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St. John the Baptist Parish School began its fifty-third (53rd) year of Catholic education on Tuesday, 4 September 2007! Evidence suggests that Catholic schools are remarkably successful both religiously and academically, and St. John the Baptist is no exception. The Catholic students who attend St. John's School seem to have a closeness to the Catholic community as a whole through their experience of attending our parish school. Many students integrate themselves into volunteer roles throughout both the school and the church.
In a world which too often strays from the virtues (such as self-discipline, compassion, responsibility, friendship, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty, and faith), we are reminded in our Catholic teachings of these virtues on a daily basis. No one can be virtuous all the time, we are not angels, but we can certainly try to live each day growing in the knowledge of God's love. Catholic schools help us work on virtues with daily practice.
A monthly virtues program called BASICS helps to set a tone within the school which focuses all of the students on Gospel values and character traits such as self-discipline, taking ownership of homework and completing it on time, persevering in the practice of musical instruments, and keeping rooms clean and organized (both at home and at school). Our mission is to educate the whole child, and we support our students in their emotional, spiritual, physical, academic, and social growth.
A map of growth for each student was identified on "Parent Night," which was a time for parents to meet their children's teachers to review the curriculum for the entire year. Parent Night was held in September. Parents were encouraged to ask questions about the year ahead, what to expect from their children, and what is expected of them as parents. The partnership with the school includes knowing each student's job, the parent's job, and the school's job. This was a night where children remained at home while the adults got to know the teachers. After all, the students have all year to get acquainted with their teachers!
Throughout the school year, we work on friendship. We foster an important relationship with students through our Prayer Partner Program.
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Each grade is paired with another grade, and students are assigned a prayer partner for the year. Prayer partners work on projects for nursing homes, attend events together, pray together, wrap presents together, and help each other throughout the year. Developing friendships is an important part of childhood, so we make time for friends. We also talk about friendship and how important it is to accept our classmates as made in the image of God, which is part of our duty as Christians.
We try to develop healthy relationships among the students through the integration of lessons in Religion and Health classes. Our students are treated with respect, and that respect is returned to the staff. Often we hear comments about how quiet the hallways are in St. John's School. That quietness is the way our students respect the learning of other students in their classrooms. We also hear how well behaved our students are at weekly Mass. Respect for the teachings of the Church and its rules are discussed and emphasized in class.
The school counselor also helps to reinforce ways of making and keeping friends. The lunchroom and playground are areas where these skills can be practiced, re-taught, or corrections made within the constructs of a positive learning environment. Teachers have classroom meetings where social skills are reviewed and discussed. These meetings help students and teachers take advantage of issues that may arise within the learning community.
St. John's School offers small class sizes that enable teachers to instill confidence in students, a sense of greater generosity to the community, and a greater student awareness of moral decision making, all within a Catholic School environment. We believe St. John's School is an example of minimal cost for maximum benefit in a world that needs a greater sense of generosity to community and kindness to all.
Please bring you children to St. John's JOY-Filled School and see what you've been missing! For a tour, call (651) 633-1522 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Thank you and God bless you.
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