February 25, 2024

I’m So Blessed!

We had six priests offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Friday to students in grades 2-8. Being able to receive the sacraments at school is a great way for us celebrate our Catholic identity. We are not just a private school or an accredited non-public school, as the Department of Education calls us; we are a Catholic school and proud of it.

JFK received notification that we will be receiving a grant of $63,000 from the American Rescue Plan as administered by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Funds will be used to support projects related to health and safety expenses and/or minor renovation needs to meet regulatory requirements in aftercare, wraparound care (ECLC), and 3 YO preschool, which are all licensed as childcare under HHS. When we applied, we thought we might have a chance to receive up to $40,000. To receive anything is a blessing; to receive more than anticipated is an extra blessing!

Nervous About Registration Decisions

There’s going to be some tough decisions that we have to make beginning this week. There are more four year old morning preschool applications than we have spots, and kindergarten looks like it will be in the same situation. First grade will probably be close by the end of the week as well. Every new family that wants to join our community also seems to have a four year old preschooler, kindergartner, or first grader. The SCCS elementary schools have agreed that we will all begin to make decisions regarding preschool and kindergarten on Friday. Decisions about new families with students in other grades might impact our returning families who have not yet completed the registration/update process. Do not delay in registering or “updating” for next school year.

The discounted registration fee of $100 per student also ends on Thursday and increases to $125 per student on Friday.

The latest round of emails that went out to current families from whom we do not yet have a registration complete was on Sunday, February 25th.

Participating Member of Our Lady of Victory or Other Catholic Parish

We do have a definition for being considered a participating member of OLV:

An OLV registered and participating member or member of another supporting Catholic parish, at a minimum, follows the precepts of the Church and is called to go far beyond the minimum in the love of God and neighbor.  Below are the precepts of the Church:

  • Attend Mass at OLV or a supporting Catholic parish on Sundays and holy days of obligation. Members of OLV are expected to fulfill the majority of those obligations at OLV to help ensure that the parish and families develop their relationship together as disciples of Christ.
  • Confess one’s sins at least once per year.
  • Receive Holy Communion at least once per year, during the Easter season.
  • Observe the days of fast and abstinence.
  • Provide for the needs of the Church, including OLV or the supporting Catholic parish to which one has membership. The use of envelopes or electronic funds transfer should be used by OLV registered and participating members to facilitate this obligation.  If this obligation is too much of a hardship, an individualized plan for donated services/voluntarism may be agreed upon.  Those who are members of another supporting Catholic parish should utilize methods desired by the supporting parish.

In addition, the following are also included in the definition of an OLV registered and participating member, and similar requirements are often made by other supporting Catholic parishes:

  • Register in the parish by completing the parish registration form.
  • Participate in and help with parish/school activities.
Registration and Application for 2024-25

Online registration and application for PS-12th grades is open. The links and some directions are available on the front page of our website, www.olvjfk.com.

The registration fee, except for those Iowa residents applying for four year old preschool, is $125 per child, discounted to $100 if submitted prior to March 1st. The registration fee is paid at the time of registration/application. The link has been changed for new families so it includes the options for paying the extra time fee for 4 YO preschools and the wraparound registration/deposit fee. Although the fine print doesn’t indicate it, the K-8 registration fee button can also be used to pay for 3 YO preschool registration and 4 YO Non-qualifying preschool registration. We are working to get the descriptor changed to add these two registration fees.

If you are having difficulty with registration, please let us know. We’ve been to work through a number of issues easily and have had programmers involved for the more complex issues. Most of the registration issues parents have experienced are related to not having PowerSchool accounts set up or not having all of their children set up/attached to the account. Several families still need to take the action themselves to set up the parent access account. The PowerSchool parent account is needed for registration.

If a child, INCLUDING A PRESCHOOLER, is currently in JFK or any Scott County Catholic School, he/she is NOT a new student. You must do the Login to PowerSchool as a parent. If, after you login, you do not see one of your currently attending preschooler-11th grade students, please contact the school. You will need a new code to add the missing child. If you do not remember/have your PowerSchool login, please contact the school as well. If you are changing schools, please contact us so the new school can be added as an option.

