No School Monday, February 21st — Presidents' Day
Dear Parents,
Congratulations are in order to our 2nd Graders who won the Penny Wars this year! They will receive a free dress day on March 1st for their efforts. All donations will benefit our deserving orphans at Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, who sincerely appreciate the generosity of our entire community during Catholic Schools Week.
A few junior high students are also deserving of recognition this week. Seventh-grader Olivia Vaughan placed 2nd out of 29 contestants in the Maricopa County Regional Spelling Bee and will advance to Arizona State Bee March 19th. We are all so proud of Olivia – one of only four SJB students who have made it to state finals – and will keep her in our prayers for continued success.
The team of Renee Mendez and Patricio Arguello placed 1st in our School Science Fair with their project entitled “Isopods: Repugnant or Indispensable" Renee and Patricio will be representing SJB in the Diocesan Science Fair on February 28th.
St. John Bosco Catholic School figured prominently in this year’s Best of Ahwatukee contest. Incredible librarian and teacher extraordinaire Theresa Harvey placed 2nd in the category of Best Middle-School Teacher in Ahwatukee! Now the whole city knows what we’ve known for 20 years.
SJB Preschool was (again!) voted Best Preschool in Ahwatukee! And SJB as a whole placed 2nd as Best Private School in Ahwatukee. Thank you all for voting and supporting our beloved school.
Lastly, don’t forget to re-enroll your children for the 2022-23 school year by Monday, February 28th so they receive a free dress day and YOU receive a discount!
Joyful blessings,
Jamie Bescak, Principal
Do everything in love.
SCHOOL NEWS
Parking Lot
Please make sure you are using patience and care as you park and navigate through our school parking lot each day. If you are in a hurry to get to and from school, please utilize our efficient valet carpool service. It’s running smoothly and fast this school year!
- Reserved parking spaces are reserved for named families ONLY. This includes school days and all SJB events.
- Handicapped parking spaces are reserved for those who are handicapped ONLY.
- Please refrain from backing into parking spaces, as it slows the parking process. We kindly ask that individuals pull forward into parking spaces.
- Most importantly, please do not drop off your student before 7:30 AM as we do not have supervision available until 7:30 AM.
Read Across America Week!
February 22 - 25
Join in the fun by achieving the reading goal set up by your teacher and participate in the fun school-wide activities each day next week. See below:
Tuesday: Hats off to Reading. Students may wear a "Cat in the Hat" hat or any fun hat with their school uniform.
Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday. Students may wear wacky socks and a wacky hair style with their school uniform.
Thursday: Read My Shirt Day. Students may wear an appropriate shirt that others can read with their uniform bottoms. (Please follow dress code in Handbook and choose a shirt with an appropriate message)
Friday: Reading is Fun in the Sun. Read Across Campus Day. The whole school will step outside at 12 noon and read for twenty minutes. Students may bring sunglasses and blankets for reading outside under the sun.
Still Need to Fulfill Your Volunteer Hours?
ALL required 25 yearly volunteer hours can be completed in ONE TASK.
The Gala Committee is looking for volunteers to pick up any unclaimed auction items after the February 26th Gala (at 11pm) and transport them back to the school at 12 noon on Sunday, February 27th. For this late night task, each volunteer will receive 25 volunteer hours, thereby fulfilling requirements for the entire year! Please email Katie Elsberry ASAP to volunteer.
TUITION RAFFLE
Purchase a Tuition Raffle Ticket for your chance to win!
Tickets are $100 each and only 100 tickets will be sold! Winner will receive $5,000 off 2022-2023 St. John Bosco tuition. Click Here to purchase. Winner will be announced at the Annual Gala.
Not able to attend the Gala? Not to worry, the winner need not be present.
SILENT AUCTION OPENS NEXT WEEK
Participate in the Silent Auction From Home – Check Your Inbox
The Gala may be SOLD OUT, but you can still participate in the online Silent Auction. An email will be sent out early next week (week of 2/21) with the link to participate. Keep bidding all the way through the night of the Gala to win!
The most popular silent auction category last year was our Teacher/SJB Experiences and there are some exciting new additions this year. Click here to view all Teacher/SJB Experiences. that open for bidding next week!
