Weekly Newsletter

Our early childhood and primary students honor Our Lady of Guadalupe 

with Fr. Oldershaw presiding


Family Newsletter

December 12, 2024

Dear PJ23 Families,


Our students in preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grade performed songs and poems in Spanish, and dedicated roses, in honor of our Lady of Guadalupe this morning. 


The feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe dates back to the 16th century. According to Franciscan Media (link), Juan Diego, a 57-year-old widower, lived in a small village near Mexico City. On December 9, 1531, while on his way to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady, Juan passed by a hill called Tepeyac and heard beautiful music resembling the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared, and within it stood a lady dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady instructed Juan to visit the Bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumárraga, and ask him to build a chapel at the site of her appearance. Initially, the bishop did not believe Juan and requested a sign from the lady. During this time, Juan’s uncle became seriously ill, causing Juan to try to avoid the lady. However, she found him, assured him that his uncle would recover, and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his tilma (cape). On December 12, when Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground, and the bishop sank to his knees. Miraculously, an image of Mary, exactly as she had appeared to Juan at Tepeyac, was imprinted on the tilma.

I am grateful to Mrs. Millan for her hard work and dedication to our early childhood Spanish immersion program. Thank you to Fr. Oldershaw for his help with the beautiful ceremony. 


Pope John XXIII School Recognized Among 2025 Best Schools in America

We are proud to announce we have been nationally recognized as one of the Best Schools in America by Niche, the country’s leading college and school search platform. Niche has ranked Pope John XXIII School with an A+ grade for the 2025! This prestigious ranking reflects our exceptional performance across numerous factors analyzed by Niche including academic performance, extracurricular activity opportunities, data from sources like the U.S. Department of Education and user input from current students, alumni and parents. Our A+ recognition on Niche is a testament to the dedication, faith, and perseverance of our entire Pope John XXIII School community. It reflects the hard work of our students, the passion of our teachers, and the support of our families and parish. Together, we are building a foundation of excellence rooted in faith and preparing our students to lead with integrity and compassion. To explore our profile and view the complete list of 2025 rankings, methodologies and data sources, visit niche.com and check out their website at www.popejohn23.org. Pope John XXIII School would like to thank its staff, students, parents and community for making PJ23 worthy of this national recognition.


Recognition of Dr. Chopra: We’re thrilled to share that one of our own has been featured in the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools’ Teacher Feature!  

Read the inspiring story of Dr. Chopra, whose dedication and passion for teaching are making a meaningful impact every day. We are so proud to have such an incredible educator on our team! Check out the article here: Dr. Chopra recognition


Evanston Children’s Choir: We enjoyed a beautiful concert by the Evanston Children’s Choir last Friday! Our choir students are extremely talented, and the audience truly enjoyed the performance. They are accepting new members at this time. You can find additional information here:  Evanston Children's Choir Link 


A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Our PJ Players delivered an enthusiastic performance with this Shakespearean play today! Our audience enjoyed the humor, the drama, and the fun. Thank you to Mrs. Mel Wolff for providing this experience for our students. 


School Store Program: Our school has begun to participate in the SchoolStore program. This online program is a service where you purchase an online gift card to a store where you already shop. Over 400 merchants, including WalMart, BestBuy, Family Bookstore, Kohl's and Old Navy, have joined together to give back up to 50% of all sales to our school just for shopping through SchoolStore.com. This is a great way to bring in some money to help offset our operating costs without families spending additional money. 


Student Council Update: Our Student Council has created a fun calendar of Christmas-themed outfits for the last week of school before the holiday break. Here’s the lineup:

We look forward to celebrating the holiday spirit together with these festive days!

No Aftercare on December 20 (early dismissal).

Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


12/16 Wear your Christmas PJs!

12/17 Wear your favorite Christmas character or movie!

12/18 Wear Christmas colors!

    2:00 dismissal

12/19 Wear your Christmas finest!

    Lessons and Carols 1:00 and 6:00 St. Nicholas Church

12/20 Wear your ugly Christmas sweater!

    Middle School Christmas brunch

Christmas parties preschool-5th grades 10:00

11:30 dismissal

AFTERCARE IS CANCELED

    Beginning of Christmas break

1/6 School resumes


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Family Newsletter

December 5, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


In honor of the Advent season to prepare ourselves for the birth of our Savior, our students in grades 3-8 participated in a reconciliation service today, with the majority attending confession. Fr. Jean-Philippe, Fr. Jose, and Fr. Oldershaw, along with two visiting priests, provided guidance and absolution. I am grateful to Mrs. Gumiran, Mrs. Patterson, Mr. Dinsmore, Ms. Tamara, and Ms. Piska for  preparing our students to participate in this important sacrament.  


We are also partnering with the Parish to provide Christmas cheer to those in need. Our 6th grade class, with Mrs. Bondi and Mrs. Patterson, set up the Advent Giving Tree. Please take a tag off of our Advent Giving Tree and return to the offertory plate or to Mrs. Mendoza in our school lobby. 


School Store Program: Our school will begin to participate in the SchoolStore program. This online program is not a fundraiser; rather, it is a service where you purchase an online gift card to a store where you already shop. Over 400 merchants, including WalMart, BestBuy, Family Bookstore, Kohl's and Old Navy, have joined together to give back up to 50% of all sales to our school just for shopping through SchoolStore.com. This is a great way to bring in some money to help offset our operating costs without families spending additional money. Please see the information farther down in this newsletter.


St. Nick’s Fest: Please join our Parish community at our annual St. Nick’s Fest event info this weekend, and consider volunteering volunteer here or here. 


Student Council Update: Our Student Council has created a fun calendar of Christmas-themed outfits for the last week of school before the holiday break. Here’s the lineup:

We look forward to celebrating the holiday spirit together with these festive days!

Winter Weather: We are experiencing true winter weather, and our students are doing a great job wearing appropriate winter outerwear, including winter coats, boots, hats, and gloves. Please remember that we go outside for recess every day, so it’s important for students to be properly dressed for the cold. Thank you for your continued support!


K-8 Uniforms: I have noticed that the sweatshirts and shoes many students are wearing are not part of the uniform code for our school. Here are some reminders regarding uniforms:

No Aftercare on December 11 (due to staff Christmas celebration), and December 20 (early dismissal).

Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


12/6 Evanston Children’s Choir performance at school 2:00

12/6-12/8 St. Nick’s Fest

12/10 Mass 8:15

12/11 2:00 dismissal

AFTERCARE IS CANCELED

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/12 PJ Players performances 1:30 and 4:00

12/17 Mass 8:15

12/18 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/19 Lessons and Carols 1:00 and 6:00 St. Nicholas Church

12/20 Middle School Christmas brunch

Christmas parties preschool-5th grades 10:00

11:30 dismissal

AFTERCARE IS CANCELED

Beginning of Christmas break

1/6 School resumes


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Family Newsletter

November 21, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Our Middle School French students participated in an immersive language experience during French class this week. Madame Irving provided croissants, hot chocolate or chocolate milk, and French music in our World Language Lab’s simulation room. Students had conversations in French while they enjoyed the treats and the music. This is the first of several such experiences in which our Middle School students will participate. Spanish and Latin language students will have similar immersive experiences.


Parent/Teacher Conferences: We look forward to seeing you at conferences. Conferences will be held on November 25 and 26. 


Winter Weather: We are experiencing winter weather. Please make sure your students are wearing appropriate winter outerwear (winter coat, boots, hat, gloves). We go outside for recess every day. 


K-8 Uniforms: I have noticed that the sweatshirts and shoes many students are wearing are not part of the uniform code for our school. Here are some reminders regarding uniforms:


Update to Discipline Rubric: As technology continues to evolve and become more sophisticated, we included some updates to our Middle School Consequences of Non-Aggressive Behavior discipline rubric. The sections highlighted in yellow are the recently added behaviors. The consequences remain the same. I presented this to the  School Advisory Board yesterday and to the Middle School students at lunch today. The students had some excellent questions and sought clarification. Please let me know if you have any questions. 


Inappropriate Use of School-Issued Technology

Visiting inappropriate sites; creating/using a Google app for unauthorized purposes; presence of weapons, adult material, alcohol, drugs, gang-related symbols or activity, or inappropriate images; use of device to cyber-bully

Plagiarism and/or cheating

This includes the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) sites to create what is supposed to be original, student-generated work. 

Exciting Updates Coming Soon: New Logo and Website Launch: We are thrilled to announce that we will soon unveil our brand-new logo and website! As many of you know, with the recent change to St. John XXIII Parish, our previous logo reflected the former names of “St. Mary’s and St. Nicholas Parishes,” which no longer aligned with our current identity. In the interim, Mrs. Sulton graciously created a temporary logo while we worked on updating our branding to better reflect who we are today.

We are incredibly grateful to Paula Bodnar, a talented professional and parishioner, who designed our new Parish logo. Paula collaborated closely with us to ensure that our school’s new logo not only aligns with our school’s image but also represents our community's spirit with a modern, eye-catching design.

Additionally, we are excited to announce that we will be transitioning to a new website provider. This change is part of our commitment to offering a better online experience for our families. The new platform will be easier to use, more affordable, and have a sleek, updated look. We consulted with John Siebert, the professional who designed the Parish website, to ensure a seamless transition and a design that will meet the needs of our school community.

No Aftercare on November 25 (early dismissal), December 11 (due to staff Christmas celebration), and December 20 (early dismissal).

Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


11/23 Confirmation retreat for 7th grade

11/25 11:30 Dismissal

AFTERCARE IS CANCELED

Parent/Teacher Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/26 Parent/Teacher Conferences 8:30 am-12:00 pm

11/27-11/29 Thanksgiving Break

12/3 Mass 8:15

12/4 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/6 Evanston Children’s Choir performance at school 2:00

12/6-12/8 St. Nicholas Festival

12/9 Mass: Feast of the Immaculate Conception

12/10 No Mass

12/11 2:00 dismissal

AFTERCARE IS CANCELED

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/12 PJ Players performances 1:30 and 4:00

12/17 Mass 8:15

12/18 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/19 Lessons and Carols 1:00 and 6:00 St. Nicholas Church

12/20 Middle School Christmas brunch

Christmas parties preschool-5th grades

11:30 dismissal

AFTERCARE IS CANCELED

Beginning of Christmas break

1/6 School resumes


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

November 14, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Signing our students’ report cards is a joyful task for me. I can see their growth and celebrate their accomplishments. I noticed a strong correlation between perfect attendance (0 absences and 0 tardies) and straight A/A+ grades for 3rd-8th grades, and all “M” designations (mastered/consistently demonstrates) in K-2nd grades. 17% of students in K-2 had perfect attendance and all “M” designations; 11% of 3rd-8th graders had perfect attendance and a straight A report card. I also noticed that many students who earned high marks missed only a few days. Regular, daily, on-time attendance truly helps students be successful. Keep up the good work, Panthers!


Report Cards: Report cards will be sent home tomorrow, Friday, November 15. We will include the September diagnostic scores in the report card. 


Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conferences will be held on November 25 and 26. 


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


11/19 School Mass 8:15

11/20 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/21 ETHS MAP testing 8th grade

11/23 Confirmation retreat for 7th grade

11/25 11:30 Dismissal

Parent/Teacher Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/26 Parent/Teacher Conferences 8:30 am-12:00 pm

11/27-11/29 Thanksgiving Break


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

November 7, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Pope Francis said, "Life is of no use if not used to serve others". At Pope John XXIII School, we believe in following the footsteps of Christ to serve others and help the most needy among us. We plan to increase our service to others this year. On Wednesday, our middle schoolers provided valuable and selfless service. They packed food bags for Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville. Through teamwork, focus and fun, we packed over 150 boxes of 24 food bags each. The food is sent to areas suffering from extreme poverty to provide balanced nourishment for children living in dire circumstances. I am very proud of our Panthers for the energy and enthusiasm they brought to this opportunity. 


We are facilitating a food drive for veterans starting on Monday, November 11 for Veterans’ Day. Let’s fill their cupboards with good food! Please look for details later in this newsletter.


Safety Audit and Training: On November 8, the school administrative team, some School Advisory Board members, and Parish staff will participate in a safety audit in partnership with the Evanston Police Department. EPD will help us evaluate the security of our campus and learn about updated processes for lock down procedures. 


Report Cards: Report cards will be sent home on November 15. We will include the September diagnostic scores in the report card. 


Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conferences will be held on November 25 and 26. Conference sign-ups have been shared with parents. Please select an available date and time for your conference. If you did not receive a sign up link, please let your child’s teacher know. 


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available to discern which would be of interest to you.  

Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


11/7 End of first trimester (PowerSchool turned off for parents)

11/8 No school- Professional Development day for staff

11/12 School Mass 8:15

11/13 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/15 Report Cards go home

11/19 School Mass 8:15

11/20 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/21 ETHS MAP testing 8th grade

11/23 Confirmation retreat for 7th grade

11/25 11:30 Dismissal

Parent/Teacher Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/26 Parent/Teacher Conferences 8:30 am-12:00 pm

11/27-11/29 Thanksgiving Break


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

October 31, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Happy Halloween! We had such a delightful day today. Our 3rd-8th grade students enjoyed the play Sherlock Holmes at Loyola Academy this morning. The students’ costumes are so clever and fun. Thank you to all of the room parents and volunteer parents who made the parties so much fun. 


All Saints Day: Please join us on November 1 at 8:15 at St. Nicholas Church for a special school Mass. Our 3rd graders are dressing as and presenting a variety of Saints for All Saints Day. All Saints Day is a holy day of obligation. We would love to see you at Mass. 


Report Cards: Report cards will be sent home on November 15. We will include the September diagnostic scores in the report card. 


Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conferences will be held on November 25 and 26. Conference sign-ups have been shared with parents. Please select an available date and time for your conference. If you did not receive a sign up link, please let your child’s teacher know. 


Website and Logo Redesign: We are very excited about updating our website and our logo. Mrs. Sulton and I have been working with the same professionals who redesigned the Parish website and logo to create an updated, current version for our school. This has been a collaborative effort with  members of the School Advisory Board and Fr. Jean-Philippe. I look forward to sharing our final designs with you within the next few months!


Coaching Faculty: All staff members at PJ23 are participating in job-embedded coaching. Mrs. Buckman has been very busy with providing on the job, immediate coaching for members of our faculty. For content areas that require a more specialized knowledge, I have recruited professionals to also provide coaching. Additionally, I will begin coaching faculty members after Halloween. Why are we implementing a coaching model? As the Engage2learn organization states, “In recent years, teacher coaching has emerged as a significant tool to enhance teaching practices, improve student outcomes, and increase teacher satisfaction and retention. Coaching teachers provides educators with the unique opportunity to reflect on their instructional practices and gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement. Through regular coaching sessions, teachers can engage in meaningful conversations that encourage self-reflection and self-awareness. The coach is there to ask thought-provoking questions, challenge assumptions, and help teachers explore alternative strategies, leading to enhanced teaching effectiveness. Teacher coaching provides numerous significant benefits to all teachers.” (For the full article, see https://engage2learn.org/blog/why-even-the-best-teachers-need-coaches-supporting-excellence-in-education )


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available to discern which would be of interest to you.  

Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

11/5 Shadow Day at PJ23 

Mass 8:15

11/6 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/7 End of first trimester (PowerSchool turned off for parents)

11/8 No school- Professional Development day for staff

11/12 School Mass 8:15

11/13 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/15 Report Cards go home

11/19 School Mass 8:15

11/20 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/21 ETHS MAP testing 8th grade

11/23 Confirmation retreat for 7th grade

11/25 11:30 Dismissal

Parent/Teacher Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/26 Parent/Teacher Conferences 8:30 am-12:00 pm

11/27-11/29 Thanksgiving Break


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

October 24, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Mrs. Sulton visited our first graders during their ECLIP Spanish immersion class today. Mrs. Millan and the students were solving math problems completely in Spanish! Mrs. Millan asked the students a question about equations, and together they discussed problem-solving strategies and calculated the solution, all using Spanish! Our Spanish ECLIP Program (Early Childhood Language Intensive Program) is the entryway to our World Language programs, which include Spanish, French and Latin. 


Out of uniform day: On Friday, October 25, Student Council is hosting the first out of uniform for $1 day. The theme is “Orange It Out”, and students can wear orange, black, purple or green. 


Halloween: PJ23 will celebrate Halloween on Thursday, October 31 with classroom parties and a parade. We ask all room parents for grades PK-8 to reach out to homeroom teachers to coordinate classroom parties. As a reminder, ALL volunteers are required to complete a background check and VIRTUS Training Class as mandated by the Archdiocese of Chicago.


Field Trip information: Taking students on field trips is an important part of their learning experiences. According to the National Education Association (NEA), the impact of field trips for students has lasting and varied benefits. The U.S. Travel Association conducted a study with 400 adults (balanced for gender, age, race and income)—half of which had taken a learning trip in their youth, the other half had not—to determine the importance of field trips in education settings. The study found that regardless of gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status, children who take school trips have better grades (59%), higher graduation rates from high school (95%) and college (63%) and greater income (12% higher annually). 

