The new Fine Arts building at St. Mary School on St. Croix is nearing completion and should be ready for use when classes begin on August 20.
The St. Joseph Workers of Holy Family Church on St. Thomas in August will present the annual Scholarship Awards to outstanding parishioners who are starting their college education. The four recipients this year are Everton Rene, who will receive the Award of Excellence, Kearil Abraham, Mellisha Bedminster and Amber Richards.
Students of Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas must report in uniform for orientation over the course of three days: grades 6-12 on Monday, August 20; grades 1-5 on Tuesday, August 21; junior kindergarten and kindergarten on Thursday, August 23, all at 7:50 a.m. Grades 1-12 will have their first full day of classes on Wednesday, August 22, and junior kindergarten and kindergarten will have their first full day on Friday, August 24. The book store will be open on August 13-15 and 17. Orientation for parents of all new and returning students and the first Home-School Association meeting will be held on Friday, August 17, at 5:50 p.m. The first school Mass is at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on August 24.
Students at St. Joseph High School on St. Croix begin with orientation for grades 9-10 on Thursday, August 16, and for grades 11-12 on Friday, August 17. Classes start on Monday, August 20.
At St. Mary School on St. Croix, students in grades 7 and 8 and their parents must attend orientation either on Tuesday, August 14, or Thursday, August 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the school hall. Parent/student orientation for kindergarten to grade 6 will be Friday, August 17, at 8:30 a.m. for new students and for returning students on Saturday, August 18, at 9:30 a.m. The first full day of classes is on Monday, August 20. The first school Mass will be at Holy Cross Church on August 31. The school will promote the theme and practice of "Respect, Responsibility and Reflection" throughout the year.
At St. Patrick School on St. Croix, parents of new and returning students will have orientation on Thursday, August 16. The first full day of classes is on Monday, August 20. The first school Mass will be at St. Patrick Church on August 24. This year's theme for the students is "Pride, Courage, Responsibility and Leadership," and the theme for the faculty is "Let's Go the Extra Mile."
At both St. Mary School and St. Patrick School, the hot lunch program does not start until August 27. Limited food and drinks will be for sale. Students may bring their lunches.
Looking to raise the standards of Catholic education in the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, the four principals of the Catholic schools have committed to expanding their faculties with professors who have achieved advanced academic degrees.
Fran Armstrong, Ph. D., will be new on staff this fall at Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas. Dr. Armstrong received her doctorate in Math Education from the University of Pennsylvania and is a member of Phi Delta Kappa's Education Honor Society, the National Council of Teachers on Mathematics and the Mathematics Educators of Greater St. Louis. She has taught elementary and college mathematics, conducted development workshops for teachers and parents, spoken at professional conferences and authored books on the teaching of mathematics.
Ss. Peter and Paul School is developing a laboratory for Dr. Armstrong. The Self-Pace Hands-On Math-Strong Laboratory will emphasize new concepts in learning mathematics and offer students a hands-on approach to understanding the usefulness of mathematics in day-to-day activities.