Author: csteimle

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

Green Lights for School HVAC

OLV’s Finance Council and Parish Council and the Diocesan Building Commission approved of our HVAC project last week.  We will soon be signing the contract for the work to be completed this summer!  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.  When the HVAC project is finished, we will have the following needs met:

1. Resolve heating pipes issues
   1. The heating pipes in the 1964 part of the building are past their life expectancy  by 10-40 years now and are starting to fail
   2. To just re-pipe the 1964 part of the building would have been an estimated $800,000-$900,000 project
2. Add high efficiency heating
   1. We can even heat and cool at the same time in different rooms/locations
3. Add high efficiency air conditioning
   1. No more starting the morning at 80+ degrees because we closed up the building at 3:00 the day before when the temperature was 90+ degrees
   2. Window air conditioners along with re-piping the building would not be a long-term cost effective or energy efficient solution
4. Control the humidity within the building
   1. We all know the saying, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”
5. Add mechanical ventilation for fresh air
   1. Modern building code no longer says “just open the window” to ventilate public use buildings
   2. No more keeping windows cracked open in winter for COVID-type situations
6. Purify the air through self-cleaning ozone free ionization
   1. Will help with dust, pollen, allergens, airborne illness causing “germs”

Tuition Contracts for 2021-22, Kindergarten Round-Up, PS, and ECLC Registration

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.

Anticipated Openings at JFK

Speaking of 2021-22, I anticipate that we will be looking for several teachers, possibly both to replace teachers who may be leaving and for new federally funded positions.  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.

Calendar

Our Easter break includes Good Friday (April 2) and Easter Monday (April 5).  There are no classes on these two dates, and ECLC is also closed.  Please note that the DCSD does have classes on April 5th.

Last day of school for JFK:  June 11th.  The DCSD will continue until the 16th.  Because June 11th is not Davenport’s last day, there is no early dismissal at JFK on June 11th.

First day of school for next year:  August 23rd.  We are awaiting a corrected full year 2021-22 calendar from the DCSD before we finalize our calendar for next year.

COVID Data

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

COVID Data, March 26, 2021

• There is no question about what to make of this week’s Scott County data.  COVID case counts and positivity rates are both going up.  While not evident in the graphs provided to us on Wednesday, the number of people hospitalized due to COVID is also increasing.
• At JFK, our streak of seven school days without anyone having to quarantine due to being a close contact with a family member who has COVID also came to an end this week.  We’re not out of this yet!

Chad

Cultivating Our Future Capital Campaign — School HVAC

We received the updated quote to do school HVAC work this summer, primarily on the 1964 and 1987 parts of the building.  (No significant work was needed in the 2011 additions.)  The approximately $1 million school HVAC project includes a VRF heating/cooling system, a rooftop unit for the gym, mechanical ventilation, and an ionization air purification system.  When we are finished, we will have the following needs met:

1. Resolve heating pipes issues
   1. The heating pipes in the 1964 part of the building are past their life expectancy  by 10-40 years now and are starting to fail
   2. To just re-pipe the 1964 part of the building would have been an estimated $800,000-$900,000 project
2. Add high efficiency heating
   1. We can even heat and cool at the same time in different rooms/locations
3. Add high efficiency air conditioning
   1. No more starting the morning at 80+ degrees because we closed up the building at 3:00 the day before when the temperature was 90+ degrees
   2. Window air conditioners along with re-piping the building would not be a long-term cost effective or energy efficient solution
4. Control the humidity within the building
   1. We all know the saying, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”
5. Add mechanical ventilation for fresh air
   1. Modern building code no longer says “just open the window” to ventilate public use buildings
   2. No more keeping windows cracked open in winter for COVID-type situations
6. Purify the air through self-cleaning ozone free ionization
   1. Will help with dust, pollen, allergens, airborne illness causing “germs”

In order to accomplish this $1 million project, planned for this summer, pledges and donations to our $1.6 million Cultivating Our Future capital campaign are still needed.  No amount is too small.  The fewer JFK families that support the campaign in any way, the less support some may interpret this project as having from JFK families.  (That’s not true, but it is reality.)  For more information about the campaign, use the following link:  capital campaign.

