SJRS Monthly Newsletter -November 2018
Saint Jerome Regional School
"Living Fearlessly Through Faith..."
Message From The Principal
Dear St. Jerome Family,
October was a very busy month at our school. What a beautiful month God gave us! Thank you for being part of the SJRS Family and thank you for all the sacrifices you make to send your child to Saint Jerome Regional School!
Some of the highlights during the month of October are listed below:

  • In celebration of the Feast of St. Francis, we gathered together as a family as Father Hoffa blessed our pets.

  • The Rush Township Fire Department conducted a Fire Prevention Program for all students.

  • Progress Reports were issued and Parent-Teacher Conferences were held.

  • Student pictures were taken for the 18-19 school year.

  • Health screenings were conducted by the nurse in all grades.

  • Our K-4 Halloween Dance was a huge hit with the kids! If you did not get a chance to see some of the pictures from that night, please check out our Facebook Page.

  • The 8th Grade Class spent the day at Marian High School on October 11. Everyone enjoyed the day!

  • We started re-registration for 2019-2020 school year!

  • Children's Book Author Paul Acampora visited our school and taught writing workshops for our 3rd-8th grade students! Mr. Acampora also works as the Secretary for Stewardship & Development in the Diocese of Allentown. Please check out his website to learn more about him and his books! https://www.paulacampora.com

  • 5th Grade led our school as we prayed the Living Rosary together.

  • We participated in Red Ribbon Week- Life Is Your Journey. Travel Drug Free! 

  • 7th grade students Julia Meiss and Jakob Mummey represented SJRS at the Diocesan Family Festival and accompanying Catholic School & Alumni Celebration. They were presented with a crucifix for the school blessed by Bishop Schlert.

  • The very last week of September, the 2018-2019 Student Council members were installed at Mass. Thank you to all of the student candidates who took the initiative to be involved in school leadership.  CONGRATULATIONS to:
President –  Joey Walko
Vice-President –  Julia Meiss
Treasurer –  Brady Bobrowski
Secretary – Megan Reaman
Gr. 8 Homeroom Rep. – Jenna Goff
Gr. 7 Homeroom Rep. –  Isabella Boyer
Gr. 6 Homeroom Rep. –  Alyssa Porambo
Gr. 5 Homeroom Rep. –  Cristina Mohammed

  • On October 26th the Marian High School Rock Music Ministry will perform at our school Mass for our students.

  • October 31st- Halloween- Our students will parade in their Halloween costumes in the small loop starting at 11:15. Please do not park in the small loop. Students are permitted to wear their Halloween costumes to school that day, or they can choose to dress down in orange and black. No weapons of any kind are permitted.  Please be sure that the costumes are appropriate. (If it is raining, or there is inclement weather, the parade will be cancelled). Classroom parties will take place immediately following lunch in each of the classrooms.  
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 October in each homeroom. 
Students will receive a dress down pass, Christian of the Month Certificate and an Applebees Certificate.
T he students will be recognized at the first Mass of each month.


The Christian of the Month for Kindergarten Gold is Jaxen Schaeffer . Jaxen is a very kind, responsible, and quiet student. He is a good listener and is very helpful. Jaxsen is a fun-loving caring student. Outside of school, he participates in soccer. He also loves to play and watch football, baseball, and hockey. He enjoys hiking, cooking, and bike riding. Jaxsen has a great imagination. He loves to draw, and make art projects to give as gifts. He loves the Incredible Hulk and watching the show the Wild Krats. He loves learning about animals. Congratulations Jaxen!

Aiden Barrett has been chosen Christian of the Month for Kindergarten Blue. Aiden is a very hard working student, always attentive and responsible. He eagerly participates in all class activities. Aiden is helpful, friendly and very respectful to his teachers and classmates. At home Aiden is an amazing big brother, always setting a good example for his little brother, Braxton. He is kind and respectful with a heart of gold. Aiden loves school and is always eager to learn. Aiden excels at all sports. He plays Tee Ball for the Mahanoy City Little League and soccer for the Tamaqua Area Youth Soccer association. Aiden is a member of St. Richard’s Parish. Congratulations, Aiden!

Kellan Krajcirik , Grade 1, has earned the Christian of the Month Award. Kellan is always listening and ready to work. Kellan always does his best. He always follows the classroom rules and is kind to his classmates. Kellan has been playing Anthracite Little League 7/8 teams for 2 years. Kellan loves to read and go camping. He adores his big brother, Kaden. His favorite activity is 4-wheeling with Kaden and dad. Great job, Kellan!

2-Gold’s Christian of the Month is JoElle Currie . Jo Elle is always the first to lend a helping hand with a smile on her face. She is kind, funny, determined, and very creative. Jo Elle’s extracurricular activities include the Anthracite Volleyball Club, and she also competes in gymnastics with Dance with Kim. Jo Elle is on the Level 3 Competition Team. She loves to laugh, play, and always goes above and beyond with her schoolwork. Great Job. JoElle!

