SaberSpeak
Week of August 23, 2021
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.
Need To Know Now
Click here for 2021-2022 Back-to-School Forms to be completed now
Click here and here for important Back-to-School information, including arrival and dismissal procedures, the Kindergarten opening schedule, and more
Click here for the School Faculty & Staff Directory
Click here for information about our drop-off and pick-up procedures (note exception for Kindergarteners as shown on opening schedule)
Click here for the 2021-2022 School Calendar, revised August 1
Click here for the 2021-2022 Dress Code
Click here for the 2021-2022 School Handbook and Amendments, including important health and safety information, school policies and procedures, and more
COVID-19 Central
MASKS MANDATORY AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 17
All St. Hilary School students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks August 23 - September 17. Conditions will be re-evaluated at the end of this four-week period. Click here for details.
DIOCESAN STATEMENT ON MASKS
On August 20, the Diocese of Cleveland issued a statement strongly recommending masks in its Catholic schools. Click here to read the statement.
DID YOU KNOW?...
- Students who need to participate in distance learning while quarantining or isolating at home for five days or more must allow 24 hours for set-up , including preparation of materials that will be necessary to learn from home.
- Under the CDC guidelines, students exposed to COVID-19 in the classroom setting who consistently wear a mask at school do not need to quarantine.
IMPORTANT TIPS FOR RETURNING TO SCHOOL DURING COVID-19
Below are some tips for families as we return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Every household must have a thermometer to check students’ temperatures before leaving home in the morning. Any student with a temperature above 100◦F must not come to school and will be sent home if this temperature level occurs at school. Students will be checked upon arrival and during the school day. Assessment of temperature and symptoms at home is extremely important to avoid last minute changes of plans for parents if students are found to have a fever or symptoms upon arrival at school.
2. We will return to having one clinic this year. As much as possible, minor needs such as Bandaids will be managed in the classroom. We need your help in reinforcing with your child that trips to the clinic should be reserved for when a child is truly not feeling well – not things such as chapped lips, dry skin, and other minor issues that can be addressed at home.
3. Masks will be required beginning August 23 through September 17 and conditions will be re-evaluated at that time. Please make sure your child has enough masks to wear a clean mask each day. During warm, humid weather, you may want to send several masks in case your child needs to change during the day. A spare mask should be kept in the student’s backpack at all times. Please make sure your child’s name is on each mask either with a Sharpie or with labeling tape that won’t wash or wear off.
4. The school will provide a face shield for each student in grades K-2 and by individual request in other grades. It is the responsibility of parents to provide face masks. Lanyards will be available to help contain masks while eating or drinking.
6. Our attendance policy has been adjusted in consideration of COVID-19. Students may not return to school until they are symptom free for a full 48 hours (2 days) without fever reducing medication (reduced from 72 hours symptom free) OR they have a negative COVID-19 test (must provide test results) OR they have a note from the attending physician stating that symptoms are not the result of COVID-19. There is no incentive to come to school when ill. The perfect attendance award has been eliminated. The policy on excessive absence will be reviewed and applied on a case-by-case basis during the duration of COVID-19.
7. Each student, including Kindergarten students, should bring his/her own individual snack to school each day. Birthday and other treats must be factory sealed or come from a commercial bakery - they cannot be homemade.
8. Each student MUST bring a water bottle to school each day. Water fountains are turned off due to COVID-19. Bottle filler fountains are available for students to refill water bottles, but we suggest sending enough water to get through the day.
9. Students having gym class on a particular day will come to school in gym clothes and remain in gym clothes for the school day. Black “gym pants” may be worn during colder weather and will soon be available to order through our school uniform supplier. This will eliminate the need for students to gather in locker rooms to change clothes.
10. A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT SHOES FOR KINDERGARTENERS AND FIRST GRADERS: If your child does not yet know how to tie his or her own shoes, he or she MUST wear Velcro strap shoes to school. Due to COVID-19, school staff will not be able to assist with tying shoes. Thank you for your cooperation.
11. Parents and visitors will have very limited access to the school building and every effort will be made to conduct business in a contact-free / virtual manner when possible.
12. If a lunch or other forgotten item needs to be dropped off, please ring the bell at the main entrance door, let the secretaries know what you are dropping off and for whom, and leave the item – clearly labeled with the student’s name and room number or teacher – in the drop-off bin. A staff member will retrieve the item and get it to the student.