Gala and Plant Sale

Plans are being made for the Rock the Lot Gala that will combine online elements and socially distant outdoor elements utilizing our vast campus.  We also hope to celebrate the anticipated beginning of the school HVAC project and just making it through the 2020-21 school year!  The Rock the Lot Gala is May 15, 2021.  If you would like to donate an item or service that can be auctioned alone or in a basket combined with other items, please contact Angie Hillebrand in the school office.

Tuition Contracts for 2021-22, Kindergarten Round-Up, PS, and ECLC Registration

Tuition contracts for 2021-22, which represent the official registration document for next school year, were mailed on Thursday.  If you are behind in tuition payments, please contact Fr. Jake so arrangements can be made, and the tuition contract for next school year can be completed.

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.

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.

Calendar

March 25:  Jersey Day.  For a $1 or more donation, students may be out of uniform wearing their favorite sleeved jerseys.  If the jersey does not have sleeves, another sleeved shirt is required under it.  Proceeds go to the Children’s Hospital in Iowa City.

Our Easter break includes Good Friday (April 2) and Easter Monday (April 5).  There are no classes on these two dates, and ECLC is also closed.  Please note that the DCSD does have classes on April 5th.

Last day of school for JFK:  June 11th.  The DCSD will continue until the 16th.  Because June 11th is not Davenport’s last day, there is no early dismissal at JFK on June 11th.

First day of school for next year:  August 23rd.  We are awaiting a corrected full year 2021-22 calendar from the DCSD before we finalize our calendar for next year.

Board of Education Openings

If you would like to be involved in decisions like those mentioned above, consider running for the board of education.  The board meets on the first Tuesday of each month from about 6:30-8:00 p.m.  Our longest meetings typically are when we talk “money,” that is, when we try to budget our priorities and put talk into action.  Board members occasionally have another meeting to attend during the month.  A board member’s term is three years.  Please contact me if you are interested in being on the board, and I will connect you with a board member for more information.  Elections are in May.

COVID Data

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

COVID Data, March 19, 2021

• I’m not sure what to make of this week’s data in Scott County.  COVID case counts, by some measures, went up, but positivity test rates went down

Chad

Calendar Issues

The OLV/JFK board of education voted to have June 11th as our last day of school this year.  With more than enough instructional hours to meet requirements and a major HVAC construction project to be completed in already a shorter than normal summer, it was decided to stay with June 11th as our last day of school.  The DCSD will continue until the 16th.  Because June 11th is not Davenport’s last day, there is no early dismissal at JFK on June 11th.

The first day of school for next year will be August 23rd.  We are awaiting a corrected full year 2021-22 calendar from the DCSD before we finalize our calendar for next year.

Our Easter break includes Good Friday (April 2) and Easter Monday (April 5).  There are no classes on these two dates, and ECLC is also closed.  Please note that the DCSD does have classes on April 5th.

Board of Education Openings

If you would like to be involved in decisions like those mentioned above, consider running for the board of education.  The board meets on the first Tuesday of each month from about 6:30-8:00 p.m.  Our longest meetings typically are when we talk “money,” that is, when we try to budget our priorities and put talk into action.  Board members occasionally have another meeting to attend during the month.  A board member’s term is three years.  Please contact me if you are interested in being on the board, and I will connect you with a board member for more information.  Elections are in May.

Cultivating Our Future — School HVAC

We received the updated quote to do school HVAC work this summer.  The school HVAC project includes a VRF heating/cooling system, mechanical ventilation, and an ionization air purification system.  When we are finished, we will have resolved our heating pipes issues in the 1963 part of the building and added air conditioning, mechanical ventilation, and air purification to the 1963 and 1987 parts of the building.  (Significant HVAC upgrades are not needed in the 2011 additions.)

In order to accomplish this $1 million project, planned for this summer, pledges and donations to our $1.6 million Cultivating Our Future capital campaign are still needed.  No amount is too small.  The fewer JFK families that support the campaign in any way, the less support some may interpret this project as having from JFK families.  (That’s not true, but it is reality.)  For more information about the campaign, use the following link:  capital campaign.

