SJRS Monthly Newsletter January 2017

Saint Jerome Regional School

"Living Fearlessly Through Faith..."

A Message From The Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

God bless you with peace and joy as we celebrate Jesus' birth. May the spirit of Christmas be with you throughout the new year. The faculty and staff of SJRS extend wishes to you and your families for a holy, healthy and Happy New Year and we pray for God’s blessings in 2017.

Blessings,
Mrs. Amy M. Hannis-Miskar, Principal 
  REMINDERS:  
  • Please check the January calendar for all important dates.  
    • Re-Registration for 2017-2018 School Year
                Thank you to everyone who participated in early re-registration this year. We already have over               150 students on the roster for the 2017-2018 school year! Today starts our Open Enrollment                     period where we will begin to accept new students as well as our current students for next year.
                We are discounting the registration fee to $75 per student until the end of Catholic Schools Week              (Feb. 4).
     
                ***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. 
    • Annual Appeal
              On November 15th, we launched our Annual Appeal. This year our annual appeal funds will aid in: 

             -Continuing the new SJRS Art & Music Programs

             -Increasing scholarship assistance

             -Upgrades and new advancements to maintain and improve the  technology program

             -Immediate repairs and ongoing maintenance to the school building, which is used by our school
              children, the Religious Education Program and the CYO program.        

              For more information please visit our website:  http://www.sjrschool.com/support.html  


    Some of the highlights during the month of December are listed below:
    • All of the students in grades K-8 participated in the Christmas Program entitled "The Children's Nativity Story”.  It was a beautiful show!  Thank you to Mrs. Confer and Ms. Cressley for organizing this event.  Thank you to the faculty and staff, as well as Mr. Cara for helping to make this a success!  

    • Our students participated in making Christmas cards for the Military. This was the 4th year that our students have done this.  Thank you to Rebecca Dzuranin and her family for allowing us to take part in this project with them.  The cards will be included in the care packages that they send overseas and state side. 

    • The students enjoyed shopping for their families at the Santa's Secret Shop.  Thank you to the Rehnert family for coordinating this event!  Thank you also to all of the volunteers who helped make this event special!

    • Our students also participated in making Christmas cards for the Parish Shut-ins.  We are so happy to see our students being so generous and thoughtful this Christmas season!

    • Thank you so much to everyone for their generous donations during the month of December! Our mission projects for the month of December supported our local community.  Students in grades Kindergarten through 4 brought in items for the “Birth Rite” Tree sponsored by the St. Vincent DePaul Society.  Students in Grades 5-8 participated in the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program.  May God bless you for your generosity during this Christmas Season

    • The Student Council sponsored fun activities for all the students in December.  Every grade participated in a Christmas picture coloring contest and an M&M guessing contest.  Candy canes were given out to all class winners. 

    • Student Council also had a Christmas Door Decorating Contest.  Students from kindergarten through eighth grade participated in this fun-filled event and all grades did an outstanding job!  Winners of the contest were:  1st Place: Grade 8,  2nd Place:  Grade 3, 3rd Place:  Grade 5, and Honorable Mention: Kindergarten Blue.   Winning grades had a dress down day.  Everyone enjoyed this and we hope to make it a yearly tradition.  Congrats and great job to everyone!  Please see the school Facebook page for pictures of the doors!

    • The fun didn't stop as Student Council sponsored an Ugly Sweater Dress Down Day on Thursday, December 22.  This activity was free.  Happy New Year from your SJRS Student Council!

           
          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 also receive a Christian of The Month Certificate, an A is for Applebee's Certificate, and a Dress Down Pass.  Listed below are the students that have been chosen as Christian of the Month for December in each homeroom.
          CONGRATULATIONS!
          Skylare McConnon has been chosen Christian of the Month for Kindergarten Blue. Skylare is a very hardworking student who tries to do her best. She is very cooperative and helpful to me and the other students in the class, always ready to lend a hand. At home, Skylare is caring, compassionate and encourages others to do good.  She helps out at home (and in school) without even being asked. Skylare is in her second year of gymnastics with Tumble with Denise. Congratulations Skylare!

