St. Joan of Arc School Grounded in Faith, Focused on the Future
230 South Law Street Aberdeen, Maryland, 21001 Phone (410)272-1387 Fax (410)272-1959
[email protected]
January 9, 2019 Dear SJA Families, Please don’t forget to RSVP to the Snow Ball this Saturday evening following the 5:00PM Family Liturgy. There will be a DJ, refreshments, photo booth, and fun for all! Please contact Michelle CrossLerch with any questions at
[email protected] Please ensure that your student is dressed properly for the weather. All students go out for recess whenever possible. Of course in the winter months, hats, gloves, scarves and heavier coats are recommended. Please remember to label all clothing with the student’s name. I would like to remind all parents to re-register prior to January 31st in order to receive the discounted tuition fee and save $100 per student. The St. Joan of Arc School Board has voted to approve the budget for the 201920 school year. There is an increase of 3% this year due to the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s guidance to provide adequate compensation to faculty. In order to recruit and retain highly qualified educators, all teachers will be compensated at 80% of the rate for Baltimore County teachers within 5 years. The Archdiocesan teacher salary scale has not been adjusted since 2011 and does not provide adequate pay to support the excellent work of our dedicated faculty members. Please see the attached schedule of tuition and fees for next year. Kindergarten and 5th grade will Spread the Warmth in January with a collection for hats, gloves, scarves, and mittens to benefit Anna’s House. A flyer is attached. The drive will run all of January (2nd through 31st). Thanks in advance for your charity and kindness! Home & School is offering jacket and vests Spirit Wear for sale! A flyer is attached and samples are available in the Narthex of the church. The sale will run from now until January 15th with order arriving at the end of January. Order forms and a flyer are attached. Do you know of anyone looking for an enjoyable part time job? Do you like to be with children? Due to increased enrollment, Extended Care is looking for help. This program runs 7-8AM and 3-6PM on school days. Please contact me or Mrs. Fink (
[email protected] or
[email protected]) if interested.
Would you like to get tax relief for the tuition that you pay to send your students to St. Joan of Arc? You can do so through the 529 Education Savings Plan. Attached is a newsletter from NCEA (National Catholic Education Association) which explains this program more fully. Earn cash for SJA with BoxTops. Please see the offers attached from ShopRite and Walmart which will benefit our school. Please contact Mrs. Sarah O’Toole with any questions
[email protected] Volunteers are needed for the SJA HSA Designer Purse/Bag Bingo on March 1st, 2019. Please reach out to Jamie Ayd @
[email protected] or by calling 410-241-6035 for more details if interested. (Flyer attached) Don’t forget to check the school website calendar www.school.stjoanarc.org Thursday, January 10th—Band Saturday, January 12th—First Lego League Robotics Competition—Good Luck SJA! Saturday, January 12th—5PM Family Liturgy; 6PM Snow Ball Tuesday, January 15th—Liturgy (Gr. 6); Environmental Club, SJA Voices Wednesday, January 16th—Waste Free Wednesday, Yearbook Thursday, January 17th—Band, Jr. Lego Friday, January 18th—NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS; Professional Development FOR TEACHERS Monday, January 21st—NO SCHOOL; MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HOLIDAY Tuesday, January 22nd—Tickets go on sale for BINGO; Liturgy (Gr. 5); Environmental Club, SJA Voices Wednesday, January 23rd—Waste Free Wednesday, Yearbook Thursday, January 24th—OPEN HOUSE FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS 9-11am AND 4-6pm Thursday, January 24th—Interim Reports Thursday, January 24th—Band Friday, January 25th—Dress-Down Pass Day! Saturday-Sunday, January 26th-27th—Begin Catholic Schools Week! Students speak at Mass Monday, January 28th-Friday, February 1st—Catholic Schools Week—Learn, Serve, Lead, Succeed (more information to come) o Monday—We celebrate our Community o Tuesday—We celebrate our Families o Wednesday—We celebrate our Faculty o Thursday—We celebrate our Staff o Friday—We celebrate our Students; Early dismissal Peace and all good, Mrs. Bahr “Good works are links that form a chain of love.” Mother Teresa
Sp read the
Warmth
2019 Winter Drive
SJA outreach is collecting gloves, mittens, hats, and scarves.. All donations benefit Anna’s House.
January 2nd - January 31st gloves ❄ mittens ❄ hats ❄ scarves
2 NEW BOX TOP OFFERS THAT WILL EARN EXTRA CASH FOR SJA!
FIRST FANTASTIC OFFER FROM SHOPRITE Register your price plus card number on www.shopriteformyschool.com. Select St Joan of Arc as the supporting school and create a log in. It’s that easy! When you purchase box tops products with your registered price plus card Shoprite will automatically credit our SJA account with bonus box tops. SECOND FANTASTIC OFFER FROM WALMART Purchase 5 participating box top products, send in your receipt to school (Attention: Sarah O Toole) and I will scan it to receive 50 bonus box tops ($5 free money!). The earning potential is huge!!
