The school year is going so fast, and it is hard to believe that the first Sunday of Advent is just around the corner. Advent is such a beautiful season.  During the season of Advent, we come together as a school family to light our Advent wreath 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.

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

• Monthly Mission Focus Nov 3rd-25th: The focus this month is CHRISTMAS TIME. We are collecting food for local food banks. Some examples are pancake mix, syrup, instant mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, turkey gravy, canned vegetables, salt & pepper, coffee, tea, dessert mixes (like brownies and cakes), small plastic bottles of vegetable oil, canned icing, etc. The class with the highest donation percentage will win Dress Down Passes. (As always, all food items are welcome, regardless of the theme.) Thank you!

• PSP was here for picture retakes and pictures with Santa on November 11th!

• Our Pk-8th Grade students were given educational postcards from the LCpl Matt Snyder Camp Snoops Project that help to promote Memorial and Veterans Day education. 

• A group of Marian Catholic High School students and Mrs. Milosh visited SJRS on November 12th to do a bonding activity with our 3rd Graders!

• 7th Grade went on a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Siena. Fr. Minner led a tour explaining the various aspects of it. The students also visited the Chancery Office where they were introduced to Vicar for Clergy Fr. Ritz, Vicar General Msgr. Yenushosky, and Chancellor Fr. Mathur who spoke of their duties. Bishop Schlert welcomed the students in his office, explained his coat of arms, and answered questions. The students received a prayer card and bracelet for St. Carlo Acutis.

• 3rd grade students became published authors after completing an in-class writing project just in time for Thanksgiving. They created a gratitude book showcasing all of the things that they are thankful for. They followed an authors checklist of pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. They were excited to finish out the project with a book signing party!

• Student Council sponsored Feather Wars all of this month. Feather Wars is a contest between classes. Each class had a turkey, and they were competing for the most feathers. The feathers cost $0.50 cents per feather. The contest ran from November 3rd-November 21st. The prize for the most feathers is a pizza party and a dress down day. The money collected will go to the Student Council Projects this year. We are beyond proud of our Student Council who raised $3097.91 with their Feather Wars Competition. The winning class for preschool-3rd grade was 1 Blue with 921 feathers. The winner for grade 4-8 was 6th Grade Gold with 481 feathers. These school leaders have decided to use a portion of the money for a $250 donation to the Hometown Fire Company, a $500 matching donation for #SpreadtheSpirit day of online giving! They are also honoring Father Minner with a leaf for the tree in our front lobby. #SJRSproud

• Congratulations to the winners of the McAdoo Lions Club Peace Poster Contest! First place - Vienna Holman, second place - Avery Fuhs, third place - Lillian Porambo. Thank you to everyone who participated.

• SJRS students and staff received an invitation to participate in a live digital encounter with His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV today. His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, address led the young Church in the US through a live digital encounter during the National Catholic Youth Conference taking place in Indianapolis. He offered a message of hope, unity and peace, and engaged in a live dialogue with several youth participants during a 45-minute virtual appearance from Rome. This marks a historic moment in the Church’s engagement with young people in the digital age.



• Congratulations to Wyatt Morris who placed 2nd in the 2025 6th Grade CYO Diocesan Spelling Bee. We are so proud of him!

Looking ahead:

• There is an early dismissal (12:00) on November 25th.
• The 2nd Trimester begins on November 21st.
• Report Cards will be sent home on November 25th.
• Our SJRS Christmas Show is this month. Please see the flyer below.
• Santa’s Secret Shop December 9th, 10th and 11th- Students should come to Santa Shop with their money in an envelope. Please indicate who they are shopping for. Each item is $3.00. Due to Santa’s Secret Shop, students will be permitted to wear Christmas Clothing or Red/Green dress down clothing on both days. See the calendar for more information.
• Students in grades K, 1 and 5 shop on the 9th
• Students in grades 2, 3, 4 and Preschool shop on the 10th.
• Students in grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 shop on the 11th.
• Our 8th Annual #SpreadTheSpirit Day of online giving is on December 12th! Please consider donating to the SJRS Annual Fund. We recently mailed out our 2024-2025 Annual Fund Report to all of our donors. Thank you to everyone for supporting Saint Jerome Regional School. The annual fund report is also located on our website at THIS LINK. If you would like to make a donation to the 25-26 SJRS Annual Fund you can visit our DONATE page at any time. Every contribution, regardless of the amount, has a profound impact on our students and their future. Thank you for supporting SJRS.
• There is a 12:00 dismissal on December 23rd.
• Please check the December calendar for important dates.
• Christmas vacation – December 23rd at 12:00- January 4th. School reopens January 5th. 

