When saying Thank You is not enough
I continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity of the St. John School community. A couple of weeks ago the Derecho storm hit the Cedar Rapids area. The following weekend a team of high school students (SJS alumni), led by Mrs. Gorman and Mr. & Mrs. House, arrived at my house to service all of my tree damage. In a matter of a couple of hours they completed the work that would have taken my wife and I weeks to finish. They piled up the branches and brush alongside the road for pick-up by the city of Cedar Rapids (only to find out days later that the city would not be servicing our area). Last weekend, Mr. Brian White called to tell me that he had enlisted a group of parents to pick up all of the brush that had been piled up the weekend before. Although I had already made arrangements for the brush to be hauled away, my wife and I were humbled by the offer. 

These acts of kindness and generosity are just another example of how selfless and giving the SJS community has been during my tenure here. I am regularly humbled and always honored to be a part of it. Thank you does not adequately describe how thankful the staff and I are of your support! 

One Call
The one call messaging service I use to make unscheduled announcements is called Remind . Please take a minute to sign up, and use the   @jgiery  class code to receive the messages on your phone. If you are unable to do so, please let me know and I can add you to the group from my account.

Thank you Tysons
On Thursday, Tyson Pet Products, here in Independence, donated 10 portable air-conditioning units. We would especially like to recognize Julie Klammer who facilitated the gift. Julie visited St. John School, on behalf of Tyson’s, to determine how they could make the students’ educational experience more enjoyable. Every year, usually during the first and last two weeks of school, the heat and humidity reach barely tolerable levels in the classrooms. Thanks to Tyson’s, heat and humidity will no longer be a learning obstacle at St. John School.

SCRIP News
On Monday, scrip order forms/envelopes will be sent home with your youngest child. These envelopes will go home every Monday and need to be sent back with your student to school on Tuesdays. Scrip orders will be placed on Tuesday morning and sent home with your youngest child on Fridays. (If you would like a different pick up method, just let us know).

What are the benefits of using SCRIP?

• Our church and school get a regular source of revenue.
• Once you spend $1000 in face value of scrip, you receive a rebate of 2% on all your purchases. This rebate can be applied toward your tuition or you can receive the rebate back in cash or in scrip cards. 

Last year we were able to raise close to $25,000. If everyone participated in the scrip program this number could be so much higher!! Visit shopwithscrip.com for more info...any questions can be sent to stjohneaglesscrip@gmail.com.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

Are you interested in subbing?
Use the following link to set up an account in our new system.   https://boee.force.com/s/login/SelfRegister

Start a "New Application",

Choose "Apply for a new license", then choose "Substitute", finally, choose “First Substitute Authorization (use if you have not completed a teacher prep program)”. 

If you have never held a license with the Board of Educational Examiners, you will need a full background check. Please request a packet be mailed to you in the checklist questions. We have the temporary authority to issue a license without the federal background check being complete, but will need your fingerprints eventually for you to maintain your Authorization.

Official college transcripts of your BA/BS, AA/AS or at least 60 hours of college course credits must be uploaded to the attachments section of the application.

Student Masses
While we will still celebrate student Masses every Thursday, they will not begin until September 10th. The students have practiced where to sit and how to participate. We have discovered that this has limited the seating for parents. I will let you know how many pews are available next week.  

Bake Sales
One of the many ways in which we fundraise for charities is through a monthly bake sale. This year we are asking that all donations be prepackaged. Although the homemade treats are the best, we will not be able to sell them to the children. 

Covid-19 Mitigation
Please click HERE to learn about our efforts to keep our students and staff safe during the school day.

If you'd like to read the Iowa Department of Education Reopening Guidance for Schools please click HERE.