Gala and Plant Sale

Plans are being made for the Rock the Lot Gala that will combine online elements and socially distant outdoor elements utilizing our vast campus.  We also hope to celebrate the anticipated beginning of the school HVAC project and just making it through the 2020-21 school year!  The Rock the Lot Gala is May 15, 2021.  If you would like to donate an item or service that can be auctioned alone or in a basket combined with other items, please contact Angie Hillebrand in the school office.

Tuition Contracts for 2021-22, Kindergarten Round-Up, PS, and ECLC Registration

Tuition contracts for 2021-22, which represent the official registration document for next school year, will be mailed on Thursday.  Please contact Emily Sanderson in the school office, if you have not turned in your kindergarten forms yet, so your kindergartner is not left off the contract.  If you are behind in tuition payments, please contact Fr. Jake so arrangements can be made, and there are no delays in sending out your tuition contract for next 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.

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.

I’ll add a few comments below as well.

COVID Data, March 12, 2021

• The week by week downward trend in Scott County data has stopped, and the rates crept back up this last week.  Hopefully, it is only a short-term “blip” as we are still roughly at or above the July surge rates.  We don’t want to become complacent just because the COVID numbers aren’t as high as just the latest surge!
• We won’t be meeting with the health department this week due to spring break, but we may have the weekly data emailed to us.
• JFK’s own absence rates increased this week, but that was expected with spring break.  The closer we get to an extended break, the higher the absence rate becomes as people leave early.
• We’ll see if spring break had an impact on COVID numbers about 2-3 weeks after spring break concludes.  Stay safe!

Chad

Special Activities on March 12

March 12th is the last school day before spring break.  Students have an out of uniform green/white themed day on the 12th, and we will do the Minute to Win It activities in the afternoon that had been postponed from Catholic Schools Week due to the weather.  Classes resume after spring break on March 22nd.

Mid-Quarter Reports Emailed This Week

Mid-quarter reports will be emailed this week.  Use JMC to see the most current grades for students in at least grades 3-8.

Home & School Meeting This Week

Home & School will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.  An in-person option with social distancing is available in the cafeteria, and the Zoom link will be sent via email later this week.

Last Day of School

The OLV/JFK board of education voted to have June 11th as our last day of school this year.  With more than enough instructional hours to meet requirements and a major HVAC construction project to be completed in already a shorter than normal summer, it was decided to stay with June 11th as our last day of school.  The DCSD will continue until the 16th.  Because June 11th is not Davenport’s last day, there is no early dismissal at JFK on June 11th.

The first day of school for next year will be August 23rd.  We are awaiting a corrected full year 2021-22 calendar from the DCSD before we finalize our calendar for next year.

Board of Education Openings

If you would like to be involved in decisions like the two mentioned above, consider running for the board of education.  The board meets on the first Tuesday of each month from about 6:30-8:00 p.m.  Our longest meetings typically are when we talk “money,” that is, when we try to budget our priorities and put talk into action.  Board members occasionally have another meeting to attend during the month.  A board member’s term is three years.  Please contact me if you are interested in being on the board, and I will connect you with a board member for more information.  Elections are in May.

Virtual Career Fair

This year’s Scott County Catholic Schools and St. Ambrose University 8th grade career fair is virtual.  We would like to thank our “presenters” who did things much differently this year, and our counselors and student services personnel, including our Emma Wolf, who organized the event.  Finally, we could not have done anything at all without the tech support at each school, including Dianne Siefers at JFK.  Photos are on our Facebook.

The challenges of the virtual career fair seemed to mirror challenges faced with taking other things virtual over the last year.  “We’ll just do remote learning,” “we’ll just livestream volleyball games,” etc. usually results in a ton of IT work with video and audio formats, settings in what is used to record video, settings on the hosting site/platform, website filters/blockers which are different in a school setting than in/on one’s personal devices and home networks, bandwidth, WiFi access points, and more.  Those issued don’t even include individual oddities like “why does this one Chromebook keep trying to connect to the access point across the hall rather than the one nearby?”  We tested every link and even did an infrastructure test the day before the event, and still ran into challenges, especially for one of our 8th grade homerooms.  Nothing is easy with COVID!  We would also like to thank the supervising teachers who helped troubleshoot issues and implement and even revise our back up plans on the fly.

