Parents
July 9, 2020
Dear Parents,
St. Jane teachers, administrators and parents are hard at work planning for the 2020-21 school year. Here is the latest update:
The Diocese has requested each school create a Health and Safety Plan, following guidelines from the CDC and PA Department of Education. I have appointed a team of faculty and parents (who have expertise in the medical and education areas) to assist me in the development of our school plan which will be submitted to the Diocese Office of Education for approval shortly. Once approved, I will share the plan with our community and ensure it is easily accessible on our website. As we continue to work on this document, we’d like to make you aware of some of the major components so that you can plan. Please know that the health and safety of our community is our number one priority and guidelines will be in place to ensure a safe return to the classroom.
Our current plan is to return to the classrooms for full day, in-person instruction. Health and safety guidelines include, but are not limited to:
- Social distancing will be enforced in all classrooms, including limiting student mobility, one way directions in the hallways, scheduled bathroom breaks and recess.
- Mask (or face covering) wearing will be required. (Please have your children practice wearing a face covering at home, if you haven’t already done so.)
- Anyone entering, exiting, and moving throughout the building must wear a face mask. Because classrooms will be spaced, socially distanced students will be permitted to remove their masks in their classrooms as long as they are not travelling within or outside of the classroom.
- Privacy boards have been purchased for each child. I will share a sample with you as soon as possible. They are 23 x 24 privacy shields with a clear plastic clear front.
- Ongoing cleaning and disinfecting will be conducted throughout the day.
- Temperatures checks will be required in some way and we are working to determine how to best implement this process. It is however ESSENTIAL that you do NOT send your child to school sick. We ask that you do NOT give your child Tylenol or Advil hoping that symptoms don’t show up at school. If your child is sick, for the health and safety of all students AND teachers, please keep your child home.
- Every student will need an emergency contact that must come to pick up a sick child within a reasonable amount of time (30 minutes would be ideal).
- Food service will continue with Maschio’s offering contactless service.
- Students must bring materials from home (pencils, crayons, etc). Materials cannot be shared.
- At this time, we plan to offer Extended Care. It may need to be limited to 35 students. All students must be pre-registered by day, and no “late calls” will be accepted if the program is at capacity. (Further information to follow)
- We are awaiting information regarding transportation. As we hear from school districts regarding busing, we will pass that on to you. If St. Jane School is open, we would expect your children to be present, so please plan accordingly.
If it becomes necessary due to illness or Local or State Health Department guidance, we may have to move to remote learning once again. More information will follow on these scenarios once our plan is approved. However – it is our GOAL to have students back in the classroom on the first day of school, provided we can do it safely.
This will be a “team effort,” and will require grace, patience, and lots of prayer going forward. We are working hard to provide your children with a quality, faith-based education. We thank you in advance for your partnership and prayers.
Pray, Hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Marybeth Okula
Principal
June 10, 2020
Dear Parents,
HAWKWALK THANK YOUs - In your report card envelopes the slips from the HawkWalk donation slips. Here is a copy for you to send to your donors. HAWKWALK THANK YOU LETTER.
CLOSING CEREMONY and YEAR-END AWARDS: If you missed the awards and promotion ceremony, click the link below. (It’s just under 30 minutes.)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/5952234092123555335
LIVE EVENT THURSDAY for our Parents!
You have invested in US and we want to give you a gift to help rejuvenate and refresh you for the summer! Join Mike and Alicia Hernon of Messy Family Project (www.MessyFamilyProject.org) for a talk on parenting! Bishop Schlert and Dr. Tesche will join us for this fun and faith-filled talk! It will be time well spent for our parents!
Messy Parenting 101
Time Jun 11, 2020 08:30 PM - 9:30PM
You can register for the event by clicking here.
Or here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuChrz8oGNV5dQeWkSmZ5QP2J5cXV-DI
YEARBOOKS -- Thank you all for your orders. Due to the COVID pandemic, the yearbooks will not be arriving until Mid-July. I will schedule a grab and go for Grades Kindergarten to 8. We cannot take any more orders at this time. (Maybe it will be green and we can safely gather together and have a Yearbook party! MAYBE)
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - Due to the COVID pandemic. Rocky Railway VBS is canceled for this summer. It is our hope to have this VBS next summer. If you paid for VBS, please email me at kkimmel@rcn.com to let me know where to send your refund.
GIFT CARDS
Gift cards continue to be available for purchase at the school office. The Parish office remains closed. If you email me at principal@stjaneschool.com ahead of time, I will prepare the gift cards before you arrive and you can pick up at my no-contact, socially distant, by appointment only office window. We now have Redners if anyone needs them.
FROM OUR DISTRICT SCHOOL NURSE
I hope you and your families are safe and well. Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, we ask that you access all health forms on the school website, as they are needed. If you do not have access to a printer, please let myself or Mrs. Okula know, and we can mail you the appropriate paperwork.
You will find the following forms on the school website under "Parent Information," then "Health Forms."
- Care plans/ Actions plans
- Please print the form specific to your child's condition (ie: asthma, food allergy, cardiac)
- Medication Authorization forms
- Print one form per medication
- Print self-carry form also if your child will self-carry their epi pen or inhaler
- Dental exam forms
- Dental exams are required for kindergarten, third and seventh grades
- Physical exam forms
- Physical exams are required for kindergarten and sixth grade
- Pennsylvania Immunization Requirements
- Students in all grades should be complaint
- Students entering kindergarten and seventh grade have specific requirements
Thank you,
Sarah Kupchick, BSN, RN, M. Ed
Certified School Nurse
Protecting God’s Children - Is now on ZOOM. See information here . Be prepared for the next school year!
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
School Calendar for 2020-2021 (of course -- its subject to change!)
June 3, 2020
Dear Parents,
HOT PRETZELS - If you purchased the whole year of pretzels it was $15.00. We completed 18 of the 25 weeks, missing 7 pretzel weeks. The refund would be $4.20 for each order. If you would like to request a refund, please email Mrs. Wasielewski at vwaz09@gmail.com and we will arrange your refund. Thank you.
OUR BUILDINGS ARE CLOSED, BUT OUR SCHOOL IS OPEN!
We plan on distributing report cards on Friday, June 5 per the schedule below. During this time, please plan to return any chrome books/iPads and textbooks (hard covered books) that were borrowed during our virtual school time. It is expected that everyone from K-8 will be picking up report cards and/or dropping off textbooks. (We ask you to do your best to disinfect all materials that are being returned by placing in ziploc bags, if possible).
We will follow the same plan as we have for our past drop offs and pickups. Please drive to the corner of S. 19th Street and stay in your car (just like the car rider line) and we will obtain the belongings from your car and retrieve your report cards, etc. We will all be masked and will be practicing physical distancing as much as possible. To make this as easy as possible for families - please remain in your car - we will come to you. As soon as we exchange drop off and pick up, we ask that you carefully pull away and allow the next set of cars to pull up. Two times are being offered for families to pick up their child/ren’s items on Friday, June 5:
9:00 - 9:30 -- Children with the last names from A to F
9:30 - 10:00 -- Children with the last names from G to L
10:00 - 10:30 -- Children with the last names from M to R
10:30 -11:00 -- Children with the last names from S to Z
And then again for those who prefer arriving in the afternoon:
12:00 - 12:30 -- Children with the last names from A to F
12:30 - 1:00 -- Children with the last names from G to L
1:00 - 1:30 -- Children with the last names from M to R
1:30 - 2:00 -- Children with the last names from S to Z
For those individuals who cannot make the day times, we will be available from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9th as follows:
4:00 - 4:30 -- Children with the last names from A to F
4:30 - 5:00 -- Children with the last names from G to L
5:00 - 5:30 -- Children with the last names from M to R
5:30 - 6:00 -- Children with the last names from S to Z
YEARBOOKS -- Thank you all for your orders. Due to the COVID pandemic, the yearbooks will not be arriving until Mid-July. I will schedule a grab and go for Grades Kindergarten to 8. (Maybe it will be green and we can safely gather together and have a Yearbook party! MAYBE)
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - Due to the COVID pandemic. Rocky Railway VBS is canceled for this summer. It is our hope to have this VBS next summer. If you paid for VBS, please email me at kkimmel@rcn.com to let me know where to send your refund.
GIFT CARDS
Gift cards continue to be available for purchase at the school office. The Parish office remains closed. If you email me at principal@stjaneschool.com ahead of time, I will prepare the gift cards before you arrive and you can pick up at my no-contact, socially distant, by appointment only office window. We now have Redners if anyone needs them.
FROM OUR DISTRICT SCHOOL NURSE
I hope you and your families are safe and well. Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, we ask that you access all health forms on the school website, as they are needed. If you do not have access to a printer, please let myself or Mrs. Okula know, and we can mail you the appropriate paperwork.
You will find the following forms on the school website under "Parent Information," then "Health Forms."
- Care plans/ Actions plans
- Please print the form specific to your child's condition (ie: asthma, food allergy, cardiac)
- Medication Authorization forms
- Print one form per medication
- Print self-carry form also if your child will self-carry their epi pen or inhaler
- Dental exam forms
- Dental exams are required for kindergarten, third and seventh grades
- Physical exam forms
- Physical exams are required for kindergarten and sixth grade
- Pennsylvania Immunization Requirements
- Students in all grades should be complaint
- Students entering kindergarten and seventh grade have specific requirements
Thank you,
Sarah Kupchick, BSN, RN, M. Ed
Certified School Nurse
CLEARANCES! You may have more or less time on your hands, but why not get all your clearances in order so you can volunteer once we go back to school in the Fall. See the complete packet here . If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Cahill at assistsec@stjaneschool.com
Protecting God’s Children - Is now on ZOOM. See information here. Be prepared for the next school year!
VIRTUAL FIELD DAYS - THANK YOU to all the students that participated in virtual field day. If you did participate and you have photos or videos, please share with me at principal@stjaneschool or text to 610-216-3309. Mr. and Mrs. McGarvey worked very hard creating and recording the activities. https://www.stjaneschool.com/physed/
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
School Calendar for 2020-2021 (of course -- its subject to change!)
May 28, 2020
Dear Parents,
What a 3rd trimester this has been. Thank you all for your support of our teachers, our school and me. It has been an overwhelming few months for us all. Overwhelming that we were all put into such an unprecedented situation, and overwhelming from the amount of support and cooperation we received from you and your children. I am a very blessed principal!
VIRTUAL FIELD DAYS - Beginning Monday, June 1st! Our annual field day was cancelled due to COVID this year, or is it….I SAY NO! We had the best HawkWalk ever virtually, I am hoping to have the best Field Day ever too! I am attaching the link to Mr. McGarvey’s webpage. He has TEN (10) awesome activities that you can do at home with your family! I encourage you to participate and send me a video clip so I can share with Mr. McGarvey (send to principal@stjaneschool or 610-216-3309). Mr. and Mrs. McGarvey have been working very hard creating and recording the activities, so we really hope you will participate! Everyone in the family can participate! HAVE FUN! https://www.stjaneschool.com/physed/
OUR BUILDINGS ARE CLOSED, BUT OUR SCHOOL IS OPEN!
