Campus Safety Listening Sessions
Intended audience: Parishioners, JFK parents, and staff who have an interest in how our parking lot, field, and campus are used or developed.
After a campus safety review this fall, the most common concerns were related to keeping students safe when outside the building but on campus property, including the parking lot. How we respond has the potential to impact how we use the entire campus on all days of the week.
Three listening sessions of about 1 ½ hours will be conducted:
Saturday, April 28th: 11:00 a.m. (PC)
Monday, April 30th: 6:30 p.m. (PC)
Thursday, May 3rd: 6:30 p.m. (PC)
Please contact the parish or school office, if you are unable to attend but would like to share your feedback. Someone from the steering group will respond to your request.
- Areas of Focus for the Listening Session:
- Parking Lot Safety:
- Safety concerns relating to traffic in the parking lot during drop off and dismissal times:
- Drivers are too inattentive, and some, particularly those who are not “regulars” to the campus, are confused by the cones and may even drive through them.
- Parents who have “picked up” their kids but are still standing and conversing in the parking lot often have their children playing around them, and the children are not as careful about staying within the coned area.
- Cones would not stop a driver intent on doing harm or one who has an accident (confusing brake/accelerator, etc.)
- Safety concerns related to children being in the parking lot before/after school and recesses:
- When the grass is wet, recesses are in the parking lot.
- Drop off and pick up is in the northern part of the parking lot.
- Cars enter at the northwest 42nd Street entrance and may drive past the church to get to preschool drop off or go toward the school to park in visitor spots, including times when children are at recess.
- Cars are sometimes parked in the north part of the lot, and then children come outside to play for recess on the blacktop, and the car is right in the way.
- The parking lot is directly across from apartment buildings.
- Neighbors cut across the parking lot during the school day or during after school programming.
- Safety concerns relating to traffic in the parking lot during drop off and dismissal times:
- Short-term visitor and handicapped parking is a long way from the main school doors.
- When buses are on 42nd Street, and with the regular parking on the north side of 42nd, the street only can accommodate traffic in one direction at a time.
- Parking Lot Safety:
Additional information, some that would relate to the above, can be found in the March 14th Principal’s Post, available by clicking HERE.
Bell and Bus Times for Next Year — Waiting Right Now
The Davenport Community School District (DCSD) has postponed the bell time issue until the DCSD Board’s May 14th meeting to allow the consultant more time to investigate other options. We appreciate the willingness of Dr. Tate and his administration to continue to look for other ways to reduce routes and reduce transportation costs by the $300,000 or more the DCSD needs to save next year in transportation.
I am actually a little more concerned about bell times this spring than in the summer of 2014, the last time bell times were significantly changed in the DCSD. In 2014, it was the ONLY issue that threatened major disruption to the DCSD, and several public hearings were held throughout the community. It was a BIG issue. This time around, moving bell times seems to almost be a minor issue when compared to other elements of the district’s Vision 2020 plan, which includes cutting millions of dollars, closing one to two schools, and changing the district’s school structures such that elementaries are either PS-6 or K-6 and the middle schools are only grades 7-8. The DCSD has actually scheduled three listening sessions regarding its Vision 2020 plan, but all of them, I believe, are after the bell time decision will be made. Having the most significant bell time changes affect only those who are already not in the DCSD’s schools might be something the district is willing to tolerate.
For these reasons, it is even more important that the DCSD’s board hear from both public school and faith-based school parents. They need to hear the personal stories about how changes to bell times will affect families. Board members are real people too. If they are presented with ways to save the needed money and not upset the apple cart for everyone, they will respond.
Please consider contacting the DCSD board. To email the board, you can use the following address: BoardComments@Davenportschools.org. Communications that contain your name and address will be distributed to all board members; anonymous messages are not distributed.
As we wait for the DCSD consultant’s work, we have begun other discussions with Durham, the bus company, to determine if they have other options (and costs, of course) available to us.
Scott County Catholic Schools Strategic Planning
Additional information requested from the consultants that were interviewed to do strategic planning for Scott County Catholic schools is being obtained. A decision regarding a consultant should be made by the end of the month.