Abby Upanavage was chosen as 2-Blue's Christian of the Month because she puts a lot of effort into her school work, is helpful to her classmates and is respectful to everyone she meets. Abby is a kind and gentle girl who saves her goofy sense of humor for her family and close friends. She has a knack for knowing exactly when someone needs a hug or a quick laugh. She can melt away a bad day in an instant. Abby loves her family, friends and her dog, Wyatt. She enjoys crafts, singing, dancing, and tumbling with her big sister. She is currently taking a break from Dance With Kim where she participated in Ballet, Tap and Jazz. Abby takes pride in being helpful around the house. She is a caregiver to all things cute and fuzzy. Abby is a conscientious and proud student. She has beautiful handwriting! Her big heart and growing faith are revealed to her family each night during bedtime prayers. 

Third grade Christian of the Month is Andrew Reaman . Andrew is a responsible student who is very helpful in the classroom. He has a love for learning and likes to be challenged academically. He participates in Anthracite Baseball and CYO cross country. He also enjoys horseback riding. 

The 4th grade Christian of the Month for October in is Emily Upanavage. Emily is a good student and hard worker. She always tries her best. She never hesitates to help out the teacher in the classroom or to help a fellow classmate. She is very respectful to both adults and students.
Emily is a sweet girl, blessed with an abundance of kindness and curiosity. She loves her family and her friends with all of her heart. She loves her dog, Wyatt, too. Emily thrives at home creating useful art and inventions. She enjoys reading, singing, dancing, and tumbling with her sister best. Though, being useful to Mommy and Daddy around the house is a close second. Emily is a quietly competitive athlete who currently plays West Penn U10 girls softball. (She likes to hit!) She is easily and often amazed by Mother Nature. Emily is a dedicated, enthusiastic and proud student. She makes sure we pray as a family every day. Emily respectfully serves Mass in the St John XXIII Parish.

Fifth grade's Christian of the Month is Maggie Zeiler . Maggie is a very helpful student in the classroom. She is always respectful to her teachers and other students. Maggie is involved in Girl Scouts, as a Brownie she earned 24 badges and 28 badges as a junior. She enjoys taking dance classes at Center Stage Dance and is currently in her 8th year. Maggie is creative and artistic and a great helper, especially with her younger cousins. Congratulations, Maggie!

William Mayberry has been chosen as the Christian of the Month for the Sixth Grade. In addition to his excellent classroom performance, William is very involved in extra-curricular activities. He has played baseball at multiple positions. He is a 4 year all-star player having earned co-pitcher of the year honors in 2017. William plays football for Mahanoy Midgets as defensive end and offensive end. Additionally, he has participated in biddy and CYO basketball. In 2018, he was the Mahanoy City Elks Hoop Shoot Winner. William plays the baritone and is part of the concert, honors, and jazz bands. He was recognized for his efforts by playing in the PMEA District 10 Band Fest in 2017 and 2018. He is an altar server at St. Teresa of Calcutta and completes community service yearly with the Elks Club. William has a very strong love of wildlife and animals. He has been a great addition to our class this year. Congratulations, William!

Rianna Mohammed is the 7th Grade Christian of the Month. Rianna is a hard-working student. She is always willing to lend a helping hand even when not asked. Rianna is a member of St. Jerome CYO Volleyball and also participates in Little Olympians basketball and Sierra View swim team. She is an altar server at her home parish of St. Peter the Fisherman in Lake Harmony. Rianna loves to sing and is a member of our school choir. She loves to help people and works at a food pantry. Rianna has helped to initiate a food and supply collection to aid hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. She helped by packing boxes and loading trucks. In the future, Rianna would like to be an interior designer. Congratulations, Rianna!

 Jenna Goff is the 8th Grade Christian of the Month. Jenna is a conscientious student and is kind, respectful, and helpful to everyone. She enjoys community service volunteering at Carbon County Friends of Animals Cat Shelter in Jim Thorpe, and she also organized several fundraisers to benefit CCFOA. Jenna is a member of the following sports teams: CYO Volleyball and Track, AAU/Anthracite Volleyball Club where she plays outside hitter and defense specialist, and Franklin Township Indians Softball playing second base, shortstop, outfield, and catcher. Her other activities include: serving as a school columnist for the Standard Speaker, achieving babysitting certification through attending a Safe Sitter Course, serving as a two year member of Ecumenical Christmas Cantata, Zion UCC Lehighton, and tutoring younger students in math. Jenna attended the Carbon County Conservation Camp for two years and plans to become a volunteer counselor.  Congratulations, Jenna!
Contest Winners

Congratulations to the following students who were the winners of the Rush Township Fire Department Fire Safety coloring contest/logo design contest. They were awarded with a Skipper Dipper Gift Card courtesy of the Rush Township Fire Department:

PreK-Janna Varner
K-Gold- Gretchen Mellor
K-Blue- Rebecca Wipple
1st Grade- Lillian Porambo
2-Gold- Viktoriya Chepelsky
2-Blue- Gabrielle Feller
3rd Grade- Grady Shellhammer
4th Grade- Kaden Krajcirik
5th Grade- Maggie Zeiler
6th Grade- Alyssa Porambo
7th Grade- Alex Porambo
8th Grade- Isabella Norton
Register for the 2019-2020 School Year
 