Zoom classes will end on May 29th (only 1 more days).Wahoo! We did it!
We plan to distribute report cards on Friday, June 5 per the schedule below. During this time, please plan to return any chromebooks/iPads and textbooks that were borrowed during our virtual school time. (We ask you to do your best to disinfect all materials that are being returned by placing in ziploc bags, if possible).
We will follow the same plan as we have for our past drop offs and pickups. Please drive to the corner of S. 19th Street and stay in your car (just like the car rider line) and we will obtain the belongings from your car. We will all be masked and will be practicing physical distancing as much as possible. To make this as easy as possible for families - please remain in your car - we will come to you. As soon as we receive your bag, we ask that you carefully pull away and allow the next set of cars to pull up. Two times are being offered for families to pick up their child/ren’s items on Friday, June 5:
9:00 - 9:30 -- Children with the last names from A to F
9:30 - 10:00 -- Children with the last names from G to L
10:00 - 10:30 -- Children with the last names from M to R
10:30 -11:00 -- Children with the last names from S to Z
And then again for those who prefer arriving in the afternoon:
12:00 - 12:30 -- Children with the last names from A to F
12:30 - 1:00 -- Children with the last names from G to L
1:00 - 1:30 -- Children with the last names from M to R
1:30 - 2:00 -- Children with the last names from S to Z
For those individuals who cannot make the day times, we will be available from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9th as follows:
4:00 - 4:30 -- Children with the last names from A to F
4:30 - 5:00 -- Children with the last names from G to L
5:00 - 5:30 -- Children with the last names from M to R
5:30 - 6:00 -- Children with the last names from S to Z
PERSONNEL UPDATES
It is with mixed emotions that I share the following. After 46 years of dedicated service to St. Jane School and Catholic education, Mrs. Carol Swavely is retiring. I will miss her smile and willingness to always help me and the students or anyone who is in need. Mrs. Swavely has organized our outreach programs, including our annual Thanksgiving Baskets, which I hope she will come out of retirement to help us again this year! We wish Mrs. Swavely all the best in her new normal of retirement life!
Mrs. Adrienne Stumpf will also be joining the ranks of the retirees this summer! Mrs. Stumpf has dedicated 26 years to Catholic education--10 years at Our Lady of Hungary, Northampton and 16 years at St. Jane School. Mrs. Stumpf has been an absolute joy to work with. I met her when I was a teacher at St. Theresa School, then I had the pleasure of her teaching my daughter. What a blessing she has been to our school. She will be truly missed by many! We wish her relaxation and joy in her upcoming retirement!
Mrs. Arlene Bonventre has resigned to care for her children (it’s quite busy with 4 of them). She has brought so much joy to our faculty. Her expertise in audiology and hear-impaired children and her knowledge of Harry Potter and sign language will be a big hole to fill. I feel blessed to have met this fellow New Yorker and have had the opportunity to work with her these past two years! She was a gem. We wish her all the best!
Please join me in thanking these wonderful educators for all that they have done for our school, Catholic education, our students and our families. God Bless you all on your new adventures. You will always be a Janer! #janerforlife!
YEARBOOKS -- Thank you all for your orders. Due to the COVID pandemic, the yearbooks will not be arriving until Mid-July. I will schedule a grab and go for Grades Kindergarten to 8. (Maybe it will be green and we can safely gather together and have a Yearbook party! MAYBE)
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - Due to the COVID pandemic. Rocky Railway VBS is canceled for this summer. It is our hope to have this VBS next summer. If you paid for VBS, please email me at kkimmel@rcn.com to let me know where to send your refund.
GIFT CARDS
Gift cards continue to be available for purchase at the school office. The Parish office remains closed. If you email me at principal@stjaneschool.com ahead of time, I will prepare the gift cards before you arrive and you can pick up at my no-contact, socially distant, by appointment only office window. We now have Redners if anyone needs them.
FROM OUR DISTRICT SCHOOL NURSE
I hope you and your families are safe and well. Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, we ask that you access all health forms on the school website, as they are needed. If you do not have access to a printer, please let myself or Mrs. Okula know, and we can mail you the appropriate paperwork.
You will find the following forms on the school website under "Parent Information," then "Health Forms."
- Care plans/ Actions plans
- Please print the form specific to your child's condition (ie: asthma, food allergy, cardiac)
- Medication Authorization forms
- Print one form per medication
- Print self-carry form also if your child will self-carry their epi pen or inhaler
- Dental exam forms
- Dental exams are required for kindergarten, third and seventh grades
- Physical exam forms
- Physical exams are required for kindergarten and sixth grade
- Pennsylvania Immunization Requirements
- Students in all grades should be complaint
- Students entering kindergarten and seventh grade have specific requirements
Thank you,
Sarah Kupchick, BSN, RN, M. Ed
Certified School Nurse
CLEARANCES! You may have more or less time on your hands, but why not get all your clearances in order so you can volunteer once we go back to school in the Fall. See the complete packet here. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Cahill at assistsec@stjaneschool.com
Protecting God’s Children - Is now on ZOOM. See information here . Be prepared for the next school year!
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
School Calendar for 2020-2021 (of course -- its subject to change!)
May 20, 2020
Dear Parents,
Important Message from Dr. Tesche, Chancellor, Office of Education, Diocese of Allentown . Please read and complete the survey. Thank you.
ASCENSION THURSDAY MASS MAY 21, 2020 AT 10:00 A.M.
Bishop Schlert will be offering a special Mass for our students on Ascension Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. The Bishop has asked that all schools to designate this time for this Mass so that all students can attend. Please be sure to tune in. It will be available to view here:
Live on AD Today: www.ad-today.com/live
https://www.ad-today.com/live/
Live on Diocese YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/DioceseofAllentown/
Live on Diocese Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/DioceseofAllentown/
Our teachers will not be teaching during this time, so that we can all attend Ascension Thursday Mass. Please send me pictures of your family attending Mass! Our families of faith are bound together by our faith! It is what makes us great! #becausewearecatholic #ascensionthursdayisaholydayofobligation #weareacommunityoffaith #catholicfamilies #schoolsthatpraytogetherstaytogether
HAWKWALK T-SHIRTS
I still have all the t-shirts available for the students who still didn’t get theirs. You can stop by my no-contact, socially distant, by appointment only office window. Any adult t-shirts that ordered a t-shirt, I have them all ready for you. Call for an appointment today.
GIFT CARDS
You can still purchase gift cards at the school only. Parish office remains closed. If you email me at principal@stjaneschool.com ahead of time, I can prepare the gift cards before you arrive and you can stop by my no-contact, socially distant, by appointment only office window. We now have Redners if anyone needs them.
FROM OUR DISTRICT SCHOOL NURSE
I hope you and your families are safe and well. Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, we ask that you access all health forms on the school website, as they are needed. If you do not have access to a printer, please let myself or Mrs. Okula know, and we can mail you the appropriate paperwork.
You will find the following forms on the school website under "Parent Information," then "Health Forms."
- Care plans/ Actions plans
- Please print the form specific to your child's condition (ie: asthma, food allergy, cardiac)
- Medication Authorization forms
- Print one form per medication
- Print self-carry form also if your child will self-carry their epi pen or inhaler
- Dental exam forms
- Dental exams are required for kindergarten, third and seventh grades
- Physical exam forms
- Physical exams are required for kindergarten and sixth grade
- Pennsylvania Immunization Requirements
- Students in ALL grades should be complaint
- Students entering kindergarten and seventh grade have specific requirements
Thank you,
Sarah Kupchick, BSN, RN, M. Ed
Certified School Nurse
OUR BUILDINGS ARE CLOSED, BUT OUR SCHOOL IS OPEN!
Zoom classes will end on May 29th (only 6 more days). Students will be asked to attend Ascension Thursday Mass on May 21, 2020 (see information above). We have a ½ day scheduled for Friday, May 22, 2020, and there are NO classes on Memorial Day, May 25, 2020. Please make sure your children follow their teacher’s instructions for these days.
As you are all aware, I am awaiting the guidelines of the Yellow Phase (which is now scheduled for June 5th but subject to change) to arrange a drop and go. We would appreciate a return of all chrome books and textbooks that were borrowed during our virtual school time. (Please do your best to disinfect all materials that are being returned by placing in zip loc bags, if possible). I will provide more information about this as we get closer to June. I am planning to have report cards for distribution beginning on Friday, June 5th (maybe -- depends what color we are in). Please note, this could change. I’m just trying to give you a time frame. I’m just not sure because things seem to change immediately after I send this letter out each week. So hang tight. I promise to give you plenty of notice.
CLEARANCES! You may have more or less time on your hands, but why not get all your clearances in order so you can volunteer once we go back to school in the Fall. See the complete packet here. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Cahill at assistsec@stjaneschool.com
Protecting God’s Children - Is now on ZOOM. See information here . Be prepared for the next school year!
Teachers will be providing summer tutoring via zoom! See flyer here .
STAY TUNED -- NEXT WEEK INFORMATION ABOUT VIRTUAL FIELD DAY -- MONDAY, JUNE 1ST
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
School Calendar for 2020-2021 (of course -- its subject to change!)
Start practicing now -- Handwashing -- Keeping Your Family Healthy!
May 13, 2020
Dear Parents,
HELP NEEDED
This week we are thanking our parents, our partners in education. Our teachers have made signs and videos thanking our parents for all they do during this unprecedented time. Next week (week of May 18th), we are looking for kids and parents with grateful hearts to thank our teachers, faculty and staff. If you can send a short video (under 30 seconds) to principal@stjaneschool.com. I will submit to the Diocesan Office to be included in a larger video, and as always, I will share on our Facebook page. Thank you!
ASCENSION THURSDAY MASS MAY 21, 2020 AT 10:00 A.M.
Bishop Schlert will be offering a special Mass for our students on Ascension Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. The Bishop has asked that all schools to designate this time for this Mass so that all students can attend. Please be sure to tune in. It will be available to view here:
Live on AD Today:
https://www.ad-today.com/live/
Live on Diocese YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/DioceseofAllentown/
Live on Diocese Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/DioceseofAllentown/
Our teachers will not be teaching during this time, so that we can all attend Ascension Thursday Mass. Please send me pictures of your family attending Mass! Our families of faith are bound together by our faith! It is what makes us great! #becausewearecatholic #ascensionthursdayisaholydayofobligation #weareacommunityoffaith #catholicfamilies #schoolsthatpraytogetherstaytogether
HAWKWALK T-SHIRTS
I have all the t-shirts available for the students who still didn’t get theirs. You can stop by my no-contact, socially distant, by appointment only office window. Any adult t-shirts that ordered a t-shirt, I have them all ready for you. Call for an appointment today.
GIFT CARDS
You can still purchase gift cards at the school only. Parish office remains closed. If you email me at principal@stjaneschool.com ahead of time, I can prepare the gift cards before you arrive and you can stop by my no-contact, socially distant, by appointment only office window. We now have Redners if anyone needs them.
