OCTOBER 28, 2020
I Scream, You Scream, We ALL Scream for Ice Cream!

Skip the annual SFX Ice Cream Social? NO WAY! Creative St. Francis Xavier School, LaGrange, IL parents even helped some classes to enjoy the treats together... virtually! Thank you to Katy Casamassimo and Kristin Janisewski for organizing this fun event, and to Tates Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shop for helping us to continue this SFX fall tradition! Everything is better with ice cream!
2021-2022 RE-REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Re-registration for the 2021-2022 school year will once again be an online form for students currently in grades PS3 – 7th. The online form will be emailed to families through Family Communications Monday, November 2 and a link will be posted on the school website at sfxlg.org. Please complete and submit 1 form for each of your students currently in grades PS3-7th no later than Friday, November 20th. A per student nonrefundable re-registration fee will be charged to all families’ FACTS accounts the second week of January. If you replied “no” or “uncertain” on your student’s re-registration form you will not be assessed the re-registration fee nor will a seat be reserved for your student in the 2021-2022 grade level count.

NEW SIBLING REGISTRATION

If you have a child ready to enter Saint Francis Xavier for the first time next year, please request a New Student registration packet by completing the appropriate questions on the online re-registration form. New student paper registration forms will be sent home beginning Monday, November 9th and we ask that they be returned with original birth and baptismal certificates by Friday, November 20th. Original certificates will be returned to parents. All re-registration questions should be directed to Mrs. Evans at pevans@sfxlg.org.
Wednesday, Oct. 28
Be Happy!
Wear a t-shirt that reminds you of a happy place.

Thursday, Oct. 29
My future is drug free!
Wear a shirt for your future high school or college, or their school colors.

Friday, Oct. 30
Be Brave - Scare away drugs!
Black and orange dress down day.
Red Ribbon Week!

Today, SFX Students wore shirts from places that made them HAPPY!
Halloween is almost here! This year Halloween will be on a Saturday, so we will be having a Virtual Halloween Parade! We ask that all families send one picture of your children dressed in their costumes on Halloween. We will send home a link the week before so that you can upload your pictures. We will put together a special video to share.

The link is open now! CLICK HERE TO UPLOAD ONE PHOTO PER FAMILY!! Photos uploaded before 5 pm on Monday November 2nd will be included in our "Virtual Halloween Parade"!

1st through 8th Grade: At school on Friday 10/30, students grades 1st – 8th will have an Orange & Black Dress Down Day! Due to the lack of space in the classrooms and all of the protocols we have to follow students in grades 1st – 8th will not be wearing costumes at school. No treats will be allowed to be sent to school to be shared with other students. We will have some Halloween fun on that day.

PS3, PK4 and Kindergarten: Early childhood students will be able to wear costumes on Friday, 10/30. This decision was made as there is more space in those classrooms, and teacher assistants available to help students. More information will be coming from the early childhood team.
It's Cool & It's The Rule... Lock It Up!

Parents of bicycle riders... please ask your children if they have been locking their bikes at school, and reinforce the need to do so!

Students must lock their bikes in the bike racks during the school day with a lock the student’s family has purchased. The school assumes no liability for bicycles.
Your child’s school pictures were distributed to classrooms this morning and will be going home either today or tomorrow.

Picture retake day is Tuesday, November 10.
We used the pre-paid program again this year and this is how the retakes will work:

Retakes will be available to those students with eye closure, glass glare, bad expression, or photographic error at no charge. The entire picture package must be returned to the photographer on retake day.
Photos will also be taken if your child was absent or is an eLearner and unable to make it on picture day. eLearners should come to the gym doors. Photos will be taken in the morning and eLearners will be advised as to the time to come to school. Students having retakes may be out of uniform and “Sunday’s best” is the suggested dress.

Graduation pictures have been rescheduled for Thursday, February 18, 2021. Yearbook group pictures will not be taken this year. The yearbook will contain group pages with participants’ individual pictures shown. Please contact Mrs. Evans at pevans@sfxlg.org if you want your student to have a retake.
SFX SILENT ART AUCTION
NOVEMBER 4TH - 10TH
This November, St. Francis Xavier School is excited to host a Silent Art Auction, featuring the class art projects created for the April Auction event. We dusted off the quarantine vault and retrieved these priceless treasures. These class art projects – our Treasures – will be made available on a bidding platform 32auctions.com for one week only, beginning November 4 and closing at noon on November 10.

Many, but not all, classes created class art projects. It will be a while before children can again create such group projects. In this continuing global pandemic, we know the intangible value of a collaborative piece of art. We know they are priceless, but to support St. Francis Xavier and help our school close the gap in these unprecedented times, we will be asking you to put a price on this art and bid to win.

