Attention Extended Day Parents

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For those of you who created a new PIN for yourself or an authorized person on your 2015-2016 Extended Day emergency form, many of you have listed a pin already in use.  Please confirm with Ms. Jean when picking up your child before you enter your pin into the pad for the first time.  A new pin has been assigned to those of you who chose pins already in use.  If you are a returning family and kept the same pin as last year, you should be fine.  When signing out, please always confirm with the screen that you have entered the correct pin.  Thank you.

HSA Meeting This Coming Tuesday

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Please join us for the first HSA (Home & School Association) Meeting of the 2015-2016 school year this coming Tuesday (Sept. 1) at 7:00pm in the Saint James School Gym.  The HSA – which is similar to a PTA or PTO – is open to all Saint James School parents/ grandparents/ guardians.

The HSA is comprised of volunteers who organize and support our school’s events and fundraisers.  There is no fee to join and no minimum time commitment required.  It’s also a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and help make great memories during our children’s years at Saint James School. We hope to see you there!

The agenda for the meeting will be as follows:

– Introductions
– Opening Prayer
Short discussions about the following events:
– Gala
– Jeannine Fall Fundraiser
– Halloween Party
– Book Fair
– September 22 Dine Out Night at Hartford Road Cafe
– Grandparent’s Day
– Picture Days
– Pasta Dinner on November 13
– Spirit Sticks

If you have any questions, please contact HSA President, Keshet Spadaccini at (860) 205-4529 or kspadaccini@att.net.

First Day of School Pictures

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We hope everyone had a great first day of school!  Below are a few pictures from this morning (click image to enlarge).

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New Dismissal Procedures For Picking Up Students

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As a measure of additional safety for our students, effective today – Thursday, August 27th – the school is implementing a new procedure for picking up students at the end of the day (“walkers”):

  • All parents who pick up students at dismissal will park in the church parking lot. The parents/ guardians will walk to the school and enter the front doors of the gym.  Parents/ guardians will walk to the RIGHT side of the gym and wait for the dismissal signal bell.

 

  • The students will be walked down to the gym with a grade teacher and will enter through the breezeway entrance.  They will line up with the teacher on the LEFT side of the gym.

 

  • PARENTS MUST TELL THE TEACHER WHO THEY ARE PICKING UP AND THE STUDENT WILL BE RELEASED TO THE PARENT.

 

  • All Pre-Kindergarten students should be picked up at the Pre-Kindergarten.  Parents with a child also in the K-8 school should pick up their Pre-Kindergarten student first, then proceed to the gym.

 

  • Students will be brought down to the gym for dismissal at 2:10pm.  The doors to the gym will open at 2:00pm.

 

  • NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO PARK ON EITHER SIDE OF PARK STREET FROM THE CORNER OF CHURCH STREET TO THE PRE-K FENCE.  PLEASE DO NOT PULL INTO EITHER STAFF PARKING LOT.

 

  • Manchester residents are encouraged to use the bus system to help with the congestion at the end of the day.

 

Additional staff will be at dismissal to help make this new procedure run in a safe and orderly manner.  We ask for your cooperation and patience as we transition to this new pick-up method.

Sincerely,

The administration and staff of Saint James School

SJS Parent/Student Handbook

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The teachers and staff will be reviewing the parent/student handbook tomorrow with all students.  A signature page will be sent home that all parents and students will need to sign and return to the teacher next week.  Parents may access a copy of the handbook by clicking HERE or by visiting the “Forms & Documents” page of our website (yellow link on the right hand side).

Instrumental Music Notice

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On Friday, August 28th, all instrumental music students in grades 5-8 will have lessons and band. The advanced Band will meet at 12:00 and the Intermediate Band will meet at 12:30. All new students in grades 5-8 who already play an instrument should bring them to school Friday August 28 for a special class.

Welcome Back Coffee & Danish – First Day of School

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Please drop by and join us in the school Cafeteria on the first day of school (7:55am-9:00am) for coffee & danishes – sponsored by the Saint James Home & School Association.  Come catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and ask those last minute questions you may have!  We look forward to seeing you!

2015-2016 School Bus Routes

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The 2015-2016 bus routes for St. James were posted on the town of Manchester’s website this morning.  We have added a link on our website as well.  You can access the bus list HERE or by visiting the SJS website.

Extended Day Program

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Please remember that Extended Day Registration Forms are now due for all families that will be using the program for the 2015-2016 school year.  This includes returning families.  All families participating in the Extended Day Program must submit a new form every year.  If you have any questions regarding the Extended Day Program, Ms. Jean can be reached at jburdick@saintjamesschool.net during the summer.  If you forgot to send your form in by last Friday, please put it in the mail today or tomorrow so Ms. Jean will have it by the end of the week.

Staffing Changes for 2015-2016

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We have a couple of staffing changes taking place for the upcoming school year. First, one of our 4th grade teachers – Mrs. Kulinski – will not be returning to Saint James School, having recently decided to pursue other endeavors. Mrs. Kanute has already interviewed several excellent candidates to fill the 4th grade teacher position and we look forward to having the new teacher in place prior to the start of school.

Also, Mrs. Sabatella has decided to leave her position as the elementary Art teacher at SJS to pursue other artistic endeavors. She will, however, continue to be a substitute teacher for our school and we are excited that she has chosen to remain part of our school family in this capacity. A new art teacher for grades K-3 is being hired and Ms. Boutot will be teaching art for grades 4-8.

We wish Mrs. Kulinski and Mrs. Sabatella the best of luck in their new endeavors!

In addition, we have a new priest – Rev. Michael A. Carlson – assigned to the Saint James family, replacing Father Casey, who was given a new assignment in June.

Fr. Carlson was ordained on July 7, 2007 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford. He grew up in Prospect, CT where he attended Region 16 schools and graduated from Wolcott High School in 1998. Fr. Carlson then earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Catholic University of America where he studied Music History and Composition. Father was active as a symphonic performer and composer in Washington DC before entering seminary for the Archdiocese of Hartford after graduating college in 2002.

His philosophy studies were completed at St. John’s Seminary and Boston College. He was then appointed to the pontifical North American College in Rome where he studied theology and earned a license in dogmatic theology from the Gregorian University.

Father Carlson has enjoyed a number of varied parochial assignments including serving communities in Torrington, Newington, Waterbury and most recently Hamden. He is very excited to discover the new territory of Manchester.

In his spare time, father enjoys golf, lifting, running, reading and of course music. His greatest passion is the Metropolitan Opera.