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ST. JOHN THE BELOVED

SCHOOL

“I can do all things through Christ.” Philippians 4:13

September 11, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

What a great week it has been here at St. John the Beloved! We feel so blessed to have our students

back in the classrooms again. We thank you for your continued support, understanding and patience as

we navigate this very different school year. Things may look a little different, but our mission remains

the same; teach and model the Gospel of Jesus Christ, foster academic excellence, and encourage

service to others.

Called to Serve! Our reflection on Gospel passages allows us to make

both Scriptural and real life connections. This month’s focal passage

on the multiplication of the loaves and fishes calls to mind the Old

Testament reading in the Book of Exodus in which God cares for the

Israelites by providing them daily with manna from heaven on their

forty-year journey to the Promised Land. In the New Testament the

Gospel of Jesus feeding the five thousand, recounted by all four

evangelists, demonstrates once again the Lord’s care for His people on their journey in following Him. In

our lives, the Eucharist provides the spiritual nourishment we require to successfully accomplish our

faith journey to heaven. God’s care for His people is a continual theme reflected throughout Scripture

and present in our lives.

Yours in St. Francis, Mr. Richard D. Hart Principal

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Getting Ready

Our classrooms, bathrooms, playground area and gym were given a thorough cleaning this past

weekend! We will continue to clean and disinfect on a regular basis.

THANK YOU We want to give a BIG THANK YOU to our awesome Home and School Association! Our teachers and staff were welcomed back to school with a beautiful chalk mural and our students were met with festive balloons! What a nice way to come Back to School. If you are interested in being part of this amazing group of parents, please send an email to: sjbhsa@sjbdel.org

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WELCOME BACK! Although back to school looked a little different this year, we are so happy to have our students back in the classroom. Please share your first day of school pictures with us at dtobin@sjbdel.org.

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Remote Learning

Please be advised that on days when a teacher is absent from school, remote learning will not be

available for any subject that is taught by that teacher.

Special Schedules

For the initial six weeks of this new school year during COVID-19, it was necessary to make some

adjustments to our assignments for specialist teachers (art, music, gym, library and Spanish). There will

be no library classes or band lessons. Music classes will continue for grades pre-K through 5th grade.

Gym and Art classes continue for all students. Students in grades 1 – 5 will not have Spanish classes

during this time in order for Ms. Koval to better assist in the Early Childhood Program. We hope to

return to our normal specialist scheduling as restrictions are adjusted by the State of Delaware.

Arrival and Dismissal

Upon arrival, please remember that no one is to exit their car until the first bell rings at 7:20a.m. The

teachers on duty will signal you when students may begin exiting cars. Students will proceed from their

car directly to their classroom through their designated doors. We ask that you follow the direction of

the teachers on duty and proceed with caution in the parking lot. Please be mindful of our St. John the

Beloved parishioners who attend 8:00 weekday mass. We appreciate your continued cooperation and

patience.

A Message from the Nurse

Please take the time each day to complete the Student Health Assessment Screening found on the

Nurse’s website. This does not need to be submitted to either the nurse or the student’s teacher.

Birthday Treats

Just a reminder that until further notice Birthday Celebration treats or any outside food are not

permitted to be brought into school.

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Picture Day

Picture Day has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 30 (“B” Day Students and EC3-K) and

Thursday, October 1 (“A” Day Students and First and Second Grade). More information will be sent out

in the next week.

Back to School Nights

All back to school nights will be done through zoom calls with additional information provided by your

child’s homeroom teacher. Zoom Call meeting id and password information will be sent via email. Back

to school nights are tentatively scheduled for the following dates:

Wednesday, September 16 (K, 1 and 2)

Monday, September 21 (Early Education)

Thursday, September 24 (Middle School)

Monday, September 29 (Intermediate)

SJB Spirit Wear Masks

Home and School will be selling SJB Masks! Masks are available in black, gold and pink and are $5 each.

All masks must be purchased through Smart Tuition. As the orders come in, masks will be distributed

through school and sent home with the students. Quantities are limited!

Purchase here:

https://bngn.smarttuition.com/?id=l5j2ljxf2ou#/home/

Sadlier Math Program

We are proud to announce that St. John the Beloved was 10th in the nation during the annual Day of

Giving. Thanks to the generosity of our school community during our Day of Giving, we are happy to

announce a new math series for grades K-8. The students in grades K-6th will be using Sadlier Math;

grades 7-8 will be using Sadlier Oxford, which includes Foundations of Algebra, Fundamentals of Algebra

and Algebra I.

