th breakfast program · st. james the apostle catholic school utilizes innovative ways to teacher...
TRANSCRIPT
Newsletter
Aug. 2, 2019
St. James the Apostle Catholic School is a Christ-centered community where children can grow in faith, values of service and academic excellence.
Community
Painting Day Tomorrow, Sat., Aug. 3rd
@ 7:30 am – 12 noon
Come to the school office to sign in and help us
refresh the paint on our school railings.
St. James Back-to-School Sale
Sat., Aug. 3rd @ 9 am – 12 noon Our school office will be open for parents to purchase the
following items at our re-sale store:
nap mats, uniforms, P.E. uniforms,
Salesian shirts, and spirit shirts.
Breakfast Program Starting this year!
St. James the Apostle Catholic School values health and
wellness. As a result of the suggestions of our amazing PTC,
our school is pleased to announce that our catering company,
Fuentes Enterprises, will now be offering breakfast starting
Mon., Aug. 19th. Parents can purchase a $10 meal card in
advance or pay on the day of purchase.
Menu $1 Breakfast tacos: potato & egg,
bacon & egg, bean & cheese
$1 Cereal & Milk: Frosted Flakes, Rice
Krispies, Fruit Loops, Corn Pops,
Mini Wheats
$0.50 Milk only
Upcoming Events
Sun., Aug. 11th
New Parent Orientation
@ 3 pm
Meet & Greet/Handbook
Meeting @ 4 pm
Community Social to follow
Mon., Aug. 12th
Meet the Teacher Night
@ 6 pm
Wed., Aug. 14th
First Day of School!
Sun., Aug. 18th
School Family Mass
@ 9:45 am
Welcome New Families! Followed by PTC reception
in Bosco Hall
Tues., Aug. 20th
Back-to-School Night &
PTC Meeting @ 6 pm
Meet our Elementary Team! St. James the Apostle Catholic School utilizes innovative ways to teacher our students. That
creative process begins with our teachers. Our elementary teachers partake in team-teaching.
For example, one grade-level teacher may teach Math, Religion, and Science to the students, and the other
grade-level teacher may teach English and Religion. Both teachers get to teach the entire grade-level and
specialize in his/her area of expertise. Below is a brief bio about our amazing elementary teachers.
1st Grade Genevieve Suniga
I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialty in Early Childhood
Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio. I am planning on pursuing a Master’s
degree in Reading. My passion as an educator is to help the children develop a strong phonemic
awareness which, in turn, makes reading, writing and spelling fun and engaging for each of my
students.
I have been teaching for 18 years in Catholic education, and I spent 16 of those years at St. James
the Apostle. I have taught in the following grade levels Pre-K 4, Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd
Grade. This year, I will be one of the 1st grade teachers and am looking forward to all the
learning, reading and fun we will have!
Sr. Lindsay Durham Sr. Lindsay is a native of a small town in Louisiana, called Natchitoches (pronounced
Nak-a-tish). She is a graduate of Northwestern State University, which is in the same
town she grew up in. So she is a small-town girl living in the big city who loves to
watch college football, and LSU is her team. It wasn’t until after she had graduated
college, moved off to Houston, and was working full time for many years that she got
“the call” from the Lord. After receiving the call from the Lord to become a religious
sister, Sr. Lindsay looked at many different congregations before choosing the one that
was right for her. She ended up choosing the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, where
she entered in the fall of 2010. Since entering, she has lived in Los Angeles, CA and
Newton, NJ. After her first profession in August 2014, she was placed at St. John Bosco School and has been in
San Antonio since then. She is so excited to be in first grade this year and witness the joy on the kids’ faces
when they are loving to learn and learning to love.
2nd Grade Priscilla Zamora My name is Priscilla Zamora. I was born and raised in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
I recently graduated from Texas A&M - San Antonio with a Bachelor’s Degree in
Interdisciplinary Studies. At a very young age I discovered my passion for animals, nature,
and teaching. I believe that our children should grow up respecting and learning all about
the beauty of God’s creation.
Maria Ortiz
My name is Maria Ortiz. I have been fortunate and blessed for being part of St. James
Family for more than 20 years. I am a graduate of Our Lady of the Lake University. I look
forward to continuing to have a positive impact on my children’s education with the benefits
of the Catholic teachings and Sacraments. I am eager to begin the new school year!
3rd Grade Kathy Abrego I was born and raised here in San Antonio. My husband and I have been married 43
years. We have four children and six grandkids. I attended St. John Bosco and
graduated from Providence. I received a BA from Our Lady of the Lake University in
Interdisciplinary Studies. I have taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th for a total of 21
years. My passion is teaching! I believe that God has given us the ability to learn and
that it is a unique experience that happens differently for each child. I will work with
my students and their parents so that together we can create life-long learners.
Sr. Theresa Jones Sr. Theresa Jones, FMA is originally from Lancaster, California. This year, Sr. Theresa
celebrates her 40th anniversary as a Salesian Sister. She has taught various grade levels
in many schools over the years in New Jersey, California, Louisiana and Texas. Sr.
Theresa is very excited to join the St. James School Family.
