Dear Parent / Guardian,

The Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship Program is still very new and because of this we have had several people ask how donating to this scholarship, in the benefit of Joliet Catholic Academy, would be different than gifting directly to JCA. I thought it would be appropriate to answer these questions by giving examples to help you see the benefits of gifting to the Tax Credit Scholarship program.

For example, if someone in the 25% tax bracket gives a $1,000 gift to JCA, the donor would receive a 25% deduction or $250 off their taxes. If the same person donates $1000 to JCA through the Tax Credit Program, they would receive 75 cents on the dollar tax credit, a credit of $750 on their State income taxes.

You can see that the additional $500 off your Illinois state income taxes is a great way to save money on your taxes and give an opportunity for low income families to receive an education from Joliet Catholic Academy.

With an Illinois income tax increase from 3.75% to 4.95%, Illinoisans that make $100,000 would pay $4,950 instead of the $3,750 they paid last year. With this being said, donating to a cause you believe in, which would make-up some of the $1,200 additional tax dollars, is a win-win.

Here is a further example regarding a corporation donation. According to the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, corporations cannot gift directly to a specific school like individual taxpayers, however, they can gift to specific regions; JCA is in Region 3. The funds would be distributed throughout that particular region for scholarships that would help out local grade schools and high schools within the Joliet Diocese.

For example, if a corporation is taxed at 21% and they gift $10,000 to JCA, a deduction of $2,100 would be made on their taxes. If they made a gift to Region 3 through the Tax Credit Scholarship, they would receive $7,500 credit towards their Illinois income taxes. This would be an additional $5,400 in tax savings.

Please know that this program greatly helps Catholic education. If all the demand for scholarships was met in the Joliet area, our feeder Catholic grade schools would not have an empty seat! JCA currently has a Wait List of 126 students with an estimated collective need of over $1.25 million dollars. Demand for school choice has been evident throughout the state, with over 62,000 applications filled out by parents seeking a private education for their children. I urge you to ask your tax advisors about the Tax Credit Scholarship Program and how it could help you save money and impact students' lives. Donations must be made by December 31, 2018 for scholarships awarded during the 2018-2019 school year. The JCA Development and Admissions Offices are also available to walk donors through the step-by-step donor process.

Regards,

John Horn
Director of Development
Joliet Catholic Academy
[email protected] / 815.741.0500
Freshman Mixer

JCA will host its annual Freshman Mixer (for the incoming Class of 2022) on Thursday, July 26 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at JCA in Heritage Quad. The mixer will take place rain or shine, as we will move indoors to the Student Activity Center in the event of inclement weather.

Please RSVP to [email protected] if your student will be able to attend or with any questions.

Current JCA Student Ambassadors can also volunteer to chaperone/work the event and earn Christian Service Hours. The JCA Admissions Office will put out a call to Student Ambassadors volunteering to attend.
Parent Association Volunteer Form

Please complete the below form and return to JCA’s Main Office by Wednesday, 8/22/18 to be eligible for a drawing to receive $200 off your tuition.
2018-2019 School Calendar
The 2018-2019 School Calendar has been posted online through December. There is also a pocket calendar available with important dates listed throughout the entire school year.

The online version can be accessed by clicking on the below tab. The calendar and events can also be uploaded to smart phones and Outlook or gmail accounts.
Nurses Corner
Important information for All students

The JCA medication policy has been updated in accordance with the State of Illinois and Illinois State Board of Education.  It is important that you and your student(s) review the policy as there are changes and action needed prior to the start of school if any medication is to be taken during school hours. The new Medication Administration Authorization (MAA) form is required prior to any medication administration. Telephone consent will not be accepted. Medication Administration Authorization is required for any prescription and non-prescription (OTC medication).

Students with asthma or history of asthma are requested to submit an asthma action plan to the Health Office.

Students with epilepsy, diabetes, or allergies requiring emergency treatment are requested to submit an action plan.

All International students and students who travel internationally

I n accordance with the CDC guidelines, those students coming from or traveling to a country for greater than 2 weeks where TB disease is common (most countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia) are required to have an Interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) either QuantiFERON®–TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) or T-SPOT®.TB test (T-Spot) completed in the United States within 21 days prior to the first day of school . IGRA results are to be submitted to the Health Office prior to the start of the school year. Students who do not comply with health record requirements are subject to exclusion from school.

