July 21, 2010
 
Dear Parents,
            What an honor and a pleasure it is to send you this first letter as Principal of Pope John Paul School!  I deeply appreciate the faith and confidence placed in me by Father Russell, Father Gayton, and the search committee who selected me as Principal from among several fine candidates.   I am likewise grateful to so many parents and staff members who have welcomed me in my new position since July 1st and have offered their support and enthusiasm.  I look forward to meeting all of you and to working hand-in-hand with you to provide the optimal educational experience for your child or children.  It is my heartfelt hope that this year will mark a truly new beginning for Pope John Paul School and that we can become united by one vision – that of a vibrant and thriving school community in which our students can grow academically and spiritually.  It is a goal that is within our reach if everyone – administration, faculty, parents and students – are dedicated to building the future that we all desire and of which we can all be proud.
In the time since my selection as Principal, I have heard many of the concerns of the past;
and I understand the foundation on which we stand today.  It is my hope, however, that we can set aside these hindrances to progress and look forward with optimism and great anticipation to a successful school year.  For my part, I pledge to address the areas which warrant improvement firmly and in a timely manner.  To begin, communication between the school and home will be strengthened through the use of the phone call system, the website (which we hope to improve and stabilize) and by re-instating the use of the weekly Wednesday communication envelope.  Your signature on this envelope will insure that you have received and reviewed the contents, all of which the school feels are important.  Your inquiries and concerns will receive a response in no more than 48 hours - and sooner if at all possible.  The faculty and I are committed to strengthening communication as a vital and powerful tool for working together.
Another priority this year will be my presence in the classrooms and lunchroom and on the recess yard.  In this way, I will be able to consistently monitor curriculum and instruction as well as student progress and behavior.  Students will be challenged to strive for excellence in their work rather than mediocrity and will be expected to show respect for themselves, others, and their educational materials at all times.  School and classroom rules will be clearly explained to the students at the beginning of the school year, and their lack of cooperation with those rules will warrant appropriate consequences.  A new demerit and detention system will provide consistency and fairness school wide and will offer you, as parents, the opportunity to work closely with your child’s teacher to promptly correct behaviors before they interfere with learning. 
            As parents, you are your child’s first teacher.  By providing your child with a quiet setting for home study, proper rest and good nutrition; by reinforcing class and school regulations; by attending to all home-school communications; by serving the school as a volunteer; and by offering your support in any way possible; you will help to insure that your child will have a happy and successful year and that our school can reach its full potential. 
            Many exciting, educational, and enriching opportunities await us all during this new school year.  Let us commit ourselves to working together – to remaining positive and focused and enthusiastic.  Let us spend our energy on the things that build up – not tear down. In the words of Mahatma Ghandi, “We must be the change we wish to see.”  Let us build a strong and vibrant future together.  That future begins today.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Miss Vadas
Principal
 

"Reading to children aloud everyday is as important as brushing their teeth and fastening their seat belts." - Rosemary Wells
 
Our Summer reading program will again provide choices to the students so that they choose a book that is appealing to them.  Remember our main goal is to inspire reading.
 
So this year we have reached out to find books of all kinds.  We've contacted area schools that your child may be attending after graduation, and we asked parents, children,  teachers and librarians.  What has emerged are books of every genre: sports, fantasy, mystery, historical and realistic fiction as well as poetry and non-fiction.  Remember that summer reading should be fun! ProLiteracy, a non-profit literacy group based in New York, thinks introducing boys to comic books sometimes sparks a life-long interest in reading. So if they want to read Calvin & Hobbs, go ahead!
 
How to find the next book to read?
Try http://bookseer.com/  OR  http://www.readkiddoread.com/home
 
Some ideas to encourage reading:
Don't forget the many great books on CD that your local libraries offer.  Rather than popping in a DVD for that long summer car drive, why not listen to a book; it makes it fun for the whole family, including the front seat motorists!  Listening to books on tape can help develop fluency and improve reading skills as well as spark an interest in a book series. Take turns reading to a friend or parent. Check out magazines from the library that would be of interest such as: Cricket, Sports Illustrated for Kids, American Girl, Kiki.  Participate in New Castle’s Summer Reading program and Barnes and Noble.  Children will be encouraged with small prizes for reading. TD Bank offers $10 for ten books read!

The lists below are ONLY suggestions. Feel free to explore other books. To assure a positive and rewarding experience, we encourage you to discuss book choices with your student based upon the book’s merit, reader’s interest, and readability. The books selected must be one that the student has not already read!
 
We have put each grade's reading list into their own document to make it easier for you to view and print. Note: The 3rd grade has their own entry on the home page.
 
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Places to find reading lists:

• http://www.nancykeane.com/
• http://www.talestoldtall.com/BoyMeetsBook.html
• http://guysread.com/
• Check out the Novelist for Kids database-a librarian can help you with this at your local library

WEBSITE TO IMPROVE VOCABULARY
http://www.freerice.com/index.php 
For each correct answer, 10 grains of rice will be donated through the UN World Food program to help end hunger.