In today’s chaotic word it is so important that we – as adults – remain steadfast in our faith and help our children also come to know how impactful a relationship with Jesus can be.  While SJS students get to practice and grow in faith each day, sometimes we – as adults – let life get in the way of our spiritual journey.

Our parish has been offering the ChristLife program for several years, and it consistently receives excellent feedback from the adults who participate, no matter where they are in life.  The commitment is minimal, but the impact on you – and as a role model for your children – can be huge.

If you would like to learn more, please view THIS FLYER (<— click link) or stop by the ChristLife table after Mass on September 14th and 15th OR at the Parish Picnic on September 22nd.

*Please remember ALL students in grades K – 2 must have a parent at the bus stop to greet them in the afternoon in order for the driver to let them off.  If the parent is not there, the student will be brought back to SJS and will be sent to aftercare until the parent can come retrieve them (aftercare charges will apply).  The town does reserve the right to suspend bus privileges for repeat issues (since drivers have other routes they need to get to after dropping our students off) so please just be conscious of the time if you are working from home.  A few reminder notes:

*Bus Stop times sent to families before the start of school are approximate.  Please allow for 10 minutes on either side of the times listed.

*To install the school bus tracking app from First Student, follow this link: https://www.firstviewapp.com/ (returning families, please note the new code this year – JDK6)

*We anticipate a combined bus schedule again on Wednesday afternoons starting in October.  That information will be forthcoming when we receive it.

Today we conducted our first fire drill of the new school year.  Following our established protocol, which had already been reviewed with students as part of our back-to-school routine, we are pleased to share that all classrooms were evacuated to their designated locations within a matter of minutes.  Additionally, our protocol of utilizing color-coded signs and the classroom walkie-talkies allowed us to quickly determine that all Saint James School students and staff had safely exited the building.

The safety and well-being of every student entrusted to our care is at the forefront of everything we do here at SJS.  We wanted to bring today’s drill to your attention should you wish to discuss it with your student(s) and perhaps also take this opportunity to remind your children of evacuation plans within your own household.  We will practice fire drills occasionally throughout the year.

If there was a true emergency at Saint James School, our new emergency response notification system would be utilized to reach out to parents and guardians.

If your student (K-8) is buying hot lunch at school, please be sure you are funding their lunch account.  You can do this through the EZSchoolPay App or by sending in cash or a check (checks for hot lunch must be made out to Manchester Public Schools).  Please be sure any envelopes sent with money are labeled with your child’s name.