Although we have added more access points this fall, we currently have three companies that are examining the building for a complete redo of our wireless network.

Donations, Fundraisers, and Special Projects

We have restricted use funds in memory of Janet Thomas, long-time librarian for JFK and organist for OLV, that will be used toward outdoor musical equipment to be installed near our rosary-themed play area by the playground this summer.  If you would like to contribute toward that project, please specify that with your donation.

Major projects related to the Cultivating Our Future capital campaign are being planned.  A quote was approved to replace the blower in the church’s HVAC system, and quotes are being received to replace the church’s sound system.  (None too soon!)  We are also finalizing the documents for the school HVAC project that we’d like to complete this summer.  The school HVAC project includes heating pipes mitigation, mechanical ventilation, air conditioning, and air purification.  Pledges and donations are still being accepted for the $1.6 million campaign.  For more information about the campaign, use the following link:  capital campaign.

Plans are being made for the Rock the Lot Gala that will combine online elements and socially distant outdoor elements utilizing our vast campus.  We also hope to celebrate the anticipated beginning of the school HVAC project and just making it through the 2020-21 school year!  The Rock the Lot Gala is May 15, 2021.  If you would like to donate an item or service that can be auctioned alone or in a basket combined with other items, please contact Angie Hillebrand in the school office.

Tuition Contracts for 2021-22, Kindergarten Round-Up, PS, and ECLC Registration

Emily Sanderson, in the school office, is preparing the 2021-22 tuition contracts that represent the official registration document for next school year.  If you have not turned in your kindergarten round-up paperwork yet, please do so or contact her ASAP.  We don’t want to leave anyone off the list and without a kindergarten spot for next year.  We hope to have the tuition contracts mailed to families before spring break.

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.  Information we receive from families is used to determine waiting lists, staffing levels, and the number of sections to operate for each grade level.  We are, for example, already looking at student to staff ratios for preschool and ECLC for next year.

COVID Data

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

I’ll add a few comments below as well.

COVID Data, March 5, 2021

• Over the last week, Scott County data continued to trend downward.  Health department officials are hoping that we can avoid a 4th surge even as new variants become more widespread.  Looking at the “Confirmed and Epi-Linked Infections” graphs, one can see the first surge after the July 4th holiday, a November surge (which, oddly enough for Iowa, was before Thanksgiving), and the after Christmas surge.  Health officials jokingly asked school administrators if we’d consider cancelling spring break!
• Rates in Scott County are still above the July surge.  Health officials are concerned that we might become complacent because COVID numbers aren’t as high as just the latest surge.
• On Thursday and Friday, we did have a milestone of sorts at JFK.  There were no students or staff absent because they were required to quarantine as close contacts.  We haven’t seen that since before November!
• For the last two weeks, most of our illness absences have not been due to COVID symptoms.  COVID symptoms are defined as one high risk symptom (such as a new cough) or two or more low risk symptoms (such as vomiting and fever).
• A new study out of Mississippi suggests that the number of children who have had COVID-19 is more than ten times higher than previously thought.  The study looked for COVID-19 antibodies in blood samples that were taken between May and September for other reasons and compared it to the number of children having actual positive COVID tests during the same time period.  They found that the number of children who have had COVID-19 may have been more than ten times higher than the number who actually tested positive.  The difference, it is thought, is believed to be because younger children have less severe symptoms or may be asymptomatic entirely.  The article, of course, also emphasized the continued need for COVID-19 mitigation strategies.  Here is a link to the article.

End of Year Special Activities

We have begun to think about some of the end of the school year special activities.  It is likely that we won’t be able to do some and have to make significant changes to others.  Examples include 8th grade and preschool “graduation,” field day, and band/music activities.  If you have ideas, please reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher or me.  We do a lot of brainstorming!

Be safe during spring break!

Chad

End of Mid-Quarter on Tuesday

The end of the third mid-quarter is Tuesday.  Allowing for time for teachers to complete the mid-quarter reports, the reports will likely be emailed early next week.  Use JMC to see the most current grades for students in at least grades 3-8.

Virtual Career Fair

This year’s Scott County Catholic Schools and St. Ambrose University 8th grade career fair is virtual.  We would like to thank our “presenters” who did things much differently this year, and our counselors and student services personnel who organized the event.

