Family Update
Week of November 14, 2021
Week of November 14th - 19th, 2021
Good morning,
The video included before this section will highlight the main points of the update.
First, we wish you and your families a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving. All of us are so grateful to have you as part of our family.
We'd like to offer you an opportunity to thank members of our faculty and staff for their work this year. Please complete this form for each person you'd like to thank. The office will post your message on our thankful tree.
- Tardiness is still an issue, but it's much better! Thank you for helping your child maximize their learning time by arriving between 7:15-7:40.
- Please see the section after this about vaccinating your child and family against COVID-19.
- Monday the 15th we will celebrate World Kindness Day with a Kind Shirt day. World Kindness day was on Saturday the 13th.
- The Eighth Grade sold 89 Wounded Warrior bracelets raising $267 for the organization.
- Second Grade is starting a service-learning project collecting supplies for a local shelter. Please see the attached flyer.
- The Scholastic Book Fair will be available for one last day on Monday. Parents can set up eWallets so that children can shop without cash- check out the link.
- Superintendent Greg Richmond is visiting on Wednesday.
- This Friday is our first Parent-Teacher Conference session of the year. Students are dismissed at 11:30 (there is extended day). All signups for conference times were done through Bloomz. If you requested a virtual conference, teachers will share a link with you this week. If you are coming for an in-person conference and your child is at extended day, pick your child up first then go to the conference.
- Hoodies and sweatshirts that are not part of the school uniform are not allowed during the school day. Please have your child wear their school hoodie, school gym sweatshirt, or a plain navy blue sweater if they're cold during the day. Please see the school uniform/dress code in our family handbook. We believe that excellence happens on purpose. Lessening distractions of being out of uniform is one way we foster that excellence.
- Please be sure to check the "Save the Date" section below.
- We still have a few spots remaining in Preschool. Do you know of anyone with children preschool-aged? Referring families will receive a $300 tuition credit ($150 this year and $150 next year) and 3 PAWS will be credited. We accept Action for Children/Child Care for payment for preschool. Spread the word!
- Please keep your child home if they are sick or have symptoms that could be COVID-related. If the symptoms (including fever) clear up in 24 hours (no medication), please send them back to school. Any illness lasting longer than that will require either a negative COVID test or an alternate diagnosis from the doctor. We cannot accept home test results.
- Do you have clothes and shoes your children have outgrown or don't want? We have a clothes and shoes collection box in the parking lot! The school receives $0.02/lb and a tree is planted in our honor each time it's emptied. We are the stewards of God's beautiful earth. This is one way we help!
- The school office is open Monday through Friday 6:30 AM - 3:30 PM. After 3:30, please leave a message on the mainline or dial 101 at the recording to be connected to my extension. We have hoodies ($20/23) available in the office as well as polos ($15) for students. We ordered adult size Kind shirts for sale. They're $10 cash/$12 debit.
- Please send your child to school with their mask every day along with an extra in their backpack. It's really important that the children are wearing child-sized masks that cover their nose and mouth fully.
- Tax Credit Scholarship Applications will open on 1/12 for Empower Illinois at 6:30 PM to pre-enter information with 7 PM being the exact moment one needs to enter for a good timestamp. The following morning January 13th, Big Shoulders Fund's application opens at precisely 8 AM. We will start school at 9 AM that day to give everyone time to apply and then get to school. 68 Children have tax credit scholarships this year - it's a wonderful program. Be sure to apply as close to the opening time as is humanly possible. More information will be coming to you soon!
Thank you for trusting us with your child/ren. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. The next Family Update will be sent out at 9 AM on November 28th as there is no school the week of 11/21.
Have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Mrs. Farrand
A Video Message from I AM A Gentleman Group of Chicago
COVID-19 Vaccines
One of our parents shared that St. Bernard Hospital is doing vaccinations for all ages 5 and up, as well as booster shots. The address is 6307 S. Stewart in the Ambulatory Clinic. Hours from 9 am-5 pm, Monday to Friday.
The school is working to host a clinic on January 7th. I'll keep you posted about this as I have more information.
Thank you for helping us keep the school and our community as safe as possible.
Tuition Payments
The office will continue making reminder calls. Please let us know if there is a particular challenge in advance of the payment due date. We will work with you, but we need to know! We will be starting exclusions as necessary.
Volunteering in School
Go to https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/ to register for an online class and consent to the background check. Please see or email Ms. Fernandez (mfernandez@academystbenedict.org) if you need assistance or have a question.
The Archdiocesan policy is that volunteers who are working directly with children, like chaperoning or in the classrooms must be vaccinated. Proof of the vaccination must be shown to me. Thanks for your understanding.
PAWS
Another PAW--pportunity is for paper towels. two 12-16 packages of Paper towels will qualify for one PAW.
If you aren't sure of the number of PAWS your family has done or have remaining, please call the office.
Thanks for your help!
Travel and Quarantines
As families get ready to gather for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we do insist that all regulations for quarantining & testing as a result of traveling must be followed.
In accordance with the Chicago Travel Order, anyone who is not vaccinated against COVID-19 traveling must either quarantine for 10 days upon return or have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of returning to Illinois if the state visited is noted in the travel order. The test results must be shared with the school. Please help us keep our school community well by adhering to this policy.
Once vaccinated, no testing or quarantines are required unless the person has symptoms.
Thank you! https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/emergency-travel-order.html
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES!
- November 15th - Kind Shirt Day
- November 19th - 11:30 Dismissal for students - Parent/Teacher Conferences (offered in-person and via Zoom) Sign Up form available on 11/8 via BLOOMZ.
- November 22nd - 26th - Thanksgiving break - NO SCHOOL
- November 30th - Kind Shirt Day
- November 30th - Picture Retake day
- November 30th - Chat with the Principal 2 PM.
- December 9th - Kind Shirt Day
- December 14th - Kind Shirt Day
- December 17th - Student Dress Down Day - Christmas Colors
- December 17th - 1 PM Stream our pre-recorded Christmas Program. More information coming!
- December 18th- January 2nd - Christmas Break
- January 3rd - Welcome back!
- January 12th - 7 PM -Empower Illinois Opens for 22-23 Tax Credit Scholarships
- January 13th - 8 AM - Big Shoulders Fund Application Opens for 22-23 Tax Credit Scholarships
- January 13th - School Starts at 9 AM due to TCS Application opening
- January 17th - Dr. King's Birthday - NO SCHOOL
- January 20th - Liturgy - Celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King
- February 11th - Professional Learning Day for Teachers -NO SCHOOL
Academy of St. Benedict the African
Email: jfarrand@academystbenedict.org
Website: academystbenedict.org
Location: 6020 South Laflin Street, Chicago, IL, USA
Phone: 773-776-3316
Facebook: Facebook.com/academystbenedictafrican
Twitter: @asba_chicago