Throughout the Advent season we will share messages from our students of Hope, Love, Joy and Peace, as well as highlights on why it remains so important for us to Be the Light of DeSales.

Watch for the first message of Hope this Sunday, which includes the SFD choir singing "Do You Hear What I Hear."

Stallions in the Spotlight

We are very thankful for everyone who donated to this year's SFD Canned Food Drive! We met our school-wide goal, and yesterday, the items were dropped off at the St. James the Less Food Pantry and the St. Stephen’s Community House.

Last Friday marked the last 'SFD Marching Band sponsored' morning Mass of the season; since it also marked the last for Mr. Bill Steller as the Director, band members surprised Mr. Steller with a special reception after Mass.

Senior Seamus Bonte was chosen as the winner from the Central Catholic League to advance to the National Football Foundation Scholarship. 

Sister Runita, who serves as the General Councilor in Rome and is also in charge of the mission of the Salesian Sisters throughout the world, visited SFD last Wednesday to learn more about the community and observe first-hand the wonderful connection of SFD and our Salesian Sisters.

Congratulations to the following students who received a Guardian Angel Scholarship this school year: Andrea Diaz, Addison Stonis, India Holland, Abishek Sanyashi, Andrew Ofosu, Joe Wiseman, Emily Rayas, Dylan Piedrahita, Michael Henderson, Ty Hampton, Isaac Stewart, August Sabo, Jaeleah Smith, and Kenyetietta Quinn.

Senior Richael Saka has been named a Semifinalist for the 2023 Coca-Cola Scholars Program, moving to the next round of the selection process for a chance to become a Coca-Cola Scholar and receive a $20,000 college scholarship. 1,557 high school seniors were selected as Semifinalists from a pool of over 91,000 submitted applications from across the country based on their academic excellence, leadership, and service demonstrated in school and community activities.

Congratulations to the winners of the Spanish Club Sugar Skull decorating contest for Day of the Dead: seniors Denise Nuñez Reyes and Kareem Smith, and sophomore Daniel Williams.

Swift K12 School Notification System

Last Friday, parents/guardians received an email reminding families to check their contact information and alerting preferences in their PowerSchool Parent Portal. This information will be used when we need to send time sensitive announcements via our Swift K12 School Notification System.

A test of this system will be performed on November 30. Please be sure your information is up-to-date before then. For more details on updating your contact information and/or alert preferences, please click here.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday, November 30th from 6pm to 8pm via Zoom. Conference times will be made via Sign Up Genius. Sign ups close on November 29 at midnight.

Sign Up Form

Please note: Out of courtesy to all families, we are asking that you only sign up for one slot per teacher, and conferences will be limited to five minutes in length. 

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.

Upload Photos for Yearbook

We are using a new program where students/parents can upload any pictures they took at events around school for use in the yearbook. The link is https://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/#!/?code=stallions23. We are specifically looking for pictures from the Father Daughter Dance.

MLK Day - Save the Date

The Office of Diversity and Student Equity will be engaging our school community in conversations on a variety of Social Justice topics for MLK Day 2023. The event will take place on January 15th from 2pm-4pm. The afternoon will begin with light refreshments in the cafeteria. Shortly after, students and faculty will be invited to the Gymnasium to engage with our community members, discussing the topics they have researched and prepared. The event will culminate with an address from a community civic engagement leader in our Theatre.

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.

Office Announcements

Join us in wishing Ms. Woods a speedy recovery on her recent medical procedure and give a special thanks to Ms. Johnson who is with us to help out during her absence. 

Also, a friendly reminder to please call the main office (614) 267-7808 to report all absences and early dismissals.

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.

Animal Lovers Club Pet Supply Drive

The Animal Lovers Club is having a Pet Supply drive from November 29 to December 9. The donations will be going to the Franklin County Dog Shelter and the Canine Collective. Monetary donations will also be accepted. There will be boxes in the school lobbies to drop off supplies; monetary donations can be given to Mrs. Belt. Below is a list of what is needed:

• soft/chewy treats
• creamy peanut butter
•  bath/beach towels (gently used are also accepted)
• dog beds, crates, carriers, collars, leashes, and grooming tools
• durable dog toys
• Canned Dog Food-any brand (needed most)
• Dry Dog Food-any brand (needed most)
• Bleach
• Fabuloso Cleaner
• HE (High Efficiency) liquid laundry detergent
• Cleaning supplies
• Paper towels
• Trash bags
• Blankets (inexpensive fleece/stadium sized, 5×7 ft works the best; gently used are also accepted)

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***

Franklin County Public Health will be conducting a measles vaccine clinic at Township Hall, 3820 Cleveland Ave., on December 16 from 8am to 4pm. For details and to set an appointment (required), please call (614) 525-3719 and/or visit: Measles - Franklin County Public Health (myfcph.org)