Our Principal

Miss Jessica Starek, M. Ed. is entering her third year as principal at James L. Collins Catholic School. As administrator of Collins Catholic School, I am looking forward to working with you by providing leadership that will continue to build upon your current success while looking towards a future of continued growth in excellence. I have been a Catholic School administrator for 18 years. Nine years were spent at Visitation of Our Lady in Marrero, Louisiana and nine years at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Dallas, Texas. Prior to this, I taught 6 years at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Houston, Texas. During the past 13 years, I have taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math in Corsicana ISD at Drane Intermediate and Collins Middle School. Growing up in the Dallas area, I attended Holy Trinity, Bishop Dunne High School and the University of Dallas (B.A. in Elem. Ed.). I entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Dallas Province, and was a member for 28 years. My Masters is in Administration and Supervision from University of Houston.

Parish Festival
	Parish Festival will be on September 12.

Dinner & Diamonds
	Dinner & Diamonds Gala is in planning stages.

First PTC Meeting

First PTC meeting of the 2010-2011 School year was August 31 at 6:00 p.m. Pizza was served to parents and children attending. Several of the PTC officers are pictured. After the meeting, the first safety training session of the year was held. Safety training will also be available on the four Tuesdays in September. Our Safety Audit scored 100% for the third straight year. Thank you, Mrs. Tlustos. Other PTC events to be announced by Mrs. Samantha Daviss, president, are the September 18th Garage Sale, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the October 16th Fall Carnival, and the April 16th Golf Tournament.

New Smart Board Has Arrived!

Our new Smart Board has arrived, along with two new projectors. The Smart Board will be installed in Mrs. Crocker's math classroom for grades 5-8. Our projectors and new board are provided by some of the stimulus funds available to the school through CISD. Books and many other items have also come in. There will be further funds in the fall to add more new books and technology for our students' benefit. Our Development Fund through Mrs. Stephanie Folmar has also contributed to our new technology. As soon as possible, the Smart Board will be mounted in the ceiling.

Mimio Board for Primary
	A mimio board will be shared in grades 1, 2, and 4. Ryan, our technical assistant, is working with Mrs. Spruce in becoming familiar with all the features and possibilities of the mimio cart. Also on the cart is a laptop computer, projector, and DVD player. The mimio board makes a regular whiteboard interactive for the students. Special markers are used.

Cable Guys
	Tech Team members Kenneth and Roy are pictured assisting Mr. Chieng with running new cable to 7th and 8th grade rooms to provide faster connection in those rooms.

A few feet more...
	Student technicians, Roy and Kenneth, are pulling the last few feet of ethernet cable through to the network server.

Bathroom Makeovers at CCS
	Our bathroom makeover has begun with the two bathrooms in the middle school hallway. Pictured is the entrance hallway of the girls' bathroom. Fixtures will soon be installed. Funds for the project were secured by Miss Starek and our Advisory Council with grants from the Catholic Foundation and several other sources.

Primary Wing Renovation

A dedicated team of JLCCS Parents is leading a remodel challenge to renovate the classrooms from Pre-K through 4th grade. Mrs. Lisa Lott and Mrs. Lily Schramko initiated the project, assisted by a host of JLCCS parents, to raise funds, donate equipment, and really work hard to achieve their goals for these classrooms. Classrooms have been repainted and carpeted, as well as whiteboards and new bulletin boards installed. Parents will put furniture in place Sunday afternoon, July 9. New sinks and water fountains were installed in the rooms to replace the old ones. A tile backsplash and floor tile around the sink was put in place. The walls in Kindergarten through 2nd grade are a pale creamy yellow. Carpeting is in neutral earth tones.

Kindergarten rug
	Mrs. Fletcher is delighted with her new area rug, complete with Bible verse, for her kindergarten class.

Student Council
	JLCCS Student Council is available to the Middle School students. They sponsor Meet Me at the Pole, Red Ribbon Week, and service projects. Student Council members are nominated by the student body. They must meet eligibility requirements. A variety show is planned for later in the year.

PTC Planning Meeting
	Opening meeting of PTC Officers. Mrs. Samantha Daviss is president for the 2010-2011 school year.

New Staff Member
	Anne Shelton is our new Tuition Management Administrator.

Pre-K
	Mrs. Severson's class is ready for 2010-2011.

Kindergarten Classroom
	Mrs. Fletcher's room is ready for learning!

First Grade Classroom
	Miss Munday's classroom is the place to be for our eager new first graders.

Fourth Grade Classroom
	The fourth grade room, also part of the JLCCS Parent Remodel Challenge received new paint, carpet, and white board. Mrs. Mims is the new fourth grade teacher.

Sixth Grade Classroom
	Mrs. Whiteside's sixth grade classroom/science lab is pictured.

Seventh Grade Classroom
	Mrs. Elkins's classroom is ready for a new year.

National Junior Honor Society
	National Junior Honor Society will be sponsored by Mrs. Rosemary Crocker and Mrs. Jennifer Elkins. Upcoming activities will be posted soon.