Month: April 2021

Iowa Assessment of Student Progress and Iowa Assessments Administered This Week

Make sure students get their good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast.

The discounted registration period for the 2021-22 school year ends this week.  Completed tuition contracts represent the official registration document that hold a spot for the next school year.

Preschool registration for 3, 4, and 5 year olds and ECLC (childcare) does remain open.  If you have not yet registered for these programs, please contact the school office ASAP.

Virtual Play Was Incredible

Plant Sale Pick Up Thursday and Friday

Don’t forget to schedule a time to pick up your plants this week: Schedule Pick Up

Purchase a Sweet Tooth Snack as well.   Sweet Tooth Snacks is a local business that specializes in gourmet popcorns, nuts and candies!  Stop by their booth outside the parish center on Thursday and Friday from 2:30 – 5:00 p.m., and check out some of their delicious treat options! There will also be Teacher Appreciation (May 3-7) and Mothers Day (May 9) gifts available for purchase! Come early and get yourself a bag of “JFK Crunch”!

Rock the Lot Gala

Buy your tickets now for a socially distanced (COVID friendly) rockin event in our parking lot on May 15th!

 

New Home & School Information on our Website

Home & School has new information and links available off the home page of our website:  www.olvjfk.com.  Included is the link to the Teacher Amazon Wishlists and general information.  Don’t forget to connect to Amazon Smile through OLV CHURCH for donations from Amazon that benefit H & S.

Water Bottles from Home.  Additional Face Coverings Available at School

Calendar Highlights

Ad Hoc Policy Committee Invite

Each year the board of education reviews about 1/3 of the policies contained in the Parent and Student Handbook.  Dress code policies are reviewed every year.  If you would like to be involved this spring, please send me an email.

COVID Data

Below is a link to a .pdf file that shows several graphs of Scott County and JFK data.

COVID Data, April 23, 2021

• I think we’re finally starting to make some progress in Scott County!  The 14 day positivity rate has dropped for the second consecutive week, and the 7 day positivity rate has dropped again and is no longer twice that of the state average.
• The intervals used in the graphs for JFK’s data were adjusted as things were becoming too hard to read.

Chad

Virtual Play

Plant Sale Pick Up

Don’t forget to schedule a time to pick up your plants next week: Schedule Pick Up

Rock the Lot Gala

Buy your tickets now for a socially distanced (COVID friendly) rockin event in our parking lot on May 15th!

 

New Home & School Information on our Website

Home & School has new information and links available off the home page of our website:  www.olvjfk.com.  Included is the link to the Teacher Amazon Wishlists and general information.  Don’t forget to connect to Amazon Smile through OLV CHURCH for donations from Amazon that benefit H & S.

Water Bottles from Home.  Additional Face Coverings Available at School

Calendar Highlights

Tuition contracts for 2021-22, which represent the official registration document for next school year, were mailed during spring break.  Please return them ASAP so we can plan for 2021-22!  Time is running out for the discounted registration fee.

Preschool registration for 3, 4, and 5 year olds and ECLC (childcare) does remain open.  If you have not yet registered for these programs, please contact the school office ASAP.

Ad Hoc Policy Committee Invite

Each year the board of education reviews about 1/3 of the policies contained in the Parent and Student Handbook.  Dress code policies are reviewed every year.  If you would like to be involved this spring, please send me an email.

Anticipated Openings at JFK

JFK will be looking for several teachers, possibly both to replace teachers who may be leaving and for new federally funded positions for 2021-22.  We are casting a wide net regarding licensure and endorsements and will adjust staff assignments to best take advantage of teachers’ qualifications.  In the lower grades, that means we are looking for K-6 licensed teachers, especially those who have an additional endorsement, such as in reading.  In the upper grades, where subject area endorsements are required, we would be interested in talking with those who have K-8, 5-12, or middle school endorsements in ELA, math, science, and social studies.

School Bookkeeper/Secretary Position

JFK has an upcoming opening for a school bookkeeper/secretary as Emily Sanderson will be transitioning to another position at JFK.  The school bookkeeper/secretary position is year round and includes a tuition benefit.  The qualified applicant must be detail oriented with accounting knowledge and have strong interpersonal skills with both adults and children.  The ability to multi-task with frequent interruptions is a must.  Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume, and references to chad.steimle@olvjfkmail.com, or complete an application in the school office.  We hope to have the position filled within the next few weeks, and the new staff member will begin yet this school year.

COVID Data

Below is a link to a .pdf file that shows several graphs of Scott County and JFK data.

