Funeral Mass for Myrna Brehmer — Secretary of JFK for Its First 35 Years
This past week I attended the funeral Mass for Myrna Brehmer. Mrs. Brehmer was the school secretary for its first 35 years of existence and retired in about 2008. When I started at JFK, I was new to the role of principal and new to JFK. Mrs. Brehmer, with her more than 25 years of experience at JFK already, helped me learn the ways of what really needed to be done. I will always treasure the wisdom that she shared with me and her wonderful manner in dealing with all of the students. May she Rest in Peace.
Fr. Andrew celebrated the funeral Mass beautifully. I had a couple of student council officers from last year with me to represent the student body. As we walked back to the school, I commented to them, “Now that’s how you do a funeral homily.” It had just the right mixture of memories, sorrow, laughter, reflection, and message for our own lives. Mass keeps us grounded to remember what’s important in life. “Come to the Table!”
Bishop Zinkula Celebrates Mass with Us Sept 14th
Bishop Zinkula will be the celebrant at our September 14th all school Mass. We welcome him to the Eucharistic table at OLV!
60th Anniversary Celebration – Parish Picnic
The OLV Parish Picnic is Sunday, September 18th following a special 1:00 pm Mass to celebrate our 60th Anniversary. (There will be not 11:00 a.m. Mass.) We will be serving pulled pork sandwiches and sides catered by Smokin’ Butt BBQ. As in the past, there will be a hot dog option for the meal, lemonade and waters available as well as beer (both craft and domestic) and wine for adults. Live music will be provided by Identity Crisis. Bounce houses, a petting zoo and other kids activities will be available. The celebration will conclude with a fireworks show at dusk, which is anticipated to be around 7:30 p.m. All outdoor activities will be held on the grounds east of the school. There is no charge for the picnic. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and an appetite!
COVID Guidance for 2022-23
COVID mitigation strategies at JFK this fall emphasize the following:
- Vaccination: All people ages 6 months and older are eligible for COVID vaccination. Like the flu shot, COVID vaccination won’t necessarily prevent one from catching COVID, but it will greatly lessen the likelihood of serious complications.
- Please check with your child’s pediatrician about other vaccinations required for school or childcare attendance. State law requires school officials to exclude students who do not have the proper immunizations. Because the Catholic Church is not opposed to vaccinations, there should be no religious exemptions for Catholics. The initial audit for K-8 students indicated that no K-8 students would have to be excluded! Thanks for your help!
- Flu shots will again be offered free to K-8 students later this fall thanks to the Genesis Flu Free Quad Cities program.
- Ventilation: We have both building-wide ventilation systems and portable systems operating at JFK.
- Handwashing (and hand sanitizer) and respiratory etiquette. We purchase hand sanitizer by the case!
- Staying home when sick:
- Temperature 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
- Students must be fever free for 24 hrs without the use of fever reducing medication before returning to school
- Sore throat
- New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing and/or prohibits the student from doing his/her work (for students with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline)
- Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
- Students must go 12 hrs without vomiting or diarrhea
- A common definition of diarrhea is 3 or more loose/watery stools in a day
- New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
- Any other symptom(s) which interferes with your student’s ability to learn, including a non-allergy causing runny nose
- Those who test positive for COVID are excluded from school for 5 days from the date the positive specimen was taken or 5 days from the day symptoms began. The day of the test or the day symptoms began is day 0. After the five days, one may return to school if wearing a mask for another five days. Those who will not be wearing a mask need to stay away from school for a total of 10 days. If one tests positive but has no symptoms and later develops symptoms within the 10 days, the timeline starts over with the day symptoms began as day 0.
- Those who are exposed to someone who has COVID do not need to quarantine. It is recommended that one wears a face mask for 10 days (with day 0 being the last exposure to someone with COVID). Note: Schools in Iowa cannot require face coverings. One should also take extra precautions around others and watch for symptoms.
- It is also recommended that one test at least 5 full days after one’s last exposure. If the test is negative, one should continue with the exposure precautions through day 10. If the test is positive, one should follow the procedures for testing positive.
- Temperature 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
- Cleaning and disinfection: It seems odd to say that we are continuing with extra cleaning and disinfection; entering our third school year with COVID, it seems more the norm now than extra.
Physical distancing and/or plastic barriers between students will not be in place this year. Face masks, however, are still an option for everyone. Contact tracing and/or letters sent home will not take place, except where required in DHS childcare programs just as notifications might be for other diseases.
Transition to a New Student Information System Continues to Cause Disruptions
The Diocese of Davenport has licensed a student information system (SIS), PowerSchool, for all schools in the diocese. It is taking the diocese much longer to transition all of the schools to the new system. I have mentioned that discussions are still evolving around grading, progress reports, report cards, and student/parent viewable on-demand access to grades.
We are hoping to have student/parent viewable on-demand access to grades or an emailed progress report available for at least 6th-8th graders even before the end of the mid-quarter on September 21st.
Handbook Sign-Off
Please read the parent and student handbook, available HERE, and on our website: https://www.olvjfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Parent-Handbook-2022-23-pdf-version.pdf Then, print off the last page, sign it, and return it to the school office — one per family. Thank you for helping us to reduce our printing costs.
Home & School Happenings
- Sept 12: Kick off to Step It Up! This program is the largest H & S fundraiser that benefits all students and staff. Another of our local Catholic schools has raised so much through this fundraiser that they have discontinued their Gala! Our goal is for 75% student participation this year. All parents have to do is register online and send 10 communications.
- Sept 21: Skate Night at the Eldridge Community Center Roller Skating Rink, 4:30-6:30
Home & School is like a parent/teacher association. All parents/guardians of students enrolled at JFK are part of Home & School.
Teaching Safety: Empowering God’s Children Safe Environment Training
Each year, the Diocese of Davenport, in response to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, requires that students in Catholic schools and faith formation programs in grades K-12 receive education in the prevention of child sexual abuse. The prevention of child sexual abuse requires more than adult vigilance and education. It also requires us to give children the age-appropriate background and tools to help them stay safe. To this end, the Diocese is using the Teaching Safety: Empowering God’s Children program, sponsored by the VIRTUS program we are currently using to educate adults and volunteers. For more information, click Teaching Safety – Empowering God’s Children, Parent Letter, 2022-23
That Man Is You: Becoming a Man After God’s Own Heart
A new men’s program is beginning at OLV: That Man is You (TMIY). TMIY is an interactive men’s program that claims to combine the latest findings of modern science with the teachings of the Catholic Church that will transform men, their families, and greater society. TMIY is on Saturday mornings in the parish center from 6:00 – 7:30 a.m. It begins on Saturday September 17th.
Other Upcoming Events
- Sept 12: Cub/Boy Scout recruiting at lunch time
- Sept 21: End of first mid-qtr. Student Council officer candidates’ speeches after Mass in the church
- Sept 22/23: Picture Day
- Sept 26: 2nd Grade Sacraments Preparation
- Sept 30: H & S sponsored Fall Festival at Pride of the Wapsi (Registration deadline: Sept 28)
Chad
