Weekly Update
January 10-14 2022
Happy New Year!
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
Welcome back and Happy New Year! We have celebrated the Christmas Season and the heartfelt love brought to us through the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope that we can continue to hold the love and joy of the season in our hearts well into the New Year and beyond.
We would like to thank all of our families for participating in our Advent and Christmas festivities during the month of December. We are always amazed at the incredible level of support and the many helping hands that make the season so special.
During the month of January, we take advantage of the New Year and the opportunities to discuss resolutions. We invite the children to refocus on their learning and to consider setting new goals as we look to the final six months of school.
May all the families of Escuela John Paul I Catholic School have a Happy New Year! We look forward to seeing all of you in January and beginning the New Year with hope and anticipation for a successful next six months of school.
Once again may the joy of Christ be with all the families of John Paul I!
Yours truly, on behalf of staff,
T. Peterson G. Antipán
Principal/Directora Assistant Principal/Subdirectora
Escuela John Paul I Casino
The Casino dates are March 30 and 31, 2022. At this time we are asking for parents to phone th e office to volunteer.
The following positions are available:
General Manager
Cashier
Chip Runner
Bander
Count Room Supervisor
Count Room Worker
Please call the school for detailed descriptions of the roles.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
This scripture passage provides us with good food for thought on a few different levels as we begin the new year. It is taken from Paul’s letter to the Romans and reminds us that ours is a God of hope. As we finish out the Christmas season, we need to keep our eyes upon the gift that was given to us in the Christ child. He is a gift of God’s unending love for us, and the surety of that love brings us great hope and endurance, even in the most challenging times. The larger passage that this scripture comes from is a call to harmonious living. It is a call for us to be a welcoming people who build each other up and is a lovely attitude for us to embrace as we begin 2022 and approach the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25).
This calendar year has certainly not begun in the way that we had anticipated. One of the many lessons that we have learned in the face of COVID-19 is that we need to be ever more nimble and responsive to the constantly changing landscape of this public health crisis. Our commitment to you is that we will continue to keep you updated as events evolve. There are several ways that we send out information. You can follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), you can check our website, www.ecsd.net, and from SWIFT K-12, our messaging system. Our Back To School Plan is updated regularly on our public website. We will have an update of the most current measures in place by January 7 in preparation for students returning to learning on January 10.
During this first week of January, we are preparing for the deployment of the rapid test kits and facemasks that are being provided to us by the government. It is so important that families use the rapid tests to monitor the health of students, particularly if they are symptomatic. We must all work together to keep COVID-19 out of our schools and preserve in-person learning. We will share any information that we receive with respect to masks and testing as it is made available to us.
The new year marks the beginning of registration season. For families who are joining our Division for the first time, or who are transitioning to a new school, there are several ways that you can explore your options. Our Locate a School tool helps you to find your designated school based on your address or by the program that you are interested in. Each school website offers a more detailed look at their community. Finally, our schools will be hosting virtual Open Houses this year to support families who are transitioning to a new school. Watch the banner on ecsd.net in the upcoming weeks for a complete listing of our Open Houses.
As a bookend to the scripture that I began this article with, I offer you a thought from Pope Francis on World Day of Peace: “All can work together to build a more peaceful world, starting from the hearts of individuals and relationships in the family, then within society and with the environment, and all the way up to relationships between peoples and nations.” (Pope Francis, Twitter, 01/01/22)
Happy New Year!
Robert Martin Chief Superintendent
The Epiphany of the Lord
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage” (Matthew 2:1-12).
From the Gospel of Matthew, we hear this remarkable story of the Wise Men who observe his star and overwhelmed with joy, set out to encounter Jesus for the first time. Like the Wise Men, the Feast of the Epiphany awakens in us a glow from the celebrations of Christmas; of our encounters with the Christ Jesus who brings good news to the afflicted; binds the brokenhearted; proclaims liberty to captives; freedom to prisoners; peace to nations; and light to the darkness.
As we approach this New Year, each day will give us an opportunity to celebrate life, to share love, to enkindle hope. It will provide new occasions for service to others, for compassion and understanding, for listening and learning. Each day will bring a challenge to each of us; to take what we have experienced, what we have been gifted, and to intentionally work to complete His mission: to re-create the face of the earth into a world where all human life is defended, where the poor and outcast are welcome, where the hungry are fed, where the naked are clothed, where the sick and suffering are healed, and where all can come to know God's unconditional love and forgiveness.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25. 31-40).
Just as we were called to sing out for joy with the Christmas angels, so too, are we called to be, in our own time, His magi, and His star.
Sandra Talarico
Manager, Religious Education Services
A partnership
All of us recognize that our role is one of service and that the school exists for students. Our school is a place where parents are recognized as partners and they should be welcome at all times. A special on-going invitation is extended to all parents to attend assemblies, liturgies or special celebrations. Participating on the School Council is another way of being involved. Thank you to all the parents who have so generously given of their time and talents.
SAC/PAC
Please join us at our next Parent Council meeting – this meeting will be on Wednesday, February 23 at 6:00PM via Teams. All parents are welcome to this important component of school planning. I hope to see you there.
COBS Bread Fundraiser
New Registration
Well, it's that time of year again. We are now accepting registrations for Kindergarten. We have seen growth in our school population this year and we hope this continues! As parents, you are our best advocates. Please tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family about our wonderful school!
School Fee Payment Reminder
We are almost half way through the school year and we kindly ask those families who have not paid their school fees to do so in January. If you have any questions about fees, please contact the school office at 780-462-6448