Cross Country Uniform Return
Coach O’Neill would like to remind runners that uniforms must be returned to the office by the end of next week. There will be a charge for failure to return uniform items.
Varsity Gold Practice Correction
There was a typo on the Varsity Gold letter that was sent home yesterday concerning practice time. Varsity Gold will have its first practice tonight – Tuesday. Players will start in the gym for a team meeting at 6:00pm followed by practice from 6:45pm to 8:30pm in the gym.
AmazonSmile
Make your shopping dollars go further with AmazonSmile! You shop and AmazonSmile gives to Saint James School! SAME PRODUCTS, SAME PRICES, SAME SERVICE as the traditional Amazon.com experience, but with an extra bonus–you can earn money for our school!
HERE’S HOW EASY IT IS:
1. Click “Get Started” in the banner above or go to http://smile.amazon.com/ch/06-0653122
2. Make sure that “St. James School” is designated as the charity of your choice. (You only have to do this step once; your designation will be saved for future purchases). If you receive the “Pick Your Charity” box, search for our school by typing in “St. James School Manchester”.
3. Purchase products with the “Eligible for Amazon Smile donation” designation. 0.5% of all qualifying purchases will be donated to Saint James School!
WHAT IS AMAZONSMILE?
The AmazonSmile Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation created by Amazon to run the AmazonSmile Program. AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com, with the added bonus of earning proceeds for charity. AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charity selected by its customers.
Thank you for supporting Saint James School!
Yankee Candle Fundraiser Now Due
Please note that Yankee Candle Fundraising orders are now due. Please be sure to turn them into the school office by Wednesday, 11/5, at the latest. As always, we thank you for your support of Saint James School!
Reminder: 2014 State of the School Address Tonight
Please join us tonight (Wednesday, October 22nd) at 6:30pm in the gym as Saint James School presents our 2014 State of the School Address. During this informational meeting we will be discussing our school’s performance in critical areas such as enrollment and standardized testing as well as upcoming major initiatives and more. In addition, Valerie Mara, Assistant Superintendent of Academics for the Office of Catholic Schools, will join us to discuss academic standards within the archdiocese and why we chose not to adopt the Common Core. We look forward to seeing you there!
Halloween Party RSVPs due Friday
Please remember to RSVP for the Saint James School Halloween Party by this Friday. A copy of the form can be downloaded here if needed.
Notice For Parents Regarding Afternoon Pickup
The following notice regarding afternoon pick-up has been sent home with all students. Please be sure to read it in detail if you pick your child up at 2:00pm. Thank you.
Dear Saint James School Parent,
It has been brought to our attention that dismissal of the “walkers” to the Saint James Church and Municipal Parking Lot is very chaotic and unsafe. This situation creates a problem of safety for our teachers and children. With this said, a solution needs to be developed and implemented.
The teachers and children walk down to the parking lot in a line, cross at the crossing guard, and enter the parking lot to be taken by their parents. Many parents, waiting for their children, are standing on the sidewalk, on the neighbor’s lawn, near the fence on the lawn, parking and standing on the street, and parking in Saint Mary’s Church parking lot. Some of the parents, parked on St. James Street, have taken their children out of the line before it reaches the parking lot. All of these scenarios are causing a very unsafe condition for your children!
Beginning on Tuesday, October 14, we will follow a safer and more controlled dismissal procedure:
- All parents/guardians need to park in the Saint James Church-Municipal Parking lot to pick up your children.
- Parents/guardians need to wait near your car or in the entrance of the parking lot for your child(ren). This is the only “pick-up spot” for all the children.
- Please no standing on the lawn, near the fence, on the sidewalk, or in the street near your parked car.
- Please no parking in Saint Mary’s Church parking lot and walking your child across the street. Their lot is owned by the church and is not a public parking place.
- Please do not take your child out of the line, as it passes St. James Street.
- If a parent is late and cannot get into the parking lot, please drive up to the school and wait for your child to be brought back to school with the staff.
- Please consider, if you are a Manchester resident, to let your child(ren) ride the bus home each day.
There are approximately 125-150 children, each day, that walk to the parking lot and are picked up by parents/guardians. We need to keep your children safe at all times. We need all parents/guardians to follow this new dismissal procedure.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter!
Sincerely,
The Administration and Staff of Saint James School
Afternoon Pick-up Parking Reminder
Mrs. Kanute would like to remind parents about observing the posted no-parking signs when picking up students from the Pre-Kindergarten in the afternoon. Specifically, there is a No Parking sign from the corner of Otis Street to just before the first driveway on Otis. There is also a No Parking sign across from the school on Park Street. Parking in these areas blocks the cross-walk area and makes it difficult for other drivers. Thank you for helping us to keep everyone safe.
Letter Regarding FACTS Tuition Accounts
Please take a moment to review the attached letter (click link below) from Denise Mayo, the FACTS Tuition Manager for our school. Thank you.
Survey Thank You From Mrs. Kanute
Dear Parents, Guardians, & Students,
As the school year draws to a close, I wanted to again thank all the SJS families that participated in our school-wide survey a couple of months ago. Your feedback is very important to us and we know that Saint James will continue to thrive with a solid collaborative effort between our families and the school.
The members of our accreditation steering committee, Father Cavanaugh, and I have spent a lot of time reviewing the survey responses in detail as well as reading each and every comment. The steering committee also reviewed the feedback on a broader level with the teachers, staff, and school board – all of whom are actively engaged in the upcoming re-accreditation process.
As we reviewed the comments, there were several common “themes” that stood out to us. Some of these items are now being addressed while others are more appropriate for long-range planning by the school board. Presently, for example, we are working to secure funding to replace the breezeway roof this summer and we will be adding iPad technology in the upper grades (5th – 8th as a first phase) during the next school year. Additionally, there were several comments about adding to our after-school activity offerings and I am looking for parents, grandparents, or others who may be interested in spearheading those efforts. Suggestions included (but are not limited to) an art club, elementary-level running club, and choral group. These items are just a few of the many items parents, guardians, and students commented on. There are several others items that we will be continuing to brainstorm and work on over the summer.
As a reminder, our re-accreditation visiting team will be at Saint James School in October of 2015. Over the course of the summer and next school year the administration, faculty, and staff will be working very hard to put together all the required documentation; Your feedback is – and will continue to be – an essential part of our re-accreditation process.
Thank you again for your time and your commitment to making Saint James School the very best place for our students to grow and learn.
Sincerely,
Patricia A. Kanute
Principal
