St. Joe's

Press release:

Every Monday afternoon the students at St. Joseph Catholic School engage in different hands-on STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) activities that tie into their current studies.

Recently, Mrs. Case's kindergarten class took part in a fun science experiment. Each student chose an object from their classroom and placed it in a tub of water to see if their item would sink or if it would float. Mrs. Fischer's fourth-grade class has been learning the difference between vascular and non-vascular plants. Recently they did an experiment with celery that showed them how colored water can travel through the vascular tubes changing the color of the celery.

Members of the anniversary alumni committee for the St. Joe's Drum and Bugle Corps presented a $1,000 check to St. Joe's today, proceeds from the group's fundraisers for the school.

The Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1932 by Father Kelly and today alumni are members of the Mighty St. Joe's Drum and Bugle Corps of Le Roy and the St. Joe's Brass Ensemble of Batavia.

"We wear the name with pride," said Bob Wielgosz, director of Mighty St. Joe's "St. Joe's means a lot to us."

Pictured are Wielgosz, Tom Cecere, Karen Green, principal of St. Joe's, Pat Bishop, and Frank Panepento.

St. Joseph Catholic School offers exceptional kindergarten-readiness programming for 3-year-old and 4-year-old children as well as wrap-around-care to accommodate families’ busy schedules. Here are some St. Joe's Pre-K facts:

Wrap-Around-Care (3- and 4-year-olds): Parents with children attending pre-school often struggle with the midday drop off and pick up schedules associated with most preschool programs. Our wrap-around-care program provides quality childcare for before and after the St. Joseph School Pre-K program. It is a safe and fun place for children to be when they are not in the classroom. Directed by Mrs. Jill Kratz with the assistance of her classroom aide Mrs. Stephanie King, this program is filled with daily activities such as arts and crafts, outdoor play, imaginative and sensory play, storytime, music activities and free-time play. Wrap-around-care is available all days that St. Joseph School is in session from 7:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. The cost for this additional program is $5/hour.

School Calendar: Our school calendar typically conforms to the Batavia Public Schools'. Please note these days in the St. Joseph School Calendar that you received or will be receiving shortly. Further, if the Batavia Public Schools are closed due to stormy weather, St. Joseph School will automatically be closed. Please listen to WBTA AM 1490 for these announcements. (Additional radio and television stations are listed in your School Calendar).

Transportation: Parents are responsible for arranging transportation to and from school. Some parents may choose to arrange car pools with one another. However, no child will be released from school to anyone other than a parent or person that is listed on the child's “Personal Information Sheet” unless the school receives notice, in advance, in writing. Of course, this firm policy is in the best interest of your child’s safety. Thank you for your support.

Clothing: Please dress your child in comfortable, play clothing. Many of the Pre-K crafts and activities are great fun but can be messy. Not only do the teachers regret stains on fine clothing but if not dressed in play clothing, many children will not fully participate for fear of disappointing themselves and others should their good clothing became stained. Also, please dress your child in sneakers. The children play outside or in the school gymnasium as much as possible and sneakers are the safest choice for these activities. Finally, please bring a change of clothes to leave at school in your child's cubby. Please put the clothes in a bag with their name clearly marked on it. This is just in case we have a spill or other accident.

Tuition: The tuition for our Pre‑K Program may be paid at the church office on a monthly or semester basis. Monthly payments are due on the first school day of every month. Please understand that tuition for the first semester needs to be paid in full by Dec. 1st. Tuition for the second semester needs to be paid in full by May 1st. You may also sign up for automatic withdraw through our FACTS tuition payment program. Thank you in advance for your understanding and courtesy. 

Questions? Please feel free to contact the school office with any questions. (585) 343-6154 or visit our website: www.sjsbatavia.org

Information provided by the Lawn Fete committee Chair Debbie Mullen and Vice Chair Tom Wescott.

The 2016 Resurrection Parish Lawn Fete will be held June 10-12 and will be a sure-to-please fun-in-the-sun outdoor family event.

Hours are 6 to 11 p.m. Friday (June 10), 1 to 11 p.m. Saturday (June 11) and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday (June 12) at St. Joseph's Church on Main Street in Batavia.

It kicks off Friday evening with a musical spectacular. As in years past, Main Street in Downtown Batavia will be closed from Summit to Ross streets from 6 to 7:30 p.m. But instead of a parade, there will be an hour and a half "Concert in Brass" in front of St. Joe's church. Billed as "a unique musical procession that will electrify spectators."

