Welcome Back to Winter

I guess we should not have been taken too much by surprise by the weather and school closings these last couple of  weeks as it is still winter.  I think I’m just hopeful for most things to go by quickly this year, it seems, so things can get back to normal!

That change from a 2 hour late start to a full closure on Friday was awfully late.  Typically, when there’s bad weather predicted, I’m awake at about 4:30-5:00 a.m. as I can’t sleep and am just waiting for a decision by the Davenport Community School District.  The first message we received was just after 5:00 a.m. that it would “likely” be a two hour late start, but they were still out checking on the roads.  Then, we got the affirmative message for a two hour late start, and we sent our messages to families.  My guess is that as the bus company and the DCSD were later getting out into the more rural areas of the district around Walcott, Blue Grass, Buffalo, etc., they realized the buses would not be able to travel on the roads.  When our one Catholic school administrator received the official change from the DCSD, he was driving himself and couldn’t relay it to the rest of us.  I was doing the same.  I had been working from home early in the morning and was then on my way to school and didn’t get the message until about ten minutes later.  It then takes a couple of minutes to get the email, text, and phone messages set up and sent out.  Although I hit the “send” button for all three types of message at the same time, emails are delivered almost immediately, text messages take just a bit longer, and then all of the “robocalls” are completed.

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

“In-house” registration for 3, 4, and 5 year old preschool and daycare for OLV parishioners and current JFK community members begins on February 8th at 7:30 a.m.  Registration opens to the general public on February 11th.  Make sure you register right away as spots fill up fast, especially morning preschool spots.

Kindergarten Round-up will be adults only this year on February 11th.  The information session and round-up begins at 6:30 p.m. when it will be socially distanced in the gym.  This session is intended for those who have never been to a kindergarten round-up at JFK.  For those who have been to a JFK round-up in the past, round-up with forms only will take place any time between 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.

See the flyer for more information:  K, pre-school, daycare roundup flyer, 2021

Registration for students currently in grades K-7 will be in late February/early March.

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

We hope to finish our winter academic screenings soon.  Looking at preliminary comparisons of reading between fall and winter seem 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 make arrangements with Kitty Temming, please do so ASAP.  The winter screening window closes soon.

Catholic Schools Week Events to be Re-scheduled

We will re-schedule some of our missed Catholic Schools Week activities for the future.  I anticipate holding onto them for when we need a break later this semester.

Thank you to those who helped sponsor Catholic Schools Week with donations.  I believe we had a little over $800 in donations, and our costs were about $1,200.

Second Quarter Report Cards Emailed Friday

Second quarter report cards were emailed on Friday evening.  You can always check grades in JMC as well for at least grades 3-8.

JFK Parent/Teacher Conferences

K-8:  Drop-in K-8 parent/teacher conferences have been moved to Tuesday, February 9th from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.  Please wait on a green or black “dot” in the hallways.  Face coverings and social distancing are, of course, required for conferences.

4/5 Yr Old PS:

• Conferences that had been scheduled to begin after 2:30 on Thursday, February 4, will be held at the same time of day but on Tuesday, February 9th.  If you are unable to do the same time on the 9th as on the 4th,  please contact Mrs. Blocker or Mrs. Zeimet.
• Other PS conferences that had been scheduled for February 4th, and all conferences that had been scheduled for February 5th will need to be re-scheduled.  We will determine dates and procedures for those conferences.
• Three year old preschoolers only have conferences in the fall and spring.

Use Your Stimulus Funds for JFK Payments

Use your stimulus funds to pay monthly tuition payments or the second payment for those doing their tuition in two payments or to get caught up if your financial situation this summer/fall caused you to fall behind.  All paid up?  Consider a donation to our capital campaign.  I’m sure parish leaders will be looking to see how many JFK families are willing to financially support the campaign too.  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 Coming

The Davenport Community School District administration is recommending to its board on Monday night a return to pre-COVID bell times.  The DCSD pre-board meeting materials also included the one hour early dismissal on Wednesdays, with the note that they may need to be discontinued later in the school year.  (I’m not sure what impact missing school Thursday and Friday might have on the Wednesdays.)

JFK’s own board approved our bell times also returning to the 2019-20 schedule, primarily to maintain bus transportation.  Below are the bell times that were used in 2019-20, and we will follow the DCSD for the Wednesdays as well:

• Bell time for K-8:  7:25 a.m. – 2:40 p.m.  (Wednesday dismissal planned for 1:40)
• Morning 4/5 year old PS:  7:25 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. (Wednesday dismissal planned for 9:55)
• Afternoon 4/5 year old PS:  11:40 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. (Wednesdays planned for:  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 are scheduled to begin Monday, February 15th.

What Happened with the Bathrooms on Wednesday?

At about 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, we lost the water to the building and had to go to “emergency bathroom use only.”  At 1:00 p.m., just as we were about to fully implement our back-up plan for toilets, the water was restored.  The city was doing water work on 42nd Street and was able to better to isolate their work and turn our water back on.  I’m glad it was such a short disruption as you know exactly what happens when a bathroom is unavailable – suddenly you have to go!

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 5, 2021

• 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.
• Downward trends in Scott County continued this past week, and even the 14 day positivity rate the Department of Education uses dropped slightly again.
• JFK’s own data, which is in our charts for Tuesdays and Fridays, is interesting.  The percentage of students and staff who were absent due to illness on Tuesday was 2.1%.  That’s not a large percentage, but it’s the highest it’s been since right before Thanksgiving.  All of Tuesday’s “illness” absences were either COVID or COVID symptoms related (and awaiting test results).
• Given the above illnesses at JFK, one might expect that quarantining students and staff were also increasing.  On Tuesday, however, the percentage of students and staff absent due to required or voluntary quarantining (which often takes place when another family member is being tested) was at 1.86%, below our illness percentage.  One of the suggestions from this data is that there is not a lot of spread at school, and our mitigation strategies at JFK are working.
• At JFK, we have a regular group of staff members (PDT) who meet weekly to discuss building-wide professional development and other concerns.  As you can imagine, this group has spent quite a bit of time discussing COVID related issues this year.  With our public school districts examining their mitigation strategies as they prepare to offer 100% in person instruction, we reviewed JFK’s strategies on Monday as well.  As I have mentioned before, sorting through the COVID guidance available is not always easy.  Even since we met on Monday, Governor Reynolds has issued a new proclamation that “loosens” things up in Iowa beginning today.  Her proclamation was countered by Bishop Zinkula’s reminder yesterday that “The protection protocols in the diocese have not changed.  Masks, 6’ social distancing between non-household members, hand sanitizing and sanitizing of surfaces continue to be required in well ventilated spaces.” The PDT recommended no changes be made to our current mitigation strategies, including our face coverings requirement.  At the OLV/JFK Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, the board specifically affirmed that recommendations from the PDT would be followed.  Our face coverings, social distancing, hand sanitizing, contact tracing and quarantining, etc. strategies will remain in place regardless of COVID numbers or positivity rate until the PDT recommends otherwise based upon our understanding and analysis of, hopefully, clear and consistent guidance from the CDC, Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa Department of Education, Scott County Health Department, and Diocese of Davenport.