Stay tuned for more details about a fun auction week to celebrate art and our children!
Thank you FSA and AMAZING FALCON FAMILIES for the miles of smiles that you bring to the Faculty & Staff at St. Francis Xavier School!
On behalf of Nazareth Academy, Principal Therese Hawkins & President Deborah Tracy sent congratulations to the SFX Community, on receiving the 2020 National Blue Ribbon Award as an Exemplary High Performing School. We thank the administration, faculty & staff at Nazareth for providing an excellent high school education to so many of our SFX alumni!
We love our St. Francis Xavier School, Faculty & Staff! They have worked tirelessly over the summer and this school year to bring quality in-person and remote learning to families during this unprecedented time.

To recognize the fantastic work our Catholic schools are doing, the Office of Catholic Schools is excited to announce the #SchoolHero program that will highlight the educators and staff who have gone above to ensure a safe and productive learning environment.

Would you like to nominate a Faculty, Staff or Administrative Team member from St. Francis Xavier School?

You may use this link to submit your nomination! https://schools.archchicago.org/nominate-your-school-hero
High School Placement Test

The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic high schools will be administering the High School Placement Test on Dec. 5, 2020. To address health concerns, in addition to offering the exam on the high school campus, the schools will be offering a remote/online administration of the exam and potentially multiple testing sessions, starting on Dec. 5. All in-person high school testing will be expected to follow strict safety measures, as provided by the archdiocese. 
 
Students and families can begin to register for the examination at the high school of their choice beginning Nov. 13. Information regarding the testing details for the individual high schools can be found at the High School Admissions websites.
All Saints’ Day Celebration! 😇

To celebrate All Saints’ Day, SFX is organizing a virtual All Saints’ Litany and Parade. We want you to join us! There are two easy ways to participate:

📸 Take a picture with artwork related to a Saint whom you love or has impacted your life. The artwork can be homemade, an icon, a book, anything you would like! Or....

🎥 Take a quick video (landscape filming preferred if using a phone) of you/your family saying your Saint’s name and “pray for us!” (ex: “St. ___, pray for us!”)

✅ THEN: send your picture or video to mmcmahon@sfxlg.org (with the name of your Saint in the subject line) by TODAY.

We can’t wait to see how the Communion of Saints is walking with, loving, and praying for our SFX community in so many different ways!
SFX Parent Rosary

DATE: Thursday, 10/29
TIME: 8:20am

JOIN US IN-PERSON & SOCIALLY DISTANCED:

PLACE: Mary Garden on the Spring Ave side of the church
(inclement weather? We will gather in the church.)

Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, coffee, & rosaries. The littlest pray-ers are most welcome. And bring your special intentions...goodness knows we have a few. Covid precautions will be in place: masks & social distancing.

If you know in advance that you will be joining us, please register on the parish website for: "Rosary--Thursday."
If your schedule changes, or the morning routine goes smoother than expected, or you realize it's Thursday, or you just forget to register? No problem! Join us! We'll mark your info when you arrive. (required by Archdiocese for contact tracing, if necessary)

JOIN US VIRTUALLY:

If you are interested in praying together virtually, click on the zoom link:

Questions? Contact Katie Kanzer at k.f.kanzer@gmail.com
Do YOU Euchre?

Join the virtual fun the first 3 Fridays of November! 18 years or older - Register today https://www.givecentral.org/location/218/event/27832
Visit Playing card site at https://playingcards.io/game/euchre
SFX Virtual Falcon 5K Run/Walk

THANK YOU! WE SMASHED OUR SHIRT GOAL WITH 352 PARTICIPANTS!

Please feel free to contact Meghan Fijal at falcon5ksfx@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Are you subscribed? If your family is not subscribed to the Archdiocese of Chicago OCS newsletter, you may subscribe here to receive the latest communications from the Office of Catholic Schools. For previous communications, please visit: bit.ly/AoCCatholicSchools
Due to concerns over Covid-19 transmission, the Chicago Archdiocese ban on sports competitions for grade schools remains in effect. As the SFX administration is taking extraordinary steps to manage in-person learning, their recommendation is not to host any school sponsored athletic activities for the foreseeable future. Therefore, all SFX sports will continue to be postponed. We will continue to monitor Archdiocese communications for any changes regarding athletic competitions and if any changes are announced, we will work with the school administration to determine what options are best for the students of SFX. We all miss seeing the athletes compete on the court and field and the parents cheering from the stands. We are looking forward to the time that we can all be together again. Until then, please be well.

Tammy Bauer
SFX Athletic Director
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! St. Francis Xavier School Restaurant Fundraising Night with Aurelio’s Thursday, November 5 from 4:00 – 8:00pm

20% of all sales (pre-tax/tip/delivery) will be donated to SFX school. Place your order between 4-8:00pm on 11/5 and mention that it is for the SFX Fundraiser. Give them a call at 708-579-0900!

Aurelio's is offering both pick-up and delivery. Be sure to specify your preference when you place your order and speak to the operator (and mention our fundraiser).