COVID Data, April 16, 2021

• The 7-day positivity rate in Scott County dipped today to 9% after stubbornly being above 10% for the last three weeks.  After having the worst 7-day positivity rate among Iowa’s 99 counties on Saturday, Scott County’s rate today puts it as tied for the worst with two other counties.  Scott County’s positivity rate is still more than double the state average.
• Across Iowa, approximately 12.3% of the population, including people of all ages, has tested positive since the beginning of the pandemic.  At JFK, since this school year began, about 4.2% of our PS-8th grade students have had COVID and 17% of our staff.
• It seems like there have been plenty of milestones that I’ve experienced with COVID-19, both good and bad:  the first time I knew someone who had to quarantine, the first time I knew someone who had COVID-19, the first time I knew someone who had recovered from it, the first time I knew someone who was hospitalized with it, and the first time I knew someone who had passed because of it.  I then turned the corner with the first time someone I knew who was vaccinated.  Unfortunately, I felt a setback this week with the first time that someone I knew had a “breakthrough case.”  A breakthrough case is when someone who is fully vaccinated comes down with COVID-19.  I’m looking forward to positive milestones with student vaccinations.

Chad

 

Fundraisers Hitting at the Same Time

Everything is seeming to converge at the same time this spring!  We have a capital campaign still going on for our summer HVAC project.  We just finished the plant sale.  Candy bar sales began at the beginning of the week, and the STEAM Engine began on Thursday.  We also have the Gala on May 15th.  With many things having been pushed as far into the school year as possible due to COVID, everything’s now converging at the same time!

Home & School sponsors the plant sale and STEAM Engine.  Examples of what the proceeds are used for include the following:  to add mulch to the playgrounds and refinish the gym floor each year, to pay for athletic director salaries,  to support staff through Teacher Appreciation, and to provide unrestricted funds to each teacher to use in their classroom.  National data indicates that teachers, on average, spend over $500 of their own money each year for classroom supplies and materials.  In the past, H & S has provided each JFK teacher with $300 for classroom use.  This year, with COVID impacting fundraisers, that amount has been reduced to $150 so far.

The Gala and candy bar sale support technology, teachers’ salaries and benefits, students’ retreats, and other ministry needs.

As I’ve mentioned before, fundraisers provide OLV/JFK one way to receive support from the broader community.  If it weren’t for fundraisers, tuition would need to be at least $200 more per student.  We are most grateful to our benefactors!

Tuition contracts for 2021-22, which represent the official registration document for next school year, were mailed during spring break.  Please return them ASAP so we can plan for 2021-22!

Preschool registration for 3, 4, and 5 year olds and ECLC (childcare) does remain open.  If you have not yet registered for these programs, please contact the school office ASAP.

Ad Hoc Policy Committee Invite

Each year the board of education reviews about 1/3 of the policies contained in the Parent and Student Handbook.  Dress code policies are reviewed every year.  If you would like to be involved this spring, please send me an email.

Anticipated Openings at JFK

JFK will be looking for several teachers, possibly both to replace teachers who may be leaving and for new federally funded positions for 2021-22.  We are casting a wide net regarding licensure and endorsements and will adjust staff assignments to best take advantage of teachers’ qualifications.  In the lower grades, that means we are looking for K-6 licensed teachers, especially those who have an additional endorsement, such as in reading.  In the upper grades, where subject area endorsements are required, we would be interested in talking with those who have K-8, 5-12, or middle school endorsements in ELA, math, science, and social studies.

School Bookkeeper/Secretary Position

JFK has an upcoming opening for a school bookkeeper/secretary as Emily Sanderson will be transitioning to another position at JFK.  The school bookkeeper/secretary position is year round and includes a tuition benefit.  The qualified applicant must be detail oriented with accounting knowledge and have strong interpersonal skills with both adults and children.  The ability to multi-task with frequent interruptions is a must.  Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume, and references to chad.steimle@olvjfkmail.com, or complete an application in the school office.  We hope to have the position filled within the next few weeks, and the new staff member will begin yet this school year.

COVID Data

Below is a link to a .pdf file that shows several graphs of Scott County and JFK data.