Any currently attending student, including a preschooler, whose information was completed as a “New Application” will not be able to be registered for next year. A parent will need to go back and “update” the information for students already attending our schools. We will also attempt to contact families who have mistakenly completed the wrong process.

If you see a message next to your child’s name in PowerSchool that says “Not Submitted,” you must finish the registration process by submitting the application. A “Not Submitted” application is in “no man’s land;” we can’t see it at all, and we don’t even know you’ve tried to apply!

Feb 1: Date online re-enrollment/registration/new application went live. That link will be used for the following:

  • Current K-11th grade students may re-enroll for 2024-25.
  • Students who will be kindergartners and pre-schoolers in 2024-25 may apply.
    • Families should apply as early as they can. While factors such as siblings already at JFK, OLV parishioners, members of supporting parishes, etc. will be taken into account, if all things are equal, there will be an element of first come, first served.
  • Families new to JFK who will have students in grades 1-8 in 2024-25 may apply.

Feb 15:

  • Deadline for priority re-enrollment for current K-7 students who are going into grades 1-8 in 2024-25. After this date, current JFK students are not guaranteed a spot for next school year.
    • As of 2/25/24, about 70% of students currently in K-7th grade have re-enrolled or submitted applications for next school year.

Feb 16:

  • Applications for families new to JFK with students in grades 1-8 in 2024-25 will be reviewed, and these students new to JFK will begin to be accepted.

March 1:

  • Kindergarten and preschool applications will begin to be reviewed in JFK and SCCS schools, and students will begin to be accepted for kindergarten and preschool.
    • Acceptance decisions will need to be made for all preschoolers and kindergartners due to class size limitations and student to staff ratios requirements.
      • As of 2/25/24, there were about 47 applications for kindergarten, and we know there are more interested families that have not yet completed the process.
      • As of 2/25/24, there were about 51 applications for morning 4 YO preschool slots.
  • Discounted registration fees end, and the registration fee goes from $100 to $125.

April 16: Target date for ESA applications to become available for the 2024-25 school year.

  • Families must apply each year!
  • Eligible families in 2024-25 are the following:
    • All kindergartners and first graders
    • New transfer students
    • Students who already received an ESA this year due to transferring to JFK for 2023-24
    • Families whose income is less than 400% of poverty, which is just over $120,000 for a family of four
    • (In 2025-26, all families, regardless of income will be eligible for ESAs)

K-8 Tuition Rates for SCCS Schools

Below are the tuition rates for K-8 in Scott County Catholic Schools for 2024-25. For those paying tuition themselves (“private pay”), the rate is about a 5% increase, which has been about the historical average for many years.

Grade School Tuition
Parish Subsidized Private Pay Parish Subsidized ESA
Student #1 $4,600 Total per student $5,425
Student #2 $3,910
Student #3 $3,000
Student #4+ $2,300
Non-Parish Subsidized Private Pay Non-Parish Subsidized ESA
Student #1 $6,810 Total per student $7,635
Student #2 $3,910
Student #3 $3,000
Student #4+ $2,300

 

Preschool and Wraparound Programs and Rates

There are many possible combinations for 3 year old and 4/5 year old preschool, most of which can also be combined with part-time or full-time wraparound childcare. Three year old classes are offered MWF, M-F, or T/Th. These classes run from 7:25-9:55 a.m. Students must be 3 years old on or before Sept 15th. Four year old classes are offered M-F from 7:25-10:25 a.m. or M-F 11:40 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. Students must be 4 years old on or before Sept 15th. Five year olds may also enroll in the four year old class, if there is space available.  See the below for rates for preschool and wraparound care options. This document has been updated to show the application fee/deposit for wraparound care:

Preschool Tuition Rates_FINAL 2_7_2024

April Calendar Change

April 8th is now an in-service day for JFK and all the SCCS elementary schools in order to accommodate a joint training session. The DCSD was already going to have an in-service day on this date.