          Elenore Colancecco has been chosen as Christian of the Month for December in K-Gold. Elenore is a very creative, hardworking, kind student. She is always willing to help others in need. She is a good team leader, and always strives to do her best. Elenore is a well-rounded student who loves to write stories, do experiments, and cook. She also likes to play soccer, volleyball, sing in the church choir and dance. Congratulations Elenore!

          Isabella Mansell, Grade 1, has earned the Christian of the Month Award.  Isabella is a very hard worker in school.  Isabella has improved her printing skills. Nice Job Izzy!!!! She is always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it. Izzy is in her third year of dance. She is currently taking tumbling at the Dance Factory. She participated in soccer this year and is planning on joining tee ball in the spring. She takes swim lessons at the Tamaqua High School pool. She likes going fishing and checking the trail cam for deer and squirrels. She helps out at her grandparent’s farm, feeding cows and riding on the tractor with her grandfather. She loves to help clean and do the dishes at home. She is a member of St. Richards in Barnesville.

          Jack Jewells has been chosen as the December Christian of the Month in second grade.  Jack is respectful to his teachers and classmates. He is a hard worker and very kind student.  He continuously displays a positive attitude and is always helpful and friendly.  Jack is a point guard on the Panther Valley Youth Basketball team. He also plays on the Anthracite Little League Team and was a member of the 7-8 All Star Team. Jack received the Effort Award in Kindergarten and First Grade and was Student of the Month in Kindergarten.  Whenever you see Jack, he is always smiling.

          Jazell Garber has been chosen as the Christian of the Month for 3rd Grade.  Jazell always tells the truth and shows great compassion towards others. When she sees someone who is feeling bad, she wants to help and comfort them.  She loves animals.  She rides horses at Horses & Horizons.  She also takes gymnastics lessons at Tumble with Denise.

          The December Christian of the Month in fourth grade is Anthony Aguirre. He is a hard worker and takes his school work very seriously. Anthony is very responsible and well-mannered both in and out of the classroom. He has a good sense of humor and is a kind and caring person to everyone around him. His favorite subjects are math and science. Anthony played T-ball, soccer, football, and basketball. He also enjoys swimming, computers, Legos, and electronics.

          Luke Sterns was chosen for Christian of the Month in fifth grade. He has been attending SJRS since kindergarten and is a wonderful asset to our class. He is always kind to his classmates and respectful towards adults. Luke is a member at St. Ambrose Parish where he also altar serves. Luke plays baseball, wrestles and competes in Olympic weightlifting. He has demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship while representing the Coal Region at the State Junior Wrestling Championships and in qualifying for Youth National Championships in weightlifting.

          Alexander Homyack has been chosen as the Christian of the Month for 6th grade. As a consistent honor roll student, Alex is conscientious and hard-working. He is a participant in the CYO Spelling Bee. He is always willing to help and demonstrates compassion toward others. Alex plays infield for baseball and is a guard for the CYO basketball team. He has attained a brown belt with 2 black stripes in karate. Alex provides community service in Teens Helping Teens.

          Maria Onea has been selected as 7th Grade Christian of the Month. Maria leads the class in prayer every day. She is always willing to lend a helping hand, even volunteering when not asked. Maria is an altar server at St. John XXIII Parish, and she also serves at school Masses. As an athlete, she plays CYO volleyball and is a member of a traveling volleyball team. She also swims with the Blue Waves. Outside of school, Maria helps in the kitchen at the Bingo held at her brother Nick’s school. At home, Maria is helpful with her younger cousins. Great job, Maria! 

