Two volunteers from St. Benedict's St. Vincent de Paul organization visited classrooms this week  and explained the mission and workings of the society.  We are asking each student to bring non-perishable food or toiletry items to school next week.  On Wednesday, 11/19, the students will take a walking field trip to the SVdP pantry at St. Benedict where they will tour the pantry and stock the items they brought onto the shelves themselves.  The students will get  to see the ministry of the workers and how their efforts provide for families struggling right here in Ahwatukee and surrounding areas.

Please have students bring only what they can safely carry to St. Benedict themselves.  If your family would like to donate additional items, they are always welcome at the church.

Suggestions for St. Vincent de Paul Pantry Donations

These are suggestions only.  Any non-perishable food or toiletry items will be greatly appreciated.  Please be careful to check all food expiration dates.

Food Items

    * Spaghetti
    * Rice-a-Roni
    * Packaged dinners (e.g. Hamburger Helper)
    * Cereal
    * Canned Fruit
    * Juices
    * Tuna
    * Peanut Butter
    * Jelly
    * Soups
    * Crackers

 As we are approaching the holidays, the following items would also be appreciated:

    * Boxed Potatoes (mashed, sweet, au gratin etc.)
    * Gravy
    * Cranberry Sauce
    * Jello
    * Cake Mixes
    * Pumpkin (canned)
    * Stuffing Mix
 
Toiletry Items

    * Toothpaste
    * Toothbrushes
    * Bar Soap
    * Detergent
    * Dish Soap
    * Deodorant
    * Lotion
    * Shampoo
    * Shaving Supplies

$34,906.50 in pledges and donations gets us 65% of the way to our goal of $54,000. We have participation from 25% of our families, already an increase over the total participation level compared to totals at end of the last year’s campaign.  We have participation from over 50% of our St. John Bosco teachers and staff, again an increase over last year.  These are exciting statistics!  When we all work together, so much can be accomplished!  We haven’t reached our goal yet, but we know that we can count on the other 75% of you who still have your commitment card sitting on your kitchen counter to get those turned in.  

With that said, the focus of the Development office will be shifting to CTODP from now until the end of the year.  (By December 31st if you plan to claim your donation as a charitable contribution on your 2008 tax return.)  Of course, we will gladly, happily and enthusiastically accept your Providing for Today, Preparing for Tomorrow contribution at any time!  We will continue our 2008-2009 campaign efforts after the Christmas break.

From now until December 31st you will be hearing a great deal about CTODP.  Stay tuned for information on our annual Scrip Raffle and, of course, the Christmas Program Raffle…front row seats at the performance with parking included!

Please answer the question for SJB 8th grade Lexus Eco Challenge-
Lexus Eco Challenge is a scholarship program for students in 8th grade and high school.
It is for helping to clean our water, air, and land. Students come up with a project and topic to help the community and compete with other schools in the nation.Take the survey https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pBgSt6Ts13Ex0i-N2uR1RUQ

Dear SJB community,
8th grade students David, Mark, Adam, Megan, Carolyn, Wyatt, and Brennen are currently doing a competitive project involving the environment (see Lexus Eco-challenge at www.scholastic.com/lexus/).  They have come up with the idea of purchasing and installing automatic water faucets for the the bathrooms in the MPR and sports fields to conserve water.  They have contacted a company that is helping with some financial support, but not the entire project. If you, or your business, would be willing to support the students or know someone who would be interested please contact the school office for more information. Please support your SJB students! The money you donate is tax deductible and will help our school save water.    

The Moms' Club proudly presents Winter Wonderland. Saturday, Dec 6th from 8am to 11:30am.

·         "Real" snow for the kids to play in

·         Arts & Crafts to enjoy

·         A yummy French toast breakfast

·         Photos with Santa

·         And of course, a boutique for the parents to do a little Christmas shopping.

 

Flyers will be coming around soon so that you can purchase your tickets for this great family event.

In the mean time, if you would like to earn those volunteer hours, please contact Caryn T Flores -cflores@unitedpetgroup.com (602-677-7053) to sign up to assist in the planning or help out the day of the event. We could use plenty of hands to make this year’s Winter Wonderland a success. Thank you!

WINTER WONDERLAND wants you SAT. DEC. 6th  to join our GIFT BOUTIQUE. Please see attached flyer for details and registration. Hope to see you there!

For more information contact Jessica Vega-Bernasconi at ms.jessica85(at)gmail.com (602)751-5928 or Caryn T Flores at cflores(at)unitedpetgroup.com (602-677-7053). THANK YOU!

• It's time to order your See's candy for Christmas.  For each $5.00 box of candy that you order you earn 50%.  That's $2.50 towards your Scrip earnings!  Hurry over to the Scrip office to place your order or turn in your See's candy form with your child.  November 24th is the last day to place an order.  All candy will be ready for pickup the second week of December.

• The Christmas promotion has now ended.  We will be drawing winners on Tuesday,  November 18th and announcing them during the morning announcements.  We will also have them posted at the Scrip window and on the website.  So make plans to see if you are a big winner this time around!
• You can now order American Express cards in $100 and $200 denominations.  Use these cards whereever American Express is accepted and when you shop at an establishment that does not have Scrip.  You earn 1.25% which may not sound like much but every little bit earns you money toward your school tuition!
• Dell $100 Scrip cards can now be special ordered and they earn 4%.The gift card can be redeemed for the purchase of merchandise or services on dell.com, 1-800-727-6000, or at a Dell Direct Store. When making online purchases, only 3 Dell gift cards can be used for an order. Gift cards can be consolidated into a single card by calling 1-800-624-9897.

Thanks for your support

You can participate in the tax program that allows AZ taxpayers to redirect tax dollars to the Catholic Tuition Organization, all at no cost to you, the taxpayer.  These funds are then distributed as financial aid to families with children in our Catholic schools.  If you lack the ready cash to participate at the higher dollar amounts ($1000 for couples, $500 for singles), no-cost zero-interest loans are available through the Tempe Schools Credit Union.  If your AZ tax liability is less than these amounts, please consider contributing at any dollar amount that you can…a win-win that will familiarize you with the program and its benefits to you, while helping Catholic education.  If you have not participated in this tax credit program in prior years, or have questions, please contact us.  Bill Mager at magersul@cox.net or 480-225-6010, Lisa Campbell at lcampbell@sjbosco.org or 480-219-4855, or stop by the school office.  ACT NOW before December 31st.

Tax law requires that you fund your CTODP participation no later than December 31, 2008.  Even though you get a tax credit for your monies, you do not receive that credit until your 2008 tax return is filed and processed.  If you would like to participate in CTODP but lack the ready credit or cash now, TSCU offers an interest-free loan specifically designed to fund CTODP in your name and allows you to pay it back with the proceeds from your tax return.  See the TSCU representative on Monday morning December 1st or Friday December 5th, or stop by the SJB office.

Enter the drawing before or after school on Monday, December 1st, Friday,  December 5th, or Monday,  December 8th.  Winners will get reserved, front-row seats and parking to the St. John Bosco Christmas program to be held on December 11th.  To enter, you will need to have contributed to the CTODP program for this tax year 2008.  The drawing will be held on Tuesday, December 9th.