Checking Grades in PowerSchool

Have you been logging in to check your student’s grades in PowerSchool? We’ve just passed the middle of the third quarter. Low grades, especially in the upper grades, are often due to students missing work.

SCCS Business Office Positions Available

ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT – ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

Scott County Catholic Schools is currently seeking an Accounting Assistant responsible for Accounts Payable. The role of the Accounts Payable position involves providing financial, administrative and clerical support. Their role is to complete payments and control expenses by reviewing, coding and processing invoices, verifying approvals, and processing payments.  The ideal candidate for this position is a detail oriented, organized, team player with excellent communication skills.   For immediate consideration, please send a cover letter detailing specific interest in and knowledge of Scott County Catholic Schools and a resume to nikki.gartner@sccsiowa.org.

FINANCE DIRECTOR

Scott County Catholic Schools is currently seeking a dynamic, strategic, and mission-focused Finance Director to serve as a collaborative member of the leadership team. Reporting to the President, the Finance Director oversees and manages all aspects of Scott County Catholic Schools’ fiscal administration and accounting processes to ensure financial stability, long-term sustainability, and ethical stewardship of organizational resources.
For immediate consideration, please send a cover letter detailing specific interest in and knowledge of Scott County Catholic Schools and a resume to nikki.gartner@sccsiowa.org.

JFK Welcomes Cris Bowden

JFK welcomes Cris Bowden to the staff. Ms. Bowden can be found doing a little bit of everything: preschool, ECLC, aftercare, recess, and more.

Calendar Entries: Did You Know?

Entries on our website calendars that are underlined expand to include more details when one clicks on them. February 26th’s entry for Red Out is an example.

Calendar Highlights

Here are just a few items highlighted from the detailed online school calendar:

  • Feb 26: 2nd Grade Sacramental Prep Activity
  • Feb 27: Red Out Dress Day for the American Heart Association
  • Feb  29: 4th to symphony. 5th/8th to AHS musical
  • Mar 1: 8th Career Fair at SAU
  • Mar 4: 7/8 Grade Shark Tank Presentations. Music Boosters
  • Mar 5: Hearing Screening for PS, K, 1, 2, & 5
  • Mar 11-15: Spring Break. ECLC open.
  • Mar 18: Green/White Dress Day
  • Mar 21: JFK Skate Night. 8th Grade Confirmation Prep Activity

Principal’s Post for February 18, 2024

I’m So Blessed!

There are four different opportunities to attend Mass at OLV on the weekend: 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and 7:00, 9:00, and 11:00 on Sunday. While our kids were growing up, we were regular 9:00 Mass attendees. We sat in a regular pew as well. It was close to the front so that our kids could see what was happening, but off to the side so it didn’t seem like we’d really be disturbing others. Or, that’s what I, at least, like to tell myself. The reality is that we were probably just barely making it on time, and, as everyone knows, the later you arrive to Mass, the closer to the front it seems you have to sit! As our kids hit fourth grade, they also started altar serving.  That kept them engaged as well! At many of our Masses these days, there aren’t the three altar servers that typically are utilized so there are plenty of opportunities for kids. With our kids involved in practices, games, and other activities, it sometimes seemed as if Mass was the only time during the week that we were all together. Now, it sometimes feels as if it’s the only date-time that my wife and I have, and we are much more varied in which Mass we attend. I’m so blessed to have so many opportunities for Mass.

Participating Member of Our Lady of Victory or Other Catholic Parish

We do have a definition for being considered a participating member of OLV:

An OLV registered and participating member or member of another supporting Catholic parish, at a minimum, follows the precepts of the Church and is called to go far beyond the minimum in the love of God and neighbor.  Below are the precepts of the Church:

  • Attend Mass at OLV or a supporting Catholic parish on Sundays and holy days of obligation. Members of OLV are expected to fulfill the majority of those obligations at OLV to help ensure that the parish and families develop their relationship together as disciples of Christ.
  • Confess one’s sins at least once per year.
  • Receive Holy Communion at least once per year, during the Easter season.
  • Observe the days of fast and abstinence.
  • Provide for the needs of the Church, including OLV or the supporting Catholic parish to which one has membership. The use of envelopes or electronic funds transfer should be used by OLV registered and participating members to facilitate this obligation.  If this obligation is too much of a hardship, an individualized plan for donated services/voluntarism may be agreed upon.  Those who are members of another supporting Catholic parish should utilize methods desired by the supporting parish.

