We had a great time at Reunion 2011 with gradutes from all decades!  Attendees were treated to tours given by SCA and NJHS students and a tasty spread catered by Amy Doherty of Sinplicity.  We even had Rocket cookies made by our current parent Priscillia Gianelli.  Alumni laughed, looked at old photos and were amazed at how things had changed.  Some had not returned to campus since 1955!

That morning the PTO also sponsored it's annual Nun Fun Run benefitting Camilla Hall, the IHM retirement community.  Always a popular event, the Fun Run brings parents, students, faculty and staff together for a great cause. 

"We raised a net contribution to Camilla Hall of $3,018 thanks to our wonderful school and parish families that made up our 427 participants this year," explains Fun Run Chair Diane Seroskie.  Mrs. Seroskie also thanked Vocelli's Pizza, Adventures in Your Backyard and Morgan Franklin Consultants, all of whom made contributions to this effort.

There was plenty of competition that day, with prizes awarded to our Kindergarten, Third and Sixth Grades who respectively placed first, second and third. 

Not to be outdone, was our new Assistant Principal, Sr. Margaret who left her tool belt at home and won her division for the IHM Sisters.

Earlier this fall, we asked our parents and parishioners to take a short survey on our school.  Many of you have seen surveys from the Diocese, as part of our Design for Excellence program.  Additionally, we sent a similar survey back in 2010 as part of our ongoing self-evaluations. 

Asked to rate their impression of the school and then to provide explanations for their opinion, respondents gave the school an overwhelming vote of confidence.  Out of the 196 persons who answered the survey, just (24) gave a rating of 6 (average) or below.  The majority gave very positive reviews citing overall academics, community and catechesis as areas in which we excel.

Yet, there were areas in which respondents said we could improve.  In this ever-competitive market, math and science are frequently cited as "hot button" issues for many schools.  We are not immune to this.  We have, in the past year, taken strides to augment our math program, offering Geometry to students who meet Diocesan qualifications in the 8th grade.  

In an effort to address these and other issues, Father Posey and Sister Nancy Kindelan are working with a Steering Committee led by consultants from the National Catholic Educational Association.  This committee is comprised of teachers, parents and parishioners -- all of whom bring a wide variety of talents and experiences and all of whom are committed to parochial education.  This group met in late October and has been busy determining areas for further study.  After review, seven topics were chosen:

•       Recruitment and Marketing
•       Middle School
•       Faculty and Staff
•       Finances
•       Academics
•       Pre-School Option
•       Communications

Permeating all sub-committees is our Catholic identity. All discussions and ultimate decisions will be made within the framework of our commitment to St. James as a Christ-centered institution. 

We began our work assessing our strengths, weakness and opportunities; additionally, the committee is also crafting a vision statement which takes its direction from the school mission statement.   Meeting monthly until the end of the year (and with faculty representatives leading our DFE process), we will then share our deliberations and a plan to keep St. James among the very best schools in our area.  Thank the following members who are so generously giving of their time: 

Caroline Murn (Steering Committee Chair), Matthew Lawlor, Kristen Conklin, Joseph Vorbach, Shirley Quiroga, Joseph Bracken, Connie Donnelly, Kevin McCabe, Terri Singer, Mike McQuillen, Jeanine Musgrove, Wade Lesko, Lori Dimond, Kathy Gallo, Cherylyn LeBon and Chris Fedora.

Each of our members are co-chairing a specific area and in turn, have invited additional members of our community to work on their individual issues.  In total, we have 46 members of our Parish and School communitieis engaged in this effort.

Superintendent Sr. Bernadette McManigal, Pastor Fr. Posey, Sister Margaret and our Advancement Director Chris Hughes will also work with this committee. 

"We are excited to begin this process, which works nicely with our DFE process," says Sister Nancy.  Father Posey is also looking forward to this, "I am very grateful to everyone who has agreed to join in this effort.  From the representatives of the NCEA, to our teachers, parents, parishioners, everyone is committed to maintaining the excellent tradition we already have, and thinking outside the box for an even brighter future for St. James.   

For the next 25 years Sister Margaret taught first grade in the Philadelphia area.  "Oh, I loved it.  Those children are wonderful; not one has ever had a full set of teeth.  So you never got a full bite!"   She laughs heartily at that one.  "I loved seeing them learn to read; they're so innocent at that age.  Their insights into God are so simple."  She recounts the story of one student, when seeing the hosts brought up during the offertory, who said that "'there's enough there (the ciborium) for everyone.'  He saw the miracle.  Another child asked, "Is that why our heart beats, because God is knocking on our door?"  

This small, seemingly unflappable woman does have an Achilles heel.  "Oh my goodness, the traffic here!  When I was in Shamokin people would joke that '[Y]ou drive like you're in Philly!' I suppose I have a bit of a lead foot.  But here, no way."  She jokes that the biggest traffic jam in Shamokin was at the Dunkin Donuts. 

When we speak of vocations, Sister becomes thoughtful.  "If I were to be talking to my 18 year-old self, I would say that if you have an inkling of a vocation, listen to it; it's a gift.  It's like an [aptitude] for biology or math.  You wouldn't go into a field that you did not have some interest or passion.  The same with a religious vocation; God offers us the grace, the desire.  But follow that instinct.  And pray. And talk to people: other Sisters, a priest."

But Sister's "radical" side comes out:  "don't forget to enjoy life, though!  It's meant to be enjoyed.  And if God is calling you, if it's meant to be, it will. Be patient and let your [vocation] grow."

Sound advice from someone who answered that knock on her heart.  

"I am very happy Sr. Margaret is here with us," says Principal Sr. Nancy Kindelan.  "She brings a wonderful sense of humor and great energy.  Her talents bring a lot to our school." 

Our students have had a busy first semester and so have we!  We began, even before our doors opened, our re-accreditation process with the Virginia Catholic Educational Association, the Design for Excellence.  This year-long endeavor encompasses the entire school community: teachers, faculty, school staff in addition to staff from the rectory as well as parents working in concert on evaluation and planning.