January 30, 2022
Weekly eNews
Dear St. Giles Families,

Happy Catholic Schools Week! We are excited to celebrate this week through our themed days, activities and games that have been created by our PTO. While we look forward to when we can celebrate in our usual ways (including our annual buddy lunch) again, partnered classrooms will play virtual Buddy Bingo to end our week. Don’t forget to check the themes for each day here and our service project for the week here. Donations are broken down by grade and can be brought in all week. We are thrilled to be gathering together in grades K-8 for Mass on Wednesday at 1pm. We welcome our families to join us in the available pews in the rear of the church! Watch our social media channels for updates on all of our fun!  

This past week we continued to see a decline in COVID cases with four cases, two that may have impacted classrooms. As a reminder, if a student is not in contact with the classroom or athletic team within 48 hours, a notice will not be sent. While this brutal weather is keeping so many inside, we applaud our students and teachers for all they do to keep everyone safe. It is our hope that this recent surge is behind us. As a reminder, if your child is experiencing symptoms or are awaiting test results due to symptoms or a close contact, they should remain at home until they receive a negative test. Our teachers are working hard to keep everyone up to date on assignments and work with them upon their return.  

Black & Gold Pride Update

Black & Gold Pride -- our largest annual fundraiser -- is scheduled for March 19. Since we announced the date, it’s been our hope to be able to return to McDonough Hall and celebrate in-person together. However, after much thought, we have decided to transition the Black & Gold event to a virtual experience, like last year. 

Fr. Carl and I did not make this decision lightly. In order to ensure a successful virtual experience, we want to give our dedicated volunteer committee time to plan (vs. having to pivot last-minute). We felt it was important to make the decision now. We are taking into consideration our broader community and social responsibility and we believe this is our best choice.

We know Black & Gold is a high point for our school -- a friend-raiser as much as it is a fundraiser. While we can’t be together in McDonough Hall, we are committed to delivering on the friendraising experience and I’ve asked the committee to work on options that bring us together in different ways on that day. You’ll hear more about that in the coming weeks. 

In addition, we are planning to host an end-of-year parent-only gathering on the evening of June 3 – a chance to get together in our beautiful courtyard, but also to thank you for your commitment to our school, support of our teachers and partnership in keeping our students safe. I hope you’ll mark your calendars for that date. 

Stay safe and well,
Meg
Reminders
Thursday, February 10th, 11:45 am dismissal; Parent/Teacher Conferences
Afternoon Kids Klub will not be available
Scroll Down for more details regarding conferences

Friday, February 11th-No School
Staff Development Day

Monday, February 21st-No School
President's Day
Staffing Update

This week we welcomed Ms. Alexis Collins as our new technology teacher. Ms. Collins comes to us with experience in STEM instruction in CPS and an area charter school. Ms. Collins will bring continued creativity and tech skills to our Lions. Welcome, Ms. Collins! We are grateful to Mrs. Nelson for all of her help during this transition.
Looking for your Tuition and Fees Payment Summary for tax filing? You can find this information in Facts. Use these instructions to access your Facts Tax Payment Summary Directions. Reach out to Michele Bibbey with any further questions.
New Family Referrals
Our 2022-23 Application is NOW OPEN! If you know of a family that would be interested in enrolling, please let them know about us! Here are some ways a new family can learn more:
  1. Check out the St. Giles School Website
  2. Complete an Inquiry Form
  3. Visit us at our upcoming Virtual Open House - Today from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
  4. Email the St. Giles School Office to request a private in person tour
  5. Complete a 2022-23 Application
Virtual Open House Today!
Know a family interested in St. Giles? Invite them to our virtual Open House today from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. Interested families can join for one, a few or all sessions of their choosing. They'll meet the administration and faculty, learn about curriculum and specials across grades, hear from parents about their experiences and even meet a few recent alums who will share how St. Giles prepared them for high school. If you know someone interested in learning more, encourage them to attend or inquire for more information on stgilesschool.org
2022-23 Scholarship Information

St. Giles Scholarship Application
The application is open and you are encouraged to apply, if needed. Log on to your FACTS account and click on Grant & Aid. All applications will be reviewed after the April 15 deadline. Awards will be assigned by May 20.

The application is open and you are encouraged to apply, if needed. Awards are given based on the order of application submission and need.

The application is open and you are encouraged to apply, if needed. Awards are given based on the order of application submission and need.
Trimester 2 Parent/Teacher Conferences

Trimester 2 Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, February 10th via Zoom. February conferences are not required and are by teacher request. Teachers will reach out to you directly to schedule conferences this week. If you would like a conference with a particular teacher, please contact them directly. School will be dismissed at 11:45 and Kids Klub will not be available. Conferences will be held from 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm.
Go Lions!
Attention Girl's Volleyball Parents

Girls’ Volleyball Virtual Parent Meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 1st at 7:00 pm. Please use the following link to join. If you are unable to attend this meeting, a recording of the meeting will be added to the athletic website.
Virtual Uniform Resale

It's that time of year when our Lions grow like weeds! We would like to start a winter virtual uniform resale. We are still ironing out the best approach for this, so please bear with us. In the meantime, over the next two weeks, we would love to accept donations of all Giles apparel, except boy’s pants. Please keep in mind the following criteria for donations:

  • All apparel must have the original size label visible or it must be written with a permanent marker on the inside of the item. Your guess at your child’s size is better than ours. Please label the items. 
  • All items must be in resalable condition. Please save us the time sorting and storing overly worn and torn items.
  • Clean items can be placed in a bag labeled ‘Uniform Resale’ and brought to the office. 
 
With your help, we can make this a more efficient way to provide economical options to our families as well as lessen our environmental footprint! 
 
If you are interested in volunteering with the Uniform Resale Committee we would love to have you. Please contact Tatiana Buonicore Tvbuonicore@gmail.com(708)-785-8100 (Lorenzo 8th, Marcello K, Silvio Pre-K).
Renew My Church Update

This past Friday evening, the Archdiocese shared the final decision in the Oak Park Grouping Renew My Church process. Details can be found here on the parish website.

We are grateful for your input and participation in this important process. We know that our parish church is important to you. You and your children are important to us and we look forward to continuing to serve your family and families in the future.

Fr. Carl and the RMC Committee
High School News
MATILDA THE MUSICAL
The performances will take place Friday, March 4, Saturday, March 5, and Sunday, March 6 in the Trinity auditorium.
Purchase tickets online at www.trinityhs.org/tickets

SEVENTH ON 7TH SPECIAL SHADOW DAY
Join us for a special shadow experience for 7th grade girls only! This day is complete with a special lunch, class observation tailored to individual interests, and a meet & greet with students, faculty, and staff.
MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022
Register online at www.trinityhs.org/shadow 

TRINITY TOURS
Trinity’s Admissions Team is hosting private tours throughout the spring. Learn more about the #Brave #Bold #Brilliant Trinity High School education! Tours are available Monday - Sunday by appointment.
Register online at www.trinityhs.org/tour