Charger Check-In
February 11, 2021
A Note from Ms. Owens
What a frigid week we've had! The students have done a fabulous job adapting to going directly into their entry door for their health check and hand sanitizer. I know we are missing outside recess quite a bit and we are eager for the temperatures to improve so our students have the opportunity to get outside to run and play.
Thank you to those students, families and staff who donated to Beau's Buddies. And thank you to our Student Council for their leadership in coordinating this fundraiser. Because of your generosity, the St. Catherine of Alexandria community raised over $1,000 for Beau and his family.
The Archdiocese sent out communication regarding Easter Break directly to school families last week. The message shares that Archdiocesan schools will not be moving to remote teaching and learning following Easter Break. I expect this is welcome news to some families and a disappointment to others. If your family will be traveling out-of-state over Easter Break (or over the coming four-day weekend), please notify me and your child's teacher so we can be sure they take the books, notebooks, etc. they will need while they are learning from home.
Our Covid awareness needs to continue. If a member of your household knows they will be going for a Covid test or is waiting for the results, your child must stay home until results are received. If the results are negative, if your child has not had exposure to anyone who has tested positive and if your child is free of symptoms, they may return to school.
I urge you to monitor closely the health of all members of your household. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever (temperature greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle/body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
- If a member of your household has even one Covid-like symptom, your child(ren) should not come to school that first day of a household member having symptoms.
- If your child has symptoms on a second consecutive day, your child will need a negative Covid test in order to return to school. While PCRs are still the preferred tests, in light of the increased wait time for test results, rapid tests are accepted. (See button below for more detailed information.) Your household should quarantine while awaiting the results.
- Do not send your child(ren) to school medicated to camouflage symptoms.
- If your child(ren) has been identified as a close contact to a confirmed or presumed positive case, you child(ren) will need to quarantine for 14-days from the last day of contact with the positive case.
- If your child(ren) has been identified as a close contact to a confirmed or presumed positive case and develops symptoms, contact your medical advisor to discuss evaluation and testing.
- If your child(ren) has been identified as a close contact to a confirmed or presumed positive case and does not develop symptoms, it is recommended to be tested 5 to 9 days after your child’s exposure to the positive case.
I 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.
A Bit More News
- Students will not have school on Friday, February 12 or Monday, February 15.
- On Wednesday, February 17, we will mark Ash Wednesday with the distribution of ashes happening in classrooms.
- Our next Eat & Earn is on Wednesday, February 17 at Fox's in Oak Lawn. Come support our SCA community and this local eatery owned by an SCA family!
- The end of the 2nd trimester is set for February 26. If you are considering moving your child to fully remote learning with Catapult, please let me know as soon as possible.
- We have an amazing opportunity mark Holy Week as a parish community with Neighborhood Stations of the Cross. We are looking for 14 parish families to host a station. Scroll down to learn about getting involved.
- The Oak Lawn Public Library has launched a free online tutoring service. Scroll down to view the flier with the details of this great opportunity.
- The parish is hosting a hat, coat, glove, scarf drive now through February 21. Scroll, scroll, scroll for the details.
- On Tuesday, February 23, the parish will present a Lenten Taize Prayer Service at 6:30PM. It will be live-streamed and also available on-demand.
- 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 continue to pray for our medical professionals, our first responders, our essential front line workers as they work to ensure the health and safety of the larger community.
Peace,
Kristine Owens
Adjusted Quarantine Period for Travel - updated 1/20
After consultation with state and local health departments, as well as their own medical advisors, the Archdiocese of Chicago is making an adjustment to quarantine periods for travel. The following guidelines are in effect as of January 20 for all Archdiocesan-run schools (no matter their location). The updated information is in bold.
- Quarantine periods for all domestic travel (travel out of Illinois) is now ten (10) days.
- Quarantine is required regardless of whether or not there is a negative test result, and no matter how much time is spent in another state.
- Quarantine starts the day after return home.
- This guidance does supersede the information released in the recent Parent Newsletter. We are doing our best to remain on top of frequently changing guidance from health authorities.
- Quarantines for international travel quarantine remain 14 days.
- Quarantines for COVID-19 exposure cases also remain 14-days (based upon the recommendation of all departments of public health in those jurisdictions in which the archdiocese operates and our own medical advisors).
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.
Required TRIP Fundraising - Just 7 Weeks Left!
St. Catherine of Alexandria School requires all K - 8 school families to pay a fundraising fee. The deadline for this required fundraiser is just seven weeks away!
- Your TRIP earnings can be used to pay your mandatory fundraising 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 TRIP program or that do not earn $75.00 in TRIP credit will be billed $75.00 or the remaining balance of the mandatory fundraising fee on their May Smart Tuition bill.
- Families also have the option to pay the $75.00 mandatory fundraising fee at any time prior to being billed in May.
If you have questions about your family's TRIP balance, please contact Jay Heidemann.
Year End Tuition Statements - Tax Documentation
- Log into your Smart Tuition account.
- Click on the "Family Year End Statement" button. See the image below for a visual.
The Sunday Collection
Visit the link below to set up your recurring contribution. Donors can change the amount of the contribution or pause it at any time.
Our Church is Open!
- Saturdays - Mass at 4PM
- Sundays - Mass at 8AM (no music), 9:30AM, 11:30AM and 6PM
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.
You are also invited to attend a weekday morning Mass on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in-person at 8:30AM. You will need to register in the vestibule when you arrive and all protocols must be observed.
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.
So Many On-going Ways to Support St. Catherine!
Upcoming Events
Friday, February 12
- No School - PD Day for Teachers
Monday, February 15
- No School - President's Day
Wednesday, February 17
- Ash Wednesday
Thursday, February 18
- Tuition Exclusion Day
Friday, February 19
- All-School Mass (live streamed)
Tuesday, February 23
- Lenten Taize Prayer Service at 6:30PM (live streamed)
Friday, February 26
- End of Second Trimester
Monday, March 8
- Make Up Graduation Pictures
Thursday, March 11
- First Holy Communion Pictures from 4:30-6:30PM
About us
Website: www.scaoaklawn.org
Location: 10621 South Kedvale Avenue, Oak Lawn, IL, USA
Phone: 708-425-5547
Facebook: facebook.com/scaoaklawn/