After nearly 100 years as a fixture on West Broad Street in Tamaqua, St. Jerome Regional School will open this month in its new home at 50 Meadow Ave., Hometown.

The Diocese of Allentown purchased the former Rush Elementary School building earlier this year to house the growing St. Jerome Regional School.

“We are extremely excited about our new location,” Principal Amy M. Hannis-Miskar said. “SJRS is growing, and it is a great opportunity for our school. A lot of work has taken place to convert the former K-6 elementary school into a building suitable for PreK-eighth grade students and faculty.

“We have been working hard all summer to have the building ready for the start of the 2018-19 school year. We cannot wait to share our excitement with the faculty, staff, students and families.”

Upgrades

Aside from the new building, Hannis-Miskar said there are many other additions and changes to the staff and school, including air conditioning, playgrounds, fields, a large parking lot, 13 regular classrooms, art room, chapel/music room, small group instruction room, STEM lab/computer room, conference room, gymnasium/cafeteria/auditorium, faculty room, offices (main, administrative, nurse, finance), HSA room, maintenance room, kitchen/serving area and separate washing area.

“Since Christ is at the center of our school, we also felt that it is important to continually have the Blessed Sacrament present,” Hannis-Miskar said. “We are happy to announce that we will also have a school chapel, Sacred Heart Chapel, that will allow us to continue to serve the spiritual needs of our students and to grow the Catholic identity of our school.”

Updated curriculum

In addition to everything the new building will have to offer, Hannis-Miskar said they also purchased a new reading series, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys, that will be used in grades kindergarten through sixth; purchased the Dreambox Learning Math Program, which will be implemented next year; and have added a second section of second grade due to the increase in enrollment.

This summer, the school administration received a $48,710 Instructional Technology Grant through Computer Aid Inc., which will be used to create a new STEM lab, where students can solve problems and create solutions using hands-on techniques; as well as the purchase of the Dreambox Learning Math Program, Hannis-Miskar said.

“We want our students to be prepared to be resourceful problem-solvers.”

During the 2018-19 school year, SJRS will also begin to transition from the traditional computer class to a STEM class.

“Students will still be learning their computer skills, however they will now be able to develop their skills in a more integrated setting,” she said. “They will be learning to problem-solve, communicate, collaborate and critically think in a space designed for activity and supplied with the resources they need to discover, apply and create.”

The space will be transformed this fall, and hopefully completed by the end of October.

“We are all very excited to have the new classrooms and hallways filled with our students, filling them with energy and enthusiasm for learning,” Hannis-Miskar said.

“We wholeheartedly believe that, as our mission statement reflects: Our base is family, our mission is faith, and our future rests in the courage to leave behind a legacy.”

Upcoming events

As the school year preparation is in full swing, St. Jerome’s has announced a number of events to welcome the students to its new location.

Upcoming events include a meet the teacher event on Aug. 23. The doors to the school will be open to all of the families who have students that are registered for the start of the new school year.

Teachers will be available in their classrooms from noon to 7 p.m., and will distribute information about their individual classes and other information about the school. School administration will also be available to answer questions. The office will be open to hand in any paperwork or request new paperwork.

On Sept. 6, the Most Rev. Alfred Schlert, bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, will be the main celebrant for a dedication Mass and school blessing. Mass will be held at 5:30 p.m., with a picnic dinner to follow.

The school will be open to all students, staff, parents and guardians.

For more information about St. Jerome Regional School, contact the school’s advancement director Manda Beers at 570-668-2757.