Dear St. Giles Families,
Thank you to all of our teachers, students, and parents who have managed a successful week of remote learning. Please see reminders at the end of this letter.
We know that last week was challenging in many respects and appreciate the dedication of our community to work through these challenges, both locally and nationally, together.
Fr. Carl shared the following statement with our community regarding the unrest at the Capital:
Dear St. Giles Community:
What we all saw yesterday in our nation’s capital was shocking, and an egregious assault on our country’s democracy. The issues around what happened are complex, for sure.
However, the actions of those who stormed the Capitol building, and seeming lack of clear condemnation from some quarters of our government, were treasonous in their nature, and should never have happened in our country and for the rest of the world to see. Considering what happened yesterday both in Washington, DC, and the act of vandalism and racism that we experienced in our own community, I encourage us all to use our voices to speak up and speak out against such actions. And I also encourage all of us to do so in a way that reflects who we are as a people of God, a people of faith, hope, and love. Our actions and speech should reflect God’s desire for equality among all people if we are to be faithful to the Word of God. During a time of such turmoil, may we live and act always as instruments of God’s peace.
Fr. Carl Morello
Additionally, Cardinal Cupich has released the following statement:
Jan. 6, 2021
What has been unfolding at the Capitol today should shock the conscience of any patriotic American and any faithful Catholic. The eyes of the world look on in horror as we suffer this national disgrace. For many months we have witnessed the deliberate erosion of the norms of our system of government. Peaceful protest is a sacred right. It has been an essential component of much social progress over the course of human history.
But violence is its opposite. Violence in the service of a falsehood is worse. Please join me in praying for the woman who was shot during the rioting, and who has died, and for law enforcement who protect us against mob rule.
We pray for peace at this bracing moment in U.S. history, a history that has been marked by one of democracy’s greatest virtues—the peaceful and orderly transition of power. May our elected officials heed the counsel of their better angels to stand up for the Constitution they swore to defend, to speak the truth, and to recognize threats to democracy, no matter their source.
May God’s love suffuse our political life together, reminding all Americans that politics is the peaceful resolution of conflicting points of view. This is our tradition as a democratic nation—and we undermine it at our own peril.
Please see our Counselor's Corner below for additional resources in addressing these important topics at home. We will continue to pray for peace.
Stay well,
Meg
Remote Learning Reminders
- Students should login with first and last names and cameras on unless previous accommodations have been made
- Phones are not allowed during remote learning; just as a regular school day. Parents, please collect phones at the beginning of the day to avoid distractions.
- Attendance is taken first thing in the morning--if you miss attendance or will be absent, please notify the office and your teacher.
Christmas Break Travel Reminders
If for any reason you were not able to return home on January 4th to quarantine prior to our return on the 19th, please let your teacher and the office know ASAP. Quarantine for 14 days after travel is required per the Archdiocese guidelines. We will work with families to ensure students receive assignments during any quarantine.
|
|
Empower Illinois Reservation Night 2021
As a reminder, reservations for a 2021-2022 Empower Illinois tax credit scholarship will open on Wednesday, January 13, 2021. Like last year, the application process will include two steps: a reservation and an application.
Families should visit Empowerillinois.org to find the reservation page link. Families do not make their tax credit scholarship reservations by logging into their EmpowerXChange portal.
The reservation form will be available at 6:30 pm to give families time to enter their information before submission at 7:00 pm. More information about preparing for reservation night can be found on our website under,
Families who have previously completed a tax credit scholarship application through the EmpowerXChange portal should use the same email address when making their reservation.
2021-2022 Application
The 2021-2022 scholarship application will be available on Friday, January 15. Families who have completed their reservation by noon on Thursday, January 14 will receive an email from Empower Illinois on Friday morning notifying them the application is live. If families complete their reservation after noon on Thursday, they will receive their invitation to complete the application within 48 hours.
Application Previews and Guides
|
|
This week the attacks in Washington DC on Capitol Hill have weighed heavy on many of us as we think about how to support our children, the students, our staff, and responsive teaching practices. I am reminded of going back to the roots of what is so vital with social and emotional learning: supporting one another, asking children what they know and how they feel, making sure members of our community have ways to manage their own emotional reactions to what has happened, and praying for peace and justice. Here is a letter from Cardinal Cupich, the Catholic Schools were able to use for addressing the attacks on Capitol Hill with prayer guidance.
Be genuine and allow yourself to show emotions when sharing emotionally laden information. Children can tell when adults are authentic in their communications, especially by the tone of voice and nonverbal behavior. Here is an article with ideas for children of all ages from National Geographic for Kids.
|
|
New Year. New Gear. Same School Pride!
Just in time for Catholic Schools Week next month and the (permanent!) return of Spirit Wear Fridays, we’ve introduced new St. Giles School apparel!