In fact, 89% said educational trips had a positive, lasting impact on their education and career because enriching field trips made them more engaged, intellectually curious, and interested in and out of school. To read the whole article, please follow this link NEA Field Trips. 

The cost of buses has dramatically increased. This is due to the bus driver shortage and some local bus companies have closed. We have a few field trips that have cost more than they have in the past. We are attempting to keep trips as close to home as possible, whenever possible. We are also searching for experiences that have no admissions fees (Loyola Theater and Feed My Starving Children). Additionally, we are having several in-school field trips (no bus required!) this year that will typically cost only $10 per student. However, some of the field trips have us traveling a bit more and have various entrance fees (such as the pumpkin farm grades PK-3, Iron Oaks grades 4-5, and Springfield grade 8), which increase the cost of the trip. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available to discern which would be of interest to you.  


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


10/25 Picture Retakes

Out of uniform for $1: Orange it out! Wear orange, black, purple and/or green. 

10/27 8th grade Confirmation Rite of Commitment 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

10/29 NO MASS (Mass moved to 11/1)

10/30 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/31 Halloween celebrations

11/1 School Mass (All Saints Day- Holy Day of Obligation)

11/5 Shadow Day at PJ23 

Mass 8:15

11/6 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/7 End of first trimester (PowerSchool turned off for parents)

11/8 No school- Professional Development day for staff

11/12 School Mass 8:15

11/13 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/19 School Mass 8:15

11/20 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/21 ETHS MAP testing 8th grade

11/23 Confirmation retreat for 7th grade

11/25 11:30 Dismissal

Parent/Teacher Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/26 Parent/Teacher Conferences 8:30 am-12:00 pm

11/27-11/29 Thanksgiving Break


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

October 17, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Yesterday, I was in Ms. Urban’s 7th grade literature class. The students were discussing/debating a weighty question about their book The Giver and providing compelling evidence to support their claims. I was impressed by the depth of their conversation and the respectful nature in which they debated each other. 


Digital Citizenship: Mrs. Bondi is talking about digital media safety and digital habits during middle school life skills classes this week, as it is Digital Citizenship Week. Our goal is to help our students learn to safely navigate social media and the online world. Please take a look at the parent resources available at Link to Common Sense Media:  https://www.commonsense.org/education/family-engagement-resources 


Trunk or Treat Halloween Fest: Please join us at our Trunk or Treat Halloween Fest this weekend hosted by our Parents Association. You can volunteer to do a trunk or help in other ways. Middle school students are encouraged to volunteer for service hours. LINK


Out of uniform day: On Friday, October 25, Student Council is hosting the first out of uniform for $1 day. The theme is “Orange It Out”, and students can wear orange, black, purple or green. 


Halloween: PJ23 will celebrate Halloween on Thursday, October 31 with classroom parties and a parade. We ask all room parents for grades PK-8 to reach out to homeroom teachers to coordinate classroom parties. As a reminder, ALL volunteers are required to complete a background check and VIRTUS Training Class as mandated by the Archdiocese of Chicago.


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available to discern which would be of interest to you.  


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


10/19 Trunk or Treat

10/22 School Mass 8:15

10/23 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/25 Picture Retakes

Out of uniform for $1: Orange it out! Wear orange, black, purple and/or green. 

10/27 8th grade Confirmation Rite of Commitment 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

10/29 NO MASS (Mass moved to 11/1)

10/30 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/31 Halloween celebrations

11/1 School Mass (All Saints Day- Holy Day of Obligation)

11/5 Shadow Day at PJ23 

Mass 8:15

11/6 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/7 End of first trimester (PowerSchool turned off for parents)

11/8 No school- Professional Development day for staff


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

October 10, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Congratulations to our Academic Bowl Team! They competed against other Catholic schools and Notre Dame College Prep and won the event. They qualified to compete in the championship round on October 22. 


Feast of St. John XXIII: On October 12, our Parish will celebrate the feast day of our patron saint. Please join our community at 5:00 Mass at St. Nicholas. Students who attend Mass wearing their uniform can have an out of uniform day on Tuesday, October 15.  


Trunk or Treat Halloween Fest: Please join us at our Trunk or Treat Halloween Fest hosted by our Parents Association. You can volunteer to do a trunk or help in other ways. Middle school students are encouraged to volunteer for service hours. LINK


Out of uniform day: On Friday, October 25, Student Council is hosting the first out of uniform for $1 day. The theme is “Orange It Out”, and students can wear orange, black, purple or green shirts with jeans. 


Halloween: PJ23 will celebrate Halloween on Thursday, October 31 with classroom parties and a parade. We ask all room parents for grades PK-8 to reach out to homeroom teachers to coordinate classroom parties. As a reminder, ALL volunteers are required to complete a background check and VIRTUS Training Class as mandated by the Archdiocese of Chicago.


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available to discern which would be of interest to you.  


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


10/12 Feast Day of St. John XXIII: Mass at St. Nicholas at 5:00

10/14 No School- Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day

10/15  8:15 School Mass

10/16 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/19 Trunk or Treat

10/22 School Mass 8:15

10/23 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/25 Picture Retakes

Out of uniform for $1: Orange it out! Wear orange, black, purple and/or green. 

10/27 8th grade Confirmation Rite of Commitment 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

10/29 NO MASS (Mass moved to 11/1)

10/30 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/31 Halloween celebrations

11/1 School Mass (All Saints Day- Holy Day of Obligation)


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

October 3, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Oktoberfiesta was a big success! I am grateful for the tremendous participation from our school families and staff. This event will continue to grow as it becomes a mainstay event for Evanston!


Fr. Jean-Philippe visited the 5th grade class last week. They had a discussion about the Seven Sacraments. The students and Fr. J.P. had time to enjoy a discussion about the different languages they all spoke. Father is visiting classrooms on a regular basis and talking with the students about what they are currently studying in religion class.  


Halloween: We will share guidelines and information about Halloween in soon. Please be aware that costumes should be Catholic school appropriate. Fake weapons, gory costumes, and costumes that would frighten the younger students are not allowed at school. 


Halloween Costumes: Do you have outgrown Halloween Costumes that have come back to haunt you? Take a Costume, Leave a Costume: Consider the Halloween Costume Exchange! October 1-October 11 School Lunchroom (stage)

Please make sure that the costumes are clean and in good condition. Costumes can be selected during the Trunk or Treat! All leftover costumes will be donated. If you have any questions, please contact the Parent Association at parentassociation@popejohn23.org


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available to discern which would be of interest to you.  


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


10/8 8:15 School Mass

10/9 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/11 Final day to bring in Halloween costumes

10/12 Celebration of St. John XXIII Feast Day 5:00-6:00pm

10/14 No School- Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day

10/15  8:15 School Mass

10/16 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/19 Trunk or Treat

10/22 School Mass 8:15

10/23 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/25 Picture Retakes

10/27 8th grade Confirmation Rite of Commitment 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

10/29 NO MASS (Mass moved to 11/1)

10/30 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/31 Halloween celebrations

11/1 School Mass (All Saints Day- Holy Day of Obligation)


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25

Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


International Reading Contest: 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

September 26, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


We had our Student Council elections this week. I am very proud of all of the candidates who ran for office. Candidates were required to meet deadlines, prepare campaign posters and speeches, and deliver the speech to the student body before the election. The results were very close. I am looking forward to the leadership the officers will provide for the student body. 

Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Student Council Officers!

President: Dot Sullivan

Vice President: Anya Turyin

Secretary: Lila Wagner

Treasurer: Stephanie Mateescu 

Historian: Madonna Mirza

School Spirit: Lou Kosyla 


Grandparents and Special Friends Day: We had such a wonderful turnout for this day! Everyone truly enjoyed being together for Mass, classroom visits, and the reception in the lunchroom. Our community is truly blessed to have the involvement of grandparents and special friends in our students’ lives. 


Oktoberfiesta: Join us on Saturday, September 28 for a celebration with music, food, beverages and activities for the kids. We need families to both volunteer to help with the event and to have fun at the event. Bring your friends! Sign up here Volunteer Sign-Up to volunteer. See below for details. 


Halloween Costumes: Do you have outgrown Halloween Costumes that have come back to haunt you? Take a Costume, Leave a Costume: Consider the Halloween Costume Exchange! October 1-October 11 School Lunchroom (stage)

Please make sure that the costumes are clean and in good condition. Costumes can be selected during the Trunk or Treat! All leftover costumes will be donated. If you have any questions, please contact the Parent Association at parentassociation@popejohn23.org


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available to discern which would be of interest to you.  


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

9/27    No School-PD for Staff

9/28    OktoberFiesta

10/1 8:15 School Mass

Begin to bring in used Halloween costumes

10/2 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/8 8:15 School Mass

10/9 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/11 Final day to bring in Halloween costumes

10/12 Celebration of St. John XXIII Feast Day 5:00-6:00pm

10/14 No School- Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day

10/15 8:15 School Mass

10/16 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/19 Trunk or Treat

10/22 School Mass 8:15

10/23 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/25 Picture Retakes

10/27 8th grade Confirmation Rite of Commitment 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

10/29 NO MASS (Mass moved to 11/1)

10/30 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/31 Halloween celebrations

11/1 School Mass (All Saints Day- Holy Day of Obligation)


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


International Reading Contest: 



Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

September 19, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Fr. Jean Philippe had a wonderful visit with our 5th graders today. They discussed the seven sacraments, and then spent some time asking questions. They shared some laughter and good stories together! Fr. Jean Philippe will be visiting our classrooms on a regular basis. 


Grandparents and Special Friends Day: On Tuesday, September 24, we are inviting grandparents and special friends of our students to attend Mass, visit classrooms, and share snacks at a reception in the lunchroom. We start at 8:15 with Mass. Grandparents should meet us in the church. We have designated areas for each grade to sit. Families with more than one PJ23 student will sit with the class of the YOUNGEST student so grandparents can celebrate Mass with all of their grandchildren together. Invitations are coming. If a grandparent is not available, students can host their parent, aunt, uncle, family friend, or such person.



Student Council: Student Council elections will be held on September 23 following speeches by the candidates. Candidates need to meet deadlines, prepare campaign posters and speeches, and deliver the speech to the student body before the election.  


Oktoberfiesta: Join us on Saturday, September 28 for a celebration with music, food, beverages and activities for the kids. We need families to both volunteer to help with the event and to have fun at the event. Bring your friends! Sign up here Volunteer Sign-Up to volunteer. See below for details. 


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available to discern which would be of interest to you.  


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

9/23 Student Council Elections

9/24 Grandparents and Special Friends Day

8:15 School Mass

9:00-10:00 Reception and Classroom Visits

9/25 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/26 Math Club 7:30 1-4 Conference Room; 5-8 room 205

9/27    No School-PD for Staff

9/28    OktoberFiesta

10/1 8:15 School Mass

10/2 2:00 dismissal

Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


International Reading Contest: 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

September 12, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


We are off to a great start with sports! Our volleyball teams, football team, cheer squad, soccer team, and flag football are all in full swing. Thank you to Ms. Kaminski, our Athletic Director, and all of the coaches for helping out students develop their skills.


Catholic High School Fair: Our partner Catholic high schools presented a high school fair to share information about their respective schools. Several schools brought former PJ23 students


Grandparents and Special Friends Day: On Tuesday, September 24, we are inviting grandparents and special friends of our students to attend Mass, visit classrooms, and share snacks at a reception in the lunchroom. We start at 8:15 with Mass, and the event ends at 10:00. Invitations are coming. If a grandparent is not available, students can host their parent, aunt, uncle, family friend, or such person.



Student Council: Student Council candidates will begin campaigning for office next week. Elections will be held on September 23 following speeches by the candidates. Candidates need to meet deadlines, prepare campaign posters and speeches, and deliver the speech to the student body before the election.  


Oktoberfiesta: Join us on Saturday, September 28 for a celebration with music, food, beverages and activities for the kids. We need families to both volunteer to help with the event and to have fun at the event. Bring your friends! See below for details. 


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available to discern which would be of interest to you.  


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

9/17 School Mass 8:15

9/18    Picture Day

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/19 Math Club 7:30 1-4 Conference Room; 5-8 room 205

9/20 Loyola Academy Shadow Day

9/23 Student Council Elections

9/24 Grandparents and Special Friends Day

8:15 School Mass

9:00-10:00 Reception and Classroom Visits

9/26 Math Club 7:30 1-4 Conference Room; 5-8 room 205

9/27    No School-PD for Staff

9/28    Octoberfiesta


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


International Reading Contest: 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

September 6, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Thank you for attending our Curriculum Night! We had a great turnout. Teachers are emailing their slide presentations and curriculum packets to you next week. A special thank you to Christie Klimas, Rob Sullivan, Jessie Oloroso, Emily Webb Price, and Olivia Kaminski for sharing information about our three main stakeholder groups.  

 

Air Conditioning: We hit our goal! We can now place air conditioners in the remaining classrooms and spaces. AC has really made a difference in our student learning.


iReady testing: We have been doing iReady testing this week. We will complete the testing next week.


Student Council: We held our Student Council Officer interest meeting yesterday. Student interest is high! Students in grades 7 and 8 can run for the following offices: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, School Spirit Officer, and School Historian. Elections will be held on September 23 following speeches by the candidates. Candidates need to meet deadlines, prepare campaign posters and speeches, and deliver the speech to the student body. 


Volunteer Opportunities: Our parents are one of our strongest resources. Each family should participate in 10 hours of school-based volunteer opportunities. Participating in the School Advisory Board, the Parent Association, and our Athletic Board are just a few of the easy to become involved. Please review the types of opportunities available HERE (put link) to discern which would be of interest to you.  


Math Club: We are excited to bring back our Thursday morning 7:30 a.m. Math Club! Students in grades 1-4 who would benefit from extra time with math will meet with Mrs. Patterson in the conference room. Students in grades 5-8 who need help with the current curriculum they are learning can meet with Mr. Geregach in room 205. Ms. Tamara will provide extra time with math for students in grade 3-5 during their Thursday recess. No advance notice is required for students to attend. 


Lunch: Please be sure to send plastic or metal containers for your child’s lunch. Glass containers, straws or water bottles should not be sent to school. 


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

9/9      Catholic High School Fair 5:30-6:30

9/10 School Mass 8:15

9/11 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/12 Math Club 7:30 1-4 Conference Room; 5-8 room 205

 Confirmation meeting for 7th grade parents 7:00-8:30

9/17 School Mass 8:15

9/18    Picture Day

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/19 Math Club 7:30 1-4 Conference Room; 5-8 room 205

9/20 Loyola Academy Shadow Day

9/23 Student Council Elections

9/24 Grandpersons and Special Persons Day

8:15 School Mass

9:00-10:30 Reception and Classroom Visits

9/26 Math Club 7:30 1-4 Conference Room; 5-8 room 205

9/27    No School-PD for Staff

9/28    Octoberfiesta


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


International Reading Contest: 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

August 29, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


We have had a busy first week of school! We have been staying cool and engaging in meaningful learning during the hot temperatures, thanks to your generosity with providing funds for air conditioning. Our middle school students have enjoyed our World Language Lab, as it is a special place for learning. We also had a great turnout for the back to school BBQ- we even had visits from the Class of 2024! Our 4th and 5th grade students enjoyed a presentation from our school band company, and will discern if and what instruments they would like to play. 


Curriculum Night: Our Curriculum Night is Thursday, September 5 from 6:00-7:30. We begin the evening together in our cafeteria, where I will introduce the staff and say a few words. Our PA co-presidents and School Advisory Board president and our Athletic Director will say a few words about their groups. Middle School teachers will present as a team during the 6:30 and 7:00 sessions in the lunchroom. The World Language Lab is open for tours, and preschool-5th grade teachers will give presentations in their classrooms. Specials teachers will be available in the lunchroom and have information about their programs. 


Chromebooks will go home with middle schoolers on Friday, and the rest of the school will have access next week. We will begin our iReady diagnostic testing next week as well. 


School start time: This is just a reminder that school starts at 8:15. Student drop off begins at 8:00. Students should not be dropped off earlier than 8:00, as we do not provide supervision before that time. Students left unattended before 8:00 will be brought to our morning care program (fees apply). 

 

Air Conditioning: We are so grateful to have air conditioning in our homeroom classrooms! This has made a tremendous difference for our students this week. We need to provide air conditioning units in six additional classrooms that are used by special areas, such as the media center and the reading resource room. We are close to meeting our goal! Please consider contributing to this cause. You can use THIS LINK or send a check to school. Please put the word “air conditioning” in the description online or the memo of the check.  


