✓ From the School✓ From the 8th Grade✓ Counselor’s Corner✓ Home School Association✓ HSA Spirituality✓ Athletics✓ Athletics

Important Dates

11/14: 6th Grade Retreat11/15: 8 AM Mass, 6th Grade11/20: 8th Grade Chipotle Fundraiser

From the Principal

One of the things we endeavor toteach our students is to be careful about what they post on social media and the internet. I can’t tell you how many times a week we say, “Think before you post!” I recently read a perspective piece “When my son Googled me, we both learned a painful lesson about the Internet” in the Washington Post that provided an interesting insight. While the piece is directed toward adults, Ithink it is an excellent way to start a conversation with your child(ren)on this topic. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it!

This week, we are studying the virtue of Patriotism. As I have walked around, I’ve seen that our students say that patriotism sounds like:

• “Star Spangled Banner”• “God Bless America”• “Pledge of Allegiance”• “Thank you for your service”• “I love my country”

And, patriotism looks like:• Red white, and blue• The flag• Showing respect to our flag• Thanking a veteran

Ask your child what they think listening sounds like and looks like!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Florendo

Pray for us!

Friendly ReminderSchool doors open at 8

AM. Prior to that there is

no supervision.

Saint Thomas A Becket

Saint Josaphat

Saint Patrick

Saint Louis IX

From the School

Back

Parent-Teacher

Conferences

Sign-up to meet with your child(ren)’s teachers!

Monday, November 25, 4-7 PM

Grades 5-8

Grades K-4

Tuesday, November 26, 1:30-3:30 PM

Grades 5-8

Grades K-4

Dear Parents,

The 4th grade has decided to support The Seeing Eye in Morristown for our service project. Since

1929, the Seeing Eye has been breeding, raising and training guide dogs to help the blind lead

independent lives. All donations will enable us to sponsor a Seeing Eye puppy. If we reach our goal

of $5,000, we will be able to name a puppy. This project will teach the students about people with

disabilities, about charity, and the satisfaction that comes with helping others.

If you would like to help the 4th grade reach our goal of $5,000, you may send a donation c/o Miss

Leyhan to school. If you have any further questions, you may reach Miss Leyhan at

hleyhan@sjsbr.org.

Thank you for all of your help!

Sincerely,

Miss Leyhan

From the 8th Grade

Back

The 8th grade is having a Thanksgiving pie sale fundraiser. In addition to delicious homemade

pies, cookies and breads are also being offered. Orders are being accepted through Friday, November

22nd. Pick up is on Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26 from 2:00-4:00 in the Parish

Center. Please ask your family and friends and remember the pies freeze really well. Please contact

Mrs. Tracy Redling at 908-304-3934 if you need an order form.

ALSO!

Counselor’s Corner

Back

CONTINUED

Helping Your Child Make New Friends

Most child development milestones are monitored closely by parents from a very young age: Can my child walk? Check! Use a cup to drink? Check! Jump on one foot? Recite the ABCs? Check and check! Then there are child development “soft skills”—social and emotional skills that can be harder to judge and even more challenging to teach. Skills like sharing, empathy and respect aren’t instantly obtained, but developed. Perhaps the most basic social-emotional skill children must develop is making friends, especially when they begin attending school.

“Friendships are very important when it comes to emotional health,” explains Julia Cook, a former teacher and school counselor who authored “Making Friends Is an ART!” Continues Cook, “To a child, even having just one good friend can make a huge difference.” While some children make friends with ease, others may need encouragement. “Some people tend to think it just comes naturally, and for some [children] it does, but for many, it doesn’t,” observes Stacey Brown, a counselor from Fort Myers, Florida.

If your child is shy or has struggled with making friends in the past, there are many things you can do to help. Here are some ways you can help your child make lasting friendships without putting too much pressure on them:

Talk About ItTalk about or brainstorm a list of “friend qualities” with your child. Cook suggests using concepts such as: being friendly, being honest, laughing and having fun, willingness to share, being kind, and learning how to place others’ needs ahead of their own. Once your child understands what sort of qualities make a good friend, you can then discuss, observe other children or even role play these qualities.

Connecting Through ConversationsSince being able to share thoughts and ideas is so important to any friendship, you can help your child understand how to build and maintain a conversation. “Remind kidsto look for connections between what was just said and what they will say next,” shares Barbara Boroson, a mom, Scholastic author, and autism spectrum educator. “I like to encourage kids to think of conversation as being like a Lego tower: in order for a conversation to keep going and growing, the various pieces must connect and fit together tightly. If they don’t, the tower will fall and the conversation will collapse.”