Don’t Forget Early Dismissal on February 12th

There is a regularly scheduled two hour (12:15) early dismissal on Friday, February 12th.  There are no afternoon preschool classes that day.

The 12th is also red, white, and pink dress days.  Students may be out of uniform if they are wearing red, white, and/or pink.

Catholic Schools Week Address

At the beginning of Catholic Schools Week each year, I give an update about Catholic School education and JFK.  You can find the ten minute message here:

 

Chad

JFK Parent/Teacher Conferences

K-8:  Drop-in K-8 parent/teacher conferences have been moved to Tuesday, February 9th from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. due to the anticipated inclement weather.  Face coverings and social distancing are required.  Please wait on a green or black “dot” in the hallways.

4/5 Yr Old PS:  There are no 4/5 year old PS classes on Thursday.  Conferences scheduled during the day will continue, as long as there is school.  No “new” scheduled 4/5 year old preschool conferences will begin after 2:30.  Conferences that begin after 2:30 will be re-scheduled for the same time periods on Tuesday, February 9th.  If you are unable to do the same time in the evening of the 9th, please contact Mrs. Blocker or Mrs. Zeimet to arrange a different time.  Face coverings and social distancing are, of course, required for preschool conferences as well.

If there is a two hour early K-8 dismissal on February 4th  due to the weather, no “new” preschool conferences will begin after 12:30.  Conferences that are scheduled between 12:30 and 2:30 would need an entirely new time, as we cannot just transfer those daytime conferences to Tuesday when school is in session.  If there is no K-8 school at all on February 4th, all of the “daytime” conferences will need to be re-scheduled, but we’ll, again, try to transfer conferences that are scheduled to begin after 2:30 to the same times on February 9th.

Second Quarter Report Cards

Second quarter report cards should be emailed on Thursday or Friday of this week.  We ran into some difficulties with computing final attendance for all of the long-term and temporary remote learners in December and early January.  You can always check grades in JMC as well for at least grades 3-8.

Catholic Schools Week — Two Days Left

Below is the planned remainder of Catholic Schools Week activities.  All days are “out of uniform” days, but with themes:

• Thursday, Feb 4:  Minute to Win It Day
  • • Wacky dress day
• Friday, February 5:  Class Act (recorded), Human Scrabble, and Custard Cup Day
  • • Hat and crazy sock day.  We’ll take our hats off for Mass!
    • The custard cup provider uses a nut-free facility/process, and there should not be a cross-contamination issue, which is so often experienced with ice cream providers
    • The class acts video that will be assembled will not be shared publicly at this time so that all students may participate, including those whose image we do not have permission to publish/post.
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences are scheduled.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes

What If There is No School During Catholic Schools Week on February 4th?

If there is no school on February 4th, below are the CSW activities for Friday.  Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as just pushing everything back a day as Friday has Mass, and time is needed to prepare the final video of class acts.  We’d have to watch the video on a different day.

• Friday, February 5:  Minute to Win It Day and Custard Cup Day
  • • Hat and crazy sock day.  We’ll take our hats off for Mass!
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences are scheduled.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes

What If There is a Two Hour Early Dismissal During Catholic Schools Week on February 4th?

If there is a two hour early dismissal on February 4th, below are the CSW activities for Thursday and Friday:

• Thursday, Feb 4:  Wacky dress day
• Friday, February 5:  Minute to Win It Day and Custard Cup Day
  • • Hat and crazy sock day.  We’ll take our hats off for Mass!
    • The class acts video that will be assembled will be shown at a later date.  The video will not be shared publicly at this time so that all students may participate, including those whose image we do not have permission to publish/post.
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences are scheduled.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes

Inclement Weather Announcements for JFK

If there should be a weather related late start, early dismissal, or school closure, this information will be sent out via automated email, text, and phone call.  The automated message goes to all primary contacts and is shared as soon as we can.  We also put the information on our website and main Facebook page.  Typically, we will follow the Davenport Community School District, due to bus transportation.

If school is cancelled, we will just let it be a snow/inclement weather day; students will not have to go online for instruction.  We have enough instructional time built into our school calendar to accommodate some snow days, especially seeing that we’ve been face-to-face all year.

On two-hour early dismissals, we do operate our after school childcare programs, but we ask that everyone try to pick up as soon as possible so all can travel safely.

Bell Time Changes Coming

The Davenport Community School District was able to livestream their Monday night meeting, and I was able to “attend.”  It seems that the DCSD is proceeding with returning bell times to what they were in the 2019-20 school year.   They do, however, still have some question about the hour early dismissal on Wednesdays that was in the 2019-20 school year.  It sounds as if they will have the hour early dismissal on as many Wednesdays as they can.

JFK’s own board approved our bell times also returning to the 2019-20 schedule, primarily to maintain bus transportation.  Below are the bell times that were used in 2019-20, and we will follow the DCSD for the Wednesdays as well:

• Bell time for K-8:  7:25 a.m. – 2:40 p.m.  (Wednesday dismissal planned for 1:40)
• Morning 4/5 year old PS:  7:25 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. (Wednesday dismissal planned for 9:55)
• Afternoon 4/5 year old PS:  11:40 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. (Wednesdays planned for:  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 are scheduled to begin Monday, February 15th.

Don’t Forget Early Dismissal on February 12th

There is a regularly scheduled two hour (12:15) early dismissal on Friday, February 12th.  There are no afternoon preschool classes that day.

 

I hope you’re able to keep everything straight!  There’s enough going on to make one’s head spin!

