In light of the decision of the Davenport Community School District (DCSD) to delay the start of the 2020-21 school year until Tuesday, September 8th and to maintain bus transportation for JFK students, JFK will also delay the start of our school year until Tuesday, September 8, 2020. This delayed start applies to JFK’s K-8 classes, preschool classes, and our Early Childhood Learning Center (daycare). Eighth grade students attending Assumption High School for first period Algebra will need to follow the start date decision that Assumption makes/has made, and Assumption will be communicating transportation plans to those families.
I would like to thank our board members for their deliberations regarding this topic. These types of decisions are never easy as it seems that there are always some families that are adversely affected. We apologize for the hardship that the change of start dates may cause.
While we wait for the rest of a revised school calendar to come to us from the DCSD, it is our inclination to continue to have Unpack Your Backpack/Meet Your Teacher next week Wednesday and Thursday, September 19 and 20. Please use the Sign-Up Genius link that was sent yesterday along with notification of your child’s homeroom teacher. We are looking forward to seeing students again in the building!
Please continue to stay tuned to Principal’s Posts for more information as it becomes available.
New Afternoon Bell Time — Impact on Both A.M. and P.M. 4/5 Yr Old Preschool
In order to maintain afternoon bus transportation, JFK’s afternoon bell time is changing to a dismissal time of 2:15 p.m. all five days per week. There is no one hour early dismissal on Wednesdays while the Davenport Community School District is using a hybrid model; our Wednesday dismissal time is also 2:15.
JFK K-8 Bell Times: 7:25 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Because we coincide our afternoon 4/5 yr old preschool dismissal time so it matches the K-8 dismissal time, we have to adjust our preschool time. Because we also make sure morning and afternoon 4/5 yr old preschool instructional time is the same, we are altering the morning time as well:
M-F mornings for 4/5 yr old PS: 7:25 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
M-F afternoons for 4/5 yr old PS: 11:25 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Note that the times are the same for Wednesdays as they are for the other days of the week.
Three year old preschool times remain unchanged for both the T/Th and MWF classes: 7:25 – 9:55 a.m.
Substitutes Needed
JFK is in need of substitutes. You do not need a teaching degree to work as a substitute. If you are interested in being a substitute, please contact me and/or the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency at 563-359-1371.
There is no supply list for 4/5 year old preschool. The three year old preschool supply list will be available at/after back to school registration.
Unpack Your Backpack/Meet Your Teacher
When enrollment stabilizes and class lists are completed, you will receive an email with your child’s teacher. You will also receive a link to a SignUp Genius for Unpack Your Backpack/Meet Your Teacher. We will have numerous 30 minute time slots available for up to five families at a time to be in classrooms. Families with multiple children will receive the first opportunity to sign up for slots so they can schedule all of their kids’ meetings near one another.
We ask that families social distance when on campus. Given the nature of this event and the volume of students and parents coming and going, face coverings will be required by all adults and children. Desks will be sanitized between sessions.
Time slots for K-8:
Wednesday, August 19: 7:30, 8:00 and 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, August 19: 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, and 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 20: 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, and 7:00 p.m.
We ask that only one adult accompany one child. While this limitation will help with traffic flow and social distancing, it actually also allows families to “divide and conquer:” mom and child can attend a 6:00 session, and dad and another child can also attend a 6:00 session. Or, mom can take the kids to a 4:00 session for one child and a 4:30 session for the next child while Dad stays home with the littlest child who’s not in school yet.
Preschool meetings are a little different as they are one-to-one — each family has an independent meeting with the teacher. Preschool time slots will be:
Wednesday, August 19: 7:30-9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, August 19: 3:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 20: 11:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. for 4/5 yr old preschool
Please note that this document is revised almost daily as new information becomes available and more details are able to be added. Although the document was last edited on August 1st, it still does not have changes made in light of the Iowa Department of Education’s most recent information released on Thursday of last week.
As there have been a number of questions regarding face coverings, the following is pulled from the Return to Learn Plan and copied below. Please remember that it is subject to change.
Students:
Students in grades 2-8 are required to wear face coverings, when social distancing is not possible. It is strongly encouraged for preschoolers through 1st graders.
Students in grades PS-1 may also be required to wear face coverings in certain situations when social distancing is not possible, just like the older students. Examples include during aftercare, on the bus, indoor recess, and other times when the teacher assigns the student to an activity that does not allow for social distancing (such as “centers.”)
Students in grades PS-8 will also be required, as is feasible, to wear face coverings when traveling in the hallways.
Classrooms have been set up for six feet of social distancing. Therefore, students are currently encouraged, but not required, to wear face coverings in the classrooms when social distancing is possible. Although preschool classrooms are set up for 5-6 feet of social distancing, face coverings will not be required by preschool students there either.
Students will provide their own cloth face coverings. There are no specific dress code restrictions, other than the following, which is taken from our dress code policies: No logos, advertising, slogans, sayings, or other pictures of a nature that would be inappropriate to a Catholic school are permitted. Ex: colorful face coverings with brand names on them would be acceptable but skulls/crossbones would not. Disposable face coverings will also be available for those who forget their cloth face coverings.
Students should not share or try on others’ face coverings.
All students may be required to wear face coverings when riding school buses, depending upon the guidance in place for bus transportation at the time.
Students should wear face coverings when arriving at school and at dismissal time as these are less controlled situations, and the hallways and parking lot may become more congested with students of multiple grade levels even with the procedures mentioned elsewhere in this document.
Students who are waiting to be picked up because they are ill will be required to wear a cloth or disposable face covering to the extent possible given the age of the student and with the exceptions mentioned above by the CDC. When calling the student’s parent to have them pick up the student, this requirement will be mentioned, which allows the parent to note any particular reason why this would not be possible.
Students will not have a face covering put on them by a staff member. Students put on their own coverings.
Students will need to remove face coverings for eating and the receiving of the Holy Eucharist.
Students should also remove face coverings for recess and PE or not participate in high intensity activities that may cause difficulty breathing. Alternate activities will be available for students who do not want to remove their face coverings in order to participate in the high intensity activities. Students will not be required to remove face coverings and may continue to wear them even if not required.
Students who are wearing face coverings and working with interventionists, even when it is important for the interventionist to see the students’ mouths, will not be asked to remove their face coverings without an agreement with the child’s parents/guardians. Interventionists will discuss with parents the availability of other measures that may be used such as the clear partitions and school provided face shields that may be used by these students during the intervention time period
Students will keep their face coverings in designated areas during the school day, according to teachers’ discretion. These areas may be in Ziploc bags on their lunch trays, clipped to their desks, etc. Break-away lanyards with face coverings may also be used.
Students will be taught about the prevention of stigma associated with the use or non-use of face coverings.
Students who might not be able to use cloth face coverings due to a health or safety concern including but not limited to age, developmental disability, underlying condition, or mental health concern may be allowed to wear a face shield instead after consultation between the students’ parents and JFK staff. These face shields must be provided by the students.