Back in November, I had mentioned that pastors, board presidents, and representatives from the AHS Foundation (which operates the financial assistance program for Scott County Catholic schools and has agreed to pay for strategic planning) agreed to pursue a consultant/consulting firm that could help determine how Catholic school education in Scott County can be made stronger and meet the needs for the future. A sub-group was formed to interview the consultants. On this sub-group are Fr. Richard Adam (Sacred Heart), Rosie Barton (foundation member with connections to St. Paul’s and now Holy Family where her husband serves as a deacon), Andy Craig (president of AHS), Joe Creen (foundation member and member of OLV), Matt Henning (AHS board president and member of OLV), and me.
Strategic planning for Scott County Catholic schools is born out of the diocesan strategic plan for Catholic school education which called for separate strategic planning to be done for Scott and Johnson Counties. Gone are the days of dramatically falling enrollment and widespread school closures and consolidations. It’s time to plan for how Catholic schools can be strong and prosper in the future. With the end of the school year fast approaching, I anticipate parent surveys, conversations, and focus groups taking place in the late summer or early fall.
Get Your Gala Tickets — Tickets Selling Fast!
Don’t miss out on this year’s Gala! The Gala is only two weeks away, and tickets are selling fast. It’s time to purchase your tickets to attend or raffle tickets for $1,000 off of tuition or both! If you can’t do either, please consider a donation toward underwriting. Having all the expenses of the Gala covered by donations means all the proceeds the night of the event can go toward our educational needs!
The Gala is the largest fundraiser of OLV and JFK and supports all of our educational needs. This year we’re trying to do a “super Gala” with funds raised above our normal net of $25,000 – $30,000 to go toward establishing the seed money for an air conditioning project. The Gala is May 5th beginning at 5 p.m. at the Elks’ Lodge on Central Park Avenue near Emeis Golf Course. The Gala includes amazing food, fun and fellowship with live and silent auctions. The Funktastic 5 will also be performing at this year’s Gala. Tickets are $40. For the flyer, please click HERE.
The Gala still needs people who can help with many different activities — everything from making phone calls, setting up a stage for the band, decorating, and cleaning up, Please contact Angie Hillebrand at the school office.
Donations are also being accepted. Just mark them OLV/JFK Gala.
To view a few of the items for the auction, check out our JFK Facebook page.
Discounted Registration Fees Coming to an End Soon!
Tuition contracts are due, and the discounted registration fee ends next week. Return your tuition contract and registration fee now to reserve your spot for next year.
Preschool and Childcare Registration for 2018-19
3, 4, and 5 year old preschool and/or childcare registration continues but waiting lists for some classes have been formed. Please contact the school office before the spots you want are no longer available.
2018-19 School Calendar
Our school calendar on our website is filling up fast. The 2018-19 school year looks like it will be just as busy as this year! Check it out HERE.
Home & School Dates
The plants are scheduled to arrive at JFK by truck on Wednesday, May 2nd, and we were told we should have at least 10 people to help receive and organize the plants. At this point, I don’t know yet if we are the morning drop off slot or early afternoon. (We should know soon.)
Information Knight at Assumption
April 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m. All grades invited!
Congratulations to 2nd Graders and 8th Graders
First Communion was today, and Confirmation is Friday. Two major steps in one’s faith journey. Congratulations to the 2nd and 8th graders!
National Speaker: Silent Strength
National speaker Doug Reavis will share his Silent Strength presentation with middle school students in the Catholic schools of Scott County on April 27th. A high school presentation will be held on the 26th, and a parent presentation is in the evening on the 26th (6:30-8 in the AHS auditorium). Silent Strength centers on kindness and, in faith-based settings, seeing God in every other person. It has been said that he gives the best anti-bullying message out there without ever using the word “bullying.” Many thanks to AHS for sponsoring Doug Reavis and providing transportation to the Catholic elementary schools.
Last Day of Classes
May 31: 3 and 4 year old pre-school. Four year olds have their programs on the 31st, and 3 year olds have their family activity on June 1.
June 1: K-8. This differs from the DCSD which is having classes on June 4.
June 1: Last day of ECLC