Dear St. Giles Families,
This week we have so much to be thankful for at St. Giles! And as we go into Thanksgiving week, we are hopeful that the increase in vaccinated children, as well as vaccinated and boostered adults, will continue to keep us all safe and healthy. We also realize that with the increased vaccinations come questions regarding how long we will wear masks in school. At this time, we do not know. We will continue to follow the state mandate and Archdiocesan protocols, but if there are updates or changes, that information will be shared with you as soon as it is available.
When we return from Thanksgiving break, we will have entered the season of Advent and begun preparing for Christmas. Unfortunately, due to COVID concerns, we will not have our traditional Christmas pageant in church this year. We are as disappointed as you are, but feel this is the right decision. We are working hard to create a joyful Christmas experience for our students, with our units working on various recorded activities and service projects for our Lions, which we will share with the community. More details will follow in an upcoming eNews when we return from Thanksgiving break.
I hope that this week brings great joy to you and your families as we safely gather for Thanksgiving. Enjoy the break, rest, and relax!
Have a wonderful week!
Stay safe,
Meg
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2:1 Empower Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship
Matching Donation Program Begins Dec. 1, 2021
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The Archdiocese of Chicago has once again secured matching donors for the Empower Illinois Scholarship Program. St. Giles will receive an additional $2 for every dollar that you contribute between Dec. 1, 2021 and Jan. 10, 2022 (when funds typically run out). Here's how the program works:
1. REGISTER with the State of Illinois at mytax.illinois.gov, unless you already have an online account. It usually takes 10-14 days to receive a letter with the ID number required to set up an account, so click on the "Sign up Now!" button in the Login box to start the process as soon as possible.
2. RESERVE your tax credit for the current calendar year (2021 if you donate in Dec and 2022 if you donate in Jan.). Once your account is set up, log into your online account at mytax.illinois.gov (Empowerillinois.org will eventually take you to the same page.). Click on the link to your individual account under the "Accounts" tab. Then, under "I Want to" in the top right corner of the page, select "Contribute to Invest in Kids". Navigate through the form, selecting Cook County, Empower Illinois as the scholarship granting organization, and the amount you will be donating (to all schools). You will have the opportunity to select St. Giles when you make your donation. You will then receive your Contribution Authorization Certificate under your mytax.illinois.gov account correspondence tab almost immediately.
3. DONATE: Make your donation between Dec. 1, 2021 and Jan. 10, 2022 (So that we can get our 2:1 matching funds).
You will receive 75% of your donation that can be used as a tax credit on your Illinois tax bill. Last year, we were able to secure $50,000 in matching funds due to our generous donors which helped 17 children in need! Our goal this year is to secure the full $100,000 in matching funds available to each school. Here is a step by step guide to make your donation
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St. Giles Annual Christmas Card Design Contest |
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Calling all artists! We are looking for a student to draw the front of this year's St. Giles Christmas card.
Requirements:
On 8.5 x 11" white paper
Use colors
Name on BACK
Religious themed
Submissions are due by Friday, December 3rd to homeroom teacher. The winner will receive a $15 gift card to a place of their choice. Last year's card was drawn by now 5th grader, Charlotte P. (pictured). We will again hang all of the submissions in the Corrigan lobby and Frawley lunchroom. Please encourage your child to participate and decorate the halls of St. Giles for Christmas!
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North Avenue District Artwork Reveal |
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Last weekend the North Avenue District revealed the artwork created by over 40 of our St. Giles Lions this summer. This was the culmination of a partnership with the North Avenue District, Code Ninjas and ByDiscovery. The dedication was attended by local dignitaries and our very own Senator Don Harmon, who shared his experience as a Lion and work on the beautification of North Avenue while at St. Giles. The artwork is on display at Code Ninjas on the corner of North Avenue and Harlem--stop by to see their beautiful collaboration. You'll find more details in this feature in last week's Wednesday Journal.
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Lion's Leap Follow up: Disney Prize Winners! |
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Congratulations to the Dobecki family! Clark (2nd) and Grant (K) won a trip for four to DisneyWorld in Boosterthon's online raffle last month. They were selected from families across the U.S. that used the Boosterthon online donation platform. Every time they uploaded a picture of their boys, emailed a solicitation, or shared their Lion's Leap family link to solicit donations, their name was entered into the raffle -- along with all of our St. Giles families.
We held a celebration assembly with Miss Bigane, Fr. Carl and their classmates to present their prize. Our thanks to the Dobeckis for sharing Lion's Leap and successfully using Boosterthon to help our school!
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Congratulations to our 7th and 8th grade Lions who participated in the Fenwick Math Contest last week! They were in a group of 500 participants and competed in individual and team competitions. While they may not have brought home a trophy, our pride in their enthusiasm for the competition is bursting! Thank you to Mrs. Jusas and Mrs. Lucas for coaching them in preparation for the night. |
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Calling all St. Giles Families!
In the spirit of getting to know our Parish and School community better and growing in faith together, we are hoping to feature one or two families a week in the PTO Newsletter, St. Giles Parish Bulletin and Facebook pages. More specifically, we would love to share what your faith mission statement or vision of faith is for your family, what you like to do as a family, who is in your family, and anything else you would like the St. Giles Community to know about!
How can you participate?
With love and Spirit,
The Faith and Family Committee
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Registration for the Catholic High School
Entrance Exam is Now Open
The test date is Saturday, December 4, 2021.
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