St. James Alumnus Gives Back to His School

Saint James Alumnus Gives Back to His Alma Mater

James McElroy is a graduate of Saint James the Apostle School’s Class of 2015. He is currently a
junior at Union Catholic Regional High School in Scotch Plains. Shortly after James graduated
Saint James, he contacted the school Principal, Mrs. Caroline Ponterio, about ideas for his
Eagle Scout Service project. The Eagle Scout Service Project is the opportunity for a Boy Scout
in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a
project for the benefit of his community. Saint James is his alma mater and it is also his parish
community.

James mapped out a project, with Saint James as its beneficiary, to assemble
emergency-preparedness kits for each of the eleven PK3-8th Grade classrooms, plus the Music
room, Art room, Main Office, Media Center and Gymnasium. These kits are stored in 5-gallon
airtight and waterproof containers, each with a first aid kit, rope, crank-operated flashlight,
clipboard with paper, crayons, deck of playing cards and a heat/space blanket.

The project consisted of gathering the resources and the assembly of the kits. James reached
out to the school community for donations as well as to family, friends and neighbors for
support. James used the school gym to assemble the kits and presented them to the school
community in an afternoon assembly on Friday, March 16t h to the students and teachers.

Saint James the Apostle School receives non-public school funding for safety and security, with
guidelines on how the money can be spent. Emergency preparedness kits were just added to
the guidelines. “We are so grateful to James for remembering his alma mater and giving his
time and talent to better prepare our teachers, students and classrooms in the event of an
emergency and to put Saint James the Apostle School ahead of the curve with the completion
of his Eagle Scout Service project,” said Mrs. Ponterio.

Not only will the school students benefit from the emergency preparedness kits, but the
students of Saint James parish religious education program too.

For 65 years, Saint James the Apostle School has been serving the parishioners of Saint James
the Apostle Church in Springfield and surrounding communities. Saint James the Apostle
School offers students from PreK-3 through grade eight a Roman Catholic faith-based
education which acknowledges each child's individual ability to achieve their fullest potential
academically, socially, and spiritually.