17 February Letter from Mr. Kelly

Friday of Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Dear SJS Catholic School Community,

The recent snowy weather reminds us of the importance of wearing the appropriate winter attire and accessories.  We want to send the kids outside as much as is reasonable and appropriate, so please send your student in coats with mittens and hats when necessary.  Also, the students are not allowed into school until 7:40, so if they are dropped off earlier it means they are out waiting in the cold.  Just a reminder that all snow closures are called by the Catholic Schools Central Office, not SJS.

I have heard SJS described as a “hidden gem.”  The gem part I really like.  The hidden part, not so much.  We want the school to grow and thrive.  We want to add new disciples.  So, we need your help in spreading the word.  A personal recommendation by a current parent is a very powerful tool for recruiting new families.  There are some simple things that you can do to help.  One is to spread the word about our school to the families that would be a good fit.  Secondly, put up or provide literature about our school in your workplace (contact the school office for materials).  Thirdly, continue to support SJS School financially through tuition, but also please support the parish through the use of Sunday envelopes.  The tuition charged to a SJS family covers about half the cost to educate a child at SJS—the remaining funds come from the parishes.  And of course, continue to pray for our students and staff.

We are now nearing the 4th quarter, and this gives us the chance to think about progress being made in Math. As you know, at SJS we also have an expectation that the addition and subtraction facts will be mastered by the end of 2nd grade, and multiplication and division mastered by the end of 4th grade. Mastery means the ability to recall the answer very quickly. If your student does not reach that expectation yet, we will continue to work with them, but your help will be needed, practice goes a long way.

Thanks to everyone who attended our Preschool and Kindergarten Roundup today.  I always enjoy that event as it serves as a great reminder of all the special things going on at SJS.  We like to have the event on a school day so we can show off the best aspect of our school, the students!  When you combine our students with the outstanding teachers we have, we can make some great progress.  Thanks for all you do for our school. If you were unable to attend, or know someone who might be interested, just contact the office.

Peace,
William Kelly
Principal