It was great seeing everyone this morning for the meet-the-teachers event! We are looking forward to a GREAT 1st day of School tomorrow. A few reminders – particularly pertaining to our K-8 families:
*All students should be in their regular uniform tomorrow and Friday. Gym uniforms (worn to school on gym day) will start next week.
*Dismissal is at 12:05pm tomorrow – LUNCH WILL BE SERVED prior to dismissal. For students being picked up by a parent or caregiver, afternoon pickup will take place in the parking lot between the main school and the Pre-Kindergarten. Please park in a designated spot (see below) and walk over to this lot to pick up your student. Kindergarten will be closest to the grassy area and 8th grade closest to the street – with all other grades sequentially in between.
*After-care/before-care is available on the first day of school for registered families. Please make sure your child’s teacher knows where they are going after school if it will vary.
*All students should bring a snack and bottle of water on the first day of school. Per school policy, please limit snacks to fruits and/or vegetables or a healthy protein only – cheese/yogurt. A refillable bottle of water should be packed with the snack every day.
*For the K-8 program, please arrive between 7:30am and 7:45am – allow yourself plenty of time to park, particularly on the first day when it will be extremely busy around the school. After 7:50am, your student is tardy and you must come into the main office with them to sign them in.
*Teachers will be reviewing all school guidelines with students over the first few days of school, however, we wish to remind K – 8 parents of the following for the first day (from our school handbook):
*No makeup, nail polish, artificial nails, or artificial “tattoos” are allowed
*Boys’ hair must not touch their shirt collar and must not cover their ears or eyebrows
*Hairpieces, mohawk-style haircuts, designs cut into hair, and outlandish hairstyles are not allowed
*Hair must not be dyed, highlighted, or bleached
*The following jewelry is allowed: one watch, one ring, one bracelet, one thin chain necklace with or without a cross. Smart watches and fitbits are NOT allowed
*Girls are allowed one pair of post earrings worn in the earlobes – no hoops; boys are not allowed to wear earrings
Please allow extra time in your day for drop-off and pick-up so you are not rushing in at the last minute. Extra staff will be on hand at both drop-off and pick-up to help guide you to where you need to be during the first few days.
As always, we thank you for your commitment to Saint James School and your continued support of our wonderful, faith-filled school and parish community! Please reach out to your child’s teacher with any last minute questions you may have. We can’t wait to see everyone back at school tomorrow!
1st Day Notes & Reminders
It was great seeing everyone this morning for the meet-the-teachers event! We are looking forward to a GREAT 1st day of School tomorrow. A few reminders – particularly pertaining to our K-8 families:
*All students should be in their regular uniform tomorrow and Friday. Gym uniforms (worn to school on gym day) will start next week.
*Dismissal is at 12:05pm tomorrow – LUNCH WILL BE SERVED prior to dismissal. For students being picked up by a parent or caregiver, afternoon pickup will take place in the parking lot between the main school and the Pre-Kindergarten. Please park in a designated spot (see below) and walk over to this lot to pick up your student. Kindergarten will be closest to the grassy area and 8th grade closest to the street – with all other grades sequentially in between.
*After-care/before-care is available on the first day of school for registered families. Please make sure your child’s teacher knows where they are going after school if it will vary.
*All students should bring a snack and bottle of water on the first day of school. Per school policy, please limit snacks to fruits and/or vegetables or a healthy protein only – cheese/yogurt. A refillable bottle of water should be packed with the snack every day.
*For the K-8 program, please arrive between 7:30am and 7:45am – allow yourself plenty of time to park, particularly on the first day when it will be extremely busy around the school. After 7:50am, your student is tardy and you must come into the main office with them to sign them in.
*Teachers will be reviewing all school guidelines with students over the first few days of school, however, we wish to remind K – 8 parents of the following for the first day (from our school handbook):
*No makeup, nail polish, artificial nails, or artificial “tattoos” are allowed
*Boys’ hair must not touch their shirt collar and must not cover their ears or eyebrows
*Hairpieces, mohawk-style haircuts, designs cut into hair, and outlandish hairstyles are not allowed
*Hair must not be dyed, highlighted, or bleached
*The following jewelry is allowed: one watch, one ring, one bracelet, one thin chain necklace with or without a cross. Smart watches and fitbits are NOT allowed
*Girls are allowed one pair of post earrings worn in the earlobes – no hoops; boys are not allowed to wear earrings
Please allow extra time in your day for drop-off and pick-up so you are not rushing in at the last minute. Extra staff will be on hand at both drop-off and pick-up to help guide you to where you need to be during the first few days.
As always, we thank you for your commitment to Saint James School and your continued support of our wonderful, faith-filled school and parish community! Please reach out to your child’s teacher with any last minute questions you may have. We can’t wait to see everyone back at school tomorrow!
Parking: Morning Drop-off & Afternoon Pick-Up
Alert System Test
This afternoon we sent a text to test out our Parent Emergency Alert System. If you did not get this text alert to your phone and feel you should receive them, please reply to this email.
Tomorrow! Meet The Teachers Event
Attn: Grade 2 – 5 Families
Families with a student in grades 2 – 5 are asked to read the following letter from Mrs. Nunes about a literacy research study that Saint James School will be participating in again this year. A representative will be with us tomorrow for any families that would like to learn more.
