Stallions in the Spotlight

SFD's Animal Lovers Club had guest speaker April Ricciardo, a DeSales alumna and assistant director at the Franklin County Dog Shelter, at their most recent meeting. She talked about the shelter and the services they provide, but the most exciting part was meeting McGruff, a terrier mix who hung out during the meeting. April also let us know that kids from ages 12 to 17 can now volunteer at the shelter.

Last weekend the St. Vincent DePaul Club had a team of students who canvassed five neighborhoods collecting donations for our canned food drive. Seniors Alex Herrmann and Michael Hunsaker canvassed additional neighborhoods to add to the group's total collection. Overall, members of the SVDP Club donated 6,181 items to the drive!

Congratulations to the following student-athletes who signed their National Letters of Intent last Wednesday. L to R: Cameron Hoying (Volleyball, Lewis University); Natalie Martin (Gymnastics, University of Maryland); Isabella Trostel (Gymnastics, Michigan State University); Gemma Sciarroni (Lacrosse, Slippery Rock University); Kirsten Kelley (Lacrosse, Palm Beach Atlantic University); David McClelland (Wrestling, PennWest Clarion University); Aidan Shannon (Cross Country, Ohio Dominican University); Ian Burns (Lacrosse, Thomas More University). 

In honor of Veterans Day, we recognized the veterans and active service personnel in our St. Francis DeSales community during an all school assembly. SFD Eagle Scouts also participated in the assembly by presenting the colors.

Senior Seamus Bonte played the bagpipes at the City of Westerville's Veterans Day Breakfast last Friday.

Four SFD students attended the Marian Dinner held at St. Andrew's parish last week. The dinner was an opportunity for young women to interact with Sisters, and learn more about religious life.

Senior Richael Saka made it to the top 30 in the 15th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign secondary school students. She is also number 1 in the American (including North America and South America) Intercontinental competition!

Even with a drop in temperatures, the SFD Fishing Club had a great tournament this past weekend. The anglers caught and released 19 largemouth bass and a handful of bluegills. The largest bass of the day was caught by both Maddi Ryan and Colton Yochus at 14.5 inches. Tournament Results: Tied for First place: Maddi Ryan and Colton Yochus; Second place: Will Woodruff; Tied for Third place Evie Brown and Maddi Malinowski.

Seeking Long-Term Substitute Teacher

We are currently seeking a Long-term Substitute Teacher for Biology classes. Please contact our Assistant Principal, Mr. Jim Jones at 614-267-7808 x.409 if you are interested in this position.

Office Announcement

Join us in wishing Ms. Woods a speedy recovery on an upcoming medical procedure and give a special thanks to Ms. Johnson who will be returning to help out during her absence. 

Academic/Final Exam Policy

Families planning winter and summer travel are advised to please review St. Francis DeSales High School Academic/Final Exam Policy, which was published in our Family Handbook at the beginning of the 2022-23 academic school year:

Academic/Final Exam Policy

• The exam schedules for each semester are posted a year in advance. This is a very important time in the St. Francis DeSales High School Academic calendar. Missing exam days for any reason other than an unexpected illness is not acceptable. In the event of illness, medical documentation must be provided. 
• Final Semester exams are to be taken on the day and class period assigned. Students who have to take an exam or exams at a different time than the established exam period, for reasons other than illness, please note the following:
• The exam(s) must be taken before departure.
• If an exam is taken early the maximum grade a student can receive is 80% of the grade earned.
• Do not schedule vacations, doctor appointments, club sport activities, etc. during these testing times. 
• College Credit Plus classes from Columbus State Community College, University of Findlay, and The Ohio State University have final exam policies that must be followed in addition to our policy. Specific policies should be reviewed with College Credit Plus teachers.

Cheers to a Successful Event

As we wrap up our Friends in the Courtyard event that took place last month, we want to thank all who helped us put on a fantastic event! Each year our community comes together for an event that is fundraising and friend-raising at its finest! All of the proceeds from this event benefit our students and the co-curricular programs they participate in. You can see how much each program raised through the silent and live auctions, as well as cash donations by clicking here. A special thanks to Sam Carfagna '74 and Dom Tiberi '77 for being our auctioneers during the live auction. We look forward to seeing everyone at Friends in the Courtyard 2023!