In addition, the following are also included in the definition of an OLV registered and participating member, and similar requirements are often made by other supporting Catholic parishes:

  • Register in the parish by completing the parish registration form.
  • Participate in and help with parish/school activities.
Registration and Application for 2024-25

Online registration and application for PS-12th grades is open. The links and some directions are available on the front page of our website, www.olvjfk.com.

The registration fee, except for those Iowa residents applying for four year old preschool, is $125 per child, discounted to $100 if submitted prior to March 1st. The registration fee is paid at the time of registration/application. The link has been changed for new families so it includes the options for paying the extra time fee for 4 YO preschools and the wraparound registration/deposit fee. Although the fine print doesn’t indicate it, the K-8 registration fee button can also be used to pay for 3 YO preschool registration and 4 YO Non-qualifying preschool registration. We are working to get the descriptor changed to add these two registration fees.

If you are having difficulty with registration, please let us know. We’ve been to work through a number of issues easily and have had programmers involved for the more complex issues. Most of the registration issues parents have experienced are related to not having PowerSchool accounts set up or not having all of their children set up/attached to the account. Several families still need to take the action themselves to set up the parent access account. The PowerSchool parent account is needed for registration.

If a child, INCLUDING A PRESCHOOLER, is currently in JFK or any Scott County Catholic School, he/she is NOT a new student. You must do the Login to PowerSchool as a parent. If, after you login, you do not see one of your currently attending preschooler-11th grade students, please contact the school. You will need a new code to add the missing child. If you do not remember/have your PowerSchool login, please contact the school as well. If you are changing schools, please contact us so the new school can be added as an option.

Any currently attending student, including a preschooler, whose information was completed as a “New Application” will not be able to be registered for next year. A parent will need to go back and “update” the information for students already attending our schools. We will also attempt to contact families who have mistakenly completed the wrong process.

If you see a message next to your child’s name in PowerSchool that says “Not Submitted,” you must finish the registration process by submitting the application. A “Not Submitted” application is in “no man’s land;” we can’t see it at all, and we don’t even know you’ve tried to apply!

Feb 1: Date online re-enrollment/registration/new application went live. That link will be used for the following:

  • Current K-11th grade students may re-enroll for 2024-25.
  • Students who will be kindergartners and pre-schoolers in 2024-25 may apply.
    • Families should apply as early as they can. While factors such as siblings already at JFK, OLV parishioners, members of supporting parishes, etc. will be taken into account, if all things are equal, there will be an element of first come, first served.
  • Families new to JFK who will have students in grades 1-8 in 2024-25 may apply.

Feb 15:

  • Deadline for priority re-enrollment for current K-7 students who are going into grades 1-8 in 2024-25. After this date, current JFK students are not guaranteed a spot for next school year.
    • As of 2/18/24, about 56% of students currently in K-7th grade have re-enrolled or submitted applications for next school year.

Feb 16:

  • Applications for families new to JFK with students in grades 1-8 in 2024-25 will be reviewed, and these students new to JFK will begin to be accepted.

March 1:

  • Kindergarten and preschool applications will begin to be reviewed in JFK and SCCS schools, and students will begin to be accepted for kindergarten and preschool.
    • Acceptance decisions will need to be made for all preschoolers and kindergartners due to class size limitations and student to staff ratios requirements.
      • As of 2/18/24, there were about 41 applications for kindergarten, and we know there are more interested families that have not yet completed the process.
      • As of 2/18/24, there were about 47 applications for morning 4 YO preschool slots.
  • Discounted registration fees end, and the registration fee goes from $100 to $125.

April 16: Target date for ESA applications to become available for the 2024-25 school year.

