Dear Parents and Guardians, As we look forward to the 2025-2026 school year here at St. Joseph School East Orange, I want to share with you a few things from my heart for the coming school year. We welcome our new families and our returning families to our school community. We, here at St. Joseph School, are committed to creating an environment where every student feels safe, seen, and supported and will be given what they need to have a successful academic year promoting academic growth and personal development. This will only happen through partnership, communication and trust between home and school. What does this look like: A. Relationships at school matter, and we are working to get them right. ● At the center of everything we do is the belief that children learn best from those they trust. You may have heard your child talk about a favorite teacher, coach, or mentor. This didn’t happen by incident, it was intentional, cultivated and essential ● Our teachers, coaches and staff members are trained to prioritize relationships because we know the academic, emotional and social growth is developed in relationships with safe, trustworthy adults. ● We know we aren’t perfect, and won’t always get it right, but we are committed to learning and growing from our mistakes just like our students learn.
B. Our faculty and staff are trained on building trust and sustaining Boundaries
● Every adult in our school is expected to be a trustworthy adult, someone your child can go to when they need encouragement, support, comfort or challenge. ● Clear training as Protecting God’S Children Awareness sessions and tools that focus on creating strong connections and healthy boundaries,
● Creating trust through compassion, consistency and transparency ● Communicating and maintaining healthy boundaries to ensure all interactions are appropriate, safe and in the best interest of the student’s development. ● We also support staff in how to communicate with families and how to manage concerns professionally and when extra support is needed. ● This training is on going as needed for staff. C. Here is what you can expect from our school community ● We will treat your child with dignity and respect ● We will communicate clearly, consistently and within health boundaries ● We will follow school policies as outlined in the Student/Parent Handbook ● We will assume good intentions, seek to understand, and respond with care. ● We will make space for your child to grow, take healthy risks, and develop resilience ● We will value you as a vital partner in this journey D. What we hope we can expect from you ● You are the expert on your child. We ask you to see us as the experts on student development. When we meet in the middle with mutual respect and clear expectations,together we can provide the strongest support for your child. ● Support your child in getting plenty of rest and getting to school on time ● Read messages or information sent home and respond in a timely manner ● Speak positively about our school and the adults at school. Your child will adopt your attitude towards SJS. A good one will help them grow ● Allow space for your child to be resilient and experience natural consequences ● Resist communicating with your child during school hours ● Attend events, games, contests, and concerts your child participates
● Encourage your child to seek out and connect with trusted adults at school ● Reach out to the school office if resources are needed. I hope you read this message and keep it as a reminder that behind every confident, capable student is a village of adults, parents, teachers, coaches, staff members at St. Joseph School working together to develop a productive , independent child.