Ash Wednesday and Service Opportunities

Tomorrow the season of Lent begins with the observance of Ash Wednesday. Academy students will attend mass and receive ashes at 8:25 a.m. As always, parents are welcome to join us.

Next week some students will go in groups of six to help serve lunch at the Helping Hands Soup Kitchen. As the weather begins to improve we’ll also be planning some outdoor service activities for the spring. On Easter Sunday morning we will be taking six 8th grade students to Appalachia to work with a group of SJJ high school students for the week. We’ll meet with the 8th grade later this week to discuss the trip and see who is interested. I realize the timing–going during our spring break-will eliminate some boys from consideration, but it is the best opportunity for us to make the trip happen. Once we find out who is interested we’ll send more information home so you can discuss it with your son.

Also, we will be meeting with the 7th grade to discern interest in a summer service trip as part of the Catholic Heart Workcamp program. This would entail traveling as a group to Milwaukee, Wisconsin the week of July 8-14 and staying at a local Catholic high school. During the day we will go out on service projects and in the evening we will gather with student groups from throughout the country for activities, prayer services, etc. Visit www.heartworkcamp.com for more information. We will meet with the parents of any interested 7th graders in March. If you would like to consider this as a possible trip for your son please let me know.Best wishes to Tony Calamunci from 7th grade who is representing us in the Lucas County Spelling Bee this evening at the Maumee Indoor Theater. We’ll let you know how Tony does tomorrow -if you don’t see him on tv or read about him in the paper!

The student-led conferences are underway and going well. If you haven’t scheduled a conference and would like to do so please let me know. We are very flexible-it really depends on when you and your son are both available to meet.

We had a good turnout at the Academy Information Night last evening. The Academy admission test will be given this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and next Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 5:00 p.m.

This Friday is a Jeans Day for those who purchase passes for $1.00 for the Juvenile Diabetes Association. Passes can be purchased in the Academy.

Conferences and Spirit Week

Those parents who requested conferences will receive their schedule information on Monday. I’m sorry for the delay, but since we’re doing conferences differently this year it has taken a little more time than we anticipated. Thanks for your understanding.

Next wek is “Spirit Week” throughout the school. Each day students may wear jeans and a SJJ t-shirt or they may dress according to the theme of the day. Monday is “Pro SPorts Jersey” day. Tuesday is “Pajama Day.” Wednesday is “Dress Like a Teacher” day. Thursday id “Blue/Gold Shirt” day. Friday there is no school as all staff will be on a retreat and Monday there is no school in observance of Presidents’ Day. This Wednesday there will be a late start–school will begin at 9:15 a.m.

This Tuesday, February 13 we will hold an “Academy Information Night” beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the main chapel.  Please encourage anyone who is interested in the Academy for their son to attend.  We will admit a class of 50-7th grade students for the 2007-08 school year and will administer the Academy admissions test at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 24.  Please call if you have any questions.

I still have a few tickets left for the February 17 “Reverse Raffle” beginning at 5:30 p.m. with a great dinner provided by Carrabba’s. Tickets are $50.00 each and give you a chance to win $3000 or many other prizes.  Let me know if you would like a ticket.

The 8th grade basketball teams begin tournament play this Saturday while the 7th grade teams have two more regular season games to play. Best wishes to all for a successful weekend.  Thanks to all our coaches and to our Athletic Director, John Brennan, for all they do for the boys.

Enjoy the weekend!

Challenger Center and Academy expansion

Yesterday the 8th grade participated in a simulation of a space mission when they traveled to the Challenger Learning Center in Oregon, Ohio to attempt to complete a “Mission to Mars.” Mr. Nichols has been working with them to prepare for the mission and he gave me the following report on the day:

“Mr. Knight,

I have a few comments from the challenger field trip. First, this 8th grade class performed above and beyond expectations. The center keeps track of how long it takes to complete a mission. Out of the hundreds of missions at the Challenger center, the record for mission completion was 13 minutes ahead of schedule. This class shattered the record by 5 minutes finishing 18 minutes and 4 seconds ahead of schedule. They could not have done this if they were not all working together as a team.

After the mission the flight director addressed the class with a few comments. He said, “Out of this group I bet at least half (and that number is probably higher) of you will be leaders in the community, own your own business, or at the very least be a person others go to for answers.” I could not have been prouder of a group of students at any time in my teaching career.

When the mission was finished, we went to Pizza Hut for lunch. The waitress and staff at the restaurant had a look on their face like “here we go again, another group of rowdy teenagers.” She made room for 32 of us in the restaurant. When their meals were finished she quieted down the restaurant, and said “In my 18 years of serving all groups of teenagers, I have never had a more well behaved, respectful bunch of gentlemen ever.” Once again, the actions of this 8th grade on February 1st are something for all of us to be proud of.”

David Nichols

I wanted to pass Mr. Nichols’ comments along to you as I think we can all take pride in how well the 8th grade class represented all of us yesterday. Pictures from the trip will be posted on the school website in a few days-or sooner.

MORE GOOD NEWS:

Earlier this year we asked the Catholic diocese of Toledo for permission to expand our Academy program over the next two school years. I am happy to report that our request has been approved by Bishop Leonard Blair.

As a result, after having successfully piloted for three years a seventh and eighth grade in the Jesuit tradition with an academically-challenging curriculum combined with the resources of a college-prep high school, of which your son has been an integral part, the St. John’s Jesuit Academy will add another 20 students to the seventh grade for Fall 2007 and then again another 20 seventh graders for Fall 2008 for a total of 50 seventh and 50 eighth graders. The Academy is accepting applications now.

An information evening for prospective students and their families interested in the Academy is scheduled for February 13 at 7:00 p.m. Interested young men can take the Academy Placement Test on either February 24 at 8:30 a.m. or February 28 at 5:00 p.m.

The addition of 40 young men over the next two years broadens the opportunities for your son by increasing the diversity of the Academy, providing additional friendships and opening up the availability of new programs because of increased numbers.

As one of our supporters of the Academy, I assure you we will still provide the individual personal attention known for Jesuit education your son has enjoyed. We realize our intimate size enables these young adolescents to build strong relationships with their teachers and fellow classmates. We will continue to make sure our seventh and eighth graders have an outstanding group of teachers, benefit from activities outside of SJJA including field trips and receive the personalized attention for which the program is known.

The SJJA faculty and I are excited that the Academy can start working toward an even higher level of achievement that the expansion will foster.