Welcome JCA families,

With days getting shorter and temperatures starting to cool, the 2019-2020 school year has begun. We hope you all had an enjoyable Summer with your families and are looking forward to a great year at Joliet Catholic Academy. We have been involved in the Parent Association since our oldest son, Gibson, started at JCA in 2013 and we’re excited and honored to again be serving as President. Our goal is to continue to provide a sense of community and fellowship for both you and your student throughout their time at JCA.

The Joliet Catholic Academy Parent Association coordinates many of the events that take place throughout the school year. Already this year, we have helped host Freshman Welcome Mass and Back to School Night. Currently, our committee members are finalizing plans for numerous activities, for both parents and students scheduled for Homecoming Week later this month. Information on our events is included in this newsletter. 

As the year progresses, the Parent Association will be hosting various functions including several Honor Society Inductions, Pops ‘n Lollies and Lads and Ladies dances, Family Mass Pancake Breakfast, and Prom/Senior Week activities just to name a few. We will also celebrate and honor the terrific faculty and staff of JCA during Catholic Schools week in January. We also assist in the school concession stand and help with 50/50 Raffle ticket sales at home football games. 

There are many ways to get involved at JCA and we are always looking for volunteers. If you completed the on-line volunteer form, we have your contact information and will be reaching out to you for those activities in which you expressed interest. If you did not have a chance to complete the on-line form, please feel free to contact a Parent Association member and let them know you are interested in helping. We will find a place for you! Our names and numbers can be found each month on the front page of Parent Pride. 

Remember “Don’t ever question the value of volunteers. Noah’s Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was built by professionals.”

As parents we have the opportunity to work WITH the school to enrich the JCA experience for you and your children. Please consider sharing your time and talents with us. 

Thank you for your time. We look forward to meeting and working with you throughout the year. 

Wishing you a terrific school year!

Fondly,

Jane and Mark (’83) Karner
Parent Association Presidents 


Flu Season is fast approaching

Get your and your student's flu vaccine before the flu begins spreading. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body, so make plans to get vaccinated early in fall, before flu season begins.  CDC recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October. Getting vaccinated later, however, can still be beneficial and vaccination should continue to be offered throughout flu season, even into January or later.

Important Information from the Health Office
 
All Students
  • Health Office information is on the school web site under the Parents tab, click on Health Office
  • Medication Administration Authorization forms are required at the start of every new school year. Forms are available on the web site.
  • Emergency Action Plans (EAP’s) are requested for those students with asthma, diabetes, epilepsy (seizures) and severe allergies. EAP’s are available on the web site. Medication Authorization forms to self-carry emergency medications and supplies must be submitted at the start of every new school year. Forms are available on the web site.
  • Those that travel internationally to areas of high TB risk (most countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia) for greater than 2 weeks are required to have IGRA prior to returning to school. Additional information is on the web site.
  • Per the State of Illinois and JCA policy, students whose medical records are not in compliance will be excluded from school and all school activities, including athletics, starting October 15 and will remain excluded until all health records are compliant. 


Incoming Seniors
  • Senior students are to submit documentation for their MENINGOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINE (MCV4). Documentation for the MCV4 vaccine administration must have the providers dated signature.
  • The immunization requirement consists of: The first dose received on or after the 11th birthday; second dose on or after the 16th birthday. An interval of least eight weeks after the first dose. Only one dose is required if the first dose was received at 16 years of age or older. No proof of immunity allowed.  
 
Incoming Freshman
  • Please be advised the Certificate of Child Health Exam (Freshman physical) has a requiredparent portion on page 2 that must be completed in its entirety including a parents dated signature.
  • NEW State Law: freshman entering 2019-2020 are now required to have dental exam. 

Health Office Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00am-2:30pm Thursday 8:00am -1:40pm
During school breaks voicemails and emails are checked weekly.
815-741-0500 Ext 275, 815-741-3015 fax,  [email protected]
Dear Parents/Gardians,

Starting in September the price of regular fries for the combo only will go up to $1.50. There are no other increases.

Please check out our new menu. Same great items and prices with a new look.

Thank you.

-Quest Food Management Services
Friday Shadow Visits

Shadow Visits offer seventh and eighth-grade students an individualized experience by pairing a prospective student with a current Angel or Hilltopper who shares his/her academic and extracurricular interests. Students may shadow on most Fridays that JCA is in session from September through April during the regular school hours of 7:50 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.

Shadow Visits begin this week, Friday, September 6, 2019. Friday Shadow Visit Days throughout the year have also been posted online.

Important note for Friday, September 6: We will be on an early dismissal schedule due to our morning pep assembly at 7 a.m. School will dismiss at 1:40 p.m. Friday morning.

