Calendar Changes There will be no school on Monday, March 19. This is a day that Sister Adele Lambert promised to the faculty, staff and students as a holiday in celebration of her 75th birthday. She asks that we celebrate a “Day of Kindness” and do something kind for others. Our school-wide Feast of St. Joseph’s Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 20.| On March 27, we will follow Assembly Schedule “4” as we welcome Jenny and Sean Carter to SJA. This mother/son team will speak to the students about how drinking and driving changed their lives. You can read more about Sean’s story at www.whenseanspeaks.com. That evening, we invite all parents of SJA students to attend a meeting in which we will continue the discussion on alcohol and drug use and the effects on students and the community. We will have several speakers, including District Attorney Hillar Moore. More information will be provided in the March parents newsletter. February Events

Catholic Schools Week
Sunday, January 29, through Sunday, February 5. This year’s theme is Catholic Schools: Faith. Academics. Service. Among the week’s events is the Distinguished Graduates Awards program, hosted by the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese. The dinner/awards banquet will be held on Tuesday, January 31, at the Crowne Plaza. SJA’s honoree this year is Alice Dugas Greer, class of 1966. Two SJA alumnae will be honored at the dinner as distinguished graduates by their elementary schools. They are Sherri Riker Montagnino ’86, Our Lady of Mercy, and Mary T Heffron deBrueys ’72, St. Aloysius.

Sister Adele Lambert will be honored as the 2011-2012 Distinguished Secondary Educator for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. In April, she will be among six secondary educators to receive the NCEA Catholic Secondary Award, which honors Catholic school educators who deserve national recognition and reflect the richness and diversity of American Catholic education. She will receive her award at the 2012 NCEA Convention and Exposition in Boston.

Several faculty/staff members will be recognized for milestone years of service to Catholic education during the Catholic Schools Week Mass on January 31. They are Glynis Davis, 35 years; Brenda Waggenspack, 30 years; Jackie Charles, 20 years; Stacia Andricain, 15 years; and Joanne Carrillo and Stacy Rennhoff, 10 years.

Hat Day
Thursday, February 2. This is an annual tradition of the Big Sis/Little Sis program. Seniors will make hats for their freshmen little sisters and take them to the lobby of the Activity Center on Tuesday, January 31. Freshmen will receive their hats before school on Thursday. Freshmen parents should address questions to Mrs. Lori Harper ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2326) or Mrs. Anna Landrum ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2280). Senior parents should contact Ms. Aubrey Cucullu ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2269) or Mrs. Mary Beth Elfert ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2281).

Winter Formal
Saturday, February 4, 8-11 p.m., Activity Center. The theme for the dance is Taking a Detour to Winter Formal. Pictures will be taken in the library from 7:30 until 9:30 p.m. The dance is open only to SJA sophomores, juniors and seniors and their dates. Tickets will be available on Shop SJA for $15 per couple. The dance will end at 11 p.m.

Habitat for Humanity
Fathers and daughters are encouraged to sign up for the Habitat for Humanity Youth Build to serve the dear neighbor and better the lives of a local family. If you have special construction talents and/or would like to spend time with your daughter, this project is for you. Habitat dates are Saturdays and Sundays, February 4-5, 11-12, 25-26 and March 3-4. Forms and information are located on Moodle. Please direct questions to Assistant Principal of Records Mrs. Kathy Meares ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2213).

Course Information Week
Monday-Friday, February 6-10. Teachers from each department will answer questions about courses for the 2012-2013 academic year. Grade-level counselors will visit the students in their classes during this week. Please direct questions to Assistant Principal of Academics Mrs. Sheri Gillio ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2243).

Online course selections should be made carefully and with parental involvement. The online selection of courses may be made on Monday, February 6, through Monday, February 13. Please direct questions about the online selection process to Assistant Principal of Records Mrs. Kathy Meares ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2213).

Early Dismissal Dates
Wednesday, February 8, and Wednesday, February 29, for faculty professional development. Students are dismissed at 1:45 p.m. both days. We will follow Assembly Schedule 3.

Diversity/Multicultural Mass
Friday, February 10, 9:45 a.m., Activity Center. Presider will be Father Vincent Alexius, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle. Dress uniforms are required; parents and friends are invited to join us. We will follow Schedule 4 on this day.

Valentine's Day
Due to the difficulty in managing large numbers of gifts, SJA will not accept deliveries of flowers or gifts for Valentine’s Day.

Power of Giving Workshop
Cami Walker, bestselling author of this summer’s school-wide reading assignment, 29 Gifts: How Month of Giving Can Change Your Life, will visit SJA on Wednesday, February 15. We will host a school-wide assembly for students during the day and an evening Power of Giving Workshop for parents and community members. The workshop will be held in the Activity Center beginning at 6:30 p.m. To register, go to http://powerofgiving.eventbrite.com/

Parents Who Pray
Parents Who Pray invite all parents SJA parents for recitation of the rosary on Thursday, February 16, at 11:30 a.m. in the Chapel at SJA.

