Newsletter from Our Principal

October 30, 2025 

Dear SJB Wildcat Families,

This week has really helped call to mind our core values: Formed in Faith, Educated in Excellence, and Embraced by Community. 

Formed in Faith

Kindergarten through 8th grade gathered together to pray the rosary last Friday with the special intention of peace for ourselves, our neighbors, and peace for our world as the Pope has invited us to do in October. A special thanks goes to Teddy La Duca, Maddy Buchmann, Michael Fisher, Dominic Thawm, and Danielle Borner who led us in the decades of the rosary and Father Michal who opened and closed this beautiful devotion to Mary. 

Educated in Excellence

Learning buddies have been in action. Fifth and second grade made their traditional book character pumpkins. 8th and first grade played subtraction math games and 7th grade read a special book to their kindergarten buddies. 

Embraced by Community

Our Kindergarten class had a walking field trip to the library where the Children’s Librarian, Julia Nephew, provided a time for wonder and joy of literature and reading through reading several books, leading finger plays and songs, and ending with a scavenger hunt in the Children’s Library. She also shared about the Fall Reading Challenge, Hedwig the Hedgehog. Information for students in Preschool – 6th grade about the reading program should have come home today. Our eighth grade class helped the CCW put together the Boxes of Joy this week. Thank you again for your generosity for this wonderful cause. In total 122 boxes were assembled and will be shipped to Cross Catholic to be distributed to those in need, providing them with Christmas joy.

Last weekend was a terrific weekend of volleyball. We had a fantastic showing of friends, families, and alumni in the stands supporting our teams at St. Francis High School for Championship game and Joliet Catholic Academy for a semi-final! We filled a whole section and then some at St. Francis! Everyone’s excitement and cheering were truly heard and felt! Congratulations to our blue division champion 6th grade boys’ volleyball team! Congratulations also go to all our volleyball teams as this was an exciting and successful season - our Wildcats played their hearts out and all players grew in their skill level.

Thank you to all of our volleyball coaches for their gifts of time, talent, commitment, and all their hard work bringing out the best in our athletes:

5th grade girls

Laura Roman and Kate Buchbinder

5th grade boys

Luke Murray, Angela Murray, Dave Knutson, and Kristin Surch

6th grade girls

Lizzie Woodbury and Jessica Blitvich 

6th grade boys

Aaron LeMay and Kathy Barrett

7th grade girls

Marc Farin and John Weitz

7th grade boys

Mike Roldan and Joel Huerta

8th grade girls

Katie Pierscionek and Gretchen LeMay

8th grade boys

Jason Woodbury 

Thank you, parents, for your assistance in working the concession stand as well as your ongoing support in the stands and for getting your children to and from practices and games! Thank you to our Athletic Director, Jason Woodbury, for everything you did to coordinate our home games and making sure that everyone was in the right place at the right time during the season and through playoffs. On a practical side, volleyball uniforms should be washed and returned in a gallon sized baggy, labeled with your child’s name on it. As in the past, there is a container in the gym where students can return their uniforms. Basketball season is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to start the season! Volleyball uniforms need to be returned before basketball uniforms are issued.

All Saints Day is Saturday, November 1. The vigil Mass is tomorrow at 7:00 PM and the All Saints Day Mass is at 9:00 AM on Saturday. (The Solemnity of All Saints is not a holy day of obligation this year.) In celebration of All Saints Day, the fourth grade will continue the tradition of honoring saints at our School Mass on Tuesday, November 4 at 8:45 AM. As always, you are welcome to join us for this wonderful celebration of the liturgy. Our preschool and prekindergarten classes will join us. They attended Mass with us on Tuesday this week and we were so happy to worship all together as a school community.

Home and School Happenings

The Mom’s Night Out Spook-tacular Paint & Sip was a huge hit, with an incredible turnout. The MomCo made the evening extra special through their generous donation and by providing a wonderful teacher-instructor to guide everyone step by step. Thank you MomCo, for your support. Proceeds of the event’s raffle basket will benefit our Teacher (and Staff) appreciation budget. 

Thank you to all who attended our SJB Skate Night at Funway last night! We had a fantastic SJB presence! It was a night of fun. The costumes added a special seasonal touch, and we raised $72 for our school.

Book Fair is returning next week, Thursday November 6 - Friday November 7. To make it as easy as possible for the kids to shop, did you know that you can set up an eWallet, which is a cash-free way for your child to shop the Book Fair? This digital payment option can be used at the in-school Book Fair or online at the Virtual Book Fair. Not only is an eWallet easy to set up and add funds, but you also have the option to invite family and friends to contribute funds as well to your child's account! Don't worry about any unused funds after the Book Fair... you can spend unused funds online or save them in your account for the next Book Fair. See the flyer for the eWallet link. 

Family Reading Night is also returning! To make our Book Fair extra special, we are opening the doors Thursday night, November 6, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM, friends and family are invited to shop at the Book Fair and enjoy stories read by guest speakers. Dress down passes will be given to students who attend. See the attached flyer! 

Our Home and School Organization is gearing up for the Daddy Daughter Dance, which is on Saturday, November 8, in Sebahar Hall from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. It is sure to be a night full of fun and laughter, and of course music and dancing. It is not too late to turn in your RSVP for this event. Tomorrow is the last and final chance!

The next Home and School meeting is Wednesday, November 12 at 7:00 PM in the Technology Room. Please note this change. As you can see, next week will be a busy Home and School week.

Calling all veterans…St. John the Baptist Catholic School is looking for veterans who would be interested in joining us at our School Mass at 8:45 AM and then speaking about their experiences serving our country on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11. If interested and available, please call or email me at Jpolicht@stjohnwinfield.org.

In recognition of Veterans Day, St. John the Baptist is once again creating a photo story to pay tribute to family members of SJB students and staff that served in the military or for those who are currently serving. In recognition of their service to our country, we will be displaying the photo story on a monitor in the school. Please send the student’s name, veteran’s name, branch of military, years of service, war or conflict involved in (if applicable), rank, where they were stationed, their relationship to you, why this person is important to you and your family, and a picture of your loved one in their military uniform, if possible, to veterans@sjbwinfield.org.

Parent Teacher Conferences are on November 18 and 20 from 4:00 – 8:00 PM. Please note that due to the number of Junior High students, we will also be holding conferences on Wednesday, November 19, which is an Early Dismissal Day. Parents will meet with the JH team for conferences and JH conferences will be ten minutes in length. We will be using pickAtime again to schedule parent teacher conferences this year. The sign-up will open tomorrow and the link will be sent to you so you can set up or log into your free account to schedule your conference(s). 

Please save the date Monday, December 15 at 6:00 PM for our Christmas program. All classes including preschool and prekindergarten will be performing in the church. More details will be shared soon. Classes are already learning the opening, closing, and their class songs plus more.

Please be reminded that tomorrow our preschoolers and kindergarteners are trick-or-treating for change for the St. Vincent de Paul Society as a service project. We look forward to our safe and friendly participation of tomorrow’s holiday. As a final reminder, we dismiss at 11:30 AM and there is no After Care.

Have a wonderful fall weekend and remember that Day Light Saving Time ends on Sunday. Don’t forget to turn your clock back! Sunday is All Souls Day. Attending Mass is the main way to honor souls departed from this world, as the Eucharistic celebration is considered the highest form of intercessory prayer. Additionally, the Knights of Columbus are holding a pancake breakfast from 8:00 - 11:00 AM, in Sebahar Hall on Sunday, November 2.

Peace and blessings,

Joanne Policht