Does Saint James School follow the Common Core curriculum?

The simple answer is No.  Our curriculum is set by the superintendent, principals, and teachers within the Archdiocese of Hartford, who together seek out best practices to develop a curriculum that provides students, at all levels, an exceptional foundation for the next grade.  We also utilize curriculum mapping, which is a progression of concepts and skills that align from one grade to the next.

At Saint James School our goal is to prepare students to be well-educated, independent, critical thinkers; Students who are exceptionally well prepared to meet the challenges of high school, college, and participate effectively in a global society.  While our curriculum does have elements of the Common Core, it also emphasizes many of the “basics” that have been lost in other schools such as creative writing/creative thinking in all grades (K-8), cursive penmanship (starts in 2nd grade), grammar/spelling/vocabulary (starts in 1st grade), traditional math in all grades (extremely important for success later on), patriotism/values/compassion, reading of the classic authors, and so much more.

Each year our graduates go on to a wide variety of schools – Catholic high schools, public high schools, prestigious prep schools, and magnet & technical schools – with a solid foundation for success.

What are the school hours?

The school hours are 7:50am – 2:05pm.  Classrooms are supervised in the morning starting at 7:30am until the bell to start the day rings at 7:50am.

What are the Kindergarten hours?

Saint James School offers both full-day and half-day Kindergarten. The full-day session is the same as our regular school day – 7:50am – 2:05pm. The half-day session is 7:50am – 10:50am.

The entire Kindergarten curriculum is covered in the morning before the half-day students are dismissed. The rest of the day includes lunch, recess, two enrichment periods with various learning experiences, and a rest period.  Students that start the year in the half-day program typically transition to full-time before, or just after, Christmas break.

What about before and after school?

We offer an Extended Day Program from 6:15am – 7:30am and 2:05pm – 5:30pm.

What kind of transportation do you offer?

If you are a resident of Manchester and live over one mile from the school, your child may use the bus service provided through the Town of Manchester. Students on the bus will be from Saint James School only as our times vary from other schools in town. Out-of-town residents must provide their own transportation.

What do the children do for lunch?

A hot lunch program is available for grades K-8 through the Town of Manchester food services.  A menu is sent home monthly and is also available on our website.  The cost of hot lunch is regulated by the Town of Manchester. For those children bringing their lunch, milk is available for $.40.