4th Grade Abigail Hernandez My name is Miss Hernandez and this will be my first year at St. James Catholic school. I
look forward to all the fun we will be having this school year! I graduated from the
University of the Incarnate Word with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in
2012. I continued my passion for teaching by receiving my Master’s of Education in Early
Childhood. I grew up in a small town in Von Ormy, Texas. My favorite things to do are play
soccer and run at the track.
Celestina Hernandez My name is Celestina Hernandez and I was born and raised here in San Antonio.
I graduated from Incarnate Word High School. I received my Bachelor of Arts in
Interdisciplinary Studies from The University of Texas at San Antonio. One
thing you should know about me is that I love our San Antonio Spurs! I am very
excited for the school year and I am ready to help our students grow through
their learning and experiences in our classroom.”
5th Grade Gabriela Rodriguez My name is Gabriela Rios Rodriguez. I was born in Mexico and have been blessed to
be raised in our wonderful state of Texas. I am a graduate of the University of Texas
at San Antonio (UTSA) and earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary
Studies (Early Childhood- Sixth Grade) with a concentration in Bilingual Education.
I was a proud member and Vice President of the Bilingual Education Student
Organization (BESO) at UTSA during my undergraduate career. It helped me further
develop my passion for advocating for bilingual education and the communities it
empowers. After graduation I have had the pleasure to teach second grade, fourth
grade, and high school Spanish. I love to teach! I have always wanted to be a teacher
since I was a child. I would play pretend that I was a teacher- and one day that dream
became my reality! I want to continue to make a positive impact and pave the way
for children who walk in the shoes that I once walked in; this is why I am currently
studying to earn my Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at UTSA so that I may
become an administrator who leads with an open heart and encourages her teachers to do the same with their
students. I look forward to a bright and sunny future as a part of the St. James family!
Andrew Villarreal My name is Andrew Lucas Villarreal. I was born and raised here in San Antonio,
Texas. I am a parishioner of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, where I have been
attending church ever since I was little. I have been involved in my parish in various
facets, one of the most rewarding has been teaching religious ed. I am currently
working with the middle school students at the parish. I have attended Catholic
schools my entire school career, starting at St. John Bosco. I graduated from Central
Catholic High School and earned my B.A. in Mathematics from the University of The
Incarnate Word. It is an amazing opportunity for me to start my teaching career with
the same Sisters that inspired my love for learning. I have worked for the past two
years as an instructional assistant, and I am now ready to take charge of my own
classroom. I know that learning takes three things: passion, persistence, and patience.
This is for both the teacher and student. I know that this will be a new, rewarding
challenge and with the presence of the Holy Spirit and the love of God we will achieve amazing things.
VOLLEYBALL AND SOCCER TRYOUT AND CONDITIONING • Tryout/Conditioning - August 12-13 both volleyball and soccer, 2:00
pm - 4:00 pm in the school gym. On Wednesday, the first day of school, practice will be held at @ 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
• Volleyball: please come dressed appropriately: shorts, tennis shoes, knee pads…
• Soccer: please come dressed appropriately: shorts, tennis shoes (NO soccer shoes when we practice at school).
• Bring something to drink, preferably water. Tryouts and conditioning are offered to all students 5th grade and up to make the school teams. Final teams will be posted the first week of school.
Students MUST have physicals to participate.
Mustang Cheer If you are entering 5th – 8th grade and are interested in cheerleading, then we
invite you to join Mustang Cheer. For more information, please contact Ms.
Everman at [email protected] or Ms. Luna at [email protected].
Show school spirit and join our team!
School Advisory Council – Seeking Nominations St. James the Apostle Catholic School is seeking nominations for our School Advisory
Council. The School Advisory Council assists, counsels, and advises the St. James
Catholic School administration and provides sound judgment on the direction of the
school, its policies and procedures, and has the responsibility of approving the school
budget each year. The Advisory Council is made up of 6-10 members (men and
women), along with the principal, an Archdiocesan representative, and other members
of the parish and school administration. A three-year term commitment is required
of each member. Meetings are held every 3rd Thursday of each month or as determined by the principal.
Serving on the council also fulfills parent service hour requirements.
If you are interested, then please download and complete our Nomination Form found at
https://www.stjamesschoolsa.org/advisory-board and e-mail your submission to Dr. Grenardo at
Goals: To fulfill its mission, the Council sets forth the following goals for itself:
The Council shall formulate and propose policies in accordance with those of the Ordinance of the Archdiocese
of San Antonio, designed to:
A. Educate the students in a school environment that proclaims the Good News of Christ and prepares
them to be responsible and active citizens in the Catholic community now and into the Third Christian
Millennium.
B. Promote in the students a zeal for the achievement of justice and for the practice of peacemaking
through their individual actions and their actions with others.
C. Create in the schools an active faith community permeated with the Gospels’ message of freedom and
love, where the teachers and staff in partnership with families light the way for the students to receive a
quality education without regard to gender, economic, ethnic, or racial background.
