Dear Parents,

I want to start out by saying a big thank you to Bob Hauch and the rest of our staff for their efforts developing and leading our Holy Week Devotions. They all did a great job!

This coming Monday is an in-service day for our teachers, so there will be no school. The purpose of the four in-service days we have had this year is for work on our school curriculum. As a faculty, we have been developing a written curriculum guide for various subjects. This curriculum guide includes a Statement of Belief, Components, Process Objectives, Grade Level Objectives, Materials, and Assessment Techniques for each subject area from Preschool through 8th grade. This curriculum guide puts together the primary outcomes we have in each subject area, using Core Knowledge, State Standards, our own school ESLRs (Expected School-wide Learning Results), and Integration of our Faith. By Monday, we will have completed 4 subjects, Reading/Language Arts, Religion, Math, and Physical Education. Within two more years we hope to have a written curriculum in all subject areas.

1. Thank You: A heartfelt thank-you to everyone that supported our family with their love and prayers during the passing of our mother. Sincerely,
   Kim and Joan Perez
2. Track Meet: This year's Lutheran Schools Athletic Association (LSAA) Track Meet is scheduled for Saturday, May 14th, at Newark Memorial High School. This annual daylong meet brings together the best athletes from Lutheran Schools throughout the Bay Area. Here at St. John's, we're just beginning the process of determining which students in grades K-8 will have an opportunity to represent our school at this event. Students in all grades will be timed and tested in the events their specific age group is eligible for. Parents will be notified if their child qualifies for a given event(s). We would appreciate a prompt response if your child is invited to participate, so that we can finalize our roster as soon as possible. Students in grades 5-8 are asked to bring a note to Coach Hauch if they know in advance that they cannot participate in the Meet due to prior conflicts in scheduling.
3. Youth Basketball: If you coached a NCRD basketball team this past season (or if your child played on a team not coached by a St. John's parent), please take the time to submit a team roster to Coach Hauch so that we can recognize everyone's participation at our end-of-the-year Sports Award Presentation. Involvement in basketball at the lower grades is certainly a contributing factor to the continuing success of our program at the 7th and 8th grade level. We appreciate all that you do.
4. St. John's Basketball Camps: Brochures and registration forms for our 22nd Annual Summer Basketball Camps for students entering 5th through 8th grade this fall will be available shortly. The one week camps will run June 20-24 and June 27-July 1.
5. The Helfrich Family: If you would like to show your support in helping the Helfrich family (a church family), please contact Christi and Steve Jeffery via phone or e-mail at napacj5@sbcglobal.net. Some upcoming fundraisers are: April 11th: Dinner at Downtown Joes (a percentage of sales will be donated to the Helfrich fund). June 11th: Poker Run, Tri-tip dinner at St. John's (Contact Pastor Mike for more info). July 16th: Rummage sale (contact Theresa Johnson).
6. Country Fair/Silent Auction: We have our first theme dinner! Rally a few of your favorite couples and plan to bid on a Castlerock Ranch Poolside Lobster Bake for 8 to 10 people hosted by the Yates, Francke, Stade, Straw, Mazziliano and Schrette Families. Great food, wine and fun!
   
   Attention Wine Aficionados! The silent auction is going to be a wine collectors dream. Special magnums (Cain Five, Charles Krug Reserve, Clos du Val, Viader, etc.,) private tours/tasting (St. Supery, Ledson, Matanzas Creek and more) lunches with the winemaker (Viansa) and golf with the winemaker (Fleury Estate) will be available for bid along with a chance to make your own wine!
   
   Indulge yourself by bidding on massages, dinners, lunches & brunches out! Or take care of Mother's Day by purchasing the portrait sitting.
   
   We still welcome any donation of sporting event tickets, sports memorabilia, gift certificates, children's game & toys, etc.
   
   Please remember to drop your favorite bottle of wine off in the school office to help us build our St. John's Lutheran Family Wine Cellar! Raffle tickets go on sale soon to win this 50+ bottle collection - an instant cellar of special finds that include gems like: Brown Family Zinfandel, Corley Family Pinot Noir, Beringer Cabernet and Origine Premier Cru Champagne.
   
   NEW this year to the Country Fair! Photographer and SJL parent Phil Gruenhagen will be taking orders for photos he's taken at various events throughout the year and donating the proceeds to APT. There will be a book of photos on display at the Silent Auction Tent or you can sneak a preview on the pictures section of the SJL website (http://www.stjohnsnapa.org/pictures.htm) Phil has covered the 100th Day of Kindergarten, Art Attack Week, NIT, The Crab Feed and many more events. Even if you aren't a "scrapbooker," what an opportunity to snap up pictures of your student in action!
7. Vintage High School Girls Open Gym: Open gym will begin for Vintage High School Basketball on Wednesday, March 30th. They will be on every Wednesday in the Vintage gym from 6:00-8:00. This will continue thru the summer and will move to Thursdays once school begins in August. Anyone who wants to play some basketball is welcome.
8. PALS: Please remember to sign your child out of PALS. If a sign-out time is not provided, you will be charged as if they were there until 6:00 pm.
   If you have a child who needs to be excused from PALS for baseball, soccer or other sporting events please provide us with a note telling us what time your child is to leave PALS, where they are going and with whom, and if they will be returning after practice.
9. The Scoop From Scrip: April 30th is the final day to reach this year's Scrip commitment. Beginning May 1st you will begin next school year's commitment. For balances, please stop by the school office after the Easter break.
   
   Did you know that we have over 200 families at St. John's and only 10 families have signed up for Scrip commitment through Albertsons??!! Please bring in your (or family and friends) Albertsons and/or Safeway cards and we would be happy to enter you into the Scrip program. Let's do all we can to support APT, it benefits all of us!
10. From the Minister to Youth and Children:
    
    For all Families: Once again, we will be having the musical group, "Simple Grace" perform this Sunday, April 10th at 7 pm. You will remember that "Simple Grace" is Jim and Kathy Hitch and their family of 8 children who offer a variety of Christian music, including selections from bluegrass, traditional, gospel, folk and original pieces. This gifted family's performances includes guitars, fiddles, banjo, mandolin, piano, harmonicas, dobro guitar, and miscellaneous percussion instruments. The children range from the age of 6 years all the way up to 21 years old. Each member plays and sings so you won't want to miss this evening. It all begins at 7 pm, this Sunday in the Church. A free-will offering will be taken and given to "Simple Grace." Don’t forget to bring your friends!
    
    4th, 5th and 6th Graders: We meet this Sunday, April 10th from 1-3 pm in the Gym. We'll be playing more fun games in the gym and outside, so bring your tennis shoes and your friends and make sure you join us this Sunday! Hope to see you there.
    
    7th and 8th Graders: We are moving our "UFO Encounter" night to Friday, April 22nd, instead of the 15th. Make sure to join us on the 22nd from 7-9 pm. Hope you will make it.