Chad

Catholic Schools Week Address

At the beginning of Catholic Schools Week each year, I give an update about Catholic School education and JFK.  You can find the ten minute message here:

 

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, January 29, 2021

• Several of the downward trends in Scott County continued this past week, except for 14 day positivity rate the Department of Education uses.  That rate went back up to 13% from 12% last weekend.
• There has been good news on the vaccination front for those involved in PS-12 education.  The Scott County Health Department has arranged for several clinics in early February through which they believe they can accommodate all of the educational staff who would like the vaccine.  Follow up doses are then in early March.
• The continued and consistent message we’re hearing is that even with vaccinations rolling out, there are no changes yet to mitigation practices like face coverings, social distancing, contact tracing and quarantining, etc.

Use Your Stimulus Funds for JFK.  January/2nd Semester Tuition Payments Due

Use your stimulus funds to pay the January monthly tuition payment or the second payment for those doing their tuition in two payments or to get caught up if your financial situation this summer/fall caused you to fall behind.  All paid up?  Consider a donation to our capital campaign.  I’m sure parish leaders will be looking to see how many JFK families are willing to financially support the campaign too.  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.

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

“In-house” registration for 3, 4, and 5 year old preschool and daycare for OLV parishioners and current JFK community members begins on February 8th.  Registration opens to the general public on February 11th.  Make sure you register right away as spots fill up fast, especially morning preschool spots.

Kindergarten Round-up will be adults only this year on February 11th.  The information session and round-up begins at 6:30 p.m. when it will be socially distanced in the gym.  This session is intended for those who have never been to a kindergarten round-up at JFK.  For those who have been to a JFK round-up in the past, round-up with forms only will take place any time between 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.

See the flyer for more information:  K, pre-school, daycare roundup flyer, 2021

Catholic Schools Week

Below is the tentative schedule for the week of Feb 1-5.  All days are “out of uniform” days, but with themes:

• Monday, Feb 1:  Movie day with gourmet candy suckers
  • • Pajama day
• Tuesday, Feb 2:  Bingo day
  • • Class choice dress day.  Look for more specific information from homeroom teachers.
    • H & S event at Snow Star.  Reservations are required, and space is limited.  See separate flyer:  CSW Special Outside Events 2021
• Wednesday, Feb 3:  Uncle Bill’s Pizza and Virtual Field Trip Day
  • • Every student will receive 2 slices of cheese pizza and a bag of chips for lunch.  Students may bring in an 8-16 oz. can or bottle of pop or other beverage as well.  The lunch program will not be providing lunches today.  Students, of course, can opt out and bring their own sack lunches and drinks.
    • JFK spirit wear and/or green/white day
    • Feast of St. Blaise with blessing of the throats
• Thursday, Feb 4:  Minute to Win It Day
  • • Wacky dress day
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences are scheduled.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes
    • K-8 evening parent/teacher conferences.  Drop in.  Face coverings and social distancing required.  Please wait on a green or black “dot” in the hallways.  Second quarter report cards should be emailed to families at least on Wednesday.  You can always check grades in JMC as well.
• Friday, February 5:  Class Act (recorded), Human Scrabble, and Custard Cup Day
  • • Hat and crazy sock day.  We’ll take our hats off for Mass!
    • The custard cup provider uses a nut-free facility/process, and there should not be a cross-contamination issue, which is so often experienced with ice cream providers
    • The class acts video that will be assembled will not be shared publicly at this time so that all students may participate, including those whose image we do not have permission to publish/post.
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences are scheduled.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes

In many previous Catholic Schools’ Weeks, families spent or donated quite a bit at the spaghetti dinner, book fair, bring a guest to lunch day, and even for Dodgeball for Diapers.  Without the large gathering events, families may be able to keep the costs down significantly this year.  However, we still want EVERY student to be able to benefit from something extra during CSW.  Please see a separate flyer (CSW Week Celebration Flyer, 2021)  that shares how you can help JFK and H & S by “sponsoring” your child, several classmates, or the whole homeroom for various items like the gourmet suckers, pizza meal, bingo prizes, and/or custard cups.

Confirmation Retreat Options

We have two dates and both in-person and Zoom options available for the Confirmation candidates’ retreat, which is applicable to 7th and 8th grade students.  The retreat options are March 4th and March 10th at 6:00 p.m. and will be 1 1/2 hours in length.  The in-person event will be socially distanced inside the church.  Parents are also invited to the retreat – come gain insight into your child’s spiritual journey and feed your own soul, too! We will have a streamed option available for families who aren’t comfortable gathering together.  You can sign up for both in-person and live-stream options by following this link: Sign Up

Bell Time Changes?

On Thursday, I emailed families regarding the strong possibility that bell times will be changing in Davenport, including JFK.  With the governor’s signing of legislation requiring schools to offer a 100% face-to-face instructional model along with a 100% remote learning model, the Davenport Community School District has announced that its hybrid model will be discontinued beginning February 15th.  The district will discuss more details at its board meeting on Monday.  Unfortunately, that meeting will not be livestreamed so we will likely have to wait until details are released on Tuesday.  JFK’s board meeting is then Tuesday night.

The DCSD has indicated that it will likely be returning bell times to what they were in the 2019-20 school year.  They are also discussing what to do about Wednesdays as Wednesdays had an hour early dismissal every week in the 2019-20 school year.

If the DCSD reverts back to the 2019-20 bell times, JFK would likely revert back to our 2019-20 bell times as well, in order to maintain bus transportation.

• Bell time for K-8 in 2019-20:  7:25 a.m. – 2:40 p.m.  (Wednesday dismissal was at 1:40)

In order to match dismissal times for siblings in PS and K-8, dismissal times may also revert back to 2019-20 times for preschool students, although plenty of discussion is still needed regarding afternoon classes, in particular, as they would have the most changes.

• Morning 4/5 year old PS in 2019-20:  7:25 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. (Wednesday dismissal at 9:55)
• Afternoon 4/5 year old PS in 2019-20:  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.

When we know the DCSD’s final decision, we can make the final decision for JFK.