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A note from the Religious Education office:

Welcome back to the new school year. The Religious Education program is planning to have classes in

the school this year. We are going to ensure a minimal presence in the classroom by moving the chairs

away from the desks so that there will be no touching of the school children’s materials. The cleaning

service will come in after we finish, cleaning the classrooms and public spaces. Our students will wear

masks, as will our staff. We will be very diligent to ensure that nothing is touched in the desks or

classrooms other than the chairs and again, the classrooms will be cleaned thoroughly after use.

Our program is committed to the children’s safety. We will check the students as they enter the

building. We have engaged a nurse to be with us to assess the students as they enter the building. This

situation will be monitored very closely each week to ensure students and staff are healthy and we will

return the classrooms as we find them.

If you have any questions in regard to the above information, please contact Mrs. Ballintyn

via dballintyn@sjbde.org. Let us all pray for a good school year ahead and that our loving God guides us

with joy and love in all that we do.

Library Books

If you have come across any SJB library books, we ask that you place them in a plastic bag and send

them back to school with your child.

2020-2021 School Calendar

Please remember to check the school calendar regularly for additional events and more details. Due to

the COVID-19 pandemic, all activities are tentative. We will evaluate our ability to host each event as

we are closer to each date keeping in mind the most current guidelines. The Calendar has been updated

with “A” and “B” Day information until October 16.

Coming Soon

Please keep an eye on your in-box for the following communications:

Picture Day Information

HSA Fundraiser information (Kid Stuff Books)

SJB Takeover Events

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Getting To Know Our New SJB Teachers

Amand Stinchcombe is coming to St. John the Beloved

School from All Saints Catholic School where she has

taught for the last three years. She graduated from Illinois

State University with her degree in English education in

1999, and received her Masters from Wilmington

University this past January. She's taught all grades from

kindergarten through twelfth grade in her career but feels

middle school is the best fit! Her husband Fred is from

Bristol, England and currently works at Padua Academy.

Amanda has three wonderful children, one of which will be

starting fourth grade here at St. John the Beloved School.

In her free time, Amanda likes to read and play video

games.

My name is Christine Pelillo and I am so excited to join the Kindergarten team this year! I have over 25 years of experience teaching young children in a vast array of settings. I look forward to meeting many school families, in particular, the KC Kindergarten class. I know it will be a busy, fun year of learning and enrichment.

I am passionate about the education of the whole child, including social and emotional development, along with academics and plenty of play. I am certified to teach children’s yoga, and I look forward to incorporating yoga themes into my lessons. I am so blessed to be an SJB Eagle and it will be an honor to teach kindergarten in such a fine, well-respected school. My husband Victor and I have been married for 24 years and have three children. Victor Jr. is a recent University of Delaware graduate, Sophia is a junior at Penn State University’s main campus and Sean is a junior at St. Mark’s High School. It is my pleasure to be a part of the Saint John the Beloved community.

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I am so excited to join the SJB family this school year! It is my goal for all students in my 6th grade Math and Science classes, as well as in my 7th grade Science classes, to deepen their desire for learning and have an exceptional school year. As an alum of the Diocese of Wilmington, I am grateful to return to Catholic education as a middle school teacher. I attended Our Lady of Fatima School for a total of ten years (pre-school through 8th grade) and then graduated from Padua Academy in Wilmington, DE. Keeping in line with my Catholic educational background, I continued on to graduate from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia with my Bachelor's degree in Middle Grades Education. I have seen first-hand how a Catholic education can positively impact students' lives, and am delighted to join the dedicated team and community here at SJB. I look forward to meeting all of you soon! Miss Snook

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and

Elementary Education from Wilmington University. I

worked with different age groups throughout my 28

years of teaching experience. I have a son Bryce who

will be a sophomore at St. Mark’s High School and

daughter Amanda who is freshman at Millersville

University. I have always had a passion for working

with children. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach

where my children and I went to school. I am excited to

be a part of St. John the Beloved school where there is

such a nurturing and loving environment rooted in faith

and where there is a wonderful sense of community

between families and teachers. I believe that children

develop and learn so much in their early years. I strive

to make their preschool experience a mix of exploring,

learning, and fun. It is also exciting to see the children

build friendships that last for years!

Mrs. Tucci