Dear Parents/Guardians, 1.12.2016
Please read both sides of today’s letter.
Sports Fundraiser
Thank you to everyone who came out last Friday for the first big fundraiser for the school sports program. It was a great turnout and a fun way to help raise funds for our nine sports teams. We are blessed to have so many teams as a PK-8 school and blessed that these additional funds will enable us to provide more supplies and keep these opportunities open for our students.
Great thanks go to Ms. Ila Castro, the mother of a 5th grade basketball player, who oversaw the plans, the outreach, and the preparation for Friday’s event. Ms. Castro worked very hard and we are grateful to her for such a successful evening.
Catholic Schools Week
The first week of February this year is Catholic Schools Week, a time to celebrate the uniqueness and vitality of Catholic education. We do a lot at St. Sylvester to observe this special week; there will be something special planned for each day. We look forward to sharing soon all of the fun events, activities, and dress down themes associated with the week. An evening event to save in your calendar now is the Family Game and Trivia Night on Wednesday, February 3.
Registration for 2016-17 & Referral Discounts
During Catholic Schools Week we will kick off the registration period for all current school families. It will start officially on February 2. We reserve the first week of registration exclusively for current families so that each child is always guaranteed a spot in the coming year’s classroom. In order to save the spot in next year’s class, families must complete and return the registration form and also pay the registration fee. On February 9, registration will open up to everyone.
We have a referral discount program in place in order to promote future growth and to reward those who help promote our school. If you refer a new family to register for the coming school year please make sure they indicate your name in the designated spot on their registration form. Doing so will earn you a 10% discount on your 2016-17 tuition when the new family stays the whole year.
Open House: Friday, January 22 from 7:30 – 5:30
We will hold an Open House on Friday, January 22 that is open to all current and prospective families. It is meant to give families the opportunity to visit the classroom that their child will be going into next year. People can stop in for a few minutes or a few hours, whichever they’d like. All current families who attend can receive either one volunteer hour or a free dress down pass.
After School Clubs
In today’s folder you will see a listing of clubs for the second half of the school year as well as the request slip. Please fill out and return the slip with any requested clubs. Most clubs will run for 12 sessions but please check the specific write-ups for any deviations. Clubs run from 3:00-4:00. Unless a child is picked up at 2:45 and returns at 3:00 for the club, he/she will be considered part of the extended day program from 2:45-3:00 and receive statements accordingly.
For some clubs, numbers are quite tight and thus registration is done only via email. For example, to register for Zumba or Creative Yoga, families must email and it will all be first come, first served. Other clubs have minimums that must be met like art, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and others led by outside groups. Any changes or developments to clubs will be communicated in writing, typically through the Tuesday letter.
There are openings for any family member who wishes to lead an after school club. A few past examples have included arts and crafts, yoga, pastry, and dancing. The more family involvement there is, the more clubs can be offered. If you are interested, please let Mr. Bennett know.
Volunteer Hours
Recall that half of the year’s volunteer hours were to be completed by the Christmas break and it is $10 for any incomplete hours. The slip that was sent home on December 1 detailed the breakdown for your family’s commitment. Payments for incomplete hours, if applicable, are due this Friday, January 15.
Families can make this payment on Smart Tuition, givecentral.org, or in our office.
Popcorn Palace Fundraising
All orders and money for the Popcorn Palace are due tomorrow, Wednesday, January 13. If you or people you are selling orders to wish to write a check, please have the checks written out to the school. Recall that this is a 50% credit fundraiser.
Lenten Fish Fry: Family Event & Volunteer Opportunity
With the season of Lent quickly approaching we want to remind everyone about a Catholic Lenten tradition but a new event here, Friday Fish Fry Dinners. There are two dinners planned for Friday, February 19 and Friday, March 4. All families are invited to attend. The tradition stems from the Catholic practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays in Lent and it provides a fun way for families to gather. More information on the dinners will be shared in the coming weeks.
We will need volunteers both evenings to help work the tables and clean. Sign-ups are now available for that in the front lobby’s binder or you can contact our office directly to sign up. In addition, the parent and teacher who are organizing all of this could still use some executive help from those who offered to do so at Back to School Night (and from anyone else willing to help plan, too). Please contact Mrs. Sarah Gelsomino at or Mrs. Cole at if you would like to help them with the plans for the dinners.
Art Classes for Grades 4-7
Special art classes begin this week for children in grades 4-7 for this second half of the year. The classes are part of a grant that the school won, enabling over 100 children to have weekly art classes taught by a teaching artist from an organization called Urban Gateways. It promises to be a unique experience for our students.
Junior High Engineering Lessons
Students in grades 5-8 took part in an excellent program last week that was offered by the James Dyson Foundation. As part of the foundation’s Rapid Prototype Design Program, students learned about engineers, design principles, and then worked in prototype design teams to solve a preset problem. It was a fantastic real-world opportunity for our students.
Taxes
We know that some people are starting to file their 2015 taxes. Please note that there is an Illinois State Tax Credit for K-12 students. The Illinois Department of Revenue offers a tax credit for certain educational expenses, including tuition, for those who qualify. The total annual credit can be up to $500.
Winter Weather
In the midst of this wintry weather, it is helpful to review the procedures associated with any closings and how any related news is communicated. It is also worth mentioning again that proper clothing is important during the winter months as students will still be going outside for recess when possible and will be walking to/from church weekly.
No matter the cause, if we need to close the school for a day we aim to send notification as soon as possible. Here are some general reminders on the best ways of being notified of any school closings:
· Email notifications sent through our school email blast; if you are signed up for the Tuesday letter emails then you will receive these blasts also.
· Proactively, you can go to www.emergencyclosings.com and sign up to receive immediate email notifications. When our status changes, automatic emails should be sent out to all families who signed up for this service. This website lists the status of all area schools.
· You can go to www.emergencyclosings.com and enter the school name and a status update will be displayed.
Lastly, any announced closings will be broadcast on the radio at 780 AM and all other news-focused radio stations and on their websites.