  • Families must apply each year!
  • Eligible families in 2024-25 are the following:
    • All kindergartners and first graders
    • New transfer students
    • Students who already received an ESA this year due to transferring to JFK for 2023-24
    • Families whose income is less than 400% of poverty, which is just over $120,000 for a family of four
    • (In 2025-26, all families, regardless of income will be eligible for ESAs)

K-8 Tuition Rates for SCCS Schools

Below are the tuition rates for K-8 in Scott County Catholic Schools for 2024-25. For those paying tuition themselves (“private pay”), the rate is about a 5% increase, which has been about the historical average for many years.

Grade School Tuition
Parish Subsidized Private Pay Parish Subsidized ESA
Student #1 $4,600 Total per student $5,425
Student #2 $3,910
Student #3 $3,000
Student #4+ $2,300
Non-Parish Subsidized Private Pay Non-Parish Subsidized ESA
Student #1 $6,810 Total per student $7,635
Student #2 $3,910
Student #3 $3,000
Student #4+ $2,300

 

Preschool and Wraparound Programs and Rates

There are many possible combinations for 3 year old and 4/5 year old preschool, most of which can also be combined with part-time or full-time wraparound childcare. Three year old classes are offered MWF, M-F, or T/Th. These classes run from 7:25-9:55 a.m. Students must be 3 years old on or before Sept 15th. Four year old classes are offered M-F from 7:25-10:25 a.m. or M-F 11:40 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. Students must be 4 years old on or before Sept 15th. Five year olds may also enroll in the four year old class, if there is space available.  See the below for rates for preschool and wraparound care options. This document has been updated to show the application fee/deposit for wraparound care:

Preschool Tuition Rates_FINAL 2_7_2024

April Calendar Change

April 8th is now an in-service day for JFK and all the SCCS elementary schools in order to accommodate a joint training session. The DCSD was already going to have an in-service day on this date.

Checking Grades in PowerSchool

Have you been logging in to check your student’s grades in PowerSchool? We’re right around the middle of the third quarter. Low grades, especially in the upper grades, are often due to students missing work.

What’s Procare?

For a number of years, JFK has used Procare to keep track of ECLC and aftercare hours used. We used a desktop/local version hosted in house. When our license expired at the end of the school year, SCCS wasn’t ready to tackle that type of specialized software. SCCS is now ready. We are preparing to return to Procare. This time it will be a web-based version. Eventually, we will be using iPads at sign in/sign out times and might use some of the other features in the web version. As we transfer data from the desktop version to the web version, we were notified that families may have received an email from/regarding Procare. Yes, it is legitimate, but we’ll have more information once we have a more detailed implementation plan.

Calendar Highlights

Here are just a few items highlighted from the detailed online school calendar:

  • Feb 22: Formal Dress Day fundraiser
  • Feb 23: JFK Reconciliation for 2nd-8th graders
  • Feb 25: Ignite Sunday
  • Feb 26: 2nd Grade Sacramental Prep Activity
  • Feb 27: Red Out Dress Day for the American Heart Association
  • Feb  29: 4th to symphony. 5th/8th to AHS musical
  • Mar 1: 8th Career Fair at SAU
  • Mar 4: 7/8 Grade Shark Tank Presentations. Music Boosters
  • Mar 11-15: Spring Break

Principal’s Post for February 11, 2024

I’m So Blessed!

I was able to watch one of my favorite teams and players in the big game on Sunday. Although Iowa lost, and Caitlin Clark didn’t break the NCAA women’s scoring record, the game sure was a nail-biter!

JFK GROWS Students of the Month for January

Each morning, students and teachers at JFK recite the JFK Difference:  JFK GROWS.  We put God first, use Respectful behaviors, find Opportunities to serve, are Welcoming to all, and make Safe choices.  Each month, we recognize one student at each grade level, alternating each month between the two homerooms, whose teachers have observed exhibiting these traits particularly well at school during the past month:

  • Kindergarten:  Emerson R.
    • Emerson is a hard worker and never gives up even when things are challenging; she keeps working until she gets it! She is a great friend to her classmates and a helper in the classroom.
  • 1st Grade:  Aurora B.
    • Aurora is respectful and welcoming to all.  She has a kind heart and positive spirit.
  • 2nd Grade: Collyns H.
    • Collyns is a giver, all day, everyday. She gives 150% to her schoolwork and her classmates. Her sweet disposition and bright smile light up 2P! She is a blessing to all she meets.
  • 3rd Grade: Charlotte L.
    • Charlotte puts forth her best effort everyday. She is very respectful in her interactions with others and follows classroom expectations. She is an amazing, helpful student and is always there to help out others in our classroom. She works hard on each assignment and takes pride in her work.
  • 4th Grade:  Cooper T.
    • Cooper is respectful and kind-hearted. He is considerate and looks out for other students. He does so quietly and without drawing attention to himself. Cooper is the perfect example of someone who follows the Golden Rule!
  • 5th Grade: Peyton I.
    • Peyton is a hard working, responsible student who turns her homework in on time and pays attention in class.  She is friendly to all and treats others with respect.
  • 6th Grade: Madison H.
    • Madison is very respectful and follows classroom rules and procedures. She is always willing to help those around her.
  •  7th Grade: Mason N.
    • Mason comes to school with a positive attitude and regularly participates in class discussions. He can be a good role model for his fellow students.
  • 8th Grade: Sydney S.
    • Sydney, although quiet, has grown in her confidence and helps those sitting near her and will volunteer. She can always be counted upon to follow expectations and be a good helper.
Registration and Application for 2024-25

Online registration and application for PS-12th grades opened late last week. The links and some directions are available on the front page of our website, www.olvjfk.com.

The registration fee, except for those Iowa residents applying for four year old preschool, is $125 per child, discounted to $100 if submitted prior to March 1st. The registration fee is paid at the time of registration/application.

Most of the registration issues parents have experienced are related to not having PowerSchool accounts set up or not having all of their children set up/attached to the account. We did work over last weekend to email these families their needed information, but there are several families that still need to take the action themselves to set up the parent access account. The PowerSchool parent account is needed for registration.

If a child, INCLUDING A PRESCHOOLER, is currently in JFK or any Scott County Catholic School, he/she is NOT a new student. You must do the Login to PowerSchool as a parent. If, after you login, you do not see one of your currently attending preschooler-11th grade students, please contact the school. You will need a new code to add the missing child. If you do not remember/have your PowerSchool login, please contact the school as well.

Any currently attending student, including a preschooler, whose information was completed as a “New Application” will not be able to be registered for next year. A parent will need to go back and verify the information for students already attending our schools. We will also attempt to contact families who have mistakenly completed the wrong process.

Feb 1: Date online re-enrollment/registration/new application went live. That link will be used for the following:

  • Current K-11th grade students may re-enroll for 2024-25.
  • Students who will be kindergartners and pre-schoolers in 2024-25 may apply.
    • Families should apply as early as they can. While factors such as siblings already at JFK, OLV parishioners, members of supporting parishes, etc. will be taken into account, if all things are equal, there will be an element of first come, first served.
  • Families new to JFK who will have students in grades 1-8 in 2024-25 may apply.

Feb 13: Pre-school open house and meet the staff, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. We will also have some iPads available for families that still need to apply.

Feb 15:

  • Kindergarten Round-up, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Learn more about JFK and kindergarten. Families are encouraged to apply before this date.
  • Deadline for priority re-enrollment for current K-7 students who are going into grades 1-8 in 2024-25. After this date, current JFK students are not guaranteed a spot for next school year.
    • As of 2/11/24, about 38% of students in preschool-7th grade have re-enrolled or submitted applications for next school year.

Feb 16:

  • Applications for families new to JFK with students in grades 1-8 in 2024-25 will be reviewed, and these students new to JFK will begin to be accepted.

March 1:

  • Kindergarten and preschool applications will begin to be reviewed in JFK and SCCS schools, and students will begin to be accepted for kindergarten and preschool.
    • Acceptance decisions will need to be made for all preschoolers and kindergartners due to class size limitations and student to staff ratios requirements.
  • Discounted registration fees end, and the registration fee goes from $100 to $125.