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

9/2      No School-Labor Day

9/3 School Mass 8:15

9/4 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/5 Curriculum Night 6:00-7:30

Parent meeting for athletics 7:30

9/9      Catholic High School Fair 5:30-6:30

9/10 School Mass 8:15

9/11 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/12 Confirmation meeting for 7th grade parents 7:00-8:30

9/17 School Mass 8:15

9/18    Picture Day

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/20 Loyola Academy Shadow Day

9/24 Grandpersons and Special Persons Day

8:15 School Mass

9:00-10:30 Reception and Classroom Visits

9/27    No School-PD for Staff

9/28    Octoberfest


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


International Reading Contest: 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

PJ23 Newsletter

August 22, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


It was so wonderful to have our students back! Thank you for attending our back to school celebration in the morning. It was such a fun and positive way to begin the school year together. Students reviewed procedures, practiced emergency drills, and participated in fun welcome back activities. Please enjoy the following reel of our celebration: PJ23 Back to School Celebration


On Friday, August 23, we will have our first full day of school. Please make sure to send lunch with your child if you did not order a hot lunch.


Back to School BBQ: On Saturday, August 24, our Parent Association is hosting our Back to School BBQ bash from 3:00-7:00. Bring a side dish to share. There will be a uniform exchange from 2:00-4:00 as well.  


Air Conditioning: We are so grateful to have air conditioning in our homeroom classrooms! This has made a tremendous difference for our students. We need to provide air conditioning units in six additional classrooms that are used by special areas, such as the media center and the reading resource room. Please consider contributing to this cause. You can use THIS LINK or send a check to school. Please put the word “air conditioning” in the description online or the memo of the check.  


Walking Home: Students in grade 5-8 can walk home or bike without their parents or caretakers with written parent permission. If you want your child to walk home, please download, print and complete THIS FORM and send it to school as soon as possible. The form is also located on the Family Resource Hub.


Family Resource Hub: Mrs. Sulton created a resource where all of our documents and important forms are located. This is intended for both new and existing families. You can find the link here: LINK 


Language Lab: To accommodate our robust and unique foreign language program, we are opening the PJ23 World Language Lab! The World Language Lab will be located in the building previously known as the preschool building. This new hub for language learning is set to become a cornerstone of our community. By bringing all our language instruction together in this special place, we’re creating a dedicated space that goes beyond just learning words and grammar. Here, students will dive into the rich and diverse cultures that accompany each language. The World Language Lab will foster a more comprehensive and immersive study experience into French, Spanish, and Latin, enriching our students' understanding and appreciation of the world around them.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

8/24 Uniform Sale & Back to School BBQ

8/27 School Mass 8:15

8/28 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/2      No School-Labor Day

9/3 School Mass 8:15

9/4 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/5 Curriculum Night 6:00-7:30

Parent meeting for athletic 7:30

9/9     Catholic High School Fair 5:30-6:30

9/10 School Mass 8:15

9/11 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/12 Confirmation meeting for 7th grade parents 7:00-8:30

9/17 School Mass 8:15

9/18    Picture Day

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/20 Loyola Academy Shadow Day

9/24 Grandpersons and Special Persons Day

8:15 School Mass

9:00-10:30 Reception and Classroom Visits

9/27    No School-PD for Staff

9/28    Octoberfest


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the Complete Calendar Dates FY25


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


International Reading Contest: 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Newsletter: Back to School Edition

August 16, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Welcome back to school! The Pope John XXIII Staff is ready and excited to have our Panthers join us next week. 


Teachers have been preparing thoughtfully, setting up inviting classrooms, and anticipating their students’ return! Our collective goal is to create an environment where every child feels supported, valued, and challenged to grow academically, socially, and spiritually. 

We are looking forward to welcoming our students and families back to school on Thursday, August 22nd. Our faculty and staff will be outside on the parking lot at 8:00AM ready to greet the students. There will be music and time for families to celebrate, take photos and enjoy the return to the 2024-2025 school year. Adults are welcome to enjoy “Donuts with the Grown Ups” hosted by our Parent Association. Teachers will dismiss their students at 11:30AM back on the parking lot. Please remember that teachers need to visually see the adult their child is being released to. If your child is walking, don’t forget to fill out a permission slip (found in the Family Resource Hub). The first full day of school will be on Friday, August 23rd, with a 3PM dismissal and 8:15 tardy time. 


Family Resource Hub: Mrs. Sulton created a resource where all of our documents and important forms are located. This is intended for both new and existing families. You can find the link here: LINK 


Language Lab: To accommodate our robust and unique foreign language program, we are opening the PJ23 World Language Lab! The World Language Lab will be located in the building previously known as the preschool building. This new hub for language learning is set to become a cornerstone of our community. By bringing all our language instruction together in this special place, we’re creating a dedicated space that goes beyond just learning words and grammar. Here, students will dive into the rich and diverse cultures that accompany each language. The World Language Lab will foster a more comprehensive and immersive study experience into French, Spanish, and Latin, enriching our students' understanding and appreciation of the world around them.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

8/22 First day of school 11:30 dismissal

8/24 Uniform Sale & Back to School BBQ

9/2      No School-Labor Day

9/9      Catholic High School Fair 5:30-6:30

9/18    Picture Day

9/27    No School-PD for Staff

9/28    Octoberfest


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


International Reading Contest: 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Newsletter: Summer Edition

June 26, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


I hope you are all having a wonderful summer! The office team and I have been having fun preparing curriculum, organizing staff development, ordering textbooks, and getting the building ready for August. We have just a few things we would like to share with you. 


Family Fridays: Please join our families each week in July for Family Fridays. Each week has a different theme. You can find more information and the schedule below. 


4th of July Parade: Please join us for marching in the Evantson 4th of July Parade! The parade is at noon on the 4th of July. Help us build the float on July 2nd at 4:00 in the school parking lot for added family fun. 


Family Resource Hub: Mrs. Sulton created a resource where all of our documents and important forms are located. This is intended for both new and existing families. You can find the link here: LINK 


Language Lab: To accommodate our robust and unique foreign language program, we are opening the PJ23 World Language Lab! The World Language Lab will be located in the building previously known as the preschool building. This new hub for language learning is set to become a cornerstone of our community. By bringing all our language instruction together in this special place, we’re creating a dedicated space that goes beyond just learning words and grammar. Here, students will dive into the rich and diverse cultures that accompany each language. The World Language Lab will foster a more comprehensive and immersive study experience into French, Spanish, and Latin, enriching our students' understanding and appreciation of the world around them.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

7/2 Family Fridays (yes, this is a Tuesday): 4th of July Float Building 4:00-6:00

7/4 March in the Evanston 4th of July parade 12:00

7/12 Family Fridays: Water Play 4:00-6:00

7/19 Family Fridays: Bike Decorating 4:00-6:00

7/26 Family Fridays: Olympics 4:00-6:00

8/15 Teachers return 

8/22 First day of school 11:30 dismissal

8/24 Back to School Picnic


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


Judy Rack Memorial Scholarship: Please donate here: LINK


Spring Video Update: Please take a look: LINK


Awards Ceremony video LINK HERE and the photo album of the award recipients.


International Reading Contest: 


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Newsletter

May 30, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Our 8th grade class visited Springfield on Tuesday. Ms. Fall, Mr. Geregach and I accompanied the students. We toured Abraham Lincoln’s home, visited the state capitol, and explored New Salem Village, a replica of the village in which Abraham Lincoln grew up. We all learned a great deal and had a good time. 


Our K-8 students enjoyed a Chicago Dogs game on Wednesday. It was really wonderful to attend this event as a whole school. Today, our 4th grade students drew topographical maps using woodchips as a guide; our 8th grade students defeated the teachers in the Students v. Staff volleyball game; our 3rd graders created solar ovens and cooked s’mores! We bid farewell to the Class of 2024 as they walked through the school one last time, with the rest of the students and staff cheering them on. 


It is hard to believe that the Class of 2024 is already moving on. I am tremendously proud of your academic, athletic, artistic, and faith-centered accomplishments this year. You are truly an amazing group of young women and men!


Judy Rack Memorial Celebration and Scholarship: Judy Rack’s family is hosting a celebration of life on June 8 at 11:00 at St. Nick’s Church. The playground dedication to Judy and reception will follow. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend. In lieu of flowers, her family asks that people donate to her scholarship fund. You can donate here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

5/31 8th grade graduation rehearsal and banquet

7th grade to Lemont Adventure Park

6/2 GRADUATION! St. Nick’s 3:00

6/4 Preschool Celebration 10:00 lunchroom (Last day of school for preschool)

Kindergarten Graduation 2:00 lunchroom

6/5 Field Day for K-7 at Kamen Park

6/6 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL- parents are welcome to join us

8:00-8:15- students enter as usual

8:20-9:20- All school end of year slideshow celebration (lunchroom)

9:30-10:20- Mass at St. Nick’s

10:20-10:30- End of the year celebration in our parking lot!


6/8 Miss Judy Rack Celebration of Life 11:00 St. Nick’s


8/22 First day of school 11:30 dismissal


Please explore the following links to see the great things happening at PJ23:


Spring Video Update: Please take a look: LINK


Awards Ceremony video LINK HERE and the photo album of the award recipients.


International Reading Contest: 


FY25 Staff: Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Newsletter

May 23, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Congratulations to our students who received awards today during our awards ceremony. Students were recognized for service to the school and community; excellence in academics; and dedication to the fine arts and athletics. Please enjoy the recording of the ceremony LINK HERE and the photo album of the award recipients.


I would especially like to congratulate the recipients of our Citizenship Award and the Principal’s Excellence Award. The Citizenship Award honors two outstanding 8th grade students who have shown, by their words and actions, that they possess the qualities and characteristics we hope to instill in all our students. Congratulations to Andrea Florescu and Rodrigue D’Almeida, the recipients of the Citizenship Award. These two students exemplify the best traits of a Pope John XXIII School student. 


Congratulations to Kaitlin Rebaya and Jackson Badillo, the recipients of the Principal’s Excellence Award. This award honors two exceptional 8th grade students for their outstanding achievement and hard work. Their outstanding efforts have enabled them to consistently meet challenging standards of excellence.


FY25 Staffing Update: WE ARE FULLY STAFFED! Please see the FY25 Pope John XXIII Staff here: FY 25 MAIN Staff list .docx


International Reading Contest: WBBM radio interviewed me yesterday about our success in the 311Literacy International Reading Contest. You can hear two different audio clips here: LINK 1 LINK 2


Additionally, the Evanston Patch featured our success in their paper: Evanston Patch: https://patch.com/illinois/evanston/evanstons-pope-john-xxii-school-wins-international-reading-tournament-nodx


Chicago Dogs Trip: We have some exciting field trips planned for the end of the year. Our Chicago Dogs field trip is for our students in grades K-8 and our faculty. Please note: Our dismissal time on that date, which is a Wednesday, will be 3:00. This is due to our return time to school from the trip. 


Judy Rack Memorial Celebration and Scholarship: Judy Rack’s family is hosting a celebration of life on June 8 at 11:00 at St. Nick’s Church. The playground dedication to Judy and reception will follow. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend. In lieu of flowers, her family asks that people donate to her scholarship fund. You can donate here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

5/27 NO SCHOOL- Memorial Day

5/28 8th grade to Springfield

4th grade Wax Museum 1:45-2:45 

5/29 K-8 trip to Chicago Dogs (wear PJ23 spirit wear or PE uniform)

3:00 dismissal (due to timing of return from Chicago Dogs trip)

5/30 8th grade pizza party 

8th grade class walks through the school for their final time at 2:50 

5/31 8th grade graduation rehearsal and banquet

7th grade to Lemont Adventure Park

6/1 GRADUATION! St. Nick’s 3:00

6/4 Preschool Celebration 10:00 lunchroom (Last day of school for preschool)

Kindergarten Graduation 2:00 lunchroom

6/5 Field Day for K-8 at Kamen Park

6/6 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL- parents are welcome to join us

8:00-8:15- students enter as usual

8:20-9:20- All school end of year slideshow celebration (lunchroom)

9:30-10:20- Mass at St. Nick’s

10:20-10:30- End of the year celebration in our parking lot!


6/8 Miss Judy Rack Celebration of Life 11:00 St. Nick’s


8/22 First day of school 11:30 dismissal


Spring Video Update: Please take a look: LINK


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline


Great things are happening at Pope John XXIII School!

Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Newsletter

May 16, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Our Boosterthon was a big success! We had so much fun. We met our goal of $25,000 profit! This money will be used for school programming that includes updated curriculum materials, teacher supplies, and scholarships. The students have earned a school-wide movie day for this great level of participation.


The Awards Ceremony is rescheduled for Thursday, May 23 at 1:00 in the lunchroom. We moved the date due to iReady testing. 


The Family Raffle Fee drawing will take place on Monday, May 20. Please get your raffle tickets in by Monday at 8:00. 


Math Club: Our Math Club has been a big success! We appreciate the work of the teachers who facilitated it and the students who attended. The last Math Club meeting will be Thursday, May 23.


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating your account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

5/20 Raffle drawing

5/21 Mass 8:15

School Advisory Board meeting 6:30

5/22 2:00 Dismissal 

5/23 Final Math Club meetings 7:30 and recess

Awards Ceremony 1:30 school lunchroom

5/27 NO SCHOOL- Memorial Day

5/28 8th grade to Springfield

5/29 K-8 trip to Chicago Dogs

 

Spring Video Update: Please take a look at : LINK


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Newsletter

May 9, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Congratulations to our 2nd grade students who celebrated the sacrament of First Holy Communion and participated in our lovely May Crowning ceremony! First Communion is a special day because it is the first time a child receives the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ. The Eucharist is a very important part of the Catholic faith, and receiving Communion is a way for Catholics to connect with Christ. The Eucharist is also a reminder of the sacrifice that Christ made for us, and it is a way for us to remember that we are all part of the same body, the body of Christ.


Lunch Survey: We are exploring lunch service providers. Please fill out this short survey to help us as we decide what works for our school community. LINK


Re-Enrollment:Thank you to the families who have re-enrolled for the 2024-25 school year. Your re-enrollment fee will be billed in FACTS. 


Boosterthon: We currently have 72% of our students registered. Students that are registered may come out of uniform, tomorrow, Friday, May 10. Registration is free! We are looking forward to the event on May 15.


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

5/11 State Academic Bowl

5/14 Mass 8:15

5/15 Boosterthon Fun Run!

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

5/19 Raffle tickets due

5/20 Raffle drawing

Spring Video Update: Please take a look at : LINK


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Newsletter

May 2, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Congratulations to our 8th grade students who celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation! I am very proud of you for reaffirming your commitment to our faith. 

First Communion: Our 2nd graders are celebrating the sacrament of First Communion this Saturday. Please keep them in your prayers as they reach this important spiritual milestone.

Lunch Survey: We are exploring lunch service providers. Please fill out this short survey to help us as we decide what works for our school community. LINK


Re-Enrollment:Thank you to the families who have re-enrolled for the 2024-25 school year. Your re-enrollment fee will be billed in FACTS. 


Raffle Tickets: In the beginning of the school year, each family pays a family raffle fee of $400. Most of the money is used to offset our operating costs in order to keep tuition as low as possible. We sent home $400 worth of $50 raffle tickets to each family. You can choose to sell the tickets and keep the money to offset the original cost of the raffle tickets that you have already paid. Or, you can fill out the tickets yourself and turn them in. We will have four drawings for $1,000 prizes and four drawings for $500 prizes. Please bring the completed ticket stubs to school by May 19. We will have the drawing on May 20.


Boosterthon: On Monday May 6, our Boosterthon Fun Run fundraiser kicks off. Thank you for registering your child. We are looking forward to the event on May 15.


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

5/4 First Communion

State Science Fair

5/6 Boosterthon Fundraiser Kickoff

5/7 May Crowning 8:00AM Mass at St. Mary’s 

            **K-8 Drop off at St. Mary’s begins at 7:45AM**

5/8 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

5/9 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

Spring Band Concert

5/11 State Academic Bowl

5/14 Mass 8:15

5/15 Boosterthon Fun Run!

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

5/19 Raffle tickets due

5/20 Raffle drawing

Spring Video Update: Please take a look at : LINK


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Newsletter

April 25, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


We are incredibly proud of our 6th graders for their accomplishments in the 2024 International Reading Tournament! Our entire school participated in this contest as part of “March Madness”. They 6th graders won first place as the Top Class internationally. Our school placed first internationally as well. Madonna Mirza is the top student in our country. Students read books and answered comprehension questions. We competed against 95 schools, and 4,650 students from across the United States, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. You can read more about it here in this news article. Congratulations!


Confirmation: Our 8th graders are celebrating the sacrament of Confirmation this Saturday. Please keep them in your prayers as they reaffirm their dedication to our faith. 


Father Augustus Tolton Essay Contest: Please join me in extending heartfelt congratulations to Emanuel Piverger and Ian Seo, fifth graders whose work secured them third place in the prestigious essay contest! Spanning the entirety of the Archdiocese of Chicago, this competition tasked students with reflecting on the profound influence of Fr. Tolton on our faith as he progresses towards canonization. Well done, Emanuel and Ian!


