Dear St. Giles Families,
We had an AWESOME opening week! The steamy weather may have slowed us down a bit but our Faculty, Staff, and Lions rallied! Thank you to everyone for making our return run smoothly. The rooms and hallways are abuzz with activity and learning. It’s like they never left!
I want to take a moment to give a quick shout-out to our faculty and staff – both our veterans and those new to the team. These men and women have worked so hard preparing for the upcoming year. First, we are deeply grateful for our veteran staff members who return to St. Giles School year after year. Their expertise, experience and dedication impact our school community in numerous ways. They are the heartbeat of all that we do! Second, we are thrilled with the energy and enthusiasm that each of our new staff members have brought to their roles. Their teamwork and collaboration, as well as their knowledge of and excitement for their subject matter and classrooms, are wonderful to see and hear in the hallways. We are very confident in the new members of our team and look forward to working with them in the year ahead. So that our families can get to know our new staff members better, we will be featuring them in our Weekly View, highlighting more about their backgrounds, interests and families in the weeks ahead.
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During our opening meetings, we spent time as a team discussing expectations in classrooms, the lunchroom and during recess. All classrooms reviewed these expectations with students during our opening days so that everyone understands what it means to be a Lion. Each classroom has this graphic displayed and teachers will refer to it as needed. If your child(ren) have yet to share this with you, ask them about it!
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Safety
We would like to assure our parents and community of our commitment to safety at St. Giles. If you have come to campus during the day or after school, you know that all visitors must sign in and report to the office prior to going to another building. Our doors remain locked at all times and are monitored by staff at drop off and pick up. We have full camera views of doors and, while we try to recognize all parents, know that when you ring the bell we will ask for your name and how we can help you before buzzing you into the office. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding while we work to keep us all safe.
Back to School Night
Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 7th! Our teachers will be in their classrooms to meet and greet you during our open house from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. I will be in the courtyard along with our Assistant Principal, Kathy Lofgren and our new School Counselor, Pam Wynne. PTO and School Board members will also be in the courtyard to provide information and answer questions about the coming year’s events. PTO will have gently used uniforms for sale and Spirit Wear will be available. Watch for more information closer to the date!
Get Ready for Lion’s Leap!
A St. Giles School tradition for more than three decades – Lion’s Leap – will kick off soon! With the halls decorated and students in spirit wear, classrooms get excited – and ready! – to raise $90,000 and give back to a school that gives so much to us all.
St. Giles Lion's Leap | Save the Dates!
St Giles School families! Our St. Giles Lion's Leap fundraiser is kicking off soon! Look out for more information in the coming weeks. For now, mark your calendars with these key dates! Family and friends are welcome to come watch the fun!
● REGISTRATION OPENS - 09/05/2023 - Register on MYBOOSTER.COM
● St. Giles Lion's Leap Kickoff - 09/19/2023
● 6th-8th Grade Obstacle Course - 9/28/2023
● PreK-5th Grade Fun Run- 9/29/2023
Have a wonderful week!
Meg
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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Thank You Volunteers!
Yesterday was a beautiful day to be out in the neighborhood and Galewoodstock was the place to be! Thank you to Sarah Yaffe and Michele Bibbey who put together everything needed for our booth. There were games for kids and parents volunteered to share all of the good news of St. Giles. Thank you to Natalya and Eddie Harvey, Kelli LaChance, Karl Reinecke, Susan Donahue
Robin Schneider, Margie and Steve Clark, Sarah Yaffe, and Kathleen Sweeney for all of their work throughout the day. A great time was had by all!
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From your SGS School Board
Please join us on August 28th!
Please join us at our first school board meeting of the 2023-2024 school year tomorrow night. Hear updates from Fr. Carl, Meg Bigane, and our committee chairs, and learn more about our initiatives – including updates on our strategic plan – and how you can get involved. All are welcome. We hope to see you there!
SGS School Board Meeting
Monday, August 28, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
McDonough Hall Conference Room
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Join St. Giles School at the Chicago Dogs game!
Friday, September 1st
6:30pm game time
Click on the link below to purchase tickets--you won't want to miss this fun event! Tickets are $16 per person
See you there!!
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New Teacher Spotlight
Mrs. Heather Elwart, Kindergarten
BA Early Childhood Education, Northeastern Illinois University
Favorite Book: The Great Gatsby
Favorite Vacation Spot: Italy and Alaska
Fun Fact: I am a huge Elvis Presley fan (so much so that my dog's name is Memphis)
I live in Brookfield (very close to the zoo) with my husband Brian (we just celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary). We have 2 children. A daughter, Killian and a son, Rowan. After 20 years of teaching Pre-K, I am very excited to be teaching Kindergarten. I am so happy to be a part of the St. Giles family!
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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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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 the updated registration information below if you have had trouble logging in.
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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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Let's Start a Coding Club!
Is your Lion interested in coding? No previous experience required! Ms. Kroeker would like to gauge interest in stating a Coding Club for students in grades 1st -8th. Please complete the interest survey below and additional information will be forthcoming.
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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 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 |
Greetings Lion Families!
I hope everyone had an enjoyable first week of school, despite the scorching temperatures … Thankfully it has cooled down a bit!
We are a week away from kicking off and running into the fall sports season!
The Fall Sports Parent Meeting was held this past Wednesday. If you were unable to attend, please review the information presented below. The deck has also been shared to the new Athletic website.
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If you have not signed up to receive text notifications from the Athletic Program, please do so below: |
The St. Giles Athletic Program offers many opportunities for families to get involved:
Please consider 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!
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me!
Go Lions!
Thank you!
Sean Clancy
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News & Noteworthy Bulletin |
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Mark your calendars for our first PTO meeting of the year! Please join us on Tuesday, September 12th at 8:30 am in the McDonough Conference Room.
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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8th grade parents--in case you missed the special eNews regarding high school and scholarship information, click below! |
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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Fenwick High School News
Future Friar Shadow Days
Get the Fenwick Friar experience by signing up to be a Friar for a day. Future Friar Shadow Days are open to current 8th graders during Fall of 2023! Click on the image below for details and registration information.
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Upcoming CCW events
September 2 at 8:30am: Monthly Feeding the Community (at Beyond Hunger).
September 26, 2023 at 7:00pm: Book club discussing Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor, Parish Center living room. Contact Jackie Carey at jackie@jmcarey.com for more information.
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