March for Life -- Registration is Open

Registration is officially open for the March for Life Bus Trip to Washington, D.C. on January 19-20, 2023. The two-day trip will include a Thursday tour and Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, as well as an evening tour of Washington, D.C. monuments, Friday morning Respect Life Mass and the March for Life. The cost for the trip is $175 and will include bus transportation, dinner Thursday, January 19, breakfast and lunch Friday, January 20, and a one-night hotel stay. There are only 44 spots available for students on the bus, so please register and make a non-refundable deposit of $125 by December 9 to reserve your seat on the bus. The remaining $50 will be due by January 12th. Checks are payable to St. Francis DeSales High School and should be returned to the main office with the registration form: https://forms.gle/vXKzSS9hsTJXVzNp7. As a reminder, any parents interested in assisting us as a chaperone for the trip must have completed Protecting God's Children and an FBI/BCI background check: 

https://columbuscatholic.org/protecting-gods-children. Contact Molly Kraker at (614) 353-5686 or mollykraker@columbus.rr.com with any questions regarding the trip.

French Exchange Program

Our annual exchange program with our sister school in Normandy, France - Institution Saint Joseph in Le Havre - will be taking place this year from February 4 - 18.

We are currently looking for families who are willing to host a student (or two) in their home during their visit. Students do not need to be enrolled in French at DeSales in order to host a student, as all students have a good proficiency in English. 

In addition, there is no fee associated with hosting a French Exchange student; all that needs to be provided is a place to stay, meals with your family and a sack lunch on most days. The exchange students will report each day to DeSales with your student and depart with them at the end of the day.

This is a wonderful opportunity for your student and your family to make a connection and learn about another culture. Please contact Mrs. Heather Evans if you are interested in hosting a student at evans@desales.co or your student can see her in room 121 to receive the necessary paperwork.

Nurse's Notes

SICK POLICY:

Please follow the guidelines below to help keep our school safe and healthy:

We are seeing an increase in illnesses, please keep your student(s) home if they have any of the following symptoms.

If your child shows these signs of illness they must remain home (or will be sent home from school with a COVID at-home test kit):

● Fever - Fever is defined as having a temperature of 100.4 F or higher. A student

needs to be fever free for a minimum of 24 hours without the help of fever reducing medication before returning to school. **

● Diarrhea, Stomach Ache and/or Vomiting - Student(s) must remain home for

24-48 hours after stomach ache, diarrhea, and/or vomiting has stopped. The student should be feeling better and food intake has returned to normal before returning to school. **

● Difficulty Breathing - Student(s) should stay home until he or she is feeling better and activity level has returned to normal. **

● Sore Throat - Student should stay home if he or she has a red throat, swollen glands, or difficulty swallowing. **

● Red Eyes and/or Eye Discharge - Student(s) should stay home until recovered or seek evaluation by a healthcare provider. **

● Loss of Taste and Smell - Student(s) should seek medical evaluation. **

● Uncontrolled cold symptoms that interfere with the student’s ability to learn (e.g. persistent coughing and/or persistent/active runny nose) - Student(s) should stay home until symptoms are improving and can participate in class.**

● Undiagnosed Rash - Student(s) should seek evaluation by a healthcare provider.

● Other Symptoms - Student(s) exhibiting symptoms such as extreme fatigue, body aches and/or headache and are not able to participate in class should stay home until recovered or seek evaluation by a healthcare provider. **

**If your child has suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection, please follow up with your child’s healthcare provider and follow recommendations regarding testing and/or masking.

● If you receive a negative COVID result, consider taking another COVID test in 48 hours. Here is more information about at-home self testing. 

● Please report to the school (nurse) if your child has a communicable disease, defined as a disease that can be passed from one person to another. Examples include but are not limited to upper respiratory tract infections including COVID-19, influenza, strep throat, pink eye, vomiting and/or diarrhea, and skin infections. Children are expected to remain home during the communicable period of the disease as defined by a healthcare provider.

● Before your child returns to school after an illness, please email Kelli Fitzpatrick, BSN, RN, LSN at fitzpatrick@desales.co with the following: your child’s symptoms, the date symptoms started, and the best contact number for parent/guardian. If your child sees a healthcare provider for any illness, please provide a note from the healthcare provider upon return that includes your child’s diagnosis and the date when your child is able to return to school.

● In the event a child becomes ill during the school day, the parent(s)/guardian will be called. If the parent(s) cannot be reached, the emergency contact will be called. Student(s) should be picked up within 30 minutes of notification.

***THIS POLICY IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***