Home/Stay Informed/All Diocesan Articles

All Diocesan Articles

Saint Joseph School Embarks on Distance Learning

Posted on March 31, 2020 in: News, School News

Saint Joseph School Embarks on Distance Learning

FCC News Desk

As the Coronavirus has altered the lives of the entire world, school communities like St. Joseph School (SJS) in North Grosvenordale have had to make swift changes in a short time to keep the educational process moving forward for the students they serve in grades Pre-K through 8. As students and teachers physically gathered for the last time on Friday, March 13th, plans were already underway to enact a Distance Learning Program, which culminated in a special Professional Development Day for teachers on March 16th.

“I cannot thank the entire SJS community enough for their patience and flexibility during this new normal we are all facing,” Principal David Sizemore said. “In terms of the faculty, they have created a hybrid approach of worksheet packets, links to educational websites for students to work on, as well as an increased capacity to conduct classes via Zoom, a technology which allows students and their teachers to meet online in a virtual classroom. We collectively meet as a faculty/staff twice a week via Zoom so that we can continue to make improvements and adjustments to our Distance Learning Plan."

Nicole Ruoppo, a teacher at the middle school level for SJS, explained her distance learning experience.

“So far, our distance learning program has gone well," she said. "I have already been having Zoom classes and I have been able to set up a discussion board about a new book that we are reading that covers the Revolutionary War period. Feedback from the students thus far has been positive, but their biggest complaint is that they miss each other. In the meantime, however, I'm going to make sure they keep learning and that we all stay connected with each other!”

“I love that the top priority for teachers is the education for our students, even from a distance,” said Kelly Arsenault, mother of Manny Santos, a sixth-grade at SJS. “As a full-time nurse, I was initially concerned how I was going to be able to manage this. All of the teachers have been extraordinary in helping to facilitate this process!”

Families at the Pre-K level are also expressing their gratitude with a new type of partnership that has been forged with the faculty at SJS. One Pre-K parent, Jean Hemmig, has cited fun activities that she is doing with her son Jace like completing outdoor scavenger hunts and making a volcano. “As a former elementary school teacher, I have incorporated some of the lessons I have used previously with the materials and communication provided to us by Jace’s amazing Pre-K teacher, Mrs. Apley,” said Hemmig. “The most important thing is to make sure your child is having fun while learning!”

Courtney Brooks, a mother of three students, two in Pre-K (Josephine and Louisa) and one in Kindergarten (Edythe) also shared her thoughts about this unique situation we are all facing. “There could be many reasons to fret during this uncertain time, but I am thankful for the strength and the commitment of the SJS community, maybe now more than ever! SJS families are kept in constant communication, parents and teachers are helping each other out, and kiddos still interact with each other, just virtually. My girls love to see photos of their friends doing their schoolwork at home and look forward to a story read to them every night by Mr. Sizemore through Class Dojo, the school’s Learning Management System.”

“While our Distance Learning Program can in no way replace the in-person experience of learning, I do think that once this situation passes, we will hopefully have some new innovations that will become part of the fabric of the SJS community,” said Sizemore. “Finally, one of the key elements of our mission is that we are a caring, respectful, and nurturing environment, and that, without a doubt, has been on full display more so than ever before.”

 

To find out more information in regards to registering your son or daughter for the 2020-21 school year, please send an email to Mr. Sizemore at dsizemore@sjschoolng.com. Additional information about the school can be found on its website, www.schoolofstjoseph.org, especially with a new blog that has numerous activities for families with regards to distance learning. When you go to the website, click on the link PSC at the top of the page to see those activities.

The next Open House that SJS will host for families will be Sunday, May 3rd from 8:30 am – 11:30 am. The Open House will be paired with a Sunday Breakfast that will run simultaneously where guided tours will be offered by current SJS families as well as faculty members. Breakfast is complementary for all prospective families. Although this revised date follows after Easter, the Easter Bunny will still be coming to town on May 3rd for family pictures.

Note: Please visit the school’s website as listed above for any future date changes to this event that may occur.


