New/Updated Information

Make Sure ESAs Stay – Take Action Now

The opposition to ESAs may be fierce this legislative session. Campaigns by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and like political action groups with messages like “Our Kids Deserve More than Voucher Schemes” and “Now, out-of-state billionaires and local politicians…sold us out. But together, we can take back what’s ours” are being used. Public school boards like Cedar Rapids, Keokuk, and Bennett are endorsing Public School Strong to promote the phasing out of ESAs.

You can make your voice heard too to make sure ESAs stay. The Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education (Iowa ACE) is working hard to ensure families have access to the best educational opportunities for their children. Please take a moment to complete the petition at the link below:
https://www.iowaace.org/take-action/

Please consider doing even more through connections with Parents for Educational Choice by Iowa ACE.

Don’t Pay Out of Pocket for the 2nd Semester

Action is needed by the end of the month. There are still a few families that have not yet authorized the transfer of ESA funds for tuition for the second semester. If you have not yet done so, please log in to your Odyssey account and approve the tuition.  It should only take a few minutes. Then, the State of Iowa will be able to pay Scott County Catholic Schools (SCCS) for your students’ tuition.  This needs to be done by January 31, 2026. Failure to take action will result in you being responsible for the tuition without the benefit of state funding; you will have to pay it yourself.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call the SCCS business office at (563) 326-5313.

I-Ready Math Requirements

I-Ready Math is an online program we use to better understand each student’s math strengths and learning needs. It begins with a short diagnostic/screener that helps identify what skills a student has mastered and where additional support or challenge is needed. Based on those results, i-Ready provides personalized math lessons that adjust to each child’s level, allowing students to work at an appropriate pace while building confidence and understanding. At school, students currently use i-Ready Math for at least 30 minutes per week as part of their regularly scheduled instructional time. That should be enough time to at least do one i-Ready lesson per week. Students not finishing the lesson at school will have it assigned as homework. In addition, students who scored below benchmark in math at both the fall and winter screenings will be required to work with i-Ready outside of school hours, reinforcing the school/home partnership. Students may always voluntarily do i-Ready lessons at home as well. More information will be mailed the week of January 26th.

JA Finance Park Volunteers Needed

We are in need of at least two more volunteers for 7th grade’s capstone activity at Junior Achievement’s Finance Park facility. Finance Park is the capstone program for personal finance and career exploration held at JA’s new facility across the river. Volunteers are needed from about 8:30-1:30, with the first part of the time being an overview and training for the adults. Although we do Finance Park with 7th graders, the volunteers are not limited to 7th grade parents. Finance Park is Tuesday, March 3rd. If you can help, please contact Emily Thomas (emily.thomas@olvjfkmail.com).

Career Fair Presenters Needed

Presenters are needed for the annual SCCS 8th grade career fair at St. Ambrose. This year’s fair is Friday, March 6th. We are looking for people in all types of professions: sales, plumbing, nursing and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, firefighting, law enforcement, child care services, education, military, entrepreneurs, hair care, office management, insurance, accounting, etc.

Presenters are asked for a time commitment of 8:15am-1:30pm. We ask you to prepare a booth with information about your career (job duties, professional expectations, hours, required education/training, technology, general salary range, likes and dislikes, etc). We are requiring that you bring a hands-on activity/demonstration for students. The students will rotate in groups and complete a career questionnaire about each booth they visit. A thank you lunch for all presenters will be provided. Additionally, all presenters are invited to join us for the celebration of Mass at 1:30 in the Christ the King Chapel on campus.

If you are interested in being a presenter or know of someone that we should contact, please reach out to Emma Wolf at JFK: emma.wolf@olvjfkmail.com.

Registration for 2026-27

Stay tuned for complete directions for online registration/application for the 2026-27 school year. There are different directions for those who are “re-enrolling” (“Log in”) and those who are entirely new to SCCS (“Get Started”). Online registration/application opens on January 28th. On the 28th, 

• Current K-11th grade students may re-enroll for 26-27
• Students who will be kindergartners and pre-schoolers in 2026-27 and students new to SCCS schools may apply. Determination of acceptance occurs later

Children’s Liturgy of the Word

Special Schedule

Mon, Jan 19: No Classes. ECLC Open.