 

Chad

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, January 22, 2021

• The Scott County 14 day positivity rate the Department of Education uses is inching its way downward.  It was at 15.3% on January 6th, 14.5% on January 13th, 12.5% around January 20th, and has been at about 12% now for the last 2-3 days.  Hopefully, the downward trend will continue.  Maybe we’ll even be at the level where we can remove face coverings in the classrooms again!  (If you recall, our current rubric calls for the positivity rate to be at 10% or less for a week before we return to removing face coverings when at our desks in classrooms.)
• Most conversations this week focused upon vaccination.  The Iowa Department of Public Health and Scott County Health Department have indicated that phase 1B, which includes educators, will take quite a while.  Meanwhile, they are emphasizing that even with vaccinations rolling out, there are no changes yet to mitigation practices like face coverings, social distancing, contact tracing and quarantining, etc.

Stimulus Funds for JFK?  January/2nd Semester Tuition Payments Due

Use your stimulus funds to pay the January monthly tuition payment or the second payment for those doing their tuition in two payments or to get caught up if your financial situation this summer/fall caused you to fall behind.  All paid up?  Consider a donation to our capital campaign.  I’m sure parish leaders will be looking to see how many JFK families are willing to financially support the campaign too.  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.

Upcoming Dates

• Jan 15 – 29:  Diaper drive.  Student council is collecting diapers, baby wipes, or cash donations for diapers.
• Jan 29:  End of 2nd Quarter
• Jan 30 – Feb 6:  Catholic Schools Week
• Feb 11:  Kindergarten Round-up

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

“In-house” registration for 3, 4, and 5 year old preschool and daycare for OLV parishioners and current JFK community members begins on February 8th.  Registration opens to the general public on February 11th.  Make sure you register right away as spots fill up fast, especially morning preschool spots.

Kindergarten Round-up will be adults only this year on February 11th.  The information session and round-up begins at 6:30 p.m. when it will be socially distanced in the gym.  This session is intended for those who have never been to a kindergarten round-up at JFK.  For those who have been to a JFK round-up in the past, round-up with forms only will take place any time between 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.

See the flyer for more information:  K, pre-school, daycare roundup flyer, 2021

Catholic Schools Week

Below is the tentative schedule for the week of Feb 1-5:

• Saturday, Jan 30:  Smokin’ Butt BBQ.  See separate flyer:  CSW Special Outside Events 2021
• Sunday, Jan 31:  Donuts & More.  See separate flyer:  CSW Special Outside Events 2021
• Monday, Feb 1:  Movie day with gourmet candy suckers
  • • Pajama day
• Tuesday, Feb 2:  Bingo day
  • • Class choice dress day
    • H & S event at Snow Star.  Reservations are required, and space is limited.  See separate flyer:  CSW Special Outside Events 2021
• Wednesday, Feb 3:  Uncle Bill’s Pizza and Virtual Field Trip Day
  • • Every student will receive 2 slices of cheese pizza and a bag of chips for lunch.  Students may bring in an 8-16 oz. can or bottle of pop or other beverage as well.  The lunch program will not be providing lunches today.  Students, of course, can opt out and bring their own sack lunches and drinks.
    • JFK spirit wear and/or green/white day
    • Feast of St. Blaise with blessing of the throats
• Thursday, Feb 4:  Minute to Win It Day
  • • Wacky dress day
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences are scheduled.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes
    • K-8 evening parent/teacher conferences.  Drop in.  Face coverings and social distancing required.
• Friday, February 5:  Class Act (recorded), Human Scrabble, and Custard Cup Day
  • • Hat and crazy sock day
    • The custard cup provider uses a nut-free facility/process, and there should not be a cross-contamination issue, which is so often experienced with ice cream providers
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences are scheduled.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes

In many previous Catholic Schools’ Weeks, families spent or donated quite a bit at the spaghetti dinner, book fair, bring a guest to lunch day, and even for Dodgeball for Diapers.  Without the large gathering events, families may be able to keep the costs down significantly this year.  However, we still want EVERY student to be able to benefit from something extra during CSW.  Please see a separate flyer (CSW Week Celebration Flyer, 2021)  that shares how you can help JFK and H & S by “sponsoring” your child, several classmates, or the whole homeroom for various items like the gourmet suckers, pizza meal, bingo prizes, and/or custard cups.

Confirmation Retreat Options

We have two dates and both in-person and Zoom options available for the Confirmation candidates’ retreat, which is applicable to 7th and 8th grade students.  The retreat options are March 4th and March 10th at 6:00 p.m. and will be 1 1/2 hours in length.  The in-person event will be socially distanced inside the church.  Parents are also invited to the retreat – come gain insight into your child’s spiritual journey and feed your own soul, too! We will have a streamed option available for families who aren’t comfortable gathering together.  You can sign up for both in-person and live-stream options by following this link: Sign Up

Chad

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, January 15, 2021

• The Scott County 14 day positivity rate the Department of Education uses is inching its way downward.  It was at 15.3% on January 6th, 14.5% on January 13th, and 14% today.  Hopefully, that trend will continue.  Maybe we’ll even be at the level where we can remove face coverings in the classrooms again!  (If you recall, our current rubric calls for the positivity rate to be at 10% or less for a week before we return to removing face coverings when at our desks in classrooms.)
• Some of the discussion at the meeting with Scott County school administrators and health department officials concerned what might have to change if there is Iowa legislation passed that gives all parents an option for 100% face-to-face instruction.  For many schools and districts, the six feet social distancing mitigation strategy will have to be weakened so more kids can fit into classrooms.  We, at JFK, are blessed with large classrooms and enrollment sizes that allow us to accommodate six feet of social distancing.
• Over the weekend, I was reading recent research, particularly out of North Carolina, that indicated extremely little, if any, student to student COVID transmission while at school.  The questions then became was it because young people are poorer transmitters of the virus, because they have less severe symptoms and it isn’t noticed as easily that they are sick, because schools can better control/enforce mitigation strategies that have proven to be effective in reducing transmission, like face coverings, social distancing, washing hands regularly, contact tracing, etc., or perhaps because of some combination of all of the above?
• For this time of year, regular flu-season, JFK’s absence rate is actually doing quite well.  We’ve heard the same thing from some other schools; if it weren’t for COVID, absences are way down.  It seems that COVID-19 mitigation strategies are doing well to keep other illnesses in check.  Last Tuesday’s 3.33% absence rate among those expected to be in the building (meaning it excludes those choosing to do long-term remote learning) was one of the lowest rates we’ve seen since September.
• If you are planning any international travel, including to a warm place over spring break, please note that international travel restrictions change beginning January 26th.  In order to board a plan for re-entry into the U.S., you will need a negative COVID test within three days of departure from the foreign country.  One of the unknowns is whether or not such testing accommodations can be made to U.S. travelers in other countries.

