Dear St. Patrick School Familes,
I’m excited for this year's school theme: ‘We Are One: Hope, Vision, and Heart’! I’m confident the year will be filled with opportunities to grow professionally as St. Patrick School Counselor and with opportunities to help your students to grow socially, emotionally, and academically. Social emotional learning, identification of emotions, how to balance our stresses and successes, as well as growing with confidence can prove to be both challenging and fun.
I strive to assist your students to build their knowledge of self and their ability to identify and manage the vast array of emotions we all experience. I wish to foster a sense of resiliency and empowerment in every student. This will encompass teachers, parents and myself all working and learning together as ‘One’ on this journey of educating and caring for our students and children.
I am looking for parent education opportunities and would love to hear what you may find helpful. I welcome your insights and suggestions. In our classes this week, we are discussing transitioning back to school, to new grades and into new responsibilities. I’m meeting new students, reconnecting with previous students and asking your older students what they are interested in learning more about.
I’m also excited to be preparing the new ‘Learning Commons’ space for the elementary students to visit during our time together. This will be a safe and cozy space to explore feelings and to grow emotionally.
The article below discusses transitions and anxieties with the return to school. While we have already experienced our first official week of school, the points raised within the article prove interesting. Please send me any requests for topics you would like to read more about.
I am also pleased to announce that I am available for Individual Mental Health Counseling Sessions after school this year on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. If you are interested in Counseling Services for your child please contact me. As a LAC, I am available for a very reasonable rate while I accrue my hours toward my LPC. I am excited to be able to extend these services to our community.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Kelly Horan LAC
On Monday morning (Sept 18th) at 9:00AM, a test of the SPS Emergency Alert System will occur. If you do not receive a notification, that means your email and/or cell phone numbers are not properly listed in Rediker.
Please take this weekend to double-check the validity of your contact information in our system. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
When reporting absences, please send an email to both your student's Homeroom Teacher and the School Office (schooloffice@st-pats.org). It is critical to email both recipients as a foolproof method of checks and balances.
September 21 - Pick up Mums at J&M Madison (HSA Fundraiser)
September 22 - Parent Welcome Back Tailgate (HSA Event)
September 25 - Grade 8 Cap & Gown Picture Day
September 26 - School Picture Day - Students wear regular uniforms.
September 27 - High School Night
October 6 - NO SCHOOL (Professional Development Day)
October 9 - NO SCHOOL (Columbus Day)
October 13 - Grandparents & Special Friends Day
Please Update your Grandparent Information in the Parent Portal: Our event will be happening on Friday, October 13th.
Emails for this special event will be sent early next week to all who are entered in the Parent Portal. This information must be updated by Wednesday, September 20th.
Follow the instructions below:
- Log into the portal, the Click on one of your child’s photos
- Select School, then Select Demographics
- Select edit in the upper right hand corner- which allows you to edit information
- Scroll down until you see rows for Grandparent 1, Grandparent 2, Grandparent 3, Grandparent 4
- Confirm, edit or add updated information for each grandparent or special friend
- You may enter up to four different contacts
- Be sure and click save to ensure the information is in our system
We kindly ask that you do not email grandparents/special friends information to the school; please update it directly in the Parent Portal.
We kindly ask that parents please share with grandparents and special friends that St. Patrick School is a multi-building and multi-level campus. Rest assured that every year we have children who do not have a grandparent or special friend attend, and they enjoy the day and do just fine! Our students are so helpful in sharing their special guests with classmates whose grandparents cannot attend.
We are excited to host this special event and appreciate your support!
A huge THANK YOU to those who have volunteered their time for Lunch Duty since the beginning of school. We have had a very nice response for which we are grateful!
For future reference, it has been included in the Parent Portal under School Links and Files, in the Parent Resource Folder.
All lunch duty volunteers must meet Diocesan compliance requirements: attend a Protecting God's Children session, complete an online background check and sign an online code of conduct. Select "Paterson - Child Protection (Diocese)" and register at one of the locations offering the course.
Supporting the faculty and staff at St. Patrick School is one of the main priorities of the Home & School Association. In the past, the HSA has asked for donations from families throughout the school year to help with events and funding such as teacher appreciation gifts and treats, the annual Catholic Schools Week Faculty/Staff luncheon, holiday and year-end gifts, and more!
To make it easier for you and simplify our efforts, the HSA is consolidating our fundraising requests and asking each family to donate $60 per student. Please click on the link below to make your donation today!
https://payit.nelnet.net/form/oFwRfrbf
We hope that this will be easier for you! This up-front donation will cover our needs to ensure that all of us - the HSA and our school families - are able to support the school all year round.
Any questions? Please email spshsa@st-pats.org.
The HSA greatly appreciates your support!
CONTACT US
Email: schooloffice@st-pats.org
Website: www.st-pats-school.org
Location: 45 Chatham Street, Chatham, NJ, United States
Phone: 973-635-4623
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St-Patrick-School-1527337390921451/
Twitter: @SPSChathamNJ