Please join us TONIGHT November 14th at 7:30pm for Game Night in the MPR!!!  Pizza served starting at 7:30pm and games start around 8pm.  The St. John Bosco Dads' Club will be ordering some pizza.  Don't forget to bring your own drinks and bluffing faces and you'll be all set!

Join us for the 3rd Annual Dads' Club Turkey Bowl to be held on the SJB athletic fields on Friday, November 28th from 9:00am until 11:30am. If you are so inclined, get your Friday shopping done early and come lose some calories while showing your football skills.  Bring the whole family...we'll setup some age-appropriate games for young and old, fast and slow, mom and dad, staff and alumni, etc.  The SJB Dads' Club will provide grilled hot dogs and chips, so please RSVP so that we get a good headcount.  Bring your own soft drinks and water.  To RSVP contact Eduardo Gamez at  egamez@gmail.com

AND THE WINNERS ARE..... First, thank you to EVERYONE who participated in the Box Tops for Education contest. We raised $1,100! That's fantastic. The top three winning classrooms are:

Ms. Ioakem   1108 box tops
Ms. Usher       792 box tops
Mr. Brandt       743 box tops

Winners will each receive....

We will be sending in Campbell's soup labels shortly as well, so please continue to turn those in.
Remember to stock up on Box Tops products (there are more than 200 qualifying products) and Campbell's products when shopping for the holidays. Also, please remember to clip the UPC code only on Campbelll's. They changed their program and no longer accept front labels - only accept UPC codes (or lids for V8 ).

I hope you and your family will be able to attend our community's Nutcracker Ballet!  By attending our Nutcracker Ballet, your support will help us to continue to bring this holiday tradition to our community for years to come and generations to enjoy!

Following both 2:00 pm performances, we invite our audience members up on stage to meet Santa Claus, to sit and have your photograph taken on Clara's Throne, to meet our cast members and to enjoy the snow falling from the theatre!   Yes - we will have snow in Arizona on stage following our 2:00 pm performances!  Bring your own camera to take as many pictures as you wish with Santa and Cast!
Nutcracker Performance Dates:
Friday, Dec. 19th at 2:00 pm
Friday, Dec. 19th at 7:00 pm
Saturday, Dec. 20th at 2:00 pm
Saturday, Dec. 20th at 7:00 pm

Tickets are currently on sale at Kimberly Lewis School of Dance located 2 miles west of the I-10 freeway on Ray Road at 3820 E. Ray Road suite 8
Or by calling 480-706-6040

Please click on this link to view our web site:
http://afnutcracker.com/

November 7, 2008

Locally, the students will be learning about the role of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in feeding the hungry.  Two volunteers from St. Vincent de Paul will visit each classroom and tell about the mission and workings of the society.  They will ask each student to bring several non-perishable food items.  The students will deliver them the following week to the St. Vincent de Paul pantry at St. Benedict's and stock the shelves themselves.  They will get to see the ministry of the workers and how everyone's efforts are turned into food boxes for those in need in Ahwatukee.

Globally, the students will learn about the organization Feed My Starving Children.  We will kick it off at Mass today with an activity that demonstrates the unequal distribution of food around the world.  The stewardship part is collecting quarters in a mini M&Ms tube that the students will purchase for $1 or you may use any container if you would not like to purchase the Mini M & M's. (the M & M's may contain peanuts and will not go home until the end of day and will not be opened at school).  

The money they collect between now and December 5 will be used to help pay for the food product needed to package 200,000 meals at the Corpus Christi packing event being held in January.

 

 

Next Tuesday is Veterans' Day and the students at St. John Bosco are celebrating.  We will begin with our opening prayers, flag raising and announcements in front of the school at 8:05.  We have two guest speakers,  a WWII veteran and a current reserve member.  All Scouting students are invited to come to school in their uniforms and be part of the flag ceremony.  Please join St. John Bosco students for this very special annual tradition to honor our veterans.

A number of our teachers have been invited to be part of accreditation teams at other Catholic Schools this year.  The first visit is next week when Mrs. Conner will spend 3 days at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale.  The accreditation process is always a wonderful opportunity for schools to self evaluate and use the results to determine action plans for future growth.  Teachers learn about the process when they serve on teams for other schools and although grueling hours, they feel rewarded upon their return. St John Bosco was first accreditited in the Spring of 2005 and received the highest rating with a 6 year term.  Our next visit will be in the Spring of 2011.  The current strategic planning by the Advisory Board   is all part of the school's Accreditation process.

 

Next week the 6th grade students are participating in Called to Protect for Youth.  For the third year, the teachers and administration will present a 3 part series to teach about boundaries, how to protect their boundaries and how to seek someone's help if needed. Although we think about how this knowledge will help keep students safe from abuse, knowing the boundaries and how to stick up for one's boundaries is good information for students in all situations.

Take the time this weekend to get your Providing for Today~Preparing for Tomorrow annual giving commitment card filled out and turned in.  You can drop it off in the front office on Monday, mail it in or donate on-line.  
 
We are close to the 50% mark and we are counting on those of you who haven’t turned in your commitment card to get us to the top of the hill so we can coast down the other side and go beyond our goal of $54,000.00 this year!

We will be recycling all plastic grocery bags again this year.  The receptacles will be at the back gate and by the office.  The container by the office will be one of our own Blue Recycling Bins.  Last year we earned over $200.00 for recycling!  Very Cool!
On the same lines- we are still recycling ink cartridges and cell phones!  Bring those old cell phones to Ms. Whalen and drop the ink cartridges in the box in the MPR.  We will be working on keeping the world green one person at a time!   Great Work- Green Team!

There are countless wonderful books to explore, and we’d like our students to read them all. This year, you can help us achieve that goal through the Changing Hands Bookstore Books for School's program.

Every year, Changing Hands gives away thousands of dollars in books through their Books for School's program. Anyone can earn free books for our school when they shop at Changing Hands from November 1 through December 31. Mention the program and our school’s name at checkout; instead of receiving Readers Club Card stamps or other promotions, Changing Hands will record a credit to our school in the amount of 20% of the pre-tax total.

This holiday season, use your regular holiday shopping to build our classroom libraries. Except for special orders, all merchandise counts towards the total – not only new and used books, but cards, calendars, music and gifts as well.

Call Changing Hands Bookstore at 480-730-0205 for more information.

To the families that provided meals for our teachers during conferences and for the health screening.  If you have not yet picked up your serving dishes, they are in the front office.

Please join St. Benedict's Family Journey program on November 18 for an evening on Social Justice from 6:30pm—8pm here at the school.  Also, for the adults, Patty Franz will be speaking on Social Justice.

Carnival ride tickets for the St. Benedict Fall Festival are available in the office until Wednesday, November 12th.  The cost is $12.00 for ten ride tickets. (Please make checks payable to St. Benedict)  This is 60% off the price of what you will pay if you get your tickets the days of the event.  The ride coupons are good for any day (Friday, Saturday or Sunday) and are good for any of the rides, big or small. The ride tickets can also be shared.

Along with the carnival rides there will be games, bingo, and entertainment.  Some of our St. John Bosco students will be performing on stage on Saturday!  You don’t want to miss this!

If you are planning to attend Mass at St. Benedict this weekend, don’t forget to have your SJB student (or Seton, Xavier, or Brophy student) wear their school uniform.  We will have some of our families talking about CTODP this weekend and would love to see a sea of Catholic school students in the pews.  Show your support of our school and of Catholic education!

