March 2025 Parent Pride Newsletter

Dear Parents / Guardians,

As we look forward to warmer weather and a Spring Season that will bring renewed life to the outdoors, our campus is always full of life and bustling as we head towards the home stretch of our school year. First, I would like to thank everyone for promoting our school. As I always say, we are all a part of the marketing plan for JCA.

It seems that our school year is once again progressing at a rapid pace and summer will be here before you know it. March 14th marks the end of the 3rd quarter and the beginning of the 4th quarter to our school year. We have had a very good winter and are looking forward to all of the good things that Spring brings!

We had a great number of students take the placement exam this year and are hoping for great registration numbers. Current student registration is happening as I write this letter, and that process is an ongoing event. If you have any questions about registration, please do not hesitate to call Ms. Pahl, our Associate Principal or any of our counselors. Also, if you have questions or concerns about tuition, please do not hesitate to call Mr. Quigley or Mrs. Horn for financial aid information or Mrs. Turturillo in the Business office.

As we look at the calendar for the month of March, it seems that the days are getting busier. Our Spring Musical, Shrek – The Musical, runs March 13th-15th. We have our National Honor Society Induction on March 18th and are opening our Student Art Show on March 19th. Our Art Show is highlighted in our Art Gallery in the IRC culminating with the Art Honors Society Induction on April 3rd. We will also be dedicating the Art Gallery at this event in recognition of SFA Alumni, Ms. Christine Schwartz.

Just around the corner, on Saturday, March 22nd, JCA is hosting our annual fundraiser event, Jubilate. This year the theme is JCAsino Royale and our Co-Chairs for the evening are Tracy and Brian Zabel and Kristen and Darrel Swienton. That evening, JCA will be honoring Nicole and Mike Murray with the Presidents’ Award. Nicole and Mike have given so much to our school through their Time, Talents, and Treasure as they have served on numerous boards and have been stout supporters of the mission of the school. Please know that everyone is invited to attend this yearly event! Please call Mrs. Chris Voss if you are interested in purchasing tickets.

As we look ahead to April, I just wanted to give everyone a “heads-up” that our Easter Break is a little different this year. Due to Easter falling so late on the calendar, we will be having our Easter Break the week before - April 14th - April 21st. We will return on Tuesday, April 22nd. This lets our seniors return and have some time to prepare for AP exams and Senior Finals.

Needless to say, there’s never a dull moment on campus! And as always; if there is anything we can do to help your family and child succeed and thrive at Joliet Catholic Academy, please do not hesitate to call, email, or set up an appointment to see any of our administrators.

Blessings,

Dean's Office

Dear Parents,

As we strive to create a supportive and effective learning environment for our students, we want to bring your attention to our Attendance Probation Policy. This policy aims to encourage regular attendance, which is crucial for academic success and personal growth.

**What is Attendance Probation?**

Attendance probation is a measure implemented for students who have excessive absences. It serves as a way to identify and support students who may be struggling with attendance issues, providing them an opportunity to rectify their situation before further consequences arise.

**Notification Process**

If a student is at risk of being placed on attendance probation, they will receive a warning note from the Dean's office, which will be delivered directly to their classroom. In addition, you, as parents, will receive an email notification prior to the student being placed on probation. This early communication is designed to keep you informed and involved. To check the dates of your student’s absences, parents should sign on to their Plus Portal account. Click on the Attendance tab and then select Absence. Dates will be listed per period. If you did not sign up for Plus Portals at the beginning of the school year, please contact Peg Goolsby for a new activation email. pgoolsby@jca-online.org Students can also check attendance dates on their Portals account by selecting the School tab then the Period Attendance tab. Scroll down to History and under history each period will list dates of both unexcused and excused absences.

**Meeting with the Dean**

Once students have reached 10 absences, they will be placed on attendance probation. Before the probation begins, they will meet with the Dean. During this meeting, students will discuss their absences and the reasons behind them. It is essential for students to understand the importance of regular attendance and how it affects their academic performance. Students will receive a list of the dates they were absent. If there are any medical reasons for those absences that were documented, we encourage students to provide this information to the Dean's office.

**Support and Guidance**

Our goal is not only to address attendance concerns but also to provide support and guidance to our students. We believe that with the right resources and communication, students can overcome barriers to attendance and thrive in their educational environment.

