Wednesday Herald

September 29, 2021

This decision will be reevaluated in 4 weeks and will be communicated to parents immediately after our next Education Board meeting on November 2, 2021.

Here are the current number of positive cases and resulting quarantines since school began:

The Planning Committee and Education Board recommended for the school to continue to implement masking and distancing guidelines so that students can continue to learn in-person with little interruption. Current guidelines from the Cincinnati Health Department allow for students to attend school if exposed to a positive classmate as long as masking and distancing are practiced. In following these guidelines, we are able to keep students learning in-person. Last year, a typical positive student resulted in 10-15 classmates being quarantined per instance. This year, due to our current policies, we have only needed to quarantine 8 total students through all 17 positive cases. The increase of in-person instructional hours is significant. Combined, we would have lost over 1,020 instructional hours with quarantined students.

We continue to work every day to keep our angels safe and learning in-person! Please join me in thanking the GA staff for all they are doing to help your child and our school. We are blessed with an incredibly dedicated and talented staff!

God bless,

Corey Stoops

Health Reminders During This Time

As we continue to prioritize the health and safety of our community here are a few reminders:

• Please monitor your child daily for symptoms of COVID. If your child is experiencing any symptoms, please err on the side of caution and keep him/her home from school.
• When contacting the school to report an absence, please leave details on why your child is absent.
• If your child is being tested for any COVID related symptoms, regardless of the type of test (rapid, at-home, PCR), all family members should stay home from school until test results have been received. 
• Never hesitate to contact the school about any questions, concerns, or health-related issues. We are very happy to work with you to give guidance on our policies, procedures, and guidelines.

Special Celebration Today For Our 1st Graders

Today, we celebrated the Feast of the Guardian Angels with a Mass for our first graders and new students. During this ceremony, all first grade students, new students in grades 1-8, as well as new staff members received their Guardian Angels medal which stands as a symbol of the presence of angels in our lives. Our feast day provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the loving and caring community of Guardian Angels. As we celebrate our community and feast day, please say a special prayer with your child this evening.

Cafeteria News

Calling all parents! Our Angels have settled into their lunch routines and are eating in the cafeteria daily. This is only possible with the support of our parent volunteers! We still need a few helping hands on Thursday (9/30), Friday (10/8), and Wednesday (10/13). Can you spare time in your day to help? If you are able to help out, sign-up here.

Just a reminder: All volunteers must have transferred or be newly trained through SafeParish.

A special “Thank you!” to those who have shared their time with us! We could not manage the cafeteria without you.  

Scholastic Book Fair is October 11-15

Guardian Angels is pleased to sponsor an in-person Scholastic Book Fair once again, held in the GA library. Make today the day you read something new just for the fun of it! The line-up of titles is fantastic, so look for the flyers coming home soon!

Please mark your calendars to visit our Book Fair and discover your child’s next favorite book!

Save the dates!

Book Fair dates: October 11-15

Shopping hours: During school hours: each class will be assigned their own shopping time. Lunch time open shopping hours are back!

Special Events: Visit our Book Fair Sunrise Celebration Tuesday & Wednesday, October 12 & 13 7:15-8:00am! Families are invited to shop the fair together before school and enjoy games, grab & go crafts, and a special photo opportunity in Bishop Roering Hall. Sorry, due to COVID restrictions and social distancing measures, we are unable to serve food during this event.

Location: GA Library

Online Shopping Dates: October 3-16

See our Book Fair webpage for more information! 

Electronic payment is highly encouraged, so there is no better time to take advantage of the Book Fair eWallet! Let your child shop the Fair cash-free with our digital payment option. Learn more on our Book Fair homepage and get started creating an account by clicking here. 

As always, volunteers are essential to the success of the fair. Volunteers are invited to sign up by clicking here.

Music Boosters Looking For Adult Volunteers

Did you know…

• "With music in schools, students connect to each other better-greater camaraderie, fewer fights, less racism and reduced use of hurtful sarcasm." ~ Eric Jensen, Arts With the Brain in Mind
• "Arts Education aids students in skills needed in the workplace: flexibility, the ability to solve problems and communicate; the ability to learn new skills, to be creative and innovative, and to strive for excellence." ~ Joseph M. Calahan, Director of Corporate Communications, Xerox Corp.
• "The College Entrance Examination Board found that students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math than students with no arts participation." ~ College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ: The College Entrance Examination Board

Guardian Angels School is blessed to have a strong music education program, and the parent volunteer group Music Boosters supports the teachers and students in all music classes and performance groups. Music Boosters meets about once a month, recently via Zoom, and helps with concerts and performances, fundraising, and other needs of our music programs. Parents of students in any grade are welcome. Interested? Email Jason Claes or Shannon Kapp with questions or to sign up. Our next meeting is Wednesday, October 6th at 7:00 p.m.  