Raffle Tickets: In the beginning of the school year, each family pays a family raffle fee of $400. Most of the money is used to offset our operating costs in order to keep tuition as low as possible. We sent home $400 worth of $50 raffle tickets to each family. You can choose to sell the tickets and keep the money to offset the original cost of the raffle tickets that you have already paid. Or, you can fill out the tickets yourself and turn them in. We will have four drawings for $1,000 prizes and four drawings for $500 prizes. Please bring the completed ticket stubs to school by May 19. We will have the drawing on May 20.


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

4/26 No School- Professional Development for staff

4/27 Confirmation 2:00 St. Mary’s

4/30 Mass 8:15

5/1 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

5/2 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

5/4 First Communion

State Science Fair

5/6 Boosterthon Fundraiser Kickoff

5/7 May Crowning: Mass at St. Mary’s **K-8 Drop off at St. Mary’s**

5/8 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

5/9 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

Spring Band Concert

5/11 State Academic Bowl

5/14 Mass 8:15

5/15 Boosterthon Fun Run!

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

Spring Video Update: Please take a look at : LINK


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline

 

Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Newsletter

April 18, 202


Dear PJ23 Families,


Our 5th grade students, Ms. Tamara, and I enjoyed an exceptional day at Camp Timberlee on Monday. We were geologists, marine biologists, leather artisans, and zoologists throughout the course of the day. The weather was beautiful, so we enjoyed some down time playing Gaga Ball outside and walking around the camp. I truly enjoyed getting to know our 5th graders better, and feel blessed to have spent the time with them.  


Talent Show: Our Talent Show is on Thursday, April 25! There are nine acts performing. Parents are invited to attend. 


Literacy Night: Please join us tonight for a fun-filled literacy night from 6:00-7:30 pm. The theme of the evening is camping, and our activities and fun snack are centered around that theme. The organization who sponsored the international reading competition that we won will present the award to us tonight!


Trivia Night: I am very excited about Trivia Night on Saturday. Please join us for a really fun time. Sign up here: https://givebutter.com/PJ23TriviaNight  


Raffle Tickets: In the beginning of the school year, each family pays a family raffle fee of $400. Most of the money is used to offset our operating costs in order to keep tuition as low as possible. We sent home $400 worth of $50 raffle tickets to each family. You can choose to sell the tickets and keep the money to offset the original cost of the raffle tickets that you have already paid. Or, you can fill out the tickets yourself and turn them in. We will have four drawings for $1,000 prizes and four drawings for $500 prizes. Please bring the completed ticket stubs to school by May 19. We will have the drawing on May 20.


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK

Summer Camp: I am sorry to share that we must cancel summer camp due to low enrollment in the program. 

Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

4/18 Literacy Night 6:00-7:30

4/20 Trivia Night

4/23 Mass 8:15

4/24 2:00 dismissal 

 Talent Show full dress rehearsal 2:15-3:15

4/25 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

      Talent Show 1:30 parents invited

 Confirmation practice 7:00-8:00 pm

4/26 No School- Professional Development for staff

4/27 Confirmation 

4/30 Mass 8:15

5/1 11:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

5/2 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

5/4 First Communion

State Science Fair


Spring Video Update: Please take a look at : LINK


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline

 

Please take a look at my Principal Page for updated information: https://sites.google.com/popejohn23.org/drmarymaloneyprincipal/home


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Solar Eclipse celebration


 Newsletter

April 11, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


We celebrated the solar eclipse as a community on Monday. Our teachers prepared our students for this event ahead of time with instruction and activities. We were so fortunate to be able to have an event in real life that provided such rich learning for our students. It was so much fun to have parents and families join us! I was happy to hear the stories of the students who went to locations that experienced totality. 


Talent Show: PJ23 students can participate in our Talent Show on Thursday, April 25! Please have your child turn in their permission form by Monday, April 15.


Spring Video Update: Before spring break, we shared a video which provided updated information about our school. Please take a look at : LINK


Literacy Night: Please join us for a fun-filled literacy night on April 18 from 6:00-7:30 pm. The theme of the evening is camping, and our activities and fun snack are centered around that theme. 


Raffle Tickets: In the beginning of the school year, each family pays a family raffle fee of $400. Most of the money is used to offset our operating costs in order to keep tuition as low as possible. We sent home $400 worth of $50 raffle tickets to each family. You can choose to sell the tickets and keep the money to offset the original cost of the raffle tickets that you have already paid. Or, you can fill out the tickets yourself and turn them in. We will have four drawings for $1,000 prizes and four drawings for $500 prizes. Please bring the completed ticket stubs to school by May 19. We will have the drawing on May 20.


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK

Summer Camp: We are pleased to bring back the PJ23 Summer Camp! We have a minimum number of participants we need to hold camp. If you plan to have your child attend, please register before Thursday, April 18. Camp will be held during the last three weeks in June, Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:00. You can register here: LINK 

Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

4/13 Spirit Day Confirmation Year 2 Students 10:00-6:00

4/15 Talent Show permission forms due

Students sign up for the talent show during lunch

4/16 Mass 8:15

 School Advisory Board meeting 6:30-8:00

4/17 2:00 dismissal 

      Talent Show tryouts 2:15-3:15

4/18 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

Literacy Night 6:00-7:30

4/20 Trivia Night

4/23 Mass 8:15

4/24 2:00 dismissal 

   Talent Show full dress rehearsal 2:15-3:15

4/25 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

   Talent Show 1:30 parents invited

    Confirmation practice 7:00-8:00 pm

4/26 No School- Professional Development for staff

4/27 Confirmation 

4/30 Mass 8:15

5/1 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

5/2 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

5/4 First Communion

State Science Fair


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline

 

Please take a look at my Principal Page for updated information: https://sites.google.com/popejohn23.org/drmarymaloneyprincipal/home


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Middle schoolers volunteer to prepare for the Bunny Brunch egg hunt.


 Newsletter

March 28, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Our primary students participated in the March Tournament of Books. Each class read all of the books in the tournament and voted on their favorite books. The winner of the tournament was

Re-enrollment March Madness: Congratulations to the INSERT CLASS HERE who had the highest rate of participation in our re-enrollment drive. They earned a pizza party! If you have not yet already done so, please use this LINK to re-enroll or inform us that you are not returning.  


Talent Show: PJ23 students can participate in our Talent Show on Thursday, April 25! We are very excited to have our students share their talents and interests with each other. Information was sent home with students earlier this week and is included at the end of this newsletter. 


Raffle Tickets: In the beginning of the school year, each family pays a family raffle fee of $400. Most of the money is used to offset our operating costs in order to keep tuition as low as possible. We sent home $400 worth of $50 raffle tickets to each family. You can choose to sell the tickets and keep the money to offset the original cost of the raffle tickets that you have already paid. Or, you can fill out the tickets yourself and turn them in. We will have four drawings for $1,000 prizes and four drawings for $500 prizes. Please bring the completed ticket stubs to school by May 19. We will have the drawing on May 20.


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK

Summer Camp: We are pleased to bring back the PJ23 Summer Camp! We have a minimum number of participants we need to hold camp. If you plan to have your child attend, please register as soon as possible. Camp will be held during the last three weeks in June, Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:00. You can register here: LINK

Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

3/29- 4/5 Spring Break

4/8 School resumes

Solar Eclipse activities- parents invited

Parent Association meeting 6:30

4/9 Mass 8:15

4/10 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

4/11 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

4/13 Spirit Day Confirmation Year 2 Students 10:00-6:00

4/15 Talent Show permission forms due

Students sign up for the talent show during lunch

4/16 Mass 8:15

    School Advisory Board meeting 6:30-8:00

4/17 2:00 dismissal 

    Talent Show tryouts 2:15-3:15

4/18 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

Literacy Night 6:00-7:30

4/20 Trivia Night

4/23 Mass 8:15

4/24 2:00 dismissal 

    Talent Show full dress rehearsal 2:15-3:15

4/25 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

    Talent Show 1:30 parents invited

    Confirmation practice 7:00-8:00 pm

4/26 No School- Professional Development for staff

4/27 Confirmation 

4/30 Mass 8:15

5/1 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

5/2 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

5/4 First Communion

State Science Fair


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline

 

Please take a look at my Principal Page for updated information: https://sites.google.com/popejohn23.org/drmarymaloneyprincipal/home


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Mrs. Sulton and Fr. Jean-Philippe distributed Communion during school Mass. 


 Newsletter

March 14, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


We had a wonderful time at our PJ23 Spring Fundraiser last Saturday! I enjoyed seeing so many parents having fun and interacting with each other. I would like to thank the Parent Association for their hard work preparing this event. You can still purchase and bid on items for a few more days. The link is below.  https://givebutter.com/c/PJ23Spring24


Re-enrollment March Madness: During the month of March, we have PJ23 re-enrollment March Madness! By the end of March, classes with 100% participation will earn a pizza party! Participation is either re-enrolling your children or informing us that your family will not be returning to PJ23 next year. Please use this LINK to re-enroll or inform us that you are not returning. 


Raffle Tickets: In the beginning of the school year, each family pays a family raffle fee of $400. Most of the money is used to offset our operating costs in order to keep tuition as low as possible. We sent home $400 worth of $50 raffle tickets to each family. You can choose to sell the tickets and keep the money to offset the original cost of the raffle tickets that you have already paid. Or, you can fill out the tickets yourself and turn them in. We will have four drawings for $1,000 prizes and four drawings for $500 prizes. Please bring the completed ticket stubs to school by May 19. We will have the drawing on May 20.


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK


Little Panthers: Join us for 1 more weekly playgroup session on Wednesday, March 27th, from 11:30-12:30 for children under 3 years of age. Engage with your children in songs, crafts and playtime while meeting other families. Please invite friends!


2024 Archdiocese of Chicago 5Essentials Parent Survey : The 5Essentials Survey assesses parent, student and teacher perceptions of a school’s organizational conditions. It illustrates strength in multiple measures of five essential factors for school improvement. Please take the survey when you can.

Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/ Closes March 22, 2024.


Summer Camp: We are pleased to bring back the PJ23 Summer Camp! We have a minimum number of participants we need to hold camp. If you plan to have your child attend, please register as soon as possible. Camp will be held during the last three weeks in June, Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:00. You can register here: LINK


Shadow Days at PJ23: Students can invite a friend who is not a PJ23 student to shadow them on March 25. District 65 does not have school on this day. We would love to have your children’s friends come experience a day as a Panther! Please make sure their parent register them here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


3/15 Early Dismissal 11:50

Parent/Teacher Conferences (by teacher request) 1:00-4:00

3/19 Mass 8:15

3/20 Little Panthers 11:30 

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

3/21 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

3/25 Shadow Day for prospective students

3/26 Mass 8:15

3/27 Little Panthers 11:30 

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

3/28 11:50 dismissal

3/29- 4/5 Spring Break

4/8 School resumes

Solar Eclipse activities


School Calendar: Click here for the 2024-2025 School Calendar outline

 

Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Congratulations to our IJAS State Science Fair qualifiers!


 Newsletter

March 7, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Congratulations to Matthew, Kaitlyn, Chelsea, Jackson and Peder for qualifying to compete in the Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) State Science Fair on May 4! They qualified during the regional science fair last weekend. I would like to congratulate and thank all of the PJ23 students who competed at the regional level. 


School Fundraiser: Our annual school fundraiser is Saturday, March 9th at 6:30 pm at Double Clutch in Evanston. This is an adults only event. The link is below. It’s a very worthy cause.  https://givebutter.com/c/PJ23Spring24


Re-enrollment March Madness: During the month of March, we have PJ23 re-enrollment March Madness! By the end of March, classes with 100% participation will earn a pizza party! Participation is either re-enrolling your children or informing us that your family will not be returning to PJ23 next year. Please use this LINK to re-enroll or inform us that you are not returning. 


Raffle Tickets: In the beginning of the school year, each family pays a family raffle fee of $400. Most of the money is used to offset our operating costs in order to keep tuition as low as possible. We are sending home $400 worth of $50 raffle tickets to each family. You can choose to sell the tickets and keep the money to offset the original cost of the raffle tickets that you have already paid. Or, you can fill out the tickets yourself and turn them in. We will have four drawings for $1,000 prizes and four drawings for $500 prizes. Please bring the completed ticket stubs to school by May 19. We will have the drawing on May 20.


School Calendar: I am pleased to share the basic dates for our 2024-2025 School Calendar! Please click here: 2024-2025 School Calendar. We will share a more detailed calendar before the end of the school year. 


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK


Little Panthers: Join us for 3 more weekly playgroup sessions on Wednesdays from 11:30-12:30 for children under 3 years of age. Engage with your children in songs, crafts and playtime while meeting other families. Please invite friends!


Parent Teacher Conferences: If teachers need to have a conference, they will contact families directly.


2024 Archdiocese of Chicago 5Essentials Parent Survey : The 5Essentials Survey assesses parent, student and teacher perceptions of a school’s organizational conditions. It illustrates strength in multiple measures of five essential factors for school improvement. Please take the survey when you can.

Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/ Closes March 22, 2024.


Summer Camp: We are pleased to bring back the PJ23 Summer Camp! Camp will be held during the last three weeks in June, Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:00. You can register here: LINK


Shadow Days at PJ23: Students can invite a friend who is not a PJ23 student to shadow them on March 25. District 65 does not have school on this day. We would love to have your children’s friends come experience a day as a Panther! Please make sure their parent register them here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


3/9 Annual School Fundraiser 

3/10 Daylight Savings Time

3/12 Mass 8:15

3/13 Little Panthers 11:30 

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

Band Concert REHEARSAL 5:30-7:45

3/14 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

Spring Band Concert 6:30

3/15 Early Dismissal 11:50

Parent/Teacher Conferences (by teacher request) 1:00-4:00

3/19 Mass 8:15

3/20 Little Panthers 11:30 

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

3/21 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

3/25 Shadow Day for prospective students

3/26 Mass 8:15

3/27 Little Panthers 11:30 

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

3/28 11:50 dismissal

3/29- 4/5 Spring Break

4/8 School resumes


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

8th grade basketball teams made it to the finals! Great job, Panthers!


 Newsletter

February 29, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Happy Leap Day! 


Leap years exist (livescience.com) because a single year in the Gregorian (our traditional) calendar is slightly shorter than a solar, or tropical, year — the amount of time it takes for Earth to completely orbit the sun once. A calendar year is exactly 365 days long, but a solar year is roughly 365.24 days long, or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 56 seconds. 

If we did not account for this difference, then for each year that passes the gap between the start of a calendar year and a solar year would widen by 5 hours, 48 minutes and 56 seconds. Over time, this would shift the timing of the seasons. For example, if we stopped using leap years, then in around 700 years the Northern Hemisphere's summer would begin in December instead of June, according to the National Air and Space Museum. 

Ask your child how we celebrated Leap Year at school!


Congratulations to our 8th grade girls’ and boys’ basketball teams! With dedication and hard work, both teams made it to the finals. Great job, Panthers! 


Re-enrollment March Madness: During the month of March, we will have our PJ23 re-enrollment March Madness! By the end of March, classes with 100% participation will earn a pizza party! Participation is either re-enrolling your children or informing us that your family will not be returning to PJ23 next year. Please use this LINK to re-enroll or inform us that you are not returning. 


School Calendar: I am pleased to share the basic dates for our 2024-2025 School Calendar! Please click here: 2024-2025 School Calendar. We will share a more detailed calendar before the end of the school year. 


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: LINK


Little Panthers: Join us for a 5 week playgroup series on Wednesdays from 11:30-12:30 for children under 3 years of age. Engage with your children in songs, crafts and playtime while meeting other families. Please invite friends!


Parent Teacher Conferences: If teachers need to have a conference, they will contact families directly.


2024 Archdiocese of Chicago 5Essentials Parent Survey : The 5Essentials Survey assesses parent, student and teacher perceptions of a school’s organizational conditions. It illustrates strength in multiple measures of five essential factors for school improvement. Please take the survey when you can.

Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/ Opens Feb. 12, 2024 and closes March 22, 2024.


Summer Camp: We are pleased to bring back the PJ23 Summer Camp! Camp will be held during the last three weeks in June, Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:00. You can register here: LINK


Shadow Days at PJ23: Students can invite a friend who is not a PJ23 student to shadow them on March 25. District 65 does not have school on this day. We would love to have your children’s friends come experience a day as a Panther! Please make sure their parent register them here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


3/1 No School- Archdiocese Professional Development Day

3/5 Student Council meeting 7:45 room 205

 Mass 8:15

3/6 Little Panthers 11:30 

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

3/7 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

3/9 Annual School Fundraiser 

3/10 Daylight Savings Time

3/12 Mass 8:15

3/13 Little Panthers 11:30 

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

 Band Concert REHEARSAL 5:30-7:45

3/14 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

Spring Band Concert 6:30

3/15 Early Dismissal 11:50

Parent/Teacher Conferences (by teacher request) 1:00-4:00

3/19 Mass 8:15

3/20 Little Panthers 11:30 

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

3/21 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

3/25 Shadow Day for prospective students

3/26 Mass 8:15

3/27 Little Panthers 11:30 

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

3/28 11:50 dismissal

3/29- 4/5 Spring Break

4/8 School resumes


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney


Lily and Jack present their research about St. Peter, founder of the Catholic Church.


