Dear St. Giles School Families,
We hope you’ve enjoyed your summer so far, and that you and your families take full advantage of the days we have left before school starts (you know I will!). But as you turn your focus to the start of school, we wanted to share important information with you about the upcoming school year. We’re covering a lot, so please read through!
First, I’d like to share some staffing updates. As you are certainly well aware, there is again a teacher shortage in our community and nationwide. Unfortunately, St. Giles School has been impacted by this as well. We were recently informed of the departure of three teachers who had planned to return: Mrs. Magana, Mrs. DeAlba and Mrs. Jusas. These teachers have accepted positions in public schools and we thank them for their work at St. Giles and wish them well in their new roles.
We are thrilled to share that we have hired two amazing second grade teachers (who you will learn more about next week). We welcome Ms. Gianna DeLaPiedra, who comes with a background in recreation therapy at Lurie’s Children’s Hospital and has her Master of Arts in Teaching, which she utilized in her role at South Loop Elementary School. We also welcome Mrs. Kathleen Brooks, who boasts 18 years experience in 2nd grade and is returning to the classroom after raising her family and substitute teaching.
We will be moving Mr. Han, who had been hired for 6th grade, to fill Mrs. Jusas’ role because of his extensive high school experience.
We are actively and aggressively looking for a 6th grade math and homeroom teacher. We are looking for a quality candidate and will make every effort to hire the right person for the role. I have reached out to local universities, other public and Catholic school districts and posted it on Indeed, social media and K12 Jobspot. I am leaving no stone unturned. If you know of a candidate that could join our family and be a good fit for the position, please have them contact me directly. We also plan to utilize the expertise of Mrs. Kathy Lucas, who is stepping away from full-time teaching but will be available to support any new hire and potentially serve in a short-term teaching capacity should the need arise.
I know these staffing changes and unknowns may be concerning to you, and I understand. Ensuring our students are taught by talented and compassionate teachers who believe in what it means to be a part of the St. Giles community is one of my highest priorities. Unfortunately, Catholic school teachers often choose to pursue work in public schools and middle school math teachers can be difficult to source. But please know I am doing everything I can to make strong staffing decisions and filling this position is my main focus in the days ahead. I will communicate directly to 6th grade families about any updates regarding the vacant position. As always, I thank you for your patience and your support.
As a final staffing update, Mrs. Kelly Richard has accepted a new position and we are grateful for her time, talent and dedication to our special events and development efforts. Boosterthon is in place for our annual Lion’s Leap fundraising walk/run in September and our Black & Gold committee has already begun planning our event on March 25, 2023 – IN PERSON! Stay tuned for ways you can help.
FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL
Students in all grade levels begin on August 22nd. Dismissal will be at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 22nd to ease into the return to school. We will resume the regular dismissal schedule for the rest of the week.
SCHOOL CALENDAR
The 2022-23 school calendar is updated and available on the family portal. You can access the portal using the password Lions123. Highlights include the Back to School Open House on Thursday, September 8th – a night to meet your Lion’s teachers – and this year’s extended Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks! You won’t be disappointed! You’ll also find dates for our annual events, such as Lion’s Leap, Catholic Schools Week and the Black & Gold Gala. Our March day off announced last year has been moved to Monday, March 27th due to the Black and Gold Gala date change to March 25th.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
PreK students will be able to drop off their supplies on August 18th and August 19th; preschool families will receive a separate communication with further instructions regarding classroom assignments and supply drop off.
K-8 students will bring their supplies with them on the first day of class. We ask that students bring only their personal supplies from the list, along with one container of disinfecting wipes, 1 roll of paper towels, and personal hand sanitizer. Personal supplies include items such as crayons, colored pencils, markers, glue / glue sticks, folders, notebooks, pencil case, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, pens, pencil case, headphones and binders.
Due to storage limitations, we ask that you keep the additionally-requested cleaning, household and hygiene supplies at home at this time. Your child’s teacher will communicate when to send those into school. Thank you!