Incoming Freshmen :

Reminder that your incoming school physical is to be on file by July 1 if you are participating in a fall sport. A separate sports physical is not required. Physicals are valid for 395 days.

Seniors only :

Reminder: students are to have received the MENINGOCOCCAL CONJUGATE VACCINE (MCV4) prior to the start of their 12 th year of school.
Spirit Shop Summer Hours

If you would like to get a jump on purchasing your uniforms for the upcoming school year, please stop in the Shop!

Spirit Shop will be open:

Tuesday – July 3  – 9:00am – 2:00pm
Tuesday – July 10 – 9:00am - 2:00pm

We will then re-open for the Uniform and Lock Sale

August 2 nd ---  12:00pm – 7:00pm
August 3 rd, 6 th, 7 th, 8 th – 10:00am – 3:00pm

After the Sale is over , we will close the Spirit Shop and re-open August 15 th

* we will be open a short time the evening of the Welcome Mass on August 12 th*

During the School year, the Spirit Shop is open when class is in session.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Paula Gorski
Paula Gorski, Spirit Shop Coordinator
Joliet Catholic Academy
815-741-0500 x231
2019 Senior Portraits

WHO:      Class of 2019

WHAT:     Senior Portrait & Yearbook Pictures

WHERE: JCA – enter at the main office

WHEN:     Monday, June 18- Friday, July 23
                 Monday, July 30- Friday, August 4

WHY:       In order to appear in the yearbook, all seniors must have their photo taken by VIP. Photographs submitted from other studios will NOT be accepted into the yearbook.

How:           SENIOR PORTRAIT SIGN UP : Please make an appointment online at studio.il.vipis.com or over the phone at 847-499-9300

Additional Information:

Retake Date: Wednesday, October 3 at JCA. Yearbook pose only. Yearbook photos are free of charge. Retake appointments will be scheduled in SEPTEMBER.

Yearbook Deadline : Your photo selection must be submitted to VIP by October 19, in order to appear in your school’s yearbook. If you do not select an image, one will be selected for you by VIP. Information regarding how to submit your yearbook selection to VIP will be provided after your photo session.

Yearbook Photo Attire:  School dress code must be followed in order for your photo to appear in the yearbook. No tank tops or low cut tops for ladies, and no facial hair for gentlemen.

SIGN UP NOW WITH VIP – Go to vipis.com

Summer Assignments

Summer assignments will be distributed to current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in their respective classes. Incoming freshmen received their summer assignment through the mail in April. Summer assignments will also be available on the JCA website, www.jca-online.org, under the Student tab. 
Schedules and Booklists

Class schedules have been e-mailed to students. Incoming freshmen and transfer students will also receive a printout of their schedule through the mail. Schedule change requests must be made in writing. Forms are available in the main office. More than one change request can be made on the same form. There is a $75 fee per change requested. No schedule change is official until the student receives written notification. If a change cannot be made, the fee will be returned. 


Book lists and supplemental items information will be e-mailed to sophomores, juniors, and seniors along with their schedule in July. Incoming freshmen will receive information on books and supplemental items through the mail along with their course placement in July. A detailed booklist including ISBN numbers and supplemental items information will be available on the JCA website, www.jca-online.org, under the “Parents” tab.
Shadow Visits and Private Tours

Here at JCA, we realize that each family has specific needs, questions and expectations for their child. Therefore, we offer private tours to families throughout the year. Simply contact the Admissions Office at 815.741.0500 to schedule a mutually convenient time. The JCA Admissions Staff values our current JCA families as the greatest ambassadors for our school. Recommending an area family or student you know who is in 7th or 8th grade, or a potential high school transfer students, is a great way to help spread the word about JCA. Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Quigley or Mrs. Ragusa in Admissions to connect with local families interested in JCA.

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.

Current high school students wishing to transfer to JCA are also encouraged to schedule a Shadow Visit and will be offered the opportunity to spend the day at JCA as part of the transfer process.

Parents/guardians who are considering having their high school student transfer to JCA should contact the office of the Vice Principal of Faculty and Operations at 815.741.0500, ext. 217.
* Some Summer Camps for the Class of 2022 may not have online registration available. Registration can be turned in at the main office or the first day of camp directly to the head coach.
JCA in the News