Parent Teacher Association (P.T.A.)
Each parent is a member of the Parent Teacher Association. The objectives of this association are to:
- help parents and teachers acquire a profound appreciation of the ideals of Catholic Education.
- promote a clearer understanding of the mutual educational responsibilities of parents and teachers.
- encourage the home and school to a greater degree of cooperation in discharging responsibilities.
- subsidize the additional funds needed to provide a quality Catholic Education.
We therefore ask that:
- parents set a good example for their children by the practice of their faith. If they are Catholics, they are expected to take part regularly in Mass and the sacramental life of the Church.
- at least one parent, preferably both, attend the P.T.A. meetings and participate in all P.T.A. functions and fundraisers.
- whenever possible, parents serve as volunteers or chairing a fundraiser, etc.
- annual P.T.A. membership dues be paid in September.
- each family comply with all school regulations.
- parents support P.T.A. fundraisers.
NB: The cost of educating a child is gradually escalating and it must be noted and understood that tuition payment in no way meets the cost of a quality catholic education. Therefore, in addition to the payment of tuition, supplemental fees are derived by each family’s participation in all P.T.A. fundraising activities including the Food Certificate Program and subsidized funds from Saint Jerome Church.
A list of all P.T.A. fundraisers is distributed at the first P.T.A. meeting. Since this is a supplement to tuition costs, parents are responsible to either sell* items or tickets or purchase them personally. *No child is permitted to solicit door to door.
Grocery Store Cards
Supermarket gift cards are available for ShopRite, Wegmans, Foodtown and Stop and Shop. Cards are available in denominations of $25, $50 and $100. School parents are eligible to enroll in an automatic program whereby they are notified once (or twice) a month that their cards are available in the school office.
Those who do not have children in Saint Jerome School can easily participate by sending an e-mail to smarcantonio@saintjeromeschool.org with your order. Arrangements can then be made to pick up the cards at either the school office or the rectory office. Payment can be cash or a check made payable to St. Jerome PTA . The participating supermarkets discount the card cost to the school by 5%. The purchaser receives the full face value of the card. This program is ongoing 12 months a year.
RaiseRight (formerly Scrip) is Fundraising While You Shop
The RaiseRight Program (formerly Scrip) runs twice a year and includes many chain restaurants, fast food establishments, department stores and many of the specialty stores found in the malls. A full list of participating stores can be found on raiseright.com . By simply planning ahead on everyday purchases like groceries, gas, restaurants, clothes, entertainment and home repair, the average family can earn at least $11 a week. That modest number adds up quickly - over $500 a year for an average family is not unusual. The percentages earned by the school vary according to the specific business, but generally average 8%. The first round of "scrip" is usually held in mid to late November and the second round in late April or May.
Anyone interested in helping the school by participating should send an e-mail to lizmarrin@aol.com and you will be provided with order forms when they are available. A check made payable to St. Jerome PTA must accompany the order. Gift cards will normally be available for pickup at the school office or rectory office within a week of the ordering deadline.