April 2023 to the Parish, from the Dean

Happy Easter! What an amazing time of year this is. A new liturgical season, the school year coming to a close, and the weather turning decidedly for the better. God gives us these times of transition that are so perfect for reflection, and for appreciation of all the things He does for us.

Everything comes together at this point in a school year. On the one hand, we recently enjoyed the culmination of our students’ talents in the performing arts at our Spring Showcase. We were able to join as a school for singing, dancing, instruments, and artwork. Saint James has truly become a center of performance this past year, from our Showcase to our Christmas Program to Living Stations to our poetry recitations to the Living Rosary. The future is bright with so much talent onboard!

And on the other hand, Iowa testing has provided us with an academic milestone this past week. Our students diligently completed assessments on Math, Reading, Science, Socials Student, Language Arts, and more. When we get the scores back, we can analyze them to see where we need to improve, and also publish them for increased accountability and transparency. We value these scores as a metric of our stewardship of the resources entrusted to us by the Parish.

Thank you all so much for your continued support. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. Just this week we had a new milk cooler delivered for our cafeteria. The money for the cooler was raised by our lunch staff selling Easter rolls–perhaps you enjoyed one yourself! It may seem like a small thing, but it will increase the quality of life for our students and staff a great deal. That is just one tiny example of how the Parish helps us continue to thrive. It of course goes much deeper than that, and we try not to take any of it for granted. Again, thank you!

Sincerely,

James Hosler

Dean of School

Saint James Catholic School