For a limited time, you can purchase newly-designed t-shirts, sweatshirts, pullovers, and other gear in youth and adult sizes, many featuring a fresh St. Giles School monogram we're excited to debut. Order now through Thursday, Jan. 14 and items will be shipped directly to your home before February 1. You also can find some old favorites in the Spirit Wear Store on the St. Giles Athletics website. We can't wait to see our Lions show off their black and gold paw pride.
A portion of all sales will be donated to St. Giles School athletics programs. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jennifer Sabatino.
|
|
REMINDERS: 2021-22 School Year Registration
- All students will be automatically registered for next year.
-
January 30, 2021 - deadline to email office@stgilesschool.org if you are not returning so that we do not charge you a registration fee which will be posted to your FACTS account on Feb. 1.
-
February 20th - $200 Registration Payment is Due. If you are set up on automatic withdrawal (ACH) in FACTS, there is no need to do anything and this will be deducted like all other payments. If you are set up with invoice payment, you will need to log in to FACTS to pay.
2021-22 Scholarship Information
-
January 4 through April 15 - St. Giles Scholarship Application Opens. Log on to your Facts account and click on Grant & Aid when available. All applications will be reviewed after the April 15 deadline.
-
January 12, 8:00 am - Big Shoulders Scholarship Opens - Additional information and links will be posted as soon as we have more information. Scholarships are first-come, first-served, and usually fill up in the first 5 minutes.
-
January 13, 7:00 pm - Empower Illinois Scholarship Application Opens. Additional information and links will be posted as soon as we have more information. Scholarships are first-come, first-served, and usually fill up in the first 5 minutes.
|
|
St. Giles Virtual Variety Show
|
|
Registration is now open for the St. Giles Virtual Variety Show!! If your student is interested in participating, please fill out the short registration form by Friday, January 15th. A few notes:
- Submit a Google Registration Form with a short description of your act by January 15th.
- If working as a group, each individual should video themselves separately and then edit the pieces together. Please do not plan to meet in person as a group.
- Once your registration is received, you will receive instructions on creating your video with the timeline!
- We are excited to see all the talents of St. Giles!!
|
|
Join Us - Volunteers Wanted!
PTO is in the midst of planning for some activities for the second half of the school year. If you are interested in getting involved, there were some fun ideas discussed at the last PTO Meeting, including:
- Catholic School Week activities - decorating and crafts
- Virtual enrichment ideas (for students and parents)
- A virtual fun run!
- Variety Show
- St. Giles Garden
- St. Giles Plant Sale
Things are different this year, but in some ways simpler! We'd love to have you. Please contact Kristen Reale or Laura Milder.
|
|
Owen's Bench Service Project - Collect Those Caps!!
Remember to keep collecting those caps for Owen's Bench Service Project. This special cause is to honor the memory of a very special boy from our community, Owen Shaker-Petrzelka, who tragically lost his battle with brain cancer this past fall. We are joining Mann School in Oak Park in collecting plastic bottle caps to build a Buddy Bench in Owen’s memory. The Shaker family has many connections to St. Giles and we are excited to be a part of this important effort.
It's easy to help!! Most plastic bottle caps from water, soda, juice, milk, Gatorade, etc. can be used. Click here for the specifics on acceptable plastic. Please note caps must be clean and dry. Caps can be dropped off at St. Giles (bin is under the archway between parish center and Frawley) anytime OR at the Mann School Vestibule from 8am-3pm on school days.
|
|
We are excited to announce that we have added a new quarter zip to our uniform repertoire. Are you looking for something for your Lion besides the uniform sweatshirt or fleece? Check out Schoolbelles' current sale!
|
|
2:1 Empower Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship
Matching Donation Program
How does it REALLY work?
A donation to Empower Illinois is like making a small donation to the school and also redirecting a larger portion of your tax dollars to our school. Here's an example:
- You donate any amount to Empower Illinois. We will use $1000 as an example.
- $250 of your donation is your direct out of pocket contribution to St. Giles.
- You will receive $750 in credit applicable to your Illinois tax bill. You would be required to pay the $750 on your taxes anyway. Due to your donation, you are paying this $750 upfront and then receiving a credit on your tax bill. In summary, you are redirecting that $750 to St. Giles for scholarships.
2.St. Giles receives $3,000!
- Your $1,000 donation plus $2,000 due to the 2:1 matching donations available through the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Here is your step by step guide to get started! Contact Michele Bibbey with any questions!
|
|
Parent Leadership Training
Starting, Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 7:30 PM (Zoom)
Training helps parents and families:
- Set goals for themselves, their family and the community
- Breakdown the goal setting process into actionable steps while getting the support of their peers and the training facilitators (all the facilitators are parents from Oak Park!)
-
More information can be found here.
|
|
Follow and like us on social media. Stay up to date with what's going on at school and see pictures of your children engaging in educational activities with their classmates during the school day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|