Dear St. Giles Families,
Just like you, we are closely monitoring the rising numbers of cases being reported in Cook County and are in constant contact with the Archdiocese regarding any possible scheduling changes. We will keep our families up-to-date if any changes to our in-person learning become necessary.
We look forward to welcoming back our classrooms from quarantine this week and have not seen any further spread. This is an important indicator that our mitigation strategies are working. Let's keep that up! You can be proud of your children - though not easy, they wear their masks without issue, maintain their distance, and follow our guidelines. They've kept up their pledge from the beginning of the year and we are so proud of them.
We do know that many students are experiencing anxiety and stress just as we are. Our teachers and staff are working together with Mrs. Lechowicz, our counselor, to provide opportunities for students to express their emotions and strategies to help them manage their stress. Be sure to check out Mrs. Leochowicz’s Counselor’s Corner (below) each week for ideas for managing stress at home.
If at any time you feel you may have been exposed to COVID or anyone in your home is experiencing symptoms, please contact us. We will work with you to determine if an individual quarantine is necessary and support you through the process. As a reminder, if a student is exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID, such as a relative, parent, sibling, teammate, babysitter, etc., he or she is required to quarantine for 14 days and transition to remote learning.
As we approach Thanksgiving, we are so grateful for your support, patience, and cooperation with all of our protocols. We know this is difficult for everyone. Thank you for making the health and safety of everyone at St. Giles School a priority.
Please continue to stay safe at home!
Stay well,
Meg
Reminder from the Business Office:
Parishioner Contribution Donations
St. Giles Parishioners - Please make a note that the required amount to contribute to the parish has increased this year from $10/week to $15/week for 1 student and from $15/week to $20/week for 2 or more students. Kindly update your Give Central contributions to reflect this. The parish will be sending out letters to remind you if you have forgotten to make your minimum expected contributions. Please contact Sharon Bresnahan if you have any questions about your donations.
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Here at St. Giles we teach the children conflict is normal. Conflict resolution skills help us handle small disagreements that happen naturally when in a group, like at recess or collaborative work on a group project or when quizzing each other in partners. With small disagreements, we want the students to feel empowered to resolve the conflict using a variety of strategies. We teach the children the skills and give time to practice the skills while encouraging them they can work together to solve small problems. If the conflict persists or someone’s safety is at risk, we ask the children to report the problem. One of the programs we use at school is the Kelso’s Choice program. The students view nine visuals with different choices for handling small conflicts. Check out the parent information page for more information.
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REGISTER NOW for the Winter Session 2020-2021 of Chess-Ed's Virtual Enrichment Program!
The 10-week Winter session is offered Monday through Friday at a variety of times (4, 5, and 6 pm) with Beginner, Novice, Continuing, and Advanced program levels. The chess program runs from 11/30/20 to 2/19/21 and is taught by Chess-Ed instructors using Zoom, lichess.org, and other chess software. Please refer to the Eventbee registration site for chess level guidelines.
To register, students must have a FREE username at lichess.org so they can be paired by the chess instructor during the game playing portion of the lesson.
Register NOW at www.r-winter-virtual-chess-ed.eventbee.com. Be sure to register early to take advantage of EARLY FEE pricing. For more information about the program, please refer to the program flyer and Eventbee website.
Chess-Ed is looking forward to seeing your CHESS ENTHUSIAST this Winter!
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November Fun Lunch Registration Open
Mark your calendar for Friday, November 20th for our next PTO fundraiser lunch! Alpine subs are back!!
Ordering closes 11/17! Click HERE to visit the site.
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Teacher Appreciation Fund Kick-off!!
Give thanks! This year, more than ever, we are so grateful for our teachers and staff at St. Giles School.
As our teachers continue to adapt to the daily challenges that this year brings, we are moving our Teacher Appreciation Fund to November!
Please consider expressing your gratitude with a contribution to our annual Teacher Appreciation Fund. Any amount is appropriate.
You should have received our yellow envelope in your mailbox this past week! Click here for more information about this important giving opportunity.
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Time for Caring and Sharing:
The St. Giles Sharing Tree
The pandemic has brought challenges for all of us. But it has also offered us the opportunity to show our spirit of love to those families who have been significantly impacted at the parishes we support each year on the Sharing Tree. This year, we are unable to set up the trees in church or collect gifts in the rectory garage. However, your support is needed more than ever.
For those who are able, we are asking for donations of gift cards to Jewel, Walmart or Target OR you can make a donation (checks payable to St. Giles CCW) in any amount which we will apply towards purchasing gift cards. Mail or drop off your donation at the Parish Center, 1025 Columbian Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 or drop it in the Offertory collection boxes at the entrances of Church marked Sharing Tree.
So that we have sufficient time to purchase and allocate the gift cards to those needy families, please respond by Sunday, November 22. I’m sure you agree that the Sharing Tree is one of the traditions that makes our Parish so special. Anything you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your generosity. If you have any questions, please contact Madeleine Butler at 708-267-7572 or Pat Micucci at 312-972-8808.
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Registration is now open for the Catholic School Entrance Exam on December 5th. Please see the individual school's website for registration information. |
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Check out St. Patrick's upcoming events.
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Check out Trinity's upcoming events.
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Check out St. Ignatius upcoming events.
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Check out Fenwick's upcoming events
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Check out DePaul Prep's upcoming events.
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What is HFS Chicago Scholars?
HFS Chicago Scholars helps economically disadvantaged Chicago high school students flourish in and out of the classroom by providing educational enrichment through our lifelong mentoring, college readiness and academic excellence programs, as well as providing financial assistance to attend top Chicago-area schools. More information can be found here and application details can be found here.
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Follow and like us on social media. Stay up to date with what's going on at school and see pictures of your children engaging in educational activities with their classmates during the school day. |
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