As a reminder, supply lists can be found online:
UNIFORMS
School and gym uniforms are mandatory for all K-8 students. Preschoolers are invited to wear uniforms, but it is not required. Please check the updated Uniform Code for requirements and Dennis Uniforms for pricing. If Dennis Uniforms has notified you of backordered uniform items, please have your Lion(s) come to school in any polo shirt with shorts, an appropriate skirt, or pants. Shorts should be either St. Giles gym shorts or uniform shorts. Short shorts are not permitted.
HOMEROOM ASSIGNMENTS
This year, homeroom teachers in grades K-8 will email families on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 16th welcoming them to their classroom. Previous teachers made recommendations for student placements for this school year with great thought and care. Changes to your child’s class assignment will not be made.
ENTRANCE/EXIT PROCEDURES
Monitored doors will open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 8:15 am for morning drop off each day. Please note the entrance doors by building and grade level:
Gleeson Building
- PreK 3, Gleeson South Door
- Prek 4, Gleeson North Door
Corrigan Building
- Kindergarten, Door C, closest to the playground
- Grades 1-2, Door B, gym entrance off Linden
Frawley Building
- Grades 3-4, Door H, entrance off Linden
- Grades 5-6, Door J, closer to Columbian, off courtyard
- Grades 7-8, Door K, entrance off Columbian
LUNCH
Families provide lunch each day for their Lion(s). These lunches must be nut-free. If you’re interested in ordering lunch, there are two options to do so:
Marla's Lunch
Marla’s Lunch is the daily lunch option ordered and paid through and served by external provider, Marla’s Brown Bag Lunch. Marla’s is available every day except on PTO-sponsored Fun Lunch days. Vendors that deliver lunches include: Portillo's, Buona, Panera, Chipotle, Potbelly and more! Online ordering will open on August 17th at marlaslunch.boonli.com. Marla’s Lunch service will begin on Monday, August 29. New users, please see the flyer for more information and school code. Please note there will be no Marla’s or fun lunch the first week of school.
PTO-sponsored Fun Lunch dates are Fridays and posted on the school calendar in the Family Portal. Fun Lunch serves as an important fundraiser for PTO projects and initiatives.
***We are unable to regularly accept delivery of lunches from outside vendors. Delivery will only be accepted on an emergency basis due to a forgotten lunch. Please make arrangements for your Lion’s lunch daily and send it to school with him/her in the morning.
WATER BOTTLES
Students are asked to bring their own water bottles. All floors have bottle fillers or sinks in the classrooms available for students throughout the day. We are not able to provide cups and bottles to students. Please be sure to label your Lion’s water bottle with their name in the event it ends up in the lost and found.
WEDNESDAY REMINDER
Every Wednesday during the school year will be our day for faculty/staff meetings and staff development. All full-day students (PreK through 8th grade) are dismissed at 2:00 p.m. every Wednesday, including August 24th. Kids Klub is available beginning at 2:00 on Wednesdays.
KIDS KLUB
Kids Klub is our before and after school care program. Kids Klub provides a warm and caring environment for students, offering teacher-supervised homework time, outdoor and indoor play, specialized crafts, and planned activities. Registration is now open. If you haven’t yet, please register online here. Students are allowed to drop in/out as needed -- even day of -- so we encourage families to register in the event they need to use the service in the future. Morning and afternoon Kids Klub begins on Monday, August 22nd for all registered families.
FORMS
Health forms must be submitted to school by Tuesday, September 6th. School physicals are required for students in Preschool, Kindergarten, 6th grade, and any students new to St. Giles. Check here for requirements. Any student who has not submitted required forms by that date will be excluded from school attendance until forms are submitted. Proof of COVID vaccines are not required.
MEDICATION
Any medication that needs to be administered at school, including Epi-pen, Benadryl, inhalers, etc., must be brought to the school office on or before the first day of classes, along with the Medication Authorization Form signed by a physician. This form must be updated annually.
SUMMER READING
With two weeks left, there is still plenty of time for your student to knock out their summer reading – or add another book to their reading habit! You’ll find the summer reading lists by grade level, including recommendations for our littlest readers, on the family portal.
Our Weekly eNews will resume on Sunday, August 21st. Until then, please remember to watch for the email from your Lion’s homeroom teacher on August 16. As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
We can’t wait to see our halls and classrooms filled once again. Enjoy these last days and we’ll see you on August 22!
Best wishes,
Meg
