February 27, 2022
Weekly eNews
Dear St. Giles Families,

I hope that everyone saw my letter on Wednesday that shared the new Archdiocesan guidance that masking would be optional in all Catholic schools, including those in Oak Park, beginning tomorrow, February 28. After 18 months of universal masking, we know that tomorrow will bring mixed feelings for our school community. For some, concern; for others, relief. Tomorrow will be a day of transition, with some students and staff unmasking and others continuing to mask. We respect those decisions and ask that we be patient with and respectful of one another. This is a big transition for everyone, and, as we do all things, we will work together as a community one day at a time.

Many of our littlest Lions are not yet eligible for the vaccine, and therefore we strongly recommend our preschool students continue masking in the classroom. Mask breaks are provided during recess, snack and lunch when they can spread out.

5 Essentials Survey
The Archdiocese 5 Essentials Survey has been released for 2022. This survey will be given to all teachers, parents of students in Prek-12th grade and students in 4th-12th grade. Participation is voluntary, and feedback will be provided for all schools individually and the Archdiocese as a whole. This is not a satisfaction survey but one used to provide information on areas for school improvement. 
 
The 5 Essentials Survey addresses Climate, Culture and Catholic Identity through a variety of questions. Please see the attached parent letter for further explanation and the parent participation link. If you do not want your 4th-8th grader participating, please complete this student letter. For students, the anonymous survey will be taken during either advisory or tech class and takes approximately 20 minutes. 
 
Ash Wednesday
This Wednesday we will be in church for ashes as we begin the Lenten season. 7th and 8th graders will attend the parish Mass at 8:30 a.m. and K-6th grades will attend a prayer service with Fr. Carl where they will receive ashes at 1:00 p.m. Parents are welcome to join us at either service. Fr. Carl will visit our PreK rooms during the day to provide ashes for our littlest Lions. 
 
Have a wonderful week and stay well!
Meg 
 
Reminders
Friday, March 4th – Faith and Family Church Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, March 19th – Black and Gold Virtual Gala
Monday, March 21st – No School
Catholic Schools Week Food Drive a Success!

Thank you to everyone who helped make our CSW food drive a huge success! We were able to restock shelves at Beyond Hunger in Oak Park and Break Through Fresh Market in Austin. A special thank you to Yvette Knox and Jim Callahan for organizing and communicating with both groups and to Kristen Reale and Jennifer Sabatino for helping us deliver everything! We are so proud of the service our Lions are showing for others.
A Message from your School Advisory Board

Board Meeting
Monday, February 28th at 7PM
McDonough Hall Conference Room 

Please join us for tomorrow's board meeting and hear updates from
Miss Bigane and our various committees. All are welcome!
Lenten Mission – House to Home Project

This Lent St. Giles School & Religious Education and Ascension Religious Education are coming together to support a local nonprofit, Housing Forward in the creation of “House to Home Kits”. The concept is simple: donations from families will be used to purchase household items, from cleaning supplies to small appliances. Housing Forward then identifies a client who is ready to transition from homelessness to housing stability. On move-in day, the client is presented with a “House to Home Kit” filled with the items purchased by our families along with house-warming cards written by our students.

Resources on Catholic Social Teaching and details on how to contribute to the mission can be found here.

If you have questions, please reach out to Timothy Smyth at t.smyth@ascensionoakpark.com
For more information on Housing Forward, visit www.housingforward.org.
Saturday, March 19th!
Black & Gold Giveaway Tickets On Sale NOW
 
As we aim to make this year’s fundraiser our most successful yet, we are asking each family to sell or buy at least 10 tickets for our two signature raffles. Together, these raffles raised almost $18,000 last year – essential fundraising that goes directly to our school. 
 
  • The Great Tuition Giveaway awards one lucky winner free parishioner-rate tuition for one student for the 22-23 school year. Tickets are $100 each and only 120 are sold.

  • The Grand Opportunity Giveaway awards a trip for two to Napa Valley, including airfare, hotel and car rental OR $3,000 cash! Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100. Every family should have received hard-copy tickets to sell -- they were sent home with your youngest child.
 
In addition to the physical tickets, friends and family can purchase tickets through this link. They just may win big, while helping St. Giles. And, that’s a win-win! 

Questions about Black & Gold Pride? E-mail Development anytime.
Go Lions!
Spring Enrichment is Still Available! 

Infinity Arts, Chess Ed, Giving Artfully, and Legacy Sports will return, with different age levels and activities! Registration is now open. Enrichment for Spring starts the week of March 14th and goes until the week of May 23rd. 
Save The Date
March 4th
St. Giles Family Scavenger Hunt
hosted by the 2022 Confirmation Candidates 3:30pm to 6:30pm
Registration is now open for the spring season of Oak Park AYSO soccer. The season starts in late March and typically involves 1-2 weeknight practices per week and a Saturday game. Games run from mid-April through early June. AYSO is a volunteer-run organization that is always in need of parents to serve as head coaches. Look for volunteer opportunities on the registration page! For any questions, please contact Tom O’Brien at 773-544-6186 or Div1B@oakparkayso.org.  

The Illinois Department of Human Services is offering COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics at the Family and Community Resource Centers (FCRC). FAQ's regarding neighborhood clinics can be found here.
 
Wednesday, March 2nd at the Northwest FCRC at
4105 W Chicago Ave, Chicago IL 60651 from 10 am-7 pm 
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

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