8th Grade Fundraisers

SuperFan Fundraiser

Help the 8th grade raise funds for their class by supporting their SuperFan fundraising with Tervis cups, candles, gift wrap and more. All orders are done on line. Shopping is available through this link. Orders are due by October 13th.

Car Wash

The 8th grade class is holding one more car wash to raise money for its class trip and graduation activities. The car wash is held at McNicholas High School. Consider dropping your car off before Mass!

Sunday, October 17 (this is a date change) - 9:00am-1:30pm

Guardian Angels Will Honor Our Veterans On November 11th

Veterans are invited to attend a prayer service celebration on Thursday, November 11th. Father David Sunberg will lead this service beginning at 1:00pm in the Church. RSVPs are due by Wednesday, October 27th. To RSVP, click here.

We are asking for only veterans to attend; parents accompanying a veteran may attend and should be included in the RSVP. We are asking other parents to not attend in-person to allow more room in the church for students. We will stream this celebration for anyone to view who cannot attend in-person. Due to COVID precautions, there will be no reception before this event as there has been in previous year.

Boy Scouts Are Selling Wreaths

Support Troop 445 & adorn your door with a beautiful fresh pine wreath or Candlelit Centerpiece. All proceeds go to Scout events, campouts, & expenses. To purchased, just complete the attached order form or place your order online by clicking here. Orders are due by October 24th. Delivery is expected the week before Thanksgiving.

Classroom Coordinators Needed

We are looking for classroom coordinators for the '21-'22 school year. All volunteers must be registered with SafeParish. If you are interested in volunteering in this role, click here. Please contact Ashley Gruber with any questions.

Save The Date - Parents Night Out

Youth Group First Friday Meeting (Grades 5-8)

Join the parish youth group as we gather grades 5-8 on Friday, October 1st from 5:00-7:00pm. This month we will be continuing our theme of "Back to Basics" as we look at the life of Jesus through the Holy Rosary! There will be fun games, snacks aplenty, and time for prayer and reflection. Come join us and make a new friend! If you are not currently receiving Youth Ministry updates and would like to be added to our list, or have any other questions, please contact Bradley Barnes at [email protected].

Fathers Team Meeting This Friday

Fathers of our Guardian Angels family: you are invited to join us each Friday at 6:05am in Conference Room B (next to the undercroft) as we discuss a topic that is meaningful for dad’s. This week’s topic: When it Comes to Goals, Are You and Your Spouse on the Same Page? Shared goals between spouses can be “the glue” that binds you and your wife together through all of what life brings. No preparation is required. Just show up and join in the conversation...or just observe. Contact us at [email protected] for the zoom information, or to get on the GA Fathers Team email distribution.

Public Rosary Rally

Please join us in praying for our nation on Saturday, October 16th at 12:00pm until 1:00pm. A local Public Square Rosary Rally will take place at Guardian Angels Church - in front of Bishop Rehring Hall (Old Gym) - on Beechmont Ave. Be sure to bring your chairs, and an extra if you can, as no chairs will be provided. We will respect the COVID 19 guidance at the time of the rally. 

Please email Nick Carpinello with questions. More information is attached.

Basketball Registration Now Open

Guardian Angels Boys and Girls Basketball registration is now open to all families of Guardian Angels Church and School for students in grades 3-8. To register, please go to the Boosters website. Registrations must be received by October 15th.

Evaluations will be held in the PC the week of Oct 18th:

• Monday, October 18th:
• 8th grade girls 5:00-6:00pm
• 7th grade girls: 6:00-7:00pm
• 6th grade girls: 7:00-8:00pm 
• 7th grade boys: 8:00-9:00pm
• Tuesday, October 19th:
• 3rd grade boys: 5:00-6:00pm
• 3rd grade girls: 6:00-7:00pm
• 4th grade girls: 7:00-8:00pm
• 6th grade boys: 8:00-9:00pm
• Wednesday, October 20th:
• 4th grade boys: 5:00-6:00pm
• 5th grade boys: 6:00-7:00pm
• 5th grade girls: 7:00-8:00pm
• 8th grade boys: 8:00-9:00pm 
• Friday, October 22nd 
• 8th grade boys: 5:00-6:00pm
• 6th grade boys: 6:00-7:00pm
• 7th grade boys: 7:00-8:00pm 

Dates of importance:

November 1, practice can begin

December 3, season begins

February 6, Regular Season Ends

February 8-13, All Girls and 3rd-4th Boys tournament

February 16–20, 5th-8th Boys tournament

Please email any questions you may have to [email protected] or [email protected].

