Last Week for Survey
We have begun working with Marzano Resources on the national High Reliability Schools framework. There are five levels in which schools or districts can be involved. The first level examines a safe, supportive, and collaborative culture. To help us explore Level I at JFK, we are conducting a survey of JFK’s older students, parents, and staff. Please respond to the survey between November 14 and December 4. High Reliability Schools Survey
5 Levels of the High Reliability Framework
Highlighted Events — Busy 3 Weeks Until Christmas Break
Both a summary and detailed school calendars for JFK are available on our website. Highlighted events are below:
- Nov 28: First Sunday of Advent
- Nov 30: End of 2nd mid-qtr. Skate Night.
- Dec 2: First Reconciliation
- Dec 6: St. Nick’s Treats from Assumption
- Dec 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception
- Dec 9: 3/4 Christmas concert
- Dec 10: 4/5 yr old PS parent/child events. JFK 3rd-8th grade Reconciliation during the day.
- Dec 14: Band concert
- Dec 15: 3 yr old PS parent/child event
- Dec 16: K-2 Christmas concert
- Dec 17: Last day of school before Christmas break begins. Red/Green/White/Christmas attire. Special dismissal at 12:40. No pm PS classes.
- Jan 3: Classes resume after Christmas break
Ignite Sundays
See below for the list of IGNITE Sundays. There is no cost or registration required to participate. Come to as many of the opportunities listed below as you are able on IGNITE Sundays. Families are encouraged to participate together. There are small group activities and family activities at each session.
Typical schedule for IGNITE Sundays:
- 4:30-5:30pm Mass
- 5:35-6:05pm Meal in the Parish Center
- 6:10-7:15pm Group Gatherings
Ignite Sundays:
- Dec 12: Finding your place in the Advent story
- Feb 13: Anawim (Hebrew word meaning “poor one”) Poverty and the dignity of work
- March 6: “I thirst” Lent
- March 20: “I hunger” Eucharist
- April 10: Family: The foundation of society
- April 24: What does God want me to do?
COVID Guidance for 2021-22
Click on the JFK COVID FAQ, 2021-22 to have your questions answered. Please note that the information is, however, subject to change.
COVID Data and Comments
Below is a link to a .pdf file that shows several graphs for Scott County and JFK. Below are also some comments related to the pandemic.
- COVID shots are now available for the 5-11 year old age group. They now join those aged 12 and up who can receive the COVID vaccination. Booster shots are also available for those 18 and over.
- Here is a link to the Scott County Health Department. On its website is a link to a conversation among area pediatricians: Area Pediatricians Discuss COVID Vaccination
- COVID numbers continue to rise in Scott County, and concerns are being raised about the after effect of Thanksgiving and then the impact of Christmas. Case counts, positivity rates, and the percentage of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients are all trending upward. The latest COVID variant is also starting to catch people’s attention. While COVID numbers are rising in Scott County, we still haven’t seen that at JFK yet.
- As we began to do some planning for Catholic Schools Week at the end of January, the conversation quickly broadened to the following questions: When will we loosen or reduce other mitigation strategies? What will the criteria be, for example, when we no longer have classrooms set up with at least four feet of social distancing? When will we not have every other stool seating in the cafeteria? When will we resume all school Masses once per week rather than “half school” Masses twice per week? There’s a good deal of thought that once we make it past the holidays and, with vaccination now available for those ages five and up and boosters also available for those 18 and over, we can begin to think about other mitigation strategies.
Returning to the Building?
I am hoping to return to the building regularly after Thanksgiving after being out of the building for non-COVID related reasons. I’m not sure how it will go, but I’ll give it a try!
Chad
