Dear SPC Families,
I hope everyone can get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather! Let’s get the kids out for as much fresh air as possible before our usual Chicago weather returns. This is another jam-packed Thursday mailing; thank you for your careful attention to all the updates and news.
In this week’s Thursday mailing:
- Social-Emotional Pilot Update-Parent input needed
- SPC COVID-19 DASHBOARD-NEW
- RESULTS OF REOPENING SURVEY - NEW
- PARENT LEADER WEBINAR-NEW
- THANKSGIVING TRAVEL & QUARANTINE-NEW
- BLUE RIBBON WEEK- NOVEMBER 9-13th--TIME TO CELEBRATE!
- TRIMESTER 2: REMOTE LEARNING REGISTRATION-REMINDER
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL PILOT UPDATE; INPUT NEEDED
SPC is in our third month of the Office of Catholic School’s Social and Emotional Learning Pilot, and we need your feedback! Please complete this brief parent survey. As we refine our plans for program implementation, we would like to learn more about what topics and priorities are of interest to you and your family.
NEW: St. Paul of the Cross COVID-19 DASHBOARD
Based on some survey data collected last week, people felt that a dashboard would be helpful. We continually monitor the data below and are happy to share these details. Per our guidelines, if there is a positive case in the school with staff or students, we will send an appropriate notification based on the individual case. Moving forward, I will include this dashboard in all Thursday mailings.
SURVEY RESULTS:
Thank you for responding to the survey last week, these are challenging times and I appreciate your input and feedback as we work together to keep our school safe! Please see below for a summary of the survey results. I also included the comparison with the summer results in terms of general comfort with the return to school.
SURVEY RESULTS:COMFORT LEVEL WITH REOPENING SUMMER VS. FALL 
SURVEY RESULTS: REOPENING FALL 2020
“Parent Leader Webinar” from the Office of Catholic Schools
Recently, the Office of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese recorded a “parent leader” webinar regarding the Reopening Plan to help our school ensure our safe reopening continues. While I have asked room parents and the school board to watch the video, I think it is a useful resource for all parents to watch as we can all be leaders during this challenging time. You should use this link to view the recorded webinar in English. You will register first and then listen to the 45-minute webinar.
THANKSGIVING TRAVEL AND QUARANTINE:
I cannot say this enough; if you plan on traveling to any of these states for Thanksgiving, your student must quarantine for 14 days upon return. Furthermore, the recent survey data contained many comments similar to “I know many SPC families have plans to travel and not quarantine.” I will assume positive intentions and think that these comments were made prior to the updated list of travel ban states and my urging to follow guidelines. I also want to reiterate that I am not the “COVID” Police, and it is not the school's responsibility to police family decisions. I am confident that our families will do the right thing and follow our guidelines. I can’t imagine an SPC family woefully disregarding our safety rules.
CURRENT LIST OF TRAVEL BAND STATES
Infection Protocol Reminders:
If you are sick (a parent), KEEP ALL KIDS HOME until you are cleared. DO NOT SEND KIDS TO SCHOOL IF YOU ARE SICK.
As COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in our area, please continue to follow the infection protocols related to symptoms and exposure.
BLUE RIBBON WEEK:
Next week we have some fun activities planned in celebration of the Blue Ribbon Award! We are officially receiving the award via a virtual ceremony on Friday, November 13th! Please note the following activities, schedule, and spirit wear choices!
REMOTE LEARNING REGISTRATION: DEADLINE NOVEMBER 13th
While in-person learning has been a success at SPC, we recognize that families may wish to change their enrollment status for Trimester 2. We have opened registration for remote learning for Trimester 2. Should you wish to change your child to remote learning for Trimester 2, please complete the following form. The completed form is due no later than November 13th. CLICK HERE FOR REMOTE LEARNING REGISTRATION FORM
NOTE TO CURRENT REMOTE LEARNING FAMILIES:
You will need to re-register your child/children for this option as we have added another remote learning choice. You will not automatically be re-enrolled in remote learning. Thank you for completing the form by November 13th.
REMOTE LEARNING OPTIONS FOR TRIMESTER 2:
Option 1 - Remote Learning Through Catapult in Partnership with the Office of Catholic Schools
1. The cost of the program is SPC tuition.
2. SPC teachers will not be teaching the remote learning classes; they are being offered through the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools.
3. SPC will provide students with a Chromebook to complete the remote learning option.
4. Curriculum will be aligned to OCS standards and benchmarks but may NOT mirror the SPC curriculum specifically. However, SPC does use the OCS benchmarks and priority standards in planning our curriculum.
Option 2: Asynchronous Learning
Each week, work and videos will be uploaded to a digital platform. Students will complete the work at their own pace throughout the week. The videos will be instructional (not produced by SPC teachers). Students will submit the work to an SPC teacher for assessment. The teachers will still Zoom 1-2 times a week with your child to touch base. During the two weeks of remote learning in January, your child can follow along with their homeroom. The cost of this program is SPC tuition.
REMOTE LEARNING TRIMESTER 2 REGISTRATION DEADLINE NOVEMBER 13th:
To plan for Trimester 2, Remote Learning registration must be completed by November 13th
Enjoy your weekend!