FROM OUR DISTRICT SCHOOL NURSE
I hope you and your families are safe and well. Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, we ask that you access all health forms on the school website, as they are needed. If you do not have access to a printer, please let myself or Mrs. Okula know, and we can mail you the appropriate paperwork.
You will find the following forms on the school website under "Parent Information," then "Health Forms."
- Care plans/ Actions plans
- Please print the form specific to your child's condition (ie: asthma, food allergy, cardiac)
- Medication Authorization forms
- Print one form per medication
- Print self-carry form also if your child will self-carry their epi pen or inhaler
- Dental exam forms
- Dental exams are required for kindergarten, third and seventh grades
- Physical exam forms
- Physical exams are required for kindergarten and sixth grade
- Pennsylvania Immunization Requirements
- Students in all grades should be complaint
- Students entering kindergarten and seventh grade have specific requirements
Thank you,
Sarah Kupchick, BSN, RN, M. Ed
Certified School Nurse
OUR BUILDINGS ARE CLOSED, BUT OUR SCHOOL IS OPEN!
Zoom classes will end on May 29th (only 11 more days). Students are asked to attend Ascension Thursday Mass on May 21, 2020 (see information above). We have a ½ day scheduled for Friday, May 22, 2020, and there are NO classes on Memorial Day, May 25, 2020. Please make sure your children follow their teacher’s instructions for these days. As you are all aware, I am awaiting the guidelines of the Yellow Phase (which is now scheduled for June 5th) to arrange a drop and go. We would appreciate a return of all chrome books and textbooks that were borrowed during our virtual school time. (Please do your best to disinfect all materials that are being returned by placing in zip-loc bags, if possible). I provide more about this as we get closer to June. I am planning to have report cards for distribution beginning on Friday, June 5th. Please note, this could change. I’m just trying to give you a time frame. I’m just not sure because things seem to change immediately after I send this letter out each week. So hang tight. I promise give you plenty of notice.
CLEARANCES! You may have more or less time on your hands, but why not get all your clearances in order so you can volunteer once we go back to school in the Fall. See the complete packet here . If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Cahill at assistsec@stjaneschool.com
Protecting God’s Children - Is now on ZOOM. See information here . Be prepared for the next school year!
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
May 7, 2020
Dear Parents,
In behalf of the faculty and staff, thank you so much for the cards, gifts, visits, posters, and support you have shown us throughout the school year, but especially this week during Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week! A special thank you to our Home and School for treating us to lunch and sending us all a little gift! Next week, our teachers will be sharing their thanks to all of our super awesome parents! Check out our Facebook page throughout the week!
HAWKWALK T-SHIRTS
I have all the t-shirts available for the students who still didn’t get theirs. You can stop by my no-contact, socially distant, by appointment only office window. We are waiting for preschool and adult t-shirts. I will notify you as soon as they arrive.
HAWKWALK UPDATE - As expected, more donations arrived this past week. We also received generous company matches. Did you know that Johnson and Johnson, Bank of America, Merck, Sanofi, Apple, Air Products, Pfizer, Novartis, Dun and Bradstreet, Eli Lilly, AT&T to name a few all did company matches this year! We raised just $7,000 from these matches. Thank you very much for inquiring about the company match program. Our grand total now stands at $73,515! Amazing fundraising during a pandemic. Thank you to all!
FROM OUR DISTRICT SCHOOL NURSE: I hope you and your families are safe and well. Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, we ask that you access all health forms on the school website, as they are needed. If you do not have access to a printer, please let myself or Mrs. Okula know, and we can mail you the appropriate paperwork.
You will find the following forms on the school website under "Parent Information," then "Health Forms."
- Care plans/ Actions plans
- Please print the form specific to your child's condition (ie: asthma, food allergy, cardiac)
- Medication Authorization forms
- Print one form per medication
- Print self-carry form also if your child will self-carry their epi-pen or inhaler
- Dental exam forms
- Dental exams are required for kindergarten, third and seventh grades
- Physical exam forms
- Physical exams are required for kindergarten and sixth grade
- Pennsylvania Immunization Requirements
- Students in all grades should be complaint
- Students entering kindergarten and seventh grade have specific requirements
Thank you,
Sarah Kupchick, BSN, RN, M. Ed
Certified School Nurse
Our buildings are closed. Our school is open!
Zoom classes will most likely end on May 29th (only 15 more days). We have a ½ day scheduled for Friday, May 22, 2020, and there are no classes on Memorial Day, May 25, 2020. Please make sure your children follow their teacher’s instructions for these days. Hopefully, the first week in June, I will organize opportunities for the students to come into school and return borrowed materials and visit with their teachers. I am awaiting the guidelines of the Yellow Phase (which I hope happens on May 25th) and I will share the information with you. I realize how tough this transition and new normal has been on everyone, but I want you to know that we have accomplished more than I could’ve ever imagined this 3rd trimester! I am so proud of my teachers, my students and my families!. You Rock!
REMINDER: Attendance in Zoom class counts. If you are absent, a parent needs to email the teacher an absent excuse. I still have file attendance on my end of year report. Don’t forget, school is in session!
Yearbook Order - LAST CALL FOR YEARBOOK ORDERS -- MAY 8, 2020 -- THAT’S TOMORROW!! Please mail your order form to the school at 1900 Washington Blvd. Easton, PA 18042 -- Attn: Yearbook. See order form here.
8TH GRADERS!! Last chance for 8th graders to share quarantine photos for a collage for the yearbook. Due to Mrs. Pizzuto (class6b@stjaneschool.com NO later than May 8, 2020.)
Gift Cards - You can still purchase gift cards at the school. I will be preparing the gift cards before you arrive and you can stop by my no-contact, socially distant, by appointment only office window. We now have Redners if anyone needs them.
CLEARANCES! You may have more or less time on your hands, but why not get all your clearances in order so you can volunteer once we go back to school in the Fall. See the complete packet here . If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Cahill at assistsec@stjaneschool.com
Protecting God’s Children - Is now on ZOOM. See information here . Be prepared for the next school year!
Have You Checked Out Mr. McGarvey’s teacher page. He has exercises that are fun for the family. Check it out here -- https://www.stjaneschool.com/physed/
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
April 29, 2020
Dear Parents,
I want to thank everyone for their participation in this year’s HawkWalk. If you didn’t see the video yet, I will attach the link at the bottom for you. We raised $65,909 which is amazing during a global pandemic where everything is so uncertain. Thank you very much. Thank you to our HawkWalk Committee led by Michelle Van Wert and Staci Burgess and the t-shirt chair Lisa Calandra. Thank you again to all of you for the beautiful pictures and videos that were sent. And a very special thank you to Mr. Nolan Van Wert that spent all day Sunday creating such a great video. We are so blessed with awesome families at St. Jane School.
HAWKWALK T-SHIRTS
If there are any adults that want to purchase a HawkWalk t-shirt, we are placing an order Friday, May 1st. Please email michellevanwert@gmail.com no later than tomorrow. The shirts are $15.00 each. Payment will need to be made before we place your order. Thank you.
Our buildings are closed. Our school is open!
We are now in the middle of the 7th week (yes, I’m counting) of quarantine. It’s been tough on everyone, but I want to say how proud I am of my teachers, my students and my families. You are all doing a great job. Don’t ever doubt that.
I have to thank you for making sure that our children are doing the right thing at home during e-learning learning. It makes the virtual classroom run smoothly when we are all on the same page. So, thank you very much to everyone! P.S. Attendance in Zoom class counts. If you are absent, a parent needs to email the teacher an absent excuse. I still have to file attendance on my end of year report. Don’t forget, school is in session!
Yearbook Order - LAST CALL FOR YEARBOOK ORDERS -- MAY 8, 2020!
Please mail your order form to the school at 1900 Washington Blvd. Easton, PA 18042 -- Attn: Yearbook. See order form here .
8TH GRADERS!! Last chance for 8th graders to share quarantine photos for a collage for the yearbook. Due to Mrs. Pizzuto (class6b@stjaneschool.com NO later than May 8, 2020.)
Principal Returning to School
I am planning to move my office back to school next week. My hours may vary, but I’ll be there everyday. If you are still interested in purchasing gift cards or picking up your child's awesome HawkWalk t-shirt I can help you. You will need to make an appointment with me by email. I will be working out of my office window. This way we can still practice social distancing and stay safe.
CLEARANCES! You may have more or less time on your hands, but why not get all your clearances in order so you can volunteer once we go back to school in the Fall. See the complete packet here . If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Cahill at assistsec@stjaneschool.com
Check Out Mr. McGarvey’s teacher page. He has exercises that are fun for the family. You can check it out https://www.stjaneschool.com/physed/.
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER!
The following 8th graders have been awarded the Bishop Scholar Society Scholarship:
Daniel Darno
Ryan Horn
Katherine Koons
Jake Mattes
Steven Petrik
John Paul Pierce
Jordan Smith
The students will be recognized at an online ceremony on May 6th with Bishop Schlert, Chancellor Brooke Tesche, and Superintendent Phil Fromuth. Congratulations!
Hope everyone is staying healthy and safe! Miss you all!
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
April 27, 2020
Dear Parents,
I would like to thank everyone for their participation in their year's HawkWalk! I cannot thank the HawkWalk committee members, Mrs. Van Wert, Mrs. Burgess and Mrs. Calandra for all their help. I would also like to thank Mrs. Korp for counting all the money that came in this year and tracking it for Mrs. Fenner. These things don't happen without the support of all of our families. There are so many to thank, so I just want to say THANK YOU TO ALL.
Mr. Van Wert spent yesterday creating the attached YouTube Video for our enjoyment. You will see our grand total at the very end! (It is a 10 minute video, but it's adorable, worth watching to the very end). Thank you to all of you that posted pictures on FACEBOOK or sent me pictures and videos to my email. We tried to include everything!
Although this year's HawkWalk was different, after you watch the video, you might say it was better -- families joined together to celebrate a wonderful event in our school year. THANK YOU AGAIN FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! I miss you all terribly. I wish we could be together.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Okula
April 24, 2020
Dear Parents,
It has been decided at the Diocesan level that 3rd trimester assignments will be graded and counted toward final year end averages. Our grading perspective will be adjusted to be mindful of the impact the pandemic has on our community. Therefore, we are being fluid and flexible with grading. In keeping with the high standard of St. Jane School, students that are NOT participating/handing things in will be reported to me. Parents will be contacted to discuss a course of action to be taken to help achieve student success. We do expect that grades for the 3rd trimester will be higher, given parent support, grading leniency, credit for active online participation (attending Zooms) and timely submission of all assignments. This should be beneficial to most of the students. Please continue to work as a partner with your child’s teacher to ensure the success of your child during virtual school.
In order to see what has been assigned and monitor your child’s success, check PowerSchool by clicking on the trimester average for each core subject of the third trimester. Keep in mind:
- No special grades are being recorded.
- Pass/Fail is not an option for elementary schools per Diocese.
