Dear St. Giles Families,
Welcome to the 2023-24 school year!
I’d like to share our theme for this school year: Shine Like the Stars! Along with this theme goes this passage, He counts the stars and calls them by name, Psalm 147:4. Our theme will be present in all we do: our Masses, our buddy activities, our events and our day-to-day learning. We are truly blessed to have each and every one of you partnering with us this year and look forward to a wonderful start of school! Let’s make our stars shine!
Our opening day is finally here! We are so excited to have you all on campus Tuesday and can’t wait to see you. We’ve been busy getting our curriculum and classrooms ready all to prepare for a terrific year with all of our Lions. For those of you who are new to St. Giles, we welcome you – and promise it will feel like home in no time! Remember, doors open at 8:00 a.m. and students must arrive by 8:15 a.m. when the doors close.
Parents often gather on the sidewalks as students enter the buildings on Tuesday – we look forward to returning to our first day gathering and photo ops!
We will dismiss at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday to ease back into the year. Kids Klub is available beginning Tuesday morning! Wednesday, as is every Wednesday, is also a 2:00 pm dismissal.
Scroll down for a few reminders about our first week, including morning drop-off locations. Please review our traffic map; we strongly encourage, especially on the first few days, that families consider parking off Linden and Columbian and walking your Lions to their drop-off locations. Kindergarten - 4th grade parents, please read the information below regarding important safety reminders during drop off and pick up.
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Be sure to check out our calendar for important dates, where you’ll see many events and traditions. Events are listed on the calendar found on the school website in the Family Portal. Finally, be sure to visit our Family Portal for everything you need. We know you may have questions as we begin the new school year–don’t hesitate to contact me or Heather Kroll in the office at office@stgilesschool.org.
Finally, thank you for partnering with us in the education of your children and for your patience as we share important information and roll out our procedures for the year. This is such an exciting time of year for us and we cannot wait to get started!
Enjoy these last days of summer and we look forward to seeing everyone Tuesday!
Happy New School Year!
Meg
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P. S. Is there a grandparent, family member or caregiver you'd like to receive our Weekly View? Please email their contact information to office@stgilesschool.org and we will make sure they stay connected.
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Galewoodstock Volunteers Needed!
St. Giles School is proud to sponsor the third annual Galewoodstock event on Saturday, August 26 from 12-8 p.m. at Sayre Language Academy. This family-friendly, free event features live music, food trucks and kids activities. The St. Giles booth is looking for volunteers to help facilitate games and share information about our school and community with festival attendees. Shifts are 1.5 hours each. Take a look at the sign-up here and please consider donating your time!
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SAVE THE DATE!
Join St. Giles School at the Chicago Dogs game!
Friday, September 1st
6:30pm game time
Link to purchase tickets will be shared this week. See you there!!
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What Supplies Do I Bring on Tuesday?
Please bring the class supplies you will need for the day; folders, notebooks, pens, etc. Please bring a water bottle! We do not have cups to distribute for water.
We know that there are a lot of supplies to carry, especially for our little Lions. Supplies may be brought in throughout the week.
Can I Ride My Bike to School?
YES! We encourage our Lions to ride their bikes but please remember our safety rules. Helmets must be work at all times and bikes must be locked either on the bike racks along Columbian or on the playground.
Students biking to and from school need to use extra caution on the streets, especially during drop off and pick up.
DRIVERS: Please use extra caution during drop off and pick up watching for pedestrians and bike riders.
Do we wear our uniforms on the first day?
Yes, all students should be in full uniform on the first day of school. As a reminder, please review the uniform code; bermuda navy uniform shorts are appropriate under the uniform code and may be worn until October. PE classes will meet on Tuesday but students do not need to have PE uniforms given that they do not yet know their PE schedule.
What if uniforms are on backorder?
No need to panic! If uniforms are not available, students may wear bermuda shorts or pants, with a collared shirt or an appropriate length skirt/dress. We are working with Dennis Uniforms to ensure all orders are fulfilled quickly!
Please take some time before the first day of school to check the length of uniform skirts–skirt length should not exceed two inches above the knee. We know our Lions get taller over the summer and skirts will need to be lengthened prior to the first day of school.
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Photo/Academic Work Permission Form
On occasion, St. Giles School uses photos and/or academic work of students in school/parish publications to share information about the school. School publications include, but are not limited to: the website, school yearbook, student academic work, advertisements, annual reports, posters, newsletters, parish bulletins, social media and other public relations material.
In addition, local news organizations may hear of our activities , and our school may invite or allow them to photograph or record our events.
Please download and complete this form only if you do NOT want your child’s photo or work published in any format.
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Back to School Coffee....
Join us on the first day of school immediately following drop off, for coffee in the courtyard, under the canopy between the church and the Frawley building. Stop by and chat with fellow parents. This will be your opportunity to sign up for PTO committees (including room parents). We hope to see you there.
Becky Mongiat and Jen Wuest
PTO Co-Presidents
Please note – Dismissal Schedule for the week:
Tuesday, August 22nd, 2:00 pm
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2:00 pm (and every Wednesday hereafter)
Thursday & Friday, August 24th-25th, 3:10 pm
**½ day PreK dismissal at 11:15 am daily
Kids Klub will be available before and after school beginning Tuesday. Please register here if you have not already.
