As a follow-up reminder to Mrs. Zorger’s letter to families on 8/17/21, if your child is fully vaccinated please submit a copy of their vaccine card to the school nurse as soon as possible. This information will be kept confidential but will be useful should contact tracing need to occur (due to a positive case in the classroom or in extended day).
Below you will find the link to our 2021-2022 Kindergarten – Grade 8 Parent/Student Handbook. Please review this document in detail and bring the last page – signed by both parent(s) and student(s) – when you come for your classroom visit on September 1st.
2021-2022 Parent Student Handbook
Also, all Kindergarten – Grade 8 Students must sign our school’s Technology Usage Agreement, stating they understand our school rules for use of technology. This document should also be printed, signed, and brought to school on September 1st.
Saint James School will be providing a Chromebook to all students in 3rd through 8th grade.
Attached below you will find the Chromebook Care & Insurance information for Saint James School. We strongly recommend that parents of students in grades 3 – 8 take the optional $40 insurance for all students receiving a Chromebook.
Please bring the form on page 4 with you on Wednesday, September 1st to give to your child’s homeroom teacher.
For families using the Extended Day Program, please read through the attached policy book. The signature page must be returned to the Aftercare Director, Ms. Jean, by September 17th.
Below you will find a link to our 2021-2022 Monthly Events Calendar. This is a tentative look at our monthly schedule of events for planning purposes. Please note that an update of each month’s calendar will be sent a few days before that month begins, noting any changes and updates.
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we excited to share the following staff updates:
1st Grade
Please join us in welcoming Mrs. DiFilippo as our new 1st grade teacher! Mrs. DiFilippo comes to us with previous experience at St. Christopher school in East Hartford where she taught Kindergarten and Pre-K. A product of Catholic education herself, having attended Holy Trinity Elementary/Middle School and Mercy High School, Mrs. DiFilippo holds degrees in Early Childhood Elementary Education and Psychology from Keene State College in New Hampshire. Mrs. DiFilippo is excited to join our school community, working alongside Mrs. Alexander in 1st grade (and also Mrs. Paradis whom she worked with at St. Chris).
Pre-Kindergarten News
As previously announced, Mrs. Fitzgerald (former SJS 1st grade teacher) has taken on the role of Pre-Kindergarten Program Director/Pre-K4 Teacher this year. We are excited to announce that Mrs. Carpenter (our former SJS Librarian) will be joining Mrs. Fitzgerald as a Pre-Kindergarten Aide; Mrs. Tierney (who was our Librarian last year) has accepted the Saint James School Librarian role on a permanent basis.
Also in Pre-Kindergarten news, we are sad to report that Pre-K Aide Mrs. LaChance will not be returning this year. And, Mrs. Mauldin will be moving over to the big school to work as a Kindergarten Aide in Mrs. Vassallo’s classroom.
Lastly, we are pleased to report that Mr. Lucey will be returning to us as our General Music Teacher.
We will be updating the staff directory on the App and our school website shortly.
Please note that teacher assignments for our Kindergarten through Grade 8 families were sent out yesterday (Tuesday, 8/24). If you did not receive the email, please reach out to Amy Guenther at aguenther@saintjamesschool.net.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone back at Saint James School in just a couple of weeks. Our full 2021-2022 handbook will be emailed out shortly, but as you prepare for the start of school, please remember the following standard SJS guidelines:
*No make up, nail polish, artificial nails, or artificial “tattoos” are allowed
*Boys’ hair must not touch their shirt collar and must not cover their ears or eyebrows
*Hairpieces, mohawk-style haircuts, designs cut into hair, and outlandish hairstyles are not allowed
*Hair cannot not be dyed, highlighted, or bleached (if your student has colored their hair over the summer it must be dyed back to their natural color before school)
*The following jewelry is allowed: one watch, one ring, one thin chain necklace with or without a cross. Smart watches are NOT allowed
*Girls are allowed one pair of post earrings worn in the earlobes (Boys are not allowed to wear earrings)
*Hair must be neat, clean, and well cut
*K-8 students must be in the proper uniform attire every day. All students should wear their regular uniform attire (not gym uniform) on the first day of school.
Additional notes:
*Class assignments for 1st-8th grade students will be emailed to parents sometime next week.
*There will be 4 separate areas for students to enter the building for the K-8 program again this year. Signs will be posted outside during the September 1st visit and also on the 1st day during the to help families identify each entrance area; Aides, staff members, and other helpers will be on site to assist with getting students to their classrooms if needed on the 1st few days of school. These areas are the same as last year and will be as follows:
*Front Door: Mrs Phelan’s 3rd Grade Class & both 4th Grade Classes
*Breezeway Entrance: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 6th Grade
*North Door Main Parking Lot (back area): 7th Grade, 8th Grade
*South Door Main Parking Lot (closer to street): Mrs. Moran’s 3rd Grade, Kindergarten, 5th Grade
As in years past, we strongly encourage you to park in the Saint James Church parking lot and walk up with your students (crossing guards will be out to help you cross at the crosswalks) if not using the Drop & Go option. Detailed drop-off & parking guidelines will be emailed out before school (these will be exactly the same as last year so returning grade k-8 families and returning pre-k families should already know exactly where they can park and how the drop & go protocol works).
As noted in Mrs. Zorger’s letter sent out earlier this week, at this time schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford are following the CDC’s guidelines for the return to school protocol after travel.
Families should call the SJS Nurse – Mrs. Vignati (860.643.5088, option 3) – to further discuss return-to-school protocol and dates of absence PRIOR to travel.
The return to school protocol is detailed below as well as summarized in THIS CHART:
DOMESTIC TRAVEL
If traveling outside of Connecticut for more than 24 hours (but still within the United States), students and staff must meet the following criteria prior to returning to the classroom:
Unvaccinated Individuals
*Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel (negative test results must be provided to the school before returning);
*If you don’t wish to get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after returning from travel.
In both cases, self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if symptoms of illness develop.
Fully Vaccinated Individuals
(or recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days)
Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms. No quarantine or test required to return to school.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
If traveling outside of the United States, students and staff must meet the following criteria prior to returning to the classroom:
Unvaccinated Individuals
*Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel (negative test result must be provided to the school before returning);
*If you don’t wish to get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
In both cases, self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if symptoms of illness develop.
Fully Vaccinated Individuals
(or recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days)
*Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel. Negative test results must be provided to the school before returning.
Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if symptoms of illness develop.
We are pleased to report that Hot Lunch will be FREE again for all K-8th grade students this upcoming school year or until further notice – whichever comes first (please note we are including Kindergarten in the Hot Lunch program this year – additional details for K will be forthcoming).
If your child purchases just milk, or any extra food or beverage items above what is provided in a standard meal, your student’s Saint James School lunch account WILL BE charged and parents will be responsible to pay that balance. Lunch account id information for Kindergarten, 1st grade, and new students will be forthcoming before school should you wish to put money in their account to fund such purchases AND so you can monitor their lunch account throughout the year.