St. James' News, March 5, 2010
Dear Parent:
Emergency Notification - Thanks to the PSF, St. James' now has the ability to inform parents of emergency situations through the Alert Now Parent Notification System. With this automatic service, we can quickly inform parents of emergencies by e-mail, voice mail, or text message. We will have the first test of the system Monday, March 8, at 10 a.m. Community Security Manager Alan Cordero will send out a test voice message and a test e-mail at that time. If you do not receive one of these messages Monday, please e-mail Alan at acordero@sjsla.org with your correct emergency information.
Seeds for Haiti – Please see the attached flyer for information about how we can help the people at our sister school in Haiti, St. Jacques at Terre Cassee. The earthquake in Port-au-Prince has meant the migration of many hungry city-dwellers into the countryside. To help meet the challenge of even more mouths to feed, Serena Beeks has suggested that we collect vegetable seeds that she will take with her when she visits St. Jacques later this month so that people can grow their own food. Please e-mail me at sbowers@sjsla.org with any questions or suggestions. The seed drive will conclude with the beginning of spring break, Monday, March 22.
Community Gathering – This morning’s Community Gathering was a memorable event, with extensive student participation. Two students read us their autobiographies (in Spanish); Ms. Yu encouraged participation in the Science Fair; Mrs. Leonard’s class performed the Louis Armstrong hit, What a Wonderful World, in American Sign Language; Mrs. Cowan reported on the many activities of the PSF; Third Grader Max awarded prizes to the top money-raisers from the Run for Fun, an event to support the St. James’ Church Soup Kitchen; Mr. Duggan told us about next week’s Around the World event; First Grader Paulina played American folk songs on the accordion.
Students of the Month – We concluded the Gathering, as we always do, with our Student of the Month awards, where we honor students in Grades Three though Six for their special abilities and accomplishments. As we recognize each honoree, I read aloud a citation from the teacher about that individual. It is heartening to me how often our teachers cite qualities in their students that go far beyond the classroom. Here are the descriptions of two of March’s Students of the Month, both from Grade Four.
One student is “a careful and conscientious student who always does her very best, achieving academic excellence in all areas. Her work is always prepared with great care and attention to detail. A good friend to her classmates, (she) shares her talents with them every day.” Another student is “gracious because she is generous, compassionate, insightful, and considerate. Her classmates notice and appreciate her bravery, her honesty, and her magical smile. They also love how funny she is!”
These are just two examples of the wonderful students we are fortunate enough to enroll at St. James’.
Stephen L. Bowers
Head of School
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PARENT DISCUSSION GROUP
Join other St. James' parents for a lively and animated discussion of best-selling author Marcus Borg's The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith - How We Can Be Passionate Believers Today. We meet the following Tuesday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Meeting Room (2nd Floor, Parish Building): March 9, April 12 & 27, May 11 & 25.
AFTER-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT (ASE)
Our spring ASE session will start Monday, March 8 and continue through Monday, May 24.
DIVISION DIALOGUE MEETING
Join us Wednesday, March 10, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. for our second and final Division Dialogue Meeting of the school year. This informal gathering presents an opportunity for our community to discuss emerging topics of interest and to ask questions about curricular issues and daily life at school. Among other topics, we will discuss how to help with math homework, how we're integrating technology into our classrooms, and the middle school matriculation process. RSVP with suggestions for other topics to discuss to Angelina Arrington at aarrington@sjsla.org or Kris Haines at khaines@sjsla.org.
AROUND-THE-WORLD EVENT
We need more volunteer parents to bring in a dish from another country for our Around-the-World Event, March 10-12. Please complete and return the attached flyer if you are able to help. We invite you to attend our Around-the-World Assembly with student performances Friday, March 12, at 1:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall.
TRADITIONAL DRESS DAY
Friday, March 12 will be a free dress day for students to wear traditional dress from another country. Please, not t-shirts with country flags or logos. If students choose not to wear traditional dress, they should arrive in school uniform.
KOREAN SUNDAY
Our Around-the-World Event will culminate with a festive and colorful celebration of Korean culture Sunday, March 14 from 10:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
DO YOU HAVE AGING PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS?
Join us Wednesday, March 10, at 7:00 p.m., after our Family Dinner at the St. James' Cafe, for a pastoral presentation by The Rev. Sarah W. Nichols on Navigating Aging and End of Life Issues for Yourself, Your Parents, and Your Family. See the attached flyer for details.
EARLY DISMISSAL WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17
There will be early dismissal for professional development Wednesday, March 17. You can pick up your child early or take advantage of our after-school activities on the playing field.
HUSKY HIGHLIGHTS SHORT STORY CONTEST
Our Husky Highlights editors are running a short story contest for Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade students. Stories should be no longer than 400 words and should be emailed to Lucy Norland at lucybroad@mac.com by Friday, March 19. The winning entry will be published in the next issue of Husky Highlights newsletter and on the school website. The writer will be recognized at the April Community Gathering.
SCIENCE FAIR 2010
Our annual Science Fair is Wednesday, April 14. All students are invited to participate and pursue any scientific topic that is of interest to them. Please register your project idea at www.stjamesschool.oursciencefair.com by Friday, March 19.
SPRING BREAK
Spring Break starts Monday, March 22; students return Wednesday, April 7.
SAVE THE DATE!
Our School's exclusive event at the California Science Center will be Sunday, May 2 from 2:00 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, see the "Student Life" page of our website and contact the event chairs with any questions.
The California Science Center is being developed under a three-phase Master Plan. For further information, go to http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/GenInfo/AboutUs/MasterPlan/MasterPlan.php
SUMMER AT ST. JAMES'
Our summer enrichment program will run from Monday, June 14, through Friday, July 23. Students can expand their knowledge in a wide range of areas – academics, technology, sports, and the arts, in small, safe groups in a familiar environment. Students may take as few or as many classes as they like, making our program ideal for those trying to fill gaps in their summer plans. Scroll down to the Summer at St. James' section on the Academics page for more information, and look out for a flyer that will go home soon.
SCHOOL BOARD OPENINGS
For the 2010-2011 school year, there are openings for two parishioners on the St. James’ School Board. Candidates must be members in good standing of St. James’ Episcopal Church. The School Board meets five to nine times per year, and committees of the Board meet from time to time as required. In selecting nominees for Board vacancies, the Board tries to recruit persons with skill-sets and backgrounds that will broaden the expertise and experience of the Board as a whole. If you are interested in serving in this ministry, or wish to nominate someone, please call or e-mail Joy McManus, 323-939-4050, joy_mcmanus@adp.com. Nominations should be submitted no later than May 2, 2010.
SCHOOL PHOTOS ONLINE
Luminary Photography has posted the school photos from September 2009 online for you to order additional copies if you so wish. You should have received a letter with your unique password to enter the site at collages.net. We plan to take all orders in Fall 2010 online.
SCHOOL WEBSITE TIP
Have you ever wondered where to find certain information on the school website at www.sjsla.org? Try using the search button at the base of the home page to help you get to a specific area.
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding these announcements.
With best regards,
Julie Lovelock
Director of Communications
St. James' Episcopal School
625 S. St. Andrews Place
Los Angeles, CA 90005
213-233-0133 x302
jlovelock@sjsla.org
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