April 16: Target date for ESA applications to become available for the 2024-25 school year.

  • Families must apply each year!
  • Eligible families in 2024-25 are the following:
    • All kindergartners and first graders
    • New transfer students
    • Students who already received an ESA this year due to transferring to JFK for 2023-24
    • Families whose income is less than 400% of poverty, which is just over $120,000 for a family of four
    • (In 2025-26, all families, regardless of income will be eligible for ESAs)

K-8 Tuition Rates for SCCS Schools

Below are the tuition rates for K-8 in Scott County Catholic Schools for 2024-25. For those paying tuition themselves (“private pay”), the rate is about a 5% increase, which has been about the historical average for many years.

Grade School Tuition
Parish Subsidized Private Pay Parish Subsidized ESA
Student #1 $4,600 Total per student $5,425
Student #2 $3,910
Student #3 $3,000
Student #4+ $2,300
Non-Parish Subsidized Private Pay Non-Parish Subsidized ESA
Student #1 $6,810 Total per student $7,635
Student #2 $3,910
Student #3 $3,000
Student #4+ $2,300

 

Preschool and Wraparound Programs and Rates

There are many possible combinations for 3 year old and 4/5 year old preschool, most of which can also be combined with part-time or full-time wraparound childcare. Three year old classes are offered MWF, M-F, or T/Th. These classes run from 7:25-9:55 a.m. Students must be 3 years old on or before Sept 15th. Four year old classes are offered M-F from 7:25-10:25 a.m. or M-F 11:40 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. Students must be 4 years old on or before Sept 15th. Five year olds may also enroll in the four year old class, if there is space available.  See the below for rates for preschool and wraparound care options. This document has been updated to show the application fee/deposit for wraparound care:

Preschool Tuition Rates_FINAL 2_7_2024

April Calendar Change

April 8th is now an in-service day for JFK and all the SCCS elementary schools in order to accommodate a joint training session. The DCSD was already going to have an in-service day on this date.

Calendar Highlights

Here are just a few items highlighted from the detailed online school calendar:

  • Feb 12: Middle School Youth Night
  • Feb 13: Red, white, pink dress day. PS Open House, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Home & School Mtg. Any activities for St. Valentine’s Day.
  • Feb 14: Ash Wednesday
  • Feb 15: Kindergarten Round Up, 6:00 p.m. Priority re-enrollment deadline.
  • Feb 16: 2 Hr Early Dismissal. No 4/5 YO am or pm classes. ECLC open
  • Feb 18: Snowstar Tubing Event is likely on hold, given our warm temperatures
  • Feb 19: No Classes. ECLC Open
  • Feb 22: Formal Dress Day fundraiser
  • Feb 23: JFK Reconciliation for 2nd-8th graders

Principal’s Post for February 4, 2024

I’m So Blessed!

There were so many people that helped with Fun Night, Catholic Schools Week activities, and the Gala!

No Buses on Monday, February 5th

There are no buses in the morning or afternoon on Monday, February 5th as the DCSD does not have classes.

Registration and Application for 2024-25

Online registration and application for PS-12th grades opened late last week. The links and some directions are available on the front page of our website, www.olvjfk.com.

The registration fee, except for those Iowa residents applying for four year old preschool, is $125 per child, discounted to $100 if submitted prior to March 1st. The registration fee is paid at the time of registration/application.

Most of the registration issues parents have experienced are related to not having PowerSchool accounts set up or not having all of their children set up/attached to the account. We have done more work over the weekend to email these families their needed information, but there are several families that still need to take the action themselves to set up the parent access account. The PowerSchool parent account is needed for registration.

Feb 1: Target date for online re-enrollment/registration/new application to go live. That link will be used for the following:

  • Current K-11th grade students may re-enroll for 2024-25.
  • Students who will be kindergartners and pre-schoolers in 2024-25 may apply.
    • Families should apply as early as they can. While factors such as siblings already at JFK, OLV parishioners, members of supporting parishes, etc. will be taken into account, if all things are equal, there will be an element of first come, first served.
  • Families new to JFK who will have students in grades 1-8 in 2024-25 may apply.

