SJRS Monthly Newsletter December 2017
Saint Jerome Regional School
"Living Fearlessly Through Faith..."
A Message From The Principal
Dear Parents/Guardians,
It is hard to believe that the first Sunday of Advent is just around the corner. Advent is such a beautiful season.  Every week during the season of Advent, we come together as a school community in the hallway on each floor to light our Advent wreaths and pray as we eagerly await the birth of our Savior. The Christian custom of lighting the Advent wreath began in Germany in the 1600s. Today it is celebrated in churches and homes all over the world. The circular shape of the wreath reminds us that the love of God is without beginning or end. The evergreens represent the hope of everlasting happiness. The candles remind us that Jesus, the light of the world, came to earth to overcome the darkness of sin and selfishness. The purple candles represent our need to prepare for the coming of our Savior, and the pink, which is lit on the third week, reminds us to be joyful for the coming of the Lord is near. As we prepare to celebrate the great feast of Christmas – let us take this Advent Season as time to look deep into our hearts and truly prepare for the Lord.
 
Christian of the Month 

The Christian of the Month Award recognizes students who display good character on a consistent basis and serve as student role models throughout the month. Students are nominated by their teachers based on the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Students chosen to receive this award will be acknowledged for their accomplishment in the monthly newsletter. Students will receive a dress down pass, Christian of the Month Certificate and a Burger King Certificate. Listed below are the students that have been chosen as Christian of the Month for November in each homeroom. CONGRATULATIONS!

Daniel Archer has been chosen Christian of the Month for Kindergarten Blue. Daniel has been working very hard and he has shown a huge improvement since the beginning of the school year. He is very attentive in class and participates in all class activities. Daniel follows directions and all classroom rules. He enjoys playing with his friends and is respectful to his teachers. When at home, Daniel loves hiking, riding his bike and playing with his dogs. He is great at playing PS4. Daniel also loves spending time with his Grandparents. Congratulations, Daniel!

The student of the month for Kindergarten Gold is Giada Cerimele . Giada is a very good listener. She is a very conscientious student. She is very helpful and is always there to lend a helping hand. She is a hard worker and always tries to do her best. Giada is very artistic and she enjoys dancing. She belongs to "Dance with Kim," where she is taking jazz and tap classes. She also loves her three dogs and four cats and is extremely helpful at home.

Carly Green, Grade 1, has earned the Christian of the Month Award.  Carly is very respectful in school. She always works hard and listens carefully. Carly is always ready to lend a helping hand. Carly plays soccer and baseball. She has earned her purple belt in Martial Arts. Carly participates in a hand bellchoir. She loves to read, draw and paint.

Zoe Johnstone is second grades Christian of the Month. Zoe was chosen because she is a conscientious student, puts a lot of effort into her work, gets along well with her classmates and is respectful to her teachers and other adults. Zoe played t-ball for 2 years with the Anthracite Little League. In the spring, she will be moving onto softball. Zoe also played soccer with PVYSA. She loves to draw and write stories. Zoe loves spending time with her her family. She especially likes playing and laughing with her brother, Liam. She takes great pride in her school work and loves learning new things.

The Christian of the Month for third grade is Gage Green . Gage is a compassionate and responsible student. He is always eager to help out in the classroom. He plays Panther Valley basketball. He completes chores at home and is a trustworthy and diligent student. He is a kind big brother. He also enjoys bike riding and working on his model train layout.

The 4th grade Christian of the Month for November is Isabella Horvat . Isabella studies very hard and always puts forth her best efforts. She is always willing to help not only other students in the class, but also the teacher. Isabella is very friendly and outgoing and always shows respect for the students, teachers, and all others she sees each day. Isabella enjoys her time with her family, especially when her big sister Taylor is home from college! She also adores her youngest cousin, Nathan, who she loves to play with. Isabella loves to learn and explore new things. Her favorite past time is making slime and doing other arts and crafts projects. She has been swimming with the Tamaqua Blue Waves since kindergarten. She represents them at Middle Atlantic USA swim meets. She is an orange belt in JuiJitsu under the direction of Sensei Murlu. Isabella is a funny, outgoing, and caring person!

Lacey Gallagher is fifth grade's Christian of the Month. Lacey has attended SJRS since first grade and has two siblings, Bryce and Holly. Lacey is kind and very helpful to everyone she meets. She is involved in various after school activities which include; CYO JV Volleyball for the past two years and a Rosary group. For the past three years Lacey has been involved in the Hazleton Philharmonic Music Workshop featuring the violin. In her spare time she enjoys rollerskating and collecting American Girl dolls. Congratulations Lacey!
  
Brady Bobrowski is the Christian of the Month for Grade 6. Brady has maintained distinguished honors and has received the highest average award for his grade for several years. He has represented the class in the Geography Bee and is currently the Student Council Homeroom Representative. Brady is an altar server for St. John XXIII. Brady is always kind and respectful to his classmates and peers. He is helpful and considerate and serves as a great role model for others. 

