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January 17, 2023

SFD Scholarship Application Deadline: January 31


Below are links to the scholarship applications for all SFD scholarships available to current freshmen, sophomores and juniors. We encourage you to take advantage of the many scholarship opportunities offered! Deadline: January 31, 2023


Please note: the application process is not finalized until the school receives a completed online recommendation from a non-family member. The recommendation form can be found at https://www.sfdstallions.org/sfdhs-scholarships.


APPLICATIONS

Please note: some scholarships have required criteria and/or an additional essay question.


Freshman Scholarship Application - Class of 2026


Sophomore Scholarship Application - Class of 2025


Junior Scholarship Application - Class of 2024


The links are also available at https://www.sfdstallions.org/sfdhs-scholarships.

Get Your Tickets NOW for the Mother-Son Dance! 


A Night Under the Stars

For all SFD Mothers and Sons

When: Sunday, February 5; Doors open at 5:30pm

Where: Villa Milano


Early Bird Registration -- $30 per attendee

Tickets go up on January 30

Purchase your tickets here!

Event Slideshow: Please start sending in photos NOW, due Tuesday, January 31.

Email to: desalespix@gmail.com

  • For UNDERCLASSMEN - please send ONE photo of son with mom/adult (photo can be from any time period)
  • For SENIORS - please send THREE photos:
  1. Senior Son WITH Mom/adult (any time period)
  2. Senior Son individual (younger)
  3. Senior Son individual (current)


Questions: Please contact Lisa Solazzo at desalespix@gmail.com.


Looking forward to seeing moms and sons at this awesome event!

Stallions in the Spotlight

Senior Richael Saka won the First Prize in the 15th Chinese-Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students. The Center for Language Education and Cooperation, affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education, has agreed to award her with the title of Ambassador for Chinese Language. Richael has also been awarded scholarships including international air tickets to study at a Chinese university.

Stallions Austin '23 and Alex '25 Rush, along with their brothers Isaac and Isaiah, SFD class of 2021, were recently presented with the Dave Carto Volunteer and Participant "Spirit Award" in recognition of their volunteerism and contributions toward the work of the Adaptive Sports Connection at Snowtrails.

The Child Development class visited St Matthias K-3rd last week for storytime! It was a part of their print rich environment unit. 

James Holsinger, the Respect Life Director at Saint Andrew Parish, stopped by SFD last week to give Mr. Garrick a $450.00 donation for the school's upcoming March for Life trip. A special thank you to the Knights of Columbus Council 11275 at Saint Andrew Parish for this donation. We also received donations from the Knights of Columbus Councils from St. Matthew, St. Michael, and St. Paul Parishes to help with the cost of the trip. Thank you so much for your support!

We hosted the MLK Day of Engagement this past Sunday, bringing together presenters and guests from our school as well as the other schools around the CCL. Many engaging conversations took place on public health, environmental concerns and human rights. A special thank you to SFD alumnus and guest speaker Jordan Reeves '20, and Keynote speaker Frances Frazier.

Thank you to members of the Boys Soccer and Football teams and their families for attending a special Sunday Mass with Bishop Fernandes in support of St. John the Baptist Italian Church, home of the Italian Festival.

Congratulations to senior Michael Hunsaker who was selected as the Rotary Club of Westerville January Student of the Month.

Yaw Opoku-Kesse, Maria Coronati, and Grace Castellano volunteered at the Holy Rosary-Saint John Church Martin Luther King Day Celebration yesterday. Bishop Fernandes led the Mass in celebration of the life of

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Swift K12 School Notification System Reminder


A reminder that our school will be using the Swift K12 School Notification System to announce time-sensitive news, including school closures, bus route changes, etc. We conducted a test of this notification system last semester; if you did not receive a notification, please be sure to "Opt-In" to receive these alerts in your PowerSchool Parent Portal. Click here for instructions on how to "Opt-In."


You may also visit https://www.sfdstallions.org/technology-support for more information. 


Troubleshooting Links

The “Log in, your session may have expired” screen generally appears when your browser does not have 3rd Party Cookies enabled. Once 3rd Party Cookies are enabled in your browser settings, you should be able to log in to Swiftk12 successfully. Please see below for some guidance on enabling 3rd Party Cookies for commonly used browsers:

  • If you are using Google Chrome, click here for steps.
  • If you are using Safari, you will need to make sure the 'prevent cross-site tracking' box is unchecked in the browser settings. Steps to disable 'prevent cross-site tracking' on iOS (iPhone): 1. Open Settings. 2. Open the Safari section. 3. Under the `Privacy` heading, make sure the `Prevent Cross-Site Tracking` switch is off. 4. Go back to the Home screen, open Safari again, and try again.
  • If you are using Microsoft Edge, click here for the steps.
  • If you are using Internet Explorer, click here for steps.


