Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School

There is nothing small in the service of God. St. Francis de Sales In our Board Game elective, two school parents (Mr. Henderson and Mr. Pfeiffer) shared the rules and how-tos of playing Texas Hold 'Em. They taught it not as a game of luck but as a game of statistics. See, kids, math matters! As teachers, we know the sound of engaged learners is essential. Education can feel like an adventure. Thank you to these fabulous dads for providing a lesson in math and community.

We have scheduled one more Altar Server training for those who couldn't attend the October sessions. It's scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 19th at 1:00 p.m. Here is the link below to sign-up. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4BAAAE2DA6F94-45284674-altar#/

Check out the latest SHOJ Newsletter right here: https://shoj.edurooms.com/engage/shoj-catholic-school/newsletters/the-rhodes-ahead-oct-13-2023

Mornings With Mom: Thursday 10/19 7:30 AM , MPC 10 out of 10 (future) doctors* surveyed agree that donuts are good for you. Nutritional values grow exponentially when shared with someone you love. Disclaimer: *Future doctors include a group of 5 year olds who hope to be doctors when they "get big."

I am grateful how God makes blessings out of everything! As we spend a few minutes outside making sure teachers are ready for the students, we often chat about the virtue of the week. This week we are focusing on making a habit of gratitude. We started listing things we are grateful about Mr Billquist. Quite a list and there is so much more. -he takes pictures of the sunrise -he cleans up puke -he paints the entire school every summer -he sets up the lunch tables -he knows so many names -the list goes on

CYO Basketball Information: 3rd - 8th Grade CYO Basketball information is available on our website under the documents tab. Tryouts will be at St. James on October 30th and November 2nd. Click the link for more: https://5il.co/26qn0

"The secret to happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness."- Saint Gianna Molla Save the Date! Thursday 11/9/23 As we approach the Advent season, our thoughts can move toward our list of things we want. Let us gather for a simple meal and reflect on the goodness that God shares daily. The Sacred Heart Staff will serve a simple meal, and we will share time together in community. Details will be coming about the evening and how you can reserve your family's spot.

"Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious."- Saint Thomas Aquinas One of the virtues we have focused on this year is affability- being pleasant and easy to get along with. What does that look like? II'd say this picture of these lifelong friends who first met in the halls of SHOJ locking arms with each other as high school seniors all nominated for Homecoming King nails it. I think they already won.

"The world doesn't need what women have; it needs what women are." - Saint Edith Stein Today, our Cardinal Community celebrates the achievement of a remarkable woman who has been a tireless advocate for building the level of interest in women's sports. Nancy Dorsey, Saint James Academy's head Volleyball Coach, will see a dream realized tonight as SJA's Varsity Volleyball team takes centerstage on ESPN+ and ESPN-U this evening. Anyone with internet connectivity can watch 4 of the top VB teams in the country. Does the term "watch party" seem appropriate here? It is a must-see for Cardinal Fans as SHOJ Cardinal Ella Goodwin '20 (featured in a photo here with Coach Dorsey) will be on the court. We are so proud of our Cardinals and love to see them soar!

Father Zarse visited one of our 8th-grade Religion classes today. He asked students, “What is glory?” Some great answers to a question seldom pondered. Luke said, “Glory is beauty and praise.” Lauren said the word glory meant “royalty” to her. Grant equated glory with greatness. Father Zarse spoke about the “extrinsic glory” of God, represented partially by the beauty of the universe, as he drew planets on the board. Then, he shared the “intrinsic glory” as the glory within God. He asked the students which glory was greater- God’s extrinsic or intrinsic glory. We are grateful for a Catholic education that pushes a young soul’s desire for knowledge of the Creator and Savior.

