St. Giles Weekly eNews

August 28, 2022

Weekly eNews

Dear St. Giles Families,

We had an AWESOME opening week! Thank you to our parents, Lions, faculty and staff for making our return run smoothly. The rooms and hallways are abuzz with activity and learning. It’s like they never left!

While we had unexpected changes in our faculty this year, we are grateful for the energy and enthusiasm that each of our new staff members have brought to their roles. Their teamwork and collaboration, as well as their knowledge of and excitement for their subject matter and classrooms, is wonderful to see and hear in the hallways. We are very confident in the new members of our team and look forward to working with them in the year ahead. So that our families can get to know our new staff members better, we will be featuring them in an upcoming eNews, highlighting more about their background, interests, and families in the weeks ahead.

As our school year begins, I want to share a behind-the-scenes look at how we prepared for another great school year at St. Giles. From teacher preparation, training, and review to facility updates around campus, our summer was a busy and productive one as we continue to move our curriculum and school forward. I share the information below to give you a sense of how we spent our time this summer:

Faculty Development

CPR/First Aid
Classroom Management
PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System)
iReady Data
Curriculum Map Reviews
Classroom preparations and unit collaboration and planning

Campus Updates

Fresh paint in most classrooms, Frawley lunchroom and Specials wing
New display boards for Art in the Specials wing and in the Frawley lunchroom
New Viewsonic vision boards (replacing SMARTboards) in all primary classrooms
Projectors and Apple TV installed in PreK and Art classrooms
Playground mulch refresh on both Primary and PreK playgrounds
Fence gate replacement on the primary playground
Electrical and plumbing work completed in the Corrigan building
Stage performance lighting updated in the gym

Finally, I’m so pleased to share that our afterschool Enrichment Program has come ROARING back with a variety of offerings this fall. Thank you to Mr. Siwek, our Enrichment Coordinator, for his efforts to rebuild our program post-COVID. From theater to Legos to podcasting and more, there is something for every Lion. Details are below…registration opens today!

Have a wonderful week!

Meg

Cybersafety - September 1

This week on September 1st, 5th-8th graders will be meeting with Cybersafety Consulting for presentations covering how they can keep themselves safe in the age of electronic devices. Liz Repking from Cybersafety Consulting will be providing a parent presentation in the evening at 6:30 pm in McDonough Hall. We encourage all parents to attend, not just those with 5th-8th graders. Are you considering getting your younger Lions a phone? Do they use your phone or home computer/tablet? This presentation is for you! Additional details can be found here.

SchoolRush

Now that school is in full swing, are you looking to connect with your Lion’s classmates? Be sure to download the SchoolRush App where you will find our classroom directory. Additional information can be found here.

Safety

We would like to assure our parents and community of our commitment to safety at St. Giles. If you have come during the day, or after school, you know that all visitors must sign in and report to the office prior to going to another building. Our doors remain locked at all times and are monitored by staff at drop off and pick up. We have full camera views of doors and, while we try to recognize all parents, we will ask how we can help you when you ring the office and will buzz you inside for further instructions. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding while keeping us all safe.

From your SGS School Board

Please join us on August 29th!

Please join us tomorrow night at our first school board meeting of the 2022-2023 school year. Hear updates from Fr. Carl, Miss Bigane and our committee chairs, and learn more about our initiatives – including updates on our strategic plan – and how you can get involved. All are welcome. We hope to see you there!

SGS School Board Meeting

Monday, August 29, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.

McDonough Hall Conference Room

Interested in joining a committee or learning more? Please email Meghan Hurley Gibbs, school board chair, at schoolboard@stgilesschool.org.

Photo/Academic Work Permission Form

On occasion, St. Giles School uses photos and/or academic work of students in school/parish publications to share information about the school. School publications include, but are not limited to: the website, school yearbook, student academic work, advertisements, annual reports, posters, newsletters, parish bulletins, social media and other public relations material.

In addition, local news organizations may hear of our activities , and our school may invite or allow them to photograph or record our events.

Please download and complete this form only if you do NOT want your child’s photo or work published in any format.

Upcoming Events

Today!, Chicago Dogs Outing, click here for details

Monday, August 29th, School Board Meeting, 6:30 pm, McDonough Hall

Wednesday, August 31, K-8 Opening Mass, 1:00 pm, please join us!

Thursday, September 1st, Cybersafety Parent Presentation, McDonough Hall

All parents are welcome to attend
Grades 5-8 will have in class presentations

Thursday, September 8th, Back to School Night Open House

Additional details will be forthcoming

Friday, September 9th, Welcome Back Parents Concert-Courtyard

Additional details will be forthcoming

Pre-K Kids Klub Helpers Needed!