It is also recommended that you clear the cookies and cache in your browser as well. Here is a link that will help.

ACT Prep Course


Just a heads up! We will hold an ACT Prep Course to help prepare for the ACT national testing date of April 18th. Diagnostic test and classes will span mid-February to mid-April. Details will be in next week's DeTales. *This course is best suited for juniors, sophomores, and freshmen in Geometry and higher.

Delayed School Start - January 19


Thursday, January 19 is a Delayed Start Day at Saint Francis DeSales High School. Our Faculty and Staff will be involved in Professional Development from 7:15am to 8:30am. Students may begin to arrive for school at 8:30am. The Tardy Bell will ring at 8:57am and Family Homeroom will begin at 9am sharp. Everyone must be on time and in attendance.


If a family is reliant on either Columbus or Gahanna School Bus transportation services and is not able to bring their child at the later time frame, then those students who arrive earlier than 8:30am will be given an extended Study Hall period in the PA Room (please note location change). In the morning, Columbus and Gahanna buses will pick up students at their normal scheduled time. 


An extended Study Hall period in the PA Room will also be available to students who have a parent driver with a work obligation and needs to drop their student off at the normal time.


If you have any questions, please contact Assistant Principal, Mr. Jim Jones at 614-267-7808 x.409.

Upcoming Events

Quarter 3 Begins

When: January 17


Delayed Start Time for School

When: January 19 at 9am

See more information in section above. 


Poetry Out Loud Competition

When: January 19 at 3:30pm

Where: SFD Little Theater

All are welcome, and admission is free.


Quarter 2 Report Cards Available on PowerSchool

When: January 20


Winter Wonderland Dance

When: January 21 from 7pm to 9pm

Where: SFD Gymnasium


Feast of St. Francis de Sales Mass

When: January 24

Bishop Fernandes will celebrate this special Mass with our school community.


Graduation Cap, Gown, Tassel and Custom Announcements Deadline

When: January 27

See ordering process in section below.


Catholic Schools Week

When: January 30 - February 3


Mother-Son Dance

When: February 5

Purchase your tickets here!


To view the 2022-2023 school calendar, visit www.sfdstallions.org/calendar.

Use your legacy for lasting impact


The new year can inspire many of us to create a long list of resolutions. However, there’s one simple resolution that can not only stand with your values but also help you pay it forward for the next generation: including a gift to St. Francis DeSales in your estate plan.


As we look forward to Catholic Schools Week later this month, you can jumpstart your celebration of St. Francis DeSales High School and our students by using your legacy to sustain our mission. Through your support, we can continue to prepare the mind, body, and spirit of each student to love God, seek truth, and live virtuously.


Create your will for free and establish your lasting legacy with this free will-writing tool.

Senior Announcements


Order Information for Cap, Gown, Tassel and Custom SFD Announcements for Graduation

  • All Seniors – ACTION REQUIRED: Now is the time to order your cap, gown, and tassel as well as custom SFD announcements for Graduation. Order Deadline Friday, January 27. The cap, gown and tassel are free of charge BUT you must place the order via this link. If you would like to order graduation announcements or additional graduation keepsakes, check out the graduation packages available here, or build your own.
  • If you are unable to place your order online, please call our local rep Mike Dillon at 614-440-2594 or email mike.dillon@jostens.com for additional ways to complete your order.
  • Click here for informational flier.


Scholarship Information

  • Please encourage your seniors to review these opportunities and apply if eligible: Scholarship Listing for Seniors
  • Please give a copy of each scholarship awarded to you to your School Counselor even if you do not plan to attend the institution. We will share the result of your hard work by noting your accomplishments in our Graduation Program. We will list the college and the scholarship name; dollar amounts will not be included. 

Mardi Gras Mom's Night Out


Join us on Tuesday, February 21st for Mardi Gras Mom’s Night Out! Take advantage of Fat Tuesday for a guilt free night of socializing and fun with other SFD moms. Stop by Jimmy V’s Grill & Pub, 1 S State St, Westerville, OH 43081 from 6–9 PM. Please RSVP to mothersclub@desales.co.

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***

Spiritual Reflection

Lord God, how marvelous are your deeds, holy and awesome is your name. You are Lord and master of all things, of even the Sabbath. May we always strive to keep holy the Lord’s Day and live every day as the gift it is from you. Amen.