The Concert in Brass will feature: St. Joe's Reunion Brass, Mighty St. Joe's Alumni Drum Corps, Batavia Middle School Band, and a WNY favorite, The Hit Men Brass Ensemble. Grounds will be open to 11 p.m. for fun and frolic.

A wide variety of tasty treats will be available to enjoy all weekend. They include: sausage with onions and peppers, hots, hamburgers, French fries, waffles, pizza, popcorn, nachos, ice crea,, beverages and more. On Friday and Saturday nights, the beverage tent will features some of the area's well-known musicians.

There will be Kiddie Rides galore, treats and a variety of games.

At about 5 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, there will be a drawing for $10,000 in cash prizes to be awarded. Tickets will be available at "The Cash Booth." Please note that due to NYS regulations, NO CHECKS can be accepted. CASH ONLY!

If you and your family are looking for summertime fun, a place to meet up with old friends and make new ones, enjoy some good eats and treats, and maybe become a cash winner, then plan on visiting the St. Joseph's Church parking lot June 10-12.

     Daniel Kuczka

A 73-year-old man faces criminal charges following an incident during student mass at St. Joe's this morning, after the man allegedly took a student by his arm who was in line for Holy Communion and led him through it and then back to his seat in a pew.

Police did not indicate what the man's motivation might have been or what statements he may have made while inside the church, but said the man has no prior relationship with the church nor the student involved in the incident.

Daniel S. Kuczka, 73, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and criminal trespass, 3rd.

According to police, Kuczka entered the church during a private Mass for students of St. Joe's and Notre Dame. He made "inappropriate" comments to staff and was asked to leave.

During Communion, Kuczka reportedly returned to the Mass and grabbed a juvenile who was in line, saying, "Come with me."

Police were called and when patrols arrived, Kuczka was taken into custody without incident.

Police say that investigators found there was no attempt by Kuczka to remove the student from the service.

Is St. Joseph School right for you and your family? Find out at our annual open house this Sunday, Jan. 31st at 10 a.m. at the school, located at 2 Summit St. in Batavia. Learn more about STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math), our extended day programs and our Pre-K program. Families of all faiths are welcome and financial aid may be available. Registration is suggested but not required. Call 343-6154 or visit www.sjsbatavia.org to find out more.

Press release:

St. Joseph School (SJS) has been working toward financial self-sustainability for several years. Tuition, fundraising and other income sources can no longer be the sole funding source for Catholic schools. Due to the current economic climate, the need for long-term and strategic budget forecasting is imperative.

Lauren Humphrey, Advancement coordinator at St. Joseph School, is proud to announce that the St. Joseph School of Batavia Endowment Fund has been established and that it has been given a fantastic kick-off with two anonymous donations totaling $105,000! These wonderful donors have left a permanent mark on the school and have created a long-lasting legacy that will benefit St. Joseph School’s students for years to come.

At SJS, a team of committed volunteers, staff members, and board members have worked tirelessly to establish enhanced and relevant financial and operational plans. The All Apostles Society (AAS), an annual giving recognition program, was put into place several years ago. AAS membership continues to grow; however, the need for something with even greater effect was necessary. About three years ago the team began looking into long-term strategies, including an endowment.

Because a permanent endowment is an invested pool of money that provides a reliable source of income in perpetuity, the organization now has the ability to rely on annual distributions from the endowment for its charitable work. The endowment will also relieve some of the pressure on smaller fundraising projects and events while creating economic stability for the future.

Bryan Winters, SJS parent, board member and Advancement Committee chairperson, weighs in on what this means for our school: “The creation of the SJS endowment is our most important step in designing a self-sustaining financial model for the school. Over the long-term, this will create a steady flow of income for the school without being quite so dependent on local parishes or the diocese. The immediate impact will actually be beneficial for our donors.

"We will now have the ability to provide more complex and deferred gift arrangements such as charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts and other life income types of agreements. Until now, many of our most generous donors have never considered gifting assets from various securities such as, IRAs, 401(k) plans, pensions, stocks, bonds, even old life insurance policies.

"The SJS endowment is going to have a tremendous positive impact for our community. As SJS continues to grow both the endowment and our annual giving society, the All Apostles Society, our financial outlook is the best it has ever been. Most importantly, current and future students of SJS will reap the benefits of this strategic project.”