God bless you and your families, 

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. Students will receive a dress down pass, Christian of the Month Certificate and Applebee's certificate. The students will be recognized in the monthly newsletter.

The Christian of the Month for preschool is Francis Buccierri (AKA… Frankie). Frankie is worthy of this award because he is kind, caring, respectful and always responsible. He is a wonderful student who is always helping his teachers and friends. He follows directions very well and it is truly a pleasure to have him in our class. Frankie loves to play with his friends and loves coming to school to play, learn and complete his artwork. During his spare time, He enjoys playing soccer and going to karate where he currently holds a white belt with a yellow stripe.Congratulations Frankie!!!

Kannon Kelly is Kindergarten Blue's November Christian of the Month. Kannon is ready to learn and do his best every day when he comes to school. Kannon really cares about doing things the right way. He takes his time to think before he completes his school work or answers any questions. He can always be trusted to be a good example and make positive choices in our classroom. Kannon is truly a great friend to every single classmate. He is friendly and outgoing and always speaks nicely to others. He can often be heard complementing or supporting his classmates with kind or encouraging words. Kannon is a member of St. Teresa of Calcutta Church. He plays basketball for the Girardville League and T-ball for Mahanoy City. In his free time Kannon loves to run and play outside. He enjoys spending time with his family, especially his sisters. He is energetic, kind, and caring. Way to go, Kannon! 

Kindergarten Gold’s Christian of the Month is Jordan Taylor! Jordan is a very kind, hardworking and trustworthy student. We can always count on him to have his hand raised during lessons and to take the extra time and care to complete his work nicely and very neatly. He loves to help his friends and teachers! Jordan is loved by his peers and is such a great example for them to follow. Outside of school Jordan enjoys spending time with his family and little brother and likes to learn about different animals by visiting zoos and watching animal documentaries! Way to go Jordan!

Joy Gaines is Christian of the Month for First Grade Gold. She is a very thoughtful and hard-working student. She likes to help her friends and make others happy. Outside of school, Joy plays T-ball for Jim Thorpe and participates in the Healthy Kids Running Series in Lehighton. She also attends gymnastics at Tumble with Denise. Joy loves telling jokes and making people laugh and smile. She cooks and bakes and shares her creations with other people. Joy is a loving big sister to her brother Quinn. Congratulations, Joy!

Congratulations to Alanna Skinner, our First Grade Blue Christian of the Month! Alanna is sweet, silly, and hardworking, always eager to learn and help others. She is kind, generous, and a wonderful friend, with a love for singing, dancing, and playing piano. Compassionate toward babies and animals, Alanna shines both in and out of school—she danced with Faberge Follies and performed at a local nursing home, and she hopes to join basketball and cross-country next year.

The second-grade gold Christian of the Month for November is Fox Bachert. Fox is a good student. He works hard and always tries his best. He is kind and respectful and always helps his classmates. When he is not in school, Fox plays third base and center field for Anthracite Little League Baseball. Next season, he hopes to try pitching. Fox loves to sing and is a great artist. He enjoys spending time outdoors, riding his bike or scooter, and swimming. Fox is kind and compassionate, always willing to help with chores and taking care of his Pop.

The Christian of the Month in Grade 2-Blue is Carter Stephens. Carter always works hard and does his best. He is always well-behaved, has good manners, and is trustworthy. He is kind and helpful to others. Outside of school, Carter plays 2nd base for Tamaqua Baseball. He is the point guard for SJRS CYO Basketball. He especially loves playing these sports with his friends. Carter demonstrates a willingness to learn yet continues to have fun and enjoy life while doing it. He has a great way of making people laugh and not allowing the little things to bother him. He is a great friend and brother to Jace, and a fantastic son at home. Carter always puts his best effort forward in everything he does. Congratulations, Carter! 

The SJRS Christian of the Month in 3rd Grade for the month of November is Scarlett Petrole. Scarlett strives to do her best, comes to class prepared, and shows a positive attitude each day. She uses kindness to uplift those around her. She has a big heart, is very smart, and works hard to always do the right thing. Outside of school, Scarlett participates in gymnastics at Shooting Starz. Thank you, Scarlett, for displaying good character and serving as a role model. We are very proud of you!

The Christian of the Month for 4-Blue for the month of November is Patrick Osenbach. Patrick is a member of St. John XXIII Parish where he enjoys altar serving. He also loves to fish, ride his bike, and play baseball. Most of all, he enjoys being with his family and hanging out with his friends. In the classroom, Patrick is kind, helpful, and has a great sense of humor! He is respectful and responsible and always does his best work! Congratulations Patrick! 

