Highlighted Events
Both a summary and detailed school calendars for JFK are available on our website. Highlighted events are below:
- Nov 1: All school Mass with “parade of saints”
- Nov 1, 2, or 3: Homeroom Fancy Dress Day. For at least three cans or other non-perishable food items, students can participate in their homeroom’s fancy dress day on November 1, 2, or 3. (Actual date determined by homeroom and homeroom teacher.)
- Nov 2: Evening parent/teacher conferences. (See also Nov 4.) PS-5 conferences are scheduled. 6-8 conferences are all drop in.
- Nov 3: JFK’s participation in the Student Hunger Drive ends
- Nov 4: Parent/teacher conferences. No classes. ECLC open.
- Nov 5: No classes. ECLC open
- Nov 11: No buses. (JFK has school, but the DCSD does not.)
- Nov 19: Butter braid bread delivery. Nothing Bundt Cake “pop up” sale.
- Nov 24: Thanksgiving break. ECLC open.
- Nov 25-26: Thanksgiving break. ECLC closed.
Morning Drop Off
Students should not be dropped off prior to 7:10 a.m. Most staff members are not required themselves to be at school prior to 7:10, and the supervision we have available should be reserved for those students who may have to arrive on a school bus prior to 7:10.
Hourly Paid School Positions
JFK has multiple aide positions available for the remainder of the school year. These 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. “Full time” and part time positions may be available. Candidates must be available between 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Aftercare is free for employees working. Tuition, childcare, and other fee reductions are included, and the rate of pay is typically between $11 and $13 per hour. Letter, resume, references can be sent to me at chad.steimle@olvjfkmail.com or an application can be completed at school.
Ignite Sundays
See below for the list of IGNITE Sundays. There is no cost or registration required to participate. Come to as many of the opportunities listed below as you are able on IGNITE Sundays. Families are encouraged to participate together. There are small group activities and family activities at each session.
Typical schedule for IGNITE Sundays:
- 4:30-5:30pm Mass
- 5:35-6:05pm Meal in the Parish Center
- 6:10-7:15pm Group Gatherings
Ignite Sundays:
- Nov 7: Jesus came for all of us
- Nov 21: What’s my motivation to go to Mass?
- Dec 12: Finding your place in the Advent story
- Feb 13: Anawim (Hebrew word meaning “poor one”) Poverty and the dignity of work
- March 6: “I thirst” Lent
- March 20: “I hunger” Eucharist
- April 10: Family: The foundation of society
- April 24: What does God want me to do?
JFK Demographic Information
Many state and diocesan reports are due in October. Below is some demographic information regarding JFK as of 10/1/2021, the official student enrollment count date in Iowa.
Official Enrollment
2021 |
Budgeted 2021 | Official Enrollment 2020 | Official Enrollment 2019 | Official Enrollment 2018 | Official Enrollment 2017 | Official Enrollment 2016 | |
3 yr old PS T/Th only | 2 | 1 | 12 | 7 | |||
3 yr old PS MWF only | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | |||
3 yr old PS and ECLC (M-F) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | |||
3 yr old PS (Total of TTh, MWF, and M-F) | 15 | 19 | 11 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 18 |
4/5 yr old PS | 54
4 are 5 yr olds |
51 | 58
4 are 5 yr olds |
55
3 are 5 yr olds |
74
9 are 5 yr olds |
80 | 80 |
ECLC (3, 4, or 5 yr olds) | 15 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 24 |
K | 43 | 36 | 43 | 32 | 39 | ||
1st | 39 | 35 | 34 | 38 | 41 | ||
2nd | 34 | 31 | 36 | 40 | 46 | ||
3rd | 36 | 36 | 39 | 42 | 41 | ||
4th | 36 | 39 | 41 | 38 | 33 | ||
5th | 37 | 41 | 39 | 30 | 51 | ||
6th | 43 | 38 | 25 | 46 | 46 | ||
7th | 43 | 28 | 41 | 48 | 47 | ||
8th | 29 | 42 | 46 | 41 | 51 | ||
Total K-8 | 340 | 328 | 326 | 344 | 355 | 395 | 409 |
Total PS-8 | 409 | 398 | 395 | 420 | 449 | 497 | 507 |
Free/reduced lunches, K-8 | 22.9%* | 21.8% | 18.3% | 17.8% | 12.1% | 14.2% | |
Transportation services, registered | Not required to be reported in 2021-22 so data is not currently available | 38.7% | 47.7% | 40.7% | 40.5% | 43.3% | |
4/5 yr PS-8 Enrollment by Ethnicity = Hispanic | 16.8% | 17.9% | 18.0% | 17.8% | 16.4% | 16% | |
4 /5 yr PS-8 Enrollment by Race | |||||||
Native American | 0.3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.2% | |
Asian | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 2% | |
Black | 1.3% | 1.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2% | |
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
White | 90.9% | 91.9% | 90.0% | 89.9% | 91.3% | 91.9% | |
Two or More Races | 5.8% | 5.2% | 5% | 6.1% | 4.8% | 3.9% | |
K-8 Students with disabilities (IEPs or 504 plans) | 9.7% | 8.6% | 6.7% | 6.2% | 6.1% |
*By 10/30/2021, this percentage had fallen to 12.9%. In part, because all lunches are free, families stopped completing the income based applications. The 30 day grace period into the following school year also ended for many families between Oct 1 and Oct 15. Without new applications, the lunch status for many families returned to “full paying,” even though they are continuing to get free lunches. Free/reduced lunch counts impact other funding such as Title I funds for reading interventionist support and reduced costs for internet access (e-rate funding).
COVID Guidance for 2021-22
Click on the JFK COVID FAQ, 2021-22 to have your questions answered. Please note that the information is, however, subject to change.
COVID Data and Comments
Below is a link to a .pdf file that shows several graphs for Scott County and JFK. Below are also some comments related to the pandemic.
- Student absences were rather low this week, and most of them were for things other than illnesses or quarantining.
- This was actually the first week this school year that had a couple of days at JFK with no COVID related absences, which includes students who have tested positive, students who have COVID symptoms and are awaiting test results, and students who are quarantining as close contacts.
- Much of the week’s meeting with the health department focused on immunization for children ages 5-11.
- The reviewing committee at the federal level voted 17 to 0 with one abstention that the totality of scientific evidence available indicated that the benefit to immunizing children outweighed the risks.
- To date, about 4% of COVID cases in the U.S. have been in the 5-11 year old age range. Additional data looking at who has developed antibodies (which would indicate who has already had COVID) suggests that cases in 5-11 year olds are under reported by a factor of about six whereas cases among older cohorts are under reported only by a factor of about two. The difference in identifying is likely due to the difference in asymptomatic infection. When using this information to make other mathematical inferences, one can arrive at a figure of about 1 in 10 reported and not reported cases of COVID in the U.S. may be in the 5-11 age group.
- It’s probably time to think about what you want to do regarding your children in this age range.
- I received my booster this weekend as educational staff are considered to work in a high risk setting and are eligible for boosters. I scheduled an appointment at Walgreens online, and it took about 20 minutes at the store. About five minutes was needed for waiting to receive the shot and the shot itself, and the remaining time was the 15 minutes after the shot to make sure there is no significant reaction. Unfortunately, I used that 15 minutes to shop! My free COVID shot ended up costing me $42 in other things I purchased while at Walgreens!
Chad