We appreciate your cooperation and support in helping your child maintain a strong attendance record. Should you have any questions about the Attendance Probation Policy or how it may affect your child, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Dean’s office.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

The Dean's Office

Attendance Probation Policy

Students who are placed on attendance probation have missed an individual class period ten (10) times or more.

· While on attendance probation, students will receive 50% credit for any academic work missed for each period absent.

· Students on attendance probation can attend and/or participate in some school-sponsored activities such as field trips and retreats.

· UNEXCUSED ABSENCE even with a parent phone call prevents the student from earning full academic credit for that absence.

· Students on Attendance Probation ARE allowed to make up work for non-countable/excused absence days listed in the handbook. Verification must be turned into the Dean’s Office and teachers will be notified of a change.

Business Office

Accounts for ALL students must be current by the end of the third quarter.

Any student whose account is not current at the end of the third quarter will be denied any year-end privileges granted to his/her class (i.e. Prom, end-of-year lunch, etc.). In addition, any JCA student with a past due balance may not participate on any school-sponsored trip until all current tuition and fees are paid in full.

The Registration Fee for 2025/2026 term will be billed on March 1, 2025 and will be due on March 31, 2025. This will hold your place as a registered student, but your student will NOT be registered or placed in the classes chosen for the 2025/2026 term until ALL balances are paid in full.

Senior Student will not receive any transcripts, diplomas, etc. until ALL balances are paid in full.

* Payments not received by April 30, 2025 must be satisfied by cash, credit card, cashier’s check, money order, or certified check. Personal

checks will not be accepted.

Counseling Department

March Advisory Spotlight

9th and 10th graders: Naviance/Resume Building/Social Emotional Learning

11th graders: ACT testing preparation - MyACT account setup in preparation for the testing at JCA/Building a College List

11th and 12th graders: College Alumni Panel – JCA graduates in college will present to our Junior and Seniors offering advice on transition to college and much more.

12th graders: Scholarship opportunities for graduating seniors are being updated weekly in Naviance. Please check Naviance regularly for updates.

ACT Testing for Juniors - March 19, 2025

JCA is offering the ACT as an official testing option for our Juniors. On Wednesday March 19th our 11^th grade students may take the digital version (no writing) of the ACT here at the school. Please refer to Mrs. Kerri Voltz’s email from January 13^th for more information.

To register your junior student for the ACT, please use this link: ACT March 2025 Payment. Register by March 10th.

Institutional Advancement

The Annual Appeal is the foundation of fundraising to maintain academic achievement within our school. The school community of parents, alumni, faculty/staff, and friends contribute financially to help bridge the gap between the cost to educate a student and the cost of tuition. JCA’s tuition covers only 86% of the actual cost of educating a student. As a faith-based school our mission is to limit tuition increases for all families.

Your contribution helps us make up the difference – but, more importantly, your contribution makes a difference! Join us in keeping Joliet Catholic Academy strong by making your gift to the Annual Appeal today.

YOU are the DIFFERENCE!

Give to the Annual Appeal

Athletics

SPRING SPORT 2025

TRYOUT/PRACTICE INFORMATION

Baseball

Monday, March 3

Var: 2:30-5:00pm, gym

So: 8:00-10:00am, gym

Fr: 12:30-2:30pm, gym

Tuesday, March 4

Var: 8:30-10:00pm, gym

So: 5:30-7:00pm, gym

Fr: 7:00-8:30pm, gym

Wednesday, March 5

Var: 6:00pm, gym

So: 3:00-4:30pm, gym

Fr: 4:30-6:00pm, gym

Thursday, March 6

Var: 8:30-10:00pm, gym

So: 5:30-7:00pm, gym

Fr: 7:00-8:30pm, gym

Friday, March 7

Var: 3:00-6:00pm, gym

So: Off

Fr: Off

Saturday, March 8

Var: 2:00-4:00pm, gym

So: 8:00-10:00am, gym

Fr: 12:00-2:00pm, gym

Sunday, March 9

Var: 2:00-4:00pm, gym

So: 10:00-12:00pm, gym

Fr: 12:00-2:00pm, gym

Girls Soccer

Monday – Friday

All Levels: 5:00-7:00pm, main gym

March 3 – 7th

Girls Softball

Monday, March 3 All Levels: 10:00am-Noon @ JCA

Tuesday, March 4 All Levels: 3-5:30pm @ JCA

Wednesday, March 5 All Levels: 3-5:30pm @ PWA cages

(PWA – 2725 W. Jefferson St., Joliet)