College Information Seminar
Thursday, February 16, Activity Center. SJA and Catholic High School join once again for the annual seminar for juniors and their parents. The opening session will be in the Activity Center beginning at 6 p.m. The seminar is an opportunity to gather information on a variety of topics and meet admissions representatives. Sessions to be offered include Choosing a College, Finding Your College Match, Scholarships, Essay Writing, LSU Admissions, Scholarships and Honors College, and Career Exploration. Admissions representatives from Rhodes College, University of Alabama, St. Louis University, Loyola University, Vanderbilt University, Northwestern State University and LSU will serve as presenters.

Mardi Gras Break
School is closed Monday, February 20, through Friday, February 24, for the Mardi Gras holiday. The Main Office is closed all week. The Warranty Repair Center will be open Thursday and Friday, February 23 and 24, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. It will be closed from 11 a.m. until noon each day for lunch. The Business, Mission Advancement, Alumnae and Communications departments, located in Mother Alice Hall, will be open Thursday and Friday, February 23 and 24, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Lent 2012
During the Lenten season, our students, faculty and staff will be given the following opportunities to enrich their relationship with God:
• Scripture Sharing: Every Wednesday during their lunch hour, students may gather for faith sharing and a discussion of the upcoming Sunday’s scriptures. Meetings are held in the small chapel next to the office of Campus Minister Mrs. Kristen Lazarine.

• Celebration of the Eucharist: Every Tuesday at 7 a.m. in the chapel. Mass will depend on the availability of priests.
• Rosary: Every Thursday at 7 a.m. in Mary’s Plaza (weather permitting) or the SJA chapel.
• Father-Daughter Day Mass: Sunday, March 18, 10 a.m. in the Activity Center.
• Celebration of the Feast of our Patron Saint, Joseph: Tuesday, March 20, 9:45 a.m. in the Activity Center. We will follow Assembly Schedule 4. Dress uniforms required. Parents are invited to join us.

Campus Life

Dinner at Dutch’s: A Fun Evening to Benefit the Sister Adele Lambert, CSJ Scholarship
Make plans now to join us at Dutch’s Seafood & Steakhouse on Monday, March 12. Only 150 tickets are available for this special event. Donation: $75 per ticket (tax-deductible). Seatings are available any time between 5 and 7:30 p.m.

Menu: Dungeness crab and shrimp appetizer, Caesar salad, heart of ribeye steak with grilled asparagus and twice-baked potato, bread pudding, and wine pairings with each course (except dessert). Cash bar for other alcoholic beverages.

Celebrity waiters will be SJA Administrative Team and their spouses. Attire is casual.

Tickets are available online at www.sjaconnections.org/benefitdinner or in the Main Office at the Academy. Deadline to purchase tickets is Thursday, March 7.

Dutch’s Seafood & Steakhouse (formerly Berthelot’s)
Next to Fred’s on the Amite River: 44708 Highway 42, Suite B, Prairieville, LA 70769

Hurry. Tickets are limited. Contact Stephanie Heine at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 388-2240 for more information.

2012-2013 School Calendar
Click here for the school calendar for 2012-2013.

Change to Tuition Policy
The SJA Board of Directors has approved a change to the school’s tuition policy, which is posted on the SJA website under the “Tuition Policy” link. The change is indicated in bold italics:

If tuition payments are in arrears for 60 days, or if a pattern of NSF drafts develops, St. Joseph’s Academy reserves the right to suspend the account from the ACH program and require that tuition be paid in full for the remainder of the academic year and/or require that a promissory note be signed.

Registration
On Tuesday, January 31, the parents of 9th, 10th and 11th grade students will receive via email a link to the online registration process for the 2012-2013 academic year. Deadline for registration is Tuesday, February 7. Please direct questions to Assistant Principal of Records Mrs. Kathy Meares ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2213).


Course verification forms for the 2012-2013 academic year will be mailed to current 9th, 10th and 11th grade students on Tuesday, February 28. Signed course verification forms are due to the Student Receptionist on Tuesday, March 6.

CHS Bruinettes Auditions
A mandatory meeting for returning and prospective members and their parents will be held on Wednesday, March 7, at 6 p.m. in the CHS Band Room. Auditions for the 2012-2013 season will be Saturday, March 31, in the CHS Gym from 8 a.m. until approximately noon. Prior to auditions, Ms. Stephanie Faucette, SJA faculty member, Bruinettes choreographer and Bruinettes moderator, will offer three workshops on March 14, 21 and 28, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the CHS Gym. At these workshops, participants will learn a contemporary combination, a jazz precision combination and a flag routine that are the basis for the Saturday audition. Dancers should wear appropriate dance attire: tight-fitting leotards, shorts or pants, open-toed tights and jazz-shoes. Clean appearance is a must.