COVID Data, April 9, 2021

• The burning questions for me this week were the same as last week:  What’s going wrong in Scott County?  What’s different in Scott County than the rest of Iowa?  The rate of COVID cases per 100,000 and the positivity rates in Scott County continue to rise.  Last Sunday, Scott County had the 4th highest positivity rate among the 99 counties of Iowa.  This Sunday, Scott County has the 3rd highest rate after flirting with having the 2nd highest rate around mid-week.  The positivity rate in Scott County remains at more than twice the state average.  What’s unique to Scott County?
• With an odd sort of positive indicator, vaccinations do seem to be having an effect.  The average age of a person testing positive for COVID in Scott County has been going down.  In January/February, the average age was about 40.  In March, it was 37.  So far in April, it is about 34 years old.  The health department believes the trend is due to vaccinations in older demographic age groups.
• In my family, vaccinations have been a large part of our conversations.  Lynn (who is at AHS), Kirsten (who is a teacher in Des Moines), and I are fully vaccinated.  My father-in-law, my father, and my sister, who is the caretaker for my mom and dad, are fully vaccinated.  My mom always has reactions to shots and medications, so they are still trying to determine when/if she should be vaccinated.  My son and youngest daughter received their first shots this week, and my oldest daughter will receive her first shot on Tuesday.
• At JFK, the number of students absent due to COVID or COVID symptoms or having to quarantine as close contacts this week dropped a bit from last week.  That is a good sign for us.  Anecdotally, however, one of the more troubling things I’ve noticed recently, probably in relation to more indoor recesses due to rain and funerals at OLV, is that students, especially older students, tend to have more difficulty with their masks being on correctly when they are in closer proximity to one another than when they are apart from each other.  That’s the exact opposite of what is needed!  The closer we are to each other, the more important correct mask usage is.
• Several updates were made to our Return to Learn plan.  The complete plan, with the April 5th updates highlighted in yellow, continues to be available online.

Chad

 

School HVAC this Summer

The contract for our HVAC project to be completed this summer was signed last week.  It is critical that pledges to the Cultivating Our Future capital campaign continue to be fulfilled, and new donations are made.  Our $1.6 million campaign includes this $1 million HVAC project that will install a VRF heating/cooling system, a rooftop unit for the gym, mechanical ventilation, and an ionization air purification system.   For more information about the campaign, use the following link:  capital campaign.  JFK is the only Catholic school in our area to tackle HVAC needs in such a comprehensive manner.  When the HVAC project is finished, we will have the following needs met:

1. Resolve heating pipes issues
2. Add high efficiency heating
3. Add high efficiency air conditioning
4. Control the humidity within the building
5. Add mechanical ventilation for fresh air
6. Purify the air through self-cleaning ozone free ionization

Scott County Catholic School System

The Articles of Incorporation and Constitution and By-Laws for the regional Scott County Catholic School system were approved by the bishop and pastors/trustees.  By 2023-24, the regional system will likely be fully in place.

Tuition contracts for 2021-22, which represent the official registration document for next school year, were mailed during spring break.  Please return them ASAP so we can plan for 2021-22!

Preschool registration for 3, 4, and 5 year olds and ECLC (childcare) does remain open.  If you have not yet registered for these programs, please contact the school office ASAP.

Ad Hoc Policy Committee Invite

Each year the board of education reviews about 1/3 of the policies contained in the Parent and Student Handbook.  Dress code policies are reviewed every year.  If you would like to be involved this spring, please send me an email.

Anticipated Openings at JFK

JFK will be looking for several teachers, possibly both to replace teachers who may be leaving and for new federally funded positions for 2021-22.  We are casting a wide net regarding licensure and endorsements and will adjust staff assignments to best take advantage of teachers’ qualifications.  In the lower grades, that means we are looking for K-6 licensed teachers, especially those who have an additional endorsement, such as in reading.  In the upper grades, where subject area endorsements are required, we would be interested in talking with those who have K-8, 5-12, or middle school endorsements in ELA, math, science, and social studies.

School Bookkeeper/Secretary Position

JFK has an upcoming opening for a school bookkeeper/secretary as Emily Sanderson will be transitioning to another position at JFK.  The school bookkeeper/secretary position is year round and includes a tuition benefit.  The qualified applicant must be detail oriented with accounting knowledge and have strong interpersonal skills with both adults and children.  The ability to multi-task with frequent interruptions is a must.  Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume, and references to chad.steimle@olvjfkmail.com, or complete an application in the school office.  We hope to have the position filled within the next few weeks, and the new staff member will begin yet this school year.

COVID Data

Below is a link to a .pdf file that shows several graphs of Scott County and JFK data.

COVID Data, April 2, 2021

• Scott County’s COVID case counts and positivity rates continued to rise this past week.  As of Sunday, Scott County had the fourth highest positivity rate among the 99 counties of Iowa, and over twice the state average.  Fourteen day rates in Scott County have doubled since the beginning of March, and seven day rates have tripled.  Hospitalization rates are also now starting to increase as well.
• At JFK, the number of students absent due to COVID or COVID symptoms or having to quarantine as close contacts this week was the highest since late January.  We’re not out of this yet!
• Several updates were made to our Return to Learn plan.  The complete plan, with the updates highlighted in yellow, continues to be available online.

Chad