School Masses

You can find a full schedule of school Masses on the calendar in Rediker. At this time, our All School Masses are NOT open to visitors. We will be livestreaming all of the All School Masses through GA’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Families are welcome to attend grade level Masses.

Lunchroom News

Kaldi's offers a hot lunch option every day for our students. All meals must be pre-ordered before 8:30am the day of service; this is done through the Ez-Parent website. Students will have the option to buy additional items during lunch, as long as they have an established account with a positive balance. To set up a new account, or manage an exisiting account, click here.

If you have questions regarding the lunch program, please contact Kaldis at [email protected].

The menu is available on the school website.

Cookie Ministry 

Guardian Angels School Cookie Ministry teams up with the Parish Parish Peanut Butter group to feed families in need. The Peanut Butter group makes 1,500 peanut butter and bologna sandwiches. GA students donate cookies. St. Francis Seraph Church in Over-the-Rhine gives the food to families in need. Students are asked to bring in two dozen cookies, brownies, or rice krispie bars on their classroom's designated day. They do need to be bagged, two treats per bag. All 3rd grade classes are responsible for the next donation on Monday, October 4th. Donations of juice boxes and prepackaged snacks are also needed. A complete schedule for the school year is attached. 

Attendance Line

If your child will be absent or late to school, please call the main school office by 8:00 each morning. We recently upgraded our telephone system. In doing so, we removed the former “attendance line.” All parents needing to report their child absent or late to school should call our Office Assistant, Melissa Boston, using the main school phone number - 624-3141.

Christian Service Program - Faith in Action

The purpose of the Christian Service Program is to enhance the religion curriculum at Guardian Angels Church. It is the duty of all Christians to reach out in service to those around them. Christ asks us to be His hands and feet on earth, keeping His mission of reaching out to those in need alive. The students will complete their service within the following settings: at home, the parish community/school and the community at-large. This outreach may be completed individually, with a partner, or in a group. 

This program will focus more on the meaning of the actual service opportunities rather than completing a prescribed amount of time. You will choose activities for each component—service to your family, service to your school/parish and service to the poor and vulnerable in our community. There is no minimum requirement of hours to complete. Grades 1-3 are required to complete at least 2 activities for each component; grades 4-8 at least 3 for each. You are certainly encouraged to complete more! See your Religion teacher, Mrs. Froehlich, or the parish website for a list of suggested activities and the log sheet.  

Questions? Contact Kay Froehlich, Director of Religious Education, for more information.

Box Tops For Education

The Guardian Angels PTA collects Box Tops and uses the funds earned to purchase indoor recess games and outdoor recess equipment. Box Tops is now on a digital platform. To participate, you’ll need to download the Box Tops App and scan your grocery receipt within 14 days of purchase. You’ll find more information here.

Kroger Community Rewards

Have you signed up for Kroger Community Rewards and designated GA as your beneficiary? The more families who register, the more money our school receives through the program. Kroger Community Rewards offers a great way for you to support our school's technology fund...and you don't have to spend a penny. You can search for GA or use our NPO number, 80200. The amount Guardian Angels receives depends on the points our supporters rack up while grocery shopping.

Amazon Shopping Supports GA

You can support Guardian Angels Parish when you shop at Amazon.com! GA is a participant in the AmazonSmile Program. You can sign-up to have a portion of your purchase sales come back to Guardian Angels. When you make purchases through the AmazonSmile page, and have GA selected as your beneficiary, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products back to GA. You have to be shopping from smile.amazon.com page of the site for GA to receive the benefit. 

Stay connected to GA through the following social media platforms:

Helpful Links

If you have news to share with our community, please send it in through the link above labeled Send In News For The Herald. Information is due on Friday; the week before you would like the news to be included in our newsletter.

GUARDIAN ANGELS SCHOOL

513.624.3141

GASCHOOL.ORG