Last Night’s State of the School

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A huge thank you to all the parents who came out last night for the 2013-2014 State of the School Address.  We feel it is extremely important for our parents to know how their school is performing in key areas and hope everyone who attended walked away with a clear picture of this – from both our perspective and that of Mr. Hartling, Principal of East Catholic.

A quick recap, for those parents who were not able to attend:  Amy Guenther, Director of Advancement, showed our (outstanding) IOWA scores from 2013 as well as showing how each class has performed year over year on the test.  The presentation also discussed enhancements to our Science and Math programs and the large influx/strong performance of our instrumental music students.

The presentation touched on the windows project as well as showing our fundraising and other means of income.  In this discussion, we showcased the average cost of educating a student at SJS for the past 3 years compared with the tuition numbers.

We discussed our enrollment this year (and showed enrollment trends for  the past 10 years) and the importance of everyone’s support in helping us get the word out about our school.

We discussed the school’s upcoming re-accreditation – set for October 2015, what that means, and the numerous elements involved.  We concluded with other initiatives that the school is working on and several enhancements you will see this year.

For the second half hour Jason Hartling, Principal of East Catholic, spoke about his observations regarding what is going on in education today.  Lending nicely to the discussion, Mr. Hartling talked about his varied background as a teacher, principal at a public school, his many years working with the magnet school programs in Baltimore, and his perceptions from this experience.  He very clearly articulated the academic strengths and moral/Catholic values he sees in SJS students that matriculate to East – including the overall foundation Saint James is giving students: a foundation that sets the tone for success in High School, College, and beyond.  He finished by taking questions from the parents in attendance.

If you were unable to attend last night and would like to view a recorded version, please contact Amy Guenther at aguenther@saintjamesschool.net and she will work on scheduling a time with you.

Letter from the School Nurse

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Attention parents, please note that our school nurse is sending home a letter today to all parents.  The letter will come home in the take-home folder of your youngest (or only) child.

Yankee Candle Fundraiser

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Based on positive feedback from our Spring Yankee Candle fundraiser, we are sending home with your child the Yankee Candle Fall/Holiday catalog.  Some students will bring them home today, others will receive them to bring home on Tuesday.

Orders can be placed until 10/25/2013 (note extension from the date in the packet) so that we can ensure delivery to you before our Thanksgiving break.

You will see that there are some great hostess gift ideas for those of you who are traveling for the Holidays as well as some wonderful Christmas gift ideas.

This year, Yankee Candle has also provided  a website so that out of town friends and relatives who would like to support the school can also participate in this fundraiser.

As always, participation in our fundraisers is voluntary.   If you can find something you can use or get some of your holiday shopping done, we certainly appreciate your support.

Any questions can be directed to Ailsa Christina at t4bearkwi@yahoo.com or Mary Ann Creamer at ma1283@att.com.

Note From the Principal

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Please be advised that police stopped and questioned a motorist in the vicinity of Saint James School a short while ago.  The 4th and 5th graders were outside at recess at the time and teachers escorted them back into the building when they noticed the police activity.  Please be assured that this was not a serious incident and at no time were the students in danger.  We did, however, wish to make you aware that it occurred and commend the teachers on their actions.  As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to Mrs. Kanute.

 

Reminder: HSA Meeting Tonight 6:30pm Pre-K

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Please join us for our October Home & School Association Meeting tonight at 6:30pm in the Pre-Kindergarten building.  We will be discussing & planning the upcoming social and fundraising events for the school.  All SJS Parents are welcome!

Family Information Update Sheet

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Please note that today or tomorrow your child(ren) will be bringing home a family contact/information sheet detailing your contact information as per our records.  Please take a moment to look over the contact information, make any corrections, and return it to the school office.  We thank you for your time and patience as we work to get our records up to date.

South Windsor Carpool

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One of our South Windsor families is looking for another South Windsor family to carpool with.  If you live in South Windsor and are interested in possibly developing a school carpool schedule with another local family, please contact Mrs. DelSignore in the main office at 860.643.5088 for more information.

Saint James Church Pick-Up Reminders

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A reminder for parents who are picking up students in the Saint James Church parking lot at the end of the day:

As always, the safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority.  Therefore, we ask that all parents exit their cars and meet their child(ren) at the entrance to the parking lot so we can see who is going with whom.

In addition, no cars are to move from their parking spots until ALL children and parents are safely in their cars.  A teacher will signal when it is appropriate to do so.

When it is time to exit the lot, remember to be courteous and respectful to your fellow SJS parents.

Your support of – and adherence to – these simple policies will ensure everyone goes home safe and happy.

We thank you for your support in this important matter.

 

 

 

Every Vote For SJS Helps Earn Money For Our School!

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Please take a moment to vote for Saint James School in Target’s Give With Target promotion and ask your family and friends to do the same! For every 25 votes, Target will send our school a $25 check that Mrs. Kanute can use for classroom supplies, etc.

Click Here To Vote! or visit http://givewith.target.com/

You can vote once a week until the contest ends! We are grateful for your support!

Give With Target 2013

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This back-to-school season, Target is again giving away $5 Million dollars to schools across the country.  With your support, Saint James School can benefit from their generosity.  All you need to do is be on Facebook and vote for our school through the Target page once a week (plus get your friends and family to do so too!).  For every 25 likes our school gets through Target’s page, Target will donate $25 to our school!

You can vote once a week for the duration of the contest – which runs August 14th – September 21st (or until the $5 Million is given away).

We will send an e-mail next week with the contest link (as well as posting it on our Facebook page), so please keep an eye out.  As always, Saint James School is grateful for your support!!  A special thank you to Mrs. D for the heads up on this contest!