January/2nd Semester Tuition Payments Due

Don’t forget to pay the January monthly tuition payment or the second payment for those doing their tuition in two payments.  We have bills to pay as well, particularly payroll.  Just over 85% of our revenue goes toward paying staff salaries.

Upcoming Dates

• Jan 15 – 29:  Diaper drive.  Student council is collecting diapers, baby wipes, or cash donations for diapers.
• Jan 18:  Martin Luther King Day, no classes.  ECLC is open.
• Jan 20:  8th grade Assumption High School parent/student meeting.  More information for families should come directly from AHS.  Eighth grade families whose students are not attending AHS should reach out to the respective public high schools as well.
• Jan 21:  Home & School, 6:30 p.m.  Socially distant in the cafeteria or Zoom through an emailed link.
• Jan 29:  End of 2nd Quarter
• Jan 30 – Feb 6:  Catholic Schools Week
• Feb 11:  Kindergarten Round-up

Catholic Schools Week

Below is the tentative schedule for the week of Feb 1-5:

• Saturday, Jan 30:  Smokin’ Butt BBQ  (see a separate flyer from Home & School)
• Sunday, Jan 31:  Donuts & More (see a separate flyer from H & S)
• Monday, Feb 1:  Movie day with gourmet candy suckers
  • • Pajama day
• Tuesday, Feb 2:  Bingo day
  • • Class choice dress day
    • H & S event at Snow Star.  Reservations are required, and space is limited.  See separate H & S flyer or the event page on JFK Moms and Dads Facebook account.
• Wednesday, Feb 3:  Uncle Bill’s Pizza and Virtual Field Trip Day
  • • Every student will receive 2 slices of cheese pizza and a bag of chips for lunch.  Students may bring in an 8-16 oz. can or bottle of pop or other beverage as well.  The lunch program will not be providing lunches today.  Students, of course, can opt out and bring their own sack lunches and drinks.
    • JFK spirit wear and/or green/white day
    • Feast of St. Blaise with blessing of the throats
• Thursday, Feb 4:  Minute to Win It Day
  • • Wacky dress day
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences are scheduled.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes
    • K-8 evening parent/teacher conferences.  Drop in.  Face coverings and social distancing required.
• Friday, February 5:  Class Act (recorded), Human Scrabble, and Custard Cup Day
  • • Hat and crazy sock day
    • The custard cup provider uses a nut-free facility/process, and there should not be a cross-contamination issue, which is so often experienced with ice cream providers
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences are scheduled.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes

In many previous Catholic Schools’ Weeks, families spent or donated quite a bit at the spaghetti dinner, book fair, bring a guest to lunch day, and even for Dodgeball for Diapers.  Without the large gathering events, families may be able to keep the costs down significantly this year.  However, we still want EVERY student to be able to benefit from something extra during CSW.  Please see a separate flyer that shares how you can help JFK and H & S by “sponsoring” your child, several classmates, or the whole homeroom for various items like the gourmet suckers, pizza meal, bingo prizes, and/or custard cups.

Current Events Seem to be Harder and Harder to Discuss

Up and down the grade levels this year, it seems that teachers are finding themselves in difficult positions of relating regular curricula items to current events as regular curricula often call for and even of responding to questions or conversations that students of all ages raise or have among themselves regarding current events.  What one says or doesn’t say, allows students to say or not to say, leaves as an open statement or to which one offers a counter response, and even chooses as source material can be interpreted as meaning one thing or another, it seems.  It has been particularly difficult through this election “season,” and we will not be viewing any inauguration events live.  Please continue to pray for our teachers.

On a personal note, I am also continuing to pray for my nephew, who is in the Iowa National Guard and has been called into active duty in Washington, D.C. for at least ten days.

 

Chad

Civic Oration Final Results

Congratulations to our top three students in each division of our civic oration speech contest.  It was quite the experience this year, and they did a great job!

5/6 Division:  Peyton W (1st place – 5W), Quinn C (2nd place – 6N), Alison J (3rd place – 5W)

7/8 Division:  Aubrey R (1st place – 7K), Brooklyn M (2nd place – 7K), Braeden M (3rd place – 8L)

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, January 8, 2021

• The Scott County 14 day positivity rate the Department of Education uses continues to tick up, but the upward trend is a lot slower than it had been in November.  There is hope from the health department that if we can make it through this week without a large spike in COVID numbers, then perhaps we will return to lowering the numbers.  This week would represent two weeks since New Year’s Day.
• Correct mask usage for students and staff has been around 94%-95% as measured by about 15 walkthroughs over five days before break.  The most common improper usage observed is a mask that has slipped below one’s nose.  Health experts say the target should be at least 95% for proper mask usage.
• Catholic League athletic directors and administrators this week discussed starting 6th-8th grade girls’ volleyball by February.  JFK, Lourdes, and St. Paul’s agreed to proceed.  All Saints cannot participate as they are using their gym floor for classroom space in their efforts to achieve social distancing in classes, and St. Joe’s will not be participating.  Unfortunately, none of the three remaining schools have space to allow spectators with social distancing.  We will be exploring livestreaming options at JFK.
• We have also been having conversations regarding other activities we can start to do safely at JFK.  Some of our scouting groups have begun to meet, and we have been discussing “intramural” types of athletic activities.  Our 8th graders will also be able to participate in a play this spring as the one we’ve chosen can even be done virtually!

January/2nd Semester Tuition Payments Due

Don’t forget to pay the January monthly tuition payment or the second payment for those doing their tuition in two payments.  We have bills to pay as well, particularly payroll.  Just over 85% of our revenue goes toward paying staff salaries.