Re-Registration began October 10th. Information and forms were sent home in the communication envelopes, and they can also be found at this link HERE The following discounts will be offered to our current families:

Enroll by November 20 th : $50.00 per child
Enroll by February 1 st (End of CSW): $75.00 per child
Enroll after February 1 st : $100.00 per child 

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

***Our priority remains to our current families, and to reward your dedication to St. Jerome Regional School, we are happy to offer you a discounted enrollment fee again this year. We will be operating on a first come, first serve basis and we strongly encourage our current families to take advantage of the early enrollment period, as we expect waitlists for several grades next year. ***
  

A Message from the Home and School Association

REMINDER: We are taking signups for helpers for our Basket Bonanza on November 9th and 10th. Please email [email protected] if you can help.
Also, please return any unsold 50/50 tickets that you may have. We have had an enormous request for more tickets.

HSA Board: Karissa Montgomery, Karen Weicker, Amanda Ogozalek and Megan DeAngelo


Home and School Fall/Early Winter Event Schedule 2018
(All Dates are subject to change)

November 9 & 10-    Basket Bonanza
November 13-            HSA meeting 6:30 p.m. in Cafeteria

November 20-            Winter Spirit wear sale begins/Pie Sale Pickup

November 30-            Winter Spirit Wear sale ends
                                   Blue Mountain Candle sale ends


December 7-             5 th -8 th grade Christmas Dance (6-8p.m.) must purchase
tickets in advance

December 10 & 11-  Santa Shop

December 14-            Winter Spirit Wear pickup (1-3 P.M.)
                                   Blue Mountain Candle pickup (1-3 P.M.)

December 19-      50/50 Drawing


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. Please take note there will not be Scrip orders on November 20th.


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 October is Larry Ader 5th Grade . The amount of tuition credit is $193 . Thank you to all who took chances. Slips are enclosed for next month’s drawing which will be on November 21st


Preschool news
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held Thursday 11/8/18 and Friday 11/9/18. Preschool students do not have class on those days.

Thanksgiving Feast: Four year olds will celebrate their Thanksgiving Feast on Monday 11/19/18. There will be an 11:30am dismissal that day for all students. Students will return to school Wednesday 11/28/18.

Three year olds will celebrate with a Thanksgiving Feast on Tuesday 11/20/18. Students will return to school on Tuesday 11/27/18.

Four year olds will attend mass on Friday 11/16/18.

Four year olds update:
Literacy: This month we will finish our 1st cycle of letter of the day. We will review all letters the week of 11/12/18. When we return from Thanksgiving break we will continue to do letter of the day and focus on letter sounds in addition to letter identification. Students will begin to practice spelling and writing their names. Each student will receive a “Name book”. It will have different ways for the students to practice spelling and writing their names. We will do this weekly as one of our small groups.
Math: We will continue to practice counting up to 30. We will review positional words and patterns.
Religion: We will talk about Caring for our world. We will read the story of Noah’s Ark and talk about God’s promises to us.

Three year olds update:
Literacy: Letters I, J & K will be introduced.
Math: will continue counting to 20.
Religion: We will talk about Caring for our world. We will read the story of Noah’s Ark and talk about God’s promises to us.

A Message from Saint Jerome Regional CYO

November is almost here, and that means its time to sign up for Winter Sports!! 

  • BASKETBALL Signups have been underway and will be closing on October 31st. Please complete the form sent home in the school info envelope and return to School or to the CYO email below.
  • BOWLING – District 5 will hold its CYO Bowling Tournament on November 17th at SpareTime Lanes in Hometown. The starting times are 1pm for Grades K-4 and 2:45 for Grades 5-8. You do need to pre-register by emailing us at our St. Jerome CYO email below. The cost is $7 per person.  
 
Extended Spirit Wear Sale  – We invite you to also check out the New SJR-CYO SpiritWear  https://sjrcyofall2018.itemorder.com , items ordered by the November 18 th  deadline will be available in time for Christmas! If you have any questions about CYO, please contact the CYO Board at  [email protected]  rather than to the school office and administrators.
 

REMINDERS :

- Please check the November calendar for important dates.   We are also sending home the December calendar in the communication envelopes today. Please be sure to check November and December for all important dates!
 
  • There is a 1:00 dismissal on Tuesday, November 20th. 
  • There is NO SCHOOL on November 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 26th. School reopens Nov. 27th.
  • Basket Bonanza is November 9th and 10th. 
  • Winter Uniform Starts November 1st.  


- November/December Missions –

Our mission project for the months of November & 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, onsies, 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 14 then 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 7.
 
May God bless you for your generosity during this Christmas Season.
 
We will also have a dress down day for all students on December 6th. A $1.00 donation or more is appreciated to help an SJRS family in need. 

   
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
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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.
 
A special intention for someone dealing with an illness.
 
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.