Staff 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.

 

 

Class Assignments

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.

Back to School Readiness Reminders

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).

 

Travel Policy

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.

 

 

Hot Lunch Notice

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.

Return to School Update From Mrs. Zorger

 

Dear Families,

With September just around the corner, I wanted to take another opportunity to share the latest information coming from the State Department of Public Health and the Archdiocese of Hartford regarding our upcoming return to school policies.  I want to emphasize, as has the Archdiocese, that protocol being put in place when we return to school is highly fluid and will be evaluated regularly to ensure our students continue to receive the best education in the safest, most sensible way possible.

On July 26th, I shared some of the details that our Return to In-Person Learning Committee had already decided would remain in place for 2021-2022 school year.  Much of the protocol will mirror, or be similar to, how we closed out this past year. This includes students using a variety of entrances at morning arrival and reporting directly to their classroom, desk spacing of at least three feet apart, and the continuation of air ventilation measures put in place last year.  Notable changes include no remote learning option and no temperature checks at morning arrival (although we will still be relying on parents to do a morning health assessment before leaving the house each day).

I know the big question on everyone’s mind is regarding the mask policy for students and staff.  At this time, Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 13A is still in effect until September 30th and requires that all individuals – regardless of vaccination status – wear a mask while inside a school building.  This means that all students, staff, and parents will be required to wear a mask inside our building when we return to school.  All classes will have mask breaks at appropriate intervals and, at this point in time, masks will not be required while outside the building at recess and dismissal.

While we are required to abide by mandated policies, the Archdiocese of Hartford, along with Saint James School, will continue to evaluate Covid policies throughout the upcoming school year.  This means that protocol could become more relaxed or restrictive, depending on the conditions in our community.

We cannot refute the success our school saw last year with respect to in-school attendance and academic growth, and I appreciate your support again this fall to ensure all Saint James School students enjoy a strong start to the year.  It is important that we continue to maximize in-person learning to the greatest extent possible by minimizing Covid quarantines.  If your child is not used to wearing a mask, please be sure to start practicing with them now in preparation for the first day of school.

For students using our extended day program for after school care, we have had a substantial number of additional families sign up to use the program as more businesses are instructing their employees to return to the office.  With the larger numbers, we might not be able to achieve the same spacing that we did last year, which does lend itself to the possibility that if a student in our Extended Day program does test positive for Covid, contact tracing and quarantining may be required.  Again, the policy is fluid and will depend on how things progress once we get a better indication of the program’s daily usage.

The following documents contain an overview of our policies for the 2021-2022 school year.  These documents – as well as a more detailed overview – will be posted on our website for future reference and updates will be communicated in a timely manner.

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).

As summer comes to a close, I realize that many families are traveling out of state, please note that Saint James School will be following the current CDC guidelines for travel and subsequent quarantine.  You may reference that information HERE.  Please reach out to the school nurse if this impacts your return to school.

Thank you again for your continued commitment to the Saint James School community and entrusting us with the education of your children.  We look forward to another great year of learning and growing at Saint James School.

SJS 2021-2022 Health & Wellness Information (K-8 Program)

SJS 2021-2022 Health & Wellness Information (Pre-K Program)

 

God Bless,

Mrs. Bridget Zorger
Principal

 

New Calendar for 2021-2022

Please use this updated one page calendar for the 2021-2022 school year – please note that the day off at the end of September for the Catholic Educators’ Curriculum Conference has been changed to September 28th.  The website calendar and SJS App calendar have both been updated to reflect this change.

2021-2022 One Page Calendar Rev 8-3-21

Visit Museums in CT for Free

If you are looking for some fun activities to keep busy during this final month of Summer vacation, we wanted to remind families that many local museums and attractions are offering free tickets for children and an accompanying adult.  The website with all the details can be found HERE (Tickets may be limited. Be sure to visit the museum’s website to secure your tickets in advance as certain days may sell out).  Happy exploring!!

Lands’ End Sale

Attention K-8 Families: Lands’ End is offering up to 20% off uniform items through August 27th with code: BINDER and Pin: 5823 (enter at checkout).

Lands’ End | School (landsend.com)

Please remember monogrammed uniform items could take up to 3 weeks to ship in August so be sure to order items well in advance of the 1st day!

Update From Mrs. Zorger

Dear Families,

The Saint James School administration is working diligently to prepare our school for the 2021-2022 school year.  Our Return to In-Person Instruction Committee met last week to review recent guidance from the State Department of Education, State Department of Public Health, and the Archdiocese of Hartford.

In reviewing the preliminary information from these sources, it does appear that many of the protocols put in place this past year (2020-2021 school year) will continue to be with us in the fall.  Of notable exception is that we will NOT be offering a remote learning option as the new year kicks off. Instead we will require all students be back in the school building. Some of the procedures that will remain in place are as follows:

* Four separate entrances for grade K-8 students to enter the building depending on their classroom location (details will be forthcoming later in the summer but they will remain the same as last year).  There will be separate entrances for Pre-Kindergarten cohorts as well.

* K-8 students will report directly to their classroom upon arrival (7:30am – 7:50am) if they are not using before-school care.

* Using updated spacing guidance, desks will be spaced throughout the classroom area to maintain at least a 3-foot distance between students.

* Frequent handwashing and sanitizing are key to preventing the spread of Covid as well as other viruses and illnesses. Students will continue to frequently sanitize and wash their hands while at school.

* Ventilation protocol will be followed along with utilizing the customized filtration systems installed last year in each classroom.

* A rotating schedule is being established to allow each full grade (grades 1 through 8) to eat lunch in the cafeteria together at the same time. To allow appropriate distancing and ensure all students eat at a reasonable time, alternate grades will have their lunch in the classroom during that same time. Hot lunch will still be available to students in grades 1 through 8 when they are scheduled to eat in their classroom.

* Saint James School’s maintenance staff and cleaning contractors will thoroughly clean and disinfect all high traffic areas of the school – including bathrooms and stairwell banisters – at least twice a day. Classrooms will be thoroughly cleaned each day after dismissal.

* Afternoon dismissal for K-8 students being picked up at 2:05pm will continue to be held outside in the main school parking lot.  Pre-Kindergarten students will be dismissed from their assigned entryway.

* Extended day students will be placed in assigned cohorts based on their grade.

 

We still do not have clear guidance on mask protocol.  As was the case this past year, our priority will continue to be the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff along with keeping our students moving forward academically, socially, and spiritually inside our school building.

Thank you again for your continued commitment to the Saint James School community and entrusting us with the education of your children as we navigate and meet the challenges of the 2021-2022 school year together.

God’s Blessings,

Bridget Zorger
Principal