November 1st Letter from Mr. Kelly
November 1, 2019
Solemnity of All Saints
Dear SJS Catholic School Community,
Thank you to all the parents who attended our parent/teacher conferences last week. We had nearly 100% attendance! This dialogue between home and school is vital for a smooth rest of the school year for the students. After a visit with the teachers it may be beneficial to re-examine goals and expectations for the rest of the school year. Teachers will work hard to change behaviors or habits, but working together great progress can be made. Also thanks to the Home and School who provided a wonderful lunch and dinner for our teachers at conferences.
Adherence to school or classroom rules was a topic at conferences last week. For students to be successful at school it is vital that they know parents are behind the school and supportive. So if you have questions feel free to talk to the teachers, but adherence to the school rules will always be our expectation. Sometimes a school rule may seem like a burden. But we know that following rules at school can improve relationships with teaches as you show that you understand the importance of rules and that you respect school authority. Support for school rules also shows your student that you care about education, that school is important. And adherence to rules also shows your student that you believe in an environment that has high expectations. SJS is blessed with outstanding parents and students and we appreciate your continued support.
Schools simply work better when parents are involved. Schools that have an active group of parents are more vibrant. And, we want parents providing an example of faith in action to their students. As I speak to new families I can tell them that our parents are so committed to SJS that our families volunteer over 10,000 hours a year. So don’t forget to send an email when your 20 hours of participation are done to parentparticipation@sjsomaha.
We posted last week that the Omaha Catholic Schools are going to join the area public schools with a 2 hour late start option this year. We wanted to let you know of this possibility as you communicate with your workplace this winter season. So any closing or late start is called by the Catholic Schools Central Office, not SJS, and will be shown on local media as, “Omaha Catholic Schools.” It’s always best to check local media for any closing or late start info rather than relying on social media. If a late start is called, and conditions worsen, it can be changed into a full day cancelation, and those decisions try to be made as early as possible.
We already have a good number signed up to attend this year’s SOAR Dinner, which is great, but space is limited. So if you are planning to attend it would be wise to make sure you get your ticket soon. We also are in need of volunteers for the evening. If you can help please go to iVolunteer or contact the office. We also appreciate all those who are selling the raffle tickets. We will let you know if we have reached our goal for the “Wheel of Misfortune.”
Thanks for all you do.
William Kelly
Principal