- Grades K-4 -- Will receive grades in ELA, Reading, Math and Religion (modifications and accommodations will be considered)
- Grades 5-8 -- same as above, but add Science and Social Studies.
- Grades K-2 - it's impractical to give students formal assessments over the computer, we will be basing these grades on attendance, homework completion, participation, and our small reading groups. From time to time, you may be asked to send pictures of your child’s work so it can be checked for progress in meeting learning goals. We believe that all the students have been trying their best, so you can expect to see a lot of Gs, VGs, and even a few Os on PowerSchool.
- We will be printing report cards in June, arrangements can hopefully be made to hand them out or mail them to you.
We understand that each of us is impacted by this health crisis differently and we are working hard to balance academic needs with the health and well-being of our families. We also realize that the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in continues to evolve. As such, we aim to continue to adjust our instruction accordingly. Thank you for your continued support during these unprecedented times. Our faculty continues to provide a quality education to our most deserving students.
Pray, hope, don't worry -- St. Padre Pio
Marybeth Okula
April 23, 2020
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone is staying healthy. As our quarantine time heads closer to the end of April, the excitement of cyber school is wearing off on everybody. Please be assured that our teachers are committed to providing your children with not only a continuity of education, but a superior Catholic school education. They are working long hours to prepare for classes, and in turn, their expectations are that the students are working hard as well.
Our buildings are closed. Our school is open!
Our teachers are teaching and our students are learning and will be ready to move on. We can ALL do this. Together. One day at a time. Remember - Don't let the perfect, get in the way of the good.
Did you know...Mr. McGarvey has an awesome website for physical activities for the students. Check it out. Our Music teacher, Mrs. Vinovskis has activities for each grade. Did you know that our Art teacher, Mrs. Waltz has posted YouTube art videos and Mrs. Salvemini has computer keyboarding activities as well as word processing activities to work on. Check it out on our https://www.stjaneschool.com/teacher-pages/. Maybe you can try something fun to do in your down time!!
e-Learning Concerns:
A few e-learning issues that have been brought to my attention that need to be addressed immediately at home:
- There are still students that are on Zoom with their video cameras on, but are actually doing something else on the computer. Teachers have called on said students and they have no idea what’s going on, they are not paying any attention. Please check on your children to make sure they are participating in class and not playing Roblox or doing something other than school work during class time.
- Just like school, cell phones are not allowed in the “classroom.” They are creating a distraction and some students have used it during classes inappropriately.
- Students are still not coming prepared to class. For example, they don’t bring their books to their work area. Teachers are asking students to look at a page, answer a question, or to read, and the response given is, “I don’t have my book.” Please make sure your child is prepared for school. Remind your children, this is school.
- Background noises cannot be helped, and I realize that space is limited in our homes, but please try to remember the classroom is now in your home and that students in your child’s class can hear everything happening in the background in your home. Please be mindful of what’s being said in the background, everyone can hear you. Your child can eliminate the noise of their class by using headphones. If you need headphones, I do have a few available. Please reach out to me.
- It is important that your child participates in the classes/assignments to the best of their abilities. The students are being graded. The faculty is using a variety of assessments both traditional and authentic. Grades are now being posted in PowerSchool.
- Remind your child/ren that school is still in session until at least the first week in June. So, they will be held accountable for all assigned work. Hang in there!
- Thank you for your support and for your child’s hard work.
REMINDER ABOUT Student Zoom/on-line Etiquette Guidelines
Just a reminder about Zoom guidelines for on-line learning. It is very much appreciated that we all continue to work together.
- Be Present in class. I realize how very easy it is to click on other programs and appear to be in class. This is unacceptable.
- NOTE: DUE TO RECENT ZOOM BOMBERS, Teachers will give a 5-minute grace period and then will be locking their zoom rooms in order to prevent Zoom break-ins into class time. Please be on time for class.
- NOTE: You will not be permitted in class unless your video is on. Thank you.
- Avoid eating while in “class”.
- Allow your microphone to sit next to your mouth, NOT inside or right against it.
- Stay put; try NOT to move around while in “class”.
- Limit cell phone use during class time to help another classmate attend class if their home connectivity is poor (pertains mostly to older grades).
- For safety and Zoom room admission purposes, please use your real name, as your teacher knows you. Names that are not recognized may not be admitted into class.
- “Name” screens (turning off video) are no longer permitted for an entire class. Teachers must be able to see the student or the student’s workspace. In this way, teachers can better monitor attendance and active participation on the part of the student.
- Be on time to each class or session.
- Students and parents are encouraged to take advantage of teacher office hours to ask questions and receive assignment clarification, or receive enrichment work or remediation.
- Do NOT share the class password with others.
Looking ahead...April 24th -- Virtual HawkWalk -- We are over $60,000, but our donations have slowed down considerably. Not sure if we’ll make our goal this year, but I am very grateful for everyone’s support! Thank you to all! Please direct your families that still want to contribute to the Donate to HawkWalk tab on our website https://www.stjaneschool.com/donate-to-hawk-walk-2020/)
Thank you so much to our donors!
Spirit Week has been so much fun! I really enjoyed seeing the kids in your photos. Thank you so much for sharing with me! St. Jane School is such a special place, and I am very blessed to be the principal of such a wonderful school with awesome families, amazing teachers and outstanding students! Thank you so much for all your support!
Friday’s forecast is not looking promising. But Saturday has 0% chance of rain and a high of 64 degrees, so I am proposing that we celebrate HawkWalk over the weekend and send me your pictures and I’ll post. You can chalk your “HawkWalk” at your convenience, and send your pictures to me via email at principal@stjaneschool.com
It’s not the same as being together at school, but we can show everyone, like in past years, nothing stops Janers from having a good time and celebrating our HawkWalk!
Chalk Your “HawkWalk” -- Let’s see your best HawkWalk design on your
sidewalk, driveway, etc. take a picture and email to principal@stjaneschool.com.
Get with the family and walk for 20 minutes -- send me a short video (15-30 seconds) we want to celebrate all that we are grateful for, especially our health, you and St. Jane School!
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER! The Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) recently recognized the St. Jane Frances de Chantal School in Easton, PA, for its Program of Distinction in Early Childhood Education. The Middle States Programs of Distinction initiative provides external validation of an accredited school’s accomplishments in specific areas of expertise and enables schools to take accreditation to the next level. Please see attached officical notification letter here . I am also including the press release here .
MORE CONGRATULATIONS! The Commission on Elementary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools voted to award the following to St. Jane Frances de Chantal School, grades PK 4 to grade 8: ACCREDITATION. The term of accreditation is for seven years, effective May 1, 2020 and expiring on May 1, 2027. An “Accredited” institution is an educational organization that meets all MSA Standards for Accreditation, adheres to applicable MSA policies, and meets the requirements of the self study protocol used. The institution agrees to adhere to all requirements for maintenance of accreditation. Please see the official notification here .
Our Encouragement Cards were very much appreciated!
I received an email from Mr. Jason Lewis, Manager of Pulmonary Medicine at Easton Hospital. It said, “I would like to commend the students at St. Jane School for their words of encouragement/thank you cards that were sent to Easton Hospital. The treats are also a welcomed surprise. My staff and I were taken aback by the drawings and cards. It is greatly encouraging and deeply appreciated. The thoughts and prayers from the children are moving. It is so nice to see these posted all over the hospital in the different care areas. It reminds us why we are who we are. We are here to help the community, the sick and the ones in need. Please tell these wonderful souls that they have touched the hearts of the doctors, nurses, and the many other healthcare workers here. Many blessings.”
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
April 15, 2020
Dear Parents,
I hope that everyone enjoyed their Easter. It was nice to have a few days without school work to just focus on family and home and have a few nice sunny days too! I know many of you are grieving the loss of the school year, and this is sad and disappointing. We are all feeling a sense of loss. While this is hard, it is not impossible to complete the year with success and positive energy about school. In some ways, we can now continue doing 'business as usual'.
Our building is closed. Our school is not.
Our teachers are teaching and our students are learning and will be ready to move on. We are uniquely positioned to continue our School-Home partnership in the education of the children. Our faith becomes rooted as we serve as models of Catholic values. Our commitment to keep doing the next best thing for our students and families because we are here to serve our communities. We can ALL do this. Together. One day at a time. Remember - Don't let the perfect, get in the way of the good. Please send me your pictures of what your "classroom" looks like now. I want to see it from your perspective. Send me pictures to principal@stjaneschool.com.
Did you know...our Music teacher, Mrs. Vinovskis has activities for each grade. Did you know that our Art teacher, Mrs. Waltz has posted YouTube art videos and Mrs. Salvemini has computer keyboarding activities as well as word processing activities to work on. Check it out on our website. Maybe you can try something fun to do in your down time!! Send me a picture if you do. I heard Mr. McGarvey is sharing smoothie recipes. I'd like to see a picture of you making a smoothie. Send me anything fun you are doing while you are at home and school. One student was installing hard wood floors! Wow! You're all doing great things! Let's share it!
Student Zoom/on-line Etiquette Guidelines
Just a reminder about Zoom guidelines for on-line learning. It is very much appreciated that we all continue to work together.
- Please be present in class. I realize how very easy it is to click on other programs and appear to be in class. This is unacceptable.
- NOTE: DUE TO RECENT ZOOM BOMBERS, Teachers will give a 5-minute grace period and then will be locking their zoom rooms in order to prevent Zoom break-ins into class time. Please be on time for class.
- NOTE: You will not be permitted in class unless your video is on. Thank you.
- Avoid eating while in “class”.
- Allow your microphone to sit next to your mouth, NOT inside or right against it.
- Stay put; try NOT to move around while in “class”.
- Limit cell phone use during class time to help another classmate attend class if their home connectivity is poor (pertains mostly to older grades).
- For safety and Zoom room admission purposes, please use your real name, as your teacher knows you. Names that are not recognized may not be admitted into class.
- “Name” screens (turning off video) are no longer permitted for an entire class. Teachers must be able to see the student or the student’s workspace. In this way, teachers can better monitor attendance and active participation on the part of the student.
- Be on time to each class or session.
- Students and parents are encouraged to take advantage of teacher office hours to ask questions and receive assignment clarification, or receive enrichment work or remediation.
- Do NOT share the class password with others.
Looking ahead...April 24th -- Virtual HawkWalk -- Donations have slowed down considerably, but we are over $58,000! Thank you to all! Please direct your families that still want to contribute to the Donate to HawkWalk tab on our website https://www.stjaneschool.com/donate-to-hawk-walk-2020/)
Thank you so much to our donors!
The week of April 20th will be virtual spirit week! (Don’t worry, it’s going to be fun and easy!)