Special Activities on March 12

March 12th is the last school day before spring break.  Students have an out of uniform green/white themed day on the 12th, and we will do the Minute to Win It activities in the afternoon that had been postponed from Catholic Schools Week due to the weather.  Classes resume after spring break on March 22nd.

Donations, Fundraisers, and Special Projects

We would like to thank Uncle Bill’s Pizza, which donated the pizza for all students and staff during Catholic Schools Week.

We have restricted use funds in memory of Janet Thomas, long-time librarian for JFK and organist for OLV, that will be used toward outdoor musical equipment to be installed near our rosary-themed play area by the playground this summer.  If you would like to contribute toward that project, please specify that with your donation.

Major projects related to the Cultivating Our Future capital campaign are being planned.  A quote was approved to replace the blower in the church’s HVAC system, and quotes are being received to replace the church’s sound system.  (None too soon!)  We are also finalizing the documents for the school HVAC project that we’d like to complete this summer.  The school HVAC project includes heating pipes mitigation, mechanical ventilation, air conditioning, and air purification.  Pledges and donations are still being accepted for the $1.6 million campaign.  For more information about the campaign, use the following link:  capital campaign.

Plans are being made for a late spring “Gala” fundraiser that will combine online elements and socially distant outdoor elements utilizing our vast campus.  We also hope to celebrate the anticipated beginning of the school HVAC project.  If you would like to donate an item or service that can be auctioned alone or in a basket combined with other items, please contact Angie Hillebrand in the school office.

Last Day of School to be Decided this Week

The OLV/JFK board of education meets this week.  On the agenda are the last day of school for this year and the first day of school next year.  The DCSD approved August 23rd as its first day of school for next year, and I anticipate that we will too.

Tuition Contracts for 2021-22, Kindergarten Round-Up, PS, and ECLC Registration

Emily Sanderson, in the school office, is preparing the 2021-22 tuition contracts that represent the official registration document for next school year.  If you have not turned in your kindergarten round-up paperwork yet, please do so or contact her ASAP.  We don’t want to leave anyone off the list and without a kindergarten spot for next year.  We hope to have the tuition contracts mailed to families before spring break.

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.  Information we receive from families is used to determine waiting lists, staffing levels, and the number of sections to operate for each grade level.  We are, for example, already looking at student to staff ratios for preschool and ECLC for next year.

COVID Data

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

I’ll add a few comments below as well.

COVID Data, February 26, 2021

• The sources I have been using to prepare some of the Scott County information I’ve been sharing on a weekly basis changed the way they are reporting the information, and I may have to change my information as well for the future.
• Scott County data continues to trend downward.  Health department officials are hoping that we can avoid a 4th surge even as new variants become more widespread.  Looking at the “Confirmed and Epi-Linked Infections” graphs, one can see the first surge after the July 4th holiday, a November surge (which, oddly enough for Iowa, was before Thanksgiving), and the after Christmas surge.  Health officials jokingly asked school administrators if we’d consider cancelling spring break!

Assumption Musical

Join the Assumption Knight Players as they present Shrek the Musical March 5, 6, and 7.  Shrek brings all the beloved characters from the film to life on stage and proves there’s more to the story than meets the ears.  A limited number of in-person tickets will be available beginning February 22, or watch from the comfort of your couch with our live stream!  For all tickets, please click HERE.  Please Note:  No tickets will not be sold at the door.

Chad

First Communion Meeting

The First Communion meeting for students and parents is February 28th in the church to allow for social distancing. The meeting is from 1:00-2:00.  There will be some practical information for this year and information to assist families with helping their children prepare for this special sacrament.

Sacrament of Reconciliation at JFK

Catholic students in grades 2-8 will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the school day on Tuesday.  Students of other religious backgrounds may choose to talk with a priest, if they’d like, and about 1/3 to 1/2 of these students do.