13. If a student needs to be picked up for an appointment or is ill and being picked up to go home, please pull up to the Moorfield Road door, call the school office at 330-867-8720, and your child will be signed out with your permission and released to your car under staff supervision.
14. In the extenuating circumstance that a parent would need to enter the building, please note that masks are required for all visitors, regardless of vaccination status.
15. Finally, we ask for your patience as we continue to receive and provide updated information while this situation evolves. Please understand that while many businesses and offices across the country are still not open and have no definite plans to return in person, we are again being asked to safely bring 525 students and over 80 staff members into our building every day beginning in one week, and are working tirelessly to do so. We ask that you trust us and know that we have the best interests of every student in mind as we plan for our return to school. Thank you for respecting our knowledge of the many facts and nuances behind each and every decision we make.
Additional information can be found on our COVID-19 webpage and in our School Handbook COVID-19 Appendix.
Hot Off The Press
DISMISSAL SCHEDULE CLARIFICATION
2:50 pm - Kindergarteners and siblings
2:55 pm - Last names S-Z
3:00 pm - Last names N-R (previous schedule contained an error for this time)
3:05 pm - Last names G-M
3:10 pm - Last names A-F
2020-2021 SCHOOL YEARBOOKS
2020-2021 yearbooks for students who ordered them last year will be sent home with students beginning today. Yearbooks for last year’s eighth graders will be available for pick-up at the school office by calling 330-867-8720. If the graduate has a sibling in the school, the yearbook will be sent home with the sibling. If you have a record of ordering a yearbook (online payment receipt) and do not receive one, or if you believe the order you receive is incorrect, please do not contact the school, but contact Lifetouch directly via www.lifetouch.com. If you did not order a yearbook but wish you had, a limited number of hard cover ($30) and soft cover ($25) books will be available for purchase through September 10 or until sold out. Cash or checks payable to St. Hilary Parents’ Association will be accepted. We cannot accept credit cards. We cannot hold books without payment. To purchase a yearbook please send a check in an envelope with your child’s name and room number marked on it so the book(s) can be sent via backpack. Please do not come to the school office to purchase a yearbook.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR BEGINS AUGUST 27
Dear Parents and Families:
I'm excited to announce that the Scholastic Book Fair is back! After a year without it, our upcoming Book Fair will be a familiar and welcome celebration. Here's what you need to know about our upcoming fair:
Every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly
You can sign up for Book Fair eWallet, a convenient digital payment account, so your child can shop the Fair cash-free. Grandparents, friends, and others can contribute to the eWallet to help build your home library.
We’re taking precautions to host a safe Fair at our school, focusing on preventive measures.
Save these dates and view our school’s Fair site:
Fair Dates: August 27 – September 2
Book Fair Homepage: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/sthilarybookfair
Here's the schedule:
Monday, Aug 30 - Open from 8:45 - 3:00
Tuesday, Aug 31 - Open from 8:45 - 3:00
Wednesday, Sept 1 - Open from 8:45 - 3:00, also 6:15-7:45
Thursday, Sept 2 - Open from 8:45 - 3:00, also 6:15-7:45
We can’t wait to see your child at the Fair!
Elizabeth Slanina
St Hilary Library
eslanina@st-hilary.org
OCTOBER HOT LUNCH ORDERING BEGINS SEPTEMBER 1
MILK ORDERING AVAILABLE
Hot Lunch ordering for October begins September 1 and will be open through September 10. You may notice a new item on the menu each month - a special item that is a favorite of a student! The student whose favorites are listed purchased this exciting privilege as a Celebration auction item last spring. If your child would like to join the fun, watch for this item up for auction again at Celebration 2022!
Milk ordering for the first semester will be offered again in this round of ordering for those who missed it. If you don't want to wait and would like your child to receive milk at lunchtime beginning this week, please email Hot Lunch Coordinator Becky Vieltorf at bvieltorf@st-hilary.org. 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.
NO SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 3 & 6
There will be no school on Friday, September 3 due to an inservice for teachers and no school on Monday, September 6 in observance of Labor Day.
DRESS CODE UPDATES
The following additions to the dress code are in effect this school year:
- Both boys and girls are permitted to wear all-white shoes.
- Both boys and girls may wear navy or black elastic belts.