Our AWC stewardship money has finally been counted. The total amount collected was 1752.96! Thank you to all students and families who participated in our respect life focus for the month of October. Miss Krakora is still bringing over car loads of diapers, baby bottles, baby clothes, and various donated items as well. The generosity of our community will certainly touch the hearts of mothers in need.

• The Christmas Promotion has one more week left!  Don't miss your opportunity to be one of our 20 lucky winners of either $10 in free Scrip or 100% of your profits earned during the promotion.  Get your friends and family to help you out, get your Christmas shopping done early and earn tuition $'s!
• Tuesday November 11 will be our Free Credit Card day.  For all of you out there that would like to use your credit card to purchase Scrip but didn't want to pay the $20 yearly fee, now's your chance!  Come on Tuesday and you can use your credit card for free!  Just remember that you must purchase $200 or more and the percentage earned must be 4% or more.  Everything less than 4% must be paid either with cash or check.  Visa and Mastercard only.
• You can now special order American Express gift cards.  They come in $100 and $200 denominations and pay 1.25%.  You can use them at all those places that accept American Express and don't participate in our Scrip program: eg Costco, Trader Joes, etc.
• Basha's reloadable gift cards now come in $10 denominations only.  If you have an old Scrip form, please get a new one off of our Scrip website at www.sjbosco.org/development/scrip/scrip-order-form.

October 31, 2008

Thank you to all of you that came out to the Harvest Fest last weekend.  We had a fantastic turnout and it was a great success.  We appreciated all of you that volunteered doing set up, worked during HF and also cleaned up.  A big thanks to the teachers, staff and all the HF committee chairs for all of you help.  It is all of you that make these big events such a fun time for our children.
We still have Harvest Fest t-shirts for sale.  The sizes and quantity left are
2- XSmalls(fit size 2-4), 6-Smalls(fits size 6-8), 9-Mediums(fits size 10-12) and 1 Adult XL.  Don't forget these HF shirts can be worn on Spirit Day!  Please contact Kristin Hamilton at hamilton98@cox.net if you would like to purchase one.

Whether you are a new family to the St. John Bosco community, a family that has been here since August 2001 or one of the many families who have joined us at a time in between, we invite you to continue the journey with us by making your contribution to the Providing for Today ~ Preparing for Tomorrow annual giving campaign today.

The smallest gift received so far is $1.00.  The largest gift received so far is $2500.00.  Every gift, no matter the size, helps us to reach our goal.  Together we can do it.  Please mail in or drop off your commitment card in the front office.  Or, contributions can be made on line using your credit card by following this LINK.

Picture retakes will be on Thursday, November 6th.   Please remember to bring the original pictures to return back to the photographer.

Are you interested in helping others in a time of special need and earning volunteer hours for it???  The Sunshine Committee may be for you and you do not have to be active in the Moms' Club to participate.

The Sunshine Committee provide meals for our SJB families that have just had a new baby, a serious illness, or death in the family.  A meal does consist of a main dish, side dish, and dessert, but it does not have to be homemade.  You don’t have to be a great cook either – delivering take out is perfectly acceptable.

You will receive 2 volunteer hours for providing and delivering a meal.  If you would like to be included on a contact list to be asked to contribute when need arise, please email Cheryl Spindler at sjbmomsclubsunshine@yahoo.com.

 

Stay tuned! The winner(s) of the classroom contest will be announced NEXT Friday! Remember there are lots of participants in the Box Tops program - Ziploc, Huggies, Kleenex... things you wouldn't even consider. Please check all products before recycling or tossing the packaging. Box Tops sends SJB money for all of the Box Tops we collect.

Campbell's Soup Labels for Education - please remember to cut the UPC code from all Campbell's products except V8 and Pace. For those, we need lids. Campbells changed the way it accepts labels AND FRONT LABELS ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED. Unfortunately, we have had to throw out dozens of labels. Please, please, please remember to cut the UPC. If you're not sure what to cut, just turn in the label and we'll do it for you. www.campbells4education.com Campbells gives us points that we can turn in for products. Last year, we "bought" a digital camera, a coffee urn, a paper cutter, and more from this great program. Please remember to turn them in! Both of these programs are great for our school!!!

We would like to thank the entire school for participating in our Dia de los Muertos altar, to the volunteers that held  vigil in the chapel during the Harvest Fest and Muchas Gracias to Maria Zanotti who helps us put it all together.  Hopefully you all had a chance to stop in and say a prayer for our friends and family.

There are a few events going on this weekend that are free if you would like to continue on with the Dia de los Muertos celebration:

Mesa Center for the Arts
Dia de los Muertos Celebration

When:
    Nov 1 - Nov 2, 2008
Start time:
    Nov 1, 10 AM - 6 PM & Nov 2, 12 PM - 5 PM
Where:
    Mesa Arts Center

www.mesaartslive.com/index.php/special/diadelosmuertos
Arizona Museum for Youth
Free the first Sunday of each Month

www.arizonamuseumforyouth.com/exhibits.aspx

Canada is recalling some chocolate coins made in China.

They contain Melamine, the substance that turned up in pet food and Chinese baby formula, and that is blamed for several baby deaths and hundreds of pet deaths.  Melamine can cause kidneys to fail and shut down.

The good news: the US FDA says these coins are not sold in the USA.

But you may still want to keep an eye out for Sherwood Brand Pirate's Milk Chocolate Coins that say "Made in China".... just in case any have made it to American stores.

This information was taken from abc news channel 9 website.

www.wcpo.com/content/news/localshows/dontwasteyourmoney/story.aspx

 

Get your Honey Baked Hams and Turkeys for the holidays without waiting in the long lines at the stores.  Boy Scout Troop 77 is working with Honey Baked Hams to provide hams and turkeys for pick-up at St. Benedicts on the Tuesdays before Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Order forms are available in the office and there will be a table set up for order forms on Friday, November 7th after school.  Completed orders and checks need to be dropped off in the Boy Scout box at the school office.  Please call Bruce Lincoln at 602-617-2917 if you have any questions.

The Board received reports from the Principal, Pastor and Faculty Representative, Development, Finance, Technology, Facilities and Communications Committees; plus updates from the Mom’s and Dad’s Clubs, PTO, and on the strategic plan at its Oct. 27th meeting.  The highlights follow.

Principal’s Report. The school enrollment stood at 570 with the budget based on 580. The board reviewed the timeline for the building addition.

Pastor’s Report. St. Benedict’s was in the midst of a financial/internal review that the diocese performs for every parish.  The parish fall festival was scheduled for Nov. 14-16, 2008.

Facilities. Stu Rayburn was thanked for his efforts in site plan development.  The committee was waiting for feedback from the City of Phoenix on the ball field project.  The board was apprised of the two Eagle Scout projects – garden relocation and south baseball field improvements.  The Kindergarten canopy had been repaired.  Tree pruning was ongoing.

Financial.  Scrip revenue was down for the year; possible reasons attributable to timing when the reports were generated and the economy.  The Committee was looking at growing endowment fund options and other fund options.

