December Newsletter 2024

• Tuesday, December 10th: Report Cards Go Home/ Call School to Book an Interview
• Wednesday, December 11th: Christmas Concert K-6 @ 1pm
• Thursday, December 12th: Dismissal at 12:00 pm to accommodate Parent Interviews in k-12
• Friday, December 13th: Christmas Senior's Celebration @1:00 pm in cafeteria
• Wednesday, December 18th: Christmas Dinner for Staff and Students @12pm
• Friday, December 20th: Last day of school prior to Christmas Break/ Dismissal @12:50 pm
• Monday, January 6th: School Reopening (Day 7 on schedule)

The countdown to Christmas is here! A HUGE thank you to our student leadership committee for all their hard work in preparing the events for this special month!

First term report cards are being sent home on Tuesday, December 10th for all students in K-12.

Parent-Teacher interviews will take place Thursday, December 12th. Please call the school between the hours of 8:30 am - 3:00 pm beginning on Tuesday, December 10th to arrange an interview.

(857-2790 or 857-2791)

Interviews are 10 minutes and spaces are limited. If you require more time with a teacher, please arrange a separate meeting by telephoning the school.

Meetings can take place either in-person, a phone call or a video call. You can decide and let our secretary, know what your preferred option is when you book your appointment.

When you book an appointment, you will be asked to provide a contact telephone number.

If you choose a phone interview, you will receive a call from an out of province (Ontario) telephone number connecting you to your child’s teacher.

Please make every effort to connect with your child's teacher(s) during these scheduled parent teacher interviews. If these times are inconvenient, please contact your child's teacher(s) to make alternate arrangements.

Students will be dismissed at 12:00 pm to accommodate interviews from 1 pm -4 pm on December 12th.

We are absolutely overwhelmed by the incredible support for our 4th Annual SJA Auction! These funds will make a significant impact, helping to enhance the educational and extracurricular opportunities available to our students at SJA!

We are deeply grateful to everyone who donated items, services, and time, as well as to all who made purchases. Your support truly helps our little school continue to grow and thrive, and we couldn't have done it without you! Thank you for being a part of this special event and for helping us make a difference in the lives of our students.

We are excited to host our Annual Christmas Senior's Celebration on Friday, December 13th from

1:00 pm-2:45 pm! We are inviting all community members age 50+ to participate in Christmas songs and activities with the k-6 students. Christmas treats are being provided by our wonderful Leadership Committee.

Our Annual Christmas Dinner, hosted by our School Council will take place on Wednesday, December 14th at 12:00 pm. All students and staff will be treated to a wonderful meal on this day! Thank you to all those involved in making this such a special event!

Please come and join us at our Annual Christmas Concert. It will take place Wednesday, December 11th at 1:00 pm in our Gymnasium. The children have been working very hard to prepare for this wonderful event. We are looking forward to seeing a great turn out!

Admission is to the concert is FREE. There will be an opportunity to purchase tickets on a handmade floral basket donated by Mary Brennan's in Marystown. The draw for the arrangement will take place during the concert and tickets can be purchased at the door.

We are expecting the cookie order to arrive next week. We will send home a synervoice when this arrives.

Students will be dismissed on Friday, December 20th at 12:50 pm.

Students will return on Monday, January 6th and it will be Day 7 on our schedule.

Exciting things are happening at SJA, and there's even more to come! 🎉 In October we were awarded a $1,000 grant from the Seniors’ Social Inclusion Initiative Funding! A huge thank you to the Honorable Paul A. Pike, Minister of Children, Seniors, and Social Development! 💙

But that's not all! St. Joseph’s Academy has also just been approved for a $1,000 grant from the Eastern Regional Wellness Coalition! This grant will help fund kitchen equipment and healthy ingredients for our upcoming intergenerational cooking program! 🍳🥕 We can’t wait to get cooking with students from grades K-12 and seniors from our community! 👩‍🍳👴

These grants will bring so much fun and excitement for everyone—young and young-at-heart! Stay tuned!

Ms. Cull continues to collect pull tabs in aid of the Ronald McDonald House!

For more information on this program please visit https://rmhcnl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Brochure-2017-Pull-Tab.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0ftNqdNOhQ9C1d7htVrrGWG9_nzF1r7YT2Z9UG26EdaEfc-fsGa3ODo9Q

As the weather grows colder, students in grades K-6 are still enjoying outdoor play during recess and lunchtime whenever possible. Please make sure your child comes to school each day dressed appropriately for the weather.

We also recommend that students have a pair of shoes for outdoor use as well as an indoor pair. If you'd like, you may also send an extra pair of snow pants to keep in your child's locker.

School attendance in Newfoundland and Labrador is compulsory up to the age of 16. Regardless of age, however, research is clear that there is a strong connection between attendance and success. Therefore, all students are required to attend class on time and regularly unless prevented from doing so by illness or other legitimate reason.

To enhance our existing absence check procedure, St. Joseph's Academy employs the student absence reporting system called SchoolMessenger Safe Arrival. This system reduces the time required to verify student attendance, makes it easier for parents to report student absences and allows staff to promptly respond to unexplained student absences.

There are THREE ways to report a student absence:

(1) Call the SafeArrival Toll-Free Number: 1-844-408-9360

(2) Use the SafeArrival website: https://go.schoolmessenger.ca The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account using your email address. Your email address must match the email address on file at the school. Select Attendance to report an absence.

(3) Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the App Store (iOS) or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.ca). Be sure to download the SchoolMessenger app with the BLUE icon (not the yellow icon). Use your new login information to access your account. Select Attendance to report an absence.

By reporting your child absent in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number or SafeArrival Portal website/app, you will NOT receive a call if they are absent.

Parents are not able to enter partial days absences (late arrival or early dismissal) on the School Messenger Safe Arrival System. You will need to report a full day absence in the system, and the attendance will be changed to reflect the late arrival or early dismissal when your child signs in/out at the main office.

The code options available to families include four choices:

• (S) Sick
• (E) Excused
• (W) Weather School is open
• (O) Other

In the event of a school closure a synervoice will automate a call to you. Please ensure that your child is aware of an alternate option if you are not at home, such as to go to a neighbor's house. If you are not receiving the synervoice messages please contact the school to ensure we have your correct phone number(s) on file. School status updates can also be found on our school Facebook page as well as the school board website: https://www.nlesd.ca/schools/statusreport/index.jsp

Email: valeriefleming@nlschools.ca
Website: https://stjosephs.nlesd.ca/
Location: Lamaline, NL, Canada
Phone: (709) 857-2790
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/186472654729079/
Twitter: @sjajags