SJRS Monthly Newsletter -April 2019
Saint Jerome Regional School
"Living Fearlessly Through Faith..."
Message From The Principal
Dear St. Jerome Family,
A significant part of a Catholic school's identity is the life of the Church present in the school and among the students and their parents/guardians. This time of year, many of our students are preparing for the reception of the Sacraments of Penance (2nd Grade), Holy Eucharist (2nd and 3rd Grade) and Confirmation (8th Grade). It is particularly important for us to teach our students that the sacraments are so much more than a ceremony to prepare for; they are God’s way of reaching down to us and offering us a lifelong gift. We pray as a school family for all of our students, especially those who are about to receive the sacraments.
Loving God, we are preparing to enter the holiest of days in the Church.
As we recall the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, help us to seek forgiveness
for our sins that we might truly rejoice with him and the entire Church on Easter Sunday.
May this Lenten journey and Holy Week help to transform our lives and bring
us closer to you and Jesus Christ your Son. AMEN.
Blessings,
Mrs. Amy M. Hannis-Miskar, Principal 
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. Listed below are the students that have been chosen as Christian of the Month for March in each homeroom. 
Students will receive a dress down pass, Christian of the Month Certificate, an Applebees Certificate, and a Free Turkey Hill Slushy coupon.
T he students will be recognized at the first Mass of each month.


Gretchen Mellor is the Christian of the month for Kindergarten Gold. Gretchen is a very good listener. Gretchen has improved in her reading and writing. She is a hard worker, and is very helpful in the classroom. At home, Gretchen loves playing with her brothers and sisters. She is very helpful with her baby sister. In the summer Gretchen loves playing outside and jumping on the trampoline. She also loves to swim and go fishing. During the winter, Gretchen loves building snowman and making snow forts. Gretchen is an outgoing happy little girl. Congratulations, Gretchen!

Estelle Mansell has been chosen Christian of the Month for Kindergarten Blue. Estelle is a very hard worker, always trying to do her best. She is respectful and helpful to her teachers and the other students in the class. Estelle is responsible, follows directions and eagerly participates in class activities. At home, Estelle plays on the Conley Limousin U6 Soccer Team. She has danced for Crystals’s School of Dance for 3 years. Estelle enjoys walking dogs at the Hillside SPCA and taking care of and playing with her own four dogs. She helps her grandparents on their farm, especially with the gardening. Estelle loves playing with her cousins and siblings, and is always willing to help others. Congratulations, Estelle!

Joseph Conrad , Grade 1, has earned the Christian of the Month Award. Joseph is well mannered and respectful to both teachers and his peers. Joseph always shows an eagerness for learning. He is always prepared and ready to work. Joseph participates in Cub Scouts. His favorite sports team is the Dallas Cowboys. Joseph is honest, responsible, independent and a great big helper at home.

Ella Bones is Second Grade Blue Christian of the Month. Ella is a responsible and conscientious student. She puts a lot of effort into her classwork, and her participation in class is commendable. Ella is a great helper in the classroom. She is a member of the 209 Fusion Volleyball and AVC Volleyball Team. Ella also performs with Kim School of Performing Arts and is a member of Dance with Kim's Aquamarine Impact Competition Dance Team. This is her third year competing, and she lights up when performing on stage. Ella is kindhearted and enjoys spending time with her friends. She is the best big sister and is a wonderful role model. Ella loves to draw, paint, and build with Legos. She often makes her own Barbie clothes.

2-Gold’s Christian of the Month for March is Viktoriya Chepelska . Viktoriya is an excellent student who is always respectful, kind, and responsible. She is very diligent and puts great effort and pride into everything she does. Viktoriya consistently helps with community service activities organized by St. John’s Byzantine Catholic Church and loves to attend the Tamaqua Community Art Center for art activities or events. She has also competed on the Panther Valley Soccer Team. Congratulations, Viktoriya!

Third grade Christian of the Month is Camden Gilbert . Camden is a very caring and kind student who is responsible with his work. Camden enjoys helping out with classroom duties. He plays baseball for Jim Thorpe. He likes to play outfield and second base. Camden loves to draw and build things. Congratulations Camden!

The 4th grade Christian of the Month for March is Sage Kopp . Sage works hard in school and always tries her best. She does not hesitate to lend a helping hand to both the teacher and her classmates. Sage is kind and respectful to both the adults and classmates with whom she interacts. Sage has participated in dance at the Dance Factory. She cares a lot about people and animals. Sage is always quick to help someone in need.

Makayla Whittaker is Fifth Grade's Christian of the Month. Makayla is a helpful student and is always kind to others. She is always eager to help in the classroom. Makayla is a cheerleader for Tamaqua Knee High. She has been cheering for three years and really enjoys it. Makayla enjoys playing with her little sister Abby, who also attends St. Jerome Regional School. Recently she got a new puppy which she enjoys playing with and taking care. Congratulations, Makayla!