Also remember to acknowledge past success as a way to open the door to discussion of new social skills. “Parents can say, ‘You are such a good talker, but I’ve noticed it seems hard for you to think of things to say when you are with your friends. Do you feel that way?’ Focusing on previous successes, no matter how small, helps build confidence,” explains Brown. Cook agrees: “Give constructive feedback—always start by telling your child what he or she is doing right. Remember to teach, not criticize.” Acknowledge social success through positive reinforcement, for example, “It was great to see you and Eric share how you’re both learning to write your first name!”

Organize Play Dates or ActivitiesIf a child continues to struggle or feel less than confident in their friend-making skills, be proactive in organizing play dates for kids. “After-school play dates can support socialization in many ways, [by allowing] social practice in an environment that may feel more forgiving than school,” says Boroson. “Socializing can be much easier in one-on-one situations … and the greatest potential benefit is the creation of a shared experience, a bond that the two children can then build on at school.”

Likewise, a shared bond between your child and another child can be formed through choosing enjoyable after-school and extracurricular activities. Choosing activities that your child finds fun will most likely create new friendship opportunities, as there is already a shared interest between the participants.

Counselor’s Corner

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Helping Your Child Make New Friends (continued)

Be RealisticAt the same time, be sure to not have unrealistic expectations of your shy or socially reserved child. “Some children are more outgoing than others. It’s just their personality. Comparing siblings or other children to yours can be dangerous and skew your perspective,” warns Brown.

With just a little gentle parental support and guidance, most children develop the social skills necessary to make friends. Still, “Be available to listen to your child’s tales of woe from school,” maintains Boroson. “Navigating them successfully is the challenging work of childhood. Support your child by debriefing difficult situations together. Then, rather than just giving your child solutions or new strategies, guide him or her to be the problem solver.”

Lastly, Cook advises, “Remember to be patient. Teaching friendship skills will never be as easy as it sounds, and we are all at different levels of learning.”

In the end, children will continue to grow socially as they progress through school. With the support of parental love and coaching, children will better enjoy the journey toward meaningful friendship.

Source: pbs.org

Home School Association

Back

The Advent Wreath Making event is

scheduled for Sunday, December 1. Pre-

registration is required. If you did not

receive the registration form via HSA

email, please contact the HSA at

hsa@sjsbr.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

Toy Drive - for children ages 3-12 starts tomorrow

11/14 - 12/6 See the upcoming HSA email for further details

Breakfast with Santa Saturday, December 14. Please

return registration forms.

SANTA’S Workshop Tuesday, December 1. See

HSA email.

HSA Spirituality

Back

The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of

November to praying in a special way for the Holy

Souls in Purgatory. The Holy Souls (also called the

Faithful Departed) are members of the Church who

await the purification of their souls before joining

the saints in heaven for all eternity. Specifically,

they are referred to as the Church Suffering (the

saints in heaven are the Church Triumphant, and

the faithful on earth are the Church Militant).The

poor souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves

or do anything to hasten their entrance into heaven,

but we can and ought to pray for them as an act of

charity.

During the month of November it is a wonderful

tradition to visit the cemetery with your children

and pray for your loved ones by name. Keep alive

your family history and cultivate the virtue of Hope

for Heaven. Help your children to look to the saints

in heaven as friends and to live each day desiring

heaven.

Athletics Back

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Saint James CYM Basketball

Registration is now open!!Online Registration for the 2019-2020 Saint James CYM Basketball Season

(Boys and Girls; Grades 3-12) will begin on Tuesday, October 1stand will remain open thru Friday, November 1st for grades 3-8 and

Sunday, December 1 for grades 9-12.

This is a first come-first serve process please be sure to register

early.

Please visit the school website for further details

Athletics Back

BOYS AND GIRLS Basketball Clinic

Registration and Parent Consent Form

Fee $30

Payable to: Ridge Rebound Club

Registration form and check can be dropped off till Friday November 15 th

OR

can be brought to the clinic on Sunday (just cannot guarantee the desired t-shirt size will be available)

Player’s Name: ___________________________________Grade: _______

T-Shirt Size (circle): YL YXL AS AM AL AXL

Parent’s Name: _______________________________________________

Parent’s Email: _______________________________________________

(PLEASE print neatly)

Parent’s Cellphone Number: _____________________________________

LIABILITY RELEASE: I, __________________________, hereby release the Ridge

Rebound Club, Ridge High School, its Staff, Board, Sponsors, Managers, and Coaches

from all liability or injury arising from or incident to participation of the above-named child

participating in the Basketball Clinic. I also authorize the Ridge Rebound Club and its

representatives to seek and obtain medical aid for said youth, if in their judgement such

action is warranted, should said child sustain an injury while participating in a Ridge

Rebound Club sponsored activity.

Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________________Date: ________

(required for participation)

Support our Alumni!Joe DeMarco and Carson Giust,

SJS Class of 2018, invite students

in grades 3-8 to this “Winter Tune

Up!”