 Newsletter

February 22, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


We celebrated the Chair of St. Peter today. Our 6th grade students presented their research about the founding of the Catholic Church by St. Peter, our very first Pope. Students could choose to create a PowerPoint presentation, or create an infographic. Mrs. Patterson had the students combine their authentic, research-based learning about our faith with a variety of technology tools that enabled them to share their findings. 


PowerSchool: PowerSchool is not accessible by parents or students as teacher prepare the report cards for the end of the second trimester. PowerSchool will be accessible after report cards go home.


School Calendar: I am pleased to share the basic dates for our 2024-2025 School Calendar! Please click here to view: 2024-2025 School Calendar. We will share a more detailed calendar before the end of the school year. 


Judy Rack Scholarship: Our community has established the Judy Rack Scholarship fund in the memory of our beloved Judy Rack. This scholarship will provide funds to enable a student whose family may be experiencing financial difficulties to attend our school. You can donate here: (INSERT LINK)   


Little Panthers: Join us for a 5 week playgroup series on Wednesdays from 11:30-12:30 for children under 3 years of age. Engage with your children in songs, crafts and playtime while meeting other families. Please invite friends!


Math Support on Thursdays: We had a wonderful turnout today for our first Math Club. Math Club is for students in 1-8 grades, 7:30-8:00 am or during recess. Please bring your math book. No advance notice is necessary. 


Parent Teacher Conferences: If teachers need to have a conference, they will contact families directly.


2024 Archdiocese of Chicago 5Essentials Parent Survey : The 5Essentials Survey assesses parent, student and teacher perceptions of a school’s organizational conditions. It illustrates strength in multiple measures of five essential factors for school improvement. Please take the survey when you can.

Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/ Opens Feb. 12, 2024 and closes March 22, 2024.


Summer Camp: We are pleased to bring back the PJ23 Summer Camp! Camp will be held during the last three weeks in June, Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:00. 


Re-enrollment March Madness: In the month of March, we will have our PJ23 re-enrollment March Madness! By the end of March, classes with 100% participation will earn a pizza party! Participation is either re-enrolling your children or informing us that your family will not be returning to PJ23 next year. Please use this LINK to re-enroll or inform us that you are not returning.  


Shadow Days at PJ23: Students can invite a friend who is not a PJ23 student to shadow them on March 25. District 65 does not have school on this day. We would love to have your children’s friends come experience a day as a Panther! Please make sure their parent register them here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


2/23 End of trimester 2

PowerSchool turned off for parents

2/27 Mass 8:15

2/28 Little Panthers 11:30 

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

2/29 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

 8th grade picture retakes

Report Cards go home

3/1 No School- Archdiocese Professional Development Day

3/5 Student Council meeting 7:45 room 205

 Mass 8:30

3/6 Little Panthers 11:30 

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

3/7 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

3/9 Annual School Fundraiser 

3/10 Daylight Savings Time

3/12 Mass 8:15

3/13 Little Panthers 11:30 

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

Band Concert REHEARSAL 5:30-7:45

3/14 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess

Spring Band Concert 6:30

3/15 Early Dismissal 11:50

Parent/Teacher Conferences (by teacher request) 1:00-4:00

3/19 Mass 8:15

3/20 Little Panthers 11:30 

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

3/21 Math Club 7:30-8:00 and recess


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Fourth graders enjoying their snack during their read aloud of Harry Potter.

 Newsletter

February 8, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


The season of Lent is approaching. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.


We will be engaging in multiple activities to enable our students to reflect on and understand the meaning of Lent. More information will be coming from your child’s religion teacher.


Valentine’s Day parties: Because Valentine’s Day falls on Ash Wednesday this year, we will have our Valentine’s Day parties for preschool-5th grade on Tuesday, February 13. Middle School students enjoyed their Valentine’s Day Dance last Saturday. 


Shadow Days at PJ23: Students can invite a friend who is not a PJ23 student to shadow them on February 16 or March 25. District 65 does not have school on these days. We would love to have your children’s friends come experience a day as a Panther! 


Winter Parish Formal: Please join us at the Winter Parish Formal on February 17 from 6:00-10:30. There will be dinner, drinks and dessert; dancing; a live auction; and on-line bidding. You can get your tickets at www.sj23party.org 


Re-enrollment: We have begun our re-enrollment process. Please complete the information on the Google form. Students are considered to be re-enrolled when the form is completed. If your family is not planning to return, please indicate this on the form and share the reason why. You can re-enroll here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


2/13 Valentine's Day parties

2/14 Mass- we will receive ashes at Mass 8:15

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

2/17 Winter Parish Party 6:00-10:30 www.sj23party.org 

2/19 No School- Presidents’ Day

2/20 Mass 8:15

School Advisory Board meeting 6:30

2/21 Preschool Open House 9:00

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

2/23 End of trimester 2

PowerSchool turned off for parents

2/27 Mass 8:15

2/28 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

2/29 8th grade picture retakes

Report Cards go home

3/1 No School- Archdiocese Professional Development Day

3/5 Mass 8:30

3/6 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Science Fair Medal Winners


 Newsletter

February 1, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


Our Middle School students and Dr. Chopra put on an exemplary Science Fair! Our students applied the scientific process to a question they found interesting. They researched the question, formed a hypothesis, and worked to prove or disprove their hypothesis. They presented their findings to impartial judges twice. All students received either a first, second, or third place medal depending on the number of points they earned. The top three scores at each grade level won medals. The medal winners in 7th and 8th grade qualified to compete at the Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) Regional Science Fair in March. Congratulations to the following medal winners:


1st place medals:  Chelsea Gonzalez, Kaitlin Rebaya, Dot Sullivan, Camille Jarder, Anya Tyurin and Stephanie Mateescu

2nd place medals: Annabel Bowman, Jackson Badillo, Peder Hansen, Cillian Doss, Tommy O’Connor, Nami Geiger, Lexi Badillo, Sophia Potosnak, Olivia Warner-Fong

3rd place medals: Jonathan Major, Sebastian Espino, Matthew Lee, Tristain Saunders, Lila Reid-Wagner, Lou Kosyla


Catholic Schools Week: Thank you for attending Mass and our Open House last Sunday. We have a closing Mass this Sunday, February 4 at 10:00 at St. Mary’s Church. I would like to thank our guest speakers for sharing information about their careers with our students today. Thank you so much to Dr. Christie Klimas, Dr. Mike Schindlbeck, Rafael Salinas, Kevin Adley, Dr. Suzanne Badillo, and Dr. Divya Darwin Aruseeli for sharing their time with us! 


Re-enrollment: We have begun our re-enrollment process. Please complete the information on the Google form. Students are considered to be re-enrolled when the form is completed. If your family is not planning to return, please indicate this on the form and share the reason why. Families who re-enroll by February 2 will receive a $50 reduction in the cost of the enrollment fee. You can re-enroll here: LINK


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

2/4 Catholic Schools Week closes; Mass 10:00 St. Mary Campus

2/6 Mass 8:15

2/7 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

2/13 Valentine's Day parties

2/14 Mass- we will receive ashes at Mass 8:15

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

2/19 No School- Presidents’ Day

2/20 Mass 8:15

School Advisory Board meeting 6:30

2/21 Preschool Open House 9:00

    2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

2/23 End of trimester 2

PowerSchool turned off for parents

2/27 Mass 8:15

2/28 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

2/29 8th grade picture retakes

Report Cards go home

3/1 No School- Archdiocese Professional Development Day


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Congratulations to our spelling bee winners!


 Newsletter

January 25, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


At PJ23, we embrace a challenging academic environment. We provide opportunities for our students to showcase their academic talents. We completed our Spelling Bee this week. Congratulations to Jane Hansen for winning first place! Jane will represent our school at the regional spelling bee. Congratulations to Dot Sullivan and Emmanual Piverger, who tied for second place. 


Catholic Schools Week: Catholic Schools Week is approaching. This is an annual initiative led by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) to celebrate the excellence and impact of Catholic schools. Each year, Catholic schools observe the celebration through a variety of activities, emphasizing the importance of Catholic education. It starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, from January 28 – February 4. 

At PJ23, we kick off the week with the opening Mass at 10:30 on Sunday, January 28 at St. Nicholas campus with our Open House following Mass. and the closing Mass at 10:00 on Sunday, February 4 at St. Mary campus. The entire week will be filled with special activities for our students. Please check our calendar to see what your students should wear each day as we celebrate different aspects of our faith and citizenship all week.


Re-enrollment: We have begun our re-enrollment process. Please complete the information on the Google form. Students are considered to be re-enrolled when the form is completed. If your family is not planning to return, please indicate this on the form and share the reason why. Families who re-enroll by February 2, will receive a $50 reduction in the cost of the enrollment fee. You can re-enroll here: LINK


Science Fair: We held our Middle School Science Fair today. We are very excited to share the results and the students’ experiments at our Science Fair Showcase and Awards Ceremony this evening. Results will be shared in next week’s newsletter.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

1/25 Middle School Science Fair during the day

Science Fair Expo and Awards Ceremony 6:00-7:00

1/27 Family Bingo Night

1/28 Catholic Schools’ Week begins!

Mass 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

Open House following Mass at school

2/4 Catholic Schools Week closes Mass 10:00 St. Mary Campus



Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Miss Judy Rack

Pope John XXIII Kindergarten teacher for 30 years


 Newsletter

January 18, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,


“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove…. But the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” This well-known quote embodies the spirit with which Judy Rack embraced her vocation as a teacher. She was important in the lives of every student with whom she shared her gift. Miss Rack’s family and our community have suffered a great loss with her passing. Our new playground will be named after Miss Rack in celebration of the lasting impact she made in the Pope John 23rd community. We will honor her memory at an upcoming school Mass in the next few weeks. I will share the information as soon as possible. All will be invited to attend.


Catholic Schools Week: Catholic Schools Week is approaching. This is an annual initiative led by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) to celebrate the excellence and impact of Catholic schools. Each year, Catholic schools observe the celebration through a variety of activities, emphasizing the importance of Catholic education. It starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, from January 28 – February 4. 

At PJ23, we kick off the week with the opening Mass at 10:30 on Sunday, January 28 at St. Nicholas campus with our Open House following Mass. and the closing Mass at 10:00 on Sunday, February 4 at St. Mary campus. The entire week will be filled with special activities for our students. More information will follow.


Re-enrollment: We are starting our re-enrollment process today. Please complete the information on the Google form. Students are considered to be re-enrolled when the form is completed. If your family is not planning to return, please indicate this on the form and share the reason why. Families who re-enroll by Februray 2, will receive a $50 reduction in the cost of the enrollment fee. You can re-enroll here: LINK


Science Fair: Our Middle School students have been working very hard to prepare for the Middle School Science Fair. I am grateful to Dr.  Chopra for all of his hard work. We are in need of parent volunteers with backgrounds in science or engineering to serve as science fair judges on 1/25 from 9:00-11:00. Please let Dr. Chopra know if you can do so. anuj.chopra@popejohn23.org


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


1/23 Mass 8:15

1/24 Dismissal 2:00

           Choir 2:00-3:00

1/25 Middle School Science Fair during the day

        Science Fair Expo and Awards Ceremony 6:00-7:00

1/27 Family Bingo Night

1/28 Catholic Schools’ Week begins!

Mass 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

Open House following Mass at school

2/4 Catholic Schools Week closes Mass 10:00 St. Mary Campus



Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

The Girls Basketball Varsity team had their first win of the season yesterday against St. Norbert.


Family Newsletter

January 11, 2024


Dear PJ23 Families,

Happy New Year! It is wonderful to be back with our students and faculty. We have had a great week. Students were highly engaged in learning and seemed happy to be back. 

We have certainly been on a roller coaster as far as weather predictions go. Some of you may be wondering what the considerations and processes for calling a snow day are. The primary thing I consider is traffic safety during the morning and after school commutes. If it appears that driving conditions will be dangerous, it would not be safe for families or faculty to be on the road. The former police chief in Palatine told me that the village actually prefers NOT to have traffic from school families, faculty, and buses on the road during a snow event due to the increase in accidents and the difficulty for the plows to clear the road. Additionally, I consult several weather sources. I confer with multiple principals in the Archdiocese with whom I work closely, and we will typically (but not always) come to the same conclusion. Most importantly, our PJ23 Administrative team discusses the best course of action. 

Deciding to cancel school or to have school remain in session is not easy. Most of the time, I made the right call. There have been times when I have not. Please know that the safety of our students, families and staff are what drive the final decision.


Spelling Bee: Our annual PJ23 Spelling Bee will be held on January 18. I am grateful to Mrs. Welsh for preparing this event for our students. This event is for school children only. We are very excited about the Spelling Bee!


Science Fair: We are very excited about our upcoming Middle School Science Fair! Our students have been working very hard on all aspects of their projects. I am grateful to Dr.  Chopra for all of his hard work. We are in need of parent volunteers with backgrounds in science or engineering to serve as science fair judges on 1/25 from 9:00-11:00. Please let Dr. Chopra know if you can do so. anuj.chopra@popejohn23.org


Catholic Schools Week: We are very excited about Catholic Schools Week at the end of the month. We have the opening Mass at 10:30 on Sunday, January 28 at St. Nicholas campus with our Open House following, and the closing Mass at 10:00 on Sunday, February 4 at St. Mary campus. The entire week will be filled with special activities for our students. More information will follow.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 

1/11 Parent Association meeting 6:30-7:30

1/15 No School: MLK Day

1/16 No School: Staff professional development day

1/17 8th grade graduation photos

Dismissal 2:00

 Choir 2:00-3:00

1/18 School Spelling Bee 1:30

1/23 Mass 8:15

1/24 Dismissal 2:00

 Choir 2:00-3:00

1/25 Middle School Science Fair during the day

Science Fair Expo and Awards Ceremony 6:00-7:00

1/27 Family Bingo Night

1/28 Catholic Schools’ Week begins!

Mass 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

Open House following Mass at school

2/4 Catholic Schools Week closes Mass 10:00 St. Mary Campus


Blessings,

Dr. Mary Maloney

Lessons and Carols


Family Newsletter

December 21, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,

On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, our Gospel Reading permits us to begin our contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnation we celebrate at Christmas: “Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about” (Matthew 1:18). Jesus' life, death, resurrection and promise of his return are the source of much needed peace in our lives. Jesus is our peace because he can and will bring peace into our lives today. God promises a future of peace when the Kingdom of God is fully established on earth.

We celebrate the approach of Jesus’ birth with our performance of Lessons and Carols. I would like to thank Mrs. Marcheschi, along with Mrs. Patterson and Ms. Wolf, for their incredible work preparing our students in such an exceptional manner. This beautiful performance moved me to tears. This is a meaningful tradition in our school and Parish community.  


Choir: The choir is now open to new members in grades 3-8, starting in January after the Christmas break. To enroll, please email Mr. Geiger at gary.geiger@evanstonchildrenschoir.org, providing the new singer's name, and you'll be all set! Rehearsals will continue every Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00. Participation in the choir is free of charge


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


12/21 Wear holiday jammies (no slippers)

    Reconciliation for students

12/22 Wear your favorite Christmas or ugly Christmas sweater

    Christmas parties

12/23-1/7 Christmas vacation

1/8 School resumes

1/9 Mass 8:15

1/10 Dismissal 2:00

           Choir 2:00-3:00

1/11 Parent Association meeting 6:30-7:30

1/15 No School: MLK Day

1/16 No School: Staff professional development day

1/17 8th grade graduation photos

Dismissal 2:00

Choir 2:00-3:00

1/18 School Spelling Bee 1:30

1/23 Mass 8:15

1/24 Dismissal 2:00

Choir 2:00-3:00

1/25 Middle School Science Fair during the day

Science Fair Expo and Awards Ceremony 6:00-7:00

1/27 Family Bingo Night

1/28 Catholic Schools’ Week begins!

Mass 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

Open House following Mass at school


This will be the last newsletter until school resumes in January. Have a peaceful and blessed Christmas and New Year holiday!


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Ava and Rizzo help Mrs. Sulton with the morning announcements.