Principal, Karen Green notes that, “The ability to find financially prudent ways to support the operation of the school is becoming more and more challenging every year. In combination with our annual giving society (The All Apostles Society), this endowment will provide school leadership with the ability to offset the annual expenses of the school and move closer to our goal of complete self-sustainability.”

Photo:

Top row: Rick Suchan, executive director of Development, Diocese of Buffalo; Marcia Huber, Resurrection Parrish business manager; Lynne Houseknecht, St. Joseph School Advisory Committee president; Roger Bohn, Resurrection Parrish Council president; Seana Logsdon, St. Joseph School Advisory Council vice president; Robert Zickl, St. Joseph School Advisory Council secretary; Bryan Winters, St. Joseph School Advisory Council member, SJS parent, Advancement Committee member.

Bottom row: Norman Argulsky, Resurrection Parrish trustee and St. Joseph School Advisory Council member; Fr. Ivan Trujillo, pastor of Resurrection Parrish; Karen Green, principal, St. Joseph School; John Dwyer, Resurrection Parrish trustee.

St. Joseph Catholic School offers exceptional kindergarten-readiness programming for 3-year-old and 4-year-old children as well as wrap-around-care to accommodate families’ busy schedules. Here are some St. Joe's Pre-K facts: Pre-K Teachers: Mrs. Susan Neer is our 3-year-olds' Pre-School teacher; her classroom aide is Mrs. Joyce Gahr. Mrs. Elizabeth Hofmaster is our 4-year-olds' Pre-K teacher; her classroom aide is Mrs. Barbara Paserk.

Wrap-Around-Care (3 and 4-year-olds): Parents with children attending pre-school often struggle with the mid-day drop off and pick up schedules associated with most preschool programs. Our wrap-around-care program provides quality childcare for before and after the St. Joseph School Pre-K program. It is a safe and fun place for children to be when they are not in the classroom. Directed by Mrs. Jill Kratz with the assistance of her classroom aide Mrs. Stephanie King, this program is filled with daily activities such as arts and crafts, outdoor play, imaginative and sensory play, storytime, music activities and free-time play. Wrap-around-care is available all days that St. Joseph School is in session from 7:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. The cost for this additional program is $5/hour.

School Calendar: Our school calendar typically conforms to the Batavia Public Schools. Please note these days in the St. Joseph School Calendar that you received or will be receiving shortly. Further, if the Batavia Public Schools are closed due to stormy weather, St. Joseph School will automatically be closed. Please listen to WBTA AM 1490 for these announcements. (Additional radio and television stations are listed in your School Calendar).

Transportation: Parents are responsible for arranging transportation to and from school. Some parents may choose to arrange car pools with one another. However, no child will be released from school to anyone other than a parent or person that is listed on the child's “Personal Information Sheet” unless the school receives notice, in advance, in writing. Of course, this firm policy is in the best interest of your child’s safety. Thank you for your support.

Clothing: Please dress your child in comfortable, play clothing. Many of the Pre-K crafts and activities are great fun but can be messy. Not only do the teachers regret stains on fine clothing but if not dressed in play clothing, many children will not fully participate for fear of disappointing themselves and others should their good clothing became stained. Also, please dress your child in sneakers. The children play outside or in the school gymnasium as much as possible and sneakers are the safest choice for these activities. Finally, please bring a change of clothes to leave at school in your child's cubby. Please put the clothes in a bag with their name clearly marked on it. This is just in case we have a spill or other accident.

Tuition: The tuition for our Pre‑K Program may be paid at the church office on a monthly or semester basis. Monthly payments are due on the first school day of every month. Please understand that tuition for the first semester needs to be paid in full by Dec. 1st. Tuition for the second semester needs to be paid in full by May 1st. You may also sign up for automatic withdraw through our FACTS tuition payment program. Thank you in advance for your understanding and courtesy. 

Questions? Please feel free to contact the school office with any questions. (585) 343-6154 or visit our Web site: www.sjsbatavia.org

To purchase prints, click here.

Info and photo submitted by Lauren Humphrey.

St. Joseph Catholic School students walked to meet sponsor pledges they raised in an effort to promote exercise and supplement funding for technology improvements.  The students have raised more than $3,000 to date and are still accepting donations. Visit our Web site, www.sjsbatavia.org  if you would like to make a donation online!

