Charger Check-In
October 2, 2020
A Note from Ms. Owens
What a great day we had today at St. Catherine! Our 6th graders attended Friday Mass in-person and received their bibles. Fr. Dennis and Fr. Fred blessed their new books of scripture. The rest of our community viewed Mass as a live-stream direct from the church. Following Mass, Fr. Dennis visited our 7th and 8th graders to discuss the importance of attending Mass either in-person or on-line as we begin the practice of completing Mass Reflection Sheets. As a community of faith, it was so lovely to have students in church, to hear Mr. Caffee singing, to hear four of our musicians playing chimes, and to watch our 6th graders receive Eucharist as a class for the first time since March.
On Thursday afternoon, Dr. Jim Rigg, Superintendent of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago, sent a letter to school families throughout the Archdiocese. In that letter, Dr. Rigg addresses two concerns - cohort or whole school quarantines and instances of willful failure to follow disease prevention protocols. If you have not had the opportunity to read Dr. Rigg's letter, it is available below.
Again, I offer my wholehearted thanks to our SCA families who are working alongside school faculty and staff to keep our community safe. Thank you for wearing masks. Thank you for avoiding large gatherings of people. Thank you washing your hands and using hand sanitizer with a ridiculous level of frequency. To quote Dr. Rigg, "Our ability to keep in-person instruction viable and protect our children and staff depends on our persistent adherence to our health and safety requirements both inside and outside of school."
In that spirit, we ask that you continue to partner with us in a shared effort to maintain a safe environment for our school community. We have gone through extensive measures to put protocols and procedures in place for our collective health and safety. Maintaining cohorts is at the heart of that plan. We ask for your cooperation in maintaining this model whenever feasible so that our staff and students are able to experience a safe and sustained return to school.
Just this afternoon, the Archdiocese distributed updated guidance for Covid testing and doctor's notes for Catholic elementary schools.
- Based on this new guidance, any individual (student or employee) who experiences COVID-like symptom(s) at school will be sent be sent home immediately along with all other household members. All household members may return to school if the symptoms dissipate within 24 hours and they have not been exposed to any individual infected with COVID-19.
- If a student or employee has Covid-like symptoms for more than 24 hours, they should contact their healthcare provider for a Covid-19 test. The entire household will need to quarantine while awaiting the test result.
- The individual may return to school if both of the following criteria are met: documentation of a negative test for Covid-19 and 24-hours with no fever (without fever-reducing medication).
- If symptoms persist, the individual should obtain an alternate diagnosis from a medical provider in addition to the negative Covid-19 diagnosis (e.g., strep throat diagnosis and negative Covid-19 result.) If an alternative diagnosis of a communicable illness is provided, the individual should stay home until symptoms have receded per doctor's instruction.
A Bit More News
- Thanks to your generosity, St. Catherine has sent a check for over $500 to the St. Baldrick's Foundation to support all their work in the fight against pediatric cancer.
- Blessing of the Animals is happening Saturday, October 3 at 9:30AM in the South Parking Lot. Social distancing will be in place and face coverings must be worn.
- We are near the mid-point of our first trimester which means Progress Reports. Next Thursday, October 8, parents and guardians should check their child(ren)'s grades on PowerSchool.
- We will have an early dismissal on Friday, October 9. Students will be dismissed at 1PM. Please be sure to arrange for your child(ren) to be picked up in a timely manner that day. Also, please note that after care will not be available this day.
- If you know of an SCA family who owns a small business that we can publicize here to help support them, please reach out to me via email. Scroll down to see local businesses we can support.
Please pray for our nation, for our communities, for our brothers and sisters who are tired and broken, for our brothers and sisters working to keep us safe, and for own sorrows. We are all - each and every one of us - beloved children of God.
Peace,
Kristine Owens
A Bit More Focus on Our Quarantine and Sick Policies
Please be aware of these situations in which a student/faculty/staff/volunteer will need to remain home.
- Any student/faculty/staff/volunteer who has close contact to a person who is symptomatic, awaiting test results or diagnosed with COVID-19 will need to stay home.
- Anyone with close contact with a confirmed case must quarantine for 14 days from date of last contact with confirmed case.
Close contact is defined as "anyone (with or without a face covering) who was within 6 feet of a confirmed case of COVID-19 (with or without a face covering) for at least 15 minutes. The period of close contact begins two calendar days before the onset of symptoms (for a symptomatic person) or two calendar days before the positive sample was obtained (for as asymptomatic person).
Any student/faculty/staff/volunteer who presents with any of the following symptoms - fever (100.4 or higher), headache, shortness of breath, cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, congestion, new loss of taste/smell, nausea, fatigue or muscle/body ache will need to stay home or will be sent home if they are at school. All members of that person's household will also be sent home.
Lost and Found This Year
Looking for a Way to Help Support St. Catherine?
If you are interested in learning more about this position, please reach out to Fr. Dennis or Aimee Nowak.
