SaberSpeak
Week of November 30, 2020
How to Submit News to SaberSpeak
Information to be considered for inclusion in the newsletter must be emailed to dsinopoli@st-hilary.org by 3:00 p.m. on Friday for the following week. Information must be relevant to the St. Hilary School or St. Hilary Parish community, and cannot promote a personal interest or a school other than our own. The school reserves the right to determine what content will be included.
I hope you and your families had a happy, although a little different, Thanksgiving! It is hard to believe that November has come to an end already! November was a short but busy school month. Thank you to all of you for supporting our efforts to continue learning and collaborating safely during this time, with our Zoom conferences in early November and our remote learning week this week. We know these modalities are not ideal, but we appreciate your support as we continue to do all that we can to be able to offer an in-person learning option long-term. A special note of gratitude to our Parents’ Association for providing dinner for our teachers during conferences. We are also thankful for the time each of you took to meet with your children’s teachers during conferences. Please remember that additional conferences may be requested and scheduled as needed at any time during the school year.
With the season of Advent upon us, we turn our thoughts to preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This is one of the most important seasons of the church calendar, and we are honored to share this special time with your children. We are reminded of the hopeful meaning of this season even more this year. In joyful anticipation, we will continue to pray together and focus on our school theme, knowing that our students will truly grow in faith and service to others during Advent, as they answer God's call to change the world.
During this especially busy time of year, I would like to call your attention to some important dates you may wish to take note of now. Seventh and eighth grade students will have mid-term exams December 15, 16 and 17. December 18 will be our last day of school before Christmas Break. Christmas Break runs from December 19 through January 3. School resumes on January 4, but remember that all students will learn remotely January 4-8, and in-person school will resume on January 11. There is no school on January 18 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
The second quarter ends on January 15, and second quarter report cards will be available to download on Gradelink on January 19, which is also the start of the third quarter. Second quarter interim reports will be issued on December 4. Please remember that student progress can be checked any time on Gradelink.
Our Parents' Association and School Board have a joint general meeting scheduled for January 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the Spiritual Center Gathering Area. As we continue planning in the coming weeks, this meeting may be moved to an alternate location or a virtual format. Either way, I look forward to sharing my State of the School presentation with you, featuring a look at the many exciting things we are doing - and plan to do - at St. Hilary School.
We are entering into what would be peak illness season in a typical year, and we need to be even more aware and prepared this year with COVID-19 cases already surging. Please be sure you are familiar with our more stringent health and attendance policies for this year (see buttons below) and continue to be vigilant about monitoring symptoms at home. It is very important that you notify me right away of COVID-19 symptoms or a pending COVID-19 test in your household. Please call the school office by 9:30 a.m. if your child will be absent or late, being sure to state the specific reason for the absence or tardiness, and request homework at that time. Please note that we cannot guarantee homework to be ready for pick-up before the end of the school day, particularly during peak times of illness. Students should be symptom-free for 72 hours before returning to school after an illness. Your cooperation helps us to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all students.
The months ahead also bring wintry weather. Please be sure your child has a coat, hat, gloves or mittens, and boots for recess. As needed, school closings - due to either weather or illness - or two-hour delays due to weather, will be announced by our One Call Now telephone notification system, as well as on Fox 8 news, the school website, Facebook, and by email. School closing or delay information will be issued via One Call Now as soon as a determination is made to cancel school. Because many of our families rely on public school transportation and Latchkey at the end of the day, it is highly unlikely that school would ever be dismissed early due to worsening weather conditions once students are safely in the building. However, because so many of our students do ride public school buses from Copley, Highland, Revere, and Woodridge, closings in these districts, as well as other factors, may impact our decision to cancel or delay school in the morning, or even the night before. Thank you for your patience as we consider the many factors that help us to make the best decisions to keep our students and staff safe.
As always, we appreciate your continued support of our school and Catholic education. With most sincere wishes for a joyful Christmas and a New Year filled with peace, health and happiness,
Mrs. Woodman
Principal
Need To Know Now
Click here for help with Gradelink
Click here for the School Faculty & Staff Directory
Click here for the 2020-2021 School Calendar, revised August 1
Click here for the 2020-2021 Dress Code
Click here for the 2020-2021 School Handbook and Amendments, including important health and safety information, school policies and procedures, updates due to COVID-19, and more
COVID-19 Updates
ST. HILARY SCHOOL MOVING TO REMOTE LEARNING 11/30-12/4 & 1/4-1/8
To be proactive about curbing the spread of illness following our Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, we will move to remove learning for all students the weeks of November 30-December 4 and January 4-8. School will resume in person following these remote learning weeks. Please click here for complete details in our communication sent October 29.
