Dear St. Giles Families,
This fall, I will be updating you on some of the “big picture” happenings at St. Giles School. I will use my letter to share some of our goals, initiatives and accomplishments so that you can understand what we are working on to move St. Giles forward.
These past few months, we have been working with the Archdiocese and ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) on applying for and receiving EANS (Emergency Assistance for Nonpublic Schools) funding. EANS is a federal program that was created due to COVID to address needs and academic gaps related to school closures and remote learning.
Our funding this year has enabled us to address some of our technology goals for St. Giles School. We used these funds to purchase additional Chromebooks, allowing for 1:1 learning for grades 3-8 and 2 class sets to share in grades K-2. Our original goal was to be fully 1:1 in K-8 by 2022-23; we hope to meet this goal by the end of the year! With these critical EANS funds -- and the generosity of donors like you -- we have been able to upgrade our infrastructure so that students can access online learning in class without interruption.
Additional EANS funds were used to upgrade our MyMath curriculum in grades K-5, including an online component, our Wonders reading curriculum in grade 4 and our iReady and IXL subscriptions. Additionally, we were able to be reimbursed for PPE and sanitation/cleaning supplies purchased last year that continue to keep all of us safe throughout the school day. All of these funds have been used where most needed and within the specified parameters of the grant. We worked hard to diligently utilize the funds (down to the last penny!) to build upon our already strong programs.
I would like to say how grateful I am to all of our Lions and their families for their continued dedication to safety and all of our protocols. As you saw from our notice this week, we will communicate with you as a whole if we have any positive cases and will notify individuals and classrooms directly if there are close contacts. With our protocols in place, distancing and masks, we do not anticipate any close contacts while in the building. Our success last year of zero community spread in the building gives us additional confidence. We will continue to monitor outside factors and are prepared to pivot our protocols as needed for the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and students.
Have a wonderful week and stay well,
Meg
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Picture Day!
This Thursday, September 16th, is picture day at St. Giles! Students are welcome to come out of uniform for pictures but dressed up appropriately. It is not a dress-down day; jeans are not acceptable. A photo lasts forever!
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This year we will be hosting a Master in Social Work intern from University Wisconsin-Green Bay, Emma Tencate. A member of the Oak Park Community, growing up in the Ascension Parish, Emma comes from a family of teachers. Emma brings her expertise on children to our whole class Social Emotional Lessons(SEL). She will also be assisting in turning challenging behavior into positive paths during small groups. She will be with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays this school year. She already experienced what makes this such a great place to work on curriculum night when she was welcomed to the community. This past weekend she met a few more families when she helped coach our cross country team at our second meet of the season. We are very excited to help develop resilience in our students as co-coaches of the fall cross country team. |
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Get Excited: It’s Almost Time for Lion’s Leap
Each year, we begin St. Giles School’s year-long fundraising efforts with Lion’s Leap -- a fun run and obstacle course where students are asked to collect pledges. Our goal this year: raise $90,000 in funds to help offset the costs of a Catholic school education. Each family’s participation is critical in order for us to meet our goal.
Whether you’ve “leaped” before or are new to the school, there are a few things to keep in mind as we get ready for this effort:
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All-school kick-off: Our all-school Pep Rally on September 20 will get students excited for Lion’s Leap. They’ll learn how they can come together to give back to a school that gives so much to us.
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Timing: Fundraising takes place over two weeks, culminating in the obstacle course for 6th-8th graders on September 29 and the fun run for PreK-5th graders on September 30.
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Theme: Our fundraising partner, Boosterthon, introduces a theme each year that makes Lion’s Leap even more fun. This year’s theme is “Sports City Worldwide” – Lions will learn about what it’s like to live out character through sports in different cultures and countries.
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Prizes & challenges: Students earn prizes for their fundraising efforts based on minutes of participation - this year's goal is 35 minutes! Plus, we have several all-school challenges, like this year’s special challenge: if we meet our $90,000 fundraising goal, Miss Bigane will move her office to the roof for one day!
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Volunteer: Student volunteers are needed to solicit donations after Mass on September 25-26; if interested, sign up here. Parents can join the fun too, as volunteers on Lion's Leap days; sign up here. Take a look at how to get involved and sign up! You do need to be Virtus compliant in order to volunteer.
You can visit the Family Portal for more information on Lion’s Leap. Look for a Special eNews next week dedicated to Lion’s Leap with more information and FAQs. Your student(s) will bring home materials after the Pep Rally on the 20th, as well.
Get ready! We’re excited to launch a successful FUNdraising effort with you. Thank you for your continued support of St. Giles School!
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St. Giles Teachers Available for Tutoring
Parents, Please contact the following St. Giles teachers with questions or to schedule tutoring services for your child. Please note: if tutoring takes place on the St. Giles campus fees are made payable to St. Giles School and teachers will be paid through payroll. Off-campus tutoring fees are paid directly to the teacher. All tutoring arrangements are made directly through the teacher.
Ariana Jusas - 7th and 8th grade math teacher
6th, 7th, 8th grade math tutoring
Elaine Reichert - 7th grade ELA teacher
5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grade ELA tutoring
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Fun Lunch.....
The PTO Fun lunch program is a favorite Giles tradition and also one of the PTO's biggest fundraisers.
Buona will be served on 9/17
Here is a handy video tutorial to help you with your order and save you time! Take a look!
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8th Grade Lion in Macbeth, Chicago Lyric Opera
Miles Luke, class of 2022, has been rehearsing tirelessly for his role as a witch child in the upcoming production of Macbeth at the Lyric Opera. Show dates run September 17th-October 9th. Check out performance dates and times and an overview of the show by lead actors. Break a leg! Bravo, Miles! We are so proud of you!
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Middle School Families: Mark your calendars for the return of the Catholic High School Fair! The in-person fair will return on Thursday, October 7th, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm in McDonough Hall. More details will follow closer to the date.
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One Book, One Fenwick
This fall, Fenwick faculty are excited to welcome students in grades 7-8 to join us for discussions on our inaugural “One Book, One Fenwick” text, Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun!
We are excited to invite middle school students to join us for discussions on the text in celebration of the “One Book, One Fenwick” program. This initiative, hosted by Fenwick’s English Department, encourages all students, faculty, alumni, and community members to come together to read and discuss a shared text. Students study the selection as part of their summer reading, and throughout the year, Fenwick hosts a variety of events to foster community and conversation around the text. This year’s events include an all-school student assembly, book chats for alumni, performances of scenes by Fenwick theater students, and interdisciplinary discussions across students’ classes.
Students and their parents/guardians are invited to join Fenwick teachers and the admissions team for two upcoming evening programs on the play:
Thursday, September 30, 2021, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Character and Voice in Act I of A Raisin in the Sun
Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Identity and Faith in Acts II-III of A Raisin in the Sun
Book discussions will meet in the Fenwick library. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and students and parents/guardians are invited to join faculty and the admissions team for refreshments. Faculty will host discussions and performance activities on the text from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Students are encouraged to read or watch Act I and Acts II-III in advance of these evenings, and selected scenes for discussion will be shared with students before each event.
Please register in advance at https://forms.gle/SPjhCVqqK3wdNVup6. We look forward to sharing conversations about Hansberry’s play with students and families. Thank you for supporting “One Book, One Fenwick”!
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