Please continue to take care of yourselves: practice social distancing, maintain hand/face hygiene, stay home when sick, and wear a face covering when social distancing is not possible.
Return to Learn Planning: More Details for Exceptions to Face-to-Face
As I mentioned in last week’s email, JFK and our area Catholic schools are still planning on face-t0-face, on-site, five days per week instruction for all students. With the size of JFK’s classrooms, we will be able to have social distancing within the rooms. The details of our return to learn planning, however, do include an exception clause. If you believe you need an exception to face-to-face, on-site instruction, please let me know no later than Wednesday, August 5, 2020. Below are some of the details for the remote learning of individuals.
JFK, like other nonpublic schools and public school districts, is required to offer accommodations for remote learning if a child, another resident of the child’s residence, or one of the child’s regular caretakers has a significant health condition that increases their risk of COVID-19. The child’s parent or guardian must provide written verification from a licensed healthcare provider, if requested.
Other particular students for whom families choose to have their children do remote learning when the rest of the class/building are not in a remote learning model will be accommodated to the best of our ability while not overburdening our staff. Remote learning for a few students is different than remote learning for an entire class. With only a few students doing remote learning, teachers are still preparing for and working with students in a face-to-face model and then also have to accommodate those needing the remote model. Remote learning for individuals will not be the same as it was for entire classes during the spring. What we do for entire classes this fall, if needed, will also not be exactly the same as how we did it in the spring.
Remote learning methods to accommodate individual students are the following. There is no minimum length of time for which families must commit to remote learning. Students can return to face-to-face when able/ready. There may, however, be a maximum length of time for which this option is available, and it may depend upon government proclamations, rates of community transmission, availability of a vaccine, etc.
The effectiveness of these options may be dependent upon the technology available in both the school and home. For example, some of the technology ordered for the school is backordered and not yet available. Less effective means may have to be used until the better technology arrives.
PS/K core subjects:
Asynchronous lessons/work assigned through Seesaw.
Packets, if technology is not available
OR
Asynchronous recordings of some of the face-to-face instruction occurring for the in-class students made available through Seesaw. These recordings may be one day behind the face-to-face instruction taking place.
A combination of the above two may be used
Grades 1-8 core subjects and 6-8 Spanish:
Livestream of the face-to-face instruction occurring for in-class students. Families of remote learning students and teachers need to be very clear on when students need to be online. Students do not necessarily need to be online during an entire “period” but would need to be on when instruction is taking place. When the class moves to independent work, the remote learning student would not need to be online.
Asynchronous recordings of the face-to-face instruction may be used by remote learning students but only by special arrangement; they will not normally be organized, assembled, and made available. These recordings may be one day behind the face-to-face instruction taking place.
WIN time for grades 1-2 will not be livestreamed, but alternate work will be assigned.
Seesaw and Google Classroom will be utilized for remote learning students.
Grades K-8 specials
Specials will have asynchronous lessons or activities available for remote learning individuals.
Specials teachers will attempt to use Seesaw and Google Classrooom. If it is inefficient for the number of individuals doing remote learning, they may utilize posting to their webpages and email.
Attendance will be recorded for remote learning. Participation is required for those doing remote learning.
Grading will proceed according to the regular grading scale and procedures for those doing remote learning.
There is not a reduction in tuition for families utilizing remote learning as operating multiple instructional models is actually more time consuming/expensive than operating only one model.
If you believe you need an exception to face-to-face, on-site instruction, please let me know no later than Wednesday, August 5, 2020.
Bus Transportation — Impact on Preschool as Well
The latest hybrid schedule proposed by the Davenport Community School District eliminates the one hour early dismissals on Wednesdays and shortens all days by 25 minutes in the afternoon. The DCSD has told us that if we want bus transportation on Wednesday afternoons, we will need to eliminate the early dismissal time. They are still determining whether or not we’d need to do the 25 minute change in the afternoon dismissal time on every day, and we hope to have a decision early this week.
Because we coincide our afternoon preschool dismissal time so it matches the K-8 dismissal time, we may have to adjust afternoon preschool times. Because we also make sure morning and afternoon preschool instructional time is the same, we may have to alter the morning preschool dismissal times as well.
Storage Space
In order to set up our classrooms for six feet of social distancing, we are moving large quantities of tables, bookcases, comfy reading chairs/corners, etc. out of classrooms. We are in need of space in garages, warehouses, storage units, and/or trailers to store large furniture. Please let me know if you have access to such space that we could use or if you know of someone who might.
JFK Is Hiring
JFK has several hourly paid school positions available during the school year. The positions have flexible duties working with 3-14 year olds in classrooms, at recesses, and during lunches. Helping with food preparation and cleaning may be included. Candidates must be able to work schedules that start as early as 7:00 a.m. and end as late as 5:30 p.m. Tuition, childcare, and other fee reductions are included. Interested parties should send a letter of interest, resume, and references to chad.steimle@olvjfkmail.com or complete an application at the school.
Substitutes Needed
JFK is also in need of substitutes. You do not need a teaching degree to work as a substitute. If you are interested in being a substitute, please contact me and/or the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency at 563-359-1371.
Back to School Registration: Slots Still Available Monday and Tuesday
On July 24th, I emailed the general Back to School Registration letters for the 2020-21 school year to families. One letter was for K-8 and one for preschool.
Back to School Registration will be different this year with scheduled time slots available on August 2-4. While the letters contain the details, I am also including the links needed to sign up for the time slots HERE or https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4EABA82AA7F58-registration.
Only one time slot is needed per family. A family of three children, for example, still only needs one registration time slot.
There is no supply list for 4/5 year old preschool. The three year old preschool supply list will be available at/after back to school registration.
Unpack Your Backpack/Meet Your Teacher
When enrollment stabilizes and class lists are completed, you will receive an email with your child’s teacher. You will also receive a link to a SignUp Genius for Unpack Your Backpack/Meet Your Teacher. We will have numerous 30 minute time slots available for up to five families at a time to be in classrooms. Families with multiple children will receive the first opportunity to sign up for slots so they can schedule all of their kids’ meetings near one another.
We ask that families social distance when on campus. Given the nature of this event and the volume of students and parents coming and going, face coverings will be required by all adults and children. Desks will be sanitized between sessions.
Time slots for K-8:
Wednesday, August 19: 7:30, 8:00 and 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, August 19: 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, and 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 20: 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, and 7:00 p.m.
We ask that only one adult accompany one child. While this limitation will help with traffic flow and social distancing, it actually also allows families to “divide and conquer:” mom and child can attend a 6:00 session, and dad and another child can also attend a 6:00 session. Or, mom can take the kids to a 4:00 session for one child and a 4:30 session for the next child while Dad stays home with the littlest child who’s not in school yet.
Preschool meetings are a little different as they are one-to-one — each family has an independent meeting with the teacher. Preschool time slots will be:
Wednesday, August 19: 7:30-9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, August 19: 3:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 20: 11:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. for 4/5 yr old preschool
Please note that this document is revised almost daily as new information becomes available and more details are able to be added. Although the document was last edited on August 1st, it still does not have changes made in light of the Iowa Department of Education’s most recent information released on Thursday.
