StJP School
Monday August 22, 2016
As we Prepare for a New Year
StJP has been so very busy this summer preparing to open our doors for students on August 29, 2016. There are many new things happening at school. We are very excited about the 2016-2017 school year. It is going to be GREAT!
All Things New at StJP
- 88 new students.....WELCOME TO StJP!
- 23 new families......WELCOME TO StJP!
- 8 new faculty/staff members.......WELCOME TO StJP!
- New cleaning company contracted for the 2016-2017 school year
- 3 classrooms remodeled:New ceiling, new light fixtures, new fans, and fresh new paint, thanks to the StJP School Board
- Summer cleaning included: floor to ceiling wipe down, windows on inside cleaned, carpets cleaned, floors taken down to original bare floor and topped with four coats of wax
- New mulch added to the playground, thank you St. Luke's
- Trees and garden's Landscaped and looking beautiful, thanks to Leo Lorenz
- Flowers outside of lower building watered and cared for thanks to Mr. Heffernan
- Smart Boards installed in lower building, thank you LaSalle College High School
- Technology Lab outfitted with all brand new student computers
- New storage closet built in the Art room
- Boys stalls in upper building bathroom painted
- New paint in Main Office
- New playground equipment, thanks to Home and School
- 3 New group centered tables added to grades K,1, and 2
- 2 additional classrooms outfitted with tables, chairs, and carpets at pre-school
- Pre-school library relocated
- 1 partnership with Salus University and our Early Child Center/pre-school 3 year old class (more information to come)
- 1 new four year old pre-school class
- New middle school model/departmentalized instruction grades 6-8
- New Study Skills Class for 6th grade
- Extra Technology Class for 6th grade
- New optional classes and choices for students in grades 7 and 8
- Study Hall period added for 7th and 8th grade
- Service period added for 7th and 8th grade
- Requested and awaiting approval from the state for 50 new Chromebooks
- Working on New phone system, thanks to StJP School Board
- Working on fixing and replacing water fountains, thanks to StJP School Board
Welcome New Faculty/Staff Members
We would like to welcome and introduce our newest employees of StJP.
Katharine Kurtz is our new half day Pre-K Four Year Old teacher. She has experience in working with children from 6 months to 14 years of age. Previously, she was a preschool teacher at Temple University Health Care System Childcare Center. Katharine has a strong devotion to Early Childhood Education and is excited to start at our Early Childhood Center.
Kelly Crawford is our three day a Pre-K Three Year Old teacher. Kelly is quite familiar with our community! She is a school parent, parishioner of St. Luke's and has been a very dependable substitute teacher for StJP. Kelly has experience in teaching Preschool through 8th grade and can't wait to return to teaching the Three's!
Darlene Sacco will be working as a teacher assistant for our Three Year Old program. Last year she worked in our Gymeteria to help with the lunch program. This year she will assist at the pre-school, supervise our lunch program, and work for our CARES program.
Jeff Baldasano will be teaching 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts. He attended Landsdale Catholic High School and received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Temple University. Most recently, he completed a graduate education program at Arcadia University. He has experience teaching High School English Language Arts at Abington High School.
Devin Sweeney will be teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Math for us at STJP. Most recently she worked at Holy Rosary Regional Catholic Elementary School. She has her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education form Arcadia University. She is also certified in Elementary Education and Middle School Math. She has experience with all age levels of students. She has a husband, two children, and is very involved in her parish, Queen of Peace.
Samantha McGinley will be teaching 6th grade English Language Arts. She received her undergraduate degree in English Writing and Film. She then went on to receive her Master's Degree in Teaching English Language Arts. Both were completed at the University of Pittsburgh. Her Catholic Faith is very important to her and she is a parishioner of St. Thomas of Villanova.
Erin Burkholder will be joining StJP as our Librarian. She has her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and her Master's degree in reading. She has spent the past nine years with her four children being their first teacher of faith and our world. They are parishioners of St. Luke's and they attend StJP School. She is excited for the opportunity to return to education in a school setting and to be a part of the StJP faculty.