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Marla's Lunch
Lunch Service Begins August 28th
Marla’s Lunch is the daily lunch option ordered and paid through and served by external provider, Marla’s Brown Bag Lunch. Marla’s is available every day except on PTO-sponsored Fun Lunch days. Vendors that deliver lunches can be found below. Online ordering will open on August 18th at marlaslunch.boonli.com. Marla’s Lunch service will begin on Monday, August 28. New users, please see the flyer below for more information and school code. Please note there will be no Marla’s or fun lunch the first week of school.
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Important School Reminders |
Parent Volunteer Compliance
At St. Giles School, we LOVE our volunteers – because we couldn’t do what we do without you! We welcome parent involvement and there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved in your child’s life as a Lion this year.
In order to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, the Archdiocese requires volunteers to complete several compliance requirements. Some need to be done only once, while others need to be completed more frequently or annually. If you are new to volunteering in the Archdiocese, you must complete everything. If you are a returning volunteer, you can log into Virtus to see which requirements are due.
Contact Heather Kroll with any questions. She will ensure your compliance and verify that you are able to volunteer at St. Giles.
Parent Volunteer Compliance
Compliance Requirements:
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Register in Virtus Online
Select “Chicago - Archdiocese”
Select “St. Giles School” (not Parish) for location.
Select "Volunteer" as role
Complete the criminal background check online (Updated every 3 years)
Sign the Archdiocese Standards of Behavior (Updated every year)
Complete the online class "Protecting God's Children" or the online renewal class "Keeping the Promise Alive" (Updated every 3 years)
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Complete the Cants 689 (DCFS background check - updated every year) - return to office.
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Complete the Mandated Reporter online class (updated every 3 years) - email the completed certificate to office.
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Complete the Cants 22 (Mandated Reporter Acknowledgement - updated every 3 years) - return to office.
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Student Medical Forms Due
Student Medical Forms are NOW DUE for All New Students, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 6th Grade and all Interscholastic Sports Participants. Please refer to the Information and Resources section of the family portal for details. Submit forms to medicalrecords@stgilesschool.org or in the school office.
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Fall Enrichment is Looking for our Lions!
Fall Enrichment Registration Begins Monday, August 21st! Are your Lions looking to try something new? Would they like to return to after school favorites? Be sure to check our after school enrichment offerings for this fall. Students can choose from some of our returning favorites; Infinity Arts, Legacy Sports, Chess Ed, Scratch Games, and Wonder Robotics.
Sign up for one, or more than one! Registration opens up Monday, August 21st and will be available until the day before the first day of camp. Below, please find the link to register. We have moved to a new system and have some new classes so be sure to check them out. Contact Mr. Siwek at ssiwek@stgilesschool.org if you have any questions!
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Beginner Band Members!
As band registration opens up, please review the following message from Mr. Gloppen if you are going into BEGINNER band.
***IMPORTANT**I need to meet all students with a parent in the week(s) prior to the start of the class to help with choosing and fitting them to an instrument. This meeting is usually 15-30 minutes.
I am offering three days to meet with students, August 23rd, August 30th and Sept 6th after school from 2:30-5:00 PM...please call or text me at the number below to make an appointment with me on one of those days. If none of those days are convenient, please call and I will try to find you a time to meet.
Bob Gloppen
773-209-7134
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From the Athletic Director |
Welcome Back Lion Families!
As we welcome the beginning of a new Academic year, we also anticipate the start of a new Athletic year … and Fall Sports are upon us!
St. Giles provides two interscholastic offerings for the fall season: Co-Ed Soccer (Grades 5th-8th) and Co-Ed Cross Country (Grades 5th-8th).
Soccer participates in two leagues: Classic League and Forest Park League - Games begin the first week of September. Cross Country will have 5 meets this year; every Saturday of September.
A reminder that Fall Sports Registration closes on August 25, 2023, for both offerings.
A Few Notes
- We are still in need of a few 5th grade soccer players (specifically, we are looking to recruit a few female players to round out the co-ed squad).
- The 5th grade Soccer team is also in need of a parent/teacher/staff/adult who can assist with coaching the 5th Grade Soccer Team
- The Cross Country team is looking for a couple more runners (any grade) and a Coach.
On that note …
The St. Giles Athletic Program offers many opportunities for families to get involved: Volunteering, Participation in Planning/Attending Events, Coaching (Head or Assistant), and/or becoming a Member of the Athletic Advisory Committee (AAC).
Please let me know how you would like to get engaged. The St. Giles Athletic Program always welcomes your feedback!
Special Event: The Fall Sports Parent meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, in McDonough Hall from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. This is a mandatory event for all families that are registered for fall sports.
Please visit the new St. Giles Athletic website at the link below. (Bookmark it!) The site is still under construction; content continues to be added daily.
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I look forward to an exciting year for our students/athletes and their families. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me!
Thank you!
Sean Clancy
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News & Noteworthy Bulletin |
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We have so many opportunities available for parents to get involved as little or as much as they would like. If you are interested in getting involved with the PTO feel free to send us an email at pto@stgilesschool.org.
Is there a grandparent, family member or caregiver you'd like added to the PTO email list? Please contact us at pto@stgilesschool.org.
Uniform Resale
Thank you to all those who came out to shop July's Uniform Resale and support the PTO. What a success!
Due to the overwhelming demand, we need to restock all of our inventory in order to be able to support families at our yearly Back to School Night sale. Cleaning out your closets? Clothes outgrown? Please consider donating all items to the office.
Interested in volunteering with the Uniform Resale Committee? We would love to have you.
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Trinity High School News
Future Blazer Art Workshop
Trinity invites interested young women to join them for an art workshop on Saturday, September 9th. Click on the image below for registration information.
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