New/Updated Information

Safety Survey Update

Thank you for participating in our survey. We closed the survey with 200 responses: 69% parents, 24% students, and 8% staff.

58% of parents had no safety concerns
93% of students had no safety concerns
53% of staff had no safety concerns

An ad hoc committee of police/security/safety professionals and board members will be meeting on Monday night to begin discussions of the survey results and other safety assessments. Please note that “vulnerabilities” and suggestions will not be made broadly publicly available, as per safety protocols.

Do You Know What Your Kids Are Doing with Artificial Intelligence?

You might be shocked at what students are doing with AI. Unfortunately, it’s not all good. On SCCS/JFK owned machines, we try to “lock down” generative AI. This restriction should apply both at school and when the machines are taken home. However, technology almost always seems to be a step ahead of us, and students often have access to AI on their phones and/or home devices. Please make sure you monitor what students are doing on their devices.

Student Council Officers:

Congratulations to our 2025-26 student council officers:

Keaton F, Secretary
Abel H, Treasurer
Alyse R, Vice President
Iris N, President

Cross Country

The following students competed in the 9/20/25 cross country meet:

Peyton P, Makynlee F, Emma A, Lillian N, Adie P, Payton S, Paloma S, Maggie C, Audrey J, Gabrielle U, and Reagan O
Kai D, Carter L, Myles M, Beau F, Liam S, and Elyas R

Adie, Peyton, Makynlee, and Kai were top 10 finishers in 7/8 and 5/6 divisions. Mrs. Tilkens is gearing up for JFK to host a meet!

Opus Honor Choir Audition

Good luck to the following students who submitted recordings to be evaluated by the Iowa Choral Director Association for this year’s Opus Honor Choir. Thousands of auditions are submitted statewide each year.

5th Grade: Annie W, Piper L-C, Abby C, Harrison M, Basheer D, Taylor K, Luke Shelangoski
6th Grade: Kai D, Abby M, Daniel A, Mary T, Emma A, Xavier L, Taylor P, Mylah D
7th Grade: Maggie C
8th Grade: Claire A, Sierra M

Lunch Program Position

Sarah Gutierrez is moving on from JFK to a more managerial position. That leaves us an opening in our lunch program for a 4-5 hour per day position during the school year. The hours are approximately 9:00/10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Please contact Meredith Ash or me at JFK or Logan Ahnquist in the SCCS main offices for more information.

Head Custodian/Maintenance Position Opening

Our head custodian/maintenance and afternoon/evening custodian positions are now open. The head custodian/maintenance position’s hours are approximately 6:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The person in his position does “as needed” cleaning as messes occur throughout the day, handle minor repairs and maintenance, coordinate major repairs and maintenance, order custodial supplies, oversee facilities projects on campus, etc. The position is full-time year round.

Here is the link to the job description that encompasses both custodian/maintenance positions.

Still Relevant

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

Afternoon/Evening Custodian Position

Our afternoon/evening custodian position is also open. This full-time, year round position is responsible for the upper level of the building during the school year. The hours are approximately 12:00 p.m. -8:30 p.m. See the above link for more information.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

K-8 families should have received the mailing about literacy ability last week. The one regarding math should be arriving soon, if it hasn’t already made it to your house. The state has been working diligently with new legislation this spring/summer and in writing new guidance to bring the two MTSS processes similar for reading and math. SCCS teachers and interventionists have been working to make the processes at each school similar as well.

For reading, students can be at one of three tiers:

Tier I: On Target, proficient and no additional services needed; Universal Instruction should be enough.
Tier II: At Risk, proficient but needing additional instruction; Supplemental Instruction utilized in one or more small groups within the class (or through WIN time in K-2) in addition to the Universal Instruction that everyone receives.
Tier III: Persistently at Risk, not reading proficiently; Intensive Interventions with the student being pulled out of class to work with interventionist teachers and strategies sent home for parents to do with their students at home. These pull-outs are in addition to Supplemental Instruction and Universal Instruction.