Upcoming Dates

• Jan 11:  JFK Home & School Night at Freddy’s, 4-9 p.m.  A portion of the sales is donated to JFK’s Home & School Association.
• Jan 14, 6 p.m.:  Parent University via Zoom.  The link was sent to parents on Jan 8.
  • Topic:  Screen time (How fitting?!)  We will be watching clips from the movie The Social Dilemma and discussing the impact social media is having on our children’s brains and social development.
• Jan 15:  Class dress alike day.  Check for information from your child’s homeroom teacher prior to the 15th.
• Jan 15 – 29:  Diaper drive.  Student council is collecting diapers, baby wipes, or cash donations for diapers.
• Jan 15:  Vision screening for PS and K
• Jan 18:  Martin Luther King Day, no classes.  ECLC is open.
• Jan 20:  8th grade Assumption High School parent/student meeting.  More information for families should come directly from AHS.  Eighth grade families whose students are not attending AHS should reach out to the respective public high schools as well.
• Jan 21:  Home & School
• Jan 29:  End of 2nd Quarter
• Jan 30 – Feb 6:  Catholic Schools Week
• Feb 11:  Kindergarten Round-up

Catholic Schools Week

Almost all of our normal Catholic Schools Week activities involved large gatherings that just won’t be possible this year.  Below is the tentative schedule for the week of Feb 1-5:

• Monday:  Movie day with gourmet candy suckers
  • • Pajama day
• Tuesday:  Bingo day
  • • Class choice dress day
• Wednesday:  Uncle Bill’s Pizza and Virtual Field Trip Day
  • • JFK spirit wear and/or green/white day
    • Feast of St. Blaise with blessing of the throats
• Thursday:  Minute to Win It Day
  • • Wacky dress day
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes
    • K-8 evening parent/teacher conferences
• Friday:  Class Act, Human Scrabble, and Custard Cup Day
  • • Hat and crazy sock day
    • 4/5 yr old PS conferences.  No 4/5 yr old PS classes

 

Chad

 

MVSTO:  We Made It!

Thank you to everyone who helped the Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization (MVSTO) meet its 2020 goal.  We could not do it without donors and those who pass the word along about the need for the donations!  The MVSTO provides tuition assistance to more than 620 students in Scott County.  That figure represents about 35% of all students.  The state authorized amount that could be raised in 2020 and can now be distributed in 2021 is just over $1.3 million.

Civic Oration Results Later This Week

We hope to have have our 5th-8th grade civic oration results for the finalists later this week.  Again, I must congratulate all of our 5th-8th graders in adapting to doing recorded speeches.  It’s so awkward talking to just a camera!

COVID Data

Below is a link to a .pdf file that shows several graphs of Scott County and JFK data.  Although there was no school for the last two weeks, we did have a December 30th meeting with the Scott County Health Department.

I’ll add a few comments below as well.

COVID Data, December 30, 2020

• The Scott County 14 day positivity rate the Department of Education uses was at a recent lowest level on December 26th and 28th (11.8%).  Scott County hadn’t seen that rate since late October.  Since December 28th, however, the rate has ticked up slightly each day.  This morning, it was listed as 13%, and, this afternoon, it is listed as 13.1%.
• Correct mask usage for students and staff has been around 94%-95% as measured by about 15 walkthroughs over five days before break.  The most common improper usage observed is a mask that has slipped below one’s nose.  Health experts say the target should be at least 95% for proper mask usage.
• Portable air purifiers will be placed in each classroom soon.  With the temperatures falling, we’re in a constant battle of keeping windows cracked open for ventilation and rooms being harder to keep properly heated.  Although portable units are undersized, they should give us some more options to help.

Upcoming Dates

• Jan 4:  School starts again
• Jan 14:  Parent University via Zoom.  Topic:  Screen time (How fitting?!)
• Jan 18:  Martin Luther King Day, no classes.
• Jan 21:  Home & School
• Jan 29:  End of 2nd Quarter
• Jan 30 – Feb 6:  Catholic Schools Week

Catholic Schools Week

Almost all of our normal Catholic Schools Week activities involved large gatherings that just won’t be possible this year.  Along with themed attire each day, below are some of our ideas:

• Movie day with candy suckers
• Bingo day
• Pizza and Virtual Field Trip Day
• Minute to Win It Day
• Class Act (recorded) and Ice Cream Day

When Did We Become Older?

Thank you for the birthday wishes posted on JFK Moms & Dads.  I had an enjoyable birthday dinner last night with my wife Lynn and Caitlin, who is still home from college.  I think some aspects of getting older are catching up to me!  I had to go out twice yesterday to clean up the sidewalks and driveway from the ice and snow.  I just couldn’t do it all at one time, even with Caitlin’s help!

On Wednesday morning, when I was outside cleaning up from Tuesday night’s storm, I had to wonder, “when did we become some of the oldest people in the neighborhood?”  I own a small snow blower, and as long as I have gas in the tank/can and am not too cold, I will clear our driveway and walks and do the neighbors’ as well.  I’ve also been known to go down the alley to clear out the intersection too (because I tired of having family members get stuck there!)  I started doing the neighbors’ driveways and walks when we first moved in.  The two houses to the west of us had homeowners old enough to be my grandparents.  Across the alley was a woman whose grandson I taught at Assumption.  Next to her was an older couple, and a third house had the daughter of one of the original homes in the area from the 1920s or so.  Whatever help I could give them, I did.  As I was using the snowblower around the neighbors’ yards this past Wednesday morning, it dawned on me just how much things have changed.  A young family with kids at All Saints is across the alley from us.  Next to them is the granddaughter of the homeowners with whom we used to share tomatoes, and she and her husband have two kids not yet in school.  St. Ambrose students are in houses next to us, and the original home of the area just sold.  As I was outside, I began to wonder just when Lynn and I became one of oldest couples on the block.  I wasn’t feeling too bad about it though as the neighbors immediately to our east are about the same age as we are — that is, at least until their daughter came out and asked me if I needed any help!  I could barely speak.  When did I become older?!

Chad

 

Travel and COVID-19

We have had a few questions regarding COVID and traveling over the holidays.  Most notably, people want to know if they have to quarantine after traveling.  Iowa does not currently have travel restrictions or specific orders, like some other locations.  Chicago, for example, requires visitors to quarantine and residents of Chicago to quarantine when they return from traveling themselves.  Davenport and Iowa do not have similar restrictions.

The following is guidance from the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html) and would be most applicable to Iowa and JFK.  Please note that for international travel, there are not too many countries that are not at the highest level (4) of restrictions.  Even the U.S. itself is a level 4.