November’s Christian of the Month for 4Gold is Philip Gallagher. Philip is a kind, hardworking, and joyful student who brings positivity to our classroom every day. He plays basketball and has also spent five years tap dancing at TNT Studio of Dance. Outside of school, Philip serves his community in an amazing way—each summer, he and his big sister run a lemonade stand and donate 50% of their proceeds to the Carbon County Environmental Center. Over the last three years, they have contributed more than $200! Philip is incredibly sweet, funny, and helpful. He is the best big brother to Patrick—his biggest protector and best buddy—and a wonderful little brother to his big sister, Lilly. He loves designing and building anything he can get his hands on, and he dreams of becoming an engineer when he grows up. In the classroom, Philip is always willing to lend a hand with extra tasks. He completes his work responsibly and is quick to help his classmates whenever they need it. Philip truly embodies kindness, generosity, and Christian values, making him a well-deserving recipient of Christian of the Month.

Landon Moyer is the Christian of the Month for Grade 5. In school, Landon consistently

demonstrates Christian values, including respect, responsibility, and a commitment to

doing his best. He treats others with kindness and respect in the classroom and on the

playground. In addition to his respectful attitude, Landon also has a strong work ethic.

His assignments are completed on time and completely, and he regularly participates in

his classes. Landon has been a member of the SJRS Band for two years, where he

plays the drums and bells. Outside of school, Landon enjoys hunting, fishing, and doing

puzzles. He is also very skilled at Nintendo and loves to play. Congratulations, Landon!

We are proud of you!

Wyatt Morris has been chosen as Christian of the Month for November in 6th Grade Blue! He plays baseball for Jim Thorpe Little League and the Coaldale Tigers, where his favorite positions are third base and center field. This winter he will be playing basketball for St. Jerome’s and has been practicing every day after school and on weekends. Wyatt is proud to maintain his straight A average and recently won his local diocesan spelling bee. He is also signed up for the National Spelling Bee and will compete in January for a chance to advance to regionals. At home, Wyatt is a constant help to his family. He loves watching classic movies with his dad, baking with his mom, and being a wonderful big brother by helping teach his little brother how to ride a bike, do math, and play Minecraft.

Sixth Grade Gold's Christian of the Month for November is Amelia Wiscount. Amelia is a kind-hearted, helpful, beautiful soul. In school, she is an aide to both her teachers and her classmates. Amelia is always available to lend an uplifting word of encouragement to anyone who is sad. She is sensitive to the people around her and wants everyone to feel included in all activities. Amelia is an active participant in all her classes and volunteers to answer questions and read aloud whenever the opportunity presents itself. Outside of school, Amelia plays SJRS volleyball and is on the Girls JV Gold team. She also is a dancer with Dalinda Dance Studio. Amelia has played flute with our SJRS band for the past three years and looks forward to the upcoming Christmas concert. She enjoys traveling with her family and sharing stories from her adventures. Congratulations, Amelia! We are all so proud of you!

Vienna Holman is the 7th Grade Christian of the Month. Vienna is a conscientious student whose work is always complete and done neatly. She readily participates in class discussions and volunteers in all classes. She is part of the team that does morning and afternoon announcements. Vienna is an acolyte at Christ Lutheran Church, Mahanoy City. Vienna has played piano, clarinet and bass clarinet for 6 years and is part of our SJRS Blue and Gold Band. She also participates in Theatre Arts where she performs and sings. Athletically, Vienna plays pitcher and shortstop on the Black Widows softball team and swims the breaststroke on a swim team. Congratulations, Vienna!

The 8th Grade Christian of the Month is Adalyn Walker. Adalyn displays Christian values at school by being kind to others, being respectful to faculty and staff, and always being prepared for class. Adalyn gets along with her peers and has a strong work ethic. She is helpful around the classroom and participates in class. Outside of school, Adalyn is a student teacher and senior team member for Jazz, Tap, and Ballet at TNT Studio of Dance. She plays the piano and enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling. Her parents describe her as dedicated and say she is a positive role model.  Congratulations, Adalyn!

