🆕New/Updated Information

ESA Application Site Now Open

The ESA application site is now open! Applications for the 2026-27 school year are now being accepted. As of Saturday, there were 238 completed applications in Odyssey or about 53% of the registered families for 2026-27.   You must apply every year, even if you are already receiving an ESA. 

State ESA Website

7th Grade Shark Tank

Congratulations to our 7th graders for completing their ELA/Science Shark Tank projects this week.

The top three were:

#1 EZ Rake: A rake that converts to be able to pick up the piles of leaves: Payton S, Gabbie U, Nevaeh M

#2 Rainguard: A backpack with an umbrella: Liam S and Elyas R

#3 OO Fragrance: Perfume/cologne with a petroleum jelly (Vaseline) base: Olivia R and Olivia T

Our other finalists, in alphabetical order:

FlavoFork: A fork with a reservoir and tube for applying sauces/condiments to each bite: Aria E and Levi F

Pathfinder Gloves: Gloves with a compass and flashlights attached: Jace H, Logan S, and Austin L

Singing Water: A water bottle with speaker that plays music at intervals to remind you to hydrate: Mia V and Arianna R

Called by Name

“I have called you by name: you are mine” Isaiah 43:1b

Ever feel like someone you know or have met would make a good priest, sister, brother or deacon? Know someone who might need a nudge or someone else to validate what they may feel themselves? Being in community means we share in the resposibility to help one another recognize and live out their vocation. Don’t be afraid to reach out to Fr. Andrew Rauenbuehler and send him the name: rauenbuehlera@diodav.org. I sent him two names a couple of weeks ago and nearly 30 names today.

📌Still Relevant

📚Learning Habits Matter

Re-Reading Builds Fluency

Sometimes the best next read… is the same one.

Students sometimes think that once they finish a book or passage, they should immediately move on to something new. In reality, re-reading is one of the most effective ways to strengthen reading skills.

When students revisit a text, several important things happen:

• Words become more familiar and are recognized more automatically
• Reading becomes smoother and more expressive
• Understanding deepens as new details and connections are noticed

Re-reading supports students at every grade level, just in different ways:

PK–2
Re-reading favorite picture books builds early word recognition, confidence, and a sense of story.

Grades 3–5
Re-reading more challenging passages helps develop fluency and allows students to focus more on meaning.

Grades 6–8
Re-reading complex texts leads to deeper understanding, stronger analysis, and better retention of key ideas.

Re-reading is not a sign that a text is too easy. More often, it is a sign that a student is doing the work required to become a stronger reader.

🗓️ Highlighted Events

Multiple calendars are available on our website, www.olvjfk.com.  On the school side of the website, a one-page summary calendar is on the front page.  Detailed calendars can also be reached by clicking on the calendars heading toward the upper right corner of the website. Anything underlined on the calendar can be clicked on, and more details will open for you. Below are a few highlighted events:

• Apr 28: Last Student Council Supply Store
• Apr 29: Mid-Qtr
• Apr 30: H & S. Papa Murphy’s Dine & Donate. Purple/Orange Fundraiser
• May 3: First Communion
• May 4: Reading/Math Screening begin. 5E Golfing
• May 5: 5C Golfing.
• May 6: Staff Luncheon
• May 7/8: Crusader Theater School Performances
• May 7: Youth & Family Engagement
• May 8/9: Crusader Theater Perfomances
• May 12: JFK Band Concert at AHS
• May 13: 8th Gr Band Field Trip
• May 15: JFK Night at the Steamwheelers
• May 16: Youth & Family Engagement Event
• May 29: Last Day of K-8

💭Personal Sharing

I woke up at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday from a dream I hadn’t had in years. I was back in junior high.

In the dream, I was trying to stand up for another student who was being picked on—while also trying not to become the next target myself. It felt familiar in a way I hadn’t expected.

The early part of junior high was not easy for me. In elementary school, I was a strong student. Teachers had me working on different math, different spelling, and independent projects. I was used to feeling confident.

That changed when I got to junior high. I remember struggling in math for the first time. I remember putting so much pressure on myself in shop class that I couldn’t move forward on projects and ended up with the lowest grade I ever received – a D. In shop class! I remember having books knocked out of my hands on the stairwell by older students I didn’t even know.

I also remember something quieter, but just as significant: going from a close group of friends in sixth grade to feeling like I was starting over. Expanding friendships wasn’t as easy as I had assumed it would be. It felt isolating at first.

Looking back, I don’t recall many adults at my school recognizing what that transition felt like for me personally. They may have understood junior high students in general, but I’m not sure they really knew me.

Thankfully, with support from my family—and over time—things improved. By ninth grade, I had regained my footing academically. A PE teacher who had me two years in a row (and whom I didn’t always appreciate at the time) pushed me hard and helped rebuild my confidence in ways I didn’t fully understand until later. By the time I entered high school, I was back on track and enjoying school again. I became a leader in band and the valedictorian of my high school class.

That experience came back to me this weekend.

And it made me notice a few things I see every day:

• A sixth grader holding the hand of a younger sibling while walking into school.
• A seventh grader confidently presenting a Shark Tank project to an audience and the judges.
• An eighth grader stopping to give a quick high five or hug to Mrs. Poster or Mrs. Maxwell.
• Students gathered around Mrs. Nicoletto and Mrs. Thomas in the hallway.
• Fr. Patrick greeting students by name as they head out for the day.
• Students stopping by the office for what really seems to just be the need to talk to other people who care.

Moments like that don’t seem like much on their own. But taken together, they reflect something important:

Students being known.
Students being connected.
Students feeling like they belong in a place where they are recognized—not just as students, but as real people.

It’s easy to take that for granted when you see it every day.
This weekend was a good reminder not to.

 

Chad