Ethan Risteter has been selected as 7th Grade Christian of the Month. Ethan is always kind and considerate. He readily volunteers his services even when not asked. Ethan has recently been named a Student Ambassador for SJRS. Since Summer 2017, Ethan has earned First Class rank in the Boy Scout: Fishing, Astronomy, Fingerprinting, Pulp and Paper, Farm Mechanics, Archaeology, Basketry, Leatherwork and Textiles. Ethan has also played baseball in the Anthracite Little League. In his community. Ethan has helped with the Summer Kids Free Lunch Program. Congratulations, Ethan!

Eighth grade's Christian of the Month is Bryan Cervasio .  Bryan is kind and courteous to everyone and is a conscientious student. He is involved in community service working at a local food pantry and nursing home. Bryan likes spending time in the outdoors.  He enjoys playing football and basketball with his friends and he also enjoys hiking and camping in the woods. Congratulations, Bryan!
CYO SPELLING BEE WINNER

Luke Sterns placed 2nd at the Diocesan CYO Spelling Bee For 6th Graders:   

CONGRATULATIONS! 
2017-2018 Student Ambassadors

Congratulations to the 2017-2018 Student Ambassadors! Our school couldn't be prouder of these exceptional student leaders. Pictured (left to right): Hunter Gallagher, Daniel Stein, Chloe Hiles, Advancement Director & Student Ambassador Advisor Ms. Smarr, Lead Ambassador Alex Homyack, Ethan Risteter, Joey Walko, Hailey Watkins.
Geography Bee
SJRS will participate in the National Geographic Bee. The contest is designed to motivate students to learn about the world and how it works. Students in grades four through eight are eligible for this challenging competition. The preliminary competition will be held in individual classrooms in early December . The final competition to determine a school champion will be held on Tuesday, December 5th. Good luck to all our students!
Home and School Events/Fundraisers
Home and School Fall/Early Winter Event Schedule 2017
(All Dates are subject to change)

  • September 10th was SJRS BOWLING NIGHT at SPARE TIME in Hometown. Over 50 people participated in this event and everyone had a lot of fun!

  • September 13-SJRS Super 50/50 Sale began.

  •  The Mum Sale ended on September 15th. We sold over 500 mums!  

  • The Fall Spirit Wear Sale ended on September 15th. This was also very successful. Our students and families love our School Spirit Wear! 

  • Our first HSA Meeting was held on September 20th in the Gym. We had about 35 people attend the meeting. Thank you to everyone who participated and suggested some great ideas for future fundraisers to help our school! 

  • September 27th was SJRS Day at DiMaggio's and the Gertrude Hawk Candy Bar Box Sale Began.
  • October 20th was the K-4 Halloween Dance!
  • October 25- Fall Gertrude Hawk Candy Sale Began.
  • November 4-5 Basket Bonanza was a big success! Thank You to all of you for your generous donations of prizes, food, baked goods, and your time in making this event a success each and every year.
  • November 8–HSA Meeting was cancelled. Winter Spirit Wear Sale Began.
  • November 15- Gertrude Hawk Fall Candy Sale Orders were Due
  • November 21- Winter Spirit Wear Sale Ended
  • December 1- 5th Grade-8th Grade Christmas Dance (must purchase ticket in advance)
  • December 7- Gertrude Hawk Fall Sale Pickup and Winter Spirit Wear Pickup
  • December 11-12 – Santa’s Shop
  • December 18- 50/50 Drawing


Registration for the 2018-2019 School Year UPDATE

Thank you to all our families who have already taken advantage of the early re-enrollment discount! We already have over 75 students enrolled for the 2018-2019 school year! In order to officially register for next year, please fill out the re-registration form and send it back to the office with the registration fee.

The following discounts will be offered for re-registration:

Enroll by December 22 nd : $50.00 per child
Enroll by February 3 rd (End of CSW): $75.00 per child
Enroll after February 3 rd : $100.00 per child

**Registration fees must be paid in order to officially register for the 2018-2019 school year**
December Mission Projects

Our mission project for December will be two-fold and support our local community. 

Students in grades Kindergarten through 4 are asked to bring in items for the “Birth Rite “ Tree sponsored by the St. Vincent DePaul Society. 

Items needed include: Newborn to 4T clothing for girls and boys, crib sheets, sleepers, blankets, onesies, disposable diapers, diaper bags, socks/booties, baby towels and wash cloths, baby wipes, shampoo & soap, pacifiers, bibs and bottles.

Items will be accepted until December 20 then will be given to the Schuylkill County Birth Rite for distribution to clients throughout the year.  

Students in Grades 5-8 will once again participate in the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program. 

New, unwrapped toys will be accepted until December 11 for pick-up on December 12. 

