support people with developmental disabilities. His best selling Appalachian Trail book, A Walk for Sunshine, won first place in the National Best Books Awards, and his new National Parks children's series, The Adventures of Bubba Jones are captivating readers of all ages.

The funds from the St. John's Fall Book Fair are needed to cover the cost of this exciting author visit for our students, so please consider generously supporting the book fair and your children's love of reading! Find more information about Jeff Alt at: www.jeffalt.com.

Volunteers Needed!

We are looking for volunteers to enter reward codes from Coca-Cola products. Codes can be entered online or scanned from your phone. Our school earns money for each code entered. If you are willing to help, please contact the school office at 385-7970.

Vision and Hearing Screenings

Students in first, third, fifth and seventh grades will have vision and/or hearing screenings performed over the next few weeks as required by state law. If your child does not pass the screening, the school nurse will send home a letter to share the results and make a recommendation. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Elise Hochhausler at 699-6978.

Shopping cents orders will be filled on Thursday,

October 3rd. Order forms will come home in the Blue

Jay Folders next week or can be printed from the

school website.

St. John’s Received $1,498.72 From Kroger Rewards Program

Are you a Kroger shopper? Do you have a Kroger Plus card? You can help St. John’s continue to earn FREE money when you link your Kroger Plus card to our school!

Go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com to register. Use the St. John ‘s code of 80216 or search for St. John the Baptist –Dry Ridge. Verify that you are linked by checking the bottom of your Kroger receipt. It will show St. John the Baptist as being assigned for rewards.

Taking Photos of Students at School Parents/guardians who volunteer/visit the school are asked to please refrain from posting on social media photos/videos of students other than your own children without that parent’s consent. According to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Social Media Policy, “Employees, clerics, and volunteers are forbidden to post or distribute personal identifiable information including pictures of any child under the age of eighteen without verifiable consent of a parent or guardian.”

High School Open House Schedule

Mercy McAuley Sunday, Nov. 10 1-3:30 pm

Mount Notre Dame Sunday, Nov. 3 1-4 pm

St. Ursula Academy Sunday, Oct. 27 1-3:30 pm

Ursuline Academy Saturday, Nov. 2 10 am-1 pm Sunday, Nov 3 1-4pm

Badin High School Sunday, Nov. 3 1-4 pm LaSalle High School Sunday, Nov. 10 1-4 pm

St. Xavier High School Sunday, Nov. 17 1-4 pm

Moeller High School Sunday, Nov. 3 2-5 pm

Roger Bacon H.S. Sunday, Oct. 27 1-3 pm

Purcell Marian H.S. Sunday, Nov. 3 2-5 pm

Elder High School Thursday, Nov 14 5-8 pm

Bishop Fenwick H.S. Sunday, Nov. 10 1-3 pm

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Andrea Argus Scholarship

Did you know that St. John’s faculty and staff donate $2 each week to wear jeans and pink on Spirit Days?

The money collected during the year provides the funds for the Andrea Argus Scholarship in memory of Mrs. Argus, our longtime school secretary who passed away after a long courageous battle with cancer. The scholarship will be awarded at graduation to two 8th graders, one boy and one girl, who will be attending Catholic high schools.

Save your Aluminum Pull Tabs

Please save your aluminum pull tabs for the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Cincinnati. We have a little blue and white striped house outside the school office for the tabs. Someone will deliver them to the Ronald McDonald House a few times a year.

Save your Ink Jet Cartridges

St. John’s is fortunate to have a fundraiser for our computer lab that costs us nothing. We are paid $1.00 to $2.00 for empty ink jet cartridges. We can use ONLY INK JET, no laser printer cartridges (Anything bigger than 5” X 5” is too big)! Please ask family, neighbors, friends and businesses to start saving for you now. A box for collection is located in the computer lab and in the church’s bell tower. You may also send them into school. Thank you for your continuing support.

P.T.O. News

Page 4 The Blue Jay Flyer

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Please Join Us! St. John’s PTO

BRINK for a Cause

Tuesday, Oct. 1st 6:00-9:00pm

5905 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45224

One dollar from each pint sold on October 1st will go directly to student enrichment,

student activities, and supplies for our school. Please be sure to show your flyer (paper or electronically from your phone)

at the event in order to ensure that your beers contribute to the cause!

**The PTO General Membership Meeting on Thursday, Oct 3 will now be held in the church from 6:30-8:00pm. See flyer in this weeks Blue Jay Folder for more information about our “High School Information Night” with guest speaker Maria Schweikert, former Admissions Director at McAuley High School.

Grandparents Day will begin in the church with a

prayer service. Pews will be marked by color for each grade level. Grandparents with multiple children should sit together with the youngest

child’s grade.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

9:30-9:50 Prayer Service in Church

9:50-10:30 Music Program

10:30-10:45 Refreshments (Right side of church)

Visit classroom (Left side of church)

10:45-11:00 Visit classroom (Right side church)

Refreshments (Left side of church)

11:00 Dismissal: This year we strongly

encourage students to stay at school. No students in grades 4- 8 will be dismissed at 11:00. Classes will resume at this time. We will have our annual Animal Blessing at 2pm.

St. John the Baptist PTO invites you to

High School Information Night

Thursday, October 3, 2019 6:30-8:00pm

St. John the Baptist Church

Presented by Dan Minelli and Maria

Schweikert, former Admissions

Director at McAuley High School

Learn more information about:

*High School preparation

*Open House Dates for all Catholic HS

*HSPT prep and test

*Application Process

*What Catholic HS are looking for

*Merit based scholarships

*Other awards

*Need based Financial Aid

*The most important issue is “Best Fit” for your child

Childcare will be provided.

Blue Jay Snapshot

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Eighth grade students recently completed their upcycle art projects, cardboard sandals made from cereal boxes. Senorita Moore allowed them to wear their new creations during

Mrs. Seller’s first graders recently solved a breakout challenge with the help of Mrs. Flick’s 7th grade accelerated math students.

Check out these CANDY BACKBONES! In conjunction with their science unit on the human skeleton, fifth grade students built models of the human backbone using licorice laces, tube shaped pasta and gummy lifesavers to represent the spinal cord, vertebrae, and cartilage.

Our little Pre K engineers figured out how to build an apple tree using only a cardboard tube, craft sticks, and pom-poms during this fun hands-on STEM activity.

Our in-house school supply stores opened last week. The three locations are open each day before morning a announcements. This great service for the students who need supplies is also an opportunity for our 8th graders to help the school and learn responsibility.

Ms. Witzgall's second graders are hard at work writing letters to their pen pals at another Catholic school in Chicago. Ms. Witzgall and a former classmate from University of Dayton came up with this great idea for their students!