Adjustments to Our School Calendar Not Yet Decided

Last week I indicated that the DCSD has extended its school year until June 16th to make up for the three weather related closures prior to February 8th.  (After February 8th, all of the DCSD’s weather-related closures are virtual learning days for all students.)  Our board has not made any decisions yet about the school calendar itself.  The only decision our board made was that we would not have virtual inclement weather days as long as we had enough instructional time that we legally did not have to make it up.  Given the challenges of everyone, including teachers with their own children, having to switch to remote learning with notice sometimes as late as 5:30 or 6:00 a.m.  for inclement weather, we thought we could just let that option go.

JFK, like most schools/districts, has more instructional time than legally required.  When it comes to whether or not to make up inclement weather days, the question often isn’t just about meeting the legal minimum but about compromising the school’s/district’s normal standard.  JFK has made no decision on the school calendar itself.  We typically don’t make that type of calendar decision until we know what the DCSD is going to do (so we know what the bus transportation will be) and, hopefully, we are far enough into spring that we won’t have any more cancellations.

Kindergarten Round-Up, PS, and ECLC Registration for 2021-22

If you missed kindergarten round-up, 3-5 year old preschool or ECLC (childcare) registration, please contact the school office ASAP.  Information we receive from families is used to determine waiting lists, staffing levels, and the number of sections to operate for each grade level.  These decisions are often made before March.  We have, for example, already been looking at the student to staff ratio for ECLC in case we have more three year olds register for ECLC.

Without completed kindergarten round-up forms, there is no guarantee that kindergartners of current K-8 siblings will have spots available when we prepare the official tuition contracts for all families in the next few weeks.  Return the completed forms ASAP.

Use Your Stimulus Funds for JFK Payments or a Donation to the Capital Campaign

Use your stimulus funds to pay for JFK tuition, childcare, or other fees.  If you are running into financial difficulties, please contact the school office and/or Fr. Jake so arrangements can be made.  We don’t want to have to talk about continued or future enrollment if we can avoid it by having a plan in place.

Consider a donation to our capital campaign.  The $1.6 million dollar campaign included $1.1 million for school HVAC work, $400,000 for other campus work to include HVAC work and a new sound system in the church, repairs to smaller church windows, and parking lot maintenance, and $100,000 for ministry work.  Just over $1.0 has been pledged so far.  We hope to do the HVAC work to the school this summer.  It includes heating pipes mitigation, mechanical ventilation, and air conditioning.  We are also now examining an option for air purification.  For more information about the campaign, use the following link:  capital campaign.

COVID Data

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

I’ll add a few comments below as well.

COVID Data, February 19, 2021

• The sources I have been using to prepare some of the Scott County information I’ve been sharing on a weekly basis changed the way they are reporting the information on Thursday or Friday.  I may have to change my information as well for the future.  For example, the state’s official site, https://coronavirus.iowa.gov, does not seem to be reporting a 14 day positivity rate by county any more.  They have switched to a 7 day rate.  This change is interesting as the guidance regarding how a district/school applies to go 100% virtual due to COVID is still based upon the 14 day positivity rate.  How a district/school accesses the 14 day rate any more is unknown.  Thankfully, almost all counties in Iowa were below the 15% positivity rate that can be used to help trigger an application to go 100% remote for two weeks when this data reporting change was made.    I have also used the following website as a back up source:  https://iowacovid19tracker.org/scott-county/    This site served as a good source for historical data as the state’s site only listed the most current data.  It, too, however, has changed its reporting.  It no longer shows the 14 day positivity rate calculation for counties/schools either.  It, in fact, now lists separately a 14 day PCR positivity rate and a 14 day antigen positivity rate.  A good mathematician will tell us that we can’t just add the two together to get an overall rate!
• We are still reviewing some of the latest guidelines from the CDC and the Iowa Department of Public Health to determine what, if any, updates will be made at JFK.  The most significant change will likely be to add the exemption that a fully vaccinated person does not need to quarantine if they are a close contact within three months of their vaccination as long as they do not show symptoms themselves.

Assumption Musical

Join the Assumption Knight Players as they present Shrek the Musical March 5, 6, and 7.  Shrek brings all the beloved characters from the film to life on stage and proves there’s more to the story than meets the ears.  A limited number of in-person tickets will be available beginning February 22, or watch from the comfort of your couch with our live stream!  For all tickets, please click HERE.  Please Note:  No tickets will not be sold at the door.