Saint Jerome Regional School

2025-2026 1^st Trimester Honor Roll List

5^th Grade

Distinguished Honors: 

Amelia Kromer, Alexandra Lutz, Addison Strohl

First Honors: 

Caden Engleman, Lana Fenkner, Katerina Kirk, Jacob Kufro, Xavier Sediva, Riley Strohl

Second Honors:

Piera Basile, Alexander Biros, Sophia Bruno, Brynn Hannis-Miskar, Isaiah McGinley,

Jude Ruffner, Kennedy Sabol, Nicholas Schlauch

6^th Grade

Distinguished Honors:

Blaise Kopp, Wyatt Morris, Amelia Wiscount, Joshua Zawisza

First Honors:

Adalyn Bones, Adora Farra, Brielle Hannis-Miskar, Aneesa Howay, Kameron Kohler,

Racquel Kondertavage, Emily Lutz, Carlos Martinez, Paige Miller, Robert Paton,

J. Brayden Sanzi, Janna Varner, Landen Yanett, Peter Young

Second Honors:

Leah McGinley, David Smith

7^th Grade

First Honors:

Aiden Barrett, Brianna Heater, Vienna Holman, Gavin Lutz, Rebecca Wippel

Second Honors:

Annabelle Sobolewski, Nicholas Zawisza

8^th Grade

First Honors:

Evrett Angelo, Addison Engleman, Lillian Gallagher, Gavin Woodring, Luke Young

Second Honors:

Avion Graham Cruz, Alex Lin Lillian Porambo

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. Last Scrip order before Christmas break is December 16th.

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 the Loprete family. The amount of tuition credit is $158. Thank you to all who took chances. Slips are enclosed for next month’s drawing which will be on December 17th.

Home and School News

We encourage all parents to get involved with Home and School. We will need much help, especially this year with our fundraising efforts. We encourage everyone to share ideas with HSA.

2025-2026 Home and School Officers 

President~Kathy Reaman

Vice President~Maria McGinley

Secretary~Megan DeAngelo

Treasurer~Billie Jo Wetterau

Coordinator of Fundraising Activities~ Karen Weicker

Community Outreach- Holly Bones and Emily Hadesty

Email: hsa@sjrschool.com

Interested in Volunteering or Chaperoning?

We are always looking for parent volunteers to support our school events and field trips through the Home and School Association (HSA)! We will need a lot of help at our Annual Basket Bonanza which is coming up very soon. We will also need volunteers for events such as Santa's Shop, Dances, Field Trips and Spirit Day.

To volunteer or chaperone, you must complete the Diocesan “Protecting God’s Children” Workshop, along with several other Diocesan requirements. These apply to all K–8 volunteers and may change from time to time. You can view the most current requirements by clicking the link below.

volunteer.pdf

Please keep in mind that Diocesan guidelines are updated periodically, and additional steps may be required even if you've volunteered in the past. If you're thinking about chaperoning a field trip this year, we recommend starting the clearance process early. This helps ensure everything is completed in time, as chaperone spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis from those who already have their clearances in place. Each class has a set number of chaperones, and those spots need to be confirmed before tickets can be purchased. Getting started early is the best way to avoid any last-minute issues!

Please note: All approved volunteers will be given badges that must be worn at events. You will receive the badges at the event and then return it to be kept in the school office for future events.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community!

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. 

Let Us Pray

Almighty God,

We give you our school.

We give you all the teachers and staff who work here.

We give you all the children who study here.

We pray our school would be a place of great discovery, adventure and creativity.

May it be a place where we love to learn and where we learn to love.

A place where everyone is respected and all are deeply valued.

We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord

Amen     

Let us pray for: 

Our school family

a Special Intention

Our Nation

Father Gallagher

Patti Turton 

Sheila Kuzo 

Your continued prayers, support, cooperation and dedication to Catholic education.

Your continued kind words toward each other.

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.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more pictures and happenings in our school!

Your Tax Dollars can help SJRS 

Christmas Show Save the Date

The Christmas Program is the same program for each date.

If you have children in multiple grades, you can choose one of the dates to attend.

Children should dress in (dress-up or holiday clothes or dress uniform) for the program that their parents are attending. They can dress up for each program or choose to wear the regular or dress school uniform for the other two shows.  

We recently mailed out our 2024-2025 Annual Fund Report to all of our donors. Thank you to everyone for supporting Saint Jerome Regional School. The annual fund report is also located on our website at THIS LINK. If you would like to make a donation to the 25-26 SJRS Annual Fund you can visit our DONATE page at any time or use the QR Code to take you to the page. Every contribution, regardless of the amount, has a profound impact on our students and their future. Thank you for supporting SJRS.

Click here to DONATE EARLY to

#SpreadTheSpirit 2025 and to view the sneak peek of this year's

#SpreadtheSpirit Video!