Summer is a wonderful time to encourage positive reading habits! We were excited to announce in Wednesday’s email that Manchester Public Library is reopening on Monday, June 22nd. They will also be hosting a modified Summer Reading Program this year with Grab & Go Crafts. The first day to log books is June 22nd (information will be posted HERE shortly) and the first day to pick up prizes at the library as June 29th. You can view the informational flyer HERE.
To officially close out the school year, tomorrow Thursday, June 11th, our faculty and staff will line up in front of the school on Park Street from 10:00am– 11:00am (rain or shine) so that families can drive by to wave goodbye. We hope this will give your children some closure on the 2019-2020 school year as they kick start their summer vacation. Feel free to decorate cars and have fun with our “Good-bye to School, Hello to Summer Parade!” We can’t wait to see you!
Please find attached a revised calendar for the upcoming school year. The Archdiocese has opted to host just one diocesan-wide teacher conference next year (typically there are two), so the school calendar has been updated to reflect the following changes:
March 24 – Teacher conference (no school)
June 8 – New last day of school
June 7 – Kindergarten celebration (subject to change if we need to add days to end of school year)
June 3 – Pre-K celebration (subject to change if we need to add days to end of school year)
2020-2021 School Year Calendar (Updated 6-10-20)
The calendar on the SJS website has been updated to reflect these changes.
The Manchester Public Library will reopen to the public on Monday June 22nd, 2020 for grab and go library services. Masks need to be worn by anyone seeking service from either building and all books and items returned are quarantined for 72 hours before being available for the next reader. For more information, visit the Library’s Facebook page or website.
Flag Day is this Sunday, but on Thursday at 6 p.m. the Manchester Elks are having a ceremony at 30 Bissell St. Old flags can be brought in to the Elks for proper disposal.
Today we wanted to share information on Relationship Skills, another one of the 8 critical areas of importance for well-being. As noted in our earlier emails, studies show that developing and nurturing important skills in our children can help them become happy, productive, and successful adults as they appreciate how to think and act in stressful or challenging situations.
The purpose of these activities is to remind children that the skills we all use to build and maintain strong, healthy relationships are learned. We develop them by thinking about how we want others to receive us, and then by actively working to be open, caring, and supportive as we interact with others.
Here is some information about developing Relationship Skills and how to use the “Who’s Great At This?” strategy to promote positive interaction and strong interpersonal skills: Relationship Skills
Keep In Mind: Your relationship with your child has more impact than many other powerful influences they encounter – all of their relationships are measured against their “home base”: you, and the caring community of family and friends that you build around them.
Here are some creative ways to practice and encourage Relationship Skills in your home:
* Build a strong protective circle of adults and youth to whom your child can turn for advice or support by talking to them very directly about the people you value who treat others with kindness, respect, and caring attention.
* Cook with your child: Ask your child to help make their favorite dish by following your directions, one at a time. Make sure to say “please” and “thank you” and acknowledge all of their efforts. This will not only help their learn about the art of listening, but teach their about the importance of being polite to others, especially while working on group projects.
* Complete the Who’s Great At This challenge: Who’s Great at This?
* Read stories together and talk about the relationships and interactions between the characters.
It was nice to see so many families today! Thank you for helping things run so smoothly. A reminder for those coming tomorrow to drop-off/pick-up…
When you arrive at your designated time, please head right inside and note the following:
* All persons in the building must wear a mask. Please enter through the main entrance and sanitize your hands before proceeding to classrooms.
* There will be labeled boxes inside the main hallway after you enter the front door for you to drop off:
* Please do NOT stop in the main office to check in – instead go right to your child’s classroom.
* There will be signs located at the stairwell entrances to guide you where to go.
* If a parent is already in the classroom when you arrive, please wait in the hallway until they are done.
* Please take all items left on your child’s desk and leave all items you are returning on your child’s desk. Students’ artwork and supplies will be included in the bags for you to take off your child’s desk.
* Teachers will be in their classrooms on both dates, but please take care to maintain proper social distancing and limit time to the three minute window.
* Please exit the building using the designated stairwells by the Pre-K parking lot. Signs will be posted in the hallways so people are not coming in and out the same doors.
* For students in the upper grades or families that borrowed Chromebooks for distance learning, please remember to bring the assigned charger back with the Chromebooks. There is a charge for missing or damaged items.
Congratulations to the Saint James School 8th Grade class on the outstanding job they did collaborating and putting together (remotely) their International Day presentations! International Day is an annual project for the 8th Graders, which brings together a wide variety of skills they have learned during their time at SJS, while showcasing their research on an assigned country. The students all turned in a research report to go with their presentation. Today we would like to share the remaining presentations with you:
We look forward to honoring Saint James School’s 94th graduating class this evening as they receive their diplomas and head off to start the next chapter of their academic and spiritual journey uniquely prepared by their shared experiences, strong faith in God, and a passion for helping others. You will do great things Class of 2020! Congratulations!