Dear Parents, Guardians and Students:
The 2020-2021 school year continues a period of positive change and growth at Joliet Catholic Academy. Everything we do at JCA as a faculty and staff revolves around helping to boost student achievement and academic performance. Over the past 30 plus years, we have not forgotten, nor will we ever forget, our roots as a college preparatory school.
While we are proud of the multiple state championships we have won since just 2007 in football, girls volleyball, dance, wrestling, girls tennis, and baseball; we take great pride in our continued academic excellence. Last year, 99 percent of JCA graduates went on to pursue higher education, earning over $13.54 million in scholarships, which equates to approximately $89,000 per student! Whether graduates are college-bound or heading into the work force, we pray they are prepared to live their lives with the sense of faith and family that being an Angel or Hilltopper provides.
This Parent-Student Handbook contains information on the daily operational capacity of our school and has been approved by the Administration, Board of Directors, and Board of Members for the purpose of guiding our young men and women through the entire school year. I would recommend parents and students alike take the time to read the handbook due to policy changes that happen every year, especially with this year concerning the challenges that COVID-19 presents.
We have added an additional 25 pages to the handbook with the JCA Return to School Plan. As CDC, IDPH, and Will County Health Department guidelines change, we will continue to update our guidance for parents, students, faculty and staff.
Furthermore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students for attending JCA and the parents for their overwhelming support. It is due to your time and talent that we, as a school, can humbly accept the cheers we receive at athletic events and
activities like our musicals and plays. As so many of our alumni point out, “You never leave JCA.” We will always be your family.
Lastly, it is my profound wish that the 2020-2021 school year be the best ever in JCA’s illustrious history. If you have any questions or concerns, please use this handbook as your guide for phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and more importantly, for the standard we expect from all.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jeffrey R. Budz
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Joliet Catholic Academy President/Principal |
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Admissions Update
The Joliet Catholic Academy Admissions team is extremely thankful for the relationship with current parents at JCA, stakeholders who do more to push forward the message of our mission to educate at JCA than any YouTube video, newspaper article, or radio advertisement can do. Each year we tell our faculty and staff that admissions and enrollment at JCA is a collective effort; coaches, teachers, and our student ambassadors play a huge role in this through Friday Shadow Visits, summer camps, Step Up Days, and Open Houses.
The COVID-19 pandemic cancelled all JCA summer camps and will be changing the events that admissions will be able to hold throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Currently, we are unable to visit local grade schools and junior highs in person, or host Friday Shadow visits for prospective students. It may seem daunting, but we will be up to the challenge. Just as our administration, staff, and faculty put the work in to ensure our students could return to in-person instruction in a safe environment, we will do the same to ensure prospective students and families can experience JCA before making their high school decision.
For this reason, the JCA Admissions team is creating a Parent Ambassador program. The JCA Admissions staff will be reaching out to parents in a strategic manner based on our current enrollment trends. All parents interested in working with the admissions office to help maintain and grow enrollment should contact JCA Admissions Director Mr. Ryan Quigley at rquigley@jca-online.org or 815.741.0500, ext. 214.
Parent Ambassadors will:
- Help identify prospective families.
- Help solidify JCA's presence within our local Catholic parishes and Catholic Schools.
- Help with continuing the expansion of areas JCA enrolls students from. JCA currently enrolls 623 students from 65 different grade schools, 30 cities, and 39 zip codes.
- Host socially distant admissions events, or refer families for guided private tours at school.
- Assist with on-campus events like Open House, parent coffees, and any events allowed under current social distancing restrictions.
- Contact small groups of prospective families to invite them to JCA admissions events, and spread information about the JCA experience through the eyes of current parents and students, not just from the JCA admissions team.
- Advocate for school choice initiatives at the local, state, and national levels, making a Catholic education accessible to more families, and defraying the cost of a K-12 Catholic education for all prospective and current families.
We would like to point out the fact that parents at JCA have done many of these things over the years in an informal capacity as well as a formal capacity through the JCA Parent Board. We believe the time is right to organize and engage our current families through the JCA Admissions Parent Ambassador program.
We are greatly appreciative of the effort so many families have made over the years by volunteering to work Open Houses, holding in-home admissions events, and picking up the phone to offer up information on prospective families to our office.
Go Angels! Go Hill!
Ryan Quigley ’03
Joliet Catholic Academy – Director of Admissions and Communications
Office: 815.741.0500, ext. 214
Mary Ragusa
Joliet Catholic Academy - Assistant Director of Admissions
Office: 815.741.0500, ext. 274
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*The above link is helpful to share with prospective families to ensure that they are receiving information from Joliet Catholic Academy. |
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College and Career Counseling
Today, September 2nd at 6:30pm, Jackie Pullara, College/Career Counselor, will be hosting a College Application and FAFSA Seminar for parents of seniors. Information about the college application process will be provided and Eric Ruiz will provide expert information about financial aid at the college level and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This event will take place in-person, at JCA, in the Chapel. If you cannot attend or do not feel comfortable attending in-person, don’t worry! We will record the presentation and email it out to senior parents the next day.
