NEWS AND NOTES
November 20, 2020
A Note from the Principal
-Our Annual Auction ends today! You still have a chance to purchase auction items by going to bidpal.net/marquetteauction2020 and register a credit card.
-The closing date will be Tuesday, November 24th at 3:30pm.
-Thank you to everyone who donated to our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive!
-Upon returning from Thanksgiving each year, we always enjoy a Monday morning Advent prayer led by students. Due to social distancing constraints, we are adjusting our approach but still committing ourselves to coming together in prayer. Individual classes will continue to lead an Advent prayer in the gym each Monday but we will have all other classes take part virtually from their own respective classrooms. We will also offer a stream of the Advent prayer service on Facebook Live for families to participate. Although it is a different approach, we are happy we can still join together in prayer.
Covid Update
COVID-19 Update:
Total Confirmed Campus Cases: 9
Total Active Cases: 4 (2 last week)
Students Actively Quarantined: 56 (2 last week)
Faculty/Staff Actively Quarantined: 5 (1 last week)
Total Recovered and Released: 5
Since last week we have seen a large jump in our numbers of students and faculty in quarantine. Both sections of our 5th grade grade needed to be picked up during the school day on Wednesday to begin quarantine. We have 18 homeroom teachers at Marquette. Currently, four homeroom teachers and one paraprofessional are in quarantine and three more teachers cannot come to work at all or must miss time at work to care for their own children who are in quarantine.
At this rate, the school could quickly face a situation where we do not have enough faculty or approved substitute teachers to adequately monitor students for a school day in our K-8 building. Thanksgiving Break will allow the necessary time for many staff and students to return on November 30th. However, current Covid-19 trends coupled with people gathering together over Thanksgiving tell us the three weeks before Christmas could present similar, if not tougher staffing concerns. The potential for entering virtual learning scenarios is something that parents must be prepared to face on short notice. We continue to do all we can to have consistent, quality instruction for our students.
Medical Advisory Committee Statement
The Marquette Medical Advisory Council is keenly aware of the community covid trends as we continue to communicate with the school administration. With the current available data, it appears that our school’s preventative measures are working. However, we cannot control the mitigation efforts of our community outside of school.
The biggest threat to in-person learning is the ability to staff our classrooms. Therefore, as a community, serious and consistent efforts must be acted upon to prevent the spread of Covid-19. In order to avoid changing to virtual learning it is imperative that you practice the following.
If anyone in your immediate family has reason to believe they were exposed to Covid-19 and are showing symptoms, we ask that you contact administration before sending your child to school.
Have each member of your family (above age 4) wear a mask consistently and properly.
Avoid unnecessary indoor gatherings.
When in doubt, withhold your child from school when potential symptoms of Covid-19 are present in order to avoid the spread and possible exposure of the classroom. We know how difficult this can be with the current allergy index. For further questions, please contact your child’s pediatrician. Listed are the most common COVID symptoms in children:
Fever or chills
Cough
Nasal congestion or runny nose
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Diarrhea
Nausea or vomiting
Stomach ache
Tiredness
Headache
Muscle or body aches
Please have the perspective that the current pandemic does not have an end in sight. Fatigue in following mitigation strategies is real, however, it presents a real risk to our health and ability to continue with in-person learning.
Dr. Jessica Keller
Dr. Shaun Grewal
Dr. Lindsey Tricinella
Doug Williams
Coffee Day!
We are THANKFUL for our wonderful Marquette teachers, staff, and parents! To show appreciation for the tireless efforts of our teachers and to celebrate our new, and returning parents, MHSA is having Coffee Day on Monday November 23rd. Topeca Mobile Coffee will have their offerings of espresso drinks, hot chocolate, chai lattes, iced, and hot teas!
We invite you to come enjoy at drop off or pick up, 7:30 to 8:30am and 2:30 to 3:30pm, on the North side of the playground. The playground gates will be open to allow plenty of open space for social distancing and camaraderie.
**Teachers, there will be a menu in the office for you to place pre-orders, so that your drinks will be ready to go at the beginning and/or end of your busy day!
Mary Jo Kimbro
MHSA President
Virtual Book Fair!
The Scholastic Book Fair is back! While the Fair will be exclusively held online this year, we still plan on making it a fun and joyous experience for our kids. Features include:
Marquette’s own online store, with a large selection of titles, at the right price points, just in time for Christmas!
A Virtual Fair so you and your kids can experience the magic of the school shopping experience. Browse titles by grade, meet popular authors, and discover the comfort and joy of our Fair
Every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly (25% back in rewards!)
Save these dates and view our school’s Fair site:
Fair Dates: November 16th-29th
Online Store: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/marquettecatholicschool
We can’t wait to “see” you at the Fair!
Alicia Detter
Marquette Catholic School’s Book Fair Chair
alicia.detter@marquetteschool.org
GOvember!
GOvember is here! We are pleased to share that this year's GO for Chatholic Schools Challenge will take place this November. Contributing through the Tax Credit Scholarship Fund creates a low-cost way for donors to help fund tuition assistance by offering a 75% tax credit for contributions up to $2,000 for a married couple and up to $100,000 for business entities. In addition, qualified businesses are eligible for the federal tax deduction. For every new $1,000 contributor during November, an additional $250 will be added to the Marquette School scholarship funds for the following academic year.
Attend one of the zoom sessions with Principal Luetkemeyer and other Marquette/CTK community members on Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to learn more. Thanks to contributions last year, we received $58,000 to help 57 students with demonstrated need cover the cost of tuition, plus two RISE program scholarships for nearly $40,000 for this year alone!
To attend one of the Marquette GO sessions, email Stephanie (sjimison@christthekingcatholic.church) or Lacy (lwulfers@christthekingcatholic.church) and indicate which time you prefer.
Marquette Holiday Gift Cards
Week at a Glance
Monday
-
Tuesday
-8:15 Mass for Kindergarten and 1st grade
Wednesday
-NO SCHOOL!
Thursday
-Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday
-NO SCHOOL!
Saturday
-Happy Birthday Mrs. Guinn!
Sunday
-First Sunday of Advent
Teacher Positions
Middle School Math
Marquette Catholic School is taking applications for a full-time Middle School (6th-8th Grade) Math Teacher. The position is available immediately, however, we are also accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year. Marquette’s Middle School math program offers class sizes that average fifteen students or less and employs two full-time math teachers. Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree with certification for high school algebra. If you or someone you know is interested in joining our team, please submit all information to the principal at jay.luetkemeyer@marquetteschool.org and include a resume.