This year we were given the opportunity to partner with Salus University. This partnership was instituted to create a communication and speech class at the pre-school. Currently, we are working to add a Pre-K 3 teacher that is a certified Speech Pathologist. The goals are to combine our regular curriculum with an extended focus on speech and communication. The certified Speech Pathologist/Teacher will also monitor graduate students as they complete work experience hours in the classroom. They will work with students three days a week in large groups, small groups, and 1:1 on communication and speech. Communication and speech is an integral part of all children's development and for that reason we are grateful for this opportunity to add this special program to our preschool.
We are very excited and feel very blessed to have these highly qualified individuals join our great school! Teaching in a Catholic School is not a Job, but instead a vocation.
"You have been called to teach. This is a vocation, a Christian vocation…There, at your teacher’s chair and desk, God has called you by name to an indispensable service to the truth."-From Pope John Paul II on October 14, 2001
Calendar for August/September
Monday August 29, 2016 First Day Grades 1-5/No School Grades 6-8
Tuesday August 30, 2016 First Day Grades 6-8/No School 1-5
Wednesday August 31, 2016 Grades 1-8
Thursday September 1, 2016-Monday September 5, 2016 No School
Tuesday September 6, 2016 All Students 1-8/ PreK and K Meet the Teacher
Wednesday September 7, 2016 All Students PreK-8 in session/Welcome Coffee Rectory Porch 8:15 AM-9:30AM
Thursday September 8, 2016 Back to School Night in St. Luke's Church 6:30 PM
Friday September 9, 2016 Back to School Prayer Service at 9:30 AM/School Spirit TAG Day bring $1.00 to participate (students wear field day t-shirt with summer uniform bottom)/ Breathing Room Kick Off Activity/ Back to School Bash 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Sunday September 25, 2016 Touch a Truck Early Childhood Center Jenkintown 3:00 PM-5:00PM
Monday September 26, 2016 no School for Students/Professional Development for Staff
Find out your Child's teacher
Important Documents
- Directions for students to get home card
- Pretzel Order
- Milk Order
- Amended items from Student Handbook for 2016-2017 (complete handbook can be found on our website) Please be sure to read with your child. This has drop off and pick up procedures, uniform information, school day start and end times, infraction calendar information, and other changes for this new school year
- Handbook signature form
Gradebook
Home and School
Home and School will be sending home a packet on September 7, 2016. This packet will go home with the youngest sibling on the Glenside Campus and will have all the necessary information to help get your school year started with StJP and Home and School. It will include information about the hot lunch program, events, fees, and other things.
They also have StJP blue pencil cases on sale for $8. They are 13"x10" and are a great value for holding all of your school supplies. If you would like to purchase one, please send an email to Mary Ann McPaul at mmcpaul@msn.com. Please pay by cash or make checks payable to St. Joseph the Protector Home and School Association. The pencil cases are a great value!
StJP Volunteer Information
We need our volunteers.......
Please remember the state of PA has made changes that we are mandated to follow regarding volunteers. Please see below for further information:
- If your clearances were not up to date or complete, your name has been removed from our list of eligible volunteers.
- Clearances are sent directly to you. The school does not receive a copy. Please send a copy to the school so that your record can be updated.
- Clearances are now paid for by the state. The website is up and running, so please log in!
- Updated Criminal Background Checks, Child Abuse Clearance forms, and the Mandated Reporting are needed before volunteering in the school building. Because the current classes for "Protecting God's Children" are further away, we will allow volunteers until 10/31 to complete that piece, but please sign up for the class now.
- Clearances will only be valid for 3 years. Some parents may need to get their clearances updated.
- Effective 7-25-2015, the State of PA will process your clearances free of charge. The school will no longer process clearances. The following link will allow you to access the system. https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp
- The following items are needed in order to volunteer: Criminal Background Check, Child Abuse Clearance, AOP Protecting God's Children, AOP Technology Addemdum (now done with the Protecting God's Children) and the Mandated Reporting.
In addition to the requirements of the state, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia also requires each volunteer to complete the following:
- Protecting God's Children Session with Technology Addendum: A list of sessions over the summer is attached, more can be found on the Archdiocese website.
- Mandatory Reporting: This is an online session and can be found under the tab of "Protecting Children" on the Archdiocesan website. http://archphila.org
- Please email office@stjpschool.org if you have questions.