8 April Letter from Mr. Kelly
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Dear SJS Catholic School Community,
It is now the middle of the 4th quarter! How exciting to make such progress. Our goal as a school is to cover as much information as possible, to help the students gain as many academic skills as they can. So, it can be helpful for parents to stay on top of the homework and test preparation this final quarter. Please make school and the successful completion to the academic year a priority. We also want our students to be able to perform advanced mathematics. So, mastery of the basic facts is vital. 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. Please do what you can to get the facts mastered so we can make advanced mathematics a reality.
We hope your Lenten journey is one of spiritual renewal. At school, the Church seasons and the opportunities they provide are truly a blessing. The teachers have enjoyed this Lenten season as a way to remind students of their Catholic obligations and history, and what Jesus has done for us all. This encounter with Jesus brings new hope and an invitation to repent. At school we recently have reviewed the Corporal Works of Mercy, and the Seven Deadly Sins. Feel free to make these topics a part of your conversations at home. We also have renewed our focus to being good to each other with our SJS Pledge for Catholic Kindness. Each student signed a pledge as a way to engage in and review our Catholic expectations. We want our students to use appropriate language and have Catholic interactions at all times, and overall our kids do very well. But, much of this sort of thing is learned by watching. Young people are always observing adults and seeing the example they put forth. We know this well as teachers. And, that can be a heavy burden to bear, but I think it’s worth remembering as you interact with others and illustrate to your kids how you feel others should be treated.
Be on the lookout for Nest Fest information coming your way regarding our upcoming Home and School fundraiser. Thanks to Raye Nord and the Nest Fest Committee for all their hard work in preparation. The Home and School does much to support the school and students and this event is a fun way to lend your support.
Easter break begins on Thursday. Thanks for all you do.
Peace,
William Kelly
Principal