PTO. Everyone congratulated the Harvest Fest Planning Committee for a job well done including Ringmaster Eamonn Ahearne.  Financial figures weren’t available for the board meeting but 665 children attended the event (the attendance seemed larger this year than last year).  The PTO was searching for a volunteer to serve as Treasurer for the remainder of the school year.
 
Development.  Speakers were set for the various parishes to discuss CTODP.  The Annual Giving campaign had reached 1/3 of the goal; announcements in the Bite and teacher newsletters.  The committee needed more volunteers.

Mom’s and Dad’s Club. The Mom’s Club had held elections.  The next social meeting was November 11th at The Cork Wine Bar –The Promenade at Fulton Ranch at 6:30 pm. The next Dad’s Club event was Poker Night on November 14th.

 

Faculty Report.  Several classroom projects and events were highlighted including the United Nations potluck lunch, saint reports, Nov. 4th voting, cultural fair, community service, and grossest food contest.  Miss Usher’s 2nd grade class was podcasting the weekly newsletter with the “Student of the Week” serving as podcaster.

 

Community Issues.  Plans were underway to survey recent graduates and parents at an upcoming social event around the first part of January, to find out how well the students were prepared for high school and to receive input for improving SJB.

 

The discussion/action on the revisions to the Board’s Constitution and bylaws were tabled till the next meeting.

 

The next meeting was set for Monday, November 24th at 5:30 pm.  Please contact President Chris Klee 10 days before the meeting to request an item be placed on the agenda.

 

SJB Advisory Board Members:  Chris Klee, President; Lynn Beck, Vice President; Kathy Boyle, Secretary; Eamonn Ahearne, Joyce Petrowski, Bruce Lincoln, Bill Mager,  Mike Rafford, and Lynn Grennan.  Ex-officio Members: Father Gary Regula, Principal Shelley Conner, Faculty Representative Scott Brandt and St. Benedict’s Parish Council Member Linda Korwald.

The Cork Wine Bar - The Promenade at Fulton Ranch
4991 South Alma School, Chandler, AZ 85248 US
When:      

Tuesday, November 11, 6:30PM

 

SJBMOMSCLUB@yahoo.com

October 24, 2008

Don't miss out on all the fun!  If you didn't purchase your wristbands for the admission at our presales, they will be sold at the door. $10 for kids(ages 3-17), $40 max per family and adults are free.  NO MASKS OR HEAD COVERING HOODS WILL BE ALLOWED into the HF.  Makeup, wigs, hats and glasses are all allowed.
Raffle tickets for the HF parking space will also be sold during HF.
This is a CASH ONLY event and no checks will be excepted for anything.
There will be plenty of photo opportunities, so don't forget your cameras!
If you would still like to participate in the pumpkin walk, bring a carved pumpkin to school on Friday anytime up until 7:00pm or Saturday before 2:00pm.
Again, we can still use volunteers so please click on  www.sjbosco.org/for-parents/harvest-fest-08/ to sign up.
If you have any questions, please contact Chairperson Alicia Figueroa at aajenfig@yahoo.com or 480-706-9338.
 
We look forward to seeing all of you at Harvest Fest 2008!  Thank you for your support!

St. John Bosco recently received a contribution of $1570.00 from the Intel Foundation’s Volunteer Matching Grant Program.  The amount given reflects 157 service hours performed at our school by St. John Bosco parents who are also Intel employees.  Thank you for your commitment to St. John Bosco and thank you for taking the extra step to increase your contribution by seeking matching funds!


Many local companies will match service hours as well as donations made to non-profit organizations.  In the past we have received matching funds from Intel, Motorola, Prudential, Washington Mutual, GlaxoSmithKlein, Wells Fargo, Honeywell, and UPS.  If you are employed by one of these companies please contact your employers Human Resource department to find out how you to can participate in this great opportunity.  A complete list of companies known to contribute to Catholic schools is listed on our website. Click here for list.  If you need help getting started or pointed in the right direction, please call Lisa Campbell in the Development Office at 219-4855 or email at lcampbell@sjbosco.org.

$19,703 in pledges and donations gets us to just over a third of way to our goal of $54,000!  We are off to a great start and counting on those of you who have their commitment card lost in a pile of school papers and can’t seem to dig out it fast enough, fill it out and turn it in before another wave of papers comes home from school.  Dig those cards out!  With everyone’s participation, we can do it!

Scrip reports were sent home this week with the youngest child.  Please check your child's backpack for the report.  If you have earned money, please fill out the form and return it to school by Monday, October 27th.  If you have not earned any Scrip money you do not need to return the form.  If you have any questions just stop by the Scrip window or call at 480-219-4846.

• Our Christmas promotion will start on November 3rd and run through November 14th.  Take this time to plan for your Christmas early and avoid the rush.  Look for gifts for your children, your spouse, your relatives, hired help and business associates.  It's a great way to earn money toward next years tuition!
• Everyone loves See's Candy.  Now you can earn 50% in Scrip by purchasing See's Candy Christmas boxes.  The form was sent home with the Scrip report and can be filled out with your name and your order and sent back into school with your child by November 24th.  These candy boxes are great gifts for hired help, business associates, and stocking stuffers.
• Basha's now comes in $10 denominations instead of the $5 denominations.  Please take note that the promotion form sent with the Scrip report does not reflect this change.

The Health Office will be doing our annual school-wide screening of all the students. We are looking for many volunteers to help with heights, weights, blood pressure and organizing the flow of students from section to section. We also have a new computerized vision screening process this year. It's in the form of a computer game and requires one proctor per student. NO previous computer skills are required!
The dates for volunteers are: Tuesday, November 4th and Wednesday, November 5th beginning at 8:15. We will be providing breakfast each morning  for our wonderful volunteers!
Please contact the Health Office if you are able to come and help for the full day, or any portion of time that you have available. 480-219-4849. Thank you!

One of the most common reasons people give for not participating in CTODP is “I just don’t have the extra money to give at this time of the year.”  If this is your excuse, we have the solution for you.  On Monday, October 27th, (7pm to 8pm) Tempe Schools Credit Union will be at St. Benedicts providing you with the opportunity to borrow, interest free, up to $1000 so that you can make your contribution. All you need to do is show up with a drivers license and a check for $25.00 (this is not a fee, it is a deposit into a savings account in your name), fill out a form and you are done.  TSCU will then make the contribution to CTODP in your name.  You take the tax credit and when you receive your tax refund check next year, you pay the money back to TSCU.
Take the Credit – No excuses!  St. John Bosco school code is 211.

The 6th grade students shared their multicultural projects with the whole school and with their parents in an evening presentation this week. Each student represented a country and collected information about government, economics, culture and interesting facts to share.  The students dressed as a native, and obviously spent many hours practicing their speech, as evidenced by the quality performances through out the room. These presentations came the day after the sixth graders celebrated the end of the big project with a retreat.  They started the day with Mass and participated in different activities, discussions and meditations about their relationship with each other and with God.

Join us at our SJB Scholastic Book Fair Safari.  We will be open October 25 - 31 with an amazing selection of books!  We will be open during Harvest Fest and Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.  We will also be open late Wednesday evening until 8:00 PM. With all these great times, you can visit us during the Harvest Fest, before or after your teacher conference or during our late night on Wednesday. Look for the teacher's wish-list baskets for an opportunity to contribute books to your child's classroom library.  Below is a link to our own Book Fair webpage. Feel free to browse the books featured on it  to create a wish list for your child to bring with you.

