Reminder: School Toolbox

This summer we are once again offering the option for K-8 families to order their child/ren’s school supplies online and have them delivered directly to their home!  In addition, Saint James School receives a percentage of every sale – convenience for you and a great way to support SJS!

Plus, if you already have supplies left over from prior years, you can choose not to include those in your purchase.

Visit the School Toolbox Website (click to access) and type in St. James School Manchester, CT in the search box if prompted.

Please remember all school supplies should be brought to school on August 30th – our classroom visit/meet-the-teacher day.

Here are the K-8 supply lists for Fall 2023:

2023-2024 School Supplies List Grades K-5

2023-2024 School Supplies List Grades 6-8

(These are also posted on our website under the Forms/Docs section for future reference).

Uniform Reminders

Saint James School adheres to a strict Dress Code and Uniform Policy for our K-8 students to maintain an environment where the primary focus is on learning.  All tops and bottoms must be from Land’s End or Dennis Uniform, with the exception of gym shorts/gym pants and gym sweatshirt.  Socks, shoes, and belts may also be purchased form any retailer as long as they conform to the documented requirements.

2023-2024 SJS Uniform Requirements

Summer orders can take at least 3 weeks to receive so please plan on purchasing all needed items within the next week or so if you have not already done so.

*Lands’ End is offering 20% off uniform orders through 8/4 with code: GLOBE and pin: 3766 (plus free shipping on orders of $99+)

*Dennis Uniform is currently offering 15% off with Code: 22ORCZ4X75FS (plus free shipping on orders of $75+)

*If you would like to visit the SJS Uniform Closet prior to ordering, please stop by the SJS main office to borrow the key.

 

Land’s End Website  School Code: 900117540.

Dennis Uniform School Code: WB00SJ

A helpful visual of uniform shoe options can be found HERE.

 

Please keep in mind:

* Gym Day pants must be plain navy sweat pants (for students playing an SJS team sport, corresponding spiritwear pants – purchased through SJS – are acceptable on gym day).  For the warmer weather, shorts must be plain navy and at least a 5-inch inseam.

* Skorts may be NO MORE than TWO inches above the knee.

* Socks must cover the ankle and be plain white on gym day; Navy, black, or khaki socks must be worn with tan pants (white socks may also be worn with tan shorts).

* Hair must not be dyed, highlighted, or bleached.  Boys’ hair must not touch their shirt collar and must not cover their ears or eyebrows (if your student has colored their hair for the summer, it must be dyed back before the first day of school).

* Remember, students will need to be in their formal uniform for class pictures on September 20th (uniform pants for all boys, skorts for all girls, and button down shirt with tie for grade 6-8 boys).

* The following jewelry is allowed: one watch, one ring, one bracelet, one thin chain necklace with or without a cross.
— Smart watches/Fitbits are NOT allowed.
— Girls are allowed one pair of stud earrings worn in the earlobes.

Parents are responsible for ensuring their child comes to school in the appropriate attire each day.  Our full school handbook – outlining all policies and procedures – will be sent out in the weeks ahead.

Staff Updates

Saint James School is pleased to welcome Mrs. Jeannine Thornton as our new front office administrative assistant!  Mrs. Thornton was selected from a large pool of candidates to replace Mrs. Sager, who we previously announced was retiring at the end of June.  Beginning next week, office inquiries should be directed to Mrs. Thornton at jthornton@saintjamesschool.net.

In other staff news, we are saddened to share that Mr. Carter (maintenance) and Ms. Boutot (middle school art teacher) have announced their resignations to pursue other opportunities outside of Saint James School.  Both Mr. Carter and Ms. Boutot shared that they have loved being around the students and staff here at SJS and the decision to leave was not an easy one for either to make. Please join us in wishing both Mr. Carter and Ms. Boutot all the best in their new endeavors.

While saying goodbye to members of the staff is always bittersweet due to the closeness of our community, we are very excited to share that Mrs. Rafferty will be taking over the middle school art curriculum, teaching art to all K-8 students here at SJS!

Calendar Change

Please note that October 27th has been changed to a 12:05pm dismissal day due to a professional development afternoon.  An updated calendar is available below for your convenience.

2023.24 calendar (rev 6-23)

Due Tomorrow: Parish Affiliation Forms

As a reminder, Parish Affiliation forms for the 2023-2024 School Year are due back by Friday, July 30th.  *A new parish affiliation form must be obtained each year in order to receive the parish rate.*

If you are unsure if you have submitted a form for this year, please check your FACTS account as it will show if the discount has been applied.  Any questions regarding this should be emailed to Mrs. Mayo at dmayo@saintjamesschool.net.

2023-2024 Parish Affiliation Form

Lands’ End Rep at SJS

Our Lands’ End representative will be available in the SJS gymnasium on July 6th from 10:00am – 12:00pm if you need assistance with uniform items and sizing.

Lands’ End is offering 20% off uniforms plus One Cent logos (a savings of $5.94 per monogrammed item!) from 6/30 – 7/7 with code: GLOBE and pin: 3766

Holiday Hours Next Week

The Saint James School Main Office will be closed on Monday, July 3rd and Tuesday, July 4th in observance of the 4th of July Holiday.

Although the main office is not open on Monday, please note that the SJS summer camp IS in session on Monday (7/3).  Summer Camp is closed on Tuesday (7/4) and will resume on Wednesday (7/5).

Tickets Still Available! Faith & Family Day at the Yard Goats

Saint James and Saint Bridget Schools will participate in Faith & Family Day at the Yard Goats on September 9th.  In addition to a pre-game Mass and post-game fireworks – rising SJS 5th grader Rylie Pennington will be singing America the Beautiful.

There are still tickets available if you wish to attend (postal mail to Saint Bridget School or submit to the SJS Main office and we will send them over).  Please note, checks should be made out to St. Bridget School as Mrs. Nadaskay’s office is coordinating this for our combined parish community.

Faith & Family Day Yard Goats Game – Saturday, September 9th

CT Summer at the Museum Returns

Governor Ned Lamont today announced that Connecticut Summer at the Museum – the popular state program that enables Connecticut children to receive free admission at dozens of museums across the state during the summer months – is returning for 2023 with more than 120 museums statewide participating.

Under the program, Connecticut children ages 18 and under – plus one accompanying adult – can receive free admission to any of the participating museums, including historic house museums, historic sites, historical societies, art museums, children’s museums, science centers, special-interest museums, natural history museums, university museums, arboretums/botanical gardens, and zoos.

The 2023 program begins on Saturday, July 1, 2023, and concludes on Monday, September 4, 2023. The full list of participating museums is available at www.ctvisit.com/articles/connecticut-summer-museum-2023-free-admission-kids.

 

Reminder: Annual Fund Campaign

A huge thank you to all the SJS families and friends who have supported our 2023 Annual Fund Campaign thus far!  To track our progress or make an online donation, please visit please visit saintjamesschool.net/annualfund.

Donations to our Annual Fund Campaign have been instrumental in supporting important projects at our school that simply cannot be covered by tuition/standard fundraising.  Annual Fund dollars, along with several generous bequests and grants, have helped us keep our school facilities in great condition with new windows, roofs and recently provided the funding for our new STREAM Innovation Lab.

This year, Annual Fund donations will once again be used to further enrich the faith-filled educational experience provided to our students, support our talented faculty, and respond to unforeseen needs and opportunities that may arise.  Every gift makes a difference!

We gratefully thank you for your consideration of supporting this important initiative at our school.