We Are Called

It is vocations week. This is the week that we are asked to help children listen to God's call and to respond.

Many of you know that my son George is in his 8th year of formation to be ordained a Catholic priest for our Archdiocese. After this year, he will have one more year left. We hear often that vocations begin in the family. That is a very humbling thought for my husband and me - to think that God could be calling your child to the priesthood. To administer Sacraments is awesome. It can be hard for parents to be excited about seminary for their children, which is understandable when we see what priests do. George started applying after his junior year in high school and when we understood the discernment process of seminary, it seemed like the right choice for him.

My oldest son got married when he was 24, after getting engaged to his high school sweetheart at 22. This vocation choice and timing also can get mixed reaction in today's world. I imagine that I will feel the same at the ordination as I did at the wedding. I know how hard marriage can be and the uncertainty of the future for a young couple. I would say as a parent, my prayers will always be the same - that my children cling to their faith to live their vocations. As George, plans on laying down his life for the good of the church, so was Paul for the good of his wife.

I think we all have the same desire that our children find happiness and fulfillment in their lives - which we know happens best when they are following God's will. My husband once said to a priest, "It is so impressive that you have done this for 45 years, I can't imagine..." The priest responded in similar admiration for being married for 28 years.

I have a grateful heart that our faith helps us to focus on living lives that truly prepare our souls for eternity - that as our children's first teachers, our faith inspires young people to respond with their whole heart, whole mind and whole soul to Christ's call when they ask God what He wants of them.

We are Called!

Kathy Rhodes

Near and Dear Day (formerly Grandparents Day) is a time for our students to share with a special loved one or role model their school. We will start with Mass at 8:15. Kids will find their grandparents in church. Please have grandparents sit in the section marked for the youngest grade child (and make sure that all siblings know where to go to find them when you drop them off at school). Immediately after Mass they will walk through the MPC and get donuts. They will then be able to visit the classrooms where teachers have a 15 minute activity planned. There will be announcements for when the session is going to start over. Just a reminder, we are following the mandate of all adults in the building wearing masks. Grandparents will be able to check the students out in the classrooms for dismissal. It is a half day of school that day.

Join in the Peace Week Celebration

Tuesday, November 16th-Monday the 22nd

POP Quiz: Test your bullying knowledge

***Answers on last page***

1. How many students in the U.S. miss school each day to avoid being bullied?

A. 40, 000 B. 80,000 C. 160,000 D. 240,000

2. What percentage of kids that bully will have a criminal record by the time they are 30? A. 15% B. 25% C. 35% D. 45% 3. How many, out of every 10 American teenagers, witness bullying at least once a day? A. 1 B. 3 C. 6 D. 8 4. How many students report experiencing being bullied during a school year?

A. 10% B. 33% C. 50% D. 65% 5. Bullies come in all shapes and sizes.

A. True B. False

6. Bullying is just for boys.

A. True B. False

7. Words will never really hurt you.

A. True B. False

8. If you see bullying, you can help stop it.

A. True B. False

9. Kids who are bullied may not want to tell anyone, especially an adult.

A. True B. False

10. Bullying is just a normal part of growing up.

A. True B. False

11. Fighting back will hurt the situation, and turn it into a conflict instead of a bullying situation. A. True B. False

12. If I don’t hear from the school about punishments to bullies, then nothing was done. A. True B. False

SHOJ has PEACE week SPIRIT

Tuesday, November 16th-Monday 22nd

Spirit Days

Tuesday: Crazy Socks

Wednesday: Crazy Hat

Thursday: Spirit shirt & uniform bottoms

Friday: Tie dye shirt & uniform bottoms

Monday: Favorite sports shirt & uniform bottoms

Bullying is a community-wide issue and students, families, and educators all have a role in addressing bullying situations and changing school culture. October has been designated National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month. Now, there, be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Kansas: That the first full week of October of each year beginning with October 2011 be designated Anti-Bullying Awareness Week in Kansas as a symbol of our commitment to ensuring safe and nurturing school environments.

· Bullying only occurs at school.

