Principal’s Post

Principal’s Post for March 1, 2026

Posted on by csteimle

New/Updated Information

JFK GROWS Students of the Month for February

Each morning, students and teachers at JFK recite the JFK Difference:  JFK GROWS.  We put God first, use Respectful behaviors, find Opportunities to serve, are Welcoming to all, and make Safe choices.  Each month, except December, this year, we are recognizing one student from each homeroom whose teachers have observed them exhibiting these traits particularly well at school during the past month:

KE – Mya M: Mya is always respectful and welcoming in our classroom. She uses kind words, listens carefully, and follows directions right away.
KE – Max P: Max shows God’s love through caring actions and is a wonderful example of how to treat others.
KI – Callen D: Callen demonstrates strong commitment by giving 100% effort in everything he does. He is an effective communicator who asks questions when clarification is needed and consistently serves others by offering support and advocating for their needs.
KN – Kruze D: Kruze is a kind friend and always willing to assist someone who needs a little extra help.  He is a good listener and very attentive during instruction and when directions are given.  Kruze likes to have fun during recess but can calm back down in the classroom and be ready to work.
1B – Venessa S: Venessa is always working hard, trying her best, and excelling in school. She is kind to others, respectful to all and a wonderful part of our class.
1Y – Rowan M: Rowan has a positive attitude and strives to do her best.  She works and plays well with all her classmates.
2M – Miles A: Miles is a wonderful part of our classroom community. His smile isn’t the only friendly thing about him! He is kind to all students and is one of the first people to offer to help. He works hard to achieve his goals inside and outside of the classroom. I can always count on Miles to be welcoming, helpful, and hardworking.
2P – Octavia F: Octavia gives her all in everything she does. She shines her light brightly by watching out for others and their needs. Octavia is a wonderful member of our class.
3E – Kohen H: Kohen is a dedicated and responsible student who works hard each day. He maintains an appropriate voice level, demonstrates kindness toward classmates, and completes assignments on time with attention to quality and detail.
3V – Beckham M: Beckham has a helpful spirit, and a positive energy that he brings to our class every single day! He shows determination to complete his assignments with a 100% effort. Beckham is a wonderful part of our third grade classroom.
4F – Leo R: Leo is always willing to help out and support a friend in need. He actively participates in class and does his best work at all times.  Leo is a joy to have in class.
4L – Harleigh D: Everyone should have a Harleigh. She’s smart, kind, and helpful as can be! We are proud she’s a part of the 4L family.
5C – Natalie V: Natalie works hard everyday in class and is a shining example of our JFK Difference. She is always willing to help those around her and shows up to school everyday with a positive attitude.
5E – Stella P: Stella is a hardworking student who does what she is always asked to do with no complaint. She checks in on her classmates, wanting them to all feel seen and heard. She is goal-oriented and strives to do her best behaviorally and academically. She follows all directions the first time she is asked and is full of patience, generosity, and motivation.
6N – Abigail S: Abigail is a very hard worker always striving to do her best.  She is polite and kind and a good example for her peers.
6T – MaKynlee F: MaKynlee is a hard-working and responsible student who gives her best effort. She demonstrates kindness by helping both her classmates and teachers.
7P – Gabby U: Gabby always participates, is ready to help, and makes our class a better place because she gets along with everyone.
7R – Christian L: Christian tries hard in everything he does and consistently puts forth his best effort. He asks thoughtful questions to better understand what he’s learning and always brings a smile and a great attitude to class. His positive energy makes our classroom a happier place to be!
8C – Sierra M: Sierra comes to class prepared, participates in activities, follows along well, and volunteers often.
8L – Harper A: Harper comes to class prepared, participates in activities, follows along well, interacts positively with others, and has a great attitude in class.
ESA Amount Set – State Funding Data 

Governor Reynolds signed the bill to raise State Supplemental Aid by 2%. ESAs for 2026-27 will be $8,148 per student. Families need to apply for ESAs every year. The application for 2026-27 has not yet opened. Stay tuned for more information this winter/spring.

Parish supported tuition for 26-27:           $6,930

Non-parish supported tuition for 26-27: $8,930

Sources for funding for public school students includes the following: State Supplemental Aid, local taxes, SAVE funding, other local sources, and federal funding. The per pupil amount educating a public school student in Iowa is more than double the tuition in our SCCS Catholic schools.

Per pupil funding for a public school student in Iowa: $19,235.*

*Source: Iowa Department of Management

Nonpublic school enrollment has not dramatically increased as a percent of Iowa’s total student population even with ESAs. For the ten years prior to 2025-26, about 7.1% of the state’s students were in nonpublic schools. In 2025-26, that figure was 8.1%.

SCCS Mission and Governance Committee February Meeting

The SCCS Mission and Governance Committee, composed of principals and advisory board presidents for each school, met in February. The committee reviewed a “status” and “future considerations” document looking at the original strategic plan that led to the formation of SCCS.