As there have been a number of questions regarding face coverings, the following is pulled from the Return to Learn Plan and copied below. Please remember that it is subject to change.
Students:
Students in grades 2-8 are required to wear face coverings, when social distancing is not possible. It is strongly encouraged for preschoolers through 1st graders.
Students in grades PS-1 may also be required to wear face coverings in certain situations when social distancing is not possible, just like the older students. Examples include during aftercare, on the bus, indoor recess, and other times when the teacher assigns the student to an activity that does not allow for social distancing (such as “centers.”)
Students in grades PS-8 will also be required, as is feasible, to wear face coverings when traveling in the hallways.
Classrooms have been set up for six feet of social distancing. Therefore, students are currently encouraged, but not required, to wear face coverings in the classrooms when social distancing is possible. Although preschool classrooms are set up for 5-6 feet of social distancing, face coverings will not be required by preschool students there either.
Students will provide their own cloth face coverings. There are no specific dress code restrictions, other than the following, which is taken from our dress code policies: No logos, advertising, slogans, sayings, or other pictures of a nature that would be inappropriate to a Catholic school are permitted. Ex: colorful face coverings with brand names on them would be acceptable but skulls/crossbones would not. Disposable face coverings will also be available for those who forget their cloth face coverings.
Students should not share or try on others’ face coverings.
All students may be required to wear face coverings when riding school buses, depending upon the guidance in place for bus transportation at the time.
Students should wear face coverings when arriving at school and at dismissal time as these are less controlled situations, and the hallways and parking lot may become more congested with students of multiple grade levels even with the procedures mentioned elsewhere in this document.
Students who are waiting to be picked up because they are ill will be required to wear a cloth or disposable face covering to the extent possible given the age of the student and with the exceptions mentioned above by the CDC. When calling the student’s parent to have them pick up the student, this requirement will be mentioned, which allows the parent to note any particular reason why this would not be possible.
Students will not have a face covering put on them by a staff member. Students put on their own coverings.
Students will need to remove face coverings for eating and the receiving of the Holy Eucharist.
Students should also remove face coverings for recess and PE or not participate in high intensity activities that may cause difficulty breathing. Alternate activities will be available for students who do not want to remove their face coverings in order to participate in the high intensity activities. Students will not be required to remove face coverings and may continue to wear them even if not required.
Students who are wearing face coverings and working with interventionists, even when it is important for the interventionist to see the students’ mouths, will not be asked to remove their face coverings without an agreement with the child’s parents/guardians. Interventionists will discuss with parents the availability of other measures that may be used such as the clear partitions and school provided face shields that may be used by these students during the intervention time period
Students will keep their face coverings in designated areas during the school day, according to teachers’ discretion. These areas may be in Ziploc bags on their lunch trays, clipped to their desks, etc. Break-away lanyards with face coverings may also be used.
Students will be taught about the prevention of stigma associated with the use or non-use of face coverings.
Students who might not be able to use cloth face coverings due to a health or safety concern including but not limited to age, developmental disability, underlying condition, or mental health concern may be allowed to wear a face shield instead after consultation between the students’ parents and JFK staff. These face shields must be provided by the students.
Please continue to take care of yourselves: practice social distancing, maintain hand/face hygiene, stay home when sick, and wear a face covering when social distancing is not possible.
As I mentioned in last week’s email, JFK and our area Catholic schools are still planning on face-t0-face, on-site, five days per week instruction for all students. The details of our return to learn planning, however, do include an exception clause:
JFK, like other nonpublic schools and public school districts, is required to offer accommodations for remote learning if a child, another resident of the child’s residence, or one of the child’s regular caretakers has a significant health condition that increases their risk of COVID-19. The child’s parent or guardian must provide written verification from a licensed healthcare provider.
Other particular students for whom families choose to have their children do remote learning when the rest of the class/building are not in a remote learning model will be accommodated to the best of our ability while not overburdening our staff.
Remote learning methods to accommodate the above situations may include the following:
Some face-to-face instruction occurring for other students may be recorded and made available to these students
Some face-to-face instruction occurring for other students may be live-streamed
Asynchronous instruction will be more likely than synchronous instruction
Physical packets and materials, the same as or similar to the materials being used in face-to-face instruction, may be provided to these students
MobyMax may be more heavily used for these students
A third party provider such as Edgenuity may be contracted
There is not a reduction in tuition for these families as operating multiple instructional models is actually more expensive than operating only one model.
If you believe you need an exception to face-to-face, on-site instruction, please let me know as soon as possible so we can determine how we might be able to accommodate your family.
Bus Transportation
We have repeatedly been told that our bus transportation will not be affected; buses will still be running routes five days per week. With the latest schedule proposed by the Davenport Community School District, the district’s schools will not have early out Wednesdays, but all days will be shortened by 25 minutes. We are currently attempting to clarify how those two changes may impact our afternoon bus transportation, and if we need to make similar schedule adjustments.
Storage Space
In order to set up our classrooms for six feet of social distancing, we are moving large quantities of tables, bookcases, comfy reading chairs/corners, etc. out of classrooms. We are in need of space in garages, warehouses, storage units, and/or trailers to store large furniture. Please let me know if you have access to such space that we could use or if you know of someone who might.
JFK Is Hiring
JFK has several hourly paid school positions available during the school year. The positions have flexible duties working with 3-14 year olds in classrooms, at recesses, and during lunches. Helping with food preparation and cleaning may be included. Candidates must be able to work schedules that start as early as 7:00 a.m. and end as late as 5:30 p.m. Tuition, childcare, and other fee reductions are included. Interested parties should send a letter of interest, resume, and references to chad.steimle@olvjfkmail.com or complete an application at the school.
Thank You for Your Service
We would like to thank Chris Guinn and Helen Curley for their service to JFK. Mrs. Guinn and Mrs. Curley worked as instructional aides at a variety of grade levels.
New Staff Members
OLV is pleased to have two new staff members: Fr. Scott Foley and Kaye Meyers. Fr. Foley has begun his duties as parochial vicar. Kaye Meyers will be filling our K-8 Faith Formation Coordinator position. Kaye’s primary role will be coordinating and administering the K-8 faith formation program and assisting JFK with religious education curriculum and sacramental preparation. She will also be taking over responsibility for the parish’s Safe Environment program. Kaye and her husband, Tom, are also members of the parish.
Jennifer Wemhoff will be remaining on the OLV staff as well, but she will be filling our newly created position
that will focus solely on adult faith formation. In this new role of the Adult Faith Formation Coordinator, Jennifer will work to provide faith formation opportunities for those over the age of 18 in the parish.
Back to School Registration
On July 24th, I emailed the general Back to School Registration letters for the 2020-21 school year to families. One letter was for K-8 and one for preschool. Packets with multiple forms, some of them personalized, were put in the mail on Friday for K-8 families. Preschool families just have the letter in their “snail” mail envelope.
