NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents,
It’s been an exhilarating and productive week and I am incredibly grateful to so many people for their interactions with our visiting accreditation team. On behalf of the Western Catholic Education Association, this visiting accreditation team of Catholic educators/administrators conducts a thorough investigation of every facet of our school and curriculum to assure the primacy of faith formation, the rigor of educational excellence, and the vitality that comes through continuous school improvement.
First, I would like to thank the parents, students, and finance team for their input and time with our campus visitors; thank you to our PTO for providing their usual perfect hospitality; thank you to Fr. James and the parish staff for their extra support; thank you to our leadership team — Theresa Harvey, Jena Gump, Amy Pratt, and Hogan Macdonald — for their endless hours of preparation; and, of course, my sincere thanks to all of our wonderful teachers for the selfless job they do every day.
Thank you to the Student Council and Scouts for so reverently leading the Veterans Day flag ceremony, our 8th graders for leading the Mass, and the School Choir for singing so beautifully.
Thank you to the School Advisory Board and Campus Ambassadors for providing tours to visiting families and sharing what they value most about our beloved school.
At the end of the day Friday, the accreditation team met with the faculty and staff and presented their “Report of Findings.” This team supported the five goals identified by the school faculty in our Action Plan and observed St. John Bosco Catholic School to be "highly effective" in the capacity to implement and monitor the Action Plan. The success of SJB is attributed to the strong partnership among parents, administration, faculty, and staff.
Improving student learning is an ongoing process, and we will continue to work on our goals as we strive to make a great school even better.
Do everything in love.
SCHOOL NEWS
Running with Rosco
SJB’s annual Running with Rosco fun run is Wednesday, November 23rd. We will kick off the morning with a pep rally featuring Rosco the Bulldog and other mascot friends!
Students, faculty, and parents will then be invited to run laps by grade level with Rosco. All students and staff will receive a free Running with Rosco T-shirt to wear on the event day and which may also be worn on Wednesday spirit days throughout the school year.
Proceeds from this year's event will go towards improvements and new equipment for playgrounds and outdoor learning areas at SJB. Please help us reach our fundraising goal with an online donation or print and return this form to school with cash/check. Your generosity is truly appreciated! The classroom that raises the most funds for our school will be awarded the Golden Shoe Trophy and a pizza party sponsored by Zesty Zzeek's Pizza & Wings!
Our events couldn’t succeed without our volunteers! Click this Volunteer Sign-Up link to join the fun! For questions, email Cindy Casaus or call 602-300-4185.
Universal ESA Update
Many families will save thousands of dollars in tuition with Arizona's new ESA program, and we couldn't be happier! If you haven't heard, everyone is eligible to apply for these funds. Please see the details below.
Mrs. Kelly McLean is working feverishly to process contracts in the order received. If you have signed your ESA contract, it is imperative that you forward a copy to Kelly so she can determine active dates and help you receive the maximum possible funding.
AFTER you have sent your contract:
- STO funds will be removed from your account and sent back to the originating STO. Your STO funds will NOT be removed until a signed copy of your contract is received;
- Your FACTS account will be adjusted to reflect quarterly payments;
- You will receive invoices to upload to Classwallet. when your funds are available.
- When you send your signed contract to us, please indicate the date you submitted your application so that we can determine which quarters you will be receiving ESA funds. Applications submitted to ESA after 10/15/22 are not eligible for 1st Quarter (Q1) funding.
Thank you for your patience while we wade through the stacks to process your contract and send you your invoices.
If your ESA contract exceeds what you have paid directly to SJB (non-scholarship), we will issue a refund to you after we have received payment from Classwallet.
We are an authorized vendor through Classwallet. Our vendor name is St John Bosco Catholic School (no period after the St). Please look at the Classwallet information page at https://www.azed.gov/esa
If you use the ESA program, make sure to review the ESA Parent Handbook and become familiar with the program rules and regulations. Compliance with the program rules is the responsibility of the parent. Noncompliance, especially if attempting to use ESA and STO in the same quarter, will result in the parent being banned from the ESA program and responsible for paying funds back to the state.
Cheer On School Sports
All parents and community members are invited to the SJB Sport Courts to cheer on the SJB boys' basketball teams. Click HERE for schedule of home games. The courtside Snack Shack will be open to add to the spectating fun!
Uniforms, Winterwear, etc.
As the weather gets chillier, please remember that students are only allowed to wear an SJB sweatshirt or sweat jacket in the classroom. Refer to pages 21 and 22 in the Parent/Student Handbook for a handy chart that details outerwear.
FAMILY MOVIE TONIGHT UNDER THE STARS
Bring a blanket and chair and head to the back fields! Enter through the BACK NORTH GATE.
Pajama Jingles
It’s back! Our annual Pajama Jingles Drive for children in the Arizona Foster Care system begins on November 21st and runs through December 9th.
If you’d like to participate in this opportunity of generosity, please bring in a new pair of boys' or girls' pajamas size 8T–18 (XL). Our goal is to provide 200 pairs to be distributed to the children at their Christmas party. For your convenience, large bins will be at the front of the school for your pajama donation. The class that has the highest number of donations wins a treat with the principal!
SCRIP SHOP
Be sure to stop by the Scrip window for all of your Thanksgiving grocery shopping needs! We are stocked up on Sprouts, Safeway, Bashas, and Honey Baked Ham cards to help you prepare for the big day.
And since we are in the holiday shopping season, be on the lookout for extra bonuses on the RaiseRight app. If you haven't already signed up for RaiseRight, now is the time! Please click here for instructions on how to enroll and tips for navigating the app.
St. John Bosco Catholic School Scrip Office
(480) 219-4848 x5108
Window Hours: Mondays 7:30–8:15 AM & Fridays 12:00–12:45 PM.
- Wed. Nov.23: Running with Rosco (Schedule TBA soon)
- Wed. Nov. 23: Early Dismissal (12:30 PM)
- Thurs. Nov. 24–Mon. Nov. 28: Thanksgiving Break
- Tues. Nov. 29: School Resumes
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.
PARISH NEWS
COMMUNITY NEWS
Until Monday...
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/ (below Principal Bescak'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.
