March 13th Email from Mr. Kelly

March 13, 2020
Friday of the Second Week of Lent

Dear SJS Catholic School Community,

We are all in “uncharted waters” here with the COVID-19 situation. School will be closed next week as we work to help slow down the spread of the virus. We are working closely with the Catholic Schools Office, who is working closely with the CDC and Department of Education, as we craft a plan that is the best for this unique situation. So more information will be coming next week. We appreciate your patience and support. Teachers will be emailing you directions and work as we want the learning to continue.

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up on Tuesday. One of the blessings of our Catholic faith is the role of saints. The example that saints provide can be a useful teaching tool for us Catholic educators, and parents. And their intercession for our prayers is an important aspect of our faith. St. Patrick’s Day has become, among other things, a celebration of all things Irish. But the foundation of the day is the saint himself. And what a story St. Patrick provides. He was captured as a boy and taken as a slave to Ireland. He escaped and received a message from God in a dream to become a priest and return to Ireland and spread the Good News. And what a success he was! He battled against the polytheist druids and made Ireland a predominantly Catholic place. Ireland is a country with a history full of saints. If you enjoy the stories of saints a few you may find interesting would be St. Oliver Plunkett, St. Columba, St. Kevin, and St. Brigid. St. Patrick truly does show the power that one believer can have.

We are now in the 4th quarter and this gives us the chance to think about progress being made in Math. 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, practice goes a long way. Please do what you can to get the facts mastered so higher level mathematics can occur. We also have one more quarter to encourage your student to reach the Million Word Challenge.

As you buy uniforms for next school year or the spring time, please remember all uniform items are to be purchased at a uniform store, or uniform section of a department store. So pants, shirts, and shorts should be uniform pants, shirts, and shorts, not just the correct color. Uniform clothing is cut and styled in such a way that makes it appropriate for our school setting. And uniforms give off a silent message of solidarity and respect, and even minor violations of the policy can be subject to disciplinary action. Thank you for your support. It’s always best to check the Dennis Uniform site to see if what you are purchasing actually fits our school uniform expectations. Thanks for all you do.

Peace,

William Kelly
Principal

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Dear SJS Catholic School Community,

Due to the COVID 19 outbreak, St. James/Seton will be closed next week. All Catholic schools will be closed next week. We take the health and safety of our students and staff seriously and as such we will close to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The school will also use this time to do a thorough cleaning.

We apologize for any challenges this may create. KidsCare will also be closed.

We want the learning to continue, so your SJS teachers will be emailing you by Monday with instructions on how to continue learning at home. If you have questions feel free to email the teachers.

The Catholic Schools Office will make a determination about future school closings towards the end of next week.

Thank you for your understanding. Let’s say a prayer for strength and unity for our community and country as we deal with this situation. Thank you for your continued support.

Peace,

William Kelly
Principal