Most Viewed Articles of the Last 30 Days

Join Bishop Reidy for a Youth Hike!

Posted on June 17, 2025 in: News, Events

1421

Join Bishop Reidy for a Youth Hike!
Middle School and High School youth are invited to a special hike with Bishop Reidy on Saturday, July 19th at 10:00 A.M. at Hurd State Park in East Hampton. Hurd State Park provides the perfect backdrop for a meaningful outdoor adventure, blending fun, exercise, scenic views, and moments of spiritual reflection. The park's flexible trails, peaceful riverside spots, and stunning overlooks make it an ideal place to connect with nature and one another. What to bring: Comfortable shoes, water, and a picnic lunch. Parents are welcome, and Youth Groups are encoura...

Read More

Pope Leo XIV’s Prayer Intention for the Month of June
Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful in St. Peter's Basilica, May 31, 2025. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA   In his first prayer intention video of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has asked the faithful to pray that the world might grow in compassion during the month of June. “Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his heart, learn to have compassion on the world,” the pope said in a video released June 3. The video also includes an original prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to which the m...

Read More

Now Hiring: Faith Filled Educators

Posted on June 17, 2025 in: News, School News

1049

Now Hiring: Faith Filled Educators
There are several current job openings for educators in our diocese.  The positions are updated weekly, so be sure to bookmark this page in your browser-  NorwichDiocese.org/Employment Click Here to See the Current Open Positions  All candidates must complete the official professional application to be considered for a teaching position or principal position and submit it to the Diocesan School Office. Applications are available on the employment page of the website. Visit NorwichDiocese.org/Employment to view all of the open jobs in the di...

Read More

Pray for the Pope: Join the Sacred Heart Novena June 19–27
Knights of Columbus Launches Sacred Heart Novena for Pope Leo XIV New Haven, Conn. — The Knights of Columbus have announced a special novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the intention of Pope Leo XIV, beginning June 19—his anniversary of priestly ordination—and concluding June 27, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly is encouraging Knights, their families, and all people of goodwill to participate in the novena and to submit personal prayer intentions, which he will personally bring to Rome later this Jubilee Year. P...

Read More

Parish Bulletins Remain Relevant in the Digital Age
  Kristyn Figbie, communications coordinator for St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New Britain, designs a Sunday bulletin that takes a more graphic approach to information with browsable tables and photos that capture the vitality of the parish community. Photo by Shelley Wolf   Parishes within the archdiocese are always looking for better ways to engage parishioners. To meet parishioners’ information needs and grab their attention, two parishes recently overhauled their Sunday bulletins with fresh new designs, more graphics and photos, and enhanc...

Read More

Public Policy Office of Catholic Church Scores Wins in State’s Legislative Session
The Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference achieved “successes we were happy about” during the 2025 Connecticut Legislative Session, according to Deacon David Reynolds, the Conference’s associate director for public policy.  “Legislation dealing with abortion, transgender rights and immigration reflected the conflict between existing state law and the recently revised federal laws and regulations,” he says. “The good news is the Conference’s efforts to stop harmful legislation in the areas of abortion and gender-affi...

Read More

Annual Catholic Appeal

ACA DONATE

English

Español

 

Latest Articles
Prayer for Our Nation
With Pope's Support, Vatican to Publish Document on Synod's Final Phase
Pope Leo XIV’s Marriage Advice? Keep Calm and Pray the Rosary
Archdiocese Is Selected for National Parent and Family Faith Project
We Can Help. Promise to Protect-Pledge to Heal.
Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV Recommend This Book, Which Warns of a World Without God
Marriage Encounter Experience- August 15-17
Calendar of Events

 

Recently Added Galleries
Click to view album: Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Richard F. Reidy
Click to view album: Students Called to Feed the Hungry
Click to view album: 40 Days for Life 2024
Click to view album: Blessing of the Fleet 2024
Signup for Weekly Newsletter

     

    Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich
    201 Broadway
    Norwich, CT 06360-4328
    Phone: 860-887-9294