Book Fair Webpage:  bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/sjbosco

All Volunteers: Love books? Volunteer to help at the Book Fair. There are many ways you can participate. You can help with set up, sales, stocking or help pack up.  For available times and a better description of duties, contact Mrs. Harvey at  tharvey@sjbosco.org.  A great way to earn service hours!

Last spring, the Communications Committee of the Advisory Board circulated a survey to the SJB community.  The purpose of this survey was to solicit the opinions of the SJB community regarding what is working well and where improvement can be made with respect to communications.  We would like to thank the 132 families that responded.  We appreciate and value your input.  Overall, the feedback was positive but there were many areas identified that need improvement.  Here is a brief summary of the feedback we received:
Results:   

• 99% use internet to gather info about SJB
• 97% found the SJB website useful
• The Bite was identified as the place that people look for information on upcoming events
• 99% use RenWeb to access information about grades, checking student progress and logging volunteer hours
• Email is by far the preferred method of communication for most families
• Average grades for communication (0-5 scale, 5 being the highest) :  from teachers (4.13), from administration (3.95), from specials teachers (3.98) and from parent groups (e.g., PTO, Mom’s and Dad’s clubs) (3.75)

  
Areas for improvement:

• Too many forms of communication/too many emails -
• RenWeb - Explanation of how to use and how it can it be made easier to use
• Frequency/format of teacher-parent communication
• School calendar
• New family communications

Actions already taken:

• Communications committee has reviewed the survey results with the administration
• Each teacher is doing a weekly email to parents that links to newsletter on website and is archived for future reference.
• Three year calendar overview is available on the SJB website
• Bite will highlight frequently asked questions about communications and highlight where to find certain pieces of information
• Advisory Board meetings summarized for the Bite and posted on the website under About Us/Organizations/Advisory Board
• Subject line in emails - A longer description is being used in the subject line to differentiate emails
• More indepth presentation of RenWeb at new family orientation.

We will continue to update you as we continue to address issues raised in the survey.
Mike Rafford—Communications Committee Chairman

Ms. Christopher has graciously offered to coach our team. She comes to SJB with great credentials including All-State soccer player from St. Pius HS in New Mexico, and a four year starter for St. Mary's College in San Antonio, Texas
We have 4 matches against Summit School of Ahwatukee (2) and Queen of Peace (2).
This is a Co-Ed event with any 5th thru 8th grader (yes, boy or girl) wanting to play soccer. This is also a non-CYAA event, therefore, SJB, the diocese and and the CYAA are not liable for injury. Basically, it's an opportunity for us to play against two other school and provide a fun time for the students to practice their soccer skills.
Practice will be Monday, 10/27 from 3:30 to 4:30
Please bring cleats, tennis shoes, water bottles and a enthusiastic spirit.
Games are slated for:
Mon, Nov 3rd at 4:00 at Tempe Soccer Park located Guadalupe and Kyrene against Summit School.
Weds, Nov 5th at 4:00 against Summt School (same location)
Mon, Nov 10th at HOME vs. Queen of Peace
Wed, Nov 12th at HOME vs. Queen of Peace
Questions. please contact the PE/Athletic Office.

November 5 th is Spirit Day at SJB and your child can wear any hat they want, just bring in a warm beanie hat to donate to: Hats for Humanity. Show your spirit and donate a warm hat to someone in need!  Thank you to the parents and students who have already made donations.  

 

Sweatshirts can be either navy or white with St. John Bosco embroidered emblem.   Only the white sweatshirts can be worn during mass (if you have a navy sweatshirt on a Friday, you wear it to the church, and take it off during church)  The navy or white SJB sweatshirts are the only sweatshirts allowed in the classrooms.  Non-uniform sweatshirts or winter-weather jackets with no hoods must be removed when in the classroom or at Mass.

On PE days, students may wear straight-leg sweat pants over, or instead of, PE shorts.  Sweatpants are not regular uniform wear for non-PE days.

There is still a full week left in October, and we already have over $1500 in donations from students and families. This week Miss Krakora delivered 5 overstuffed bags of baby clothes, bottles, formula, baby toys, and blankets to the center. It's amazing to witness the outpouring of generosity with our supplies, financial gifts. Our students are certainly learning the true meaning of serving others with our gifts. Thank you for your stewardship, and please continue to keep the women, unborn babies and families that visit the center in your prayers.

On Tuesday, November 11th, St. John Bosco will celebrate Veterans Day as a school community.  We will start with the pledge to the United States flag, announcements, prayers, and acknowledgment of our military men and women who are serving or have served in the armed forces.  The Girl and Boy Scouts will also be in uniform and help lead our ceremony.
We would like to extend an invitation to everyone in the St John Bosco community who are veterans or military personnel, or who have relatives that are.  Please let us know if you, or relatives of SJB students, would like to join us for Veterans Day from 8 a.m. - 8:25 a.m.  We would love to have you. Please contact Mrs. Angela Navarro with names of those who will be able to join us.

The SJB Magazine Drive was a big success with $27,000 in sales.  The school has earned a free dress day which will be on October 29th for grades K-3, and on October 30th for grades 4-8.  Students will also receive the sherbet treat reward on their free dress day.  The PIG RACES will take place on November 6th, at 2:15 pm.    The raffle for the one-month parking spot will take place during the Harvest Festival and you need not be present to win.  Remember, magazine purchases can continue throughout the school year and will benefit SJB.  Families can order online at www.aphearst.com.  SJB's school code is WC2875.  You can also place an order by calling 1-800-284-9711.  Students and families who qualified for "Animal Friends" or the bowling event will be contacted individually.  Thank you for your support of this important program!

Come run for fun and support the Phoenix Children's Hospital at the 2009 Kid's Rock race.  This is a 1 mile run held in downtown Tempe in conjunction with the PF Chang Marathon.  The run is Saturday January 17th starting around 8:00 at Tempe Beach Park.  The cost is $20 for group registration before 10/31/08 and $25 thereafter.  This year we have decided to run as a group.  Further details will be provided as the race gets closer.  To sign up follow the instructions below.
sign up at: www.rnraz.com/kids_rock.html click register and select group registration, then select "St John Bosco" under "pick a team"

Each year Catholic Education is faced with legislative challenges which could affect the ability to provide a quality education to our children. Arizona Catholic Conference (ACC) needs our school community (parents, teachers, and students) to remain active advocates for educational choice.
By signing up, parents will be updated with legislative issues and can instantly let their voices be heard by communicating their concerns to their respective legislators/elected officials through the CAPWIZ data base.
Please sign-up and encourage other board members and parents to sign up for the ACC updates on the Arizona Catholic Conference by following this link: www.azcatholicconference.org

October 17, 2008

This time next week, we will be setting up for the big event!  Harvest Fest will be here in one week and we can't wait!
We still have lots of volunteer opportunities so please check out our website at
www.sjbosco.org/for-parents/harvest-fest-08/.  It is just a click away, so step right up and signup.  Get your volunteers hours in early!
We are still be taking signups for the pumpkin walk.  This is a great opportunity, to show us your creative pumpkin carving skills.  All we need is your family to carve a pumpkin and bring it after school on Friday the 24th or on Saturday the 25th before 2:00pm.  We will have these lined up on display for the Harvest Fest. Email Kari Czerniski at czski@uswest.net if you would like to participate.
Starting next week on Monday the 20th, we will be doing presales for the HF parking space raffle and the admission wristbands to get into HF.  They will be sold before and after school.  Purchase them early to avoid waiting in line at HF.
Any questions regarding HF please email chairperson Alicia Figueroa at aajenfig@yahoo.com or call 480-706-9338.

