November Letter from the Principal
February 2015
Dear Parents,
We have been celebrating our school and our faith with many special Catholic Schools Week
activities this past week! Thanks to all parishioners, parents, and students who attended the 10:30
Mass this past weekend and who visited or helped with our Open House. We had a great turn out of
guests and helpers. The ebullience (Word of the week: noun having or showing liveliness and
enthusiasm) of Saint Joan of Arc was evident!
SJA-Faith: Students led a prayer service on January 16th to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. and to continue prayers and commitment for peace. Our 6th grade class participated
in the Archdiocesan Focus 11 Retreat Day. The Beatitude of the month has been “Blessed are they
who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”
SJA-Learning: Saint Joan of Arc School continues to offer a curriculum that is enriched by many fine
arts and community resources. The 5th grade class had a visit from a Missouri Conservation speaker
to prepare them for their Eagle Days field trip to the Chain of Rocks Bridge. They saw 9 eagles! A
family STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Night was held on January 12th for K-4th grade
students, parents, and siblings. Teachers attended a STEM professional development day at the Saint
Louis Science Center on January 24th to expand their knowledge and to plan lessons with other same
grade level teachers. The 7th grade class took a walking field trip to Buder Library on January 23rd.
Librarian Tracy was very informative regarding research skills and the many resources available at
our neighborhood library. The 5th grade class has begun the Dancing Classrooms Program that
develops social skills and confidence as students learn ballroom dancing. Mark your calendars for
their culminating event on April 15th at 10:30.
Our recent Geography and Spelling Bees have been real nail biters!
Grade level winners for the Geography Bee were: 4th grade-Luke R., Michael N., 5th
grade-Helen S., Joseph B., 6th grade-Eli M., Sam B., 7th grade-Dominic P., Sarah W., 8th grade- Michael H., Daniel K.. The Geo Bee winner was Joseph B., with Sarah W. in 2nd place and Dominic P. in 3rd place.
As the school bee winner, Joe will take a written test that will be submitted to the National
Geographic Society to determine if he will move on to the next level of competition. Grade level
winners for the Spelling Bee were: 4th grade: Ella A., Michael B., Michael N., Luke R.,
5th Grade: Katherine C., Lucy G., Ann N., Mia T., 6th Grade: Jack A., Sam B., Gabriel C., Lily S., 7th Grade: Andrew D., Caroline G., James S., Sarah W., 8th Grade: Sydney H., Zayda M., Olivia M., Andrew T.
The Spelling Bee winner was Sarah W., with Michael N. in 2nd place, and Michael B. in 3rd place.
Congratulations to all our participants!
SJA Leadership: The Student Council continues to lead in spirit and service. Before Christmas break,
the Student Council organized Jingo Bingo for the primary grades and Trivia for 5th -8th grades.
Proceeds from Trivia will be used to support one of the selected charities for the year.
SJA-Families: Our Christmas Program was held on December 16th and was well attended. It was
great to have our Kidcare Preschool friends perform as well as our Pre-K through 8th grade students.
Thanks to Mr. Dan Vizer, the teachers, and students for all their hard work to bring the Christmas
message to our families.
The Right Start Parent Meeting was held for 8th grade parents on January 13th to provide parents with
information before the students’ workshop day. Right Start is a program of the Archdiocesan Respect
Life Apostolate.
We welcome four new students and their families to our school community this second semester:
Tyler T., 4th grade, Alexander M., 5th grade, Isabella R., 7th grade, and Kiereyon E., 8th grade.
We are so grateful for all the support from the parish for our school. The children continue
to pray daily for our parish families. Our next PTO Meeting is February 4th at 7:00 p.m. The school
counselor will present information on the Brainwise Program. Please join us if you are able.
Peace and blessings,
Deborah DaLay
“Come, Follow Me” Matthew 4:19
