Alert System Test
This afternoon we sent a text and an email to test out our new Emergency Alert System. If you did not get these alerts and feel you should receive them, please let us know.
SJS Monthly Events Calendar
Below is the link to our full Monthly Events Calendar for the 2024-2025 School Year. Please note dates are subject to change based on weather, scheduling conflicts, etc. We will inform you of any changes via our school emails and Saber Stories Newsletter.
This document will not be posted on our website due to the nature of the information, but a rolling calendar of events can be viewed by logging in to our SJS app. It will also be posted at the bottom of our SJS email blasts under the “In Case You Missed It” section.
Reminder: Meet the Teacher Visits This Wednesday
We look forward to seeing our families this Wednesday, August 30th between the hours of 8:30am – 11:30am for the supply drop-off/drop-in classroom visits. Kindergarten – Grade 8 families will enter through the main school entrance for this visit; Pre-K families may go right to the Pre-K building unless you need to see the school nurse.
When you come, please bring with you:
1) All required school supplies
2) Signed Technology Agreement (Gr. K-8)
3) Signed Chromebook Care and Insurance Form (Gr. 3-8)
4) Signed Handbook Form: Grades K-8 Handbook OR Pre-Kindergarten Handbook
5) Signed Extended Day Policy Book signature page (only if registered for the Extended Day program).
6) Completed Summer Assignments, Grades 1 – 8 (OR student may bring on the 1st day of school).
7) Medication to Drop off At Nurse, Medication to be left at Aftercare Program, & Remaining Health Paperwork
K-8 students do NOT need to be in their uniforms for these visits.
Parking: Morning Drop-off & Afternoon Pick-Up
We are excited for a great year!! Please help us get off to a smooth start by reviewing our drop-and-go protocol (for K-8) and acceptable parking options for families. Please be sure to share this information with anyone who drops off or picks up your children. K-8 students must be in the building by 7:50am. Pre-K arrival is 8:00am.
Morning drop-off for K-8 (7:30am-7:50am) and afternoon pick-up (2:00pm) always creates very heavy traffic flow around the school area. We need every parent to please pay attention to our school protocol for drop-off and parking:
There is NO parking against the curb in front of the main school from 7:30am – 7:50am – this area is used for morning K – 8 quick Drop-and-Go only (parents should not be getting out of the car with their child – this is only for quick drop-off and go only). This area is also off limits for cars at afternoon dismissal.
If you would like to walk up to the school with your child, or your child needs a few extra minutes to collect their things before getting out of the car, please park in the acceptable parking areas around the school. The Saint James Church Parking Lot is always available for you to park and walk up (there is a crossing guard to help you safely cross to the school). You may also park on Otis Street (one side only), Park Street past the Pre-K building (both sides), St. James Street (one side only), and this year we are opening the large parking lot (the one with the basketball hoops) for AM parking only.
The Map Below shows our Drop-and-Go areas for morning drop-off (in front of the school) and areas that are available to park in the morning and afternoons. There is no parking in the red areas or blue areas (click image to enlarge).
Important notes:
* Pay attention to all NO PARKING signs and cones around the school – these areas are off limits for a reason.
* We enjoy a great relationship with our neighbors, please do not block their driveways with your vehicle under any circumstances.
* Please do not allow your child to cross the road anywhere other than the crosswalks (even if you are with them) and please ensure children are only getting out of your car towards the sidewalk (so they are not opening doors and hopping out into traffic).
* Please do not park in front of the K-8 school building or where the buses park (Church St.) at dismissal time.
* Please do not pull into or park in the school’s parking lots or the driveway behind the blue house on Park St. (these are for staff only). This year we are going to open the large parking lot (the one with the basketball hoops) for AM parking only. You will NOT be able to pull in here at dismissal as this is where students and parents stand.
* Only very slow, cautious turns onto Otis Street, please.
There are numerous children, parents, and staff members walking up to the school in the mornings. Please drive SLOW and watch your surroundings very carefully at all times!
Please be sure to share this information with anyone who drops off or picks up your children. We want to ensure everyone has a safe start to their school day every day.
Thank you!
School Offices Closed Monday
All Saint James School Offices will be closed this coming Monday, August 26th, as the faculty and staff will be offsite for meetings.
Class Assignments
Teacher assignments for students in grades K-8 were sent out yesterday via email. If you did not receive one for your student(s), please email Amy Guenther at aguenther@saintjamesschool.net. Please be sure to review and print the forms that were included with that email to bring next Wednesday for the Meet The Teachers/Open House event.
SJS K-8 Handbook – Important Highlights
The Saint James School Parent/Student Handbook outlines the policies, procedures, and expectations for our school community. Please review in full the document below (click link to open), print out the signature page, and bring the signed document to your child’s homeroom teacher on Wednesday, August 28th.
Here are some important items from the handbook to keep in mind as you get your student(s) ready to return to school.
* Tan Pants, Tan Shorts, Uniform Skorts and uniform shirts must be purchased from Lands’ End or Dennis Uniform Company. Other brands are not permitted.
* No logos on socks – socks must be plain white (or plain navy, tan, black).
* Hair must be the student’s natural color. If it has been colored or highlighted over the summer, it must be back to their natural color by the 1st day of school. Boys’ hair must not touch their shirt collar and must not cover their ears or eyebrows.
* Smart Watches and Fitbits are not permitted at Saint James School.
* If your student is going to be absent on any given day, please call the school by 8:00am and provide a reason for their absence. If you do not provide a reason, it will be recorded as an unexcused absence.
* Cell phones are not permitted to be used at school. If your student must have a phone with them on our campus, it must be turned completely off and in their backpack at all times.
* If your family chooses to take a vacation outside of the scheduled school vacation times, teachers are not responsible for gathering work ahead of time. It is the family’s responsibility to make sure all missed assignments are made up within 3 DAYS of returning to school.
Pre-K Handbook
Pre-K families are asked to review the Pre-K program handbook. Any questions may be directed to the program’s director, Mrs. Carpenter, at lcarpenter@saintjamesschool.net. Please sign the last page of this handbook and bring it next Wednesday for the supply drop-off/meet the teachers event.
New! Rapid Alert System
We are excited to inform you that our school has a new rapid alert system to improve communication with our families. It’s called Parent Alert, and it will allow us to send out communications via Text, Email, and Voice Messages for all types of events. These alerts can be used for many reasons but will also provide us a fast efficient way to communicate with our families in case of an emergency.
A Sample Text Alert may look like:
SBSJ-CT This is a Parent Alert from St James School. To ensure you are able to receive our alerts please text the word START to 317065 from your mobile device. Any text alerts from our school will begin with SBSJ-CT, and calls will show from 860-643-5088. Text STOP to end.
We will test this new Parent Alert service on Monday, August 26th around 3:00pm.
Please note that email alerts sent via this system will show noreply@pikmykid.com as the “from” email address. Please be assured that this is from the school and is not spam. Please don’t unsubscribe, as that would cause you to miss future email alerts sent using this method.
Note: Per Telephone Consumer Protection Act we must provide all recipients the option to Opt Out of receiving our alerts. Anytime we send out a text alert you will see “Stop to End”. If you reply “Stop” you will no longer receive our text alerts regardless if we select you as a recipient.
Extended Day Program Handbook
For families who will be using our Extended Day Program, please review the handbook below. There is a signature page at the back that must be given to the program director by 8/29 (feel free to bring it on 8/28). This document has also been posted on our Forms/Docs webpage for future reference.
