January 1, 2012
Dear Parents,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
Advent is a season of waiting. As I write this, I realize how I have been waiting for the day our whole campus would be together again! Like all waiting, the anticipate runs high. I cannot believe we are finally here. Also, Christmas is a time of celebration of God’s love with the birth of Jesus, our Savior. After construction, transportation changes and two campuses, we can attest to God’s love and goodness! Without the tireless enthusiasm, support and hard work of our regional staff, faculty, parents, and students, we would not where we are today! What a time to celebrate!! The dream formed many years ago has come to fruition. God has led us to this day and blessed our hard work.
January 2012 is a new year in so many ways for our campus. We will be together as a school for the first time this year. Grades 4-8 will have new routines with lockers, lunch and new classrooms. Grade 4 and 5 will be on the 6th floor with new classrooms and spaces. Grade 5 will have lockers! The middle school will have a new floor with a state of the art Science lab! We will have new Art and Music classrooms for our whole school! Our cafeteria has been returned to its original size. Our play area will be paved in the spring once the frost heaves and winter is over.
My faculty and the regional staff know of my unending gratefulness so I would like to thank you, our parents for your trust and support through all the changes and unknowns. Without your flexibility and support, we would not have been able to provide your child with a great learning environment and opportunities. We have worked hard to not miss a beat and to continue to provide your child with the best possible Catholic education! To celebrate the completion of our new wing, we will have a ribbon cutting on January 12th at 7:40 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium. All are welcome!
We have much to celebrate besides the new wing. Our students helped many during the holiday season. Our middle school collected clothes for families in Appalachia and monies for Food for the Poor. Our families collected many items for the troops over seas and our fifth grade wrote Christmas cards. Marc Murphy, Gr. 2 and his parents helped to organize our Dress Down day for families in need of toys. Marc was able to get a donation from Wal-Mart and purchased $700 of toys for the Dorchester Neighborhood Service Center. Thank you for your support. Thank you for Marc!!!
Thank you to our Parent Corps for maintaining many traditions as well as adding new ones with the constraint of space! You have not missed a beat! If anyone has not been receiving any emails from Parent Corps please email Adrienne Kaszenak at neponsetpc@popejp2catholicacademy.org to be added to our distribution list.
Grades 3 to 8 took Math Diagnostic testing during the second full week of December. The data compiled from these tests will help our teachers identify areas of need as well as direct instruction. We will administer another Math Diagnostic in the spring. As many teachers corrected their classes, they were able to identify patterns of successes and problems.
Our teachers have been enjoying our new Religion and Reading Street series. They have also been using our archdiocesan Curriculum Mapper for their lessons and it is facilitating the alignment of their instruction with the Massachusetts Common Core. Great things are happening at Neponset!
Re-registration begins when we return. Paperwork will be going home at the end of January.
Beginning Tuesday, January 3rd, we will gather in the morning in the gym as a whole school. We will no longer be going to our classrooms. We will prayer and celebrate together at Morning Assembly. Parents and friends are welcome and encouraged to pray with us! Please drop off your child to their teacher in the gymnasium by 7:40 a.m. We will begin prayer at 7:40 a.m. led by our student body. Students will then proceed to their classrooms under the direction of their teachers. All students in grades 4 and 5 will be dismissed in the school lines of Ashmont St., Frost Ave. and Boutwell St. beginning at 2:25 p.m Middle school will dismissed on their own. Forms were included December 16th for Grades 4 and 5. Please return to your child’s teacher.
The inclement weather will soon be the norm. Please remember that the PJPIICA adheres to the Boston Public Schools’ decision regarding school cancellations/delays. When the city of Boston cancels or delays opening ALL grades of PJPIICA are closed or delayed. Announcements are made on all major radio and television stations. Please listen for these announcements and refrain from calling the school or rectory.
Traffic issues: Please do not double park in the middle of the street when dropping off your child. Please pull over. Please use the crosswalks. It is very dangerous for drivers, when parents and students are darting across the road.
Peace,
Kate Brandley
Principal