Return to Learn Planning
As I mentioned in last week’s email, JFK and our area Catholic schools are still planning on face-t0-face, on-site, five days per week instruction for all students. The details of our return to learn planning, however, do include an exception clause:
JFK, like other nonpublic schools and public school districts, is required to offer accommodations for remote learning if a child, another resident of the child’s residence, or one of the child’s regular caretakers has a significant health condition that increases their risk of COVID-19. The child’s parent or guardian must provide written verification from a licensed healthcare provider.
Other particular students for whom families choose to have their children do remote learning when the rest of the class/building are not in a remote learning model will be accommodated to the best of our ability while not overburdening our staff.
Remote learning methods to accommodate the above situations may include the following:
- Some face-to-face instruction occurring for other students may be recorded and made available to these students
- Some face-to-face instruction occurring for other students may be live-streamed
- Asynchronous instruction will be more likely than synchronous instruction
- Physical packets and materials, the same as or similar to the materials being used in face-to-face instruction, may be provided to these students
- MobyMax may be more heavily used for these students
- A third party provider such as Edgenuity may be contracted
There is not a reduction in tuition for these families as operating multiple instructional models is actually more expensive than operating only one model.
If you believe you need an exception to face-to-face, on-site instruction, please let me know as soon as possible so we can determine how we might be able to accommodate your family.
Bus Transportation
We have repeatedly been told that our bus transportation will not be affected; buses will still be running routes five days per week. With the latest schedule proposed by the Davenport Community School District, the district’s schools will not have early out Wednesdays, but all days will be shortened by 25 minutes. We are currently attempting to clarify how those two changes may impact our afternoon bus transportation, and if we need to make similar schedule adjustments.
Storage Space
In order to set up our classrooms for six feet of social distancing, we are moving large quantities of tables, bookcases, comfy reading chairs/corners, etc. out of classrooms. We are in need of space in garages, warehouses, storage units, and/or trailers to store large furniture. Please let me know if you have access to such space that we could use or if you know of someone who might.
JFK Is Hiring
JFK has several hourly paid school positions available during the school year. The positions have flexible duties working with 3-14 year olds in classrooms, at recesses, and during lunches. Helping with food preparation and cleaning may be included. Candidates must be able to work schedules that start as early as 7:00 a.m. and end as late as 5:30 p.m. Tuition, childcare, and other fee reductions are included. Interested parties should send a letter of interest, resume, and references to chad.steimle@olvjfkmail.com or complete an application at the school.
Thank You for Your Service
We would like to thank Chris Guinn and Helen Curley for their service to JFK. Mrs. Guinn and Mrs. Curley worked as instructional aides at a variety of grade levels.
New Staff Members
OLV is pleased to have two new staff members: Fr. Scott Foley and Kaye Meyers. Fr. Foley has begun his duties as parochial vicar. Kaye Meyers will be filling our K-8 Faith Formation Coordinator position. Kaye’s primary role will be coordinating and administering the K-8 faith formation program and assisting JFK with religious education curriculum and sacramental preparation. She will also be taking over responsibility for the parish’s Safe Environment program. Kaye and her husband, Tom, are also members of the parish.
Jennifer Wemhoff will be remaining on the OLV staff as well, but she will be filling our newly created position
that will focus solely on adult faith formation. In this new role of the Adult Faith Formation Coordinator, Jennifer will work to provide faith formation opportunities for those over the age of 18 in the parish.
Back to School Registration
On July 24th, I emailed the general Back to School Registration letters for the 2020-21 school year to families. One letter was for K-8 and one for preschool. Packets with multiple forms, some of them personalized, were put in the mail on Friday for K-8 families. Preschool families just have the letter in their “snail” mail envelope.
Back to School Registration will be different this year with scheduled time slots available on August 2-4. While the letters contain the details, I am also including the links needed to sign up for the time slots HERE or https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4EABA82AA7F58-registration.
Only one time slot is needed per family. A family of three children, for example, still only needs one registration time slot.
K-8 Supply List
Click HERE for the supply list for K-8 or use the following link/url: https://www.olvjfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Supply-List-2020-21.pdf
There is no supply list for 4/5 year old preschool. The three year old preschool supply list will be available at/after back to school registration.
First Communion and Confirmation
Congratulations to the second graders who received their First Communion in July. It’s such an important step to be at the Table of Christ. We are looking forward to Confirmations occurring in August.
Please continue to take care of yourselves: practice social distancing, maintain hand/face hygiene, stay home when sick, and wear a face covering when social distancing is not possible.
We can do this!
Chad