Back-to-School Forms
BACK-TO-SCHOOL FORMS
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MEDIA RELEASE FORM
Back-to-School forms for 2021-2022 have been posted in the Red Folder on our school website, under Forms and Documents. Please refer to this page for the list of necessary forms and the instructions for completing and correctly submitting them. PLEASE BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO ENSURE THAT YOUR FORMS ARE RECEIVED. PLEASE DO NOT SIMPLY EMAIL FORMS TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE OR YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER - EACH FORM HAS A DESIGNATED PERSON / PLACE TO SUBMIT IT. You may begin submitting forms now. ***Families with custody changes, it is very important that you complete and return the Custody Form.***
***Additionally, we need to make you aware of the implications of your consent or lack of consent on the Media Release form completed on Gradelink at the time of registration / re-registration of your child.*** Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we will be using live streaming as a tool to gather together as a school community in situations where we will not be able to have large in-person events. We will use live streaming only when we want to gather our community for prayer, for events where parents would normally be invited, and as a way to connect our community. When a student appears in a live stream, we will not identify the student by his or her full name so as to protect his or her identity. Any live stream with students on camera will only be viewable live and will not be recorded or available after the live stream is over. This will be to more readily ensure that the live image does not stay as something that can be downloaded. A live stream will simply be a way to “attend” as the event occurs, not to view it later.
Having said this, for our weekly school Mass, which will be our most frequent live streamed event, and for any other live streamed events, only students whose parents have given consent on the Media Release form on Gradelink will be able to participate and appear on camera. To be clear, that means that if you do not give us permission to have your child participate as part of live streamed events, he or she will be unable to be chosen to sing or to read at school Mass. He or she will also be unable to participate in events including but not limited to the spelling and geography bees, leading school assemblies as a speaker or cheerleader, performances such as the kindergarten or 1st grade shows or any sort of theater, the Halloween parade, shadow stations, the Mime of the Passion, or any of the other times we would choose to live stream. This would be done not to exclude any student, but to respect parents’ wishes. Similarly, if you have consented on this form, you now need to understand the additional implications of your consent for your child if he or she participates in an event that is live streamed.
IMPORTANT! Whatever choice of consent or lack of consent you have indicated on the Media Release form on Gradelink will apply to live streamed events as indicated above, unless we hear otherwise from you. You may change your consent at any time, even during the school year and even for only a particular event, by emailing Mrs. Smith at msmith@st-hilary.org.
Arrival & Dismissal
ARRIVAL TIME EXPECTATION BEGINS AUGUST 23
Beginning August 23, it is our expectation that students will arrive by 8:20 a.m. This bell signals our morning arrival time, at which time students begin to prepare for the day. (Please note that during COVID-19, students not attending morning Latchkey should arrive no earlier than 8:00 a.m. as we cannot allow students to congregate outside the building, in the hallways, or in the Multi-Purpose Room.) The 8:30 a.m. bell is not intended to provide a ten-minute grace period after the 8:20 a.m. arrival bell, but signifies the point at which students are marked tardy. Please help your child prepare for the school day in a stress-free manner by ensuring that he or she arrives at school by 8:20 a.m. each day.
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL STARTING AUGUST 23
Arrival:
- Students not attending morning Latchkey should arrive no earlier than 8:00 a.m.
- Students will be scanned for temperature and screened for symptoms upon arrival before entering the building – those with a temperature over 100°F or COVID-19 symptoms will not be permitted to enter.
- All students in every grade must wear a mask.
- Students will report directly to classrooms, not to Multi-Purpose Room.
Dismissal:
- In order to ensure social distancing during dismissal, we will follow a staggered dismissal schedule as follows:
2:50 pm - Kindergarten students and their siblings
Non-Kindergarten Families Alphabetically by Last Name:
2:55 pm - Last names S-Z
3:00 pm - Last names N-R
3:05 pm - Last names G-M
3:10 pm - Last names A-F
- Students will not be released until their designated time, so it is important that you make every effort to arrive as close to that time as possible, rather than lining up far in advance. We also ask for your cooperation in picking up your child on time, or calling the office in advance if you will be a few minutes late. In addition, we ask that the family last name of students being picked up be prominently displayed in the passenger side window of each car to help us efficiently match students with cars.
- If you prefer not to go through the car line, you may park in the far back parking lot and stand in the red “box” painted on the parking lot where you can safely reunite with your child.
- All students in every grade must wear a mask to exit the building.
- Students should go directly to car or bus – no loitering in hallways, restrooms, visiting other rooms.
Latchkey:
- Morning Latchkey will be available beginning at 6:50 a.m. Students being dropped off for morning Latchkey will be dropped off at the Art Room Door - PLEASE NOTE THIS CHANGE FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE!