We are looking for some special helpers, in grades 4 through 8, to assist with our Preschool Kids Klub Aftercare Program. Helpers will play and engage with preschoolers in the Gleeson Building for an hour or so after school and will be fully supervised by the Kids Klub staff at all times. Help is needed from 3:15 pm until 4:15 or 4:30 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and from 2:05 pm until 3:30 or 3:45 on Wednesdays. Parents will list their child's availability on the registration form. Helpers do not need to be registered for Kids Klub, however, if a helper is enrolled in Kids Klub, the family will not be charged for the time spent in PreK.

Click here to register and note availability.

Email Kathy Lofgren with questions.

Fall Enrichment is Looking for our Lions!

Fall After School Enrichment is back! Are your Lions looking to try something new? Would they like to return to after school favorites? Be sure to check our after school enrichment offerings for this fall. Students can choose from some of our returning favorites; Infinity Arts, Legacy Sports, Chess Ed, The Podcasting Club and Giving Artfully or choose from new activities; Scratch Coding, Creative Writing, Outdoor Ed, Lego Masters and Lego Builders. Sign up for one, or more than one! Registration opens up today, August 28th and will be available until the day before the first day of camp. Below, please find the link to register.

Fall Enrichment Registration

News From the Athletic Director

Welcome Back to all our SGS LIONS! I am so excited for this upcoming school year and to welcome back all our student-athletes and their families.

During the past few weeks we have welcomed back our student-athletes. All of our teams have been working hard on the soccer field to prepare for the upcoming fall season.

This week, our cross country team will begin practicing on Monday 8/29. Cross country members should meet Coach Lechowicz in the Corrigan lobby right after school dismissal and bring a water bottle. Our cross country team will also participate in their first meet of the season this week on Saturday 9/3.

Lastly, all team uniform orders for both soccer and cross country will be handed out Friday 9/2.

If you have any questions throughout the school year or need any help please contact me at athleticdirector@stgilesschool.org

GO LIONS!

Sara Spencer

A Look Ahead at Athletics this Week

8/29 3:15 pm First Cross Country practice

8/29 4:00 pm 8th grade Soccer practice

8/30 4:20 pm 5th grade Soccer practice

8/31 2:05pm Cross Country practice

8/31 4:20 pm 5th grade Soccer practice

8/31 4:00 pm 6th grade Soccer practice

8/31 4:00 pm 7th grade Soccer practice

9/2 3:15pm Cross Country practice

9/2 4:20 pm 5th grade Soccer

9/2 5:00 pm 7th grade Soccer

9/2 5:30 pm 6th grade Soccer

9/3 First Cross Country Meet

Great Grades Parties 2022

Our annual Great Grades Parties are just around the corner! Each year, we gather the families of each grade for a chance to get to know each other better for a good cause. Donations of $30/person are suggested; all donations go toward our annual Black & Gold Gala fundraising. Check out the dates and locations here – and book your sitters now!

For questions regarding our Great Grades Parties, reach out to Susan Donahue, Black & Gold Chair, at susan.donahue@gmail.com.

Parent Volunteer Compliance

We LOVE our Volunteers! As a volunteer at St. Giles School, you are required to complete all the Archdiocese volunteer requirements. Here is a list of requirements. If you are new, you must complete everything. If you are returning, you can log into Virtus to see which requirements are due. Contact Michele Bibbey with any questions.

Select “Archdiocese of Chicago”
Select “St. Giles School” (not Parish) for location.
Select "Volunteer" as role
Complete the criminal background check online
Complete the Archdiocese Standards of Behavior (annual requirement)
Complete the online class "Protecting God's Children" or the online renewal class "Keeping the Promise Alive"..

Complete the Cants 689 (DCFS background check - Annual Requirement) - email to me.
Complete the Mandated Reporter online class - email the completed certificate to me.
Complete the Cants 22 (Mandated Reporter Acknowledgement) - email to me.

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 is now available 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.

High School/Scholarship News

Shadow Days are open for 8th Grade Girls

Trinity invites interested young women to shadow and experience Trinity's collegiate-style block schedule, all-girl environment, and rigorous academics. Shadows will visit a variety of classes, tour the school, and enjoy lunch with the Blazers.

Labor Day Tie-Dye Party

Trinity's Labor Day Tie-dye Party is for girls entering grades 3rd-8th. Join us for a fun morning filled with music, dancing, and of course, tie-dye! The event will take place on Trinity's outdoor campus on Monday, September 5th at 10AM.

Studio Art Workshop

Join Trinity Art teachers Pam Costello and Christy Yungerman Smith '92 for Trinity's Studio Art Experience and participate in a fine arts morning!

Saturday, September 10 9AM-11AM. Space is limited!

The Wizard of Oz Youth Auditions

This fall Trinity's Fine & Performing Arts Department will present The Wizard of Oz! Youth performers in grades 5th through 8th are invited to audition on September 27! The Wizard of Oz opens on Friday, November 18, and runs through Sunday, November 20!