TRAVEL ADVISORY STATES
As we clarified in our August 28 SaberSpeak Special Edition, we are requiring students to self-quarantine for 14 days after visiting states that have a 15% or more COVID-19 positivity rate. Again, this is an extra precaution and we know this could impact travel plans. If your children are learning in-person, we are asking you to respect this decision and plan accordingly. Students who are required to quarantine after traveling to a state or country with a 15% or higher COVID-19 positivity rate will be required to distance learn for the 14 days. Click here for the current list and map of Travel Advisory states.
ST. HILARY SCHOOL PARTICIPATING IN SCPH REPORTING PROGRAM
As the autumn season gets underway, preparations for the upcoming influenza season have begun. The 2020-2021 flu season is unique, since widespread community transmission of COVID-19 continues in Summit County and Ohio. Summit County Public Health (SCPH) has begun another season of community influenza surveillance. St. Hilary School will be participating in this program. Surveillance will run from early October until early May or longer if influenza is still a concern. With the ongoing concerns about COVID-19, influenza and their impacts on public health, surveillance remains vital. Data shared provides important information about COVID-19 and influenza trends and peaks of activity in Summit County to our school and to the community. As a school reporting partner, St. Hilary School will submit student absence numbers (for any reason) on a weekly basis. This data will also be aggregated with other school attendance data. No data specific to a particular student or to our school will be shared publicly, nor will our school be identified as a reporting partner. We hope that our participation in this program will help to strengthen our partnership with SCPH during this time of heightened public health concerns.
COVID-19 DASHBOARD
We have added a COVID-19 Dashboard to our school website to report up-to-the-minute positive case data for students and staff members. Click here for our COVID-19 Dashboard.
Click here for all of our COVID-19 information
The Main Event
During this Remote Learning Week, our main event is our #WeGiveCatholic campaign that is so vital to helping us provide an in-person learning option for as much of this school year as possible.
WE GIVE CATHOLIC ON DECEMBER 1
Join the #WeGiveCatholic movement on Giving Tuesday
and support St. Hilary School!
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Click here to learn why your support is so important this year!
The St. Hilary Community exceeded our expectations during the 2019 #WeGiveCatholic campaign. Because of the incredible support you provided last year, we were able to fully upgrade the technology in the 6th, 7th and 8th grade classrooms as well as purchase new teacher laptops. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!
This year's campaign is extremely important. We ask, if you are able, that you again support St. Hilary School, on December 1, and help us stay #SABERSTRONG this 2020-2021 school year. Your support, large and small, will truly make all the difference.
Please make your gift on December 1 by clicking the #WeGiveCatholic link on our School’s homepage at www.st-hilaryschool.org.
Hot Off The Press
OPEN HOUSE - VIRTUAL STYLE!
Do you have family members or friends who are thinking about a new school option for 2021-2022? Please pass this along!
ALL PROSPECTIVE K-8 FAMILIES ARE INVITED TO EXPLORE OUR SCHOOL SAFELY IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME! Please call 330-867-8720, ext. 343 or email dsinopoli@st-hilary.org by January 15, 2021 to learn more!
NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION FOR 2021-2022
Registration for new students entering grades K-8 in 2021-2022 will be held February 1-5, 2021 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please call 330-867-8720, ext. 343 or email dsinopoli@st-hilary.org by January 15, 2021 to schedule an appointment for registration. Children entering kindergarten must be age 5 by September 30, 2021.
Plan Ahead
GOOGLE CALENDAR
Click here for the school Google calendar
~ November 30 - December 4: Remote Learning Week for all students
~ December 1: #WeGiveCatholic, #WGC Dress Down Day
~ December 1: January Hot Lunch Ordering Begins
~ December 7: In-person School Resumes
~ December 10: Grades 1 & 2 Christmas Programs Recorded by Homeroom
~ December 10: January Hot Lunch Ordering Ends
~ December 15-17: Grades 7 & 8 Exams
~ December 18: Last Day before Christmas Break
~ December 19-January 3: Christmas Break
~ January 4-8: Remote Learning Week for all students
Help Wanted
Opportunities to help will be listed here as they arise.
FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE FORMING - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Parents' Association is assembling a Fundraising Committee to help generate funds for our school. Duties of committee members will include such things as helping to organize a coupon book fundraiser and possibly other small fundraisers, organizing items for auction, and assisting with a spring fundraiser. Volunteers are sought to work together, share ideas and divide tasks to keep things simple and manageable for all. If you are interested, please contact Parents' Association President Lisa Crane at lisamariesmu@aol.com.
Growing Together in Faith
LITURGY SCHEDULE CHANGE
Our Feast of St. Hilary Mass has been moved from January 8 to January 15. Grade 7 will plan the January 15 Feast of St. Hilary Mass and Grade 8 will plan the January 8 Mass.