Back to School Registration will be different this year with scheduled time slots available on August 2-4. While the letters contain the details, I am also including the links needed to sign up for the time slots HERE or https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4EABA82AA7F58-registration.
Only one time slot is needed per family. A family of three children, for example, still only needs one registration time slot.
There is no supply list for 4/5 year old preschool. The three year old preschool supply list will be available at/after back to school registration.
First Communion and Confirmation
Congratulations to the second graders who received their First Communion in July. It’s such an important step to be at the Table of Christ. We are looking forward to Confirmations occurring in August.
Please continue to take care of yourselves: practice social distancing, maintain hand/face hygiene, stay home when sick, and wear a face covering when social distancing is not possible.
We are aware of the announcement by the Davenport Community School District that it will start the school year on August 24th in either a 100% remote learning or a one day per week in school hybrid model. The DCSD will not start with full face-to-face on-site learning.
JFK is still evaluating the situation, and we are trying to get answers regarding bus transportation from the DCSD as well. We will be re-examining the details of our face-to-face on-site plan and determine if any changes should be made.
The COVID-19 situation has changed dramatically within the past month. I attended three meetings this week with health department officials, and they are extremely concerned. A month ago, the number of new infections per day was around 4-6 new cases per day in Scott County. Today, that number is about 40 new cases per day with a typical range between about 20 and 75. Since cases were tracked beginning in winter/spring, about half of all cases in Scott County have occurred within the last two weeks. Contact tracing is becoming more difficult, and the number of people having to quarantine per identified case is increasing as people are out and about more in the community and are having more close contacts now. The message from the health department officials is consistent: if we want kids in school in six weeks, we need to change behavior in our community today.
That said, the health department officials are not saying that schools cannot open. If they are to open, they need to carefully examine the guiding principles from the CDC. It is also noted that the principles are more than a month old, and more information continues to be learned. For example, the data on the impact of face coverings is even more clear that they make a difference for everyone. Below are the CDC guidelines:
Promote healthy hygiene practices such as hand washing and employees wearing a (cloth) face covering, as feasible
Intensify cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation
Encourage social distancing through increased spacing, small groups and limited mixing between groups, if feasible
Train all employees on health and safety protocols
Screening students and staff, which can be done at home
These principles are nearly identical to what is being stated at the county level:
Social distancing
Hand/face hygiene
Face coverings
Includes both staff and students
Sanitizing
At JFK, we will continue to review the information available and determine if any changes are needed to our plan for face-to-face on-site instruction to begin on August 24th.
As we always conclude, “Our Lady of Victory,… pray for us.”
JFK is developing its plan to be fully open for PS-8th grades in the fall. While I have mentioned in previous Principal’s Posts that our Return to Learn planning is actually three plans in one with provisions for face-to-face in the building instruction, remote learning, and a hybrid between the two, we are anticipating being able to have all students at JFK in the building in the fall.
Guiding our conversations for re-opening, again, are the following primary principles, quoted from CDC documentation:
“Promote healthy hygiene practices such as hand washing and employees wearing a cloth face covering, as feasible
Intensify cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation
Encourage social distancing through increased spacing, small groups and limited mixing between groups, if feasible
Train all employees on health and safety protocols”
A fifth area is the screening of students and employees, and the latest guidance seems to be that this task can be something that is done at home before students or staff arrive at school in the morning.
At last week’s meeting with representatives from the Scott County and Clinton/Jackson Counties Health Departments and Dr. Louis Katz, a local infectious disease expert, it was stated that we are on a good trend with COVID-19 in our area. As long as this positive trend continues, they did not see any reason why we would not be able to open schools in the fall. School practices and procedures will likely look different next year than “normal” years, but all signs are looking toward opening.
In future Principal’s Posts, I’ll share more details about what school will look like in the fall. Whatever I share will, of course, be subject to change by the time we start the school year in late August.
Please note that our conversations are also guided by the fact that we are responsible for other people’s children. What we might do within our own families may not be the same when charged with the responsibility to care for other people’s children. The conversations are also influenced by differences between optional and mandatory activities. Having one’s children in summer sports, for example, is optional. Having one’s children receive an education is not optional; education is legally compulsory. Add in that enrollment in our Catholic schools is exercising an educational choice, however, and our conversations get really interesting!
School Calendar Distributed Late This Week or on Weekend
JFK will distribute a one page school calendar summary late this week or over the weekend. The OLV/JFK board of education will meet on Thursday and consider a proposal based upon the DCSD’s calendar that was approved tonight. The proposed starting date continues to be August 24th, and the school calendar will look much like every other year’s calendar.
An Unpack Your Backpack/Meet Your Teacher event will be scheduled with families on August 19th and 20th. The date and format of Back to School Sunday/Back to School Registration typically held the last weekend in July or first weekend in August has yet to be determined.
End of the Year Drop Off and Pick Up of Items
If you still have materials that belong to JFK at your house, please return them to JFK as soon as possible. The school office is typically open Monday-Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Summer Instructional Programming
Schools have been given guidance on how to hold on site summer instructional programming. We will be offering two sessions of Leaps & Bounds this summer. Leaps & Bounds focuses on reading and math for students currently in kindergarten – 5th grade. The student to teacher ratio is 7:1 or lower, and no more than 10 students will be in the room. Students are encouraged to bring cloth face masks each day from home and return home with them for laundering or replacement with clean ones for the next day. Face shields may at times be used and will be provided by the school. Session I is weekdays July 6 – 17, and session II is July 20 – 31. The program runs from 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $190 per student per session. Sign up for one or both sessions. A minimum number of students is needed to financially support each session. Registration information was emailed. Please contact the school office or Mrs. Temming at kitty.temming@olvjfkmail.com to register.
We are also offering one-on-one tutoring this summer. Dates and times can be arranged individually. The cost is $22 per hour. Information regarding tutoring was also emailed. Contact Mrs. Temming at kitty.temming@olvjfkmail.com to register.
Registration for Next Year
The deadline for payment of the registration fee and deadline for receiving the discount is June 30th. The discounted fee is $100 per child with a maximum of $200 per family. On July 1st, the discount ends, and the fee will return to $125 per child with a maximum of $250 per family. If you turned in a tuitioncontract without the registration fee, please send us the registration fee by June 30th so you can take advantage of the discount.
If you are concerned about finishing your tuition and other payments for the 2019-20 school year, please contact Fr. Jake (greinerj@diodav.org or 563-391-4245) or Emily Sanderson (emily.sanderson@olvjfkmail.com or 563-391-3030) so a payment plan can be arranged.
Teachers will be submitting their final grades on June 8th. Usually there is a good deal of technological clean up to do before we can publish/release report cards, and we hope to have them out before the week is finished. Due to the length of our closure and how fast we had to completely create remote learning this spring, we have made some decisions that impact these last report cards:
Religion, for the 4th quarter, is blank as we did not require work to be submitted for the religious activities students did.
Core subjects have a P or an I for the 4th quarter. In order to receive the “P,” students need to complete about 65% of the required work at an acceptable level of mastery, which is also at about 65%. The 65% aligns fairly well with our normal grading scale.