Mrs. Novak, 3rd grade teacher, stepped out of the classroom for five minutes so we could ask her students how she models this week’s virtue-Generosity. Levi- She lets us borrow her books and asks nothing in return. Ruby- She is generous with her prayers. Luke- She gives people lots of chances. McCartney- She never gives up. Kaiden- She’s always nice to us. Olivia- She’s always kind to us. Malley- She let’s us borrow her supplies. Jonah- She tries to teach us as much as she can. Roman- If we are good and learn what we are supposed to learn, we get extra recess. God, thank you for being generous with us in gifting SHOJ with a teacher like Mrs. Novak.

"Generosity enlarges the heart."- Pope Francis As your heard in Mrs. Rhodes weekly call, our focus this week is on the virtue of generosity. In the wee hours of the school day, our music teacher, Mrs. Reynolds, was doing what she does every Monday-reviewing the virtue of the week before students walk into her class. She shares the definition of the virtue and the children respond beautifully with examples. The work here is real. The work here is inspired by God. Good stuff.

Guest speaker Kaitlyn Bennett,a nurse at Children's Mercy, came to our staff meeting to speak about project Adam, which teaches schools how to be prepared for sudden cardiac events. Nurse Mary will form a CERT, cardiac emergency response team that will practice what to do in a cardiac emergency. Preparing so everyone is safe! Thanks Nurse Mary for your great work.

What a great favor God does to those He puts in the company of good people. - St. Teresa of Avila God showed us great favor this morning by uniting us with our Kindergarten families. We shared the Eucharist, coffee, treats, and then the good conversation that creates the bonds of friendship that grow throughout our time at Sacred Heart. Thank you, Kindergarten families, for finding your "yes!" to sharing your Monday morning with your Sacred Heart family.

You have heard the saying "When donkeys fly!" How about chickens? Our middle schoolers participated in their first House Competition: Chicken Baseball. Who's in charge of the madness? 8th graders The game: 1-Rock paper scissors to see who goes first. 2-Winning team chooses to throw or receive the chicken 3-The chicken is thrown and the other team runs after it 4-The throwing team has a designated runner making laps 5-Receiving team passes the chicken (left side, right side) to the end of the line. 6- Receiving team now launches the chicken. The winner is the team that runs the most laps (see step 4) Lots and lots and lots of laughter. Good stuff.

As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10 Sacred Heart volunteers are a constant reminder of God's varied grace. Megan and Christina, Catholic Parents as Stewards (CPS) Co-Leads, are in their third year of leadership. These pictures were BOTH taken today. The first pic is from this morning as they hosted Donuts With Dads, and they volunteered in the lunchroom later in the day. We are so thankful! AND ...We thought you'd love to see this pic of SHOJ volunteers at Saint James' senior retreat. They spent many hours in the SHOJ kitchen together when their kids were younger and continue sharing their servant's heart at Saint James. God Bless our Sacred Heart Family!

“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.” - Antoine François Prévost Thank you to all of the dads who took part in Donuts with Dad this morning. Your witness is an inspiration and encouragement to the soul. God bless you!

Tomorrow Morning! Join us for Donuts with Dads at SHOJ in the MPC starting at 7:30am.

"A life not lived for others is not a life." St. Teresa of Calcutta Even after a Writing quiz, a Social Studies test, and a day full of lessons, our resilient 8th grade leaders had more than enough left in the tank to spend time helping their 2nd grade buddies learn about St. Teresa of Calcutta and her many virtues. This class can spread the love of Christ on any day at any time. 8th graders were welcomed by the 2nd graders with some of the biggest smiles we’ve ever seen! We can’t wait to visit again. St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!

"God sends us friends to be our firm support in the whirlpool of struggle. In the company of friends, we will find strength to attain our sublime ideal." Saint Maximilian Kolbe Father Zarse welcomed parents at last night's CPS meeting (Catholic Parents as Stewards) to draw deeper into our shared love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A packed house celebrated an amazing community of adults who are brought together to love and strengthen one another in our shared vocation as parents. Prayer. Good food. Great conversation. Thank you to our CPS leaders for hosting the evening.