Hello Parents,

Our Diocese is blessed to have a partnership with Smoky Valley Virtual Charter School that allows us to utilize IXL, a supplemental online math program, at no cost to our school.

To participate in this partnership, each family with a student in 1st–5th grade is required to complete this brief form by Friday, September 25th. Please complete one form per family and list all of your children and their grades if you have multiple students in 1st–5th grade.

Complete the form here.

As part of this partnership, the State of Kansas requires proof of residency for students participating through Smoky Valley Virtual Charter School. The form will ask you to securely upload one of the following documents showing your current Kansas address:

• Current Kansas driver’s license or ID renewal postcard
• Current vehicle registration
• Utility bill or equivalent dated within the last two months
• Bank statement, deed, or mortgage showing a current Kansas address
• Rent or lease agreement dated within the last year

The address on the document must match the student’s enrollment address and cannot be a P.O. Box.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me. Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete this and for helping us provide this great resource for our students!

In Christ,

-Mr. Allen

Homecoming Spirit Week 

We are excited to celebrate Homecoming next week and support our Plainsmen! Students are invited to participate in our Homecoming dress-up days:

Monday – Mickey & Minnie Monday
Wear red, black, yellow, polka dots, and Mickey ears!

Tuesday – Under the Sea Tuesday
Wear your favorite beach attire! Think Hawaiian shirts, leis, flip flops, etc. No swimsuits, please. Students should bring appropriate shoes for PE. Students should wear polos for Mass.

Wednesday – Inside Out Wednesday
Each grade will represent an emotion by wearing its assigned color:
Preschool & 5th – Purple (Fear)
Kindergarten – Blue (Sadness)
1st – Red (Anger)
2nd – Yellow (Joy)
3rd – Green (Disgust)
4th – Orange (Anxiety)

Thursday – Silly Hat/Headwear & Socks Thursday
Wear your silliest hat, headwear, and socks! Students should wear polos for Mass.

Friday – Plainsmen Pride Purple Friday
Deck out in purple and show your Plainsmen Pride!

Homecoming Parade

The Homecoming Parade will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 25. Kindergarten-5th grade students and staff will walk down to the parade as we normally do. Students will return to our school before the end of the school day and pickup will not be affected. 

Please return your child’s permission slip in order for them to attend the parade.

We are looking forward to a fun week celebrating Homecoming together!

Dear St. Joseph’s Families,

I am excited to announce that our Diocese is moving forward with a partnership with Hallow! Every school in the Diocese will have access to Hallow accounts for both students and staff. Even better, through the generosity of our Parents Club, this expense has already been fully funded for our school for the year! We are incredibly grateful for their support in providing another wonderful resource to help our students grow in their faith.

If you are unfamiliar with Hallow, it is the #1 Catholic prayer app in the world and offers a huge library of Catholic prayer and faith-based content. Hallow includes guided prayers, Scripture and Bible stories, saint stories, music, meditations, the Rosary, daily Gospel reflections, and content specifically created for children and families. The majority of the content is audio-based, no need for additional screen time! Our teachers will be able to incorporate Hallow into the school day to help students learn different ways to pray, deepen their relationship with Jesus, and grow in their understanding of our Catholic faith.

Be on the lookout in the next week or two for instructions on how you can access your child’s Hallow account at home. We hope families will take advantage of this resource beyond the school day as well! Whether it is praying together before bed, listening to a saint story on a car ride, or exploring a new form of prayer as a family, we are excited about the many ways Hallow can help us continue building a culture of prayer at St. Joseph’s, both at school and at home.

Events this Week

• Kindergarten Questionnaire (Kindergarten Parents Only) due by Friday, September 18th. Please see my email for more information.
• Monday 9/14
• School Council- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• Pizza Hut Fundraiser- 5:00-8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday 9/15
• Blue Mass @ 8:00 a.m.- Donuts to follow in the gym with EMS, Police, Firefighter, Emergency Response (all school)
• Wednesday 9/16
• Picture Day!

In Christ, 

Mr. Allen

Dear St. Joseph’s Families,

There is a powerful new way to support St. Joseph’s School that will directly impact our students! Through ACE Scholarships Kansas, eligible donors can make a contribution designated specifically for St. Joseph’s School and receive a 75% Kansas state income tax credit. Qualifying students will be eligible to receive a scholarship that can go towards their cost of education. 

For example, a qualifying $1,000 contribution could result in a $750 Kansas state tax credit for an eligible donor. 

Check out this one minute video for a quick overview!

Why Give Now?

Kansas has a $10 million statewide cap on these tax credits. Approximately $7.1 million had already been utilized as of last week, meaning there is limited availability remaining for 2026.

How to Give

Online: Donors can make their contribution through the ACE Kansas Tax Credit Donation Portal and designate St. Joseph’s School as the school they wish to support.

By Check:

Make checks payable to:

ACE Scholarships Kansas SGO

In the memo line, write: St. Joseph’s School-Oakley

Mail checks to:

ACE Scholarships Kansas SGO

5251 DTC Parkway, Suite 300

Greenwood Village, CO 80111

ACE has confirmed that gifts can be appropriately designated for the Catholic school identified by the donor.

Interested in Making a Larger Gift?

ACE can also assist with gifts of $50,000 or more, as well as gifts made through ACH, wire transfer, stock, mutual funds, or other methods.

For any questions, please contact:

AJ Kuhle

President, ACE Scholarships Kansas & Missouri

303-501-0464

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Why This Matters to St. Joseph’s

This is more than a tax benefit. It is an opportunity to help make a Catholic education possible for children in our community.

If you have considered making a gift to St. Joseph’s, or know someone who may be interested in supporting Catholic education, now is the time to start the conversation.

Please remember that individual tax situations vary, and donors should consult their CPA or tax advisor regarding their own circumstances.

Thank you for believing in St. Joseph’s Catholic School and for helping us make a Catholic education accessible to more families! Spread the word! 

Save the Date

• Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 4.
• The Life Chain will begin at 1:00 p.m. in front of the Mitchell County Courthouse, 115 S. Hersey in Beloit. People of all faiths are invited to unite in prayer for greater respect for all human life.
• The Wonderfully Made Family Expo will follow from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 119 N. Hersey. 
• The expo will feature informational booths, speakers, and activities for children, all designed to educate, inspire, and equip families to promote a culture of life at every age and stage.

For more information, contact Gina Lueger at (785) 534-2980 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You may also visit the Wonderfully Made Family Expo Facebook page.

In Christ,

-Mr. Allen

We have almost made it through our first week of school! Everyone, students and staff, is ready to rest up this weekend so we can come back again reenergized next week.

St. Joseph's is so very blessed that you have entrusted your children to our care. We are so grateful to have them. Our mission is to partner with you as parents, the primary educators of your children, to foster your child's relationship with Christ so they may one day join the great saints who have come before us. A well-rounded education that helps form them spiritually, academically, and emotionally is how we do that.

This quarter, we are focusing on "Growing in Gratitude". It is easy for us to take things for granted and give thanks for all the many gifts God has given to us. We are striving to grow in virtue so that we can be grateful in the good times and the bad. St. Bernadette Soubirous is a great example of practicing gratitude. Her family lived in extreme poverty, but she gave thanks to God saying, "For the poverty in which my mother and father lived, for the failure of the mill, all the hard times, for the awful sheep, for constant tiredness, thank you, my God!”

Check out this video on Formed for a family-friendly way to learn more about St. Bernadette. If you haven't already created a Formed account, you can search for our parish and create a premium account for free!

In Christ,
-Mr. Allen