Family Update
Week of October 31, 2021
Week of October 31 - November 5, 2021
Good morning,
The video included before this section will highlight the main points of the update.
- Please speak with your health care provider about getting the COVID vaccine for children ages 5 and up. We know through research that vaccines work. This particular vaccine is 90.7% effective in children.
- We didn't quite hit our goal of 88% yet; let's try to attain it this week! The research shows that every minute counts! Students may arrive as early as 7:15 without an additional charge. School starts at 7:45 AM and students must be in their seats then to be on time.
- Thursday this week, the 4th, is a KIND shirt day. Students should wear their kind shirt with the proper uniform bottoms.
- A priority item for many families is missing paperwork that must be in the office. Health and immunization forms as well as birth certificates MUST be in the office by Friday. Families who are out of compliance on Monday, November 1st, will receive a call to keep students home until we have proof of an upcoming appointment and your child's birth certificate on file. This is a State of Illinois requirement.
- **Please remember that students must be in proper uniform every day. There are still many families not following the policy. As a member of a Catholic School community, this policy is not a recommendation, it is a requirement. We believe that excellence happens on purpose. Part of this excellence is being ready to learn in the proper uniform. This includes no bracelets or necklaces, no nail polish or artificial nails, small stud or hoop earrings for girls, and no earrings for boys. The office will begin making calls this week.
- Please be sure to check the "Save the Date" section below - there are a lot of important events coming up. Looking ahead, we have our Book Fair coming up the week of November 8th. The game night will be rescheduled for Catholic Schools' Week.
- Next week, sign-ups for Parent-Teacher Conferences with report card pick-up will begin. We will be offering both in-person and virtual conferences on 11/19 from 12 pm - 6 pm.
- This week starts our sale to support Wounded Warriors, our 8th-grade class will be selling bracelets for $3 as part of service-learning and Veteran's Day activities. Bracelets will be available at breakfast and lunch.
- 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. As we see some cases coming into the building, we need your help! f 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.
Thank you for trusting us with your child/ren. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
Mrs. Farrand
Prayer Walk 2021 - Recap
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!
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
Thanks for your help!
Travel and Quarantines
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.
Thank you! https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/emergency-travel-order.html
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES!
- November 1 - 11th - Wounded Warrior Fundraiser $3/bracelet
- November 4th - Kind Shirt Day
- November 4th - Liturgy - All Saints/All Souls Day
- November 8th- 11th - Scholastic Book Fair - volunteers needed
- November 12th - Professional Learning Day for Teachers - NO SCHOOL
- 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
- December 9th - Kind Shirt Day
- December 14th - Kind Shirt Day
- December 17th - Student Dress Down Day - Christmas Colors
- 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