Family Newsletter

December 14, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,

The third Sunday of Advent this year falls on December 17, marking "Gaudete Sunday," derived from the Latin word for rejoice. This designation originates from the entrance antiphon for today's Mass, drawn from Philippians 4:4,5: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!” A pink candle on the Advent wreath symbolizes this Sunday, and during Mass, you'll notice priests and deacons adorned in pink vestments, guiding us as we joyfully await the birth of Jesus.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our Children’s Choir for their beautiful performance last Friday! The choir is now open to new members in grades 3-8, starting in January after the Christmas break. To enroll, please email Mr. Geiger at gary.geiger@evanstonchildrenschoir.org, providing the new singer's name, and you'll be all set! Rehearsals will continue every Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00. Participation in the choir is free of charge.


Lessons and Carols: Rehearsals for Lessons and Carols are proceeding smoothly. I am very excited to see this performance for the first time on December 20 at 12:30 and 6:00.


Special clothing: We will wear special clothing every day during our last week of school before Christmas break. You can find information in the calendar below, on the graphic later in this letter, on our school website calendar, and on Facebook. 


FY25 tuition rates: The tuition and fees for the next school year are included in this letter. You will notice a 5% increase in tuition, which is necessary to cover the anticipated staff raises. There has been no increase in the fees. I will share the process for applying for scholarships in the next newsletter.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


12/14 PJ Players performance 4:00

12/18 Wear Christmas colors, socks, hats and accessories 

12/19 Represent your favorite holiday or movie character

           Mass 8:15

School Advisory Board meeting 

12/20 Wear your Christmas best

 Dismissal 2:00

    Choir 2:00-3:00

    Lessons and Carols 12:30 and 6:00

12/21 Wear holiday jammies (no slippers)

    Reconciliation for students

12/22 Wear your favorite Christmas or ugly Christmas sweater

    Christmas parties

12/23-1/7 Christmas vacation

1/8 School resumes

1/9 Mass 8:15

1/10 Dismissal 2:00

 Choir 2:00-3:00

1/11 Parent Association meeting 6:30-7:30

1/15 No School: MLK Day

1/16 No School: Staff professional development day

1/17 8th grade graduation photos

Dismissal 2:00

 Choir 2:00-3:00

1/18 School Spelling Bee 1:30

1/23 Mass 8:15

1/24 Dismissal 2:00

    Choir 2:00-3:00

1/25 Middle School Science Fair during the day

Science Fair Expo and Awards Ceremony 6:00-7:00

1/27 Family Bingo Night

1/28 Catholic Schools’ Week begins!

Mass 10:30 St. Nicholas Church

Open House following Mass at school


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Our 5th grade students are excited about their band concert.


Family Newsletter

December 7, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


This Sunday is the second Sunday of Advent. This is when we take the opportunity to prepare our hearts in faithful waiting, celebrate the birth of Jesus, and ready ourselves for his second coming. The tradition for the second Sunday of Advent includes lighting the second purple candle that is a symbol of faith. 

We are attending Mass on Friday for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at 8:15. Please join us at St. Nick’s campus. 


We have had an eventful week at PJ23 School. Our Parish had an amazing turnout for St. Nicholas Festival! St. Nicholas left delicious candy canes in the students’ shoes on Wednesday, which was St.Nicholas Day. Our band students performed in a festive holiday concert. Our choir students will be singing in a Christmas concert on Friday evening. 


Our middle school students used microscopes to examine strands of hair. Mrs. Sulton posted pictures of the experiment on social media, and the Archdiocese shared the post! You can see the the post on Instagram and Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pj23school 


Lessons and Carols: Rehearsals for Lessons and Carols are proceeding smoothly. I am very excited to see this performance for the first time on December 20 at 12:30 and 6:00.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


12/8 Mass 8:15 Feast of the Immaculate Conception 

ECC Christmas Concert 7:00 pm

12/12 Mass 8:15

12/13 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/14 PJ Players performance 4:00

12/19 Mass 8:15

School Advisory Board meeting 

12/20 Lessons and Carols

12/21 Reconciliation for students

12/22 Christmas parties

12/23-1/7 Christmas vacation

1/8 School resumes


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

7th and 8th grade girls preparing for Lessons and Carols.


Family Newsletter

November 30, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


The season of Advent is upon us. Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent encompasses the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas.  

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. Advent includes an element of penance in the sense of preparing, quieting, and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas.


Our students and staff will be participating in activities for Advent to provide the opportunity to further deepen our faith as a community and recognize how God is present in our lives. We will have several Advent wreaths throughout the school; a lenten prayer at lunch; weekly Monday morning Advent focus read over the announcements; and service projects to help those who are less fortunate. 


St. Nicholas Festival: St. Nicholas Festival begins on Friday, December 1 and runs all weekend. On Friday, we start at 6:30 in St. Nick’s Church with a visit from Bishop Nicholas followed by a tree lighting ceremony. We are trying to have a large number of school families participate. https://www.stjohn23evanston.org/snfest.html 

Friday, December 1: 6:30 St. Nicholas Church followed by tree lighting

Saturday, December 2:  8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Craft Fair, Tree and Greenery sale, bakery booth, and concessions

Sunday, December 3:  9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Craft Fair, Tree and Greenery sale, bakery booth, and concessions


Lessons and Carols: Rehearsals for Lessons and Carols are proceeding smoothly. I am very excited to see this performance for the first time on December 20.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


12/1-12/3 St. Nicholas Festival for the Parish

12/2    Catholic High School entrance exam

12/5 ETHS high school placement exam 

PA meeting 6:30

12/6 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/7 December band concert 6:30

12/8 Mass 8:15 Feast of the Immaculate Conception 

ECC Christmas Concert 7:00 pm

12/12 Mass 8:15

12/13 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/14 PJ Players performance 4:00

12/19 Mass 8:15

School Advisory Board meeting 

12/20 Lessons and Carols

12/21 Reconciliation for students

12/22 Christmas parties

12/23-1/7 Christmas vacation

1/8 School resumes


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Mrs. Buckman with the second graders who are learning about 

subtraction strategies in math class.


Family Newsletter

November 16, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Congratulations for the successful completion of our first trimester this year! I am very proud of our students for embracing our new procedures and working so hard to be productive learners. I would like to thank our staff for the amazing work and tremendous effort they selflessly put into helping our students grow in their faith and academics. Additionally, I greatly appreciate the support that parents and families have shown. 


Report Cards and Parent/Teacher Conferences: Report cards are coming home with your child today (Friday). I reviewed and signed each report card. I am extremely impressed with the level of academic skill our students have! Thank you for signing up for in-person or virtual conferences with your child’s teacher(s). We are excited to talk with you about your child’s progress. If you would like to meet with a special area teacher, please reach out to them to set up an appointment.



Spanish PK-5 amine.airaki@popejohn23.org 

Art donna.contreras@popejohn23.org

Reading Specialist laurie.daley@popejohn23.org

French laurence.irving@popejohn23.org


Music nancy.marcheschi@popejohn23.org

STEAM cathy.patterson@popejohn23.org

PE ben.wilson@popejohn23.org


Middle School Honor Roll: Each trimester, we will have two levels of Honor Roll for our Middle School students. Honors: GPA of 3.0-3.4.  High Honors: 3.5-4.0. Students will be recognized with recognition on the report card, a certificate, and their names in this newsletter. 


St. Nicholas Festival: St. Nicholas Festival begins on Friday, December 1 and runs all weekend. On Friday, we start at 6:30 in St. Nick’s Church with a visit from Bishop Nicholas followed by a tree lighting ceremony. We are trying to have a large number of school families participate. https://www.stjohn23evanston.org/snfest.html 

Friday, December 1: 6:30 St. Nicholas Church followed by tree lighting

Saturday, December 2:  8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Craft Fair, Tree and Greenery sale, bakery booth, and concessions

Sunday, December 3:  9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Craft Fair, Tree and Greenery sale, bakery booth, and concessions

Weekly Mass: I am pleased that weekly Mass is part of our routine. If your child is going to arrive late, please take them over to the church and make sure they enter the church safely. Additionally, please remind your child to use the bathroom before you leave home in the morning. 

School Advisory Board: The minutes for the September school advisory board meeting have been approved. Here is the link.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


11/17 Report Cards go home

11/20 11:50 dismissal (no lunch and no aftercare)

Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/21 Conferences 8:30-1:30

11/22-11/24 Thanksgiving Holiday

11/28 Mass 8:30

11/29 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/1-12/3 St. Nicholas Festival for the Parish

12/5 ETHS high school placement exam 

PA meeting 6:30

12/6 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/7 December band concert 6:30

12/8 Mass 8:15 Feast of the Immaculate Conception 

ECC Christmas Concert 7:00 pm

12/12 Mass 8:15

12/13 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/14 PJ Players performance 4:00

12/19 Mass 8:15

School Advisory Board meeting 

12/20 Lessons and Carols

12/21 Reconciliation for students

12/22 Christmas parties

12/23-1/7 Christmas vacation

1/8 School resumes


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Evanston Catholic League Football Team


Family Newsletter

November 9, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Congratulations to our players on the Evanston Catholic varsity football team for capturing 2nd place in the league! The championship game was well played and fun to watch, with many “PJ23 Specials” made during the game. 


When I reflect on how much we have accomplished this year, I am overcome with gratitude. Our students have embraced our new systems that create a peaceful, orderly, faith-filled, academically-focused environment. We are also having a great deal of fun with Student Council-sponsored events, our new playground, and assemblies. I truly appreciate the partnership provided by parent leadership groups and all parents. 


We are working hard to put systems in place that address all aspects of student life. Currently, we are focusing on the alignment of our homework and communications systems. I have had the opportunity to have quality conversations with many parents. I appreciate feedback regarding this matter, which helps inform the direction we take. Thank you for sharing your input. If you have any ideas or concerns, I would love to talk with you. 


Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conference links have been sent out for most classrooms. If you haven’t received a sign up genius link from your child's teacher yet, you will shortly. We would love to have as many in-person conferences as possible, but are happy to accommodate any virtual conferences as well. If you would like to meet with a specials area teacher, please reach out to them to set up an appointment.


Spanish PK-5 amine.airaki@popejohn23.org 

Art donna.contreras@popejohn23.org

Reading Specialist laurie.daley@popejohn23.org

French laurence.irving@popejohn23.org


Music nancy.marcheschi@popejohn23.org

STEAM cathy.patterson@popejohn23.org

PE ben.wilson@popejohn23.org


Middle School Honor Roll: Each trimester, we will have two levels of Honor Roll for our Middle School students. Honors: GPA of 3.0-3.4.  High Honors: 3.5-4.0. Students will be recognized with recognition on the report card, a certificate, and their names in this newsletter. 


Math League Competition: Our students in grades 3-8 participated in a Catholic Math League Competition this week. They took a 30 minute test, and the results will be shared with the organization. We will share how our students perform.


St. Nicholas Festival: St. Nicholas Festival begins on Friday, December 1 and runs all weekend. On Friday, we start at 6:30 in St. Nick’s Church with a visit from Bishop Nicholas followed by a tree lighting ceremony. We are trying to have a large number of school families participate. https://www.stjohn23evanston.org/snfest.html 

Friday, December 1: 6:30 St. Nicholas Church followed by tree lighting

Saturday, December 2:  8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Craft Fair, Tree and Greenery sale, bakery booth, and concessions

Sunday, December 3:  9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Craft Fair, Tree and Greenery sale, bakery booth, and concessions

School Advisory Board: The minutes for the September school advisory board meeting have been approved. Here is the link.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


11/14 Mass 8:30

11/15 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

            School Advisory Board Meeting 6:30

11/17 Report Cards go home

11/20 11:50 dismissal (no lunch and no aftercare)

Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/21 Conferences 8:30-1:30

11/22-11/24 Thanksgiving Holiday

11/28 Mass 8:30

11/29 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/1-12/3 St. Nicholas Festival for the Parish


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Third graders present their Saints at Mass. 


Family Newsletter

November 2, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Our All Saints’ Day school Mass was beautiful! Our 3rd grade students shared a very moving presentation about many of our Catholic Saints. Thank you to Ms. Piska for helping the 3rd grade students on this journey, and thank you to the 3rd grade parents for your tremendous amount of support.


Our Halloween parties and parade were a great deal of fun! I appreciate the work that the room parents did to facilitate such fun activities for our students. Can you believe the snow squall we had during our parade? It certainly made the parade more spooky, which was perfect. 


Staff update: It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the following information.

Mrs. Remy Kennon resigned from her position last Friday due to health issues. 

Mrs. Buckman and Mrs. Contreras will cover the class for the rest of the year. They are both experienced and talented educators who already know the students well. I am grateful to them both for stepping in to make sure the students have the best year possible. Mrs. Buckman will teach reading, writing and math, while Mrs. Contreras will teach religion, science and social studies. Mrs. Contreras will continue to teach art, and Mrs. Buckman will continue with a modified amount of her assistant principal/coaching work. Please hold Mrs. Kennon in your prayers.


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


11/5 Daylight Savings Time (fall back an hour)

11/8 Picture retake day

11/10 End of the first trimester (PowerSchool will be closed to parents)

            No School OCS PD Day

11/14 Mass 8:30

11/15 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/17 Report Cards go home

11/20 11:50 dismissal

Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/21 Conferences 8:30-1:30

11/22-11/24 Thanksgiving Holiday

11/28 Mass 8:30

11/29 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/1-12/3 St. Nicholas Festival for the Parish


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Our playground has been blessed and is open for business!


Family Newsletter

October 26, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Fr. Jean Phillippe bestowed a beautiful blessing on our new playground on Tuesday following Mass. We were happy to have our entire school on the playground for a whole-school picture. The playground is intended for use by students in grades preschool through 3rd. However, our older students will have the opportunity to enjoy the playground with their PJ Pals buddy classes. Please note that this is a private playground, not a public park, for use by PJ23 School students only. I would like to extend a special thanks to Mr. Badillo for facilitating this process!


Student Council Update: Our Student Council is hosting a Halloween-themed out of uniform day on Friday, October 27. The theme is Halloween colors or an appropriate Halloween-themed t-shirt. Each student should bring one dollar for each of these out of uniform days. This way, the Student Council can raise funds to sponsor other fun activities for the student body.


Athletic Board: We had our first athletic board meeting this week. I am very excited to have this board work with Coach Ben to facilitate our athletic program and standardize our processes. 


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


10/29 Rite of Candidacy, Year 2 Confirmation Students 10:00-11:00 

10/31 Halloween!

No Mass

            Classroom parties at 1:30

            Parade at 2:30

11/1 All Saints Day

Mass 8:15

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/3 Trivia Night (sponsored by the PA)

11/5 Daylight Savings Time (fall back an hour)

11/8 Picture retake day

11/10 End of the first trimester (PowerSchool will be closed to parents)

            No School OCS PD Day

11/14 Mass 8:30

11/15 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/17 Report Cards go home

11/20 11:50 dismissal

Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/21 Conferences 8:30-1:30

11/22-11/24 Thanksgiving Holiday

11/28 Mass 8:30

11/29 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/1-12/3 St. Nicholas Festival for the Parish


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

5th grade recess: He makes the shot!


Family Newsletter

October 19, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Our students truly enjoy our outdoor areas during recess. There is plenty of space, and our students enjoy playing basketball, football, soccer, as well as playing on the playgrounds. Speaking of playgrounds….


Playground Blessing and Grand Opening: Our new playground is ready for our students! On Tuesday, October 24, Fr. Jean-Phillippe will bless the playground, and we will have an official opening ceremony. The playground is intended for use by our preschool-2nd grade students. However, we will provide a time for all grade levels to explore, most likely with their PJ Pals class. Coach Ben is going to use PE class for the younger students to teach them how to safely use the playground while having fun. Please join us for Mass and the playground dedication and blessing!  


Student Council Update: Our Student Council is hosting a Halloween-themed out of uniform day on Friday, October 27. The theme is Halloween colors or an appropriate Halloween-themed t-shirt. Each student should bring one dollar for each of these out of uniform days. This way, the Student Council can raise funds to sponsor other fun activities for the student body.


Athletic Board: We are assembling an Athletic Board composed of parents, Coach Ben, Coach Olivia, and myself (though neither the coaches nor I will not be members, but as advisors) to support our athletic program. I will share additional information after the first board meeting. 


Air conditioning: We are continuing to collect donations to pay for the 6 units needed for specials and reading classrooms. If you haven’t yet donated and would like to do so, we are accepting cash, checks, and online donations. Please send a check (made out to Pope John XXIII School; write “air conditioning” in the memo) or cash donations. You can also donate online here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/springfundraiser2023/g/give . 


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


10/22 Confirmation: Rite of Welcoming, Year 1 Students 10:00-11:00

10/24 Mass 8:30

Playground dedication following Mass

10/25 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/29 Rite of Candidacy, Year 2 Confirmation Students 10:00-11:00 

10/31 Halloween!