Attendance at all three workshops is not mandatory, but certainly necessary for success, for returning and potential members. Please direct questions to Ms. Faucette ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 388-2303).

CHS Cheerleaders
A mandatory pre-tryout meeting for parents and students will be held Tuesday, March 13, at 6 p.m. in the CHS Union. Tryouts are Sunday, March 25, in the CHS gym beginning at 3 p.m. and may last as late as 8 p.m. Girls must learn the fight song routine in advance. There will be practice sessions to learn the routine. Information packets will be available in Assistant Principal of Activities Mrs. Stacia Andricain’s office in late February. Please direct questions to CHS cheerleader coach Mrs. Jennifer Thibodeaux ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).


Father-Daughter Day
Dads and daughters are invited to join the fun on Sunday, March 18. Click here for a registration form. Click here for a photograph order form.


Mother/Daughter Brunch and Style Show
Join us on Sunday, March 4, at the Crowne Plaza for the 2012 Mother/Daughter Brunch and Style Show. Times are 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza. Mother-daughter portraits will be taken poolside (weather permitting) from 10 to 11 a.m. Ballroom doors open at 10:30 a.m. A buffet breakfast will be served from 10:45 until 11:30 a.m. The program begins at 11:30 a.m. Click here for a reservation form. Click here for a photography order form.

Service Hours
A reminder to all parents and students that service hours are due in only two months. Please support and encourage your daughter as she completes her hours. Following are the requirements for our service program.

Each grade level will be required to participate in a specific area of service. Every student is required to complete 10 service hours in the specified area and 5 hours in a Christian service in an area of their choosing. Please visit the Service Page on the SJA website for more details.

Service hours for the 2011-2012 academic year must be completed on the following schedule:

• Seniors: Thursday, March 29
• Juniors: Friday, March 30
• Sophomores: Monday, April 2
• Freshmen: Tuesday, April 3

Failure to turn in service hours on the above dates will result in a check list. Those students who fail to complete 15 hours by the above date will have until Monday, April 16, to turn them in.  Additionally, these students will have to participate in a Service Work Day at SJA on Saturday, April 21, from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m.

Your daughter’s service card will be accepted only if it is submitted with all authorized signatures and appropriate contact information to verify hours have been completed. Only service hours from the SJA Service Directory, opportunities posted on Moodle or those approved by Mrs. Lazarine will be accepted. The Service Directory is located on the SJA website under Service/Service Directory.

For additional information, contact Campus Minister Mrs. Kristen Lazarine ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2321).

Yearbook Senior Advertisements
The Shield yearbook staff is now selling 2012 Senior Ads. Please click here to learn more about purchasing an ad for your senior. Deadline for purchase is Friday, May 4, 2012. Please direct questions to Ms. Kacie Fuselier ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 388-2338).

School Tuition/Expense Tax Deduction
According to the Louisiana Department of Revenue, Act 8 of the Second Extraordinary Session of the 2008 Louisiana Legislature grants an individual income-tax deduction for tuition, fees and certain educational supplies and expenses paid on or after January 1, 2009. Taxpayers are encouraged to keep all related receipts so they can claim the deduction on their 2011 tax returns, which are due May 15, 2012. The legislation created a deduction for private school tuition and fees, including expenses for uniforms and supplies for private school students. Act 2011, No. 121 changed the deduction for elementary and secondary school tuition to actual costs paid per dependent, limited to $5,000 starting with the 2011 tax year. For 2009 and 2010, this deduction was for 50 percent of the costs paid per dependent, limited to $5,000.

For more information, contact the LDR call center at 219-0102 or at http://www.revenue.louisiana.gov/sections/individual/SchoolExpense
Deduction.aspx

You will not receive any additional support documentation or verification of tuition paid to St. Joseph’s Academy since your bank statement provides the payment information.

Spirituality Center Offering in February
Personal Decision-Making: Prayer Helps!, Saturday, February 11, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., SJA Dining Hall. Presenter is Sister Lucy Silvio, CSJ. This workshop will explore how the methods that St. Ignatius of Loyola gave us for prayer and discernment can assist us in finding the path to fullness of life and love. Fee is $35. Call 383-3349 for information or to register.

Rosary
Each Thursday at 7 a.m., Mary’s Plaza (outside Chapel at SJA). Parents are welcome to join us. (In case of inclement weather, the rosary is recited in the chapel.) Please park on Broussard Street.


Job Opportunities
Job opportunities are posted on the bulletin board in St. Joseph Hall outside the Academic Counseling Center offices. SJA does not solicit these job announcements and does not endorse the postings. Call the prospective employer for all necessary information.

Jump to Column Two