Principal’s Post for April 5, 2021

Posted on by csteimle

School HVAC this Summer

The contract for our HVAC project to be completed this summer was signed last week.  It is critical that pledges to the Cultivating Our Future capital campaign continue to be fulfilled, and new donations are made.  Our $1.6 million campaign includes this $1 million HVAC project that will install a VRF heating/cooling system, a rooftop unit for the gym, mechanical ventilation, and an ionization air purification system.   For more information about the campaign, use the following link:  capital campaign.  JFK is the only Catholic school in our area to tackle HVAC needs in such a comprehensive manner.  When the HVAC project is finished, we will have the following needs met:

  1. Resolve heating pipes issues
  2. Add high efficiency heating
  3. Add high efficiency air conditioning
  4. Control the humidity within the building
  5. Add mechanical ventilation for fresh air
  6. Purify the air through self-cleaning ozone free ionization

Scott County Catholic School System

The Articles of Incorporation and Constitution and By-Laws for the regional Scott County Catholic School system were approved by the bishop and pastors/trustees.  By 2023-24, the regional system will likely be fully in place.

Calendar

End of the 3rd quarter:  April 9th.  Report cards should be emailed toward the end of the following week.

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

The full 2021-22 school calendar is finally available:  JFK 2021-2022 Academic Calendar

Charge Tablets and Chromebooks at Home

The number of students who are at school in the morning without their tablets or Chromebooks charged is too high.  Without charged devices, students may not be able to participate in class.  While we may try to let students get some power at school, running electrical cords across the floor to their desks is not safe, and, due to COVID restrictions, we can’t just move students to desks near the wall outlets.  As we come closer to the Iowa Assessments of Student Progress, which will have all 3rd-8th grade students online at the same time, flexibility with uncharged devices will narrow.  Please have students charge their tablets and Chromebooks at home each evening.

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

Tuition contracts for 2021-22, which represent the official registration document for next school year, were mailed during spring break.  Please return them ASAP so we can plan for 2021-22!

Preschool registration for 3, 4, and 5 year olds and ECLC (childcare) does remain open.  If you have not yet registered for these programs, please contact the school office ASAP.

Ad Hoc Policy Committee Invite

Each year the board of education reviews about 1/3 of the policies contained in the Parent and Student Handbook.  Dress code policies are reviewed every year.  If you would like to be involved this spring, please send me an email.

Anticipated Openings at JFK

JFK will be looking for several teachers, possibly both to replace teachers who may be leaving and for new federally funded positions for 2021-22.  We are casting a wide net regarding licensure and endorsements and will adjust staff assignments to best take advantage of teachers’ qualifications.  In the lower grades, that means we are looking for K-6 licensed teachers, especially those who have an additional endorsement, such as in reading.  In the upper grades, where subject area endorsements are required, we would be interested in talking with those who have K-8, 5-12, or middle school endorsements in ELA, math, science, and social studies.

School Bookkeeper/Secretary Position

JFK has an upcoming opening for a school bookkeeper/secretary as Emily Sanderson will be transitioning to another position at JFK.  The school bookkeeper/secretary position is year round and includes a tuition benefit.  The qualified applicant must be detail oriented with accounting knowledge and have strong interpersonal skills with both adults and children.  The ability to multi-task with frequent interruptions is a must.  Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume, and references to chad.steimle@olvjfkmail.com, or complete an application in the school office.  We hope to have the position filled within the next few weeks, and the new staff member will begin yet this school year.

COVID Data

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

COVID Data, April 2, 2021

  • Scott County’s COVID case counts and positivity rates continued to rise this past week.  As of Sunday, Scott County had the fourth highest positivity rate among the 99 counties of Iowa, and over twice the state average.  Fourteen day rates in Scott County have doubled since the beginning of March, and seven day rates have tripled.  Hospitalization rates are also now starting to increase as well.
  • At JFK, the number of students absent due to COVID or COVID symptoms or having to quarantine as close contacts this week was the highest since late January.  We’re not out of this yet!
  • Several updates were made to our Return to Learn plan.  The complete plan, with the updates highlighted in yellow, continues to be available online.

Chad