Submitted by Lauren Humphrey:

St. Joseph Catholic School student Kate Ricupito has been named a “State Grand-Level Winner” in this year’s Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest! Approximately 300,000 entries were submitted and Kate’s submission will now advance to the Grand National Championship. Kate was awarded an engraved Zaner-Bloser State Winner Medallion. Her teacher, Mrs. Clattenburg, was awarded an engraved Glass Diamond Award, and the school has been recognized with a $200 Zaner-Bloser gift certificate!

Now in its 24th year, the National Handwriting Contest is an annual event sponsored by Zaner-Bloser to promote legible handwriting. The contest is free to enter and open to all students in Grades K–8. Students can win many great prizes, including cash and trophies. Zaner-Bloser estimates that more than 4 million students have participated in the contest over its 23-year history.

Pictured, from left: Mrs. Mary Zehler, Kate Ricupito, Mrs. Marianne Clattenburg and Mrs. Karen Green. (Photo credit: Mrs. Barbara Paserk)

With their robot "Big Mistake," the robotics team at St. Joseph Catholic School took home a championship trophy at the VEX IQ Robotics Highrise Funfest, held Saturday at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. St. Joe's recently integrated a robotics program into its curriculum for eigth-grade students. Teams from throughout WNY participated in the competition. "Big Mistake" also won the Design Award for being able to move multiple cubes at once. Photo: Maya Rademacker, Matthew Stevens and Paige Johnston.

Photo and info submitted by Lauren Humphrey.

The Annual St Joe’s Penny Carnival was this afternoon. There was a lot for the community to enjoy. Raffle baskets, cakes and snacks for all, and after the long winter some much needed play for the children. Lots of games, face painting, and a bounce house seemed to make the kids all more than happy.

Elli and Owen show off the fish they won.

Allison scores in the beanbag toss.

Eddie plays a B-Ball game his sister Lizzy made in school for the carnival.

Chelsea and her father roll a golf ball to hopefully win a great prize. 

Is St. Joseph School right for your family? Join us for our open house this Sunday at 10 a.m. to find out. Families with children in grades K-7 are encouraged to find out more about how St. Joe's promotes academic excellence with Christian values. Many of our families receive financial aid and all faiths are welcome. Pre-registration is not required but is suggested. Click here to visit us online.

Enjoy a Wine Dinner with food provided by Alex's Place perfectly paired with wine from Heron Hill Winery. The event will be held on Saturday, October 25th at St. Joseph School in celebration of the 55th Annual Popcorn Ball.  

The night will start with a cocktail hour followed by 5 course meal that begins with pumpkin and crab bisque followed by a brussel sprout slaw salad. Main courses will include scallop croquettes and short rib manicotti.  The meal will conclude with a fried peach cobbler.  

There will also be a DJ, chinese auction, and raffles, including a $1,000 cash raffle.  Tickets are just $55/couple and are available at Alex's Place and the school. Tickets will also be sold at the Chamber of Commerce during the Wine Walk this weekend. Samples of the pumpkin crab bisque will also be available that day. For more information, or to reserve a table, call 585-343-6154.

The 63rd Annual St. Joe's Lawn Fete kicked off Friday.

Friday evening St. Joe's Alumni Bugal Corps started the evening by playing a show outside Crossroads House and then played on the carnival grounds.

After their performance, the band Inside Out got things rockin' in the beer tent.

The fun continues today from noon to 11 p.m., with the annual parade at 6:30 p.m. Tomorrow, the fete runs from noon to 6 p.m.

I'll be in Jamestown today to cover Notre Dame in the regional championship baseball game this afternoon. Julia Ferrini will cover the parade for us.  

To purchase prints, click here.

Many carnival rides are in place and workers are busy making other preparations for the annual St. Joe's Lawn Fete this weekend in Batavia.

Following a student Mass at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church today, Bishop Richard Joseph Malone toured St. Joe's and Notre Dame, meeting with students and faculty along the way.

At St. Joe's, his tour guide was Principal Karen Green; at Notre Dame, it was Principal Joe Scanlan. His aide Rev. Ryazard Biernat accompanied the tour.

As near as anybody could remember, it's been more than 20 years since a bishop came to Batavia to celebrate Mass and tour a Catholic school. Malone said in Maine, there were 20 schools in his diocese and he made a point of visiting each one at least once a year, but in the Buffalo Diocese there are 40 schools. It would be hard to maintain that annual schedule with so many schools, he said, but when a student asked him if he would come back next year, he said, "if you invite me I will."

Before he left St. Joe's, Principal Green gave Bishop Malone a plate of chocolate from Oliver's.