19 August Letter from Mr. Kelly

Friday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Dear SJS Catholic School Community,

Yes, first week done!  Thanks for all your help in getting us through a successful week one.  It is great to be back with the kids and back to our usual routines.  Having everyone in the cafeteria again is fun.  We truly are blessed at SJS with outstanding teachers and students, and when you put them together, with the resources we have at SJS, great progress can occur.  I look forward to seeing the successes we will have this year.  Thank you for your continued support.

In an email this week we laid out some of our COVID steps for this school year.  Essentially, we want you to keep sick kids home, and if in doubt keep them home as the situation develops.  Also, if it makes your student feel better feel free to wear a mask.  We will continue to encourage hand washing and will continue enhanced cleaning.  One of the best ways to keep your kids from getting sick is to make sure you do what you can to keep everyone at home healthy.  If kids had COVID last school year at SJS it often was due to someone at home being sick, which makes perfect sense.  So, social distancing, masking, and hand cleanliness, are encouraged.  And another consideration is the COVID vaccine that has proven to be an effective tool as well and is encouraged by the Church.

Our weekly virtual backpack is emailed to all families.  This saves the school time, paper, and money.  But if it isn’t read it is simply useless.  Please make the reading of the weekly virtual backpack an important part of your weekly routine.  This is an easy way to know of all that is going on at school. And we likely will need to send you many emails this year to keep you informed of all that is going on.  I apologize if it becomes burdensome, but the info and communication will be vital.  Please make sure the office has the best email on file for your family.  Last year, we had an emergency “wind day” and had to get word out quickly of a school closure.  Having the best email possible was an important part of that situation.

One of the topics I have mentioned to the students is that it’s especially important to start the year off right with appropriate goals.  Are expectations and goals being reached?  What is standing in the way of higher scores?  Has homework and studying been a priority?  Has test preparation been through enough?  One of my favorite parts about being in education is that there are so many opportunities for fresh starts.  Every quarter, week, and day gives us a chance to improve performance.  I hope you spend some time with your student assessing the start of the quarter and setting future goals.

We look forward to seeing you at Curriculum Night next Thursday.  It will begin in the church at 6:30. The night is mandatory for all families.  The evening just makes you more aware of all that is going on and helps you become more familiar with our staff.  I am confident the time spent viewing the teacher presentations and info will be helpful as the year progresses.  Thanks for all you do.

Peace,

William Kelly
Principal