Feb 13: Pre-school open house and meet the staff. We will also have some iPads available for families that still need to apply.

Feb 15:

  • Kindergarten Round-up. Learn more about JFK and kindergarten. Families are encouraged to apply before this date.
  • Deadline for priority re-enrollment for current K-7 students who are going into grades 1-8 in 2024-25. After this date, current JFK students are not guaranteed a spot for next school year.

Feb 16:

  • Applications for families new to JFK with students in grades 1-8 in 2024-25 will be reviewed, and these students new to JFK will begin to be accepted.

March 1:

  • Kindergarten and preschool applications will begin to be reviewed in JFK and SCCS schools, and students will begin to be accepted for kindergarten and preschool.
    • Acceptance decisions will need to be made for all preschoolers and kindergartners due to class size limitations and student to staff ratios requirements.
  • Discounted registration fees end, and the registration fee goes from $100 to $125.

April 16: Target date for ESA applications to become available for the 2024-25 school year.

  • Families must apply each year!
  • Eligible families in 2024-25 are the following:
    • All kindergartners and first graders
    • New transfer students
    • Students who already received an ESA this year due to transferring to JFK for 2023-24
    • Families whose income is less than 400% of poverty, which is just over $120,000 for a family of four
    • (In 2025-26, all families, regardless of income will be eligible for ESAs)

K-8 Tuition Rates for SCCS Schools

Below are the tuition rates for K-8 in Scott County Catholic Schools for 2024-25. For those paying tuition themselves (“private pay”), the rate is about a 5% increase, which has been about the historical average for many years.

Grade School Tuition
Parish Subsidized Private Pay Parish Subsidized ESA
Student #1 $4,600 Total per student $5,425
Student #2 $3,910
Student #3 $3,000
Student #4+ $2,300
Non-Parish Subsidized Private Pay Non-Parish Subsidized ESA
Student #1 $6,810 Total per student $7,635
Student #2 $3,910
Student #3 $3,000
Student #4+ $2,300

 

Preschool and Wraparound Programs and Rates

There are many possible combinations for 3 year old and 4/5 year old preschool, most of which can also be combined with part-time or full-time wraparound childcare. Three year old classes are offered MWF, M-F, or T/Th. These classes run from 7:25-9:55 a.m. Students must be 3 years old on or before Sept 15th. Four year old classes are offered M-F from 7:25-10:25 a.m. or M-F 11:40 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. Students must be 4 years old on or before Sept 15th. Five year olds may also enroll in the four year old class, if there is space available.  See the below for rates for preschool and wraparound care options:

Preschool Tuition Rates_FINAL 2_7_2024

SCCS/SAU Career Fair

At the Scott County Catholic Schools and St. Ambrose University 8th grade career fair, small groups of 8th graders interact with presenters throughout the whole day. Students can really learn something about a career or field of study.  We also have our students talk with college students, and the day concludes with Mass. Outside of athletics, it is the largest cooperative venture of SCCS and SAU. The career fair is March 1st. If you would like to be a presenter or know someone we should contact, please reach out to Mrs. Wolf, emma.wolf@olvjfkmail.com.

April Calendar Change

April 8th is now an in-service day for JFK and all the SCCS elementary schools in order to accommodate a joint training session. The DCSD was already going to have an in-service day on this date.

Calendar Highlights

Here are just a few items highlighted from the detailed online school calendar:

  • Feb 5: No Buses (The DCSD does not have classes).
  • Feb 8: H & S Skate Night
  • Feb 10: Sweetheart Dinner fundraiser for youth ministry
  • Feb 12: Middle School Youth Night
  • Feb 13: Red, white, pink dress day. PS Open House. Home & School Mtg. Any activities for St. Valentine’s will be done on a day other than the 14th
  • Feb 14: Ash Wednesday
  • Feb 15: Kindergarten Round Up. Priority re-enrollment deadline.
  • Feb 16: 2 Hr Early Dismissal. No 4/5 YO am or pm classes. ECLC open
  • Feb 19: No Classes. ECLC Open