St. Jerome School Weekly Newsletter
January 5th, 2022
"For by gold the power of a king is signified, by frankincense the honor of God, by myrrh the burial of the body; and accordingly they offer Him gold as King, frankincense as God, myrrh as man."
St John Chrysostom
From Mr. Merrick
Dear St. Jerome Families,
I hope that you all had an enjoyable Christmas break. While it was nice to have the time off, we are all also pleased to welcome our students back and continue with the second trimester.
We also wish to congratulate the following students who were recognized at our December school liturgy, as our Students of the Month, for living the virtue of patience: Naomi Onyekwelu, Charles McGinnis, Saraih Mejia Ruiz, Natalie McCann, Ethan Okwudishu, Kayla Dubeck, Vincent Johnson, Ava Achankunju, Timothy McGinnis, Olivia Evans, Logan Rivera, Keely Bagnell, Jacob Brescia, Tessa Tobin, Jacob DeOliveira, Madelyn McAdams, Lucas Barber, Brynn O’Donnell, Christopher Parker, Phoebe Guillaume, and Daniel Silva. Our virtue for January is fidelity.
We appreciate the efforts of Mrs. McConnell’s 6th grade class who served at our December school liturgy as readers and gift bearers. We are also grateful to Fr. Reilly, who celebrated our school liturgy, conducted our December holy hour, and offered our 3rd-8th graders the opportunity to receive the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation to prepare to celebrate Christmas.
Before we started Christmas break, our Student Council sponsored a STEM Christmas Tree Making Challenge. They assembled kits for each homeroom, and the students worked together to assemble a Christmas tree. Congratulations to the winning homerooms (listed below) and thank you to our Student Council members and their moderators, Mr. Casee and Mr. Stevens:
- Pre-K3A (Miss McGlynn)
- Grade 2 (Miss Labovitz)
- Grade 7 (Mrs. Collins)
Thank you for your support of our Christmas service projects. I also want to acknowledge our 6th grade classes who made cards for the retired Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Each student addressed a card to one of the sisters, and they also created Christmas decorations in library class. Fr. Reilly presented the cards to the sisters who attend Mass at our parish to take to take back to their convent. Sister Jane visited the 6th graders this week to thank them on behalf of all of the sisters.
Please remember that priority registration for current students and new siblings extends through January 28th. All that you need to do is return the continuous enrollment form (either on paper or electronically using the link here or below).
Have a great rest of the week; St. Jerome, pray for us!
COVID-19 & Catholic Schools Onward Protocol
Please continue to monitor your children for any symptoms, and have them stay home if unwell, if he or she tests positive for COVID-19, or was exposed to a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Please let us know so that we can help you determine a return date.
We are also ready to switch our students in K-8th over to virtual learning as quickly as possible. Please let us know, and we will prepare your child's books and lend a Chromebook if you need one. Pre-K teachers will work with families on an individual basis with suggested activities so that your child does not fall too far behind.
If a student or staff member who has been in a classroom tests positive for COVID-19, we will work with the Philadelphia Department of Health to determine close contacts and notify the entire class. They will either recommend the quarantine of the whole class, students who sit near the student or staff member who tested positive, or to monitor your child for symptoms. Again, we will let you know their guidance and switch any students who need to quarantine to virtual.
Thank you for your help and support as we work to keep our students and staff safe and healthy while maintaining in-person instruction for our families and providing the best possible spiritual and academic experience for our students.
Registration for 2022-2023
Priority registration for our current St. Jerome families is underway. All that you need to do, for the upcoming school year is return the Continuous Enrollment Form on paper or electronically here by Friday, January 28th; the registration fee will be automatically added to your SMART Tuition account and spread over three months. After January 28th, we will begin open enrollment and can not guarantee seats for next year.
Catholic Schools Week Birthday Boxes Service Project
As one of our Catholic Schools Week service projects, each homeroom is going to assemble 2 birthday boxes --- one for a boy and one for a girl age-appropriate to their grade. We will have 2 bakery boxes to put the items inside, and the outside will be decorated by the students
All the birthday boxes will be donated to the Catholic Social Services Family Service Center. These birthday boxes will allow families in need, who come to Catholic Social Services for food and clothing, to provide for a special birthday for their child, especially in these challenging times.
Please click here for more information and the sign up sheet (you can sign up for multiple items and grades if you would like). Please note that all of the grades are on the sign up sheet, but you need to scroll to the bottom for Pre-K3 and Pre-K4. Please bring in all items by Monday, January 31st, so that we can assemble the boxes and deliver them to Catholic Social Services. If we have any extra items, we will assemble additional boxes. Thank you!
Home and School Mother/Son Bowling Night
Saturday, Jan.22, 2022
-Time and Place: 7pm-9pm at Thunderbird Lanes (3075 Holme Ave. Phila., PA 19136)
-Please RSVP with your family name and how many attending by Friday, January 14 in an envelope marked “Mother-Son Bowling Night. ” There is no cost for this event, as this is included with your school activity fee. This event is for our St. Jerome’s Mothers and Sons only. It is not open to the public. This is NOT a drop off event. Children must be accompanied by their parent or guardian. ***Walk-ins will not be permitted*** It is very important to RSVP as soon as possible as space is limited and we want to ensure a fun-filled night for our mothers and sons! Pizza and soda will be provided!
A few reminders:
- Shoe rental is included, but you are welcome to bring your own bowling shoes
-Outdoor food and beverages are not permitted, -Masks are required
Three Ways to Register:
-Email to RSVP at saintjeromeshomeandschool@gmail.com by January 14th
-Return the form (below or in the Wednesday Folder) back to school in envelope by Friday, January 14 in an envelope marked “Mother-Son Bowling Night. ”
Home and School Super Bowl Block Pool
$20 a block
4 winners!
$250- FIRST Quarter
$250- HALF-TIME Score
$250- THIRD Quarter
$250- FINAL Score
Blocks will be sold at the Rectory and through any Home and School Member. There are only 6 block pools to fill so grab your lucky spots! Once block pools are filled, they will be posted to the St. Jerome Home and School Facebook Page!
You can also email us at saintjeromeshomeandschool@gmail.com with your contact information if you would like to purchase a block.
Open House
Save the Date: Book Fair
Ways to Save On Your Tuition
St. Jerome Scrip Program
Support St. Jerome on Amazon Smile:
Student Health Reminders
If your child tests positive for COVID-19 or is a close contact to a person who tests positive for COVID-19, please contact us. We will seek advisement from the Philadelphia Department of Health and give you direction.
Our reopening plan calls on every member of the school community to support our values of mutual respect, integrity, willingness to sacrifice for the common good and foster community bonds across generations. Commitment to the policies will assist in protecting the health and welfare of all members of our school community.
In an effort to keep all children safe, we ask that Parents monitor their children’s Health daily. Below are the expectations related to the health monitoring.
I attest to :
Fever of 100.4 or above,
chills,
Cough,
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing,
Fatigue,
Muscle or body aches,
Headache,
New loss of taste or smell,
Sore throat,
Congestion or runny nose,
Nausea or vomiting,
Diarrhea,
My child has not had any contact with anyone with COVID
I am following all CDC recommended guidelines and limiting my/my child’s exposure to risks such as above
If any of these symptoms present, please keep your child from school and contact the school. If the symptoms are serious please seek immediate medical attention.
We will keep you informed if the list of symptoms, listed above, changes in any way.