May God bless you for your generosity during this Christmas Season.
Gift Certificates and Scrip Certificates
These are great ways to help with tuition costs. If you have any questions please call the office. Many people are saving hundreds of dollars in tuition by purchasing certificates. Certificates are sold from the school office daily during school hours and scrip orders are taken on Tuesdays. On-hand certificates: Boyer's and Redner's, $100 and $25 denominations.  The last day to order Scrip Gift cards will be December 12th. Gift cards make great Christmas Gifts!
 
Tuition            
Monthly tuition payments are essential to pay the operating costs of SJRS. The school has monthly bills that must be paid and overdue tuition payments create a hardship on the school budget. Please keep up- to-date with tuition payments using the FACTS tuition management system. Thank you for understanding the importance of your tuition commitment and up-to-date payments.


Tuition Chance
This year we will again sell tuition chances to help you win money toward your tuition bill. The chances are $1 each and paper slips are in the family envelope. If you want to purchase the chance, fill out the slip and enclose money in an envelope marked tuition chance. This is not a fundraiser. All money collected will be awarded to the winning student’s tuition account. If your tuition is fully paid, credit will be applied to next year’s bill. 

The winner for November is Skylare McConnon in 1st Grade. The amount of tuition credit is $124 . Thank you to all who took chances. Next month’s drawing will be on December 19th.
AmazonSmile

SJRS is now registered with AmazonSmile. Amazon shoppers can now designate SJRS as their organization under Amazon smile and eligible purchases entitle SJRS to 0.5% of all purchases. The SJRS charity link is: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-5472464 . This link takes you to smile.amazon.com and are automatically asked if they want to support St Jerome Regional School.

The link is also located on our school website. The direct link to the resources page is http://www.sjrschool.com/resources.html 
Protecting God's Children and Mandated Reporter Trainings

An updated list of Protecting God's Children and Mandated Reporter Training sessions are listed on the Diocese of Allentown Website at http://www.allentowndiocese.org/youth-protection . Details are also listed for each location.   
REMINDERS: 
  • Please check the December calendar for all important dates. 

  • The 1st Trimester ends, November 29th. Report Cards will be sent home on December 6th. 

  • Re-Registration for 2018-2019 School Year- Early Registration is off to a great start and we will continue to offer our discounted registration fee of $50 until December 22nd. ***Please Note: In order to be officially registered for the 2017-2018 school year, the registration fee must be handed in along with the re-registration form. If you have any questions please contact our Advancement Director, Ms. Smarr. 

  • Christmas Program
  • The SJRS Christmas Program entitled "The Children's Nativity Story" will be held on December 20th at 1:45 in St. John XXIII Church. We invite you to join us as we celebrate the miracle of Christmas. All students in grades K-8 will participate in the program.

  • Santa’s Secret Shop
                 Students in grades 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8 can shop on Monday, December 11th.
                Students in grades K, 1, 5 and 6 can shop on Tuesday, December 12th. 
                 Information was sent home with more details. Students should have money in an
                envelope. Please indicate how much they can spend for each family member.

  • Due to Santa’s Secret Shop, students will be permitted to wear Christmas Clothing or Red/Green dress down clothing on both days. 
  • PSP will also be at school for pictures with Santa on December 11th from 2:00PM-4:00PM.

  • Picture re-take day is also on December 11th. Students who are having their pictures taken are permitted to dress down. 

  • Gertrude Hawk pick-up is Thursday, December 7th from 2:00-4:00 PM

  • Early dismissals:
            December 22 at 12:00pm – There will be no lunch on this day .

  • Christmas vacation – December 23rd- January 1st. School reopens January 2nd.


Know that we thank God for you and your continued cooperation and support of Catholic education.  The faculty, staff and administration ask for your continued prayers, support, cooperation and dedication to Catholic education. If you have any questions or concerns, you can call the school office at 570-668-2757. We will be happy to help you! Thank you for being part of the SJRS Family! Thank you for all the sacrifices you make to send your child to this school! In order to save time and money, we will continue to use email to communicate with you. If you have an email address, please check it and look for our messages. If you are not receiving our e-newsletters, please send a note to the office to be added to the email list. 


God bless you and your families,

Mrs. Amy M. Hannis-Miskar, Principal
Let Us Pray

  Loving and gracious God, your blessings are countless and your love is never-ending.
As we celebrate this Thanksgiving, we pray that you will open our hearts to you and to one another, that we may share the gifts you have given us in loving service to all people.
Lord, our God, you have done wondrous things on earth;
guide us as we care for and protect all of creation.
Grant us joy of heart, and may peace dwell with us.
We pray in your Holy Name.
Amen .           


Let us pray for:

Your continued prayers, support, cooperation and dedication to Catholic education.
Your continued kind words toward each other.
             Someone who is sick and in the hospital.
                     Someone who is recovering from surgery.           
A special intention.

Email your prayer requests to altssj@ptd.net or send a note to the office.
We will list the names that you would like us to pray for in our monthly newsletters.