New/Updated Information

Parking Lot Procedure Changes

As new signs become available and the weather is cooperative for painting on the blacktop, changes to drop-off/pick up procedures will be implemented in response to safety surveys and information.

The first small change will actually be implemented beginning January 5th. Cones will be placed at the end of the first lane of parking spots nearest 42nd Street and by the school in the morning (by the handicapped spots). This area was never intended as a drop off zone. The cones will prevent someone from dropping off in this parking lane and continuing to exit.

Now What? — After Your Child Gets a Smartphone

Almost inevitably, at some point, your child will have a smartphone. Now what? What comes next?

Giving a child a smartphone isn’t a one-time decision—it’s the start of a new parenting phase. The phone itself isn’t the issue; the structure around it matters far more, and ongoing conversations are essential. Children need guidance navigating group chats, online conflict, and the permanence of digital behavior. Short, regular check-ins work better than one big lecture, and they signal that adults remain involved.

It’s also OK to adjust. If something isn’t working, it’s okay to change the rules. Parenting in the smartphone age isn’t about getting it perfect—it’s about staying present. Below is a quick starter checklist for parenting a child with a smartphone:

Decide where the phone sleeps at night (not in the bedroom).
Set clear daily time limits and phone-free times.
Start with limited apps; add access slowly.
Keep passwords and plan for periodic check-ins.
Talk explicitly about group chats, kindness, and screenshots.
Remind your child that digital actions leave a permanent trail.
Revisit expectations regularly—and adjust when needed.

Staff Updates

Congratulations to Mrs. Potter who welcomed her baby daughter right before Christmas. Mrs. Potter and her daughter are doing well. In Mrs. Potter’s absence, Mrs. Williams will be her long-term sub, as soon as she recovers from being sick.

Speaking of recovering, Mrs. Runyan will be back at school after Christmas break, and Mrs. Woods will also be back from her maternity leve.

Civic Oration Winners

Congratulations to the following students who placed in our “civic oration” competition.

5/6 Grade Division: 1st – Basheer D; 2nd – Kennedy K; 3rd – Luke S

7/8 Grade Division: 1st – Lily S; 2nd – Mia VM; 3rd – Will C

School Breaks and “Always On”

School breaks—even in-service days—are good for teachers. They provide time to reset from the “always on” nature of good teaching.

Being “always on” means teachers are constantly making small decisions in real time—about learning, behavior, safety, and relationships—while working with 20 or more students at once. There is no pause button. When attention slips, students feel it immediately. A teacher’s professional judgment has to stay engaged throughout the day.

When classrooms feel calm and learning is moving forward, it’s usually because a teacher is quietly managing dozens of decisions that never appear on a lesson plan. Calm, focused, safe, and caring classrooms don’t happen by accident. They depend on adults who can sustain attention and judgment over long stretches of time.

Much of that work is invisible when it’s done well, and we are grateful for it at JFK. That’s also why time to step away, reset, and return refreshed matters—for teachers, and ultimately, for students.

Still Relevant

Children’s Liturgy of the Words is Coming Back to OLV

See the following photo/flyer.

Checking Students’ Grades and Missing Work

Below is a link to the instructions for parents to check students’ “in progress” standards grades. It also includes directions for checking missing assignments and Algebra grades for students taking the class at Assumption. The directions cover how to use both the PowerSchool portal on a computer and the PowerSchool app.

Important notes:

There are some things that just cannot be done on the app. You will have to use a computer for them.
There is a message that says “Grades disabled by school.” IGNORE this message. It references a certain type of grade and not the standards-referenced grades we are using.

Instructions

POP-UP Conversations for Parents

Need some help talking to your children about any of the following real-life topics?

My Kid is Struggling with Anxiety
My Kid Is Always on Their Phone
My Kid is Unmotivated & Unfocused
My Kid is Struggling with Friendships
My Kid is Confused and Anxious about Our Polarized Culture
My Kid Feels Pressure to Be Perfect
My Kid Doesn’t Want to Go to Church Anymore

Try utilizing POP-UP Conversations for Parents (Downloadable Videos & Leader Guides). Each topic includes a 10–13 minute video “onramp” from a trusted voice to spark discussion, and an easy-to-use Leader’s Guide. These one – hour sessions are designed to help parents/caregivers recognize God’s presence and calling as they care for their kids, and can be used in a variety of in person or online formats.

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 5: Classes and ECLC Resume.
Jan 6: Reading and math mid-year screenings begin. (Make sure your child recharges their device each night)
Jan 8: SEICDA Honor Choir at AHS
Jan 9: Middle School Youth Night
Jan 16: Out of Uniform Fundraiser (jersey or sports merchandise) for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. End of 2nd Qtr. 2 Hour Early Dismissal (12:40). No PM PS Classes. Middle School Youth Night. JFK Night at Quad Cities Storm Hockey Game.
Jan 17: Parishioner Appreciation Dinner. Marion Honor Band.
Jan 19: No Classes. ECLC Open.
Jan 21: Kids Heart Challenge Begins.
Jan 22: Skate Night
Jan 23: Coe College Honor Band. Middle School Youth Night.
Jan 24: SEIBA Honor Band. Catholic Schools Week Activities Begin

Personal Sharing

Musings from Christmas Break

We celebrated our family Christmas at our youngest daughter’s home in Kansas City. I’m always amazed at how comfortable my children are in driving on the highways and navigating the big cities. Colleen lives outside Atlanta, and Kirsten is in a suburb of Des Moines. They, too, hop on the highway without a second thought, it seems. I grew up in a suburb of Milwaukee, and we NEVER went into the city proper. In fact, I don’t remember my mom ever driving on the “freeway.”
I also discovered over break that I don’t own enough cold-weather casual clothes! We spent spent four days in Kansas City and didn’t start laundry until six days after we had left Davenport. By then, I was wearing my school clothes around the house, and the line between “break” and “back to work” really blurred!
Speaking of clothes, I stopped at Walmart the other day to get some t-shirts and underwear. That was quite an experience. I only venture into stores other than Walgreens, KwikStar, or Hy-Vee about twice a year, and Walmart was…a lot. Two full aisles, products on both sides, brands, sizes, choices within choices. No wonder shopping gives me a headache!
For Christmas, I gave Lynn a Sears Wish Book catalog from her childhood. Now that was shopping. Sears had everything: clothing and snowmobiles, silver tea sets and tablesaws, washing machines and pool tables. If you could buy it, Sears had it in the catalog. And the toy section was something else. The quantity — and quality — of those toys makes much of what we have today seem almost pitiful by comparison.

Chad