Monday, April 20 Wear your favorite HawkWalk t-shirt or your school spirit wear and take a picture and email to principal@stjaneschool.com
Tuesday, April 21 The Future is Bright! -- Get your sunglasses on and email pictures to principal@stjaneschool.com
Wednesday, April 22 Selfie Day - Take your selfie and email to principal@stjaneschool.com
Thursday, April 23 St. Jane School Spirit Day! Be True to Your School -- Wear your green and gold today -- and email pictures to principal@stjaneschool.com
Friday, April 24 Chalk Your “HawkWalk” -- Let’s see your best HawkWalk design on your sidewalk, driveway, etc. take a picture and email to principal@stjaneschool.com.
Get with the family and walk for 20 minutes -- send me a short video (15-30 seconds) we want to celebrate all that we are grateful for, especially our health, you and St. Jane School! Praying for good weather!
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
April 9, 2020
Dear Parents,
It is with a very heavy heart that I share the following news with you. As you have probably already heard, today, Governor Wolf ordered all schools to remain closed through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. Please know that our faculty and staff remain committed to serve our students, everyday. We will continue to move forward with our curriculum and deliver quality instruction to our students and finish the 2019-2020 school year. I’m sure you have many questions regarding Confirmation and First Holy Communion and our 8th grade graduation, please know we are thinking about how and when these events can take place in the future.
On this Holy Thursday, I continue to pray that you and your families are healthy and safe. May Jesus, the Divine Physician, preserve us from all illness and harm.
Pray, hope, don’t worry. -- St. Padre Pio
Marybeth Okula
April 8, 2020
Dear Parents,
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Easter Blessings to All! I want to wish you and your families a Blessed Easter, and I pray that you are all healthy. May Jesus, the Divine Physician, preserve us from all illness and harm.
Celebrating the Triduum is such a special time in our liturgical year and Holy Week is always a treasured time of year for families as the culmination of Lent comes to an end. Although we will not be attending Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday Services, and Easter Sunday Mass at church,the Diocese of Allentown has asked us to remain faithful during this special time in our Church. Bishop Schlert provided us this schedule of Holy Week Masses for you and your family to celebrate the Holy Triduum and observe Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Holy Week Masses will be celebrated by Bishop Schlert at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown.The Masses can be seen live at www.ad-today.com and on the Diocese’s YouTube channel. They also will be available for later viewing on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/user/DioceseofAllentown
Here is the schedule of special Masses during Holy Week:
Monday, 8:00 a.m., Private Chapel
Tuesday, 8:00 a.m., Private Chapel
Wednesday, 8:00 a.m., Private Chapel
Holy Thursday, April 9, Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday, April 10, Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion at 3:00 p.m.
Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 11 at 8:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m.
Note: There will be no morning Mass live streamed from the Bishop’s private chapel on days when he will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral.
E-Learning and Survey Results
Thank you to the families who participated in the recent e-learning survey. The survey results validated our hard work of the amazing St. Jane Faculty. Thank you for the very positive feedback and for your support of the “new” education process.
In the survey, I asked for everyone’s opinions and comments, and I certainly did receive many opinions and comments. I am happy to report that overall, everyone seems very satisfied with the present e-learning program we have in place for the children. Regardless of how the school year continues - whether it be through e-learning or in the classroom - it is our commitment to provide your children with a continuity of education at the level that you are accustomed to.
I want to address a few concerns that came up in the comments. The two weeks that we were ordered home by Governor Wolf, the PA Department of Education and the Diocese of Allentown instructed us not to provide formal instruction so we did not. March 13 to March 20 we used up our 6 snow days. The week of March 23rd would’ve been standardized testing week, therefore, we did not lose much instruction time, however, this week did allow our teachers an opportunity to acclimate themselves and your children to the on-line learning platform on Zoom and/or Google Classroom. The teachers were asked, by me, to put enrichment or review work on web pages and some of our students took advantage of that. With that being said, we hit the ground running, with very few glitches, the week of March 30th to begin our flexible instruction.
I created the survey based on phone calls and emails and facebook posts saying that the children were spending entirely too much time on-line. While I have never had the experience of on-line elementary school before, and neither have any of my teachers, we look to you for guidance, and I look to my fellow principals in the Diocese for guidance. Based on the survey results, the majority feels we have the right balance for the children to learn key concepts and information, and ample time for independent work.
According to the survey, 80% (of 227 families) felt we were hitting the right balance. That being reported, we realize families have varying schedules throughout the week. If, at any time, you feel that the current program needs to be adjusted to suit your child’s needs, please reach out to your child’s teacher to discuss further. Our teachers are willing to work with you. E-learning is not meant to be like a classroom. The structure of e-learning is direct instruction (with a mute button) and independent work (that can be done offline at the student’s/family’s convenience).
A recurring theme in the survey comments was the consistency factor. All of the teachers have a schedule available to you and your child on their webpages. We realize the importance of making sure we stick to the schedule. Technology plays a big factor, but we need to be very flexible knowing that technological problems may happen. We realize that everything in the world seems to be up in the air right now; we want to be a source of spiritual strength, comfort, and consistency for our families.
Our teaching and learning scheduling moving forward will have Grades 5 to 8 continuing with a 5 day e-learning program consisting of four days of regular instruction and a fifth day for catching up and extra help from the teachers. We feel that this is the best use of time and will give our children an opportunity to work independently. Our K to 4 teachers will still keep with their schedules of 5 days of instruction.
Student Zoom/on-line Etiquette Guidelines
- Avoid eating while in “class”.
- Allow your microphone to sit next to your mouth, NOT inside or right against it.
- Stay put; try NOT to move around while in “class”.
- Limit cell phone use during class time to help another classmate attend class if their home connectivity is poor (pertains mostly to older grades).
- For safety and Zoom room admission purposes, please use your real name, as your teacher knows you. Names that are not recognized may not be admitted into class.
- “Name” screens (turning off video) are no longer permitted for an entire class. Teachers must be able to see the student or the student’s workspace. In this way, teachers can better monitor attendance and active participation on the part of the student.
- Be on time to each class or session.
- Students and parents are encouraged to take advantage of teacher office hours to ask questions and receive assignment clarification, or receive enrichment work or remediation.
- Do NOT share the class password with others.
I want to again thank everyone for your positive feedback on how virtual learning is going. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we all continue to try our best during this crazy, crazy time.
Looking ahead...April 24th -- Virtual HawkWalk -- Donations have slowed down considerably, but we are over $50,000! Please direct your families that still want to contribute to the Donate to HawkWalk tab on our website https://www.stjaneschool.com/donate-to-hawk-walk-2020/)
Thank you so much to our donors!
The week of April 20th will be virtual spirit week! (Don’t worry, it’s going to be fun and easy!)
Monday, April 20 Wear your favorite HawkWalk t-shirt or your school spirit wear and take a picture and email to principal@stjaneschool.com
Tuesday, April 21 The Future is Bright! -- Get your sunglasses on and email to principal@stjaneschool.com
Wednesday, April 22 Selfie Day - Take your selfie and email to principal@stjaneschool.com
Thursday, April 23 St. Jane School Spirit Day! Be True to Your School -- Wear your green and gold today -- and email to principal@stjaneschool.com
Friday, April 24 Chalk Your “HawkWalk” -- Let’s see your best HawkWalk design on your sidewalk, driveway, etc. take a picture and email to principal@stjaneschool.com.
Get with the family and walk for 20 minutes -- send me a short video (15-30 seconds) we want to celebrate all that we are grateful for, especially our health, you and St. Jane School! Praying for good weather!
Pray, hope, don’t worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula, Principal
April 5, 2020
Dear Parents,
As of 1:30 p.m. I had 148 responses. I was hoping for a larger number of respondents to assist us in making some decisions going forward. I want to state, that everyone, wants to be back in the school environment, but there are so many things that we are not in control of at this time. I want to make the things I can control a benefit for all.
Just a quick preview 35% of the responses are saying that it has been difficult establishing a routine -- me too! I fall in this boat. I'm not sure how to help, just keep setting the alarm, eating breakfast, brushing teeth and getting ready to be on "computervision" (that's what I'm calling it). 26% are having a difficulty sharing living space...I understand that too. My husband worked from home last week, Jenna is on-line taking her college classes and I'm in the bunker...we try to only meet at meal and snack time. LOL! But it's a challenge. I'll pray for you!
77% feel that the teachers are giving the correct balance of on-line time and school work (thank you -- we really worked hard at that). 14% are telling me there's not enough work or time on-line--I'll be reaching out to you, I have a few ideas that can be easily implemented for your child. 9% are saying too much work and too much time on-line -- I'll be reaching out to you as well and see if I can be of assistance in anyway to lighten your burden.
90% are in favor of the 4 day on-line school week -- some concerns that came up was squeezing 4 days into to 5 or not teaching the required amount of work. The teachers have been amazing! They have this figured out and instruction is followed up with independent work, so I do not feel that the students are being over-crammed or short-changed with any school work.
This upcoming week is Holy Week -- we are only instructing until Wednesday. Assignments will be due after Easter break. The week after Easter Sunday -- we are not instructing on Easter Monday, April 13th (our one month anniversary of the new normal way of living). That is a four day week.
We will continue to work on improvements of this virtual world. If you haven't yet taken the survey, please complete now. Here's the link: https://forms.gle/M55jHtzgLh6mZEyE6
Pray, hope, don't worry. St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Okula
April 3, 2020
Dear Parents,
We are asking that you take a few minutes to fill out this survey. The #1 priority at this time is the health and safety of your family and we would like to be able to help you keep your child's life as "normal" as possible but we would like your input. As we complete our first week of online instruction, help us reflect so we are better prepared to move forward.
https://forms.gle/dtW6cqkDzcZQJASq8
Thank you again for all of your prayers and support you have given to our Janer family. You will continue to be in our prayers each day! We are all in this together and we are doing our best to make this work for all!
Pray, hope, don't worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Marybeth Okula
April 1, 2020
Dear Parents,
Happy April 1st a.k.a. April Fools Day! It’s so great to see the sun! You continue to be in my daily prayers and I hope everyone is staying healthy and staying home!
IMPORTANT!!! We have still NOT located the belongings of Molly Morales, 7A. If anyone received her books by mistake, please contact me to arrange a time to return the bag to the school. We’ve brought back the black wooden box which is located outside the front door. If I am not at the school, please place her stuff there and let me know. Thank you.
E-Learning Updates
Our first three days of e-learning seems to be going smoothly. My suggestion as a parent and a principal is to keep to a schedule. It will make things easier for all. Once the novelty wears off of being on-line, things will get considerably harder for the students, but much easier for the teachers. We are shooting for progress, not perfection in the days to come. I’ve always known that the teachers at St. Jane School were AMAZING! I am hopeful that everyone can embrace the efforts made by the teachers, similar to you, they are spending a lot of time preparing meaningful lessons for the students, just as you are juggling scheduling your child’s days and the many responsibilities each of you have at home. Everyone is definitely going outside of their comfort zones! I’m so proud of all that St. Jane School is and stands for!
It is important that your child participates in the classes/assignments as best as they can. We are taking a flexible approach to all of this. The students will NOT be formally graded. As a faculty we are looking for more authentic assessments. Teachers are ultimately deciding what students will need to do to demonstrate mastery of the targeted skills. Some of the assessments you may be seeing include:
- Exit tickets for assessment: Students can answer these prompts in virtual settings (google classroom, google hangout, zoom, or teleconference) when a topic has been presented virtually, call and ask a question.