Thursday, March 6 All Levels: 2:30-5:30pm @ JCA

Friday, March 7 All Levels: 3-5:30pm @PWA cages

Saturday, March 8 All Levels: 10:00am-Noon @ JCA

Sunday, March 9 OFF

Boys Tennis

Tuesday, March 4

3:00pm – 4:00pm

Location: JCA Tennis Courts

Bring racquets and dress accordingly

(If weather is bad, brief meeting in Room 110)

Boys Volleyball

Monday, March 10

All Levels: 3:00-5:30pm, main gym

Tuesday, March 11

All Levels: 3:00-5:30pm, main gym

Wear gym shoes and gym clothes

All athletes must have a current physical on file and be registered for their sport by Monday, March 3rd. You must register per season/per sport. To complete the online sport registration, follow the 3 steps listed below:

Step 1: Get your annual physical exam. Athletes must use the IHSA Physical form that can be found under the Athletic tab on the JCA website, in the drop down, “Sports Physicals.” Physicals are good for 395 days (13 months) per the IHSA. If your athlete participated in a fall and/or winter sport and their physical is current, there is no need to turn in another copy. Physical forms must have the athlete and parent signature.

Step 2: Turn in current sport physical to the main office, or by emailing ddispenza@jca-online.org. Pictures, screen shots, jpeg, jpg, or any other picture format, ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. Only PDF forms will be accepted.

Step 3: Complete online registration at

https://www.gobound.com/il/schools/jolietcatholic

Your registration is not complete until the sports fee is paid.

For specific sport information please contact:

Baseball: Coach Voss at jvoss@jca-online.org

Boys Tennis: Coach Allgood at sallgood@jca-online.org

Boys Volleyball: Coach Budz at jrbudz@jca-online.org

Girls Soccer: Coach Valdez at rolando_1975@yahoo.com

Softball: Coach Kinsella at tkinsella@jca-online.org

The Official JCA Athletics Android/iPhone App! This is great for everyone; Alumni, Families, Students, and JCA Fans! Download today and sign up for notifications!

Class of 2025 Information

Reminders

Senior Parent Committee Meeting

Thursday, March 13th

6:30 p.m. in the Large Chapel

Senior Video

Don’t forget to turn in pictures for the video.

1 baby picture - labeled with name

5-10 group pics from Freshman to Senior year. Please label with name of kids in photo and year

Email to: jcaseniors2025@gmail.com

Questions:

mandykubinski@yahoo.com

815-375-9049

Chipotle Fundraiser for Prom

Date: Tuesday, March 4th

Time: 4pm-8pm

Location: Jefferson St Chipotle (2609 W Jefferson St, Joliet, IL 60435)

Upcoming Events

Greetings to all JCA Families:

This year is the 40^th year for celebrating Jubilate, JCA’s largest fundraising activity consists of silent and live auctions, dinner, dancing, and gambling fun. All funds realized from this event are used to offset the cost of tuition for our JCA students. Our Call for Cash this year is to raise $25,000 to cover 50% of the cost needed to upgrade our school’s website. This upgrade will ensure JCA has a modern, efficient and user-friendly online presence. Jubilate’s Co-Chairs are Kristen & Darrel Swienton and Tracy & Brian Zabel along with a tremendous volunteer parent-led committee.

Our theme this year is JCAsino Royale. The date is Saturday, March 22, 2025, and will consist of a casino evening filled with your chance to roll the dice and hit the jackpot! So let Lady Luck lead you to Bolingbrook Golf Club to support our awesome JCA students. Other ways to be a high roller: contribute an auction item, purchase a $100 cash raffle ticket, donate to the Call for Cash, and of course attend the event ($175 per person)! Please contact Chris Voss at JCA with any questions: cvoss@jca-online.org or 815-773-0784.

For more information, visit Jubilate 2025 | JCAsino Royale

Purchase Jubilate Tickets