Family Update
Week of September 12, 2021
Week of September 12-17, 2021
Good morning,
The video above this has a brief summary of the Family Update. I hope it's helpful!
Thank you for attending our Open House this past Wednesday. It was so nice to see so many of you! If you were unable to make it, each teacher has posted a recording of the important points from their classroom talks. You may also reach out to teachers to set up conferences for further information.
Please check your child's blue communication folder daily. Correspondence from the office and the classrooms is sent in the folder. This week you should have seen two letters from the office. One referenced notification of our school safety drill coming up on September 28. The other letter outlined that we had no projects in the building that involved asbestos over the last year. Also, and of the greatest interest to the children, pizza slips for our 9/27 Home Run Inn pizza luncheon were sent home. Money is due by Thursday, September 16 at 8 AM. That is a hard deadline due to ordering requirements. Please send the form back with the correct change to the classroom teacher.
Please come by Tuesday between 12 and 3 PM to pick up delicious and fresh produce courtesy of St. Vincent de Paul and the Chicago Food Depository. Please tell your family, friends, and neighbors - this is a community event!
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. Amazon has some perfect ones. Here are just two options: masks1 and masks2. Wearing masks properly is one of the best ways to keep each of us safe. Once outside, students may remove their masks. We have added a PAW opportunity for masks. See below.
Please remember that students must be in proper uniform every day. This includes no bracelets or necklaces, no nail polish or artificial nails, small stud or hoop earrings for girls, and no earrings for boys. As mentioned at Open House, hair should be natural in color by 10/1. In working on our dress code, we consulted each Catholic school in our council. We are aligned with those schools.
The late policy is not in place to punish students. It is in place to make up academic minutes that are required. The simplest way to avoid having to stay to make up the minutes is to arrive at school between 7:15 and 7:40 each morning. This policy applies to students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Class Dojo has been discontinued. Please be sure you've joined your child/ren's class on BLOOMZ. The link and access codes are below.
Chats with the Principal will begin on September 28th at 2 pm (30 minutes before dismissal) and run every last Tuesday of the month. These are informal meetings where parents can ask questions. Attending three of these over the course of the year will earn a PAW.
Please be sure to check the "Save the Date" section below - there are a lot of important events coming up in September and October. Our fundraiser begins on September 17th. It's just four days! I've attached the needed information.
Please keep your child home if they are sick or have symptoms that could be COVID-related. If 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. Thank you for your co-responsibility in our effort to keep everyone well.
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.
Thank you for trusting us with your child/ren. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
Mrs. Farrand
Our Students have Big Dreams! Our Home-School Partnership Paves the Way!
Vaccination Cards for Students Aged 12 and Over & Vaccine Clinic
Our vaccine clinic is set for October 1st and then October 22nd, both days from 11 AM - 2 PM. Anyone over the age of 12 is welcome to the clinic! Families, please talk with your child's doctor (aged 12 and over) for more information. Please let your family and friends know. Help us keep the school community as safe as we can!
Volunteering in School
We are also requiring any volunteers who are working directly with children, like chaperoning or in the classrooms to be vaccinated. Thanks for your understanding.
Travel and Quarantines
In accordance with the Chicago Travel Order, anyone who is not vaccinated against COVID-19 traveling to any state (other than Vermont) must either quarantine for 10 days upon return or have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of returning to Illinois. 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
Tuition Payments
The office will continue making reminder calls this week. 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!
The first exclusion date for past due tuition will be September 30th. Exclusion is not what we want to do. As stated above, let us know if there is a problem.
Common Sense Media and Digital Safety - Family Agreement
Please check out Tech Balance with your child!
PAWS
Thanks for your help!
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES!
- September 14th - Produce Pop-UP 12 PM - 3 PM at school
- September 17th-21st - DoubleGood Popcorn Fundraiser Event code: Event Code: LCQ EDQ download the Double Good app and enter the code above.
- September 23rd - Kind Shirt Day
- September 24th - Professional Learning Day - No school for students.
- September 27th - Home Run Inn Pizza Day - money due 9/16 @8AM.
- September 28th - Chat with the Principal 2 PM - cafeteria
- September 29th - Midterms go home
- September 30th - Kind Kid Celebration
- October 4th - Kind Shirt Day
- October 11th - No School
- October 12th - Chipotle Fundraiser 4 pm - 7 pm. More info to follow!
- October 13th - 2nd and 3rd grade go to Lincoln Park Zoo
- October 15th - Picture Day
- October 19th - Kind Shirt Day
- October 21st - Prayer Walk
- October 26th - Chat with the Principal 2 PM - cafeteria
- November 4th - Kind Shirt Day
Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser
Each family will set-up their own virtual store using the school code: LCQ EDQ
Then, send the link to all of your family and friends. They order and pay directly online. Double Good ships the popcorn to the families. It's easy and COVID safe! 50% of your sales go toward your fundraising obligation.
Event Code: LCQ EDQ Join Academy of St. Benedict 's fundraising Event by downloading the Double Good app
and entering the code above.
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