Peace,
Dr. Erika Mickelburgh
Principal
Student Council - Culver's Frozen Treat Sale to Benefit JDRF! DUE TOMORROW!
On Friday, November 20, your child(ren) will have the opportunity to have a Culver’s chocolate or vanilla frozen custard during their lunch! Student Council will be pre-selling these treats starting Tuesday, November 3. Sales will run through tomorrow, Friday, November 6. All proceeds will benefit the JDRF!
If interested, please fill out the form below with your family name, your child’s name, homeroom number and teacher, flavor of frozen custard you would like and, the quantity of ice creams per student. Please send your fully completed form to Student Council, Mrs. Schultz – Room 222 UGC. It’s that easy. There is no money involved at this time. You will be billed for your child’s frozen treat(s), via FACTS. You will see it listed as “incidentals.”
Please download this form.
SPC School Board - Two Board Position Openings - Nomination Deadline November 11th
To: St. Paul of the Cross School Parents and Parishioners
The St. Paul of the Cross School Board has two vacancies for the 2020-21 school year. We invite parents and parish members to consider taking a leadership role and participate on the school board.
As an advisory board, our school board assists our Pastor, Father Britto, and our Principal, Dr. Erika Mickelburgh in formulating and implementing policies and procedures to run our parish school.
The school board meets monthly during the school year. The board activities include finance, academic education, religious education, public relations, technology and building planning.
The eligibility requirements to serve on the Board include being:
A registered practicing Catholic at St. Paul of the Cross;
Genuinely interested in working collaboratively to advance the Catholic and academic education at St. Paul of the Cross Catholic School.
If you are interested in participating on the school board, please contact Siobhán Haugh (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./773.791.0570). The nomination deadline is Wednesday, November 11, 2020. Please click here to download the letter.
Holiday Gift Cards through TRIP & Distribution Update
We are re-opening Shop With Scrip for physical gift card orders during the month of November only. Starting November 1 - 30, you will have the option to order physical gift cards for the holidays. All gift cards will be available for pick up the week of December 7th. Orders must be placed through https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/, or if you would prefer to place your order with a manual check, you can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. After November 30th, only e-cards will be available until further notice.
For rebates from previous orders: all orders that were made through 9/30/20 will be credited by the end of November to your FACTS account. The next distribution of rebates will take place in February.
The yearbook committee has started working hard on this year's yearbook. We are looking for photos from the first day of school. Please feel free to add any photos to this shared folder. We will be asking for other photos throughout the school year to add to the yearbook.
First Day of School Photos for Yearbook
REGISTER NOW for the Winter Session 2020-2021 of Chess-Ed's Virtual Enrichment Program!
Chess-Ed is pleased to offer VIRTUAL chess lessons to your students this Winter!
The 10-week Winter session is offered Monday through Friday at a variety of times (4, 5, and 6 pm) with Beginner, Novice, Continuing, and Advanced program levels. The chess program runs from 11/30/20 to 2/19/21 and is taught by Chess-Ed instructors using Zoom, lichess.org, and other chess software. Please refer to the Eventbee registration site for chess level guidelines .
To register, students must have a FREE username at lichess.org so they can be paired by the chess instructor during the game playing portion of the lesson. Register NOW at www.a-winter-virtual-chess-ed.eventbee.com. Be sure to register early to take advantage of EARLY FEE pricing. For more information about the program, please refer to the program flyer and Eventbee website.
Chess-Ed is looking forward to seeing your CHESS ENTHUSIAST this Winter!
Please click here to download the flyer.
FROM THE PARISH
We have an active and vibrant parish and encourage everyone to read the weekly bulletins for Fr. Britto's weekly letter and stay informed about all upcoming events and programs.
Please click here for the latest bulletin.
Support our Fair Trade Vendors this Christmas Season!
Our annual Fair Trade Market is postponed until next year, but please enjoy a virtual cup of coffee and pastry as you browse the online selections of our local Fair Trade Vendors. Find unique and special gifts for everyone on your list and support global artists at the same time. Below are descriptions and websites of our vendors:
Global Handmade Hope: www.globalhandmadehope.com
Our mission is to promote social justice, help families provide food, shelter, education and gain access to health care. We accomplish our goal by offering artists a place and opportunity to sell their goods. We offer sustainably produced items from around the world. You will find a diverse array of Fair Trade home decor, accessories, apparel, kids’ items and more.
Loom: www.loomchicago.com
LOOM is a social enterprise of Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Agency. At LOOM we provide a studio space where refugee women can practice fiber arts, make beautiful products and cultivate community and friendship with their peers. LOOM provides a pathway to financial independence for refugee women and facilitates impactful connections between individuals from disparate cultural backgrounds.
Tree of Life Imports: https://www.thetreeoflifeimports.com
Tree of Life Imports was founded in 1989 during El Salvador's civil war as a means to bring the art of La Palma to the American market. Since then, we have focused our attention on several Latin American communities to help provide equal opportunity for all to work, including women and the rural poor. All of our products are handmade by artisans in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.
Tulia's: www.tulias.com
Tulia’s Artisan Gallery offers finely crafted jewelry and home decor made by master artisans in Colombia. Collections include flying mobiles, butterfly ornaments, and statement earrings. Each purchase comes with a free friendship bracelet.
Hello School Families!
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