Most importantly, a HUGE Thank You to our Gala Sponsors:
DIAMOND Sponsors:
Beni.fit
Brown Family
Desert Light Gymnastics
GPW and Associates
Guerrero Family
Tempe Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, Kia
PLATINUM Sponsors:
Bonjean Family
Gold Crown Promotions
On the Marc Media
Oyer Family
Seidel Family
Reguerin Family
GOLD Sponsors:
Collabrie Collaborative Recruiters
St. Benedict Catholic Church
Enrollment/Re-Enrollment for 2022-2023
Enrollment is now open to the general public as well as to current families. Current families are strongly advised to re-enroll early to ensure a spot for their children next year. Re-Enrollment Information and Instructions 2022-2023
Money-Saving Note: Families re-enrolling by February 28, 2022 will receive a discounted enrollment fee of $150 per K - 8th-grade students and/or $200 for Preschool, with a family maximum of $250. On March 1, enrollment fees will increase to $200 for K - 8th-grade students and/or $225 for Preschool, with a family maximum of $300.
Bonus Incentive: Families who re-enroll their student(s) by Monday, February 28 will receive a free dress day for their child(ren).
But wait, there's more! Current families who REFER a NEW family for the 2022-2023 School Year will receive a $100 credit on their tuition when the new family starts school in August.
Yearbook Photos Wanted
It's our 20th year anniversary and we want to make this the biggest and best yearbook yet and we need YOUR help! We know you have some of the best pictures from memorable events here at SJB. Please take a moment to share those photos with us — class parties, holiday events, just hanging out, sports events, art projects — we want it all! Thank you in advance for helping us create a lifetime of memories for every student, teacher, and family. Please email your photos to Mrs. Krissy Bileski at Kbileski@sjbosco.org.
Nurse’s Notes
Scrip Shop
If you still need to enroll in the RaiseRight app, click here for detailed instructions.
Please email sjbscrip@sjbosco.org with any questions!
- Feb. 20: Parish Picnic (12:30 - 3PM; see details below)
- Feb. 21: Presidents' Day — No School
- Feb. 26: Bosco Gala (6PM)
- March 2: Ash Wednesday; Lent Begins
- March 3: Early Dismissal (12:30PM); No ESP
- March 4 - 11: Spring Break
- March 11: Diocesan In-Service (Staff)
PARISH NEWS
DIOCESAN NEWS
Teacher Job Fair TOMORROW February 19
Calling all teachers interested in the mission of Catholic Education! The Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Schools Office is hosting its Teacher Recruitment Job Fair on February 19 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center from 9 am to Noon. Our diocese has 29 elementary schools, 31 preschools and six high schools. We are always seeking the very best educators wanting to provide a superior education in a loving, Catholic environment. This is your opportunity to interact with representatives from all of our schools with teaching openings for the 2022-2023 school year. Please register at https://catholicschoolsphx.org/en/careers/. WALK-INS WELCOMED!
COMMUNITY NEWS
Seton Catholic Prep
Seton Catholic Prep is holding their annual Walk-a-Thon on March 5 and inviting the entire community! Details and registration below:
Plan your summer now by registering for various camps. The link below contains a host of offerings: Seton Catholic Prep Summer Camps
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
Stay up to date on classroom happenings by following us on Instagram @sjbbulldogs or Facebook@stjohnboscocatholicschool. We also encourage families to tag SJB on any photos or videos they post of their child(ren) from their personal social media accounts.
Until Tuesday ...
Below are helpful links to information over the weekend:
School Website: https://sjbosco.org/
School Calendar: https://sjbosco.org/calendar
Faculty & Staff Contacts: https://sjbosco.org/faculty-staff
School Lunch Program: https://sjbosco.org/school-lunch
Parish Website: https://stbenedict.org/
The Bulldog Bite: Dr. Teri Pistacchio Aguiar, editor
Past Bulldog Bites: https://sjbosco.org/ (beneath Principal's picture)
Upcoming events are always available on our website events page.
For a more detailed list of yearly events, check the SJB website online calendar.