Thank you to all who have made the commitment to continue the journey with us through a contribution to our Providing for Today~Preparing for Tomorrow annual giving campaign.  We have raised $12,500.00 to date.
We would like every family to continue the journey with us!  In times of economic uncertainties it is easy and certainly understandable to put aside any request for additional donations or contributions, no matter what the cause or the purpose.  If you are still undecided about your annual giving commitment for this year, please keep in mind that it is not a matter of how much you give but that you give from your heart.  Your participation IS important.  Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us reach our goal.  Together we can do this!  Additional commitment cards are available in the office or you can contribute on line HERE.
 

The Health Office will be doing our annual school-wide screening of all the students. We are looking for many volunteers to help with heights, weights, blood pressure and organizing the flow of students from section to section. We also have a new computerized vision screening process this year. It's in the form of a computer game and requires one proctor per student. NO previous computer skills are required!
The dates for volunteers are: Tuesday, November 4th and Wednesday, November 5th beginning at 8:15. We will be providing breakfast each morning  for our wonderful volunteers!
Please contact the Health Office if you are able to come and help for the full day, or any portion of time that you have available. 480-219-4849. Thank you!

Scrip reports will be coming home next week.  Please take a look for them in your child's backpack.  It will contain all your Scrip information pertaining to how much you have earned already this Scrip year or how much you still need to earn to reach your $150.00 goal.  If you have any questions please contact the Scrip office at sjbscrip@sjbosco.org or stop by our window during Scrip office hours.
REI has now joined the list of new Scrip vendors that you can special order!  It comes in $25.00 denominations and pays 8%.  For all you avid outdoors people this will mean earning Scrip $'s at one of your favorite stores!

In order to keep the routine of curriculum going for the students, yet still have enough time slots for all the parents to visit with all the teachers, we are trying a new conference schedule.  The school schedule is different depending on the grade (i.e. please read carefully):
Monday, October 27.  Regular School Day
PreKindergarten: Tuesday - Friday 11:30 release.
Tuesday, October 28 noon release all grades
Wednesday, October 29 noon release grades K-3 and NO SCHOOL grades 4-8
Thursday, October 30 noon release grades 4-8 and NO SCHOOL grades K-3
Friday October 31, noon release all grades  (Mass at 10:30)
Conference Schedules will be available next week in the MPR before and after school.

 

MAP will be offered on a limited basis, by reservation, during conferences. The MAP schedule is:
Tuesday, October 28 noon- 6:00
Wednesday, October 29 6:45 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thursday, October 30 6:45 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday October 31, noon - 6 p.m.
An email was sent requesting your reservation.  Please respond.

The whole school is excited about our upcoming Book Fair on October 25 - 31.  An amazing selection of books is headed our way!  We are open all week, so plan to visit us during the Harvest Fest, before or after your teacher conference or during our late night on Wednesday. Look for the teacher's wish-list baskets for an opportunity to contribute books to your child's classroom library.  Below is a link to our own Book Fair webpage. Feel free to browse the books featured on it to create a wish list for your child to bring with you.
All Volunteers: Love books? Volunteer to help at the Book Fair. There are many ways you can participate. You can help with set up, sales, stocking or help pack up.  For available times and a better description of duties, contact Mrs. Harvey at  tharvey@sjbosco.org.  A great way to earn service hours!
Book Fair Webpage:  bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/sjbosco.

Picture retakes will be on Thursday, November 6.   Please remember to bring the original pictures to return back to the photographer.

The St. John Bosco Multicultural Club will meet on Thursday October 23rd.  We would like to plan for pen pals and decide on what different cultural events to attend.  The club will meet in Mrs. Hernandez's room from 3:30 - 4:15pm.  The club is open to students in 3rd through 6th grade.  Parents will need to pick up students in the classroom.  If you have any questions, please contact Maestra Avila at cavila@sjbosco.org

We will be recycling all plastic grocery bags again this year.  The receptacles will be at the back gate and by the office.  The container by the office will be one of our own Blue Recycling Bins.  ..Last year we earned over $200.00 for recycling!  Very Cool!
On the same lines- we are still recycling ink cartridges and Cell phones!  Bring those old cell phones to Ms Whalen and drop the ink cartridges in the box in the MPR.  We will be working on keeping the world green one person at a time!   Great Work- Green Team!

For Respect Life month, SJB has adopted AWC for our stewardship focus. We are collecting donations of money, baby bottles, baby clothes, and especially diapers all month long! Donations can be new or used, and should be dropped off in Miss Krakora's room. We are challenging students to consider giving up part of their allowance, holding a lemonade stand to earn money, or doing extra chores to earn a few dollars to share.
In the first two weeks, we have already raised a little over $1000 as a school community. This is amazing, and AWC is touched by your generosity. Truly, to them, every penny counts towards  providing prenatal care, purchasing needed medical supplies, and helping provide safe pregnancies to full term. Donated baby clothes, diapers and miscellaneous items are true gifts to women who barely have enough money to buy their own. And through prayer, each year SJB certainly keeps AWC's doors open and their clients protected. Please consider a donation if you have not already. Above all, please continue to serve AWC with your time, talent, treasure, and prayers.

Parents of St. Benedict children in 2nd grade or older who would like to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) please join us for Registration and Meeting (parent and child preparing) next Monday evening, October 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Children prepare for this Sacrament prior to First Eucharist.  Reconciliation Meeting is Monday, October 20, 2008 in the Church at 6:30pm (Meeting is for Parent and Child preparing)

My name is Ryan Murphy and I am a Boy Scout from Troop 118 at St. Benedict’s Parish.  I am currently an 8th grade student at St. John Bosco.  I am working on getting the Eagle Scout rank, and to do this, I have to complete a service project.  I plan to upgrade the SJB baseball field so it will have:
•    Concrete dugouts
•    A scoreboard
•    An SJB sign
•    Trash cans
•    An upgraded batting cage
•    Trees for shade
•    A bull pen
But to do this, it will take a lot of funding.  I need your help to raise $5,800 and carry out this project.
•    Cash or material donations
•    Checks to BSA Troop 118, Ryan’s Eagle Project
•    Questions? Contact me at (480)-283-6257
Thank you very much !!!

The Box Tops classroom contest ends today! The winning classroom(s) will be announced in a few weeks (after we cut, sort and mail). Stay tuned to see which room collected the most!
Meanwhile, did you notice Fry's has Spaghettios for .49 and Campbell's soup for $1.00! WHOO HOO!. Remember, if you link your Fry's VIP card to Campbell's (visit www.campbells4education.com to learn more), we get DOUBLE credit - one time at check out when you purchase these items, and then you can clip the labels and send them to SJB so we can send them in!
Questions? Contact Mary Parra: parrajm@aol.com
 

Did you know you can get a Target Visa and give money to SJB?  Yes, if you have a Target Visa card, you can designate SJB as a "donor school". Twice a year Target will give 1% of all Target sales and .5% of all other sales made on your Target Visa to SJB.  It also gives you a 10% coupon for every $1000 you spend.  Just wanted to share the wealth.

