19 March Letter from Mr. Kelly
March 19, 2021
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Dear SJS Catholic School Community,
I heard SJS described recently by one of our new families as a “hidden gem.” The gem part I like. The hidden part, not as much. We want the school to grow and prosper. We want to add new disciples every year. So, we need your help in spreading the word. Attached to this week’s Virtual backpack are a few items that may be of some help to you. But, 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. 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. So, your financial support to your parish is vitally important. And of course, continue to pray for our students and staff.
Thank you for your awesome support of our Nest Fest Read-a-Thon. Our total has reached over $16000! A great total, but in a pandemic year, it is amazing! SJS is a special place. Thanks for all you do. The next prize earned through the Nest Fest is a dress down day on the 29th. It has been helpful to have our Book Fair going on during the Read-a-Thon, and the pandemic changes made the Book Fair more of a challenge. A special thanks to Mrs. Vamosi for all her hard work.
Report cards will go home today with the students. Please sign and return the envelopes. These can serve as a good tool for creating goals for the 4th quarter. Perhaps an emphasis needs to be placed on studying. Homework completion on time is an important skill. Maybe focus during class needs to be addressed. If you need help in composing a goal for your student feel free to reach out to our fine SJS teaching staff. And, don’t forget, we want addition and subtraction facts mastered by the end of 2nd grade. And multiplication and division mastered by the end of 4th (mastery meaning the answer can be recalled very quickly).
During the Lenten season the students and staff have been preparing for Easter. There have been Stations of the Cross, Lenten challenges, and Reconciliation services. Enclosed in this week’s Virtual Backpack is an examination of conscience that can help the students prepare for Reconciliation. And today is the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, and it is also the year in the Church of St. Joseph. One of the gifts of our faith is the example the saints provide for us, and the intercession they give as well. Thanks for all you do.
Peace,
William Kelly
Principal