TRIP Cash & Carry Reopening
Remember that all SCA school families with children in Grades K-8 are required to pay a $75 fundraising fee. TRIP earnings can be used to pay this mandatory fee.
- Additional earnings above the $75.00 mandatory fundraising fee will be used for tuition credit in May or July.
- Families electing not to participate in the T.R.I.P. program or that do not earn $75.00 in T.R.I.P. credit will be billed $75 or the remaining balance of the mandatory fundraising fee on their May Smart Tuition bill.
- Families also have the option to pay the $75 mandatory fundraising fee at any time prior to being billed in May.
Two Notes About Uniforms
It's the time of year for our weather to be a bit cooler - especially in the mornings. Please remember to review SCA's uniform policy for and with your child(ren). As per the Parent-Student Handbook, during the school day, "students may wear St. Catherine uniform crewneck sweatshirts or fleece. Other sweatshirts, including SCA spiritwear and hooded sweatshirts, are not permitted during the school day but are permitted for recess and outdoor gym classes" (29-30).
Beginning Monday, October 19, students will return to regular school uniforms on days when they do not have gym class.
SCA Socks
- White - Large
- Black - X-Large
- Red - Large
Please use this updated order form to ensure you are ordering from available inventory.
SCA Cinch Sacks
Baby Bottles for The Women's Centers of Greater Chicagoland
This is a simple, but crucial, fundraising effort for The Women's Centers and the families they support. This non-profit organization directly assists mothers and families experiencing crisis pregnancies by offering emotional, financial, material and spiritual support through counseling, clothing, financial assistance, and prayer.
Reusable Water Bottles and Re-Filling Stations
- We strongly encourage students to bring a reusable water bottle to school with them.
- Ideally, water bottles should be transparent and have flip-tops for ease of use.
We will continue to provide bottled water for students who forget their water bottles at home. This is not meant to be an option that students should use regularly. This is meant for those infrequent occasions when a student forgets to bring their water bottle to school.
Religious Education Catechists and Aides Needed
Our Religious Education Program is looking for a catechist for our 5th grade class. Our 5th grade students are great. They need someone who is willing to share their faith with them. They’re eager to learn. We will provide training and lesson plans.
We also need substitute catechists and teacher aides. A great way for high school students to get service hours is to be a teacher’s aide or a Sunday morning office worker. If you enjoy children and want to help them grow in faith, this is the perfect place.
Contact Mary Ellen Lynch to volunteer or ask questions about our program.
Domestic Violence Information Forum & Prayer Service
On October 14th, St. John Fisher will host a Domestic Violence Information Forum & Prayer Service. Please join us to learn more about this important topic and to pray for all those affected by it. This program is sponsored by the Domestic Violence Outreach Committees of St. Cajetan, St. Christina and St. John Fisher parishes. Physical distance will be observed with social interaction encouraged. Individually packaged Refreshments will be served after the formal program.
Speakers
- Bishop Mark Bartosic, Archdiocese of Chicago
- Kathleen Kinsella, President OSF Health Care
- Alderman Matt O’Shea, 19th Ward
- Chicago Commander Sean Joyce, CPD 22nd District
When: Wednesday, October 14 from 7-8:30PM
Where: St. John Fisher Church (west of California on 103rd St.)
Reservations for the event: http://stjohnfisher.net or call (773) 445-6565
Our Church is Open!
- Saturdays - Mass at 4PM
- Sundays - Mass at 9:30AM and 11:30AM
In order to attend, parishioners must sign up online. The sign up is available below. Be sure to read the protocols that must be followed by those attending Mass in-person.
Ways to Support Our Local Small Businesses
If you know of an SCA family who owns a small business that we can publicize here to help support them, please reach out to me via email.
Queen of Hearts Raffle
Congratulations to our winner! Check out the SCA Queen of Hearts Facebook page for more information.
So Many On-going Ways to Support St. Catherine!
Upcoming Events
Friday, October 2
- All-School Liturgy (streamed)
- Blessing of Bibles for 6th Grade
Saturday, October 3
- Blessing of the Animals in the South Parking Lot at 9:30AM (face coverings required)
Thursday, October 8
- Progress Reports for first trimester
- TRIP Cash & Carry in church vestibule from 6:30-8PM
Friday, October 9
- All-School Liturgy (streamed)
- Dismissal at 1PM
Monday, October 12
- No school for students, faculty or staff
Thursday, October 15
- TRIP Cash & Carry in church vestibule from 6:30-8PM
Friday, October 16
- All-School Liturgy (streamed)
Monday, October 19
- Regular school uniforms resume
Tuesday, October 20
- Tuition Exclusion Day
Thursday, October 22
- TRIP Cash & Carry in church vestibule from 6:30-8PM
Friday, October 23
- All-School Liturgy (streamed)
Monday, October 26
- Return baby bottles to school
About us
Website: www.scaoaklawn.org
Location: 10621 South Kedvale Avenue, Oak Lawn, IL, USA
Phone: 708-425-5547
Facebook: facebook.com/scaoaklawn/