Alexandra Feller is the 6th Grade Christian of the Month. She is a conscientious student and works hard in the classroom, earning first honors for her efforts. She is a loving example to her little sister, Gabrielle. She is a member of Tumble With Denise gymnastics center. Alexandra is a level 6 gymnast who will be competing at the state competition in April and the State Games of America in Lynchburg, Virginia in August. 
Congratulations, Alexandra!

Alex Porambo is the 7th Grade Christian of the Month. He is a hard-working student who always completes his work in a timely manner. His assignments are always neatly done. He is polite and courteous to everyone he meets. Alex is a member of STEM Challenge and the St. Jerome CYO Cross Country team. He belongs to St. John XXIII Parish where he is an altar server. Alex won First Place in the Kindness Matters Poster Contest at the Local and District Levels. Outside of school, Alex is a Boy Scout and has recently completed the Zoology and Weather Merit Badges. Also, he attends and enjoys the YMCA Fitness Program. Congratulations, Alex!

Richard Maggio has been chosen as the Eighth Grade Christian of the Month. Richard is kind and respectful to everyone, and he puts forth much effort in his schoolwork. He enjoys community service and helps out at the Tresckow Food Pantry. Outside of school, Richard enjoys video games, basketball, hunting, fishing and quads. He also enjoys playing with his dog, Shadow, and spending time with his family and friends. Richard plans to attend Marian High School.  Congratulations, Richard!

Saint Jerome Regional School 2018-2019 2nd Trimester Honor Roll

Grade 5

Distinguished
Kaitlyn Kisenwether

First
Caroline Breslin
Isabella Horvat
Madeleine Rakos

Second
Eris Hayes
Derek Schlosser

Grade 6

First Honors
Anthony Aguire
Seleste Burns
Alexandra Feller
William Mayberry
Alyssa Porambo
Owen Rakos
Connor Rehnert

Second Honors
Samuel Homyak
Caitlyn Kovatch
Jayden Ladlee

Grade 7

Distinguished Honors
Brady Bobrowski
Julia Meiss

First Honors
Isabella Boyer              
Abigail Kluck              
Jakob Mummey         
Albin Petschauer
Alex Porambo
Megan Reaman

Second Honors
Emma Ashfield
MacKenna Jacobs
Anthony Odorizzi
Grade 8

First Honors
Jenna Goff
John Mauna
Blaise Mullen
Hailey Watkins

Second Honors
 Matthew Zakrewsky    
Congratulations to the following students for their winning entries in The Pottsville Republican Newspaper In Education activities! 

Gavin Lutz in Kindergarten won First Place for his entry in the contest: I'm a Reader! He had to draw a picture of himself in his favorite reading spot. Gavin won a prize of $30 for his winning drawing.

Connor Rehnert in 6th grade won Third Place for his entry in the essay contest: Summer Vacation: Yes or No? The essay focused on the idea of year-round school versus a three month break. Connor won a prize of $10 for his winning essay.

Quentin Petschauer in Grade 5 had a winning entry in The Pottsville Republican Design An Ad contest. His ad was selected by Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine to represent their business. It was showcased in the Design An Ad tab on March 5th! Good work, Quentin!

Read Across America Coloring Contest Winners

Sponsored by St. Luke's

K-2nd Group- Levi McCullion
3rd-5th Group- Quentin Petschauer
6th-8th Group- Anthony Aguirre


Congratulations!

Some of the highlights during the month of March are listed below:

  • 2nd Trimester Report Cards were distributed.

  • Students have been attending and participating in Stations of the Cross each week at school.

  • Marian High School visited our school for a Pep Rally. The students and staff enjoyed the fun, spirited event!

  • PSP was here to take Spring Pictures!

  • Students in grades 3, 5, and 7 took the Cognitive Abilities Tests (COGAT).

  • Our Read-a-Thon event ended March 6th! We had 78 students participate and raised $2,789.36 for our school! The kids did a great job. Thank you to everyone who supported this event. 
 
2019 Prizes for the most money raised:

1 st Prize- Maiya Vavro 2-Gold
IPad 2018 6th generation 128GB WiFi with Apple Pencil

2 nd Prize- Logan Miller Kindergarten Blue
Amazon Fire 10HD tablet 32GB with I ring holder

3 rd Prize- AJ Reaman 3rd Grade
Echo Dot 3rd generation Smart Speaker with Alexa plus $50.00 Amazon gift card

Bonus prize- James Gelatko 4th Grade (James raised $345)
for the student that raises the most total money $50.00 Barnes & Noble gift card

Class Prize- Kindergarten Blue (KB raised a total of $488.06)
For the class who raises the most money will also win a pizza party and a dress down day.