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Academic Resource Center
Parents of students who participated in the ARC program and have graduated can pick up student files anytime by contacting Amy Douglas at adouglas@jca-online.org. Files for years 2018, 2019, and 2020 are available.
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JCA Parent Association Volunteer Form
JCA is currently unsure as to which events will take place utilizing parent volunteers this school year, but the areas listed below usually require assistance. Please complete the attached form and return to the JCA Main Office by Wednesday, September 30, 2020.
Contact JCA Director of Special Events Mrs. Christine Voss at 815.741.0500, ext. 283 with questions.
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JOLIET CATHOLIC ACADEMY’S FALL SPIRIT RAFFLE QUOTAS AND INCENTIVES 2020
One Student – Quotas & Incentives
Quota: Sell $450 (45 Tickets) at $10 per ticket.
Incentive #1: Sell $550 (55 Tickets) – Dress in spirit wear from 11/30/20 through 12/18/20 for each student.
Incentive #2: Sell $650 (65 Tickets) – Free day (student’s choice of day) in 2nd semester, plus dress in spirit wear from 11/30/20 through 12/18/20.
More Than One Student – Quota & Incentives
Quota: Sell $650 (65 Tickets) at $10 per ticket.
Incentive #1: Sell $800 (80 Tickets) – Dress in spirit wear from 11/30/20 through 12/18/20 for each student.
Incentive #2: Sell $950 (95 Tickets) – Free day (each student’s choice of day) in 2nd semester, plus dress in spirit wear (each student) from 11/30/20 through 12/18/20.
Bonus Incentives for Students
Top-Selling Student Cash Awards:
1st Place - $550 Cash
2nd Place - $450 Cash
3rd Place – $350 Cash
4th Place - $250 Cash
5th Place - $150 Cash
Important Dates
September 17, 2020 – Raffle tickets handed out during homeroom
October 20, 2020 – One final homeroom turn-in (all raffle stubs and cash)
October 23, 2020 – Drawing at JCA
The Fall Spirit Raffle is the only fundraiser mandated each year by the administration for all families to participate in. The balance of unsold raffle tickets will be added to FACTS tuition billing.
Contact Mrs. Chris Voss for additional tickets, assistance or questions
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Online Calendar
The most up to date calendar for the 2020-2021 school year can be found on the school's website www.jca-online.org under the Calendar tab at the top. We expect adjustments for events throughout the year. Due to printing schedules, calendars included in publications like the JCA student planner are not up to date. We also still have several events scheduled on the 2020-2021 Calendar for later in the school year that may or may not be able to be held depending on COVID-19. Please contact communications@jca-online.org if you have a specific calendar related question.
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JCA announces 2019-2020 Second Semester Honor Roll
Joliet Catholic Academy is proud to announce the 2019-2020 Second Semester Honor Roll. Students are separated by graduating year, “A” and “B” Honor Roll, and also grouped by grade school and church affiliation/parish.
458 current students have been honored for their academic achievements from the second semester. JCA president/principal Dr. Jeffrey Budz said, “We are so proud of our students who have made honor roll with the majority of them being involved in additional activities outside the classroom. During a time when these students faced many challenges this spring with the transition to E-Learning, our students went above and beyond to rise to the occasion. They continue to bring a lot to the JCA community as a whole.”
Click Here to view an Excel file sortable by graduating year, “A” and “B” Honor Roll, and also grouped by grade school and church affiliation/parish.
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WJCA: Joliet Catholic Academy Back to School Special Report
JCA just completed our first full week of school. Come see what we have been up to! Thank you to our JCA families, nurses, faculty, staff and administration for helping us get back to school. It has been a great week!
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From the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
The following is a link to an article titled “13 Tips on How to Talk to Children About Diversity and Difference” by Alden E. Habacon. This article offers some concrete suggestions on how to address talking about our unique differences while also being realistic about some anxiety that can also come along with it. When talking about this, it is helpful to:
- Encourage your child to ask questions and expose themselves to different experiences (i.e., church groups, clubs, sports). While this does not guarantee learning, it can help them by observing and learning about other people’s experiences during activities they also enjoy.
- Be honest about your own lack of knowledge. You do not need to be an expert or pretend to be one; if you don’t know the answer, that’s ok. Seek out other streams of knowledge with your child. Of course, you are a role model for your child, so they are listening to the words you say AND the actions that you take. They are also looking closely at the diversity of your friendship circle, their school, the community they live in, and the church and school they attend.
- Be aware of your own bias towards others. Children need see to you acknowledge and face your own bias in an honest and impactful way.
- Respect: your child may not agree with you or may even challenge your belief system/thought process. This is a great opportunity to model having a difficult conversation while also openly listening and respecting a differing opinion.
- Last but not least, own and love who you are; openly talk about the experiences of the ethnic, racial, and cultural groups your family identifies with. Discuss those contributions and the less than flattering aspects of those histories too. Continue being a great resource for your child!
Regards,
Kisha Cameron, MA
Joliet Catholic Academy
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
1200 N. Larkin Avenue
Joliet, IL 60435
(815) 741-0500 ext. 279
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1200 N. Larkin Avenue
Joliet, IL 60435
P - (815) 741-0500
F - (815) 741-8825
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