          Dante Agosti has been selected as the eighth grade Christian of the Month.  Dante is kind and helpful to everyone in the classroom and he exhibits a positive outlook and attitude during each school day.  His activities include CYO Basketball and Tamaqua Teener League Baseball.  He plans on playing basketball and baseball at Marian High School.  Dante is also involved in community service projects.  In the summer, Dante takes care of the plants at Lake Hauto and he also helped at the Special Olympics in Jim Thorpe.  Great job, Dante!
          1st Trimester Honor Roll 2016-2017    

          5th Grade Honors  

          Distinguished Honors:
          Brady Bobrowski
          Isabella Boyer
          Abigail Kluck
          Julia Meiss
          Anthony Odorizzi  

          First Honors:
          Jakob Mummey
          Albin Petschauer
          Alex Porambo
          Luke Sterns  

          Second Honors:
          Gabrielle Blasko
          Elijah Feisel
            Mackenna Jakobs
          Aleck Jewells
             Lauren Talbott    

          6th grade Honors  

          First Honors:
          Alexander Homyack
          Blaise Mullen
          Hailey Watkins
          Matthew Zakrewsky  

          Second Honors:
          Alfred Collevechio
          Trinity Hoover
          Luke Jordan
          John Mauna
                      Lance Price            

          7th Grade  Honors  

          1st Honors:
          Matthew Holloman  

          2nd Honors:
          Bryan Cervasio    

          8th Grade Honors  

          Distinguished Honors:
          Sarah Collevechio
          Samuel Sterns
          Christina Walko  

          First Honors:
          Rebecca Dzuranin
          Charizma Hiles
          Corey Rehnert  

          Second Honors:
          Dante Agosti
          Blake Bianco
          Emily Haas
          Julia Jurick
          Robert Sunder

                                                           SJRS Student Ambassador Program

          For the second year, St. Jerome Regional School inducted students into their Student Ambassador Program. This program was started last year to inspire 7th and 8th grade students through leadership development. The SJRS Student Ambassadors are the best representatives of the school. To become an ambassador, the students have to complete an application, obtain a letter of reference, and be interviewed by the administration.  Ambassadors interact and engage prospective students in the community to gain critical leadership skills, while also promoting SJRS and its services. The program was started, and is advised by, SJRS’ Director of Advancement, Manda Smarr. Through working with the students, they continue to impress her with their positive attitudes and professional mannerisms.

          Student Ambassador's for the 2016-2017 School Year are:

          Sam Sterns, Lead Ambassador 
          Corey Rehnert
          Dante Agosti
          Dylan Blashock
          Rebecca Dzuranin
          Christina Walko
          Charizma Hiles 
          HW Hotline Info

          Penn State Schuylkill has launched the Penn State Homework Hotline, a free tutoring service to students in participating local school districts. Saint Jerome Regional School has elected to participate in the program.  The community program is based on the very successful Homework Hotline program at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT) in Terra Haute, Indiana.  Students in grades 6 to 12 with questions about math homework or concepts can call and speak to a college student who is trained to tutor math and has acquired all of the required clearances to work with children. The hotline is open Sunday through Thursday evenings throughout the school year from 6 to 9 p.m. Tutors are available to assist with general math, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus and statistics. The tutors will guide the students through the process of solving the problem, so that the students will learn how to complete similar problems on their own. The Homework Hotline phone number is 570-385-6500. 
                                                                     
          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.

          SJRS Tuition Rates A nnounced
          (Tuition was increased by $7.50 per month/student for the 17/18 school year)


          Description                                           Tuition 2017-2018
          Regular Tuition 1st Child                                $3085
          Regular Tuition 2nd Child                               $1990
          Regular Tuition 3rd Child                                $1640
          Regular Tuition 4th Child                                  Free                                   

           
          Tuition Chance
                       
          We will continue to 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 December is Chloe and Charizma Hiles in grade 7 and 8.   The amount of tuition credit is $151.00 . Thank you to all who took chances. Slips are enclosed for next month’s drawing which will be on January 20th.