Domestic and International Travel:

“You may have been exposed to COVID-19 on your travels. You and your travel companions (including children) may pose a risk to your family, friends, and community. Regardless of where you traveled or what you did during your trip, take these actions to protect others from getting COVID-19 for 14 days after travel:

• Stay at least 6 feet/2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who did not travel with you, particularly in crowded areas. It’s important to do this everywhere — both indoors and outdoors.
• Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when you are in shared spaces outside of your home, including when using public transportation.
• If there are people in the household who did not travel with you, wear a mask and ask everyone in the household to wear masks in shared spaces inside your home.
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness.
• Watch your health: Look for symptoms of COVID-19, and take your temperature if you feel sick.”

International Travel:

“If you participated in higher-risk activities during your international travel, take the actions listed above AND do the following after travel:

• Get tested 3-5 days after travel AND stay home for 7 days after travel.
  • Even if you test negative, stay home for the full 7 days.
  • If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• If you don’t get tested, it’s safest to stay home for 10 days after travel.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.”

“Higher Risk Activities

The following are some activities that put you at higher risk for COVID-19:

• Travel from a country or U.S. territory with a Level 2, Level 3, or Level 4 Travel Health Notice.
• Going to a large social gathering like a wedding, funeral, or party.
• Attending a mass gathering like a sporting event, concert, or parade.
• Being in crowds like in restaurants, bars, fitness centers, or movie theaters.
• Taking public transportation like trains or buses or being in transportation hubs like airports.
• Traveling on a cruise ship or river boat.”

If you have questions, please email them to angie.hillebrand@olvjfkmail.com.  She and I will work together to get your questions answered.

Last Push for Funding Financial Assistance:  Donations Still Needed by December 31st Deadline

Donations to the Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization (MVSTO) are still needed.  The deadline to receive the tax benefits for 2020 is December 31st.

The MVSTO provides tuition assistance to more than 620 students in Scott County.  In 2019-20, that figure represented about 35% of all students, and JFK had 36% of its K-8 students receiving financial assistance.  The need only increased in 2020, and no one really knows what 2021-22 will bring.

In order to provide the level of financial assistance needed each year, donations are also needed each year.  Donations to the MVSTO are unique in that they benefit both students and donors.  Students receive the financial assistance needed by their families so they can attend Catholic/private schools, and donors receive a 65% tax CREDIT, not deduction, off of their Iowa taxes, AND the other 35% is a charitable deduction on their federal taxes.  A $500 donation to the MVSTO, for example, allows one to reduce one’s Iowa tax bill by $325, and, at the 32% federal income tax bracket, one might be able to reduce one’s tax bill by about $56.  If you follow the math, a student receives the $500 benefit in financial assistance while the donor has a net cost of, not $500, but only $119!

Donations for this year’s taxes must be made by December 31st.  Act now!  Use the following link for more information and the forms needed:  https://www.mvsto.org/

Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization (MVSTO) Help Us Keep Scott County Students in Catholic Schools MVSTO is providing tuition assistance to 627 Scott County K-12 Catholic School students this year, including 8 participants in Assumption’s basketball program, 50 fifth graders attending one of our 4 Catholic elementary schools, and 12 members of the AHS Choir.   MVSTO has recorded $221,000 in increased gifts and pledges over the past week. We had a good week, but we’re running out of runway! There is still a need to raise an additional $245,500 to reach our state allowed cap of $1,324,143 by December 31.  If you have given in the past, you know how tax efficient this gift is, and we need your help again.

Everyone Wins! Iowa taxpayers contributing to Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization (MVSTO) receive an Iowa tax credit equal to 65% of their contribution. The remaining 35% is eligible to be deducted from the donor’s federal tax return. The MVSTO remains the most generous tax credit in the State of Iowa! Please check out our video for an explanation of the gift.

Everyone Wins When You Give to MVSTO! HELP SCOTT COUNTY STUDENTS TODAY! Donate Now

What is the Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization (MVSTO) and how does it work? Watch this short video to find out more.

 

Civic Oration Finalists

Watching civic oration speeches last week was a little weird.  Due to our COVID-19 mitigation practices for social distancing and to make a level playing field for students going into and out of remote learning, all 5th-8th graders submitted their speeches on video.  I was able to get into some 6th-8th grade classes while they watched speeches.  I am always amazed at civic oration, and this year was no different.  Students adapted to this new presentation method quite well.  Next year, if we can be back to normal, we’ll change things up a little bit too with civic oration and begin to add in some visual aspects, such as a few PowerPoint type slides.  It’s rare for people to give speeches without a few slides these days, and we’ll have civic oration evolve in that direction too.

Congratulations to the following students, listed in no particular order in their category, whose videos are advancing to the final round of competition.  For the final round of competition, speeches will be judged by outside-the-building guests.  Students compete in two divisions:  5th/6th grades and 7th/8th grades.  We do not expect to have results until mid-January.

Finalists in 5th grade:  Alison J., Peyton W., Natalie S., Hailey E., Noah F., and Priya K.

Finalists in 6th grade:  Quinn C., Rachel A., Payten P., Julia M., Ava S., and Maggie A.

Finalists in 7th grade:  Olivia F., Brooklyn M., Adam W., Aubrey R., Barbie K., and Ben A.

Finalists in 8th grade:  Lucy N., Dru D., Jacey M., Amalie Y., Seamus D., Braeden M.

COVID Data

Below is a link to a .pdf file that shows several graphs of Scott County and JFK data.  We did make two adjustments that updated some data points back to about November 24th for the JFK specific data.  I’ve also changed intervals on a couple of graphs so we can continue them better into the future.  To originally illustrate how fast things can change, I had used some daily data points, for example.  Some of these will be changed to the Tuesday and Friday data points that are used with some of the other graphs.  Scott County graphs reflect the data shared at our Wednesday meetings with the health department.  The time of day when the health department pulls its data can also make a difference in the numbers.  We did not have a meeting on December 23rd so our next update with the health department will be December 30th.

I’ll add a few comments below as well.