- Checklists of skills to track mastery during conferences with students
- Rubrics for projects: Science experiments, research, presentations, writing
- Students can submit photos of completed work, or videos of reading a passage (which again lends itself to a rubric to evaluate reading)
- Student self-assessment should be embedded. Ask them to submit their own rubric and evaluation along with their work
- Track student participation in live lessons
- Work completion and submission of assignment
- Parent communications/contacts (i.e. emails, phone calls, google classroom)
- Classroom survey of learning
- Open book exams/quizzes
- Student reflection or picture
The question may remain, but how do they get graded? At this time, feedback remains critical for engaging students and keeping them on the right path. There is more to feedback than grades. In this virtual environment, teachers will always acknowledge receipt of work, but the level of acknowledgement may vary: it may be a thumbs up emoji, a check mark, a comment regarding their efforts. Teachers will track this feedback as a way of summarizing the student’s progress towards mastery. Does the student consistently hit the mark in expectations? Does the student frequently hit the mark towards the expectations? Is the student close to meeting expectations? A check, check minus, check plus will be used to track their overall performance.
Please continue to check the website, teacher web pages, and Google Classrooms for updates on classroom and school activities.
As the Governor stated on Monday, March 30, 2020, schools will be closed indefinitely, BUT we are all praying that means April 30, 2020.... I speak for the entire faculty and staff when I say, we really want to get back to school for the month of May! Please continue to pray along with us!
“I’m going to get through this and grow through this.” is the new mantra I say everyday! Join with me in saying it everyday!
Upcoming Events:
“School” will be closed for Easter Thursday, April 9 (Holy Thursday), Friday, April 10 (Good Friday) and Monday, April 13, 2020 (Easter Monday). That means no on-line instruction will be held these days.
Please plan as a family to “attend” the Holy Week services that are being offered. Check www.stjanesofeastonpa.com for additional resources that can be used during Holy Week. In addition, Bishop Alfred Schlert celebrates daily Mass for the faithful from his private chapel, and it is live streamed on AD Today. https://www.ad-today.com/
Please contact me for any specific needs, difficulties, concerns you may be having during this unprecedented time at 610-253-8442 and it will ring on my cell phone. It is important for me to hear your concerns firsthand so they can be addressed in a timely manner.
Thank you for your continued commitment to St. Jane School. Please continue to pray for those families being impacted by COVID-19 and that we are able to come together as a community again sooner than later. Until then, be safe, stay home, wash your hands and, may Jesus, the Divine Physician, preserve us from all illness and harm.
On a side note, I completed the 2020 US Census. It took less than 5 minutes to complete. I received a letter in the mail, but you can just go on my2020census.gov and complete the survey. It was very quick and easy! See flyer here.
Pray, Hope, Don’t Worry -- St. Padre Pio
Mrs. Marybeth Okula, Principal
March 29, 2020
Dear Parents,
Tomorrow, we embark on e-learning education at St. Jane School. It is a historic time in the 100 year history of the school and parish. Initially, the Pennsylvania Department of Education signed PA Act 64 of 2019 to allow for an alternative to the 180 school day requirement when the school building is prevented from being opened for a variety of reasons. The Flexible Instructional Day (FID) Program is a tool available to be used as an alternate approach to delivering instruction if a circumstance arises when the school cannot be in session for a variety of reasons.
A Flexible Instructional Day is an option for schools only when at least one of the following occurs:
- A disease epidemic
- A hazardous weather condition
- A law enforcement emergency
- The inoperability of school buses or other equipment necessary to the school entity’s operation
- Damage to a school building
- Another temporary circumstance rendering any portion of a school building unfit or unsafe for use.
We are definitely satisfying the first bullet with the wide spread closures of the current pandemic situation. My goal as your principal is to provide continuity of education for our students with the hope that when the dust settles, we do not have to go to school to June 30th to satisfy the 990 hours or 180 days required by law. The Governor has said repeatedly that he will not hold us for 180 days, but I’m waiting for direction about the 990 hours.
It is important that your child participates in the classes/assignments as best as they can. We understand that everyone’s circumstances are very different, and the technology, while a blessing can also be very unpredictable. I have asked my teachers to connect with your children on Zoom or Google Meet because I feel that it is very important that we remain in contact with each other. It is not a main component of the education process, merely an excellent tool to help all of us through this period of quarantine and isolation. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to check the website, teacher web pages, and Google Classrooms for updates on classroom and school activities.
Last Friday, I had to furlough (furloughs are a temporary unpaid leave of absence) many of our hourly personnel. This had been an extremely difficult decision. Although we are hopeful that the furlough will be short and that we are able to recall employees as soon as possible, there is no guarantee when this may happen. Please keep us all in your prayers.
IMPORTANT: We have still not located the belongings of Molly Morales, 7A. If anyone received her books by mistake, please contact me to arrange a time to return the bag to the school. We’ve brought back the black wooden box which is located outside the front door. If I am not at the school, please place her stuff there and let me know. Thank you.
In my March 25, 2020 letter I laid out the e-learning guidelines. Please do your best to enforce the guidelines at home, as for the dress code -- just like when we have a NUT day...nothing that couldn’t be worn to school if they were granted an out of uniform day.
I notice many families are creating their own theme days that are fun and exciting, but I don’t want to create any more pressures for families, but please enjoy and share! We love getting your pictures of your children making news videos, dressing up, having special events during the at home school time, etc. Please know that we miss the students very much and wish we can get back to school. The teachers and I are secretly praying for an after Easter return -- maybe April 15 or 16th? Pray along with us!
Finally, please contact me for any specific needs, difficulties, concerns you may be having during this unprecedented time. I’m in my basement office bunker until told otherwise. I am running to school for specific maintenance issues during the week and to check on our school --- we have all invested in St. Jane School for a number of years, (personally for our family since 1999 when my son first attended through my current role as principal.) Like you, I want our building, our school and our community to be better and stronger when we return. In the days to come, please reach out to me through our school number 610-253-8442 and it will ring on my cell phone. It is important for me to hear your concerns firsthand so they can be addressed in a timely manner.
Thank you for your continued commitment to St. Jane School. Please continue to pray for those families being impacted by COVID-19 and that we are able to come together as a community again sooner than later. Brighter days are coming. Until then, be safe and, may Jesus, the Divine Physician, preserve us from all illness and harm.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Marybeth Okula, Principal
P.S. Mrs. Vinovskis will be offering on-line Music classes beginning tomorrow as well.
Some information about the plans for online Music.
- No ZOOM class (at least not now).
- On Monday I will post an introductory video on my school webpage for everyone. It will refer them to the MUSIC Google Classroom page and there will be a music activity/song/"assignment" for them there.
- I'm not grading anything. I AM offering an opportunity for them to submit something to me that I can post on the Google Classroom page. It may even make its way into next week's general video!
- 3rd and 4th graders will be working on recorder belts, among other things. Any student in Grade 5-8 that has a recorder and would like to participate is invited to earn recorder belts as well. The class with the most belts earned during the month of March/April wins the RAINBOW RECORDER award. (See forthcoming details on my webpage). I encourage all to join in the fun!
The Google Classroom access codes will be posted on my webpage.
8A: hegfjls
8B: vujf7by
7-1: sd23ptm
7-2: y2hft6q
6A: tg3dane
6B: 2j3xh25
5A: wtekgzr
5B: aoszoxm
4A: irsxkb6
4B: 4z5rswg
3A: pbyoiwz
3B: p6nc5mo
2A: sbk3q37
2B: f7iksvk
1A: cnpqa74
1B: c31sswz
K-1: p3mo2wh
K-2: yf5el5v
Any questions or suggestions - just send me an email!
March 25, 2020
Dear Parents,
Thank you all for making yesterday go very smoothly.
As stated by the Governor, school will be closed through April 6, 2020 with the possibility of it closing longer. Beginning March 30, 2020, we will begin on-line instruction for K-8. Grade levels have created schedules which should be visible on their individual teacher web pages. In addition, we will have an e-Learning drop down menu from the home page of our website. Things may look and feel a bit different, but it is important for us to take this school year one week at a time. Teachers will be assigning work and grading it, and attendance will be taken. My goal is that we teach our priority topics set forth in our academic guidelines.
Some teachers will be taking a very hybrid approach utilizing google classroom and task-oriented assignments with specific due dates. Please be patient as we move toward this new Virtual St. Jane School.
Please review our e-Learning expectations:
- Faith is integrated into all subjects.
- Students should conduct themselves as they would during school hours; even though we are learning virtually, school rules and behavioral expectations still apply.
- Students are to follow out of school uniform guidelines for all virtual meetings.
- Please ensure students that participate in these meetings while in the kitchen or living room as opposed to a closed bedroom or bathroom setting. These steps help us create an appropriate learning environment for all involved and is in line with Protecting God’s Children.
- We acknowledge that parents will also be utilizing technology and realize that students may need to review with you at a later time. Teachers are prepared to record lessons and the lessons will be available (beginning the week of March 30, 2020) more details to come.
- While we don’t expect any of this to take place, it’s important for us to say now, if your child(ren) is not logging on during designated class times, conducting themselves inappropriately while online and/or not dress appropriately, the teacher or I will be in touch with you to discuss any concerns raised.
Your continued support and feedback during these times of transition is greatly appreciated. Know that we are here to support you during these unprecedented times. Teachers are available through email and/or you can contact me by calling the school, it rings on my phone at home. I will not be going to the school for long periods, just quick walk throughs to make sure everything is okay.
Please continue to pray for those families being impacted by COVID-19 and that we are able to come together as a community again sooner than later. Brighter days are coming. Until then, be safe and may Jesus, the Divine Physician, preserve us from all illness and harm.
Mrs. Okula
Resources from Common Sense Media:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic
March 22, 2020
Dear Parents,
Thank you all for all you are doing to support your children during the past week. It is such an uncertain time, and it is so important that we stay in touch. I appreciate all the pictures -- keep them coming! I will post them as soon as I can -- my new hashtag is #stongerhappierjaners and it’s so true.
It is important for us to take this school year one week at a time. I am awaiting guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Diocese of Allentown Office of Education on how we will proceed. With the uncertainty that exists and following what is taking place in neighboring states and cities, we have decided to provide time for families to pick up items from school.
