Volume 23~ February 9, 2020
St. Joseph's Regional Jr. High School
News & Notes ~ Week of February 16, 2020
Mission Statement: St. Joseph Regional Jr. High School is a Catholic, inclusive school for 7th and 8th grade where students learn and grow in respect for God, themselves, and others, engage in academically rigorous curricula and a wide-range of meaningful service and enrichment experiences. 
The New Pauline D. Martineau Catholic School Educators Scholarship Fund
As you will see below, Mrs. Martineau has some exciting news to share.

This news brings mixed feelings and with them, a quest to find just the right parting gift that would honor Mrs. Martineau perfectly.

Mrs. Martineau is a woman of boundless energy. She optimizes service leadership and commitment to Catholic education. She has shared 37 years of her precious life with Trinity High School and St. Joseph Regional Jr. High School. This parting gift would have to speak to that selfless devotion.

One afternoon, earlier in the school year, she shared with me that for many years of her career, Catholic educators at St. Joe's used part of their humble salaries to fund the tuition of particular children. Immediately, I knew a scholarship fund in her name and dedicated to those who served beside her would be the most fitting gift of all.

As you are aware, a Catholic education is an investment in the children's experience today and a lifetime of skills and attributes including service work. For some of our students, past, present and future, this type of school experience would not be possible but will undoubtedly change the trajectory of their lives. They will make lasting friendships, build confidence and skill and develop unshakeable faith in the pivotal years of adolescence.

So, Families, I invite you to help us build the Pauline D. Martineau Catholic Educators Scholarship Fund. To date, with just three donations, the scholarship has $9,050. Our goal is $25,000, that would allow us to distribute two $2,500 scholarships to St. Joe's and more in the future. I have several meetings in the next few weeks with benefactors who know Mrs. Martineau and would like to contribute.

Please share this link with others, especially alumni, and help us by donating by going to the link below or send checks ( marked scholarship fund on the memo line) of any amount to us at the school by way of the students or mail to:

St. Joseph Regional Jr. High School
148 Belmont Street
Manchester, NH 03103
c/o Mrs. Martineau Scholarship Fund
Mrs. Martineau will be walking us through all of the graduation and end-of-year events before she sets off to be Memere for the four littles in her life! We'll be sure to post "blasts from the past" in the coming newsletters!
Whenever I give tours to new families, someone always asks if Mrs. Martineau is still here. Inevitably, our walk to her classroom is greeted with a hug and memories the families want to share about how she influenced them in their years at St. Joe's. There is no doubt, she will be an integral part of St. Joe's in the years to come, but her legacy remains in the hearts of those she once taught.
Unity at St. Joe's Through Service Work
Charitable Service Work at St. Joseph Regional Jr. High School
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I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.— Psalm 32:8
The kids are learning to persevere! Sometimes knitting is hard. Sometimes other things are hard - and you press on, unravel, try again, learn from a friend, go forward one step at a time!
We have several finished scarves and others coming to practice on Tuesday and Thursday at lunch in my office or a bigger space!

Let us know if you'd like to join us or donate materials! See our Amazon Wish List!

  • Size 9 or 10 wooden knitting needles
  • large crochet needles
  • thick yarn
  • project bags
~ US History with Mrs. Martineau~
Welcome to American History! In the next couple of weeks, we will be studying the Civil War. We will look at the causes, famous battles and results of the war. We will be watching a couple of episodes of the famous Ken Burns series on the Civil War. We will end our unit with a Union soldier dress up day. My son did Civil War reenactments and is kind enough to lend his uniform and gear. We also may have to try some hardtack for the full effect.
I would also like to share something personal. I will be retiring at the end of this year. I love STJ and my years with the school have been wonderful! It has been a true life calling. But now God has a new calling for me: my daughter and son-in-law are expecting triplets in the spring! They live in Maine and, as you can imagine, it will be all hands on deck for a while in their home. Wells, Maine will be my temporary home for a while.  
I will so miss STJ!! My son helped my husband coach basketball here (for 20 years) at the age of 4. My daughter was born here! My son was a history teacher here and my daughter was a long term sub when one of our teachers needed a hip replacement. I am so grateful for all the wonderful people I have worked with and all the students I have had the privilege to teach at STJ. I am especially grateful to the class of 2020. They are making my last year here just great. They are a real parting gift.
A very special thank you to Ms. Florino! Since Halloween (when we first received the news) she has been nothing but patient with all my babbling and supportive of my new life plan. Also, this faculty is wonderful. Your children are in very, very good hands.
I will miss it all, but there are 3 baby girls waiting for Memere. Please, prayers are greatly appreciated as this new journey begins. 


Parent Engagement News


  • PTO Meetings: February 18th, 7-8pm, Click here to join us by video! Please consider joining us. The meetings are remote, video gatherings for your convenience and the more members we have the more we can do to support our teachers and curriculum projects like Mr.Rosa's terrariums.

  • Our Advisory Board meeting will be on March 5th , 6:00pm-7:30pm in the St. Joseph's library. Notes from the November meeting are here. This board has been reviewing outward facing documentation to assure it aligns with our mission. In January, we will be reviewing the St. Joseph Regional Jr. High budget.

  • Please do check out the new scholarship from CMC called the Hearts and Hands and DO APPLY! (see our website, Admissions Page)
Bears Athletics
CYO Tournament - Runnersup!
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Important Dates Ahead

Looking Ahead:

February 17th: President's Day, No School
February 19th: Progress Reports and NWEA reports sent home
February 22-29: Winter Vacation


The Arts at St. Joseph Regional Jr. High
St. Joe's Choir
Choir students should meet in the library on Wednesdays at lunch. The first of their visits will be to St Teresa's Manor after the February vacation.
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