As a reminder, we will be dismissing all students at 11:00am tomorrow – (Wednesday, 11/23) and the school will be closed for Thanksgiving Recess on Thursday and Friday.
Please note, aftercare will be in session tomorrow beginning at 11:00am and running as usual. Students going to aftercare will need a lunch from home.
Also, due to the earlier dismissal time, we should have all of our buses tomorrow (not a typical Wednesday bus schedule).
Saint James School 7th & 8th grade students are required to fulfill service hour requirements each trimester so we are always on the lookout for local opportunities for them to participate in. If you are aware of organizations looking for student volunteers within our community, please reach out to Mrs. Gordon at jgordon@saintjamesschool.net. Thank you!
All three bands will meet for practice on Tuesday November 22nd.
For the evening Christmas Concert on December 14th, please note band students should arrive at the school cafeteria between 6:00pm-6:15pm. Evening concert attire for band students is a white dress shirt and black dress pants (or black skirt for girls – skirts must be knee length or longer). Red bow ties and cummerbunds will be provided for the students to wear when they arrive. Any alumni and parents who play wind instruments are welcome to sit in with the advanced band. Please contact Mr. Corcoran if you wish to perform.
4th Grade Boys Basketball practice will take place tomorrow (Saturday) from 9:00am – 10:00am, 5th Grade Boys from 10:00am – 11:00am.
We still need a third coach for our boys 4th & 5th league – Please reach out to Mr. Green if you could possibly help.
We all know what a family tree is, and the Jesse Tree is a symbol that helps us trace the ancestry of Jesus. For each of the first twenty five days of December, we choose a Scriptural passage highlighting one of the major events or figures of the Old Testament. The family comes together to read the passage, say a brief prayer, and hang an ornament on the Jesse tree to remind us of this passage.
Saint James School’s Catholic Identity Committee will be assembling Jesse Tree kits for our SJS families to participate in at home.
Each kit will include:
-list of readings
-daily prayer
-materials to make ornaments
-suggestions for symbols
*You will need a Bible, “tree”, scissors, and coloring supplies
If your family would like a kit please sign up using THIS LINK by Monday, November 21, 2022.
Kits will be distributed the week after Thanksgiving.
We are finalizing plans for the SJS Ski & Snowboard Club and would like to see who would participate before we move forward with booking buses (the cost of the buses has gone up again this year). Ski & Snowboard Club is for students in grades 3 – 8 (students in grades 3 & 4 MUST have a parent or guardian present at all of the sessions in order to participate – they do not have to ski).
Before we move forward with booking the buses, etc. we need to know what the interest level is this year. Please fill out this form if your student(s) will participate and if you or a member of your family will be attending as well: https://forms.gle/EWLpHqAZhLDWTdrJ6
Some things to keep in mind:
* Dates would be 1/13, 1/27, and 2/10 and 2/24.
* Ticket/rental/lesson costs will be as follows: Lift Ticket Only $140 (4 visits x $35); Lift Ticket with Lesson – $192 (4 visits x $48); Lift Ticket with Rental Equipment – $212 (4 visits x $53); Lift Ticket with Lesson & Rental Equipment – $252 (4 visits x $63). Lessons are 1 hour.
* There will be an additional cost for the bus – depending on how many families wish to participate and how many buses we need will determine this cost. We anticipate approximately $160 total per participant ($40 per person x 4 trips) but need to understand how many families are interested to provide an accurate number.
* You must commit to all four dates (if a date is missed a lift ticket will be given to use at a future date, but no reimbursement for bus). Please note there could be conflicts with basketball as we do not have game dates yet.
* The bus will depart from Saint James School at 2:00pm and will return to SJS at approximately 8:45pm.
Thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Joyner for spearheading this again for our school! We are excited to get SJS back on the slopes for another season!
Saint James School is currently running the following optional fundraisers that may be of interest to your family:
CHRISTMAS PIES (Orders Due by this Monday)
The Saint James School HSA invites families to participate in our exciting pie fundraiser featuring Grandma’s Gourmet Country Pies. With delivery just in time for Christmas, the delicious assortment of pies includes Apple Crumb, Blueberry, Strawberry Rhubarb, Coconut Custard, Pumpkin, Chocolate Cream, Boston Cream, Brownie Supreme, Banana Cream, and Cheesecake Pie. All Pies are large 10” pies.
The pie brochure and an informational flyer were sent home with students the first week of November.
FRESH BALSAM WREATHS (Orders Due by this Monday)
Decorate your home for Christmas with fresh Balsam wreaths from the Gozzi Family Farm and support SJS at the same time! Wreaths are 22″ in diameter and include a red bow. Orders are due back by Monday, November 21st. Wreaths will be available for pick up at the school on THURSDAY, December 1st.
All orders should be placed online HERE: https://www.cognitoforms.com/GozziTreeWreathFarm/SaintJamesSchoolHolidayBalsamWreathSale2022
Thank you to everyone who has brought in items for MACC! Tomorrow is the last day to donate as they will be picking up the food items in the morning.
Pre-Kindergarten: Stuffing
Kindergarten: Instant Potatoes
Grade 1: Cornbread, Bread Mix
Grade 2: Canned Vegetables
Grade 3: Pasta
Grade 4: Desserts (Puddings, Cookies, etc.)
Grade 5: Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate
Grade 6: Juice & Water (Gallon/Large Bottles)
Grade 7: Cranberry Sauce or Pasta Sauce
Grade 8: Gravy, Pickles, Olives
We are keeping our spirit store open one last day. No orders will be accepted after midnight tonight.
Show your school spirit with SJS Basketball, Cheer, and/or general Spiritwear. Navy Hoodies and Pants may be worn to school on Gym Days (with the gray uniform gym t-shirt). Please choose pick-up (will come up as SJS) to avoid any shipping charges.
Christmas Store
Saint James School will be hosting our annual Christmas Store on Monday, December 12 for students to shop for fun gifts for family members. We will need a lot of hands on deck to help our younger students shop and to work at the checkout at all times. We are also looking for some help with setup and cleanup. If you are able to help, please sign up using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B48A9AF2DAAF85-christmas
School Dance
SJS will be hosting a “dressy” dance for Saint James and Saint Bridget 7th and 8th grade students on Friday December 16th from 7:00pm-9:30pm. We are in need volunteers for the decorating/set-up and to help organize and chaperone the dance. The dance will be held in the SJS gymnasium. If you are able to help out, please contact Sean & Patricia McCarthy via call/text at 860-614-6870. Permissions slips and additional details will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. Thank you for helping us make this event fun for our students!