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

When does Christmas Actually End? Here are the Different Views.
How many days is Christmas? When should you finally take those lights off the porch or remove the tree? Read on for some of the arguments for and against commonly agreed-upon end dates for Christmas. ‘Christmas is one day’ This, of course, is the simplest answer. Christmas is typically celebrated on Dec. 25 for most of the world — or Jan. 7 for churches using the Julian calendar (Jan. 6 for yet another, considerably smaller, part of the world.) On this day, the liturgy celebrated is the feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Priests wear white vestments on...

Read More

Watch the Replay of Christmas Eve Mass from the Cathedral
Merry Christmas! The beauty of the cathedral can be experienced year-round and will remain fully decorated until the Solemnity of the Epiphany on January 6, 2025. Masses are daily 7 AM and noon.

Read More

Hope Does Not Disappoint — Jubilee Year Opens in Norwich
This morning, December 29, on the Feast of the Holy Family, the Diocese of Norwich joyfully celebrated the Opening Mass of the Jubilee Year at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick. The liturgy, celebrated by Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford, was a profound reminder of the Jubilee theme, “Spes Non Confundit” (Hope Does Not Disappoint), as the Church enters this sacred time of renewal and grace. Bishop Betancourt delivered a homily emphasizing the unity of the Church as one faith, one family in Christ. The celebra...

Read More

Christmas Pastoral from Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne
Christmas 2024 My friends, I am pleased to share with you this Christmas pastoral letter as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Norwich. Many of you are regular Mass goers.  Some of you come occasionally, once a month or so.  Some come once or twice a year on the major holidays of Christmas or Easter.  For others, this may be the first time you have been in a church for years or maybe even for the first time. To all of you, I say, “Welcome and merry Christmas.” Whatever your relationship with the Church may be, I invite you to c...

Read More

Special Report: Inside the Prison as Pope Francis Opens the Jubilee Holy Door
From inside the walls of Rome’s largest prison, Christmas hymns rang out as inmates and prison guards together sang “Silent Night” and exchanged the sign of peace during an intimate Mass led by Pope Francis to mark a historic moment — the first opening of a jubilee Holy Door within a prison. The pope’s Thursday Mass in Rome’s Rebibbia Prison Complex on the feast of St. Stephen — the first Christian martyr — marked a profound beginning to the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Hope, symbolizing redemption and the possibility...

Read More

A Timeless Tradition: The 45th Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols at the Cathedral
The 45th Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols was held on Sunday, December 22, 2024, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. One of the most festive ways to enjoy the beauty of the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, the event featured readings of sections of the Christmas story, choir music, and the singing of carols appropriate to the season. The evening began with a musical procession down the center aisle, setting the tone for a truly memorable celebration. Prayers were offered by Father Julian Cuervo-Lozada, Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral. Readings were proclaimed by The Cat...

Read More

Annual Catholic Appeal

ACA DONATE

English

Español

 

Latest Articles
The Transformative Power of Catholic Education
A New Mission: Full-Time Focus on Vocations for the Diocese
Big Laughs for a Big Cause: 2nd Annual Comedy Night to Benefit Amazing Grace Food Pantry
What Had I Gotten Myself Into?
March for Life announces speakers for 52nd annual March for Life
The Norwich Diocesan Women’s Conference invites you to Dinner with Jesus
Honoring Vision and Leadership in the Catholic Church
A Question of Faith- Why is the Magisterium Important for Guiding the Faithful in Today's World?
Recently Added Galleries
Click to view album: 40 Days for Life 2024
Click to view album: Blessing of the Fleet 2024
Click to view album: Mass of Ordination for Fr. Eric Carl Hosmer, Fr. Julian Felipe Cuervo-Lozada and Fr. Alexander James Pandolfe
Click to view album: Norwich Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (NDCCW) 46th Annual Layette
Signup for Weekly Newsletter

     

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