On Tuesday, March 24, 2020 families are invited to come and pick up their child/ren’s belongings and requested devices based on the survey. (FYI -- 289 families out of a possible 306 - THANK YOU!) Please drive to the corner of S. 19th Street and stay in your car (just like the car rider line) and my team will be delivering the belongings to your car. We will be practicing social distancing and we will be gloved. We want to make this as easy as possible for families - please remain in your car, we will come to you. As soon as you receive your bag, we ask that you carefully pull away and allow the next set of cars to pull up. We are offering two times for families to have the opportunity to pick up their child/ren’s items and will be distributing to families alphabetically:
12:00 - 12:30 -- Children with the last names from A to F
12:30 - 1:00 -- Children with the last names from G to L
1:00 - 1:30 -- Children with the last names from M to R
1:30 - 2:00 -- Children with the last names from S to Z
For those individuals that cannot make the day times, we will be available from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. during the following times:
4:00 - 4:30 -- Children with the last names from A to F
4:30 - 5:00 -- Children with the last names from G to L
5:00 - 5:30 -- Children with the last names from M to R
5:30 - 6:00 -- Children with the last names from S to Z
In addition to the school item pick up, for this week, we have three short-term goals for the teachers, students and families :
- Get yourself oriented to Zoom and used to using Zoom. Your student does not need to set up an account, they just need their teacher’s Zoom class ID number which can be found on each teacher’s classroom web page which will be up soon, if not already.
- Assist your students/child with getting acclimated to Zoom.
- Allow your child to go to Zoom meetings that their teacher posts for this week so they can get used to this new virtual classroom should we not return to school next week.
I believe we are heading into a virtual classroom the week of March 30th, and I think it’s best we gradually introduce ourselves into this type of environment. I don’t want to overwhelm you or our students or our teachers. This week teachers will be scheduling specific Zoom times to introduce students to the platform. Should we move to virtual learning we can then begin to engage in enrichment and review activities. Should we move to a Virtual school environment in the weeks to come, it surely will not look like school as we know it, it will be different and it will be exciting! Pending the direction we receive from the Diocese and PDE will determine the expectations we set for students and teachers.
Please continue to pray for those families being impacted by COVID-19 and that we are able to come together as a community again sooner than later.
Thank you for your continued support!
Stay well everyone. May Jesus, the Divine Physician, preserve us from all illness and harm.
Mrs. Okula, Principal
March 20, 2020
Dear Parents,
Thank God It’s Friday!
I am praying for everyone's health and sanity. It's been a tough week at St. Jane School -- our community is praying for each and everyone of you!
As we near the end of our first week, I’d like to summarize a bit, and look ahead, as well.
Our faculty is fully immersed in the details of virtual learning as we plan for the possibility of closures extending beyond next week. With all of us having so many more questions than answers right now, we’re remaining optimistic, while ensuring we are well planned and ready to go virtual when and if the time comes. I assure you, we will communicate the plan for virtual learning in a clear and user-friendly way. You should expect more detailed emails about virtual learning next week. Students in Grades 3 to 8 all have google accounts, and we feel it makes the most sense for us to look at the full power of Google Classroom. As a school, I have signed up for Zoom and some teachers have been connecting using Google Meets or Google Hangouts for on-line class meetings.
I understand that some students have books at school that they will need to complete assignments. Since we have not allowed students in the building to pick-up books and such, they will not be penalized for their inability to complete an assignment which requires the use of a book they do not physically have. If we move to a more long-term situation, I will let both teachers and students know how we will proceed.
At this time, teachers are posting enrichment, non-graded work. Because Governor Wolf directed that all schools be closed, we can’t officially track attendance, and therefore are unable to provide grade-bearing assignments. During this closure there may be students without internet connections and/or appropriate devices with which to connect.
It won’t be easy to recreate the school experience at home in a matter of days. Our students have a wide variety of learning settings in which they feel comfortable. It’s going to take a little time. Please be patient with one another. Our teachers are working very hard to provide the best possible experience for your child/ren.
I wanted to share some information I received. Service Electric is offering 3 months of free internet access at this time to help the community stay connected. Please see the website below pertaining to this offer.
https://www.sectv.com/Web/aspHome.aspx?strSystem=LV
Please note it's an offer to new customers by Service Electric Cable. However, if families are being affected by the shutdowns and are losing employment, this may be a viable option for them to explore at this difficult time.
If you haven’t completed the on-line survey, please do so today.
https://forms.gle/pyVsvsHfHW6DEKbMA
Stay well everyone. May Jesus, the Divine Physician, preserve us from all illness and harm.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Okula, Principal
March 18, 2020
Dear Parents,
COVID-19 UPDATE: As we all wait out these next two weeks, I would like to gain information on the on-line capabilities of our students and their families. To help us better understand how families access on-line resources with your children, please complete this survey by Friday, March 20, 2020.
Over the past few weeks, we have all been receiving an abundance of on-line resources and it has been wonderful to see so many families sharing information online! While we do not know if the current quarantine will extend beyond the two weeks, I want to reassure you that our team at St. Jane School has been in ongoing contact, and we are exploring different technology platforms to engage our students should remote learning need to occur.
Although homework is not required during these two weeks at home, many families have inquired if books could be available for pick up. At the current time, I ask you to engage with learning activities you have found online and/or that teachers are providing on their webpages. If your child does not have a book for work that is listed on a teacher’s webpage it is OKAY, children will not be graded for work during these two weeks. The teacher webpage information is to provide learning opportunities for enrichment to keep their minds moving and them out of your hair as best as possible. I ask for your patience as we continue to navigate these ever-changing days. Thank you for your continued support!
HAWKWALK 2020! Thankfully, letters are coming in daily. We are now up to $42,000! On-line and matching contributions are doing extremely well. Check with your company to see if they match your donations. So far, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Merck and PPL have all contributed with matching funds. Thank you all for your support of our fundraising campaign.
FOR NOW. Save the date! ROCKY RAILWAY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL -- SCHEDULED FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 20TH - Rocky Railway the VBS online registration is live. Here is the link if anyone is interested in registering in a fun way to learn about Jesus’ love for us: https://www.stjanesofeastonpa.com/rocky-railway-vacation-bible-school-online-registration-2020/
FOR NOW! 2020 VBS – ADULT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Mark your calendars, Vacation Bible School is back! This year’s theme is Rocky Railway! Take an exciting adventure where kids find that Jesus’ power pulls us through! The program will run from Monday July 20th, 2020 through Friday, July 24th, 2020 (hours are 8:30 – 11:45 a.m. for volunteers) in Father Farrell Hall (1922 Washington Blvd, Easton, PA 18042). To have a successful Vacation Bible School, we need adult volunteers. Note: You will need to have attended Protecting God’s Children Class and have all your clearances on file in the School Office. If you are interested, contact Kevin Kimmel at 610-253-7794 ext. 2 or kkimmel@rcn.com.
FINANCIAL AID FORMS - please apply online through FACTS. Thank you. Deadline is April 30, 2020.
If anyone needs to pray or talk, you can email me at PRINCIPAL@STJANESCHOOL.COM or Mr. Kevin Kimmel at kkimmel@rcn.com and let us know the best number and time to call you.
Bishop Alfred Schlert has cancelled all public Masses effective immediately to limit the spread of the COVID-19 however your family can view mass online at ad-today.com. In addition St. Jane Church is holding Eucharistic Adoration on Sundays in the Church from 1:00pm - 4:00pm and on Tuesdays in the Church from 9:00am - 9:00pm with benediction. Penance is also continuing on Wednesday evenings and on Saturdays (please consult the St. Jane Church website for updates regarding Church specific activities.) Updates on the Diocese response to COVID-19 can be found at https://www.ad-today.com/.
Mr. Kimmel has shared the following information:
There is a great podcast on More 2 Life called the Domestic Church Life - I highly recommend listening to this: https://avemariaradio.net/audio-archive/more2life-march-16-2020/
The talk today was full of helpful information on how to adjust to being home together.
Catholic content for your family (Videos, Podcasts, Websites, Apps, Music): https://www.stjanesofeastonpa.com/catholic-media/
While these do not replace actual attendance at Mass, they can help your family pray together and stay connected to the universal Church:
National Shrine: http://www.catholictv.org/masses/national-shrine-mass
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York: https://saintpatrickscathedral.org/live
Catholic TV: http://www.catholictv.org/masses
If you prefer an online option from a Diocese of Allentown church, you may want to tune in to live Masses from St. John XXIII Church in Tamaqua. The parish live streams its Masses on its website, www.sj23tamaqua.org and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pg/sj23tamaqua/videos/. The times are 4 p.m. Saturdays and on Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
EWTN, the network with Catholic-themed programming, televises two live Masses each Sunday at 8 a.m. and 12 noon. Below are the channel numbers for EWTN on cable services in the Diocese:
Service Electric Lehigh Valley: Channel 18
RCN in the Lehigh Valley: Channel 326
Xfinity in Berks County: Channel 52
Blue Ridge Cable in Carbon County: Channel 42
Service Electric in Schuylkill County: Channel 21
Daily Mass Readings & Reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031620.cfm
When struggles and hardships come along, and we are very stressed, it's good for us to do three things:
- Reconnect with God (pray with and for each other)
- Reconnect with loved ones (hug and talk about how things are going)
- Reconnect with our best self (what little steps can I take to help me think and react better)
Here are two podcasts that can help us reconnect with our best selves:- Here is a podcast on stress: https://avemariaradio.net/audio-archive/more2life-march-12-2020/
- Here is a podcast on anxiety: https://avemariaradio.net/audio-archive/more2life-march-13-2020/
Stay connected with loved ones. Remember we are not in this alone, when hardship comes along we can turn to those who love us. The people we love may not be able to solve the problem and make it go away, but it is so important that we are there for each other. Also, with all the technology we have, it is easy to call, Facetime, Snapchat, and Instagram someone. Thank God for the technology we have.
It is okay to feel what you feel. God made us with feelings, thank God for that.
Regularly throughout the day share how you are feeling and ask how others are feeling. We do not have to share all our feelings with our children, however when we share age appropriate responses about how we are feeling, it encourages them to know that they are not alone in feeling scared or anxious or sad.
News and social media are important but please be careful to limit the exposure to it.
Take time each day (maybe 5 minutes for each) to PRAY, PLAY, TALK, and WORK together as a family.
Be intentional with family time and make a schedule for each day. Have a family meeting and go over how everyone is doing, what needs to be done each day, and how each of us can be kind and caring for each other.
Remember your family is a beautiful gift and distinct from any other. What ideas work for one family, may not work for another. Trust yourself and the grace that God gives you to be the best parent for your children. You are made in the image and likeness of God, beautifully and wonderfully made.
Pray together and for each other, encourage your children to ask God for things in prayer.
Make the prayers relate to our lives and help children to know their prayers are important to our loving God.
St. Jane School Lenten Theme for 2020: “Everyone is committed in the matter of peace, to do everything that they can...Peace is the language we must speak.” Pope Francis
Peace is the most fundamental asset to community building, to personal growth, and to the very survival of our planet. This Lent our school community will practice one peacemaking too each week.
Welcoming--We greet people with a smile to make them feel included, part of a community (2/26-3/1) Everyone did a great job!