Literacy Study Gr. 2-5
Welcome New Staff
Ms. Lilley Hohl – Grade 2 Teacher
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Lilley Hohl to the Saint James School faculty!
Ms. Hohl will be joining our school community as a Grade 2 teacher, taking over Mrs. Nunes’ former classroom. We are delighted to welcome her to Saint James and look forward to all she will bring to our students and school community.
Ms. Hohl holds a degree in Elementary Education from Lasell University. She is certified in elementary education and brings a wonderful combination of classroom teaching experience and a background in supporting students’ social and emotional well-being.
Most recently, Ms. Hohl worked at The Grove School, a therapeutic boarding school, where she taught core subject curriculum and assisted with counseling and support services for enrolled students. Her experience working closely with students in both academic and counseling settings will be a wonderful asset to our second grade teaching team.
Ms. Ali Kradas – Teacher Aide (Gr. 1 & 2)
Additionally, we are pleased to welcome Ms. Alexandra Kradas to the role of teacher aide for our 1st and 2nd grade classrooms. Ms. Kradas has previously worked as a teacher’s aide at Saint Bridget Catholic School in Cheshire and holds a state certification in school social work.
Middle School ELA Position
As previously announced, Mrs. Wolpert made the decision over the summer to retire from her middle school teaching position after 18 years of dedicated service to our school community.
We are still seeking a qualified candidate to fill this part-time role teaching 8th Grade Literature, 7th Grade English Language Arts, and one 7th Grade Math class. To begin the school year, Mrs. Mitchell, our Assistant Principal, will be covering these classes. Having previously taught these subjects, Mrs. Mitchell is well prepared to step back into the classroom and provide a smooth transition for our students.
If you know someone who may be interested in a part-time middle school teaching position, please encourage them to reach out to Mrs. Mitchell or Mrs. Nunes as soon as possible.
We are continually grateful to Mrs. Mitchell for her flexibility and commitment to our school community as she once again steps in to support our students and staff while we search for the right candidate.
SJS Rapid Alert System
On Tuesday, August 26th between 2:00pm – 3:00pm we will be testing our school’s rapid alert system (text portion only).
Our Parent Alert system is through FACTS, and allows us to send out communications via Text, Email, and Voice Messages for all types of events. These alerts can be used for many reasons but will also provide us a fast efficient way to communicate with our families in case of an emergency.
Our sample Text Alert may look like:
SBSJ-CT: This is test of Saint James School’s parent alert system.
Any text alerts from our school will begin with SBSJ-CT.
Note: Per Telephone Consumer Protection Act we must provide all recipients the option to Opt Out of receiving our alerts. Anytime we send out a text alert you will see “Stop to End”. If you reply “Stop” you will no longer receive our text alerts regardless if we select you as a recipient.
Pre-Kindergarten Program Handbook
Pre-K families are asked to review the Pre-K program handbook. Any questions may be directed to the program’s director, Mrs. Carpenter, at lcarpenter@SaintJamesManchester.org Please sign the last page of this handbook and bring it on Wednesday for the supply drop-off/meet the teachers event.
2026-2027 Pre-K Handbook
September Saber Stories & Lunch Menu
Attached below is a link to our September 2026 Saber Stories Newsletter. There is lots of important information in this document, please take a few moments to read through at your convenience.
Sept 2026 Saber Stories Newsletter
In addition to the link below, the September lunch menu can be found in our school app and at the bottom of our website homepage (Quick Links area).
Aug/Sept 2026 Lunch Calendar
REMINDER: We are required by the state to serve lunch on early dismissal days so students will have lunch before dismissal on Thursday. If you were planning to take your student out for lunch after school on the first day, please just send them with an extra snack.
* An application for Free or Reduced Lunch may be found online at ezmealapp.com. Details and eligibility income guidelines can be found by clicking this link: Free Reduced Lunch FAQ. If you would like to print a paper copy of the application, you can do that HERE. Our district for this is Manchester Private Schools.
SJS K-8 Handbook – Important Highlights
The Saint James School Parent/Student Handbook outlines the policies, procedures, and expectations for our school community. Here are some important items from the handbook to keep in mind as you get your student(s) ready to return to school.
* Tan Pants, Tan Shorts, Uniform Skorts and uniform shirts must be purchased from Lands’ End or Tommy Hilfiger. Other brands are not permitted.
* Hair must be the student’s natural color. If it has been colored or highlighted over the summer, it must be back to their natural color by the 1st day of school. Boys’ hair must not touch their shirt collar and must not cover their ears or eyebrows.
* The following jewelry is allowed: one watch, one ring, one bracelet, one thin chain necklace with or without a cross.
— Smart watches/Fitbits are NOT allowed.
— Girls are allowed one pair of stud earrings worn in the earlobes (no hoops).
— No make-up of any kind is permitted.
* No logos or designs on socks.
* If your student is going to be absent on any given day, please call the school by 8:00am and provide a reason for their absence. If you do not provide a reason, it will be recorded as an unexcused absence.
* Cell phones are not permitted to be used at school. If your student must have a phone with them on our campus, it must be turned completely off and stored in their backpack at all times.
* If your family chooses to take a vacation outside of the scheduled school vacation times, teachers are not responsible for gathering work ahead of time. It is the family’s responsibility to make sure all missed assignments are made up within 3 DAYS of returning to school.