Designer Handbag Bingo
WHEN: FRIDAY, MARCH 1ST, 2019 TIME:
DOORS OPEN @ 6:00PM GAMES START @ 7:00PM
WHERE: ST. JOAN OF ARC CHURCH HALL 222 SOUTH LAW STREET, ABERDEEN MD 21001 COST:
$20.00 IN ADVANCE / $25.00 AT THE DOOR (If Available) (EVERYONE MUST HAVE A TICKET INCLUDING CHILDREN) TICKET SALES BEGIN: JANUARY 22, 2019
VOL. 3
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NO. 2
N E W S L E T T E R
New Education Savings Opportunity Available for Catholic School Families Recent updates to the U.S. federal tax code provide an opportunity for tax relief for parents who pay tuition for their students in elementary and secondary schools. The 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act expanded 529 savings plans, originally applicable only to college expenses, to now allow families to use such saved funds for K-12 tuition. What is a 529 Plan? A 529 Plan is a special, taxadvantaged investment account that is created and operated by a state or an education institution designed to encourage saving for college. The primary benefit of such plans is that any earnings from growth over time are not federally taxed if they are used to pay for qualified education expenses. In many states, an additional benefit is that contributions to a plan may be eligible for a state income tax credit or deduction depending on the provisions in the state tax code. Anyone may open a savings account on behalf of a child. A parent, grandparent, relative or friend may create an account for which they retain ownership and withdraw funds for tuition payments on behalf of the beneficiary. The beneficiary is the person so designated on the account and the beneficiary can be changed among family members with no penalty. Multiple accounts may be opened for a student or various persons may contribute to a single plan. However, the maximum amount that can be distributed tax-free per calendar year is $10,000 per student, regardless of the number of 529 accounts in that child’s name. Each state runs its own program differently and offers different incentives for opening a 529 plan. In order to encourage subscribers to invest in their program, many
states offer tax incentives such as credits or deductions against state tax liability for contributions to a 529. A total of 35 states grant tax incentives for their 529s but only 20 allow withdrawals for K-12 tuition. There are three possible options to consider when determining whether or not to use a 529 plan for K-12 tuition expenses: a) State has an income tax but does not allow use of 529s for K-12 tuition. Caveat: while you will receive a federal tax break on fund growth, you will not get a state tax break and may be fined a 10% penalty if funds are withdrawn for K-12 tuition. b) State does not have an income tax: you only receive a federal tax break on fund growth. c) State does allow use for K-12 tuition and grants tax credits or deductions. This provides a federal tax break for fund growth and a state tax credit/ deduction for the contribution. The contribution does not have to remain in the fund for any specific period of time. It may be withdrawn almost immediately to make tuition payments and still be eligible for the state tax credit or deduction. To determine if you can benefit from the new 529 rules, consult your state 529 website to see if withdrawal for K-12 tuition is an allowable expense and whether there are state tax benefits for contributing to a 529. If you choose to create a plan, you may enroll directly with a State 529 plan manager or with a financial advisor. However, due to some of the legal technicalities of such plans, it is wise to consult first with a financial advisor or accountant to be certain of the specific state requirements so you might select the best option for your family and avoid any penalties.
2018 © NCEA PARENT NEWS is published monthly by the National Catholic Educational Association, 1005 N. Glebe Road, Suite 525, Arlington, VA 22201. www.NCEA.org.
St. Joan of Arc School
230 South Law Street Aberdeen, Maryland, 21001
Grounded in Faith, Focused on the Future
Phone (410)272-1387 Fax (410)272-1959
[email protected]
The St. Joan of Arc School Board has voted to approve the budget for the 2019-20 school year. There is an increase of 3% this year due to the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s guidance to provide adequate compensation to faculty. In order to recruit and retain highly qualified educators, all teachers will be compensated at 80% of the rate for Baltimore County teachers within 5 years. The Archdiocesan teacher salary scale has not been adjusted since 2011 and does not provide adequate pay to support the excellent work of our dedicated faculty members. 2019-2020 TUITION RATES Active Catholic Non-Catholic
1 Child $6,515.00 $7,920.00
2 Children 12,530.00 15,340.00
3 Children 18,045.00 22,260.00
4 Children 23,060.00 28,680.00
*This reflects a $500.00 discount for two children; a $ 1,500.00 discount for three children; and a $3,000.00 discount for four children. **All students will pay a $150 Technology Fee. APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION FEES: (non-refundable) NEW STUDENTS Application Fee: Registration Fee:
$100.00 (This fee is credited to the registration fee upon enrollment.) $250.00
CONTINUING STUDENTS Re-registration $200.00 each year* *Please note that $100.00 of the re-registration fee will be waived for students re-registering by January 31, 2019. FACTS TUITION MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION FOR THE 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR FACTS will continue to serve as the preferred provider for financial aid and tuition management service within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. FACTS Tuition Management Company will collect all tuition payments, including payment in full, semi-annual and monthly payments. ALL FAMILIES ARE REQUIRED TO SIGN UP AND MAKE PAYMENT THROUGH FACTS utilizing automatic bank payments (EFT) or by credit card. (*there is an additional fee for processing the credit card option). Easy and convenient online registration will be available. FACTS GRANT AND AID Tuition Assistance for the 2019-20 School Year is available through the Archdiocese of Baltimore for all families who qualify. To apply, please visit the FACTS Grant and Aid website at www.factstuitionaid.com. The deadline to apply for Archdiocesan Assistance is February 28, 2019. FACTS will require the submission of the most recent Tax Return and the W2. Additional assistance is available through St. Joan of Arc School and Parish. The process of using FACTS will be the same for AOB or local assistance distribution. Our goal is to help all families afford a Catholic education for their children. Additional funds are available through Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program for those students who qualify by income. For more information, go to http://marylandpublicschools.org/pages/boost/index.aspx