Specials have a P or are left blank for the 4th quarter. With a normal twice per week meeting schedule, we are going with about a 50% completion level to receive the “P” in a special.
These final report cards also have a Year End grade. The Year End grade also serves as the permanent record. The Year End grades are based upon the letter grades for the first three quarters with a “P” in the 4th quarter considered if a student is “on the bubble.” An “I” would not be used to lower a student’s year end grade.
As we develop the Return to Learn plan for the fall, we will likely not have the same adjustments in remote learning grading as we did this spring. If we have to do some time of remote learning at any time next school year, we will likely have grades look very similar to normal grades.
Look for report cards emailed later this week.
“Closure” to the End of the School Year for Everyone
To find “closure” to the end of this school year for all students, we will be making a special video for each grade level that will be shared and posted. We’ll also have some personalized items for our students. Our distribution method will be set in conjunction with a method to distribute yearbooks and to collect Chromebooks, 8th grade ELA textbooks, JFK and AEA library books, etc.
Sixth through 8th grade messages have been re-posted with the corrections. We matched all the teachers’ video files with the right grades!
End of the Year Drop Off and Pick Up of Items
Last week, families received an email from us with the dates/times for drop off and pick up of materials and a list of many of the items that are owed from your students. Many families have JFK Chromebooks and chargers, library books, and even some textbooks to return. Some students may have books from teachers’ “classroom libraries,” and there may even be some medications in the office. There are also some band instruments to be returned by graduating 8th graders. Please look around to see if there are any additional items of the school that need to be returned.
We will also have yearbooks for those who ordered them plus a few extra for sale and a special gift for students to be picked up. Altar servers may receive their awards, if they have not already done so.
To allow for social distancing, we have assigned drop off times and dates according to the first letter of your child’s last name.
Last Names Beginning with A through L: Monday June 8th and Tuesday June 9th 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Last Names Beginning with M through Z: Wednesday June 10th and Thursday June 11th 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Face masks should be worn by those entering the building, and the number of people from each family should be limited to those needed to carry the materials to be returned.
Summer Instructional Programming
Schools have been given guidance on how to hold on site summer instructional programming. We will be offering two sessions of Leaps & Bounds this summer. Leaps & Bounds focuses on reading and math for students currently in kindergarten – 5th grade. The student to teacher ratio is 7:1 or lower, and no more than 10 students will be in the room. Students are encouraged to bring cloth face masks each day from home and return home with them for laundering or replacement with clean ones for the next day. Face shields may at times be used and will be provided by the school. Session I is weekdays July 6 – 17, and session II is July 20 – 31. The program runs from 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $190 per student per session. Sign up for one or both sessions. A minimum number of students is needed to financially support each session. Registration information was emailed. Please contact the school office or Mrs. Temming at kitty.temming@olvjfkmail.com to register.
We are also offering one-on-one tutoring this summer. Dates and times can be arranged individually. The cost is $22 per hour. Information regarding tutoring was also emailed. Contact Mrs. Temming at kitty.temming@olvjfkmail.com to register.
Home & School
JFK’s Home & School is looking to “think outside the box” for activities next year. Below is something they are exploring:
In order to have anything next year, however, more committed parents and/or teachers are needed. This year, we had four key working parents holding down the fort. We really need about 8-10. Yes, there are traditional roles such as President, VP, Secretary, and Treasurer, but really what’s needed are a few more people who can commit to help organize H & S events. It’s a great way to meet and get to know other parents and staff and get to see a little behind the scenes! This committee has the potential to do great things, such as bringing an event like seen in the video to JFK, but it will not be successful without you.
If you are interested, please email our H & S by June 5th at JFK.HomeandSchool@outlook.com or contact one of the current officers via Facebook
—Erin Pape, President/Treasurer
—Cassandra Tatman, Co-President/Treasurer
—Kathy Knox, VP
—Allison Arlt, Secretary
Summer Communications
Normally, there would be very few, if any, Principal’s Posts during the summer. This year, however, is not normal! While I may not have new posts every weekend, look for communications to continue through posts that will be linked via email and on Facebook.
DCSD Working on a Draft Calendar
The DCSD is working on a draft calendar for next year, and word has it that it will be passed by their board and/or released around June 15th. The draft maintains the originally passed August 24th start date. At JFK, we are having discussions about how to replace a less controlled Unpack Your Backpack evening with smaller, more personal ways for students to meet their teachers and get glimpses of how things are going to look when they return. Whatever we do will likely be during the week of August 17th.
Registration for Next Year
Being able to accurately project enrollment for the fall seems even more critical this year. We will be needing to make some significant decisions such as how many desks we are really going to need if we have desks in all classrooms rather than the student tables that are currently in some rooms, how many math textbooks will we really need as we move to new/updated materials, how many Chromebooks do we really need to replace/update, etc.
Returned tuition contracts helps us plan for next year. Please return your tuition contract as soon as you can, even without paying the registration fee now. We would even accept a photo of a signed tuition contract sent to us via email. We would even accept it without payment of the registration fee right now. That can be paid later, if necessary.
As Iowa and the nation begin to re-open, we do understand the delays that people may have. If you are concerned about finishing your tuition and other payments for the current school year, please contact Fr. Jake (greinerj@diodav.org or 563-391-4245) or Emily Sanderson (emily.sanderson@olvjfkmail.com or 563-391-3030) so a payment plan can be arranged. We do not want unexpected financial barriers this year to prevent people from registering for next year. If you are concerned about how to pay for next school year, don’t forget to apply for the Family Tuition Plan financial assistance, for which the application can be found HERE or https://www.assumptionhigh.org/familytuitionplan/. Even if you need to send in the completed tuitioncontract without the registration fee yet, please do so as soon as possible.
We do, of course, need the registration fee eventually. The deadline for the registration fee and deadline for the discounted registration fee have been extended to June 30th. The discounted fee is $100 per child with a maximum of $200 per family. On July 1st, the discount ends, and the fee will return to $125 per child with a maximum of $250 per family. If you turned in a tuitioncontract without the registration fee, please send us the registration fee by June 30th so you can take advantage of the discount.
Return to Learn Planning and Guiding Principles
I was able to attend the AEA 9 superintendents’ Zoom meeting on Tuesday with Roma Taylor and Amy Thoreson from the Scott County Health Department, and Dr. Louis Katz, an infectious disease specialist in Davenport. They talked about the need to balance students’ returning to school for education while keeping them and, perhaps more significantly, those with whom they may be in contact with at schools and in homes safe. Their top priorities can be summarized in the following order:
Social distancing
Hand/face hygiene
Masks
Sanitizing
They would have had masks even higher, but they’ve found that when people wear masks they forget about social distancing, and hand/face hygiene diminishes. As you can imagine, there have been lots of conversations around the state regarding face coverings, and that one may end up in the “if feasible” category. At JFK, we should be pretty good as we have the space to do social distancing, which diminishes the need for face coverings.
