NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents,
Welcome back, and Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed time with your family and friends celebrating the birth of Christ and ringing in the new year. On behalf of the SJB school office personnel, please know how grateful we are for your plentiful and generous Christmas gifts. We were positively overwhelmed by your love and kindness. May God bless you abundantly!
Next week we will be back to business with benchmark testing. Our K–2nd-grade students will have DIBELS assessments in reading and math while 3rd–8th-grade students will complete MAP assessments in math, reading, ELA, and science. Please make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast, and is on time for school each day.
Re-enrollment for existing students also begins next week. This enables current families to secure a seat for their children before Open Enrollment begins for new families on January 30th. Re-enrollment for CURRENT students will begin MONDAY, January 9. See details below in this newsletter.
Lastly, I am happy to report that the 2023-2024 Tuition Schedule has been approved and will provide compensation for our deserving teachers and maintain our beautiful, safe campus with an increase of less than $30/month. This increase will allow us to continue providing quality Catholic Education for learners of all levels. I sincerely thank you all for your love and support for our teachers, staff, pastor, and administration.
Joyful Blessings,
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Jamie Bescak, M.Ed., Principal
Do everything in love.
SCHOOL NEWS
Re-Enrollment Opens
Monday @ 9 AM
Re-Enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year will open at 9:00 AM on Monday, January 9th — 2 weeks earlier than last year.
Money-Saving Note: Families who re-enroll by February 28, 2023, will receive a discounted enrollment fee of $150 per K–8 student and/or $200 for Preschool, with a family maximum of $250. On March 1, enrollment fees will increase to $200 for K–8 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)!
Referral Program: Each referring family will receive $300 credit towards their child’s tuition/fees for each family they refer and who enrolls for the 2023-24 school year. Spread the news about what our school has to offer!
PLEASE NOTE: We are experiencing a flurry of calls expressing interest in our school. As such, current families are strongly advised to re-enroll early to ensure a spot for next year. Specific instructions for re-enrollment will be emailed directly to all parents.
Best of Ahwatukee Survey
Click the link above or scan the QR code to vote. See numbered categories below to save time:
Don’t miss the SJB event of the year! Saturday, February 4 at 6:00 PM
Purchase Tickets and Sponsorships HERE. Individual tickets are $75 each or
a Reserved Table for 10 for $1000 (act fast – limited quantity)
This event sold out last year so get your tickets early!
We are actively seeking live/silent auction items. Help out here: SJB Gala Wish List
Thank you to our GENEROUS sponsors:
Collabrie, GWP, Reguerin Family, Hall Family – DIAMOND Sponsors
Brimmage Family – Platinum Sponsor
St. Benedict Catholic Church, Osmundson Family – Gold Sponsors
Nurse's Notes
Nurse Jean will be away from the health office during January following a Christmastime injury. Mrs. Mullally and Mrs. Eddy will step in as very capable substitute nurses for a few weeks. We appreciate your patience during this temporary change and thank you for your prayers for Nurse Jean's speedy recovery.
Join us for the next PTO meeting on Tuesday, January 10 at 6:00 PM in the SJB Library.
Encore! Encore!
In case you missed the SJB students present their heartwarming Christmas program (or just want to watch it again!), CLICK HERE to see the video.
Jama Jingles Thanks You!
Thank you to every class who participated in our Annual Pajama Jingles Drive! We raised 277 pairs of brand-new pajamas for the Arizona Foster Care System — over 100 more than last year! Our winning class was Mrs. Del Grosso's 7th grade. PTO will host a celebration with Principal Bescak!
SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATION
Open through January 27
Baseball (boys) and basketball (girls) registration is now open! Practices will begin the first week in February. Students who have not played a sport will need all CYAA forms turned in by the deadline date of Jan. 27th — no exceptions.
Soccer Tournament
Boys and girls in 7th- and 8th-grade have an opportunity to play in a CYAA double-elimination soccer tournament. The tournament runs from January 28 to (potentially) February 10. We will have one boys' team and one girls' team. Parents will need to contact me to sign up. There is no fee for participation; however, CYAA forms are required if not turned in already. The deadline to sign up is January 20.
GIRLS ON THE RUN
Girls on the Run is an amazing after-school program focusing on building girls' confidence, increasing physical activity, and learning important life skills — all while having fun with their friends. This program is for girls in 3rd through 5th grade and meets twice per week (Wednesdays 3:15–4:45 PM & Fridays 12:45–2:15 PM) for 10 weeks starting February 1. The program will conclude with a celebratory 5K run on April 29. Registration is now open. DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR DAUGHTERS!
Visit https://www.gotrmc.org/Program-Registration for more details and to register. If you have any questions, please contact SJB parent/coach Jennifer Villalba @ 480.235.5927
SCRIP SHOP
Happy New Year! The Scrip office will be placing the first bulk order of the year for physical gift cards on Monday, January 9 at 8:00AM. This is a great opportunity to order physical cards through the RaiseRight app. Cards ordered before 8:00 AM on January 9 will arrive at school by Tuesday, January 17th for distribution to families.
The next bulk order will be placed on January 20.
Of course, you are always encouraged to order e-cards anytime through the app; the deadline above only applies to physical card orders.
Of course, you are always encouraged to order e-cards anytime through the app; the deadline above only applies to physical card orders.
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
SAVE THE DATE
for TRIVIA NIGHT
February 24
COMMUNITY NEWS
Scout Troop Invitation
January 18
Troop 77 will be holding a welcome campfire meeting for all boys and families interested in Cub Scouts (grades 1–5) or Boy Scouts (grades 5–12) on Wednesday, January 18 at 6:30 PM. The Troop will be cooking around the campfire in our outdoor area at St. Benedict Catholic Church, with desserts to share. Please see our flyer for more information.
Bricks4Kidz
A new session of after-school fun is now open for enrollment. CLICK HERE for details and to register.
- Sat. 1/14: Trivia Night 7 PM in MPR
- Mon. 1/16: MLK Day — No School
- Wed. 1/18: Scout Troop Campfire Welcome
- Sun. 1/29–Fri. 2/3: Catholic Schools Week
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 Monday,
Below are helpful links to information over Christmas break:
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.