2019 Prizes for the top reader in each grade:

The top reader in each class won: a dress down pass and a $15 Scholastic gift certificate.
KBlue- Lars Wetterau
KGold- Kendall Peiser
1st Grade- Tanner Zukovich
2-Gold- Brody Peiser
2-Blue- Abby Whittaker
3rd Grade- Jack LeClair (top reader in the school with 2,374 pages)
4th Grade- Gage Green
5th Grade- Makayla Whittaker
6th Grade-There is a tie- Lacey Gallagher and Alyssa Porambo
7th Grade- Megan Reaman
8th Grade- Ethan Risteter

Special drawing with the top reader in each class.
Winner- Abby Whittaker 2 Blue
The twelve names were entered into a drawing and the prize was an Amazon Fire 8”HD 16GB with custom cover and show mode charging station.
                                                                                                                                              
All Read a Thon prizes were donated through the generosity of SJRS friends and family.
Thank you to the following families for donating all of the prizes for the winners this year:
Metters Family
Zeiler Family
Joanne Calabrese, D.O. Business Donation
Nancy Jones
Upanavage Family
Strauss Family
Polakovic Family
Meiss Family
Thank you to the Home and School Association for helping with the Read-a-Thon.

  • March 1st was Crazy Hat Day and Dr. Seuss Day- Volunteers from St. Luke’s visited SJRS for the Read Across America Celebration in grades PreK-4. Volunteers who participated in the event were: Rachel Krajcirik, Dr Joe McGinley, Maryellen Stephens, Kelly Dirzulaitis, Kerri Quick, Renee Seyfried, Dr Liz Perilli, Dr. Joanne Calabrese, Nancy Jones
  • All students also received dental treat bags from Dr. Fallabel. Thank you!
  • St. Luke's provided the bookmarks and pencils and also sponsored a coloring /drawing contest for K-8. Congratulations to the contest winners: 
  • K-2nd Group- Levi McCullion
  • 3rd-5th Group- Quentin Petschauer
  • 6th-8th Group- Anthony Aguirre
  • Thank you to all volunteers, and also to Tom Volk, who is a network photographer for St Lukes. His photos can be viewed on our SJRS Facebook Page, along with more photos taken by Times News Lehighton Photographer, Amy Miller.
Register for the 2019-2020 School Year
 
Re-Registration forms can be found at this link HERE

Enrollment fee is now $100.00 per child 

Registration Fees must be paid in order to officially register for the 2019-2020 school year.


Thank you to all the families who registered already! We currently have over 270 Students registered
for 2019-2020!
Gift Certificates and Scrip Certificates
***No SCRIP orders on April 16th***
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. Please note gift cards will not be sold during the month of June or on July 2nd. Sales will resume July 9th.

Financial Aid

**Financial Aid Applications must be submitted through FACTS by May 1st**

2019-2020 Payment Plans
Thank you to everyone who has already re-registered for next year! Updated tuition information packets were sent home in the previous communication envelopes and has also been uploaded to our website. Please be sure to read over the packet as there were some changes from last year. For 2019-2020 we will be offering the following payment plans for K-8th grade: 
Full Payment (4% Discount)
Bi-yearly Payment (2% Discount)
12 Month Payment Plan
10 Month Payment Plan

***PLEASE NOTE*** :  Your current plan will be reselected for next year unless otherwise specified. If you wish to change your payment plan for the 2019-2020 school please contact Mrs. Beers via email ( [email protected] ) by April 30th . Thank you! 


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  March is Haley Rivers in 5th Grade . The amount of tuition credit is $99 . Thank you to all who took chances. Slips are enclosed for next month’s drawing which will be on April 17th.

SAVE YOUR SODA TABS
The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House supports families of seriously ill children by creating a community of comfort and hope. The programs include two Ronald McDonald Houses in West and North Philadelphia, three Ronald McDonald Family Rooms at local hospitals. At every House, families get home-cooked meals, private bedrooms, playrooms for children, and daily activities for the children and their families. All this is provided at a minimal or no cost donation. Here at SJRS, some of our families have found comfort and support for their families at these facilities. The Ronald McDonald Houses depend on charitable contributions to provide families with the support they need. One of their sources of donations comes from aluminum can tabs. We will be collecting these at our school for the remainder of the year. A member of the SJRS family will take the tabs to the Ronald McDonald house in Philly. Thank you for your support.
 
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.   SJRS will be hosting a Mandated Reporter training on April 9th from 5:30-8:30.
To register: call 610-332-0442, ext. 2016

Class Trips and Clearances
Many classroom trips are being planned for the spring. If you are interested in going on these trips, you must have all of your clearances. Please do not wait to start the process of getting your clearances. That way, when the letter comes home about the trip, you will already have the clearance paperwork completed.