Chad

Wind Chill Leads to School Closing

Due to the anticipated wind chill, JFK is closed on Monday, February 15, 2021.  ECLC is open.  All school events and practices are cancelled.  Although the DCSD will be doing a virtual day for the district, JFK still has enough instructional time that we will not need to have a virtual “inclement weather day.”

Given that we have now missed four days of face-to-face instruction and the DCSD has extended its school year until June 16th, we will likely be having a discussion at our next board meeting (March) about extending our school year with additional face-to-face instruction as well.

Kindergarten Round-Up, PS, and ECLC Registration for 2021-22

If you missed last week’s kindergarten round-up, 3-5 year old preschool or ECLC (childcare) registration, please contact the school office ASAP.  Information we receive from families is used to determine waiting lists, staffing levels, and the number of sections to operate for each grade level.  These decisions are often made before March.  We have, for example, already been looking at the student to staff ratio for ECLC in case we have more three year olds register for ECLC.

Without completed kindergarten round-up forms, there is no guarantee that kindergartners of current K-8 siblings will have spots available when we prepare the official tuition contracts for all families in the next few weeks.  Return the completed forms ASAP.

Winter Screenings Almost Finished — Remote Learners Need to Participate as Well

About 98% of our students have completed the winter academic screenings.  Looking at preliminary comparisons of reading between fall and winter, it seems to indicate that having kids in school is making a difference!

Long-term and temporary remote learners are also required to participate in all assessments.  If you haven’t done so yet or haven’t made arrangements with Kitty Temming, please do so ASAP.  The winter screening window closes soon.

Use Your Stimulus Funds for JFK Payments or a Donation to the Capital Campaign

Use your stimulus funds to pay for JFK tuition, childcare, or other fees.  If you are running into financial difficulties, please contact the school office and/or Fr. Jake so arrangements can be made.  We don’t want to have to talk about continued or future enrollment if we can avoid it by having a plan in place.

Consider a donation to our capital campaign.  The $1.6 million dollar campaign included $1.1 million for school HVAC work, $400,000 for other campus work to include HVAC work and a new sound system in the church, repairs to smaller church windows, and parking lot maintenance, and $100,000 for ministry work.  Just over $1.0 has been pledged so far.  We hope to do the HVAC work to the school this summer.  It includes heating pipes mitigation, mechanical ventilation, and air conditioning.  We are also now examining an option for air purification.  For more information about the campaign, use the following link:  capital campaign.

Bell Time Changes

Bell time changes, including the one hour early dismissal on Wednesdays, begin now on Tuesday, February 16th.  If your children ride a bus in the afternoon, expect them home about 25 minutes later than they currently arrive home.  Cross your fingers that it runs smoothly!

Below are JFK’s new bell times:

• K-8:  7:25 a.m. – 2:40 p.m.  (Wednesday dismissal at 1:40)
• Morning 4/5 year old PS:  7:25 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. (Wednesday dismissal at 9:55)
• Afternoon 4/5 year old PS:  11:40 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. (Wednesdays:  11:10-1:40)

Three year old preschool times were not changed due to COVID and would stay at 7:25 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.

These bell times, again, begin Monday, February 15th.

COVID Data

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

I’ll add a few comments below as well.

COVID Data, February 12, 2021

• Last week, I reported that since the pandemic began, approximately 10.3% of Iowans have tested positive for COVID-19.  During the same period at JFK, we have had 12.8% of staff and 3.25% of students who have tested positive.  We are currently not aware of any transmission having occurred at school, and we have only had two situations where students or staff had to quarantine because they were close contacts while at school.
• Field trips were discussed at our principals’ meeting on Friday.  At the present time, we are still not having field trips in at least K-8.
• The training of future teachers was also discussed.  If we want to have future teachers, and Iowa, as well as the nation, is experiencing a teacher shortage, we need to continue to train them today, even if there is a pandemic occurring.  Any St. Ambrose education students who are in our building for student teaching or observation/practicum hours will need to follow the same safety guidance as our staff.
• The CDC released a number updated guidelines last week, and the Iowa Department of Public Health was quick to follow with its own update of one guideline.  We will be examining this information to determine what, if any, updates will be made at JFK.

Chad