Charger Check-In
April 22, 2021
A Note from Ms. Owens
This year marks the 51st Earth Day since its inception in 1970. In 2015, Pope Francis wrote an encyclical entitled Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home. In this spirit, I encourage you to consider taking an action - even a small one - to care for creation and our earth: bring those plastic grocery bags to the recycling bin at the store, turn off the lights when you leave a room, turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth, purchase energy-efficient appliances when it's time for new ones.
"God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth
and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that crawl on the earth."
Gensis 1:28
As of this week, anyone over the age of 16 is eligible to get the Covid vaccine. If you or someone you know wants to get a vaccine, you will find a button below with easy-to-navigate information for Chicago, Cook County and surrounding counties. **Updated 4.26: Beginning this week, the six mega-sites in Cook County are taking a limited number of walk-ups - meaning you do not need an appointment.
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. As we are no longer seeing exceptionally long-wait times for PCR results, we will be resuming the guidance that a negative PCR test is required if the individuals who have Covid-like symptoms for two or more consecutive days. (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
- Please be sure your child brings a reusable water bottle to school each day. As the weather becomes warmer, our students are running around even more at recess and in gym. Their need to rehydrate is growing.
- Our virtual St. Baldrick's Fundraiser is still up and running. Scroll down for more details. The fundraiser will close on April 30. Thank you to all our SCA students and families who are participating!
- 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 our larger community.
Peace,
Kristine Owens
Arch Travel Guidelines and CDPH Travel Map - updated 4/20
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 protocols for travel. The following guidelines are in effect as of March 16 for all Archdiocesan-run schools (no matter their location). The updated information is in bold.
The City of Chicago updates it Emergency Travel Order web page every other Tuesday. The updated colors go into effect that Friday. (Next update - week of May 3)
- Travel to a yellow state does not require a quarantine.
- Travel to an orange state requires a ten (10) day quarantine, a pre-arrival test or a post-arrival test. For travel only, rapid tests are accepted. (If the lab runs a PCR in addition to the rapid test, the traveler must stay home until the [negative] PCR results come back.)
- A pre-arrival test can be taken 72-hours prior to returning home. The test may not be a self-administered type test.
- A post-arrival test can be taken once the traveler has returned home. The traveler must quarantine until test results are received. The test may not be a self-administered type test. The traveler may return to school if the test is negative.
- Quarantine starts the day after return home.
- We know a state's status can change while you are there. If you are in a state and it moves to orange, the quarantine or testing options will apply. If you are in a state and it moves to yellow, the quarantine and testing requirements are removed the day of the posting.
- International travelers can quarantine for 10 days following their return home or they can obtain a Covid test 3-5 days after returning home. The test may not be a self-administered type test.
- 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 their 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.
St. Baldricks
We are so excited to have our Annual St. Baldricks Event. As we have all learned over the last year, we can do basically anything virtually! So, let’s not stop now!
Cancer is the #1 disease killer of children in the US, and a child is now diagnosed worldwide every 2 minutes, yet there is SO little funding to find a cure! St. Baldrick's is crucial for these kids!
Date: Our event will close on April 30, 2021.
- ANYONE WHO DOESN’T WANT TO SHAVE BUT WANTS TO RAISE MONEY CAN SIGN UP AS A VOLUNTEER.
- THIS YEAR ALL OF OUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS WILL CONTINUE TO GO TO ST. BALDRICKS, BUT WE WILL BE FUNDING GRANTS FOR EMILYS HEROES - IN MEMORY OF EMILY BEAZLEY. EMILY’S HEROES ARE SPECIFICALLY WORKING TO FUND IMMUNOTHERAPY, RHABDOMYOSARCOMA , AND BLOOD CANCERS.
To Sign Up
- Click on the button below.
- Click on Join Us.
- You will be prompted to join even though it is a closed event – choose Yes.
- If this is your first time participating, you will choose – I need to create a new account. If you have participated in St. Baldricks in the past, you will need to sign in using those credentials.
- You will then be prompted to put in your personal information.
- Choose what role you will be doing at the event, shirt size, fundraising goal, and accept the waiver.
- You should see “Congratulations! You’re registered and ready to go.” You will also have the option to donate, upload a picture, honor a child with cancer, or personalize your website message.
- Then you will be sent to your member’s page. This is where you can share the page and get the fundraising started!
We are really looking forward to raising money and seeing videos of all the kids. This is such a wonderful event, and we appreciate all of the support we have already received!
If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact us using the information below.
Katie Lyons – kok78@hotmail.com
Colleen Lombardo - cclombardo3@gmail.com
“Sometimes, real SUPERHEROES live in the hearts of small children fighting big battles.”
Fight Like a Charger
In this parish we Fight Like a Charger and carry each other when we need it most. Each and every year we are AMAZED by the students at SCA. You continue to help raise funds for St. Baldricks and help us to continue supporting our Charger Family. This year we will be honoring Patrick Ferguson as our Charger Champion. Together we will Charge On and fight.
All shirts will be mailed directly to your home. All funds raised will be donated to Patrick Ferguson. If you have any questions please reach out to Kelly Withers at kellyjean1976@att.net or 773-841-9542.
All items will be available to purchase through May 2 and will begin to ship on May 12.
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, April 23
- All-School Mass (live streamed)
Saturday, April 24
- First Holy Communion Masses at 11:30 & 1:30
Thursday, April 29
- Pizza Lunch for 8th Graders
Friday, April 30
- Professional Development for Faculty - no school for students
- St. Baldrick's Fundraiser closes
Saturday, May 1
- First Holy Communion Masses at 11:30 & 1:30
Friday, May 7
- All-School Mass (live streamed)
Tuesday, May 11
- School Board Meeting
Friday, May 14
- All-School Mass & May Crowing (live streamed)
Friday, May 21
- All-School Mass - Ribbon Mass (live streamed)
Tuesday, May 25
- NJHS Ceremony - time TBA (live-streamed)
About us
Website: www.scaoaklawn.org
Location: 10621 South Kedvale Avenue, Oak Lawn, IL, USA
Phone: 708-425-5547
Facebook: facebook.com/scaoaklawn/