No Mass

            Classroom parties at 1:30

            Parade at 2:30

11/1 All Saints Day

Mass 8:15

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/3 Trivia Night (sponsored by the PA)

11/5 Daylight Savings Time (fall back an hour)

11/8 Picture retake day

11/10 End of the first trimester (PowerSchool will be closed to parents)

11/14 Mass 8:30

11/15 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

11/17 Report Cards go home

11/20 11:50 dismissal

Conferences 1:00-6:00

11/21 Conferences 8:30-1:30

11/22-11/24 Thanksgiving Holiday

11/28 Mass 8:30

11/29 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

12/1-12/3 St. Nicholas Festival for the Parish



Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

The Academic Bowl Team qualifies to compete in the finals!


Family Newsletter

October 12, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Congratulations to the PJ23 Academic Bowl Team! Our team competed this week at Notre Dame College Prep against other Catholic school teams and qualified to compete in the next round! They answered tricky questions about math, social studies, science, pop culture, literature, grammar and other topics.  



Student Council Update: Our Student Council is hosting a Halloween-themed out of uniform day on Friday, October 27. The theme is Halloween colors or an appropriate Halloween-themed t-shirt. Each student should bring one dollar for each of these out of uniform days. This way, the Student Council can raise funds to sponsor other fun activities for the student body.


The assembly hosted by Student Council on Friday was a lot of fun! President Bo and Vice President Dot were the masters of ceremony and did a wonderful job facilitating a fun time for all. 


Air conditioning: We are continuing to collect donations to pay for the 6 units needed for specials and reading classrooms. If you haven’t yet donated and would like to do so, we are accepting cash, checks, and online donations. Please send a check (made out to Pope John XXIII School; write “air conditioning” in the memo) or cash donations. You can also donate online here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/springfundraiser2023/g/give . 


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


10/14 Trunk or Treat! PJ23 parking lot, 3:00-6:00

10/17 School Advisory Board 6:30-8:00

10/18 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/25 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/31 Halloween!

No Mass

            Classroom parties at 1:30

            Parade at 2:30

11/1 All Saints Day

Mass 8:15

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Kindergartners learn to say the months of the year in French with Ms. Irving.


Family Newsletter

October 5, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Cooler weather is finally here, it seems. This is a good time to review our PJ23 School Uniform and Dress Code. I started reviewing it with some of our students. The document is located in this newsletter for your information. The dress code addresses our regular school uniform, our gym uniform, and the policy for out of uniform days.  


No Hot Lunch on Friday, October 6: Make sure to have your child bring lunch from home. 


Student Council Update: Our Student Council is hosting their first assembly tomorrow. We are having a pep rally in honor of fall sports, including the homecoming weekend for our football team. All students may wear the sports jerseys of their own team or the outfit that represents their sport. The sport can be a school-sponsored sport, a park district sport, a travel team, or individual sport (such as Tae Kwon Do). PJ23 volleyball players should wear their jerseys with jeans, athletic pants, or their gym uniform shorts. Students can wear PJ23 spirit wear as well.  


Morning drop off: Students should not be dropped off at school before 8:00 and left unsupervised. Our supervision of students begins at 8:00. The school day begins at 8:15. Thank you!


Morning Care: Please walk your students up to the media center for morning care.


Air conditioning: We are continuing to collect donations to pay for the 6 units needed for specials and reading classrooms. If you haven’t yet donated and would like to do so, we are accepting cash, checks, and online donations. Please send a check (made out to Pope John XXIII School; write “air conditioning” in the memo) or cash donations. You can also donate online here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/springfundraiser2023/g/give . 


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


10/6 NO HOT LUNCH- bring a lunch from home

 Pep Rally (represent your own team or spirit wear)

10/9 No School

10/10 Academic Bowl at Notre Dame College Prep 4:00

            PowerSchool is turned on

10/11 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/14 Trunk or Treat! PJ23 parking lot, 3:00-6:00

10/17 School Advisory Board 6:30-8:00

10/18 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/25 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/31 Halloween!

No Mass

            Classroom parties at 1:30

            Parade at 2:30

11/1 All Saints Day

Mass 8:15

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

7th graders discuss organizing the sequence of events and plot lines 

to create their group narrative story. 


Family Newsletter

September 28, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


We had such an amazing turnout for Grandparents and Special Persons Day! It was wonderful to share Mass with our students and the special people in their lives. Thank you to Mrs. Patterson, Mrs. Contreras, Mrs. Marcheschi and Mrs. Gumiran for their work in preparing this lovely event. 


Sports Jerseys and Jeans Day: Our Student Council has already begun to plan events for the student body! They are sponsoring our first out of uniform day on Friday, September 29. Students can wear their favorite sports jersey or t-shirt and jeans or shorts to school. Shorts must be at least as long or longer than their gym shorts, and shirts MUST be a few inches longer than the waistband of the jeans or shorts. (Any student wearing shorts or shirts that do not meet these requirements will have their parents called to bring appropriate clothing.) I can’t wait to see which teams are represented!


Air conditioning: We are continuing to collect donations to pay for the 6 units needed for specials and reading classrooms. If you haven’t yet donated and would like to do so, we are accepting cash, checks, and online donations. Please send a check (made out to Pope John XXIII School; write “air conditioning” in the memo) or cash donations. You can also donate online here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/springfundraiser2023/g/give . 


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Upcoming Events: 


9/29 Wear your favorite sports jersey or t-shirt and jeans or shorts

10/3 Mass 8:15

10/4 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/9 No School

10/10 Academic Bowl at Notre Dame College Prep 4:00

            PowerSchool is turned on

10/11 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/14 Trunk or Treat! PJ23 parking lot, 3:00-6:00

10/17 School Advisory Board 6:30-8:00

10/18 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/25 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/31 Halloween!

No Mass

            Classroom parties at 1:30

            Parade at 2:30

11/1 All Saints Day

Mass 8:15

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Presenting the PJ23 2023-2024 Student Council Officers!


Family Newsletter

September 22, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


On Thursday, we had our Student Council Executive Officers election. All of the candidates gave extraordinary campaign speeches to their peers in grades 3-8. The students in the audience were highly engaged, respectful and enthusiastic listeners. The staff who attended the speeches were extremely impressed by our Panthers- both those who gave the speeches and those who listened. Following the speeches, the students voted. Congratulations to the 2023-2024 PJ23 Student Council Officers!

President: Bo Mirza Vice President: Dot Sullivan

Treasurer: Emilie Young Secretary: Ava Sulton

School Historian: Jeanne Labrado School Spirit: Sam Claydon


iReady: We began our iReady diagnostic testing this week, and will finish next week. The purpose of the i-Ready Diagnostic is to determine how best to support their learning. It will help your student’s teacher(s) determine their needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the year. This is the first of three sessions with iReady testing for the year. Students will also engage in iReady lessons that are customized to their performance levels. 


Air conditioning: The air conditioners were wonderful during the warm parts of the week! We are still collecting donations to pay for the units. If you haven’t yet donated and would like to do so, we are accepting cash, checks, and online donations. Please send a check (made out to Pope John XXIII School; write “air conditioning” in the memo) or cash donations. You can also donate online here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/springfundraiser2023/g/give . 


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Dogs: The family dog is a cherished member of many families. However, please do not bring dogs onto the campus during morning drop off or after school pick up times. Even the sweetest dog can react unpredictably in a crowd. 


Cough Drops: We will not distribute cough drops to students from the office. 


Upcoming Events: 


9/22 No School- Office of Catholic Schools Staff Development 

PJ23 Parent and Guardian Mix and Mingle St. Nick’s Courtyard 7:00-9:00 pm Mix and Mingle Sign-Up

9/26 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

Grandpeople’s Day (Grandparents or special person) 8:15-10:00

9/27 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/3 Mass 8:15

10/4 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/9 No School

10/10 Academic Bowl at Notre Dame College Prep 4:00-5:00

10/11 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/14 Trunk or Treat! PJ23 parking lot, 3:00-6:00

10/17 School Advisory Board 6:30-8:00

10/18 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/25 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/31 Halloween!

No Mass

11/1 All Saints Day

Mass 8:15

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00


Please feel free to drop by the office during school hours or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Mrs. Millan and the 1st graders converse in Spanish.


Family Newsletter

September 14, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Our early childhood and primary students are learning Spanish with Mrs. Millan in the Early Childhood Language Intensive Program (ECLIP). Our first graders demonstrated that they could count and follow Mrs. Millan’s directions in Spanish. It is wonderful to see their Spanish language skills grow!


Air conditioning: The first wave of air conditioners have arrived! Thank you so much for  your generosity. Mr. Fernando has already installed most of the units. We are installing 12 units in the classrooms of core content teachers (preschool-8th grade classrooms). The next wave of 6 units, when they are purchased, will be placed in the language classroom, reading specialist classroom, and the teachers’ workroom. We are still collecting donations to pay for the units. If you haven’t yet donated and would like to do so, we are accepting cash, checks, and online donations. Please send a check (made out to Pope John XXIII School; write “air conditioning” in the memo) or cash donations. You can also donate online here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/springfundraiser2023/g/give . 


Student Council: We have campaign posters in our school today! Our candidates are enthusiastic and well-organized. The offices for which they can run include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, School Spirit Officer and School Historian. Our elections will be next week.


Lock Down Drill: I met with Officer Miller from the Evanston Police Department today to discuss our dates and procedures for a lockdown drill. We will have this drill with the police observing within the first two weeks of October. I will let you know when the date is set.  


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Parish Block Party: The Parish Block Party is a big event for our Parish. Please drop by for some fun for the whole family. Find out more about it here: Block Party


Upcoming Events: 


9/16 Parish Block Party (St. Mary campus)

9/18 Band instruction begins

9/19 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

Student Council elections speeches due

9/20 8th grade shadow day at Loyola

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

9/21 School Picture Day

Student Council election speeches and voting

9/22 No School- Office of Catholic Schools Staff Development 

PJ23 Parent and Guardian Mix and Mingle St. Nick’s Courtyard 7:00-9:00 pm Mix and Mingle Sign-Up

9/26 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

Grandpeople’s Day (Grandparents or special person) 8:15-10:00

9/27 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/3 Mass 8:15

10/4 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/9 No School

10/10 Academic Bowl at Notre Dame College Prep 4:00-5:00

10/11 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00

10/14 Trunk or Treat! PJ23 parking lot, 3:00-6:00

10/18 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

PJ Evanston Children’s Choir 2:00-3:00


Please feel free to drop by the office or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Kindergarten parents attending Session I of our Curriculum Night with Mr. Geregach.


Family Newsletter

September 7, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Thank you for attending our Curriculum Night! It was wonderful to see so many families of our amazing students attend. I feel such a positive energy in our community.  


Air conditioning: We are getting closer to air conditioning becoming a reality. If you haven’t yet donated and would like to do so, we are accepting cash, checks, and online donations. Please send a check (made out to Pope John XXIII School; write “air conditioning” in the memo) or cash donations. You can also donate online here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/springfundraiser2023/g/give . I donated already, and it is easy to do. 


Student Council: We have begun the process of electing our 2023-2024 Student Council Officers. 7th and 8th grade students who are interested in running for office met with me twice to learn about the process and the offices. The offices include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, School Spirit Officer and School Historian. There will be an election for Class Representatives later. Candidates have deadlines to meet and campaign rules to follow. I am pleased to share that students have already begun submitting the necessary form to run. I look forward to the leadership our Student Council will provide!


Virtus training: In order for parents to volunteer to chaperone field trips or help with class parties, you must be fully Virtus compliant. If you don’t have a Virtus account, please follow this link: https://www.virtusonline.org/ .When creating you account, select Pope John XXIII School as your site. If you already have an account, please check to make sure you are up to date. 


Parish Block Party: The Parish Block Party is a big event for our Parish. Please drop by for some fun for the whole family. Find out more about it here: Block Party


Upcoming Events: 


9/11 Catholic High School visits to 8th grade (students only)

9/12 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 

 Student Council permission forms due

9/13 Student Council election posters due

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/16 Parish Block Party (St. Mary campus)

9/19 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

 Student Council elections speeches due

9/20 8th grade shadow day at Loyola

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/21 Student Council election speeches and voting

9/22 No School- Office of Catholic Schools Staff Development 

9/26 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

9/27 2:00 dismissal for staff PD


Please feel free to drop by the office or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

The 8th grade science class and Dr. Chopra explore wave theory.


Family Newsletter

August 31, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


We have had a wonderful, busy, productive week! Our students have already begun to learn a great deal, as you can see from the picture of 8th grade scientists learning about waves. I am so proud of how well the students are doing with routines, processes and decision-making. 


Mass: Our first School Mass was very moving. The 6th grade class hosted, and they did an amazing job. I would like to thank Mrs. Marcheschi for the beautiful liturgy and music, and Mrs. Patterson for assisting. All of our Panthers were reverent during Mass, and made me very proud. Fr. Jean-Phillippe delivered a moving and relatable homily about preparing for the next level in your life. He was also very pleased by the students’ reverence and participation. Thank you all for making sure the students arrived in time to walk over to the church together! Please feel free to join us for Mass on Tuesdays. 


Air conditioning: We are moving ahead with ordering air conditioners for the classrooms! Each unit costs $333.33 with a $99.99 warranty. The units are 8,000 Btu Portable Ac. This will be paid for entirely from donations. Please send a check (made out to Pope John XXIII School; write “air conditioning” in the memo) or cash donations. You can also donate online here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/springfundraiser2023/g/give . I donated already, and it is easy to do. 


Curriculum Night: Parents and guardians are invited to attend our annual Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 7 from 6:00-7:30 to find out more about your child’s curriculum and schedule. Come see the work the students have been doing so far this year and chat with other parents. (Note: This is an event for adults only.) 


Student Council: We will begin the process of electing our 2023-2024 Student Council Officers! 7th and 8th grade students who are interested in running for office will attend a meeting and pick up forms during recess on September 5th. The offices include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, School Spirit Officer and School Historian. There will be an election for Class Representatives later. Please note that only students and staff will be allowed to attend the officer speeches. This is to promote an environment that is fair to everyone. I cannot wait to work with our Student Council!


Upcoming Events: 


8/31 Deadline for ordering playground brick

9/4 No School- Labor Day

9/5 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 

 Student Council Officer permission forms sent home (7th and 8th grade)

9/6 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/7 Curriculum Night 6:00-7:30

9/11 Catholic High School visits to 8th grade (students only)

9/12 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 

 Student Council permission forms due

9/13 Student Council election posters due

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/16 Parish Block Party (St. Mary campus)

9/19 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

 Student Council elections speeches due

9/20 8th grade shadow day at Loyola

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/21 Student Council election speeches and voting

9/22 No School- Office of Catholic Schools Staff Development 

9/26 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

9/27 2:00 dismissal for staff PD


Please feel free to drop by the office or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Welcome Back!


Family Newsletter

August 24, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


We had such a wonderful first day of school! Students were happy to be back with their classmates. They reviewed our PJ23 School routines, practiced all three emergency drills (fire, lock down and tornado) with their own class, put away their supplies and got to know their homeroom teachers. 


As the last two days have demonstrated, it is very important that we bring air conditioning to our classrooms to preserve the health and well-being of our students. We will send out our plan next week and begin accepting donations to pay for the units. I appreciate the School Advisory Board’s and Parish Buildings and Grounds Committee’s involvement in making this a reality. 


First School Mass: Our first Mass as a school community this year is on Tuesday, August 29. We will gather the students by class and PJ Pals groupings outside of the school and proceed directly over to St. Nicholas church to be seated by 8:15. Please make sure your child is dropped off by 8:07 on Tuesdays, to give us time to get to church. You are invited to attend Mass with us! We will need the students to sit with their class, but we would love to have parents attend Mass.


School Uniforms: Starting Monday, we expect all students in grades K-8 to wear their school uniforms with the appropriate components. (Exception: vests are optional until the weather cools down.) Shoes must be black, white, blue, gray or brown- no bright colors are acceptable. 


Playground bricks: Please order your personalized brick to honor the special people in your life. You can access the link here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/annualfund/. The deadline for ordering is August 31st! 


After Care: Our first Wednesday early dismissal day is August 30. Please email Mrs. Gumiran at danielle.gumiran@popejohn23.org if your child will be attending the after care program from 2:00-3:00 on Wednesdays.  


Upcoming Events: 


8/29 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 

8/30 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

8/31 Deadline for ordering playground brick

9/4 No School- Labor Day

9/5 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 

 Student Council Officer permission forms sent home (7th and 8th grade)

9/6 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/11 Catholic High School visits to 8th grade (students only)

9/12 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 

 Student Council permission forms due

9/13 Student Council election posters due

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/19 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

 Student Council elections speeches due

9/20 8th grade shadow day at Loyola

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/21 Student Council election speeches and voting

9/22 No School- Office of Catholic Schools Staff Development 

9/26 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

9/27 2:00 dismissal for staff PD


Please feel free to drop by the office or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Thanks for helping us make this such a great first week!


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

The PJ23 staff is ready for the new school year!