For math, there are also three tiers:

Tier I: On Target, proficient and no additional services needed; Universal Instruction, including 30-45 minutes of I-Ready computer based individualized instruction at school per week, should be enough.
Tier II: At Risk; Small Group Interventions, including some small group instruction at school and within the classroom. The Small Group Interventions are in addition to Universal Instruction that everyone receives.
Tier III: Persistently at Risk, not proficient in math. Students in this tier receive Universal Instruction and Small Group Interventions. In addition, these students are required to do another 30-45 minutes of I-Ready work per week outside of school. This work required outside of school emphasizes the partnership of home and school. A few students who are performing even poorer than most in tier III will be pulled for math work with an interventionist.

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.

Substitutes at JFK and SCCS

Substitutes are always needed 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). Although a teaching degree is the most ideal qualification, you do not need one to work as a substitute. A bachelor’s/associate’s/60 hrs of college course work meets the educational qualifications. 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/SCCS. The easiest way to progress toward the teaching authorization license is to take the self-paced online course.

Text Message Communications

If you would like to receive text messages from JFK, type “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. While we don’t use “bulk” text messages often, you don’t want to miss them for a snow day, for example. Families must opt in to receive text messages.

Host Families Needed

OLV/JFK is in need of three host families for the NET team ministry members who are coming to Our Lady of Victory for our Confirmation retreat that is being held on Sunday, November 2nd. These young adults will be in town all weekend, and this amazing opportunity for hospitality has proven to be a rewarding and fun one for past host families. Typically, these young adult missionaries share several meals with the families they are staying with and enjoy down time with them. The young adults are often taking a “gap year.” Their witness and joyfulness of being in the Catholic faith is contagious to people of all ages! They usually do not need help with transportation while they are in town. Please contact Jammie for more information or to start the process of becoming a missionary host family! (Davolvdre@diodav.org)

Parking Lot Traffic Patterns

It’s not too early to review the parking lot traffic patterns. A few reminders are below:

Proceed SLOWLY and cautiously through every location. Little kids are hard to see by cars. What one makes up in time by speeding through the lot will matter little if someone is hit by a car!
Be attentive to your driving. Talking on a cell phone, even handsfree, can be a distraction when one’s attention is needed most to watch for kids and pedestrians.
Only use handicapped parking spots if qualified. Handicapped parking spots are reserved for those who need them throughout the entire day, including morning drop off, mid-day pre-school pick up and drop off, and pick up at the end of the day. We reserve one of our handicapped spots, in particular, for wheelchair access for a student.
Accompany younger students to/from the barriers, if you park in the lot and are not using the drive-through lanes. Parents who are standing and waiting for their little ones should stand on the school side of the barriers. All children should be supervised. Pets should not be among the children.
Students, even with their parents, should not be crossing 42nd Street. With buses, parked cars, and moving traffic, it is just too dangerous!

A photo of the parking lot patterns can be found using the following link: Parking lot traffic patterns

Red arrows are the drop off/pick up zones. Note that the main one is at the north, but there is also one that can be used at the south.
Blue arrows are the one-way pick-up lanes.
Orange arrows are one-way lanes.
Green arrows indicate where traffic goes in both directions.
Note that in some areas there are two lanes going in the same direction: one lane is just driving through (orange arrows) and the other lane is the pick up lane leading to the drop off/pick up zone (blue and red arrows).

Calendars

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.

Highlighted Events

Please see the website calendar(s) for more complete information. Below are a few highlighted events:

Oct 1: Official Count Day
Oct 3: Candy Bar Sale Ends. QCSO Ensemble. Middle School Youth Night
Oct 6: Vision screening for 3 YO & 4 YO PS. Dine & Donate at Chipotle
Oct 7: Vision screening for 3 YO & 4 YO PS.
Oct 9: 7/8 Marching Band Practice
Oct 10: AHS Homecoming. Red/White/Black AHS Spirit Day
Oct 11: Crusader Invitational Cross Country Meet
Oct 13: No PS-8 Classes. ECLC Closed.
Oct 16: Jump for JFK at Funstation

Personal Sharing

My weekend work typically takes 5-10 hours each weekend. I always plan to be witty in my personal sharing and have often drafted something in my mind. By the time I get to typing it though, I just want to get the Principal’s Post published and shared and often don’t remember what I wanted to say! Sorry!

Chad