Facilities and Grounds Input Sessions
OLV will be hosting three input sessions in late May for people to talk about the facilities and grounds of the campus. Due to your generosity, most of the projects of the Cultivating Our Future campaign are complete. It is, thus, time to assess and discern the next steps for the parish. This process is important for us as OLV’s participation in the diocesan capital campaign, Upon This Rock, will begin within the next year or so. Twenty percent of all funds raised at each parish for this campaign are returned back to parishes for projects of their own.
Each of OLV;s input sessions will follow a similar format. There will be a presentation on the state of our
parish facilities and finances, and then parishioners will be asked to talk about their thoughts with people at their tables, with someone being the note-taker. Finally, the evening will end with some larger group discussion and questions. If you are unable to attend one of these sessions, the presentation from the sessions will be made available through the parish website, and people are welcome to submit any thoughts, questions, or concerns to Fr. Jake or any members of the parish staff. By the end of summer, it is Fr. Jake’s hope that the Parish Council, Finance Council, and other members of parish leadership will be able to identity priorities for the facilities and grounds.
In the February 27th Principal’s Post, I highlighted some of the higher priority needs for the school, which are listed again below, but the input sessions are not intended for staff feedback. The intent is to know what parish and school families desire. Let your voice be heard.
Some of the higher priority items for the school include the following, in no particular order:
- Parking lot sealing and striping and concrete work scheduled/contracted already for summer 2022
- Handicapped parking and access
- Window replacements and window screens
- Playground equipment and surfacing
- Exterior gym wall repair
- Flooring replacement cycle
- Warped doors and frames
- Unused radiator removal and wall repairs
- Southwest stair repairs
- Self-closing fire doors
- Ceiling tiles added on lower level and replaced in nearly all other areas of 1963 and 1987 parts of the building
- Additional mechanical ventilation for 2011 additions
- Storage for extra classroom furniture, etc. as needs change due to enrollment and as students physically grow over the 9-12 years they might be at JFK
The last time we did a these types of full-scale input sessions, we eventually did the gathering space addition to the church and classroom, ECLC, and front additions to the school. We had even talked about a new parish hall, rectory, church hall/banquet room attached to the gathering space, church office, youth ministry space, and new school gym. Everything can be discussed!
Dates/times for the three sessions are below. They will all be in the parish center.
Sunday, May 22nd, 3:00PM
Thursday, May 26th, 1:00PM
Thursday, May 26th, 7:00PM
Rock Solid Play!
The middle school play, Don’t Pet My Rock, was rock solid! I thought, with such a short turn around time, that the play might get off to a rocky start, or the students might be petrified, but the play was truly a gem. I laughed and rolled my eyes so much — I just could not sit there stone-faced! Although they had to dig pretty deep for some of the jokes and puns, I’ve never seen a boulder group of students. They really smashed it!
Registration for 2022-23 is Still Underway
The return of the tuition contract and the registration fee is the formal enrollment process for 2022-23. Please contact the school office or Fr. Jake right away if you did not receive your contract. If you need a new one, please contact emily.sanderson@olvjfkmail.com.
Home & School General Meeting
Home & School will have a general meeting on May 17th at 6:00 p.m. in the parish center. There’s a great committee now, and more are always welcome. Officers will also be selected. (And, no, if you attend you will not automatically become an officer!)
Pre-school and Daycare Registration
Registration for all sections of 3 year old preschool, 4/5 year old preschool, and ECLC is underway for all families. There are a few morning and afternoon spots still left.
See the K, pre-school, daycare roundup flyer, 2022
Upcoming Events
The school calendar on our website is filling up with so many activities, it makes one’s head spin! Below are just a few of the highlighted events:
- May 17/19: 5th grade golfing
- May 17: H & S General meeting
- May 18: School Mass celebrated by Bishop Zinkula
- May 19: Band Concert
- May 21: OLV/JFK Gala
- May 22: Facilities & Grounds Input Session #1
- May 23: Day of Awesomeness
- May 24: 8th grade Manners Unit Lunch at Outing Club
- May 25: Crusader Theater Field Trip
- May 26: Facilities & Grounds Input Session #2 and #3
- May 27: Day of Awesomeness Rain Date. Bands to Adventureland. 3 Yr PS Conferences
- May 30: Memorial Day. No classes. ECLC closed
- May 31: 8th grade field trip. 3rd grade picnic on campus
- June 2: Field Day. 3 yr old PS program. 4/5 yr old PS program
- June 3: Last day of school. 12:40 dismissal. No PS classes. ECLC open. 8th grade graduation. JFK Night at the River Bandits
Keep Your Eye on the Calendar and for Communications from Teachers
May keeps getting more and more crowded with activities. Keep your eye on the detailed school calendar on our website and be aware of individual teacher’s/grade’s communications that will highlight their specific events. If your calendar looks anything like mine in May, it’s tough to keep track of and juggle everything! I even have all three of my daughters coming into town Gala weekend for other family events!
Bills to Pay
Don’t forget to finish paying your tuition and other JFK bills. Those who signed a tuition contract for one annual payment, two payments, or the ten month payment plan should be about finished with tuition payments. We, too, have bills to pay at JFK, particularly payroll. Without tuition payments current, cash flow to pay teachers and staff in May, June, July, and August can be challenging. Incidental charges like aftercare, band, lunch, lost books, etc., also add up. Please make sure your payments to JFK are current.
Scholarship Opportunities for 6th-8th Graders
The deadline for the OLV scholarships for a 6th grader going into 7th grade and a 7th grader going into 8th grade is on Monday. There currently are only two applicants. The deadline for the Maher Memorial, OLV, and H & S/Judy Calcari scholarships for 8th graders going to AHS is also on Monday. Emails with the applications were sent on May 4th.
Leaps & Bounds
JFK’s free summer Leaps & Bounds program still has some spots available in the first session: June 13-24. Waiting lists are available for the latter two sessions: July 18-29 and August 1-12. Registration is first-come, first-served. To register, please contact Mrs. Temming at kitty.temming@olvjfkmail.com.
Board of Education
The OLV/JFK Board of Education is seeking candidates interested in helping to make financial and policy decisions affecting the operations of JFK, Faith Formation, and Youth Ministry at Our Lady of Victory. Board members work with other committees to address the long-range needs of the parish educational and faith formation programs. Board meetings occur on the first Tuesday of each month and are typically from about 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. If interested in serving as a board member, please contact me or board officers Ann Craig, Lucas Roth, and Tom Poston.
Have You Settled Back Into Mass Yet?
With the Sunday/weekend Mass dispensation having ended a while ago, my wife and I haven’t quite settled into a regular weekend Mass time. We were regular 9:00 Mass attendees for many, many years. Lately, we’ve been going to 7:00 a.m. Mass but have also sprinkled in 4:30 and some special times for Confirmation and First Communion. Aside from the special Masses, I probably haven’t seen more than a dozen JFK students at the same Masses I’ve attended. This weekend, the parish did its salute to high school and college graduating seniors, but there wasn’t a single graduating senior in attendance at the Mass I attended. Without young people in the pews, many parishioners are going to start wondering why the parish is using about 60% of parish income to support Catholic school education.
Chad