I live on the South East corner of Arizona and Riggs. I have 3 children. If anyone is interested please let me know. Thanks Mary Kay Obarski 480-883-7777.

Did you know...
Contributing to CTODP can be as easy as opening up a Tempe Schools Credit Union savings account?  Open an account with an initial deposit of $25.00 and TSCU will contribute up to $1000.00 to CTODP in your name.  Take the credit on your state taxes and when you get your refund check, simply give the money back to TSCU.  Easy. No money out of your pocket.  What are you waiting for?  For more information contact one of our CTODP parent volunteers...Tracy Ryan at Tracyryan18@cox.net or Bill Mager at Magersul@cox.net

October 10, 2008

We recently asked the 6th graders to complete this statement.  Here is a small sample of what they said…
“…to be kind to one another.  Also to treat others as you would want to be treated.  They have taught me to respect speakers. They have taught me about the importance of mass.  The most important person we learn about it Christ.”  Matthew  S.
“…to be a leader and to ask questions.  A leader is not just a person that is looked up to, but a person that does the right thing.  Asking a question is good because if you don’t understand something you should ask.  Sometimes people are afraid to ask.  I learned not to be afraid to ask.”  Jimmy M.
“…learning more about God and our Catholic faith.”  Sarah M.
“…to respect others and nature and care for it.  They taught me to show kindness, support and to offer help because that is the way I would want to be treated, it’s the golden rule.  I should help them because I will need help too sometimes.  I have been taught to be a leader and set an example for the little kids.”  Madison K.
 
Our Providing for Today~Preparing for Tomorrow annual giving campaign plays a critical role by helping to fund the many tools necessary to teach our students how to be leaders, how to respect life and the world around them, how not to be afraid, and how to live a Christ-filled life.  Please take the time today and make your commitment to continue the journey with us.  There are three easy ways...Donate on line HERE, mail your commitment card or drop it by the front office on Monday.

 

Remember to turn in your box tops! The classroom contest ends next Friday, October 17th. Please remember Box Tops and Campbell's Soup Labels for Education when doing your grocery shopping. For participating products, please visit www.boxtops4education.com and www.labels4education.com

Please join us for our second Game Night of the year to be held this Friday, October 10th.  Social and pizza dinner begins at 7:30pm, and play begins at 8:00pm all in the MPR.  Redeem your official Dads' Club kitchen pass early and often.  You need not be a member of the Dads' Club to play, but why not join?  For a $30 one-time membership fee you get a really cool embroidered golf polo.  Please contact Eduardo Gamez (egamez@gmail.com) for more information!  Hope to see you guys this Friday night!

Wednesday, October 15th, marks the end of the Scrip quarter.  Reports will be sent home by Friday October 24th so please look for it in your youngest child's backpack.  The report will contain Scrip purchases from 3/17/2008 through 10/15/2008 as well as Fry's earnings from 2/1/2008 through 7/31/2008, Basha's earnings through August 2008, eScrip earnings from November 2007 through June 2008, and SchoolPop earnings from January 2008 through March 2008.  If you have any questions after looking at your report, please contact the Scrip office at sjbscrip@sjbosco.org or call at (480)219-4846.
Did you know that Ultratainment cheques earn 20%?  They can be used at many different locations throughout the valley.  These locations are outlined in the Ultratainment directory book available at the Scrip office.  There are some rules regarding the use of these cheques.  Ultratainment cheques can not be used for tax or gratuity, no change can be given, and for parties with more than 5 persons you can only use them to pay for half of the bill.  The other half must be paid with by cash or credit card.

Our 2nd annual Evening of Hispanic Culture was another successful event. Thank you to the parents and students who volunteered their time to help set up, bring food, and clean up afterwards. We hope that you enjoyed our Flamenco guitarist and the dancers who were not only entertaining, but also helped educate us on Flamenco dance. The food was amazing and the company was diverse! Thank you for sharing the evening with us.

My name is Ryan Murphy and I am a Boy Scout from Troop 118 at St. Benedict’s Parish.  I am currently an 8th grade student at St. John Bosco.  I am working on getting the Eagle Scout rank, and to do this, I have to complete a service project.  I plan to upgrade the SJB baseball field so it will have:
•    Concrete dugouts
•    A scoreboard
•    An SJB sign
•    Trash cans
•    An upgraded batting cage
•    Trees for shade
•    A bull pen
But to do this, it will take a lot of funding.  I need your help to raise $5,800 and carry out this project.
•    Cash or material donations
•    Checks to BSA Troop 118, Ryan’s Eagle Project
•    Questions? Contact me at (480)-283-6257
Thank you very much !!!

Wow, just a few more weeks and the 2008 Harvest Fest will be here!  Saturday, October 25th from 4:00-9:00pm is when "SJB Under the Big Top" arrives.
Your child will be bringing home a HF brochure with the Air Band form and the Pumpkin Walk form in it.  Both forms are due on 10/17 at 1:00.  There is also lots of great info regarding HF so please check it out.  
The presales for the Harvest Fest t-shirts are underway.  
We will be in front of the school in the mornings and the afternoons doing t-shirt presales up until October 16th.  We also will have a sample t-shirt for you to see when you come by.  Stop by and turn in your orders with payment or you can send in everything with your child to school.  If you would like to see a sample of the t-shirt online please click here.  Don't forget these t-shirts can be worn on Spirit Day!  Any questions regarding the t-shirts please contact, Kristin Hamilton hamilton98@cox.net or 602-432-1832
Along with the presales of the t-shirts, we have the volunteer list out for working the day of Harvest Fest.
There are so many areas we need help with, so don't hesitate to come by and see how you can help or email pto@sjbosco.org.  Get those volunteer hours in early!
Also, we can use lots of help (even if it is just for an hour) for setting up the Harvest Fest on Friday, October 24th at 2:00 p.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m.  If you can help with the setup, please email Monica and Connie at pto@sjbosco.org.  
If you have any questions regarding Harvest Fest, please email  Chair Alicia Figueroa at aajenfig@yahoo.com or call 480-706-9338.

In order to keep the routine of curriculum going for the students, yet still have enough time slots for all the parents to visit with all the teachers, we are trying a new conference schedule.  The school schedule is different depending on the grade (i.e. please read carefully):
Monday, October 27.  Regular School Day
PreKindergarten Tuesday - Friday 11:30 release.
Tuesday, October 28 noon release all grades
Wednesday, October 29 noon release grades K-3 and NO SCHOOL grades 4-8
Thursday, October 30 noon release grades 4-8 and NO SCHOOL grades K-3
Friday October 31, noon release all grades  (Mass at 10:30)
Conference Schedules will be available next week in the courtyard before and after school.

MAP will be offered on a limited basis, by reservation,  during conferences.The MAP schedule is:
Tuesday, October 28 noon- 6:00
Wednesday, October 29 6:45 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thursday, October 30 6:45 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday October 31, noon - 6 p.m.
An email was sent requesting your reservation.  Please respond.

