Greetings Parish Friends,
Grace, gratitude, and grit! That phrase was on every weekly St. John School (SJS) faculty meeting agenda and parent newsletter throughout the 2020-2021 school year. It was part of my daily prayer and came out of my mouth too frequently to count. Those three words served as a reminder of God’s loving care as He helped us to navigate the challenges and to see evidence of His many blessings every single day of a school year that was unlike any other we have ever experienced.
We are incredibly grateful to have been able to offer five-day, in-person instruction for our students for all but a handful of days during a year when other schools were not so fortunate. Was it always easy to make the necessary changes to practices and procedures, to follow safety mandates, and to meet the spiritual, emotional and academic needs of our students? No, it was not! Did God always provide grace and guidance, send us angels to help, and give us the grit to continue our efforts and our mission? Absolutely! And, in the end, it was so worth it to see the smiling eyes of thriving children; to be able to celebrate Mass and Adoration together, and to have our children make exceptional academic gains!
We often talk about our St. John School family: the faculty and staff, children, parents and grandparents, and parishioners are integral parts of this special group. We are anchored in our love of God, and united in our desire to raise children of faith, virtue and character. Over the course of the past year, every member of our SJS family has contributed to the success and the blessings we’ve experienced. You are among the angels God sent to help us through this time, and we couldn’t be more grateful to God and to all of you!
As we busily prepare for another school year, we take time to remind our dear parishioners that it is because of your generosity in the Sunday offering that we are able to continue the rich tradition of faith and of academic excellence at St. John the Evangelist School that was started in 1873. It is because of your generous giving to Witness to Hope that we now have brand new energy-saving, beautiful windows in the north end classrooms and new flooring in two classrooms. (Stay tuned for photos of completed projects coming soon.) Your faithful prayers and support energize and inspire us to continue to weather the changes and to face the challenges with confidence and courage.
We ask you to join us as we continue to pray for God’s grace, guidance, and grit, and give thanks to Him for blessings received. The spirit of St. John School is alive and well! Praise be to God!
Reminder: The St. John School 8th Annual Draw Down Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, September 18th, at the Commonwealth Commerce Center in downtown Jackson. Tickets are $85 a piece. Each ticket entitles two adults to dinner and an evening of FUN: cash bar, delicious food, an awesome DJ, 50/50 raffles, side raffles, and other games- all for a wonderful cause! Top Prize is $2,000!!! Tickets are available NOW in the school office. Call 517.784.1714 for more information.
Kristi Blair,
St. John Elementary School Principal