Teachers and Programs at St. Jude School

Creative Classrooms
St. Jude participates in Creative Classrooms, a visual arts program comprised of art instruction, museum visits, and student art exhibitions. Creative Classrooms fosters creativity, literacy, and critical thinking by engaging students in making art and in discussing and writing about the process of doing so. All art projects are closely tied to the academic curriculum. The students participate in a studio art program, which offers one studio art class per week. They make art, reflect on their artistic creations in writing and speech, and explain the personal significance of their work. In addition, St. Jude participates in the Museum Program which enables teachers to build a curriculum unit around a visit to an
art museum.
Teacher: Gabriel Pacheco
gabriel.pacheco@sisstjude.org
http://www.creativeclassroomsnyc.org/

Library and Reading Room
Thanks to the generous support of the Advisory Board, St. Jude now houses a state-of-the-art Multimedia Research Center and Library. These facilities give students access to numerous volumes as well as to a vast array of research materials and technological resources.
Librarian: Sister Joan Freer
srjoan.freer@sisstjude.org

Counseling Services
St. Jude School provides an onsite counselor who works with students as determined by our staff as well as with students who choose to come for help. Our school counselor meets with children individually and in small groups. She spends time conversing with them and playing games to observe how well they work with their peers, follow directions, and communicate in different settings. Our students love visiting our counselor and many have made great disciplinary and academic progress.

Reading First
St. Jude's Reading First Program provides students the tools necessary to learn to read by the end of the third grade. Grounded in proven reading education research, Reading First students acquire reading skills in a positive and motivating environment.

Super Saturday Program
Sponsored by the Advisory Board of St. Jude, the Super Saturday program provides a unique and dynamic component of our students' education. One Saturday each month, members of the Advisory Board volunteer their time to educate students on a historical and cultural theme, and to engage in health and physical fitness activities and games. In a Super Saturday session, students may create and perform skits related to historical events, work on art projects, and participate in a number of physical activities. Following every session, students and Board volunteers come together to converse and reflect on the day's activities over lunch. Super Saturday students attend a play, a Broadway musical, or go on a museum tour. At the end of the year, they present their work and talents in a show of their own.

1:1 Mentoring Program
Inspired by the success of the Super Saturday Program, St. Jude's 1:1 Mentoring Program pairs members of St. Jude's Advisory Board with students. The mentors provide resources ranging from academic tutoring to guidance through the high school application process. Students and mentors often forge positive long-term relationships and maintain communication throughout and beyond college. One student was offered a job on the recommendation of his mentor.

Tutoring Program
St. Jude sponsors a tutoring program in which students from surrounding high schools provide academic help and mentorship to St. Jude students.

Physical Education
As an integral part of each student's health and well-being, all grades participate in comprehensive physical education in St. Jude's full size gymnasium. Equipped for a variety of sports, the gym provides an ideal space for students' athletic and recreational activities.
Teacher: Steve Whitmore
steve.whitmore@sisstjude.org 
Classroom Website
http://teacherweb.com/NY/StJude/MrWhitmore

After School Program
Offered to students in Pre-K through Grade 8, St. Jude's after school program adds nearly 3 hours of instructional support and recreational activities to the standard-length school day. Conveniently scheduled for working parents, the program lasts from 3:15 PM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

Students in After School benefit from additional instruction time in their core curriculum subjects: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, History, Science and Social Studies. In addition, students engage in a variety of enrichment programs such as music, art, computer, library, and physical education. The program helps students gain the academic discipline necessary to success in high school and beyond.

Technology Program
The students at St. Jude use technology in every aspect of academic life, and so learn to engage the resources of the digital world with ease and confidence. Students attend computer classes in our computer lab, where they work on ELA, Math, Social Studies and Science. They learn to use websites that reinforce their classroom learning. By building technological literacy, St. Jude students become able to conduct research, perform Internet searches, and practice effective note taking.

Students work with their classroom and computer teachers to create multimedia presentations, newsletters, Class DVDs and CDs. Six classrooms at St. Jude are also equipped with SMARTBoards, the interactive whiteboards that add daily hands-on technology components to every subject.

Science Lab
The science lab at St. Jude is well stocked with microscopes, beakers, petri dishes, and other materials our young scientists need to conduct experiments. The lab is available for all students and teachers.

Extracurricular Activities
St. Jude offers a number of extracurricular activities for its students including Choir, Dance Club and Drama Club.

Parent Involvement Association
We at St. Jude recognize the importance of parental involvement to the success of a student and a school. That's why parents gain a unique and powerful role in the school with the newly created Parent Involvement Association. The association helps promote communication between parents and the school, develops fundraising campaigns, fosters alumni relations, and involves new students and their families in school activities.