October 15, 2008 @ 6-8:00pm
Check-In @ 5:45
US Airways Center
Don't miss out on your chance to see what it's like to be a professional hockey player! This complimentary event includes:
• Meet and greet with RoadRunners head coach Brad Church and players
• Free Food in the Toyota Club
• VIP tour of the arena
• A shot on a goal for a chance to win a FREE season ticket (Free season ticket offer valid only with the purchase of a minimum one additional.)
• And much more…
RSVP to Jay Stirling: jstirling@phxroadrunners.com or 602.379.7856 and let them know you are from St. John Bosco.

Anyone in second grade or older who would like to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the Parish of St. Benedict this this year, please join us for a meeting (parent and child preparing) on October 20 at 6:30 pm in the Church. This first meeting will include registration.
Questions, please call Suzie Malloy (480) 961-0847.

Last year I contributed $750.00 to CTODP and designated St. John Bosco as the school I wanted to receive those funds.  When I filed my state taxes, I received a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for my contribution which reduced the amount of taxes I owed the state by $750.00.  In March of 2008 I applied for CTODP funds based on funds availability (that is the money left over after funds are distributed to St. John Bosco families that need the money to keep their children in our school.)  Just a few short weeks ago I received a letter from CTODP notifing me that I would be receiving $325.00 in scholarship money for each one of my children attending SJB.  With three kids, that gave my family $975.00 off of our upcoming tuition bill.  What a welcome relief that was to my husband and me!  I saved on my taxes; I supported families at St. John Bosco that need financial help and, I received a little financial support for my family as well...it was easy.  I did it.  You can do it too!  Get the ball rolling...start by making your contribution to CTODP by December 31st.  For additional information follow this link to the CTODP webpage on our website.

The Health Office will be doing our annual school-wide screening of all the students. We are looking for many volunteers to help with heights, weights, blood pressure and organizing the flow of students from section to section. We also have a new computerized vision screening process this year. It's in the form of a computer game and requires one proctor per student. NO previous computer skills are required!
The dates for volunteers are: Tuesday Nov. 4th and Wednesday Nov. 5th beginning at 8:15. We will be providing breakfast each morning  for our wonderful volunteers!
Please contact the Health Office if you are able to come and help for the full day, or any portion of time that you have available. 480-219-4849. Thank you!

Wednesday, October 15th is denim dollar day to support Friends of the Orphans.  Please follow the guidelines in the Student Handbook.
Friday, October 17th is our Fall Social, admission is $5.00 and a signed permission slip.  Bring extra cash for pop and water, snacks will be provided.
Red Ribbon Week - October 27th - 31st.  Look for more information in next week's Bulldog Bite.

Night of Hope, an evening of dinner, dancing, and fellowship benefiting the Catholic Schools Endowment Fund is approaching fast!  Plan to join us on November 1 at 6 p.m. at the Phoenix Convention Center for a fun night celebrating the diverse and vital Catholic schools in our Diocese.  The cost is $100 per person.  Beat the October 17 reservation deadline and make yours today online at www.diocesephoenix.org/NOH.  We’ll see you there!

October 3, 2008

Jesus showed compassion and kindness to everyone he met. When Jesus was kind, people learned about God’s love. We too can share God’s love with others by showing compassion and kindness to others.

Instructional Assistants, Spanish, Art and Music at all grade levels, Literacy Coach, new technology...all made possible by your support and generous contributions to last year's Providing for Today~Preparing for Tomorrow annual giving campaign.   Our 2008-2009 campaign is well underway and we are off to a great start.  Our participation goal for this year is 100%.  Pledge cards can be mailed, dropped off in the front office, or you can donate on-line now by following this link.

Night of Hope, an evening of dinner, dancing, and fellowship benefiting the Catholic Schools Endowment Fund is approaching fast!  Plan to join us on November 1 at 6 p.m. at the Phoenix Convention Center for a fun night celebrating the diverse and vital Catholic schools in our Diocese.  The cost is $100 per person.  Beat the October 17 reservation deadline and make yours today online at

www.diocesephoenix.org/NOH.  We’ll see you there!

This week marks the beginning of Respect Life month. Our stewardship focus will follow our tradition at SJB of adopting the Aid to Women Center (AWC) for our offertory. They are in desperate need of baby clothes and diapers, as well as any generous donations you can make. Recently, one of their ultrasound machines broke down and replacement costs tens of thousands of dollars. The greatest way to a woman's heart is showing her the baby's heart beating within her through ultrasound. For some confused and frightened pregnant girls, this is the one thing AWC counselors can do. Seeing their baby and counseling them while providing reduced cost prenatal care is one of the best ways to help them choose life. If you'd like to help support them in their efforts, look for emails with more information or contact Miss Krakora.

Parents, please keep in mind that the athletic field is not an alternative pick up location.  The only students that are allowed on the athletic fields are athletes participating in a practice or a game.  Students wanting to watch an older sibling will need to be supervised by a parent.  By 3:30 all students should be with a parent, with a coach, in MAP, or home.  Safety is our number one concern.  If we do not have your child's name on one of our rosters scheduled to practice, they are essentially unsupervised.  Thank you for your support in keeping our Bulldogs safe.

The Scrip office is now carrying Amazon and Ross in house.  Amazon comes in $25 increments and pays 4%.  Ross comes in $25 increments and pays 8%. Just a reminder that we now carry Cracker Barrel.  It comes in $10 increments and pays 9%.
Did you know .... that Fry's and Safeway carry gift cards that you can purchase with your Fry's and Safeway Scrip?  Have you ever found that you forgot to stop by the Scrip office before the weekend?  If so,  you may be able to purchase the gift cards you need at Fry's or Safeway.  Check out their selection the next time you shop for your groceries.  Just remember that you will need to allow up to 24 hrs for the cards to activate.
For all those who are interested, as of October 1st, we have 95 families that have reached their Scrip goal of $150.00.  2 of those families have earned over $1000.  Congratulations to all of our awesome patrons!

Corpus Christi invites K-5 graders to join their Children’s Ministry at Kyrene Bowling Lanes on Monday, Oct 6th from 3-5pm….
Cost:  $6.00 per person (includes 2 hrs of bowling and shoe rental)…. The entire family is welcome! 
Please respond to Nancy Shores.

Just less than a month away for Harvest Fest 2008 to be here at SJB.  If you haven't already, mark your calendars for the big event which is on October 25th from 4:00 - 9:00pm. It is going to be fun for all and you don't want to miss it!
One new and exciting thing that we have added this year is selling Harvest Fest t-shirts.
These t-shirts can be worn on Spirit Day along with wearing them of course to the Harvest Fest. We will be doing pre-sales for the t-shirts starting next week on the 10/8.  We have a sample of  the t-shirt in the office so please check it out.
If you would like to see the t-shirt online please click here.
Last day for the t-shirt pre-sales will be 10/16.  Any questions regarding the t-shirts please contact, Kristin Hamilton hamilton98@cox.net or 602-432-1832
After we return from Fall Break on 10/8, along with pre-selling the t-shirts, we will have sign ups for volunteers to work the day of Harvest Fest.  There are many areas we need help with, so don't hesitate to come by and see how you can help.  Get those volunteer hours in early!
Also, we can use all the help we can get for setting up the Harvest Fest on Friday, October 24th at 2:00pm until approximately 9:00pm.  If you can help with the setup, please email Monica and Connie at