- Afternoon Latchkey will be available until 6:00 p.m. Students being picked up from evening Latchkey will be picked up at the Art Room Door - PLEASE NOTE THIS CHANGE FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE!
- Students attending either session of Latchkey will have temperatures checked upon arrival.
- The door used for Latchkey morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up will be clearly marked with a large sign as school begins to help parents and students easily find the new location.
Busing:
Four districts provide bus transportation for our students who reside in those districts: Copley-Fairlawn, Highland, Revere, and Woodridge. We anticipate that when the districts are providing in-person instruction and transportation for their own students, they will provide transportation for St. Hilary School students as well. If any of these districts move to online learning at any time, there is the potential that bus transportation for St. Hilary School students who ride the affected district’s bus may be lost. We encourage all families to have an alternate transportation plan in place as this could happen without warning. For more information, you may contact the transportation departments listed below:
Copley-Fairlawn: 330-664-4820
Highland: 330-239-1901, ext. 1235
Revere: 330-523-3118 or 3119
Woodridge: 330-928-6312
Please also visit our Bus Transportation page on the school website.
The Main Event
Click here and here for important Back-to-School information, including arrival and dismissal procedures, the Kindergarten opening schedule, and more
Click here for information about our drop-off and pick-up procedures (note exception for Kindergarteners as shown on opening schedule)
We are here to help! Please let us know if you have questions! Click here for the School Faculty & Staff Directory.
Let's make it a great first week!
Plan Ahead
GOOGLE CALENDAR
Click here for the school Google calendar
~ August 23: First Day of School
~ August 26: Full Day Kindergarten Begins
~ August 27 - September 2: Scholastic Book Fair
~ August 31 - Grade 8 Retreat
~ September 1: School Picture Day
~ September 1: October Hot Lunch ordering begins (open through September 10)
~ September 1: Curriculum Night - Grades 6-8 - 6:30-7:30 pm
~ September 2: Faculty/Staff Meeting
~ September 2: Curriculum Night - Grades K-5 - 6:30-7:30 pm
~ September 3: No School - Accreditation Inservice Day
~ September 6: No School - Labor Day
~ September 7-24: MAP Testing for grades K-8
~ September 10: October Hot Lunch ordering ends
Help Wanted
COVID CREW MEMBERS NEEDED
A few more helping hands are needed to join our COVID Crew. Members of this crew work from 7:55 to 9:00 am checking student temperatures at drop-off, followed by sanitizing of highly-touched surfaces and other light duties / errands. This is a paid position and crew members are scheduled according to their availability. If you are interested, please contact Brittany Root at root_brittany@hotmail.com.
HOT LUNCH HELP NEEDED
Our Hot Lunch program is in need of volunteers to fill open spots to ensure we can offer Hot Lunch every day. If you can help, please email Hot Lunch Coordinator Becky Vieltorf at bvieltorf@st-hilary.org with your availability.
SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS NEEDED
We are always in need of individuals to serve as substitute teachers. A summary of requirements would include the following: a bachelor's degree in any subject, Virtus training, a background check including fingerprinting, and a substitute teaching certificate. If you meet (or are able to complete) these requirements and are interested in being added to our pool of substitute teachers, please email a current resume to Miss Malick at smalick@st-hilary.org as soon as possible.
CLASSROOM VOLUNTEER SIGN-UPS
There will be limited in-person volunteer opportunities this year, but sign-ups will be available via the classroom Sign-Up Genius. Watch for more information from teachers when school begins.
Growing Together in Faith
FIRST SCHOOL MASS THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 27
Our first school Mass for the 2021-2022 school year will be THIS FRIDAY, August 27 at 9:30 am. Grades 2, 4 and 6 will attend in person. The school Mass will be planned by our faculty, and will be live streamed and available to view at http://sthilarychurch.org/live/. You will be able to view all live streamed Masses through this site. A copy of 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 September 10 planned by grade 8 (grades K, 3 and 8 will attend in person), September 17 planned by grade 7 (grades 1, 5 and 7 will attend in person), and September 24 planned by grade 6 (grades 2, 4 and 6 will attend in person).
We will continue to celebrate Mass together each week and on holy days. Students will attend school Mass on a rotation with other select grade levels (not the whole school). Only parents / grandparents of the participating class may attend Mass in person, and 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.
Student Life
KINDERGARTEN DAISY GIRL SCOUT TROOP FORMING!