Volunteer Opportunity:
Traffic Safety Team Our school is forming a volunteer Traffic Safety Team. Adult volunteers would
receive training and a vest, and they would assist with morning and afternoon
traffic. It’s a great way to earn your parent service hours and keep our students
safe. If you are interested, then please contact our new Director of Campus
Safety, Coach Uranga at [email protected].
PTC Survey Your Opinion Counts! Please complete the following PTC Fundraising Survey by tonight, Fri., Aug. 2nd. Share your ideas about upcoming
PTC Fundraising events - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X58B92P.
PTC NEWS PTC is open to all St. James parents and is a great way for parents to support the school and actively participate. Our co-presidents are Carol Viagran and Giovanni Ontieveros. If you would like to get involved with PTC, please email [email protected].
St. James Memory Book Our St. James The Apostle Gala Committee is
publishing a Memory Book for the Gala on
October 12, 2019. If you have any pictures you
want included in the Memory Book, then please
submit them to Isaac Chavez at
[email protected]. The deadline for
ALL entries is August 15th.
Parent Service Hours – Now Record on FACTS SIS (RenWeb)!
Each family is responsible for 20 hours and must document them on FACTS SIS (RenWeb).
Just follow the below instructions:
1. Login to you FACTS SIS
(RenWeb) account with your
username and password. Our District
Code is: SJM-TX.
2. Click on “Family” on the
main page.
3. On the “Family” page, you will
see a dropdown option with names for
each parent and child in your family.
Click on the name of the individual
who volunteered time.
4. You will see tabs for “Contact Info” & “Service Hours”. Click on “Add” near “Service
Hours”.
5. Select the appropriate category for
description box. If you do not see an
accurate description of your
contribution, you may select “Other
Donation or Service” and add a
description in the “Note” section.
6. Remember to enter the number of
hours you served and SAVE your
entry.
*Hours will be verified quarterly.
NEW VOLUNTEER REQUIRMENTS FOR ALL Please complete the following:
Criminal Background Check, and the NEW Safe
Environment Training per the Code of Conduct
Agreement with
• Sexual Harassment Training,
• Protecting God’s Children, and
• Vulnerable Adults Training.
Info can be found on our Parent Resource page:
www.stjamesschoolsa.org/parent-resources.
Friendly Dress Code Reminders
Come as God made you!
• Natural hair color only/unprocessed/no
highlights
• No henna tattoos
• No eyelash extensions
• No nail polish or fake nails
• More information will be provided in our online
Parent/Student Handbook – coming soon!
Volunteer Opportunity:
Traffic Safety Team Our school is forming a
volunteer Traffic Safety
Team. Adult volunteers
would receive training
and a vest, and assist
with morning and
afternoon traffic. It’s a great way to
earn your parent service hours and
keep our students safe. If you are
interested, then please contact Coach
Uranga at
School Supplies &
Uniform Information can be found under the
Parent Resources tab on our
website: https://www.stjamesschoolsa.org/parent-resources.
Summer Reading can be found on our
school website @
https://www.stjamesschoolsa.org/summer-assignments Please note that all reading lists consist of recommended reading and one required reading. Students will have an assignment or project to complete when school starts in August that goes with the required reading. (Images on book covers may vary. Please ensure you have the correct title and author.)
New Family Orientation - Sun., Aug. 11th – @ 3 pm Welcome to St. James! New families are invited to meet in St. James the Apostle Catholic
Church at 3 pm on Sunday, Aug. 11th to meet our team, learn about our school, and get ready
for the new year.
Meet & Greet Our New Principal – Sun., Aug. 11th @ 4 pm Come and meet our new principal, Dr. Grenardo, in the church.
Parent/Student Handbook Meeting – Sun., Aug. 11th @ 4 pm Dr. Grenardo, Sr. Debbie, and our administrative team will highlight our Student/Parent
Handbook and share new and exciting information at St. James.
Community Social to follow
After the meeting, please stay and join us for a Community Social. This is a wonderful
opportunity to fellowship with other families and enjoy our St. James community.
Meet the Teacher Night Mon., Aug. 12th @ 6 pm
You are welcome to join us at St. James the Apostle
Catholic Church at 6 pm for Meet the Teacher
Night. Please leave your supplies in your car for our
opening prayer service and faculty
introductions. After our gathering, parents and
students are welcome to bring school supplies to the classrooms and meet their new teacher!
First Day of School Wed., Aug. 14th
School Family Mass – Welcome New Families!
Sun., Aug. 18th @ 9:45 am All St. James families are welcome to attend our
first Family Mass of the year. Returning families,
come and welcome our newest members. PTC will
host a small reception in Bosco Hall following
Mass. Welcome to our St. James Salesian Family!
Back-to-School Night &
PTC Meeting
Tues., Aug. 20th @ 6 pm
You are welcome to join us for our PTC Meeting
held in St. James the Apostle Catholic Church at
6:00 p.m. After our meeting, parents will be
welcome to visit their child’s classroom and learn
about classroom goals and expectations for the
year.
St. James the Apostle Catholic School Now offering an after-school Art Program through abrakadoodle!
Register now for fall classes held at our school.
St. James the Apostle Catholic School Now offering an after-school Chess Program through Chess Scholars!
Register now for fall classes held at our school.