          Save, Save, Save            
          This year we will continue to save the following items:
          • Box tops for education – General Mills products
          • Redner receipts – ( must say Save – A – Tape )
          • Turkey Hill milk caps 
          • Capri Sun Drink pouches
          • Coke Rewards
          Saving these items helps us to obtain educational materials or cash- back for our school. Just send any of the items to school with your child.        

          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. 
           
          Diocese of Allentown Mandated Reporter LIVE Training

          As a follow-up to the Mandated Reporter Training Policy, for those individuals at your location who do not have access to a computer to complete the course, the Diocese of Allentown will be hosting training sessions that the individuals may attend. The Diocese’s in-person training sessions are the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance Trainings approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

          The Live 3-Hour long training session will be held at the location and time stated below:

          January 9, 2017- Saint Jerome Regional School, Tamaqua PA 5:30-8:30 PM - Register by January 3rd

          There is a fee of $5.00 for each person attending the live training listed above and the fee will cover the materials. To register, please contact Ruth Davis at 610.332.0442 (x16), once you leave a message, please consider yourself registered, or [email protected] by the deadline listed above. Please mail your $5.00 check or money order payable to the Diocese of Allentown to:   Office of Safe Environment 2145 Madison Ave. Bethlehem, PA 18017   Please check the Diocese’s website at www.allentowndiocese.org  for the up-to-date list of trainings.
          Mission News - January Missions  

          Many thanks for your donations for the Birth Rite Tree and Toys for Tots. Once again our school community has demonstrated a genuine spirit of generosity. During the month of January we will be selling snowflakes for a donation of 50 cents.  The money collected will go to the St. Vincent DePaul Society to aid needy families. The snowflakes will be displayed throughout the school.
          Catholic Schools Week 

          Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. It starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week.  The theme for the National Catholic Schools Week 2017 is “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”  CSW will be celebrated beginning January 29th. 

          This is a special time to celebrate in our Catholic Schools. Special events are planned for this week.  Information will be sent home on these events throughout the month and also check it out on the school facebook page.   Here is the tentative schedule of events.

          Jan. 29th – Open House – (11:00-1:00) 

          • Visit classrooms, computer lab, science lab, meet the teachers, view student work and projects. Registration for PreK through Grade 8.  Stop in the school gymnasium to see some Art projects displayed and for coffee and treats.

          Jan. 30th - Get Up and Dance Day and School Spirit Dress Down Day

          Jan. 31st- K-4 Grandparents Day Program 10:00 AM

                     5-8 Mannequin Challenge

          Feb 1- Pajama Day/Movie Day

          • Students can bring a towel/blanket and a pillow for the movie.

          Feb 2- Talent Show for student body at 10AM

                      Talent Show for Families to Attend at 6PM

                      - Students must sign up in order to participate by January 13th.


          Feb 3rd - CSW liturgy           – 9:30AM

          Catholic Schools Week Prayer

          Almighty Father, You sent forth your Son, Jesus, as a beacon of hope for all people.

          As Teacher, he has given us the prime example of the importance of education.

          As disciples, we look to him for inspiration and strength.

          Thank you for the many men and women who have dedicated their lives in service to our Catholic schools.

          Thank you for the teachers and administrators who lead our schools today.

          Thank you for the parents who have given support and witness to the importance of Catholic education in their daily lives.

          Thank you for the students who work hard to further their education.

          Bless our school and all the schools in the Diocese of Allentown.

          Bless the many people who advance the mission of Catholic Education.

          May our schools be homes for those who seek to grow in faith, knowledge, and service of others.

          May our faith communities always support one another and show a warm welcome to new members.

          Loving God, fill our minds with knowledge and wisdom.

          May our understanding of the world help us to grow in appreciation for it.

          Fill our hearts with gladness.

          May we always turn to you in times of need.

          Fill our hands with the tools we need to serve others.

          May we show them your unceasing love through our actions.

          We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus, Who is Lord forever and ever.

          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.


          Email your prayer requests to [email protected] or send a note to the office.
          We will list the names that you would like us to pray for in our monthly newsletters.