We would like to thank John Stachula for his service on the OLV/JFK board of education. With his sons graduating this year and his three year term ending, it seemed like the right time to take a break from board service. Coutrney Mau will be joining the board to begin a three year term. Other board members include Ann Craig, Julaine Edwards, Chris Fox, Fr. Jake Greiner, Chad Hagerman, Tom Poston, Lucas Roth, Peter Schuster, and Lisa Snider.
Reflections on “-isms”
When I was in college, I spent my summers working in a small warehouse in the inner city of Milwaukee, which had a predominantly minority population. We supplied all of the small corner “mom and pop” types of stores and small gas stations in the inner city. Working alongside so many minorities was an eye-opening experience for me, a white kid from the working class suburb of South Milwaukee. In some ways, I was in the minority as a white person in the warehouse and neighborhoods we served, and I felt different types of experiences as a result. I, however, was never a minority; at the end of the day, I left the area and went home. Those in minority groups can’t shed that identity after work or when they move from one place to another; it’s permanent to them.
As I progressed through college, I changed my major from business to sociology. I studied racism, sexism, ageism, and probably all sorts of other -isms. I was an “award winning author” for a study I did that examined advertising in magazines and found that the language in advertising in “women’s magazines” was, basically, “dumbed down” in comparison to men’s magazines. I created and tried to sell a board game that colleges could use at orientation for students to see the intersections of poverty, race, and gender. I drove my parents nuts with my views and desire to change the status quo. I wanted to make a difference, and that desire drove me to a career in education.
Events of recent weeks have, again, caused me to examine my thoughts. I can remember thinking earlier, “It’s not enough we have to deal with a pandemic. We now have to address racism and worry about protests and violence.” I should have been thinking, “It’s not enough we have to deal with racism. We now have to address a pandemic and worry about protests and violence.” That subtle shift can make a big difference. We’ll get through a pandemic in a, relatively speaking, short time period with measured actions, herd immunity and/or a vaccine. We’ve been dealing with “-isms,” however, for far longer, and they deserve equal all out efforts.
I hope and pray that we work on all that is envisioned in the building of God’s Kingdom here on Earth.
This is the last week of the 2019-20 school year! The last day of new required work for students is June 3rd. June 4th and 5th will be used for students to catch up, make corrections and bring previously submitted work up to an acceptable level of mastery as needed, and to extend their learning with non-required activities. The P/I final determinations will be made by June 8th, if possible.
As I have looked at students’ progress in 3rd-8th grades this weekend, I have noted some interesting observations. In some grades and subjects, all of the students are on pace for a “P,” while at other grades or subjects, only 80% might be on that same pace. (Yes, it’s still also holding that younger students are more likely to be on pace than older students, but the older students have picked up the pace since observations in the middle of April.) Students also tend to be better on pace in reading/ELA and math than science and social studies. They are also way more on pace in core subjects than specials. Individual students, however, might be all over the place. Some students are consistently on top of everything while others are excelling in a few subjects but struggling to keep up in others. Some students are “streaky;” they’ll be right on pace for a long period of time, and then have another longer period of time when they fall behind. We are even seeing some students who struggled with face-to-face learning excelling in remote learning, and some students who excelled with face-to-face learning are struggling with remote learning. There’s a little bit of everything!
Let’s hope everyone finishes strong this week!
“Closure” to the End of the School Year for Everyone
To find “closure” to the end of this school year for all students, we will be making a special video for each grade level that will be shared and posted. We’ll also have some personalized items for our students. Our distribution method will be set in conjunction with a method to distribute yearbooks and to collect Chromebooks, 8th grade ELA textbooks, JFK and AEA library books, etc.
End of the Year Drop Off and Pick Up of Items
During the week of June 1st, families will receive an email from us with the dates/times for drop off and pick up of materials and a list of many of the items that are owed from your students. Many families have JFK Chromebooks and chargers, library books, and even some textbooks to return. Some students may have books from teachers’ “classroom libraries,” and there may even be some medications in the office. There are also some band instruments to be returned by graduating 8th graders. Please look around to see if there are any additional items of the school that need to be returned.
We will also have yearbooks for those who ordered them plus a few extra for sale and a special gift for students to be picked up. Altar servers may receive their awards, if they have not already done so.
To allow for social distancing, we have assigned drop off times and dates according to the first letter of your child’s last name.
Last Names Beginning with A through L: Monday June 8th and Tuesday June 9th 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Last Names Beginning with M through Z: Wednesday June 10th and Thursday June 11th 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Face masks should be worn by those entering the building, and the number of people from each family should be limited to those needed to carry the materials to be returned.
Summer Instructional Programming
Schools have been given guidance on how to hold on site summer instructional programming. We will be offering two sessions of Leaps & Bounds this summer. Leaps & Bounds focuses on reading and math for students currently in kindergarten – 5th grade. The student to teacher ratio is 7:1 or lower, and no more than 10 students will be in the room. Students are encouraged to bring cloth face masks each day from home and return home with them for laundering or replacement with clean ones for the next day. Face shields may at times be used and will be provided by the school. Session I is weekdays July 6 – 17, and session II is July 20 – 31. The program runs from 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $190 per student per session. Sign up for one or both sessions. A minimum number of students is needed to financially support each session. More information will be available soon, or contact Mrs. Temming at kitty.temming@olvjfkmail.com to register.
We may also be able to offer one-on-one tutoring this summer. Dates and times can be arranged individually. The cost is $22 per hour. More information will be available soon, or contact Mrs. Temming at kitty.temming@olvjfkmail.com to register.
Home & School
JFK’s Home & School is looking to “think outside the box” for activities next year. Below is something they are exploring:
In order to have anything next year, however, more committed parents and/or teachers are needed. This year, we had four key working parents holding down the fort. We really need about 8-10. Yes, there are traditional roles such as President, VP, Secretary, and Treasurer, but really what’s needed are a few more people who can commit to help organize H & S events. It’s a great way to meet and get to know other parents and staff and get to see a little behind the scenes! This committee has the potential to do great things, such as bringing an event like seen in the video to JFK, but it will not be successful without you.
If you are interested, please email our H & S by June 5th at JFK.HomeandSchool@outlook.com or contact one of the current officers via Facebook
—Erin Pape, President/Treasurer
—Cassandra Tatman, Co-President/Treasurer
—Kathy Knox, VP
—Allison Arlt, Secretary
Summer Communications
Normally, there would be very few, if any, Principal’s Posts during the summer. This year, however, is not normal! While I may not have new posts every weekend, look for communications to continue through posts that will be linked via email and on Facebook.
No Official Calendar/Start Date Yet for Next Year
We still have not heard when the DCSD will start next year or what their calendar will look like, and they were not on the DCSD’s May 26th meeting. We will not set our start date and calendar at JFK until we know theirs so we can consider any bus issues. It does not sound like early August start dates will be considered, however. Prior to COVID-19, plans were progressing toward an August 24th start date, and we’ve seen unofficial hints that the 24th will be the date the DCSD uses. I doubt that we would consider anything much earlier than August 17th now, if even that early.
