WE ARE EDUCATORS

We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don’t fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. We have become used to some parents who just don’t want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you’re willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.

Trust us. At times when we tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, we can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of our biggest pet peeves is when we tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, “Is that true?” Well, of course it’s true. We just told you. And please don’t ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent. We need you to understand!

S.J.S. BOOKWORMS

A famous maxim states, “A good book is the best of friends.” At St. James we have many “bookworms” – children who love to read. To emphasize its importance reading is promoted in many ways.

Besides an impressive library, each classroom is well-stocked with a mini-library of paperbacks. Grades 1-6 participate in Book-It. Each student has a monthly reading goal and upon meeting it, receives a coupon for a free pizza treat at Pizza Hut. Grades 5-6-7 are eager to be challenged by the computer program, “Accelerated Reader”. Upon completion of a book the student takes a test on it on the Accelerated Reader. The student achieves points based on comprehension and the book’s reading level. Students are eager to increase their points and make new book friends in the process.

Recently we were treated by a group of SJS students who gave book reports.

• Gr. 4 - Garrett Glowacki – Rabbit Hill
• Gr. 4A - Mary Swigonski – Miss Hickory
• Gr. 5 – Mitchell Razanauskas – Dear Mr.;Henshaw
• Gr. 6 – Alissa VanSlyke – Sarah Plain & Tall
• Gr. 7 – Sarah Babay – Wheel on the School
• Gr. 8 – Madeline Breski – Dicey’s Song
• Gr. 8A – Kevin Kruszewski – Maniac Magee

VALUABLE SKILL

CPR for adults and children is a valuable skill for everyone to know. On October 7 our faculty attended a very informative in-service given by Mrs. Karen Link, a specialist with the American Red Cross. She is the mother of Andrew, one of our former students. Her vivacious and well-organized presentation allowed our teachers to assess and respond to various emergency situations using CPR. The teachers were also instructed in the use of AED (Automated External Defibrillator) which we have in our school gym. The purpose of the machine is to reset the heart after trauma and return it to a regular heartbeat. Choking issues are also life threatening and were addressed as well. Knowing the signs of a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or unconscious choking enables our faculty to respond immediately. Hopefully, our teachers will never need to use these life-saving skills, but if the need arises, they have been prepared well, and are ready to act. We are grateful to Mrs. Link for her expertise and experience in helping us to “put it all together” for saving lives. God Bless You and thank you for an enriching day.
Sr. Martha CDS

CLASSROOM NEWS

The first graders have spent the first month of school studying the five senses. They have learned how important our senses are to our every day lives and how they help us learn. They played a version of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” for seeing, learned some sign language for hearing, guessed mystery scents for smelling, sampled sweet, sour, salty, and bitter foods for tasting, and figured out mystery items by feeling for touching. They also learned about famous American, Helen Keller, who accomplished the impossible feat of learning to speak even though she was both blind and deaf. So now that they’ve completed their studies, things make “sense”!
Mrs. Norton

So you think America’s Got Talent? Think again! Grade 5 has all the talent in the world. We have bakers, singers, builders, gymnasts, guitar players, magicians, writers, actors, poets and even more. All these talents were shared recently during a classroom talent show. After reading our story, “Talent Show,” the students were asked to share their talents with their classmates. We truly enjoyed learning what talented classmates we have. We’ve Got Talent!!
Mrs. Astemborski

The students in Grade 6 are deep into their study of Ancient History in Social Studies. We discussed items we could put away in a time capsule to give people living in the future information about what life is like now.

As time capsules arrived in Grade 6, the students began to present them to the class. What a wide variety of contents there were! We had samples of students’ handwriting, news articles, photographs, ballet shoes, and art work. We also had favorite CDs and DVDs from this era, paraphernalia from sports’ teams, and ticket stubs from events attended.

There was definitely enough variety in our time capsules to give any historian in the future a good sample of life in this era.
Mrs. Pacinelli

Grade 4A has been very busy working on poetry in our classroom. Each month we will learn a new type of poetry and compose a poem. The students have completed their first poem called a couplet. This is a short, two lined poem that rhymes. After writing their poems, the students then illustrated them. We will learn a new type of poem each month and at the end of the year, compile them into a booklet. We look forward to sharing them both in our classroom and with you. Happy Fall.
Mrs. Sigler

- Recipe for a successful reader –

Mix Together:

• 1/2 hour of special reading time each day
• Some colorful age appropriate books and magazines
• A few fun reading games or puzzles

Fold In:

• one enthusiastic child and one special reading buddy (parent, grandparent, older sibling, etc.)

Place all together in a quiet comfortable location and enjoy the reward of a child who loves to read!
Mrs. Keinath

The students of Grade 4 are beginning a unit of study on the Northeast region of the United States. The students will complete an outline map of the region labeling states, cities, and important bodies of water. They will explore the geography, climate, and resources of the region, as well as, identify the importance of this region as it pertains to history and the colonies gaining their independence from England.
Mrs. Brennan