NEXT SCHOOL MASS THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4
UPCOMING MASSES DECEMBER 8, 18; NO MASS DECEMBER 11
Our next school Mass will be THIS FRIDAY, December 4 at 9:30 a.m. The school Mass will be planned by grade 5, and will be live streamed and available to view at http://sthilarychurch.org/live/.
**PLEASE NOTE: Our live page is being updated. Beginning December 4, all school Masses will be available for viewing on the Watch Live Mass page. You will simply see a window on the page - not a link. Other events will still be viewed live by clicking a link as you have in the past.
This year’s liturgy schedule can be found in the Forms and Documents section under the Red Folder on the school website. Masses are also posted on the school Google calendar, with the grade level planning the Mass listed. Upcoming Masses are December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) planned by grade 4, and December 18 planned by grade 3. There is no school Mass on December 11.
We will continue to celebrate Mass together each week and on holy days. Each grade level (1-8) will plan several Masses as usual, but only the grade level planning the Mass will attend in person. Parents and grandparents of participants may attend but must sit in the back of the Church away from students. Masses will be live streamed and available for all to watch, and students not attending Mass in person will watch live streamed Mass from their classrooms. Eucharistic ministers will come to the classrooms to distribute Holy Communion. We will handle other religious services and events in a similar way.
SCHOOL YEAR THEME PRAYER AND SONG
Please click the images below for our prayer and song for this school year, exemplifying our school theme, "Answer God's Call...Change The World"! These will be handy as you join us virtually for school Masses.
Student Life
VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING
Afterschool Enrichment Solutions, our Chess Club and Engineering Club provider, is offering some virtual programs for students, covering six subjects throughout the week. Students may benefit from the social, engaging and fun lessons. Please click the links below for more information.
Click for more information and to register for Virtual All Access Pass!
Reminders
IMPORTANT CHRISTMAS MASS INFORMATION!
To allow for all parishioners to safely attend and enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses here at St. Hilary Parish, we have added Mass times and created a sign up to select your time and location. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED to attend Mass in person on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. **Registration opened on November 28.** For the Mass schedule and to register, visit sthilarychurch.org/Christmas. Masses are filling up quickly! Make your reservation today!
JANUARY HOT LUNCH ORDERING BEGINS DECEMBER 1
Hot Lunch ordering for January will begin December 1 and will be open through December 10. All orders must be placed and paid for online by the deadline. You must have an account to order. Click here for instructions on creating an account. Please note that activation of your account is not immediate, so don't wait until the last minute to create your account! Click here for more information about our Hot Lunch program. Please contact Hot Lunch Coordinator Becky Vieltorf at bvieltorf@st-hilary.org with questions.
WE GIVE CATHOLIC COMING DECEMBER 1
Join the #WeGiveCatholic movement on Giving Tuesday and support St. Hilary School!
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Click here to learn why your support is so important this year!
The St. Hilary Community exceeded our expectations during the 2019 #WeGiveCatholic campaign. Because of the incredible support you provided last year, we were able to fully upgrade the technology in the 6th, 7th and 8th grade classrooms as well as purchase new teacher laptops. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!
This year's campaign is extremely important. We ask, if you are able, that you again support St. Hilary School, on December 1, and help us stay #SABERSTRONG this 2020-2021 school year. Your support, large and small, will truly make all the difference.
Please make your gift on December 1 by clicking the #WeGiveCatholic link on our School’s homepage at www.st-hilaryschool.org.
More information will be provided throughout the month of November via email and on our St. Hilary School's Facebook Page.
BOAR'S HEAD HAM FUNDRAISER - ORDER BY DECEMBER 4
The Parents' Association is sponsoring a Boar’s Head Ham Fundraiser, with all proceeds to benefit St. Hilary School. Ordering is open through this Friday, December 4. Click here for details and to place an order.
DON DRUMM ORNAMENT SALE TO BENEFIT BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK
Blessings in a Backpack is selling Don Drumm Christmas ornaments to help provide food for area students who may otherwise go hungry on weekends. Please see the flyer below for details.
KINDERGARTEN KALEIDOSCOPE - VIRTUAL STYLE!
CONTACT US BY DECEMBER 31
Our Kindergarten Kaleidoscope event for prospective 2021-2022 kindergarteners and their families will be held virtually this year:
EXPLORE OUR KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME!
INCLUDES INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN
Please call 330-867-8720, ext. 343 or email dsinopoli@st-hilary.org by December 31 to learn more. Children should be 5 by September 30, 2021.
ORDER 2021-2022 YEARBOOKS NOW!