If your daughter is interested in making new friends, learning through exploring, helping others, outdoor adventures, and starting her leadership journey, complete the attached interest flyer! And if you're interested in joining the Troop Leadership Team (it takes a village to get a new troop started) contact Ann Manby at 330-714-8195 or troop90186@gmail.com. Details of meeting times and frequency aren't set until the leadership team is formed so stay tuned for more details. Happy Scouting!
Reminders
ROOM MOM MEETING AUGUST 30 VIA ZOOM
There will be a meeting for all Room Moms on August 30 at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. Room Moms for each classroom have been notified.
SCHOOL PICTURE DAY SEPTEMBER 1
PLEASE NOTE IMPORTANT CHANGES FROM PAST YEARS
School pictures will be taken on September 1. Students should dress up for pictures. No jeans, T-shirts or tennis shoes (except kindergarteners). Lifetouch made some changes last year that remain in effect:
- Only those students and staff members who are photographed on September 1 will appear both in class composite photos and in the yearbook. Those having photos taken on retake day (October 14) will appear in the yearbook, but not in class composites.
- Lifetouch has also streamlined photo packages, and to eliminate handling of paper order forms, checks, and cash, we are using an online-only ordering system. To view the Lifetouch packages and place an order, please go to www.mylifetouch.com and enter Picture Day ID code EVTPWF4HH. Questions about ordering school pictures should be directed to Lifetouch via their website linked above.
CURRICULUM NIGHTS SEPTEMBER 1 & 2 - NOTE NEW SHORTER TIME FRAME
Please join us for our Curriculum Nights on Wednesday, September 1 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for grades 6-8, and Thursday, September 2 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for grades K-5. Due to COVID-19, we will not begin in Horning Hall as we traditionally do. Parents should report directly to classrooms to begin the evening.
- These evenings are intended as informational events for parents only.
- For grades K-5, there will be three 15-minute sessions in each classroom to accommodate parents with multiple children going to more than one classroom.
- For grades 6-8, the parents will follow the students’ schedules, with each “period” lasting 7-8 minutes.
- Changes from one session to the next will be announced over the PA system.
FUNDRAISERS
Acme Community Cash Back and Box Tops for Education benefit our school every time you shop or purchase qualifying products. Please click here for more information.
VERIFY & UPDATE ONE CALL NOW INFORMATION VIA SELF-UPDATE PORTAL
As the new year begins, please make sure we have your current telephone number(s) and email address(es) in our One Call Now database. Doing so will ensure you receive the latest mass email updates, as well as phone calls in the event of snow days or school emergencies.
New families: Please make sure you have returned the yellow One Call Now form contained in your child’s acceptance packet so your One Call Now account can be set up.
Returning families and new families who have returned yellow One Call Now forms: Please click the My School button at the top right corner of the school website, login, and click the One Call Now link to be directed to our new One Call Now Self-Update Portal. Click the green SIGN UP button as a first-time user to create your login for the secure portal. Users will be able to view only their own information. Follow the prompts to verify and update your information as needed. Please retain your login information so you can return to the portal and simply login to make any necessary future updates.
Please contact Mrs. Smith at msmith@st-hilary.org with questions.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MEDIA RELEASE FORM
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we will be using live streaming as a tool to gather together as a school community in situations where we will not be able to have large in-person events: when we want to gather our community for prayer, for events where parents would normally be invited, and as a way to connect our community. When a student appears in a live stream, we will not identify the student by his or her full name so as to protect his or her identity. Any live stream with students on camera will only be viewable live and will not be recorded or available after the live stream is over. This will be to more readily ensure that the live image does not stay as something that can be downloaded. A live stream will simply be a way to “attend” as the event occurs, not to view it later.
For our weekly school Masses and any other live streamed events, only students whose parents have given consent on the Media Release form on Gradelink will be able to participate and appear on camera. To be clear, that means that if you do not give us permission to have your child participate as part of live streamed events, he or she will be unable to participate as a singer or reader at school Masses and other religious services, and unable to participate in school assemblies and academic contests, parades, and any other events we may choose to live stream. This would be done not to exclude any student, but to respect parents’ wishes. Similarly, if you have consented on this form, you now need to understand the additional implications of your consent for your child if he or she participates in an event that is live streamed.
IMPORTANT! Whatever choice of consent or lack of consent you have indicated on the Media Release form on Gradelink will apply to live streamed events as indicated above, unless we hear otherwise from you. You may change your consent at any time, even during the school year and even for only a particular event, by emailing Mrs. Smith at msmith@st-hilary.org.
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, tuition assistance 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/