Staffing Updates & Changes – St. James School

As we approach the conclusion of our 2023-2024 school year here at Saint James School we wanted to share some staff changes that will be taking place for the upcoming school year:

Mrs. Jean Burdick – Extended Day Director
After 33 years of service working in Saint James School’s extended day program, Ms. Jean (as she is lovingly referred to by the students in her care) has announced she will be retiring at the end of our 2024 summer camp program. Ms. Jean has been assisting with Saint James School’s before-and-after-school program since 1991, joining the staff shortly after the program’s inception. She took over as the program’s director in 2004 and in 2017 took the lead in developing and launching our very successful summer program. Ms. Jean’s dedication has been evident in the deep connections she makes with the community’s families and her joy in witnessing the growth and camaraderie among the students entrusted to her care. She shared that watching the compassionate interactions among students here at Saint James School truly gives her hope for this next generation.

In her retirement, Ms. Jean plans to spend more time reading, gardening, and enjoying local excursions with her grandchildren. We are so grateful for Ms. Jean’s exceptional service to the Saint James School community and wish her all the best in this next adventure.

Mrs. Carol O’Neill – Bookkeeper
After an amazing 51 years of volunteer service to the Saint James School community, Mrs. O’Neill has also announced she will retire at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year. Mrs. O’Neill has been part of the Saint James School community since 1969 when she enrolled her first child here. Throughout the years, Mrs. O’Neill would see all four of her children graduate from Saint James School as well as all ten of her grandchildren.

In addition to volunteering her time and talent in the main office, Mrs. O’Neill has served the school in many other capacities, including many years on the Saint James School Board and as the HSA (Home & School Association) president. She was also instrumental in helping with the launch and running of the Saint James School Foundation in the 1970s.

At our 100th Anniversary Celebration in September 2022, Saint James School recognized Mrs. O’Neill, for what was at the time 50 years of service, by naming our newly remodeled Innovation Lab in her honor.

We certainly wish Mrs. O’Neill all the best in her well-deserved retirement and thank her for her unwavering dedication to Catholic education in Manchester for the past 51 years!

Mrs. Peggy Paradis – Classroom Aide
Lastly, Mrs. Paradis, who has supported our 1st and 2nd grade teachers as a classroom aide for the past four years, has shared her plans to retire at the end of the year. Mrs. Paradis joined us from the former St. Christopher School in East Hartford, where she dedicated 25 years of service in a similar capacity. Mrs. Paradis has made a significant impact during her tenure with us. We extend our heartfelt wishes for her future endeavors and thank her for her invaluable service.

Other Updates and Changes —

Grade 5
At the end of the current school year, Saint James School will also say farewell to Mrs. Simoncini, one of our two 5th grade teachers, so she may spend more time with her family. With this change, we are excited to announce that Mrs. DiBenedetto will be returning to her former 5th grade classroom after a short stint teaching at the middle school level. For those new to our community, Mrs. DiBenedetto has been with Saint James School for 20 years – having taught in our 5th grade for many years of that time. We thank Mrs. Simoncini for her dedication to her students and the creativity she brought to her classroom each day.

Mrs. Cate Jennings – Social Worker
We are also saddened to share that Mrs. Jennings has given notice that she will be leaving us at the end of this school year to focus on seeing clientele via private practice, a goal she has been working towards for several years. Mrs. Jennings has been working with, and caring for, our students here at Saint James School for the past 16 years and will certainly be missed. We wish Mrs. Jennings all the best in her new endeavor.

Extended Day Program
Jumping into the role of Extended Day Program Director will be Jodi Talaga who, in addition to her current duties as a classroom aide for middle school and grade 2, has assisted with both our aftercare and summer camp programs for the past couple of years. Mrs. Talaga has also served our school in numerous volunteer capacities, including assisting with the cheerleading team and serving multiple years as our Home & School Association president. We are excited for Mrs. Talaga to take on this enhanced role within our school community and know she looks forward to working with our extended day families to ensure a seamless transition.

While we are always sad to say goodbye to members of our staff, we are also excited for each of them in this next step of their journey and wish them all the best.