Family Update
Week of January 30th - February 4th
Catholic Schools Week 2022
Good morning,
The video included before this section will highlight the main points of the update.
This is a really exciting and special week at the Academy of St. Benedict. We celebrate Catholic Schools Week, along with the other 5900 Catholic Schools in the United States. Please see the image below with each day's events. Are you working on your spirit poster? Ask your child about this and return it to school by Thursday! Monday is Silly Sock day and we kick off our Penny War for Charity. Please send in loose change to help! We will explain the rule to the children on Monday at our morning assembly. The floor with the most points on Friday will win and choose the charity!
As part of CSW, we open registration for the 2022-2023 school year for our returning families. As you may know, we have a waitlist for 4 classrooms, so reserving a seat is key! Please complete this form and then during the week make the $25/student payment to hold the seat. The payment can be made in the office or through the payment portal on our NEW SCHOOL APP putting registration 22-23 in the note/memo section!
Today, we debut our school app for you! This amazing app houses everything you need: website information, the calendar, a link to Bloomz, Facts, Powerschool, and social media. We think it will streamline information. Please use the QR code below to download the app. Once we have 250 registered, the children will get a snow day. Alerts for things like snow days or elearning days can be sent through the app, as well!
This week's weather does look a bit snowy. In the event of significant snow on Wednesday, we may have an elearning day. Currently, students in grades 4-8 have Chromebooks that will go back and forth every day to improve access. Devices for PK - 3 will be sent home on Tuesday, if necessary. Please help your child remember to put the device and charger in their backpack before returning to school.
We are working very hard to keep the school free of COVID to the best of our ability. With that said, our families must partner with us by not sending any students to school who have ANY symptoms. Please keep students home if you are waiting for test results. I know it's hard and families have to work, but it's how we take care of each other and our entire extended school community.
We will send home students with runny noses, headaches, sore throats, and/or coughs. We will send work home as needed for students with an extended absence.
Apple watches and other smartwatches are NOT allowed at school. They, along with any cell phones, will be held in the office for the day.
- We are going to continue assisting at drop-off in the morning on Laflin as we did on Friday. Two adults will be outside to help the children out of the cars and onto the sidewalk. This will keep the traffic flowing and keep the children safe. If you are walking your child in for some reason, please don't park where we are unloading - go further down or up the street or park on Justine. Safety first!
- Boots must be changed upon arriving at school. This keeps the children safe and the school clean. Some families choose to keep a pair of gym shoes in the student's locker.
- Registration for the 2022-2023 school year opens today with a reduced registration fee will be $25 per student now through 2/28!. The regular fee will be $50/per student. (Students who receive tax-credit scholarships do have to pay the full registration fee of $200/student in accordance with the law. That will be financed into the contract) It's important to register early as we have waiting lists for several of our rooms.
- There is a little time left on the Double Good Popcorn Sale. Download the DG Popcorn app and enter code XBZ KKT to set up your child's store. Then email that information (1/28) out to your friends and family. That's it! DG takes care of the rest. This helps each families' fundraising obligation. Help us reach our goals!
- Keep the resolution: FOLLOW THE DRESS & UNIFORM CODE: 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. We still have light blue hoodies in all sizes and some navy blue hoodies.
- Students should not have nail polish, artificial nails, any jewelry, or smartwatches. Students do NOT need their cell phones at school. They are kept in the office all day.
- Please be sure to check the "Save the Date" section below.
- Our Title I Game Night is Wednesday, February 16th. Use this form to sign up. This is an in-person event. We are limiting the number of adults to 2 per family. Students do not need to be in Title I to attend. All students who attend will take home a brand new game!
- We will have a five-week summer program for students entering PK3 - 5th grade for the 2022-2023 school year. See the flyer below! Registration begins on February 7th. For the month of February, the registration fee for summer school is $10 (will go to $25 in March).
- 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!
- 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. Our amazing office staff can take payments, sell hoodies and polos and answer questions.
- 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. KN95 masks or other disposable masks are recommended over a cloth mask.
Thank you for trusting us with your child/ren. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
Let's make this a wonderful week and celebrate all that makes the Academy of St. Benedict the African special!
Mrs. Farrand
Tuition Payments
The office will continue making reminder calls and sending notices. 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.
As a reminder, all financial accounts must be settled by May 15th for all graduating students: PK4, Kindergarten, and Eighth grade.
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
As a reminder, all PAWS must be completed by May 15th.
We are requesting Coke products: 12 oz cans of Diet Coke, Coke, Minute Maid Fruit Punch, Lemonade, Fuze Ice Tea, and Sprite. 4 24-packs will count as a PAW.
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 5 days upon return or have a negative PCR or Antigen 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 fully 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!
- January 28th - February 2nd - Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser
- January 31st - February 4th - Catholic Schools Week
- January 31st - Registration for the 2022-2023 School Year Opens
- February 7th - Kind Shirt Day
- February 7th - Registration for PK-5th grade Summer program opens
- February 11th - Professional Learning Day for Teachers -NO SCHOOL
- February 14th - Dress Down in Valentine's Day colors
- February 16th - Title I Game Night! 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
- February 17th - Kind Shirt Day
- February 18th - No School - Wellness day for Faculty and Staff
- February 21st - No School - Presidents' Day
- February 23rd - Kind Shirt Day
- February 23rd - Graduation Pictures: 8th, Kindergarten and PK4
- February 25th - Black History Program - Details to follow
- March 2nd - Kind Shirt Day
- March 4th - Remote Learning Day with Parent-Teacher Conferences 8-4.
- March 9th - Kind Shirt Day
- March 11th and 14th - No school
- March 22nd - Kind Shirt Day
- April 4th - Kind Shirt Day
- April 15th - 22nd - Easter Break -no school
- April 27th - Kind Shirt Day
- May 10th - Kind Shirt Day
- May 19th - Kind Shirt Day
- May 30th - Memorial Day - no school
- June 1st - Last day of classes for 8th grade
- Last Day of School is TBD -depending on snow days
- June 3rd - Eighth Grade graduation 10 AM
- June 13th - July 14th - Summer Program
- August 22nd - First day of the 2022 -2023 school year. Full-Day for all students, no extended day.
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