Delivery Options: pay cash at your door or credit at time of order (you can add gratuity if desired, then they can do a contact free delivery by calling you as they leave it at your doorstep) *essentially they are offering cash, charge and/or contact free delivery (let phone operator know)*

Pickup: can pay cash or charge when you arrive OR charge over the phone and they will do a curbside drop off---let the phone operator know ahead of time what you would like.

We are extremely grateful for their generous, recurring commitment to support our school via these fundraisers. Tell your friends and enjoy your pizza! https://www.aureliospizza.com/location/lagrange/
Support SFX while you shop!


Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases.
How do I use the Shop SFX program?

Every few weeks, I reload both my Mariano’s card & my Amazon account so that I get credit for all of those groceries and the Amazon packages that we just can’t seem to get enough of! And more often than I’d like to admit, I find myself waiting in line at other stores (or shopping online) and I check the RaiseRight App to see if I can purchase a digital gift card so that I can use it immediately on my purchase.

How do you use the Shop SFX program?

There are so many ways! You can pay by connecting your checking account, by check (sent into the school) or by credit card! Yes, even credit cards! And so many vendors to choose from! Amazon.com, Starbucks, Apple & iTunes, Gap & Old Navy, Target...Just to name a few!

Not sure what Shop SFX is all about? We are here to help! Email us at ShopForSFX@sfxlg.org for more information.

Orders due this Friday, 10/23, will be distributed on Wednesday, 10/28.

A special thanks to all of the families that already support Shop SFX!
UPCOMING SHOP FOR SFX DUE DATES / FILL DATES

You can find a current Order Form on the SFX School Website at
10/26 - 10/30
Red Ribbon Week

Monday 11/2
20-21 RE-REGISTRATION begins for SFX Students currently in PS3 - 7th
Online form will be emailed.

Thursday 11/5
Restaurant Fundraising Night with Aurelio's LG

11/6, 11/13, 11/20
Virtual Euchre League

11/1 - 11/7
Virtual Falcon 5K
Visit sfxfalcon5k.com to register for this virtual run/walk!

11/4 - 11/10
SFX SILENT ART AUCTION

Monday 11/9
20-21 NEW SIBLING REGISTRATION begins
(Paper) Forms will be sent home to current school families requesting a packet
(More info to come)

Friday 11/20
20-21 Re-registration and New Sibling Registrations are DUE

Thursday 12/3
Restaurant Fundraising Night with Aurelio's LG

Monday 12/7
2020-2021 NEW FAMILY
OPEN ENROLLMENT BEGINS

Please note:
Friday 12/18/20 
NOON Dismissal


MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Friday 1/15/21
Friday 1/29/21 and
Friday 1/12/21
SFX TRIVIA NIGHTS!
More info to come!

Let an individual Teacher, Staff or Administrative Team Member know that they are appreciated!

Click & Clap is our year-round positive recognition program allowing families to acknowledge special moments, and thank a SFX Faculty or Staff member for something they have done that has left a positive impression on a student or on your family in a special way.
The following is shared community news. Content shared is informational and does not serve as a recommendation or endorsement by SFX School or Parish. 
Are you an alumnus of SFX? CLICK HERE rb.gy/mgq9pt to create your SFX alumnus profile today!
News from THE WELL CSJ Spirituality Center
HFS Chicago Scholars

Financial assistance to attend top Chicago private high schools. Academic Directors dedicated to each high school class and one-on-one mentors. Four-year written commitment specifying performance expectations. College visits, selection, and admissions support.



Leader/Scholar Award
Nominations must be submitted by Tuesday, November 3rd 2020.
Full details on the award are available at stlaurence.com/leaderscholaraward
Shop for SFX !
a SCRIP Fundraising Program


Place your order today at www.ShopwithScrip.com or on the RaiseRight App

Need to enroll? Visit www.ShopwithScrip.com; click on Join a Program; enter our enrollment code: 291486155575L

Questions? Email us at ShopforSFX@sfxlg.org

Bookmark the link! Your purchases can make a difference!
St. Francis Xavier Family Ministry 

This year brings many challenges to volunteering and giving back to others in our St. Francis Xavier Community. We have met and decided that we will find the best way to minister to people who need our help. We came up with three opportunities and hope you can join us.
We are excited to share the following service opportunities! SFX families are invited to participate in these service events. The idea behind the Family Ministry is to give families a chance to have fun and work together while serving others in need. Please help us make a difference.

December

We wanted to work with an organization that would bring cheer during the holiday season. We are going to be working with Cards of Hope. This is an organization that mails cards to people affected by cancer. Please reach out to Rachel Peterson petersonrtw@sbcglobal.net and she will provide you with the information on how to help. We will be participating in this event from December 1st through December 16th.

October through May

Some of you may already be aware that the guests of the BEDS program are not staying at St. Francis Xavier due to COVID-19 concerns. The guests are staying at various locations, so for now, please drop all dessert donations on Monday mornings before noon at the BEDS Plus facility on the corner of East Avenue and Ogden Avenue but please contact Theresa Sullivan at thsully28@yahoo.com to sign up.