Parents wishing to join their children on field trips will need to get their clearances as soon as possible. If we don't have it on file in the school office , we cannot include it in your list of completed clearances. Thank you.

T he Diocese of Allentown has updated the Code of Conduct and so volunteers must read the new version on line at www.allentowndiocese.com and sign a new Code of Conduct Acknowledgement form. This is mandatory to keep your clearances up to date. 


S JRS SCHOOL CALENDAR UPDATE
Notes were also included with this information in the communication folders and on OptionC messages. T he 2018-2019 SJRS UPDATED Calendar is located on the website here . 



St. Jerome Regional School
2018-2019 School Calendar

***Please note the changes in the School Calendar due to snow days ***

       Wednesday, April 17 th – Regular Day, no early dismissal
       Thursday, April 18th – 12:00 Dismissal
      Monday, April 22 nd – Regular Day
        Friday, May 3 rd - Regular Day, no early dismissal
        Friday, May 24th – Regular Day
        Friday, May 31 st - Regular Day, no early dismissal
        Thursday, June 6th – Regular Day, no early dismissal
        Friday, June 7th - 10:30 Dismissal

Diocese of Allentown
St. Jerome Regional School Tamaqua, PA 18252
SCHOOL CALENDAR 2018– 2019
 
APRIL
WEDNESDAY     17                         SCHOOL IS OPEN- FULL DAY
THURSDAY        18                          SCHOOL IS OPEN- 12PM DISMISSAL
Friday                  19                         Good Friday – School is Closed
MONDAY             22                         SCHOOL REOPENS
Wednesday        24                          Mid Trimester Progress Reports Issued
 
MAY                
FRIDAY               24                          SCHOOL IS OPEN- FULL DAY
Monday               27                         Memorial Day - School Closed
Wed.- Fri.            29-31                    Final Examinations
 
JUNE             
Mon.-Tues.           3-4                        Final Examinations
THURSDAY        6                   SCHOOL IS OPEN- FULL DAY
FRIDAY                7                            CLOSING EXERCISES 10:30 DISMISSAL
__________________________________________________________________________________
12pm Dismissal Apr. 18 (the April 17 th early dismissal is cancelled)
May 3, May 31 Early Dismissals are cancelled- Both are full days
               10:30 Dismissal – June 7 (the June 6 th early dismissal is cancelled and is now a full day)
 

Little Lions Preschool Information
During the month of April, we will continue to prepare for Easter and talk about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

3 year olds Letter of the Week: X, Y, Z. The following weeks will be used to review all of the letters. They will continue to work on spelling their name.

4 year olds will continue to work on writing letters & matching uppercase and lower case letters. We will continue to introduce color and number words. They will work on scissor skills, writing their names and fine motor activities.

Three-year-old Easter Egg Hunt will be held on Tuesday April 16.
Four-year-old Easter Egg Hunt will be held Wednesday April 17th.

Wednesday April 17th and Monday April 22nd are full days for four-year-old students.

There is school on Thursday April 18th for 3-year-old students.


REMINDERS :

- Please check the April calendar for important dates.   

- Race for Education – May 1st (Rain date May 8th)
  • We are asking for donations of small bottles of water for this event. If you would like to donate, please drop it off in the office before May 1st. Thank you!

-Students in Grades 2- 7 will take the IOWA Test of Basic Skills . 

-The Scholastic Book Fair will take place April 8th-12th at SJRS.

-The 2019-2020 SJRS Yearly Calendar is located on the website here . 

  - April Missions-
Our mission project for April will benefit an SJRS family. On April 5th we will have a Dress Down Day for a donation of $1.00 or more. The money collected will help the family with travel expenses and some medical needs. Thank you for your generosity!
There will be three special ticketed events held during the month of April:
April 16th - Family Fun Night (The Brain Show)
April 26th- 5th-8th Grade Dance
Students must wear appropriate clothing to the dance.
April 6th- High Stakes Bingo Event
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

An Easter Prayer
May the glory and the promise of this joyous time of year,
bring peace and happiness to you and those you hold most dear.
And may Christ, Our Risen Savior, always be there by your side
to bless you most abundantly and be your loving guide.
AMEN.



Let us pray for:
 
Your continued prayers, support, cooperation and dedication to Catholic education.

Your continued kind words toward each other.    

    Our Home & School Association officers and members, our lunch aides, teacher aides, those who work at our fundraisers, the cooks and bakers and those who support our school in any way. Your dedication and sacrifices, commitment and sharing of your time, talent and resources is a source of inspiration to us. We thank God for the gift of each one of you and we ask Him to continue to bless you and your efforts as you help to make SJRS – simply the best.
This is a special place because you are special people. 
 
 A special intention.

Our school family.

Our community and neighbors.
 
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. 
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