Thank You for Your Service
Both the school and parish will have fewer staff members next year than this year. We would like to thank the following people for their service to OLV/JFK and wish them the best in the future: Kathy Knox, Norma Kuehn, and Dave Mattke.
Registration for Next Year
Being able to accurately project enrollment for the fall seems even more critical this year. We will be needing to make some significant decisions such as how many desks we are really going to need if we have desks in all classrooms rather than the student tables that are currently in some rooms, how many math textbooks will we really need as we move to new/updated materials, how many Chromebooks do we really need to replace/update, etc.
Returned tuition contracts helps us plan for next year. Please return your tuition contract as soon as you can, even without paying the registration fee now. We would even accept a photo of a signed tuition contract sent to us via email. We would even accept it without payment of the registration fee right now. That can be paid later, if necessary.
As Iowa and the nation begin to re-open, we do understand the delays that people may have. If you are concerned about finishing your tuition and other payments for the current school year, please contact Fr. Jake (greinerj@diodav.org or 563-391-4245) or Emily Sanderson (emily.sanderson@olvjfkmail.com or 563-391-3030) so a payment plan can be arranged. We do not want unexpected financial barriers this year to prevent people from registering for next year. If you are concerned about how to pay for next school year, don’t forget to apply for the Family Tuition Plan financial assistance, for which the application can be found HERE or https://www.assumptionhigh.org/familytuitionplan/. Even if you need to send in the completed tuitioncontract without the registration fee yet, please do so as soon as possible.
We do, of course, need the registration fee eventually. The deadline for the registration fee and deadline for the discounted registration fee have been extended to June 30th. The discounted fee is $100 per child with a maximum of $200 per family. On July 1st, the discount ends, and the fee will return to $125 per child with a maximum of $250 per family. If you turned in a tuitioncontract without the registration fee, please send us the registration fee by June 30th so you can take advantage of the discount.
JFK Graduation
Beginning at 6:30 p.m. on June 5th, we will do something similar to our reverse teacher parade just for our 8th graders and their families/drivers. Before exiting the parking lot, each car will stop so a “goodie bag” of several items, including their 8th grade t-shirt, ribbon/medallion, diploma, and other personalized items can be handed to them or a family member. We will also be making a special video for students that will be on a flash drive and posted on our channel.
Please enter the parking lot from the ball field entrance. Pick up will be near the front doors. While we will begin at 6:30, not everyone needs to arrive at the same time. We will remain outside until at least 7:30. In the event of inclement weather, vehicles may be parked in the northern section of the lot. A family member who is wearing a mask may then enter the building through the northwest doors, proceed up the stairs to pick up the bag, and exit JFK through the main entrance on 42nd Street.
Thank you for practicing social distancing during this event and wearing a face mask as needed.
Return to Learn Planning and Guiding Principles
Discussions concerning our “Return to Learn” planning for next school year continue. We will likely have three separate plans ready. One will be a plan for remote learning similar to what we are doing now. This plan could be used if we could not have students on campus for long or short periods of time. If we were to start school in August with students physically on-site, but had to close the school, a grade, or even just a homeroom for several days in February, for example, we would use the remote learning plan.
A second plan is for having students on campus in August. This plan consumed the majority of our discussions again this past week. Nothing seems easy any more! Planning for re-opening is a challenge as there are many views/guidelines to consider coming from a variety of sources:
National leadership, such as what President Trump is saying
The Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Iowa Governor Reynolds’ proclamations and statements
Iowa Department of Education
Iowa Department of Public Health
Iowa COVID regions
Scott County
City of Davenport
Diocese of Davenport
Davenport Community School District (DCSD)
What other area churches and Catholic schools are doing
Everyone’s own opinions and practices
OLV/JFK itself
One also has to sort through the information to determine what are opinions, what are guidance or recommendations, what are binding mandates, and what are just actions that people are taking. It should also be noted that conversations and decisions are always influenced in schools by the fact that we are responsible for other people’s children. What we might do within our own families may not be the same when charged with the responsibility to care for other people’s children.
Guiding our conversations for re-opening are the following primary principles, quoted from CDC documentation:
“Promote healthy hygiene practices such as hand washing and employees wearing a cloth face covering, as feasible
Intensify cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation
Encourage social distancing through increased spacing, small groups and limited mixing between groups, if feasible
Train all employees on health and safety protocols”
A fifth area would be screening of students and employees, and there currently seems to be somewhat fluid guidance on what that might look like.
At JFK, we have had some intense conversations regarding room assignments and how furniture would be arranged, specials (art, music, PE, band, library), “traveling” in the upper grades, re-grouping/mixing students, preschool, recess, after school child care (aftercare), lunches and snacks, student drop off/pick up, sick/quarantining students and staff, and cleaning/sanitizing. As I mentioned in previous Principal’s Posts, we are blessed at JFK with large classrooms, which provide us with some great options for social distancing. The same can be said about areas that we can use for recesses.
The third plan within the “Return to Learn” framework is a hybrid plan or something that might be in between everyone working remotely and everyone being on campus. There are a lot of transportation issues that would have to be considered with a hybrid model so we won’t work too much on that one until we have a better idea of what the DCSD might do for a hybrid model.
Scholarship and Awards
Last week, I announced the OLV scholarship winners for a current 6th grader and a current 7th grader. On Friday, we announced 8th grade awards via video. That video is below.
Discussions concerning our “Return to Learn” planning for next school year continue. We will likely have three separate plans ready. One will be a plan for remote learning similar to what we are doing now. This plan could be used if we could not have students on campus for long or short periods of time. If we were to start school in August with students physically on-site, but had to close the school, a grade, or even just a homeroom for several days in February, for example, we would use the remote learning plan.
A second plan is for having students on campus in August. This plan consumed the majority of our discussions this past week. Planning for re-opening is a challenge as there are many views/guidelines to consider coming from a variety of sources:
National leadership, such as what President Trump is saying
The Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Iowa Governor Reynolds’ proclamations and statements
Iowa Department of Education
Iowa Department of Public Health
Iowa COVID regions
Scott County
City of Davenport
Diocese of Davenport
Davenport Community School District (DCSD)
What other area churches and Catholic schools are doing
Everyone’s own opinions and practices
OLV/JFK itself
One also has to sort through the information to determine what are opinions, what are guidance or recommendations, what are binding mandates, and what are just actions that people are taking. It should also be noted that conversations and decisions are always influenced in schools by the fact that we are responsible for other people’s children. What we might do within our own families may not be the same when charged with the responsibility to care for other people’s children.
Guiding our conversations for re-opening are the following primary principles, quoted from CDC documentation:
“Promote healthy hygiene practices such as hand washing and employees wearing a cloth face covering, as feasible
Intensify cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation
Encourage social distancing through increased spacing, small groups and limited mixing between groups, if feasible
Train all employees on health and safety protocols”
A fifth area would be screening of students and employees, and there currently seems to be somewhat fluid guidance on what that might look like.