Family Newsletter

August 18, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


It was so wonderful to see so many students and families at our popsicle meet and greet yesterday! The teachers are even more excited now about starting school next week. We have spent this week getting to know each other more, preparing our classrooms, preparing curriculum, and setting expectations for the new school year. 


FIrst Day of School! Students in grades K-8 return on Tuesday, August 22. We will have a back to school celebration with music, back to school photo booth signs, and the opportunity to take pictures. Please have your child wear their school uniform (vests optional), as we will be taking many pictures. This is an early dismissal day, dismissing at 11:50.


Our preschool students also return on Tuesday, August 22 with their parents for a meet and greet in the classroom from 9:00-10:00. The preschool classroom has been moved to the main school building, right next to our Kindergarten classroom. 


Back to school BBQ: Please join us on Saturday, August 19 for our back to school barbeque! It is in our parking lot. Come in at 2:00 to browse our used uniform sale. You can donate the uniforms your children have outgrown at the school office. 


Playground bricks: Please order your personalized brick to honor the special people in your life. You can access the link here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/annualfund/. The deadline for ordering is August 31st! 


After Care: Our first Wednesday early dismissal day is August 23. Please email Mrs. Gumiran at danielle.gumiran@popejohn23.org if your child will be attending the after care program from 2:00-3:00 on Wednesdays.  


HOT WEATHER: It appears that starting on Wednesday, August 23, we will experience temperatures in the 90s for the rest of the week. Please have your children either wear their gym uniform or spirit wear t-shirts and Catholic-school appropriate shorts to school for the rest of the week. 


Catholic school appropriate clothing: A word about the length of shorts and skirts: The appropriate length of shorts and skirts for school days is no more than three inches above the knee. Students who wear shorts or skirts that are not long enough will be sent to the school office to have parents called to bring in appropriate clothing. Students who repeatedly wear items that are too short will be issued lunch and recess detentions. 


Discipline: I have included our Discipline Rubric for all of the grades. I am grateful to the School Advisory Board for reviewing the document and providing feedback. Please review the section that applies to the grade levels of your children. 


School Advisory Board: We had our second School Advisory Board meeting this week. It is so exciting to be working with a group of parents who are excited to move our school forward! We will be sharing the minutes each month after they have been approved by the Board. You can see July’s minutes here:


Upcoming Events: 

8/19 Uniform exchange 2:00-4:00

 Back to school BBQ 3:00-7:00

8/22 Students return! Back to School Celebration! 8:00 parking lot

 11:50 dismissal (no lunch) for K-8. 

    Preschool Meet & Greet with parents 9:00-10:00

8/23 Regular school day

 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

8/29 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 

8/30 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

8/31 Deadline for ordering playground brick

9/4 No School- Labor Day

9/5 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 

    Student Council Officer permission forms sent home (7th and 8th grade)

9/6 2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/11 Catholic High School visits to 8th grade (students only)

9/12 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 

 Student Council permission forms due

9/13 Student Council election posters due

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/19 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

 Student Council elections speeches due

9/20 8th grade shadow day at Loyola

2:00 dismissal for staff PD

9/21 Student Council election speeches and voting

9/22 No School- Office of Catholic Schools Staff Development 

9/26 Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15

9/27 2:00 dismissal for staff PD


Please feel free to drop by the office or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Enjoy the rest of your summer! 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Juanita Tamayo, Dr. Mary Maloney, Karie Ferrell, and Fr. Jean-Phillipe met to set the stage for the Parish Religious Education Program. 


Family Newsletter

August 10, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Teachers are returning next week! They have been setting up classrooms, preparing curriculum, and getting to know each other. I would like to thank Fernando Ramos and Patricia Ramos for their hard work to clean and prepare our school. Please come out with your children to chat with our staff on Thursday, August 17 from 1:00-2:00. Meet our new and veteran staff and enjoy a popsicle!


Students in grades K-8 return on Tuesday, August 22. We will have a back to school celebration with music, back to school photo booth signs, and the opportunity to take pictures. Please have your child wear their school uniform (vests optional), as we will be taking many pictures. (This is a change from what has gone out before.) This is an early dismissal day, dismissing at 11:50.


Our preschool students also return on Tuesday, August 22 with their parents for a meet and greet in the classroom from 9:00-10:00. The preschool classroom has been moved to the main school building, right next to our Kindergarten classroom. 


Please join us on Saturday, August 19 for our back to school barbeque! It is in our parking lot. Come in at 2:00 to browse our used uniform sale. You can donate the uniforms your children have outgrown at the school office. 


Playground update: There has been great progress on the preschool playground. The big tree is being evaluated in regards to its health. This may slow down progress. Please order your personalized brick to honor the special people in your life. You can access the link here: https://pj23.schoolauction.net/annualfund/. The deadline for ordering is August 31st! 


I would like to thank our outstanding office staff for all of their hard work and dedication with back to school preparations. Mrs. Alton, Mrs. Mendoza, Mrs. Buckman, and Mrs. Sulton have spent countless hours with me making sure our school and our staff are ready.


PJ23 2023-2024 School Year Staff List


Preschool Aid: Mrs. Veronica Millan

Preschool Teacher: Mrs. Fran Sasenick

Kindergarten: Ms. Judy Rack (Mr. Patrick Geregach)

First Grade: Ms. Olivia Kaminski

Second Grade: Mrs. Remy Kennon

Third Grade: Ms. Kamila Piska

Fourth Grade: Mr. Jackson Dinsmore

Fifth Grade: Ms. Tamara Claude

Middle School Literature: Teacher Kameron Hall

Middle School Language Arts: Ms. Kari Nelson

Middle School Math: Ms. Tamia Phifer

Middle School Science: Dr. Anuj Chopra

Middle School Social Studies: Ms. Candace Current

Spanish K-5: Mr. Amine Airaki

Spanish 6-8: Mrs. Luisa Sullivan

French K-8: Ms. Laurence Irving

Latin 6-8: Mrs. Rose Welsh

Art: Ms. Donna Contreras

PE: Mr. Ben Wilson

Music: Mrs. Nancy Marcheschi

STEAM/Library: Mrs. Cathy Patterson

Reading Specialist: Ms. Laurie Daley

Counselor: Mrs. Nora Bondi

Financial Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Irma Mendoza

School Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Debbie Anton

Assistant Principal PK-4 and Literacy Specialist: Mrs. Theresa Buckman

Assistant Principal 5-8 and Director for Marketing and Enrollment: Mrs. Jackie Sulton 

Principal: Dr. Mary Maloney


Upcoming Events: 

8/15 Teachers return 

8/17 Meet the PJ23 teachers! 1:00-2:00 (popsicles included)

8/19 Uniform exchange 2:00-4:00

 Back to school BBQ 3:00-7:00

8/22 Students return! Back to School Celebration! 8:00 parking lot

 11:50 dismissal (no lunch) for K-8. 

    Preschool Meet & Greet with parents 9:00-10:00

8/23 Regular school day (first 2:00 Wednesday dismissal)

8/30 School Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 


Please feel free to drop by the office or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Enjoy the rest of your summer! 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

On August 2, 2023, construction began for our new playground.


Family Newsletter

August 3, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


Groundbreaking has begun for our new preschool playground. We are very excited to have this project begin. You can be a part of this playground by purchasing a brick that you can dedicate to your family, a loved one, or anyone you want. The playground will have a path winding through it which will contain partially customized brick pavement. You can access the link here:


We are fully staffed! Our teaching staff is composed of a healthy mix of experienced and newer teachers. Many of our teachers have been spending time preparing their classrooms for the arrival of our students. We are providing an opportunity to meet our staff, including new teachers, on Thursday, August 17 from 1:00-2:00. Meet our new and veteran staff and enjoy a popsicle!


I want to share with you that Judy Rack, our beloved Kindergarten teacher, is taking a medical leave effective immediately. She plans to return to PJ23 after Christmas break. We already have a long-term substitute in place. My son, Patrick Geregach, will serve as the Kindergarten sub until Miss. Rack returns. Patrick taught middle school science last year and is very excited to have the opportunity to help our Kindergartners learn and grow. Please feel free to contact myself or Theresa Buckman if you have any questions. 


Our PJ23 yard signs have arrived. We will distribute them at the welcome back barbeque, but you can pick one up any time during our summer office hours. 


Violin and piano lessons will continue this year. If you are interested, please contact the instructors directly. 

Violin: Korine Shallack kschallack@icloud.com 

Piano: Alyson Novesky alynoves@icloud.com 

These private lessons will be conducted during lunch, recess, and possibly before and after school. 


School concert band will be offered in the same fashion as last year. More information will be coming.


PJ23 2023-2024 School Year Staff List


Preschool Aid: Mrs. Veronica Millan

Preschool Teacher: Contract Signed

Kindergarten: Ms. Judy Rack

First Grade: Ms. Olivia Kaminski

Second Grade: Mrs. Remy Kennon

Third Grade: Ms. Kamila Piska

Fourth Grade: Mr. Jackson Dinsmore

Fifth Grade: Ms. Tamara Claude

Middle School Literature: Teacher Kameron Hall

Middle School Language Arts: Ms. Kari Nelson

Middle School Math: Ms. Tamia Phifer

Middle School Science: Dr. Anuj Chopra

Middle School Social Studies: Ms. Candace Current

Spanish K-5: Mr. Amine Airaki

Spanish 6-8: Mrs. Luisa Sullivan

French K-8: Ms. Laurence Irving

Latin 6-8: Mrs. Rose Welsh

Art: Ms. Donna Contreras

PE: Mr. Ben Wilson

Music: Mrs. Nancy Marcheschi

STEAM/Library: Mrs. Cathy Patterson

Reading Specialist: Ms. Laurie Daley

Counselor: Mrs. Nora Bondi

Financial Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Irma Mendoza

School Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Debbie Anton

Assistant Principal PK-4 and Literacy Specialist: Mrs. Theresa Buckman

Assistant Principal 5-8 and Director for Marketing and Enrollment: Mrs. Jackie Sulton 

Principal: Dr. Mary Maloney


Upcoming Events: 

8/15 Teachers return 

8/17 Meet the PJ23 teachers! 1:00-2:00 (popsicles included)

8/19 Uniform exchange 2:00-4:00

 Back to school BBQ 3:00-7:00

8/22 Students return! 11:50 dismissal (no lunch) for K-8. 

    Preschool Meet & Greet with parents

8/23 Back to School Celebration! 8:00 parking lot

8/30 School Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 


Please feel free to drop by the office or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Enjoy the rest of your summer! 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Panthers enjoy summer at the Parent Association sponsored Fun Fridays!


Family Newsletter

July 25, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


I hope everyone is enjoying summer! I am pleased to share our 2023-2024 school year calendar with you. Please note that this calendar is subject to change, and dates will be added throughout the year. 


We have PJ23 yard signs coming! We will distribute the signs as soon as they arrive. 


I have some great news! Our early childhood playground will be completely updated with a natural playground, new ground covering, and new fencing. This playground will be suitable for students in preschool-2nd grade. We will break ground soon.


Mr. Geiger from the Evanston Children’s Choir will continue his program for grades 3-8 on Wednesdays from 2:00-3:00. He is very excited to open the program to 7th and 8th graders, as well as having a solid hour for practice. Please note that choir will not be held during the academic school day in the future. There is no additional charge for participation.
 

I am pleased to share our current staffing update. Our elementary classes will remain at or under 20 students, and middle school students will receive instruction in both heterogeneous and regular/accelerated classes.


Preschool Aid: Mrs. Veronica Millan

Preschool Teacher: TBD

Kindergarten: Ms. Judy Rack

First Grade: Ms. Olivia Kaminski

Second Grade: TBD

Third Grade: Ms. Kamila Piska

Fourth Grade: Mr. Jackson Dinsmore

Fifth Grade: Ms. Tamara Claude

Middle School Literature: Teacher Kameron Hall

Middle School Language Arts: Ms. Kari Nelson

Middle School Math: Ms. Tamia Phifer

Middle School Science: Dr. Anuj Chopra

Middle School Social Studies: Contract Signed

Spanish K-5: Mr. Amine Airaki

Spanish 6-8: TBD

French K-8: Ms. Laurence Irving

Latin 6-8: Mrs. Rose Welsh

Art: Ms. Donna Contreras

PE: Mr. Ben Wilson

Music: Mrs. Nancy Marcheschi

STEAM/Library: Mrs. Cathy Patterson

Reading Specialist: Ms. Laurie Daley

Counselor: Mrs. Nora Bondi

Financial Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Irma Mendoza

School Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Debbie Anton

Assistant Principal PK-4 and Literacy Specialist: Mrs. Theresa Buckman

Assistant Principal 5-8 and Director for Marketing and Enrollment: Mrs. Jackie Sulton 

Principal: Dr. Mary Maloney


Upcoming Events: 

8/15 Teachers return 

8/22 Students return! 11:30 dismissal (no lunch) for K-8. 

 Preschool Meet & Greet with parents

8/23 Back to School Celebration! 8:00 parking lot

8/30 School Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 


If you haven’t viewed our July 13 Summer Update video sent out last week, please take a look: https://vimeo.com/845117530


I have enjoyed meeting students, parents, staff and parishioners. Please feel free to drop by the office or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Enjoy the rest of your summer! 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

A few of our Panthers join Dr. Maloney at the “Halloween in July” Family Fun Friday!



Family Newsletter

July 18, 2023


Dear PJ23 Families,


I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Mary Maloney and I am thrilled to be the new principal of PJ23!


I am starting my 7th year as a principal in the Archdiocese of Chicago, coming from St. John Brebeuf School in Niles. I was drawn to Pope John because of our diversity. I have been an educator for over 30 years, serving as a principal in both Catholic and public schools, a central officer administrator, and a teacher. I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in History and English; from DePaul University with a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction: and from Loyola University with a Ph.D in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. I am the proud mother of two adult sons, Patrick and Quinn. I adore my grand cat, Greg. 


Instructional rigor is an important focus for our PJ23 team. For example, the entire middle school will participate in a science fair as part of the science curriculum. Additionally, we are now a 1:1 technology school. This means that all students from Kindergarten through 8th grade will be issued a Chromebook to be used as a learning tool. We will continue to provide excellent experiential-based instructional programs while having easier access to technology. The frequency of use for the Chromebooks will align to developmental appropriateness and expectations. There will be no increase in screen time from what has already been in place. Preschool will remain a technology free environment.


At PJ23, we are committed to providing the best instructional program and learning environment for our students. In order to ensure this, we are facilitating ongoing, research-based, quality, professional development for staff. These meetings will be held weekly on Wednesdays and students will be dismissed at 2:00. From 2:00-3:00, there will be no charge for students to use our aftercare program. Starting at 3:00, families will be charged the regular rates. 


Our PJ23 administrative team is updating and finalizing our calendar. We will share it with you as soon as possible. In the future, the calendar will be completed and disseminated before the end of the school year.

 

I am pleased to share our current staffing update. Our elementary classes will remain under 20 students, to ensure differentiated instruction and optimal student learning within a smaller class size. Middle school students will receive instruction in both heterogeneous and regular/honors classes.


Preschool Aid: Mrs. Veronica Millan

Preschool Teacher: TBD

Kindergarten: Ms. Judy Rack

First Grade: Ms. Olivia Kaminski

Second Grade: TBD

Third Grade: Ms. Kamila Piska

Fourth Grade: Mr. Jackson Dinsmore

Fifth Grade: Ms. Tamara Claude

Middle School Literature: Teacher Kameron Hall

Middle School Language Arts: Ms. Kari Nelson

Middle School Math: TBD

Middle School Science: Dr. Anuj Chopra

Middle School Social Studies: Contract Signed

Spanish K-5: Mr. Amine Airaki

Spanish 6-8: TBD

French K-8: Ms. Laurence Irving

Latin 6-8: Mrs. Rose Welsh

Art: Ms. Donna Contreras

PE: Mr. Ben Wilson

Music: Mrs. Nancy Marcheschi

STEAM/Library: Mrs. Cathy Patterson

Reading Specialist: Ms. Laurie Daley

Counselor: Mrs. Nora Bondi

Financial Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Irma Mendoza

School Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Debbie Anton

Assistant Principal PK-4 and Literacy Specialist: Mrs. Theresa Buckman

Assistant Principal 5-8 and Director for Marketing and Enrollment: Mrs. Jackie Sulton 

Principal: Dr. Mary Maloney


Upcoming Events: 

8/15 Teachers return 

8/22 Students return! 11:30 dismissal (no lunch) for K-8. 

 Preschool Meet & Greet with parents

8/23 Full day

8/30 School Mass (St. Nicholas campus) 8:15 


If you haven’t viewed our July 13 Summer Update video sent out last week, please take a look: https://vimeo.com/845117530


I have enjoyed meeting students, parents, staff and parishioners. Please feel free to drop by the office or make an appointment to meet with me if you have questions. 


Enjoy the rest of your summer! 


Blessings,


Dr. Mary Maloney

Click here to see our summer update:

https://vimeo.com/845117530