Areas that generated considerable discussion:

  • Space needs and changing enrollment in SCCS and Davenport
  • Changing enrollment and student needs impact on staffing needs
  • External competition, including charter schools, new non-public schools, and even new/renovated public schools
  • Facilities needs and how decisions in one area/building impact other buildings
  • Clarifying decision-making structures
  • Strengthening the alignment of the high school and elementary schools
  • The future of parishes, especially as the number of priests continues to decline
  • Shifting from scarcity thinking to investing intentionally to further the mission
  • Leadership succession
  • Reduced involvement of families in churches and schools

5th-8th Grade Education in Human Growth and Development

Fifth-8th grade science teachers are preparing for the new state required education in human growth and development, which must include the following:

    1. Instruction related to human development inside the womb.
    2. A high-definition ultrasound video showing the presence of the brain, heart, and other vital organs in
      early fetal development.
    3. A high-quality, computer-generated rendering or animation, or an ultrasound or other real image, that
      depicts the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal human development, starting at
      fertilization, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development throughout every stage of
      pregnancy.

Registration for 2026-27

Verification/Acceptance letters  were bul emailed last week. We are still working to communicate with several families individually regarding wait lists and other issues affecting their registrations.

If you haven’t been able to use your leftover ESA funds to pay registration fees, please note that it seems to be an issue more with the timing on Odyssey’s part than anything else. Please keep checking periodically in your Odyssey account.

Directions for online registration/application are on the front page of our website, www.olvjfk.com. There are different directions for those who are “re-enrolling” and those who are entirely new to SCCS. 

If You Want to Get Better, Do More of It

Like so many things in life, education often follows a simple formula: if you want to get better at something, do more of it. If we want students to be better readers or mathematicians, they need to do more reading and math. This includes reading and math activities at home.

Research summarized by the National Reading Panel and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development emphasize that reading practice outside of the home is important. It should be appropriately matched to a student’s level and done consistently (rather than all at once). A variety of texts contribute to literacy growth.

Based upon the research, reasonable expectations may look like the following:

K-2:  5-15 minutes per day of independent reading AND additional time reading with or by an adult

3-5: closer to 30 minutes per day

6-8: 25-40 minutes per day

Note that this time may be broken up into smaller segments. In fact, when the time is broken into smaller segments, even more cumulative time may be achieved.

2026-27 School Calendar Available Soon

The draft SCCS Davenport elementary schools’ academic calendar for 2026-27 will go before our advisory board on Tuesday. Once approved, it will be distributed and/or posted to our website.

Assumption HS Musical

Assumption’s musical is this weekend. They have performances at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. SCCS students get in free with their activity pass.

Still Relevant

Teaching Jobs Open at JFK for 2026-27

At the present time, we have posted “Multiple Classroom Teaching positions available for Grades 1 through 5” at JFK for next school year. To apply, please submit your resume and transcripts to Logan Ahnquist at logan.ahnquist@sccsiowa.org. You can find more information and the online application that needs to be completed at the following website https://davenportdiocese.schoolspring.com/

I-Ready Math Requirements

I-Ready Math is an online program we use to better understand each student’s math strengths and learning needs. It begins with a short diagnostic/screener that helps identify what skills a student has mastered and where additional support or challenge is needed. Based on those results, i-Ready provides personalized math lessons that adjust to each child’s level, allowing students to work at an appropriate pace while building confidence and understanding. At school, students currently use i-Ready Math for at least 30 minutes per week as part of their regularly scheduled instructional time. That should be enough time to at least do one i-Ready lesson per week. Students not finishing the lesson at school will have it assigned as homework. In addition, students who scored below benchmark in math at both the fall and winter screenings will be required to work with i-Ready outside of school hours, reinforcing the school/home partnership. Students may always voluntarily do i-Ready lessons at home as well.

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 

Highlighted Events

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. Below are a few highlighted events:

  • Mar 3: 7th to Finance Park
  • Mar 5: 4th to Symphony. 5/8 to AHS musical dress rehearsal.
  • Mar 6: Adoration. Virtual career fair
  • Mar 6-8: Men’s CEW.
  • Mar 8: “Spring forward” time change
  • Mar 9/10: Solo/Ensemble contest
  • Mar 11: K Vision/Dental. 3rd Vision screening. JFK Reconciliation
  • Mar 13: Green/White Dress Day. Middle School Youth Night
  • Mar 14-22: Spring Break. ECLC is open during spring break
  • Mar 19: JFK Night @ Malibu Jack’s
  • Mar 20: Middle school youth night.
  • Mar 21/22: Youth & Family Engagement Event
  • Mar 23: Classes resume

Personal Sharing

My wife went to visit our youngest daughter and the baby in Kansas City last weekend, and this weekend she visited our oldest daughter in Atlanta. It was bachelor living for me two weekends in a row! When I joked that I was going to stay in my pajamas and eat potato chips all Saturday, my family members responded, “What’s new about that?”

Chad