Respect--We show respect for each person by following school and class rules (3/2-3/8)
Caring--We demonstrate caring by using kind words (3/9-3/15)
Compassion--We offer compassion to others through our daily prayers (3/16-3/22)
Charity--We support those who need us instead of looking the other way (3/23-3/29)
Faith--We model Catholic values through our sincere participation in liturgical devotion (3/30-4/8)
CLASSROOM REQUEST POLICY: Teacher requests will NO longer be accepted via email. If you would like to make a request, you need to schedule a meeting with your child’s current teacher and Mrs. Okula in order to discuss your concerns. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Marybeth Okula
Principal
March 16, 2020
Dear Parents,
The teachers and I have created a plan so that we can continue to provide our students with educational opportunities during the time that our school is closed due to COVID-19. Teachers have put a great deal of extraordinary work into providing these opportunities. Earlier today, I received a directive from Dr. Fromuth, the Superintendent of Catholic Education, allowing us to proceed. I would like to share the details of our plan with you now:
- Beginning on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, teachers will be posting ongoing assignments on a periodic basis on their webpages. It may direct you/your child to e-board (7th and 8th grade), Google classroom or Remind app.
- K-4 assignments will include Religion, Math, Reading, and Language Arts.
- Grades 5-8 will receive assignments in Religion, Math, Reading, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.
- These assignments are optional and will not be graded. However, students are encouraged to complete the assignments at home by using the online component and to bring the completed work back to school when it reopens.
- Students will not be penalized if assignments are not completed. Also, non-completion of assignments is not linked to attendance.
- I will be posting on FB and Instagram updates, fun activities that I see, and perhaps Janer challenges for fun! I want to stay engaged with all of you.
- Stay home, stay safe and practice social distancing with others.
I will be keeping office hours for phone calls and emails only from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. this week. I will update my office hours with you for next week. Non-school personnel will not be permitted in any of our school buildings. I will update you as further directives come from the Diocese and PA Department of Health.
Stay well everyone. May Jesus, the Divine Physician, preserve us from all illness and harm.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Okula, Principal
March 15, 2020
Dear Parents,
It has been a very difficult few days. I am hopeful that, as Fr. John said this morning at Mass, it's in God's hands and it will all be okay. I hope that everyone is doing well. You are all in my prayers.
I just wanted to let you know that until I hear from the Diocese of Allentown Superintendent, no one will be meeting or going into the school building. We sanitized on Friday, and our evening cleaning crew followed up with thorough floor cleaning.
Many of you have asked for work and assignments for your children, but I've asked the teachers to not update their websites or create any assignments at this time. I would encourage you to make time to read, read as a family, create cool book reports to share with the family, use technology and make movies, once this is behind us, we can all share the creative things we did as we self-quarantine ourselves from this pandemic. I also encourage your children to journal or draw the beauty of the coming spring days.
My hope is to get more direction and guidance from the Diocese tomorrow.
Enjoy the beautiful weather! Wash your hands, cover your coughs and sneezes, check on friends and neighbors (especially the elderly). In addition, I would follow any directives from the CDC.
God Bless you all -- tell your children we all miss them already.
Stay safe!
Mrs. Okula, Principal
March 13, 2020
Dear Parents,
As you will see below, Governor Wolf has announced that all schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be closed beginning on Monday, March 16th for two weeks due to the Covid-19 virus. After ten business days, the situation with the pandemic will be re-evaluated.
I will be sending you additional information as it becomes available. Please continue to check your email for updates. Thank you for your patience and support.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2020
Governor Wolf Announces Closure of Pennsylvania Schools
Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced that all K-12 Pennsylvania schools will be closed for 10 business days effective Monday, March 16. The administration has been working with school districts as well as state and local officials to gather input on this decision. The Wolf Administration will continue to monitor Covid-19 in the commonwealth, and at the end of 10 days will reevaluate and decide whether continued closure is needed.
Governor Wolf made the following statement:
We understand that these are trying times and recognize the impact of the coronavirus on our students and communities.
First and foremost, my top priority as governor – and that of our education leaders – must be to ensure the health and safety of our students and school communities.
As such, I am ordering that all schools in the commonwealth close for the next two weeks.
Be aware that no school district will be penalized if it fails to meet the 180 day or school hours requirements.
The Department of Education will work with intermediate units and other stakeholders to support school districts with any continuity of learning plans they may be pursuing.
Also, the Pennsylvania Department of Education announced today that it received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow eligible schools to serve meals to low-income students in a non-congregate setting, such as a drive-through or grab and go, during this closure. We will also work with schools to assist them with those plans.
We appreciate your collaboration as we work together to deal with this difficult issue.
March 13, 2020
Dear Parents,
Thank-you for your patience and understanding as we continue to respond to the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak in our state. Today all of our facilities were deep-cleaned. Desks were sprayed inside and out with Peroxy HDOX, which is a Hospital Grade disinfectant, virucide, and sanitizer that kills 99.999% of germs, including MRSA and Influenza (See attached Safety Sheet). Chairs, tables, shelves, doors, and other touchpoints have also been cleaned with this product. Tonight our cleaning service will be in again to deep-clean the floors. All buildings will be closed for the weekend.
St. Jane School will be closed to students on Monday, March 16. Our faculty will have an In-Service that day. We will be training and planning for the possible use of Flexible-Instruction Days (FID). Our goal is to enact a plan to allow for the continuation of learning in the event that school is closed for an extended period of time. We continue to follow the directives given to us by the Diocese of Allentown and Easton Area School District. I will send out an update on Monday to inform you if we will be returning to school or moving to Flexible-Instruction Days.
Thank you again for bearing with us as this unprecedented situation continues to evolve. I promise that I will provide you with updated information as it becomes available. Even more importantly, I promise that you are in my prayers. In return, I ask that you keep our school, parish, state, country, and world in your prayers. May Jesus, the Divine Physician, preserve us from all illness and harm.
Sincerely,
Marybeth Okula, Principal
Dear Parents,
For an update on the latest information on coronavirus as it pertains to Masses, parishes, Catholic education, diocesan events and other information, please visit www.ad-today.com.
We invite you to check back to that website often.
The situation is changing rapidly and we will update the site as new information becomes available.
March 11, 2020
Dear Parents,
UPDATE COVID-19: We continue to monitor and follow recommendations set forth by the PA Department of Health, CDC and the WHO. I want to emphasize that if your child is sick and running a fever, please keep them out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medications.
As a reminder, please continue to enforce with your children the following preventive measures:
- Cover coughs or sneezes with your elbow. Do not use your hands!
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. (I have been suggesting saying a Hail Mary while washing hands) Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer too.
- Stay home if you are sick.
Our school continues to be diligent and monitor the situation. At school, we will continue to encourage hand washing before snack and lunch, sanitizing desks and chairs, door knobs and handrails. Our cleaning company is conscientious about cleaning water fountains and bathrooms. In addition, our day maintenance staff are cleaning the cafeteria before all lunches.
I’m attaching a video for the lower grades K-4. I suggest you watch and share with your child. Teachers will be sharing in classrooms too.
https://www.brainpop.com/health/diseasesinjuriesandconditions/coronavirus/
Please see attached information regarding talking points about the COVID-19. See here .
HAWKWALK 2020! Letters have been mailed! Thank you for your participation! Less than 2 weeks since we mailed the letters and we have reached over $27,000! On-line and matching contributions are doing extremely well. Check with your company to see if they match your donations. So far, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Merck and PPL have all contributed with matching funds. Thank you all for your support of our fundraising campaign. Currently, Kindergarten through 4th grade (both As and Bs) have 100% participation. It’s not too late to participate. Contact Mrs. Van Wert at today if you still want to send out letters! (Remember, 10 letters gets your child a cool, student illustrated t-shirt that can be worn next year for gym class and casual days!)
HAWKWALK T-SHIRT ARTWORK - We had several “artist” contribute to this year’s design. Congratulations to Christina Andreano, Jennifer Wieber, Natalie Pizzuto for their beautiful creations. I cannot wait to see the t-shirts! Also, I would like to thank honorable mentions of Grayson Tan, Regan Dittmar, Piper Davis, Ashley Wieber, Olivia Nerone, Jenna Petrik, Micaela Feltmann, and Peyton Singley for their unique designs. I would also like to thank everyone that went out for the art contest. You will all be receiving NUT cards in the very near future! Congratulations!
SAVE THE DATE! ROCKY RAILWAY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL -- SCHEDULED FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 20TH - Rocky Railway the VBS online registration is live. Here is the link if anyone is interested in registering in a fun way to learn about Jesus’ love for us: https://www.stjanesofeastonpa.com/rocky-railway-vacation-bible-school-online-registration-2020/
2020 VBS – ADULT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Mark your calendars, Vacation Bible School is back! This year’s theme is Rocky Railway! Take an exciting adventure where kids find that Jesus’ power pulls us through! The program will run from Monday July 20th, 2020 through Friday, July 24th, 2020 (hours are 8:30 – 11:45 a.m. for volunteers) in Father Farrell Hall (1922 Washington Blvd, Easton, PA 18042). To have a successful Vacation Bible School, we need adult volunteers. Note: You will need to have attended Protecting God’s Children Class and have all your clearances on file in the School Office. If you are interested, contact Kevin Kimmel at 610-253-7794 ext. 2 or kkimmel@rcn.com.
FINANCIAL AID FORMS - See here . Also, please apply on line through FACTS. Thank you. Deadline is April 30, 2020.
St. Jane School Lenten Theme for 2020: “Everyone is committed in the matter of peace, to do everything that they can...Peace is the language we must speak.” Pope Francis
Peace is the most fundamental asset to community building, to personal growth, and to the very survival of our planet. This Lent our school community will practice one peacemaking too each week.
Welcoming--We greet people with a smile to make them feel included, part of a community (2/26-3/1) Everyone did a great job!
Respect--We show respect for each person by following school and class rules (3/2-3/8)
Caring--We demonstrate caring by using kind words (3/9-3/15)
Compassion--We offer compassion to others through our daily prayers (3/16-3/22)
Charity--We support those who need us instead of looking the other way (3/23-3/29)
Faith--We model Catholic values through our sincere participation in liturgical devotion (3/30-4/8)
CLASSROOM REQUEST POLICY: Teacher requests will NO longer be accepted via email. If you would like to make a request, you need to schedule a meeting with your child’s current teacher and Mrs. Okula in order to discuss your concerns. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Marybeth Okula
A regulated dress code affects a certain calming influence over the behavior and actions of the students. Parents are asked to encourage proper school grooming and to see that their children abide by this dress code.
All uniforms MUST be purchased from Flynn and O’Hara:
Ways to Order St. Jane School Uniforms - Click Here
Main Office:
1-800-441-4122
215-637-6392 (fax)
www.flynnohara.com
Each of our schools now has a custom landing page with a unique URL that can be easily linked from your school website.
St. Jane Frances De Chantal School Landing Page: www.flynnohara.com/school/PA101
From here, students and parents can shop for their school's specific uniform, view previous orders, access promotions, and so much more. Our Features & Functionality guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of everything available to you and your school families on the new FlynnO'Hara Website.
Local Office:
Valley Plaza Shopping Center
1876 Catasauqua Road
Allentown, PA 18103
610-231-3788