Don't miss your chance to capture this unique school year with our beautiful, full-color 2020-2021 yearbook! Online ordering is now open. Visit www.ybpay.lifetouch.com and enter Yearbook ID Code 3685721 to order. Soft cover books cost $25; hard cover books cost $30. The deadline to order is May 21, 2021. Yearbooks may be ordered online only - please do not send checks to the school. Please keep a record of your order, as the school has no access to orders placed and no record of who has ordered and who has not. Books will be delivered to students next fall.
GRADE 7 SAVE THE DATES
Please click the attachment below for important Save the Date information for grade 7 Confirmation preparation.
HELP US WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY
We have successfully completed more than a quarter of our school year during the COVID-19 pandemic! How smoothly things have gone has been a testament to the joint effort between school and home, and with that in mind, we continue to need your help with ensuring the health and safety of our school community.
First, please be sure your child has a clean mask each day when coming to school. We do have some spare masks for students to use, but we hope to keep these instances to a minimum. It is a good idea to keep an extra mask in the backpack at all times.
Second, please be sure your child has a fresh water bottle each day when coming to school. Because our drinking fountains are closed due to COVID-19, the only way for students to have water during the day is to bring it from home or bring a bottle to fill from our bottle fillers. As with masks, we do have some spare water bottles for students to use, but we need your help with remembering to send water from home.
Third, students are asked to sanitize their hands whenever they enter or leave a space in our building. This includes entering the building each morning. Please help us by reminding your child of this quick additional precaution on arrival each day so that it becomes routine. Most students are doing a great job with this, and we are grateful for that!
Finally, Halloween and neighborhood trick-or-treat events are just around the corner. As you plan for these rituals with your family, please keep in mind the practices we have all been following for months now with social distancing, masks, and hand sanitizing. As the weather turns colder and we spend more time together indoors, please remember that the decisions you make about gathering with others impact our entire school community each day. It takes all of us following the COVID-19 protocols to keep our students and staff safe, healthy, and learning together in the building each day.
Thank you for your cooperation!
SHS CAR WINDOW STICKERS FOR SALE
Help us celebrate St. Hilary School during this 60th anniversary year and beyond by displaying one of our new SHS window stickers on your car window! The 4" x 5" stickers feature a white background with red SHS lettering and 3 crossed sabers. (See photo below.) To purchase a sticker, please send $5 (cash or check payable to St. Hilary School) to the office in an envelope marked "Window Sticker" with your child's name and room number. Your sticker will be sent home to you in the same envelope.
VISION AND HEARING SCREENINGS
The Ohio Department of Health requires that vision and hearing screenings be completed for all students currently in kindergarten and first grade and for every odd year thereafter, as well as for any students who are new to the school in other grades. Screening takes place September through December. Parents wishing to opt out of screening may do so by emailing Mrs. Hammersmith at chammersmith@st-hilary.org or Mrs. Laughlin at alaughlin@st-hilary.org to request an opt-out form to complete. Opting out must be done in writing using this form. If a student does not pass the screening, a referral letter will be sent home for follow-up. Parents may also request screening for their children if there is a concern. To request screening, please email Mrs. Hammersmith at chammersmith@st-hilary.org or Mrs. Laughlin at alaughlin@st-hilary.org.
OUTERWEAR REMINDER
As the weather gets colder, please remember that only approved school uniform sweaters, sweatshirts and quarter-zip pullovers may be worn in classrooms during the school day.
MASKS AVAILABLE THROUGH ONLINE STORE
Is your child in need of additional masks for this school year? Don't forget that you can order our very own SABERS spirit masks through our online school uniform store!
FUNDRAISERS
The Acme Community Cash Back program and Box Tops for Education benefit our school every time you shop or purchase qualifying products. Please see below and click here for more information.
ACME RECEIPTS
We are collecting Acme receipts again this year! Please save your Acme receipts from August 6 through December 26, 2020. Send them to school at anytime to Attn: Jamie Malick; c/o Caleb Malick Room 113. Or if you prefer, take a picture of your receipts (be sure to include the bottom portion of the receipt that includes the cash back amount) and email to jamiemalick@hotmail.com.
Archives
Click here for 2020-2021 Back-to-School Forms, with special attention to the Student COVID-19 Policy Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risk Form
Click here for important information for families considering distance learning, and here for the agreement that must be signed and returned in order to participate in distance learning
Click here for information about our drop-off and pick-up procedures (note exception for Kindergarteners as shown on opening schedule)
About Us
The Admission Policy of St. Hilary School is in accordance with the student acceptance regulations of the Diocese of Cleveland. St. Hilary School admits qualified students of any gender, race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
Email: dsinopoli@st-hilary.org
Website: www.st-hilaryschool.org
Location: 645 Moorfield Road, Fairlawn, OH, USA
Phone: 330-867-8720
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StHilarySchoolFairlawnOhio/