9 December Letter from Mr. Kelly

Friday of the Second Week of Advent

Dear SJS Catholic School Community,

I hope you saw our recent email about the success of SOAR 2022.  It was a record-breaking year!  Thank you to all who supported the event in some manner.  One of my favorite parts of SOAR is that so many folks do what they can to help the school.  There is a recognition that SJS is a special place, and an appreciation of the work we do.  And the event shows that parents truly support our school.  So, thank you again for all you do for SJS.  And a special thanks to Mrs. Howard who coordinates all the countless details for the event.  Without her efforts SOAR would not be the fun and successful event that it is.

Sometimes it can be difficult to know when to allow your student to stumble and learn from a situation, and when to step in.  It is always helpful I think to look for patterns of behavior.  If your child is too rushed completing homework, or you begin to wonder if you are receiving all school communications, or even if you notice behavioral changes in your child that concern you, it is probably time to get in touch with your child’s teacher.  It is wise to contact the teacher before the problem becomes too big.  Sometimes a small adjustment can be enough to put your student on the right track.

Friday the 16th is an optional out of uniform day.  We want to help the needy in our neighborhood, so a canned good will be your ticket for this out of uniform day.  All will then be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul to help those in need in our community.  This also provides us another chance to put our faith into action, and Be Jesus for others (which is a school theme this year).  And then Tuesday the 20th is our annual “Red/Green Day” in which students can be out of uniform if wearing something red/green/Christmas themed.  It’s always wise to check the Sycamore calendar for all that is going on at school.  Christmas break does also provide you an opportunity to look at school uniforms and the hair requirements and make sure all is in order.  Thanks for all you do.

When school begins again in January we will be in the second semester.  And each semester gives us a chance to look at goals and make some changes for greater success.  Now is a good time to decide the changes that are necessary for future success.  We still believe homework is of value at SJS, and I recently read an article that made some simple suggestions for helping with homework.  It was suggested to have a regularly scheduled time for completing the work.  Also suggested was a consistent workspace with all needed supplies, yet free of distractions (no tv, phone, or video games).  And parental interest in homework, and communication with staff, cannot be emphasized enough.

Peace,

William Kelly
Principal