Catholic Schools Week 2026

Below is a draft of the activities:

Sat, Jan 24

• 4:30 school Mass
  • Wear JFK spirit wear or green/white
• 5:30 Meal in the parish center
• 6:30-8:30 Family Fun Night & Book Fair
  • Bounce houses, games, cake walk, pop toss, dance/karaoke

Mon, Jan 26

• Dodgeball for Diapers fundraiser by grades 3-8
• K-2 Special classroom activities
• Dress: Hat day with athletic attire

Tues, Jan 27

• Talent show in the afternoon
  • Information/sign up sheets were distributed prior to Christmas break. Contact your child’s homeroom teacher or Mrs. Putnam for extra copies. Returned information goes to Mrs. Corcoran
  • K class act begins at 12:00. Individual/group acts will follow but be grouped by the type of act rather than grade level. Guests are welcome, but we cannot anticipate the time of the performers. Staff will likely go last.
  • Students may also bring a pillow to sit upon
• Dress: Prince/Princess Day

Wed, Jan 28

• All school Mass
• Bring an adult guest to lunch day
  • K: 10:40-11:10
  • 3/4: 11:10-11:40
  • 1/2: 11:40-12:10
  • 5/6: 12:10-12:40
  • 7/8: 12:40-1:10
  • Lunch flyer/form was emailed and sent home via hard copy. It must be returned so we know how much food to order. The child’s lunch account will be charged for the adult meal. Just make sure there are funds in your child’s lunch account; no separate funds are needed for the adults.
  • After lunch, students and their adult guests are welcome to attend the book fair.
  • Parents may take their children home for the day after lunch but must check their children out through the office and let the homeroom teacher know as well.
• Dress: Spirit wear or green/white out of uniform (pants can be out of uniform too)
• Ice Skating @ The Landing, 5:00-9:00 p.m. H & S receives a donation based upon the number of attendees. (No, you don’t have to be there for the full four hours.)

Thurs, Jan 29

• Mass at AHS for students in grades 2-12 in SCCS schools
  • The first set of buses will leave JFK around 8:45. Mass will conclude around 10:30. The last students should be back at JFK by around 11:30. There is no separate permission slip as long as you gave permission for your child to attend field trips during the online registration last spring.
• Drop Everything and Read or homeroom team building activities
• Dress: Take pride in your uniform day. All students in SCCS will be in dress code (even those upper grade students who may have PE today)

Fri, Jan 30

• 8th grade vs. staff volleyball games with other grades cheering them on or doing special activities determined by teachers
• Dress: Homeroom color choice
• Snow Tubing @ Snowstar, 6:00-9:00 p.m. H & S receives a donation based upon the number of attendees

Still Relevant

Highlighted Events

Multiple calendars are available on our website, www.olvjfk.com.  On the school side of the website, a one-page summary calendar is on the front page.  Detailed calendars can also be reached by clicking on the calendars heading toward the upper right corner of the website. Anything underlined on the calendar can be clicked on, and more details will open for you. Below are a few highlighted events:

• Jan 19: No Classes. ECLC Open.
• Jan 21: Kids Heart Challenge Begins.
• Jan 22: Girls basketball pictures. Skate nights have been cancelled due to the closing of the skate park.
• Jan 23: Middle School Youth Night.
• Jan 24: SEIBA Honor Band. Catholic Schools Week Activities Begin
• Jan 26-29: CSW Activities
• Jan 27: K-8 Parent/Teacher Drop In Conferences (4:30-7:30 p.m.)
• Jan 28: Re-enrollment/registration/new application link goes live.
  • There are different directions for those who are “re-enrolling” (“Log in”) and those who are entirely new to SCCS (“Get Started”).
  • Current K-11th grade students may re-enroll for 26-27
  • Students who will be kindergartners and pre-schoolers in 2026-27 may apply. Determination of acceptance occurs later
• Jan 29: 4/5 YO PS Scheduled Conferences (4-7 p.m.)
• Jan 30: 4/5 YO PS Scheduled Confs (7:30-3:30). Middle School Youth Night.
• Feb 2: In-service. No Classes. ECLC Closed

Personal Sharing

In a Principal’s Post last spring, I wrote that my son and I had been playing golf quite frequently, and, although I enjoyed golf, I enjoyed spending time with my son even better and cherished the opportunities to spend time together. I may need to rethink that as we were at Iron Tee on Saturday when it was 19 degrees with a wind chill of 1, and the snow was blowing horizontally! We did make memories together. I’m just not sure how good they were!

I’m sure good memories will be made when Lynn and I head to Kansas City this week to meet our first grandchild. My youngest daughter, Caitlin, welcomed Addison late last week.

Plan on attending one of the weekend Masses next week to learn how JFK’s theme this year, “No Fear: The mighty power of Jesus is fighting for me here” is active.

Chad