Myths about Bullying

Reality check: It can happen anywhere including home, work, online, etc.

· It is only considered bullying if it is physical.

Reality check: bullying comes in many forms, physical is just

one.

· Teachers are always responsible to end a bullying incident.

Reality check: it is up to anyone who witnesses the bullying to put an end to it.

· There are no laws that prevent bullying or address it when it happens.

Reality check: 47 states have passed anti-bullying laws

· Bullying is harmless.

Reality check: suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among young people

· Fighting back the bully physically will put an end to bullying.

Reality check: This is actually the last thing you should do. Getting physical only

escalates the situation and will make things worse.

· Reporting bullying will make everything worse.

Reality check: It may make things worse for the bully, but not the target.

· Bullies have low self-esteem and have no friends.

Reality check: many of the most aggressive kids are confident and popular among peers. Most bullies believe that bullying will create attention, giving them more friends and power.

What can parents do?

· Get the story of the bullying as correct as possible...listen to your child with an open heart and mind. · Monitor use of all technology in your house...this includes anything that can text or has on-line capabilities. · Contact your child’s teacher...and follow up with both the teacher and your child.

· Contact the School Counselor or Principal.

· Understand that the school can not share any information about other students with you. This includes anything found during an investigation, and any discipline that may have taken place.

· Look for signs of bullying in your children...this could include sudden mood changes, not wanting to go to school suddenly, changes in friendships, etc.

· Keep the lines of communication open between you and the school.

· Get to know your child’s friends, as well as their families.

Answers to Pop Quiz on page 1:

1. C 2. B 3. C 4. B 5. A

2. 6. B 7. B 8. A 9. A 10. B

3. 11. A 12. B

Nov. 23 11:30 Dismissal - 8:15 Near and Dear Day Mass

Dec. 14 Christmas Program K-5

April 20 Confirmation

We would also like to spoil school staff on 11/23 by providing them a pie to take home for Thanksgiving.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4FABA62DAAF49-give

Registration with our unique charity link: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/48-0625990

We have 2 students and no staff with covid this week.

Thursday of this week, we had our first wellness committee meeting to begin the discussion on how to improve the health and wellbeing of the students at Sacred Heart through nutrition and physical activity. There were many wonderful thoughts and ideas brought up. The committee will be meeting with a wellness coach from the Kansas State Department of Education to get further guidance on important wellness topics for our school. More information to come on this important subject!

In addition to covid, the cold and flu season is upon us. We have already seen a variety of different symptoms circulating around the school. I appreciate your prudence in keeping sick children home and me aware of all health scenarios. It is always important to be practicing healthy lifestyle choices, but especially during the fall and winter months, when viruses and other illnesses are more prevalent and easily spread.

Healthy habits include, but are not limited to:

-Frequent hand washing

-Avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes

-Avoid sharing cups, devices, utensils and pencils

-Daily exercise

-Get at least 8-10 hours of sleep each night

-Get 8 cups of water each day (please send your children with a refillable water bottle to school)

-Do what you can to reduce added stress

-Add more protein, fruits and veggies to your diet and avoid excess sugar

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns or if I can help you in any way.

Nurse Mary

School Families: Adoration for the wellbeing of parish students and teachers (signupgenius.com)

It has been a tradition at SHOJ to have a collection to show appreciation for the staff at SHOJ during the holidays. This was designed to ease your stress of shopping and to ensure that all are supported with a cash gift. Teachers are given names of families that donate (no amounts) and it usually ends up being a very generous gift of a few hundred dollars. Here is the payment form for families to complete for the Christmas Fund: https://web4u.forms-db.com/view.php?id=1096273

During Vocations Week, many classes wrote to seminarians and students participated in a contest to win a special lunch with the principal.

We are increasing the cost of seconds to $2 in November. This is necessary because of the cost of the food, for example we are charging less than our cost for a slice of pizza if we leave it at one dollar.

Email: kathy.rhodes@shoj.org
Website: school.SHOJ.com
Location: 21801 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS, USA
Phone: 9134225520
Facebook: facebook.com/SacredHeartCatholicSchool