COVID Data, December 23, 2020

• One of our big discussions on 12/16 with the health department was regarding vaccinations.  Educators are in in group 1-B, and speculation was that they would be able to receive vaccination in February-March.  Students, however, are way after that time period, and there’s not even a vaccination yet approved for those under 16 years old.  That means that mitigation efforts like mask wearing, social distancing, contact tracing and quarantining, etc. will continue all school year.  Schools and school districts will also need to continue with remote learning options, intermittent whole class or building shut downs, and hybrid educational models throughout the rest of the school year.
• At JFK, we have also begun speculating about next year.  With budgeting beginning for next year, we’re trying to make decisions about what will be needed in the fall.  Will we need Zoom accounts for teachers?  Will we need to purchase additional online storage for recorded Zoom sessions of instruction as we’ve done for this year?  Can we afford to maintain a 1 to 1 student to Chromebook/tablet ratio in all of K-8?  (One time federal funding helped us get there.)  What will enrollment look like?

Upcoming Dates

• See the school calendar on our website regarding ECLC over the break.
• Jan 4:  School starts again
• Jan 14:  Parent University via Zoom.  Topic:  Screen time (How fitting?!)
• Jan 18:  Martin Luther King Day, no classes.
• Jan 21:  Home & School
• Jan 29:  End of 2nd Quarter
• Jan 30 – Feb 6:  Catholic Schools Week

Catholic Schools Week

Almost all of our normal Catholic Schools Week activities involved large gatherings that just won’t be possible this year.  Along with themed attire each day, below are some of our ideas:

• Movie day with candy suckers
• Bingo day
• Pizza and Virtual Field Trip Day
• Minute to Win It Day
• Class Act (recorded) and Ice Cream Day

Stay Well

I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas holiday.  It was, indeed, different than normal, but we were able to make ours special anyway.  On to New Year’s!

Chad

Last Week Before Christmas Break

This is our last week before Christmas break, and there is no early dismissal on December 18th.  There is, however, a red, green, white, and Christmas attire out of uniform dress day on Friday.  School starts after the break on January 4th.  See the school calendar regarding ECLC over the break.

Last week, I mentioned that it was going to be harder for me to really get into the Christmas spirit without being able to watch the little ones all dressed in their Christmas clothes singing Christmas songs in the church with all the decorations lit up.  Maybe that challenge is a good thing for me.  It’s definitely easier to do the same thing each year perhaps even as if they’re on auto-pilot.  This year, I have to really think about things and be deliberate.  Maybe that will be good for me.  And, maybe I’ll appreciate it even more when we can do the annual traditions we’ve cherished for so many years!

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, December 11, 2020

• A pondering from the Scott County Health Department on Wednesday was whether or not we were “bottoming out” with our COVID rates.  The Scott County 14 Day Positivity Rate, for example, declined from 26-27% about three weeks ago and has hovered between about 18-19% for the last two weeks.  The positivity rate is the “big” data point used by the Iowa Department of Education for schools.
• The CDC risk of transmission in schools slides show Scott County’s numbers are still falling but have a long way to go to return to even a moderate risk level in the first two core indicators.
• Please remember that the maps with rates of positive cases per school district boundaries are not just student counts.  They include residents of any age who live within the boundaries of the four school districts in Scott County.
• The second JFK graph shows the percent of absences due to people being “sick” with something that is reportable to the health department and can be transmitted from one person to another.  I have added a note in the graph regarding the figure that may be examined by the Iowa Department of Education should a school/district apply for a two week closure.  The DE would be looking for a 10% illness absenteeism rate.  Our rate on Friday was about 1.5% up from 1% the previous Friday.
• The third JFK graph shows the percentage of students and staff that are quarantining either because they are required to because they are close contacts or they are “voluntarily” quarantining, which usually occurs as they wait for another family members’ tests results and they are not yet required to quarantine.  On Friday, we had about 3% of students and staff quarantining.
• The fourth JFK graph combines some of the sickness and quarantining data.  On Friday, we had approximately 4.38% of students and staff who were expected to be in the building absent due to illness or quarantining.  I have added notes regarding which figures we would be looking at for shorter term closures for the building or for classrooms.
• The fifth JFK graph shows the total percent of staff and students who are expected to be in the building but were absent.  Even during a pandemic, other things continue, and people are absent for a variety of other reasons.  Our total absenteeism rate was 7.79% on Friday up from 7.13% the previous Friday.  The graph also shows the total percent of enrolled students and employed staff who were not in the building:  14.64% on Friday, including the long-term remote learners.
• Meaning needs to be attributed to the numbers and can sometimes be relative.  In Iowa, we’re glad to see our numbers falling.  Others in my own family, however, are getting much more anxious about COVID in their states/counties as their rates are increasing, and their rates are still significantly less than ours!  My youngest daughter will be coming home from college for Christmas next weekend, and, even though she’s been quarantining as best she can in preparation to come home, she’s nervous about possibly bringing COVID home with her.  I want to tell her, “Do you know where you’re coming from and where you’re going to?  You’re more likely to get COVID here than you are in bringing it with you.”  On a personal note, my prayers are also with our extended family members who lost a relative to COVID this week.

End of the Mid-Quarter Was Friday

The end of the 2nd mid-quarter was Friday.  Mid-quarter reports should be emailed to families before Christmas break.

Online JFK Spirit Store

Click HERE for the online JFK spirit store developed by Home & School.  Winter hats and scarves are now available, as well as some great stocking stuffer ideas.

What Happens to Financial Assistance if the STOs Are Not Fully Funded?

That’s a question we’d rather not face in Scott County.  More than 620 students in Scott County are benefiting from financial assistance through the Mississippi Valley School Tuition Organization (MVSTO).  In 2019-20, that figure represented about 35% of all students, and JFK had 36% of its K-8 students receiving financial assistance.  The need only increased in 2020, and no one really knows what 2021-22 will bring.

In order to provide the level of financial assistance needed each year, however, donations are also needed each year, and we are significantly behind where we need to be.  Donations to the MVSTO are unique in that they benefit both students and donors.  Students receive the financial assistance needed by their families so they can attend Catholic/private schools, and donors receive a 65% tax CREDIT, not deduction, off of their Iowa taxes, AND the other 35% is a charitable deduction on their federal taxes.  A $100 donation to the MVSTO, for example, allows one to reduce one’s Iowa tax bill by $65, and, at the 32% federal income tax bracket, one might be able to reduce one’s tax bill by about $11.  If you follow the math, a student receives the $100 benefit in financial assistance while the donor has a net cost of, not $100, but only $24!

 

Donations for this year’s taxes must be made by December 31st.  Act now!  Use the following link for more information and the forms needed:  https://www.mvsto.org/

Chad