Principal’s Post for September 12, 2021

Ignite Sundays Begin Today

The first IGNITE Sunday is tonight! We are very excited to begin this journey with you. 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.

Come to one, come to some, or come to ALL, the choice is yours. All are welcome, invite a friend or two or three…. Families are encouraged to participate together.  There are small group activities and family activities at each session.  Those not participating in the family component will remain in their small groups to finish the evening.

Schedule for IGNITE Sundays September 12, 2021:

• 4:30-5:30pm Mass
• 5:35-6:05pm Meal in the Parish Center (Menu: Baked Potato Bar and hot dogs)
• 6:10-7:15pm Group Gatherings (Topic: God’s Creation and Stewardship)

Group Locations:

• Babysitting (for children not yet in Kindergarten): ECLC
• K-2nd grade (God’s Creation & Stewardship): JFK Classroom
• 3rd-5th grade (God’s Creation & Stewardship): JFK Classroom
• 6th-8th grade (God’s Creation & Stewardship): Library
• Highschool: Baseball field
• Young Adult: Rectory Patio
• Adult Topic (God’s Creation & Stewardship): Parish Center Carpet
• Prayer (for those participating in IGNITE): Church
• Service Project (Little Food Pantry): Gathering Space
• Adult Other (Game Night with Euchre tutorial): Gathering Space Mtg Rm

Ignite Sundays:

• Sept 12:  God’s Creation and Stewardship
• Sept 26:  When Mass feels like going through the motions
• Oct 10:  Why does God let bad things happen?
• Oct 24:  What is hope and why do you need it?
• Nov 7:  Jesus came for all of us
• Nov 21:  What’s my motivation to go to Mass?
• 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?

Other Highlighted Events

Both a summary and detailed school calendars for JFK are available on our website.  Highlighted events are below:

• Sept 13:  Music Boosters, 6:30 p.m., staff room or cafeteria
• Sept 14:  Step It Up fundraiser begins.  The success of this fundraiser should allow H & S to reduce other fundraisers and provide support for students and staff.  The culminating event to this fundraiser is a “Day of Awesomeness” for students with inflatables, obstacle courses, games, etc. in the spring.
• Sept 16:  Skate Night at the Eldridge skate park, 5:30-7:30
• Sept 16/17:  New WiFi system installed at JFK.  The wiring was done this summer, and the hardware is now available.
• Sept 19:  Catechetical Sunday.  “Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith.” (USCCB)
• Sept 22:  End of first mid-quarter

Text Messages and Communications from JFK

Occasionally, we will “blast” a text message to families.  A good example of a mass text message would be a last minute school closing due to weather.  If you are not registered to receive text messages from JFK (primarily families new to JFK and/or preschool), type “Y” or “Yes” to 67587.  You will not receive text messages from JFK if you do not take action yourself.  There is no action required to receive email or phone messages.

Principal’s Posts are written each weekend and posted on our website, available off the front page.  I also send a link via email and post it to the school’s Facebook account.  A hard copy Principal’s Post also gets sent home via via “backpack mail” with the “youngest or only child” in a family at the beginning of each week.  I use the Principal’s Post to reach the whole school community and sometimes highlight happenings in particular grades.  You will also receive numerous email communications from teachers.  Email is probably the number one form of communication in schools.

Immunization Audit

Our immunization audit by the health department has already begun.  While there were no changes in immunization requirements, the state has moved up the audits by about three to six weeks.  Unless students’ immunization records show up-to-date vaccinations, or there are valid exemptions, students may have to be excluded from school.

Substitutes Needed

JFK is in need of substitutes for both long-term assignments (like maternity leaves) and short-term assignments (like when a teacher needs to stay home with his/her own sick child).  You do not need a teaching degree to work as a substitute.  A minimum of an associate’s degree may be enough to qualify.  The process to become a substitute teacher includes completion of a 15-20 hour workshop, multiple background checks, and applications with the Iowa Board of Education Examiners and JFK.  Workshops are being held almost every week throughout the state, and many of them are virtual so geography does not need to be a limiting factor.

Recognizing the need for substitute teachers, JFK’s board has authorized a $450 bonus at the pay period following the fifth day of substituting at JFK to the first five people to take advantage of this offer. The bonus will essentially cover the workshop fee, license application fee, background check fee, and pay an amount for the workshop time.

If you are interested in being a substitute, please contact me and/or the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency at 563-359-1371.

Handbook Sign-Off

Please read the parent and student handbook, available HERE, and on our website:  https://www.olvjfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Parent-Handbook-2021-22.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.

Free/Reduced Lunch Applications Still Needed

We encourage families to continue to complete applications for the USDA’s National School Lunch Program’s free and reduced lunches.  Even though ALL students are receiving free lunches this year, our “regular” free/reduced lunch counts are used for other purposes.  Examples are below:

• The discount JFK receives on internet services is based upon our free/reduced lunch rate.  Our discount, for example, is supposed to increase from 40% to 50% based upon our increased free/reduced lunch rate.
• Federal Emergency Assistance for Non-public Schools (EANS II) is tied into our free/reduced lunch rate.

Regular free/reduced lunches are approved based upon a sliding scale that takes into account household size and household income.  The regular eligibility needs to be renewed each school year.  Paper copies of the application were sent home to all families.  We will also try to get the .pdf file uploaded to our website for 2021-22.

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.  The latest changes are highlighted in yellow.

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 Data, Sept 10, 2021

• The “epi-curve” is leveling off in Scott County.  The health department is not sure if it will stay there, decrease, or increase as we are now moving into time periods when cases normally rise:  after school has started and after a major holiday.
• Student absences spiked on Tuesday, but lowered again by Friday.  Absences related to COVID (positive tests, high risk or 2 or more low risk symptoms as defined in our COVID FAQ, or quarantining), however, were at the lowest level by Friday than an any point yet this school year.
• At meetings last week, it couldn’t be emphasized enough that vaccination and face coverings are critical mitigation strategies.

On a personal note, I am vaccinated, and I am also wearing my face covering around students, which is the latest recommendation.  For several years now, my family has been pretty cautious regarding the potential to transmit illnesses.  My mother-in-law had COPD and was on oxygen at her house.  It became natural for us to do a health check before visiting and staying away if there was any question.  I even missed the big extended family Christmas Eve gathering one year because I had a cold, and others would do the same.  Then, when COVID came along, my wife and I certainly had concerns about our own health.  I’m probably not as healthy and fit as I used to be, and I know I’m not any younger!  My wife was also visiting her 80+ year old father 2-3 times per week.  Not only did we want to protect him from symptomatic transmission, but we also took precautions so we did not transmit asymptomatically.  As a family, we’ve tried to follow CDC and other health guidelines to the best of our understanding and abilities.  Has it been perfect, or have we been without infection?  No.  When we look at our immediate and extended families, there’s a lot of us.  Some have had COVID.  For most, it was not a big deal.  Others were not so lucky.

Do I like getting shots?  No.  Do I like wearing a face mask?  Not at all.  I am vaccinated and wear a face mask around students for probably the following reasons, although I’m not sure how well I can even think them through or articulate them:

• I don’t like to be sick, and I don’t like to miss work.  Being vaccinated and following the current guidance for where we are during this pandemic will help me.
• I don’t want to unknowingly infect others.
• I want to show support for and solidarity with those who cannot receive the vaccination and those who are wearing a face mask themselves.
• I want to do something.  These are things within my ability to control that I can do.

Chad