August 30th Letter from Mr. Kelly
Dear SJS Catholic School Community,
Thank you to all the parents who attended our Curriculum Night yesterday. It was great to have such a fine turnout. There was a sense of excitement in the meeting about the start of a new school year. I know the time spent listening to the teacher presentations will be helpful as the year progresses. If you did not make it I strongly encourage you to visit with a friend, or email a teacher, and become informed regarding the beginning session and classroom sessions. One of the key points made at the meeting was that we have much to be proud of at SJS: our high Terra Nova scores, our scholarship winners, our academic initiatives, and about our strong faith. We also talked about the high expectations we have for the students for behavior and how they interact with others. And the progress we make is only possible with parent interest and support. Support for teacher and school decisions is so very important. If students know that parents will stand behind the decision of the teacher, great progress can be made in changing habits or behaviors. We thank you for all your support and all you do for SJS.
At Curriculum Night we also discussed the upcoming SOAR Dinner. It is the major fundraiser for the school and vital for our future initiatives. But it also is a really fun event full of spirit and community. We are honored to have representatives from the Servants of Mary join us as winners of The Spirit of SJS Award. So, we hope to have a record crowd, please join us on November 23rd. We are also currently looking for SOAR sponsors. Sponsors are a great help financially in the early stages of the event. They also receive specific benefits depending upon the level. If you have questions contact the office.
We have worked in recent years to make the stories of our patron saints known to the students. We want our students to feel a connection to our patrons. So the teachers are focusing on the story and life of St. James this first semester, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in the second semester. It’s fun to ask the kids what they know about St. James, and get such complete responses. It would be helpful to have you reinforce these details at home. They are: St. James was a fisherman and one of the 12 Apostles called by Jesus. He was part of the inner circle with Peter and John. Was present at the Transfiguration and Agony in the Garden. Evangelized Spain, where his tomb and shrine have been a pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages. Only Apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament. Feast Day is July 25th. We also as a school are reviewing the 10 Commandments this first quarter.
No school Monday Sept. 2nd for Labor Day. Enjoy the long weekend.
Peace,
William Kelly
Principal