The U Morning Show will be broadcasting from Joliet Catholic Academy starting at 6 a.m. as the JCA vs. Immaculate Conception home football game Friday night will be their "Game of the Week". All Shadow Visitors are invited to join us at 7 a.m. or be dropped off at the start of school at 7:50 a.m.

Families can register online with the below link. The JCA Admissions Office appreciates current JCA families who refer family members and friends to the JCA Shadow Visit program.

Questions or family referrals? Contact the JCA Admissions Staff below.

Mr. Ryan Quigley
Director of Admissions and Communications
815.741.0500, ext. 214
Spirit Shop

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year !! The Spirit Shop is OPEN with regular School Business Hours.
Please stop in and get your Uniform Polos, Gym Shirts, locks and much more. We have a large variety of ¼ zips, T-shirts, hoodies and many more Joliet Catholic Academy items to choose from to show your school spirit!!   There is always a clearance section as well, with huge discounts for you on selected items and what I like to call our “Old School” rack in the back with jackets, pullovers and a few other items..   Merchandise changes seasonally, so stop in and check things out or follow the Spirit Shop page on Facebook. (JCA Spirit Shop)

Spirit Shop Hours

Monday , Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
7:15 am – 3:00 pm

Thursday
7:15 am – 2:00 pm

Basically if the students are in school and classes are in session , the Spirit Shop is OPEN.

All of the proceeds from all sales in our Joliet Catholic Academy Spirit Shop go directly back to our school.

Paula Gorski, Spirit Shop Coordinator
Joliet Catholic Academy
815-741-0500 x231
HOUSING NEEDED FOR NET MINISTRIES TEAM
 
This coming school year we will once again be welcoming NET ministries to our school to lead our underclassmen retreat. They explain it best on their website by saying
 
“NET Ministries challenges young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church. Every August, 175 young Catholics aged 18-28 leave behind their jobs, school, family, and friends to devote nine months to serving with the National Evangelization Teams (NET).
Divided into 16 teams, they travel across the U.S. for nine months to share the Gospel with young people and their families. Since 1981, NET teams have led over 32,000 retreats and ministered to more than 1.9 million young Catholics.”
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We are lucky to have a NET team at JCA and need to ask your help in hosting them. When NET ministries are visiting a parish or school like ours, they rely upon the kindness of their hosts to provide housing and three meals for the team. What that means is that they need a clear floor to lay their sleeping bag on, two small breakfasts and a friendly dinner. 
 
The team splits into pairs or sometimes trios so we will need between 4 or 5 houses to offer them. They will be spending the night Sunday September 29 th and Monday October 3 rd . If this is something you and your family would like to participate in, please contact campus ministry with your interest. We will be happy to go over details and answer any questions. 

Missy Ferro
Campus Minister
Joliet Catholic Academy
1200 N. Larkin Avenue
Joliet, IL 60435
(815) 741-0500 ext.262
Special Events Corner

The Hall of Champions - Athletics  Induction will take place on Saturday, September 7, 2019. This year's honorees for the 6th Annual Hall of Champions are Sean Bergman '88 (Baseball), Mary (Will) Jaworski (Cheerleading), John Piazza '79 (Football), Mark Sopko '00 (Football & Baseball), Christine Toscas '85 (Basketball), and Wayne Vercelloti '53 (Legacy Tribute - Golf). The Annual Alumni Golf Outing will take place Friday, September 6, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club. The Induction Dinner and Ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. in the JCA Student Activity Center.

Save the Date: Jubilaté 2020  Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Bolingbrook Golf Club. Event Chairs Deb & Ellis Kennedy and Amy & Ken Mihelich cordially invite you to be on the committee and plan on attending the event.  So, join the Flappers, Marathon Dancers and the Bootleggers for this fun-filled day in March. Again, contact Chris Voss with questions.


For more information contact JCA Director of Special Events Mrs. Christine Voss at 815.741.0500, ext. 283 or [email protected].
Asbestos Management

Parents, teachers, employee organizations, and other relevant groups: Please be advised that the Asbestos Management Plan for JCA, as required by law, is available for inspection during normal business hours by representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Illinois, and the public – including teachers, other school personnel, representatives, and parents at 1200 N. Larkin Avenue, Joliet, Illinois 60435 within five working days after receipt of a written request for inspection. The school may charge the reasonable cost of making any copies requested. 
Empower Illinois/Tax Credit Scholarships
Learn more about the benefits of contributing to a Tax Credit Scholarship for students in our Diocese of Joliet​ Catholic Schools. You receive a 75% credit for the amount of your gift on your 2019 Illinois taxes.