At JFK, we have had some intense conversations regarding room assignments and how furniture would be arranged, specials (art, music, PE, band, library), “traveling” in the upper grades, re-grouping/mixing students, recess, after school child care (aftercare), lunches and snacks, student drop off/pick up, and cleaning/sanitizing. As I mentioned in last week’s Principal’s Post, we are blessed at JFK with large classrooms, which provide us with some great options for social distancing. The same can be said about areas that we can use for recesses.
The third plan within the “Return to Learn” framework is a hybrid plan or something that might be in between everyone working remotely and everyone being on campus. There are a lot of transportation issues that would have to be considered with a hybrid model so we won’t work too much on that one until we have a better idea of what the DCSD might do for a hybrid model.
No Calendar/Start Date Yet for Next Year
We still have not heard when the DCSD will start next year or what their calendar will look like, and they are not on their May 26th board meeting’s agenda. We will not set our start date and calendar at JFK until we know theirs so we can consider any bus issues. It does not sound like early August start dates will be considered, however. Prior to COVID-19, plans were progressing toward an August 24th start date. I doubt that we would consider anything much earlier than August 17th now, if even that early.
Last Day of 2019-20 School Year
The last day of the 2019-20 school year is June 5th. The last day of new required work for students is June 3rd. June 4th and 5th will be used for students to catch up, make corrections and bring previously submitted work up to an acceptable level of mastery as needed, and to extend their learning with non-required activities. The P/I final determinations will be made by June 8th, if possible.
OLV/JFK Staff Service Awards
Each year, JFK’s Home & School Association recognizes OLV/JFK staff members that have served for various five year increments. This year’s recognition is for the following:
Completing 5 years: Ann Lotspeich, Kari Lystiuk, Rita Nagle, Terry Wendl
Completing 10 years: Gaby Moya, Kelly Poster, Dianne Siefers
Completing 15 years: Karen Youngerman
Completing 25 years: Angie Logan
Completing 40 years: Linda Vogel
Legislative Alert to Help Nonpublic Schools and JFK
Please take a moment to contact your Members of Congress to ask that emergency aid to nonpublic schools and families be included in the next Covid-19 Legislation package.Our requests include equitable access to K-12 federal funds for nonpublic schools, direct support to families for tuition assistance and additional tax breaks for K-12 tuition payments.
As always, we encourage you to include your personal story in the message to your legislators, as well.
Our nonpublic schools and the families they serve should be included in the COVID-19 relief legislation. Make your voice heard by contacting your Congressional members today. Thank you for your advocacy!
Fr. Jake, the Finance Council, and I have been operating on a “plan for the worst, hope for the best” mentality. With ten weeks of no Masses now and large numbers of people unemployed in the community, we were preparing for the loss of church revenue and families having difficulty staying current with tuition payments. While both of those things have happened, we, at OLV and JFK, have, again, been blessed. The negative impact hasn’t been as bad as it could have been. More people have, for example, turned to automated or online “envelope” giving to OLV, and some families have been able to direct some of their stimulus checks toward OLV or toward their JFK tuition bills. We also have a few families that are working with Fr. Jake to develop personalized payment plans for tuition. We will make it through the crisis together!
Registration for Next Year
This past week I sent an email to families with students in grades PS-7 if we do not yet have a tuition contract for next school year. While, traditionally, JFK families are slow to return tuition contracts, being able to accurately project enrollment for the fall seems even more critical this year. We will be needing to make some significant decisions such as how many desks we are really going to need if we have desks in all classrooms rather than the student tables that are currently in some rooms, how many math textbooks will we really need as we move to new/updated materials, how many Chromebooks do we really need to replace/update, etc.
Returned tuition contracts helps us plan for next year. Please return your tuition contract as soon as you can, even without paying the registration fee now. We would even accept a photo of a signed tuition contract sent to us via email. We would even accept it without payment of the registration fee right now. That can be paid later, if necessary.
As Iowa and the nation begin to re-open, we do understand the delays that people may have. If you are concerned about finishing your tuition and other payments for the current school year, please contact Fr. Jake (greinerj@diodav.org or 563-391-4245) or Emily Sanderson (emily.sanderson@olvjfkmail.com or 563-391-3030) so a payment plan can be arranged. We do not want unexpected financial barriers this year to prevent people from registering for next year. If you are concerned about how to pay for next school year, don’t forget to apply for the Family Tuition Plan financial assistance, for which the application can be found HERE or https://www.assumptionhigh.org/familytuitionplan/. Even if you need to send in the completed tuitioncontract without the registration fee yet, please do so as soon as possible.
We do, of course, need the registration fee eventually. The deadline for the registration fee and deadline for the discounted registration fee have been extended to June 30th. The discounted fee is $100 per child with a maximum of $200 per family. On July 1st, the discount ends, and the fee will return to $125 per child with a maximum of $250 per family. If you turned in a tuitioncontract without the registration fee, please send us the registration fee by June 30th so you can take advantage of the discount.
JFK Graduation
At 6:30 p.m. on June 5th, we will do something similar to our reverse teacher parade just for our 8th graders. Their last stop in the parking lot will be to receive a “goodie bag” of several items, including their 8th grade t-shirt, ribbon/medallion, diploma, and other personalized items. We will also be making a special video for them that will be on a flash drive and posted on our channel.
Additionally, JFK graduates will be recognized after the May 31st Mass, which is also broadcast on COZI-TV, and their names are displayed on a banner on OLV/JFK property.
“Closure” to the End of the School Year for Everyone
To find “closure” to the end of this school year for all students, we will be making a special video for each grade level that will be shared and posted. We’ll also have some personalized items for our students. Our distribution method will be set in conjunction with a method to distribute yearbooks and to collect Chromebooks, 8th grade ELA textbooks, JFK and AEA library books, etc.
End of the Year Drop Off and Pick Up of Items
During the week of June 1st, families will receive an email from us with the dates/times for drop off and pick up of materials and a list of what is owed from your students. Many families have JFK Chromebooks and chargers, library books, and even some textbooks to return. There may even be some band instruments to be returned by graduating 8th graders. We will also have yearbooks for those who ordered them plus a few extra for sale and a special gift for students to be picked up.
To allow for social distancing, we have assigned drop off times and dates according to the first letter of your child’s last name.
Last Names Beginning with A through L: Monday June 8th and Tuesday June 9th 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Last Names Beginning with M through Z: Wednesday June 10th and Thursday June 11th 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Face masks should be worn by those entering the building, and the number of people from each family should be limited to those needed to carry the materials to be returned.
Scholarship and Awards
Eighth grade scholarships and awards will be recognized through video with a release target date of May 29th.
There are also two Our Lady of Victory Scholarships, each worth $500, for a 7th grader going into 8th grade and a 6th grader who is going into 7th grade next year. There are many factors taken into account for this scholarship, including leadership, Christian witness, moral character, scholarship, need, and community service, and students must submit an essay application highlighting many of these areas. I am pleased to announce the recipients of these two scholarships: Ava P (currently in 7th grade) and Clara N (currently in 6th grade).
