Dear St. Giles Families,
iReady – Thank you!
Thank you for your encouragement and support of your Lions as we complete our first iReady Diagnostic. This week any students who were absent or may need additional time will wrap up their testing. As a reminder, we will celebrate our completion on Thursday, September 21st with an all-school spirit wear day! Our teachers will be diving into the data over the next few weeks to focus our curriculum on intervention for critical areas and provide advanced enrichment for those students who need additional challenges in the classroom.
Lion’s Leap is here!
This week is our kickoff to Lion’s Leap! You’ll find more information below this letter and your Lions will bring home additional details on Tuesday. How can you get involved? Great question! There are plenty of volunteer opportunities for Lion’s Leap below so be sure to check them out and sign up today!
So, how can you help?
Though our focus is often on our students and how they can get involved and what it means to be a Lion, as we begin a new school year it is good to consider what it means to be a Lion Parent.
We love and appreciate all that our parents do for St. Giles School and we know that it is a choice and sacrifice, every day, to send your children to Catholic school. With great pride I can share that our parents are our greatest supporters and it is a privilege to work with our parent community to make this school the best it can be and a home-away-from-home for everyone. And whether I’m in a meeting with parent leadership from PTO or our School Board, with a new family excited to be a part of our school or a prospective parent wondering what the parent experience at St. Giles is like, I am often asked: How can I help? How can I be involved in my child’s activities? How can I meet other parents? How can I make a difference in my child’s education and a difference at St. Giles?
Volunteering is a big part of St. Giles School and your child’s education. Frankly, we couldn’t do it without our volunteers! One of the beautiful things about a small, Catholic school is that parents can be fully engaged in their children’s education and can make things happen. From supporting our various events to joining a committee to purchasing and dropping off supplies, there are so many ways to get involved. And, if you can get involved, we truly ask you to do so.
We suggest that each family strives to donate 10 hours of volunteer time during the school year to help us reach our goals of creating a vibrant, engaged and rigorous learning experience for our Lions. Working with PTO and our School Board, we are making volunteering simple for our parents and with your busy schedules in mind. There will be opportunities to come outside of school to help with efforts like reshelving books in the library, chances to come into the building like chaperoning a field trip or dance, or donating items rather than hours by dropping a case of water for Pack the Park. No time to come to school? No problem! We have opportunities for parents to complete projects at home or online as well.
Now, please know we understand that not every family has the same amount of time to give, and perhaps families will have more time to give during certain times of the year than others. I shudder to think of what home calendars look like and marvel at the many tasks our parents accomplish in a single day. The driving to and from activities alone is exhausting! Time is such a precious resource for everyone and we know life is busy. But we hope that you will be able to share some time with us to make our school a better place.
Finally, just as we care for our students, our goal is to make sure no parent is ever alone, and volunteering isn’t the only way to be a part of the community. Please remember we have many social activities, like our Great Grade Parties, to help you meet others and feel a part of things. We encourage you to get involved now – you are a part of St. Giles and we are so glad you’re here! Watch this space and the PTO eNews for these opportunities and much, much more.
Get excited for Lion’s Leap!
Have a wonderful week,
Meg
Spiritwear
Looking for Spiritwear for Thursday’s Spirit Wear Day? Visit our Online Store located in the Family Portal section of the website. Order by Tuesday, the 19th, at noon and your order will be sent home on Wednesday.
Reminder: There is no school on Friday, September 22nd. Teachers will be participating in our first Archdiocesan Staff Development Day. Enjoy the three day weekend!
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Lions Get Ready to LEAP!
This is the week! Tuesday is our kickoff for Lion's Leap. Tuesday, students will be introduced to this year’s theme, “World Changer Workshop,” which will inspire them to be change agents and handle the challenges they will face as they grow. Take a look at this video that will help you understand the process and registration. We will keep you updated on the progress throughout the program. Don’t forget to share on your social media platforms with friends and family – there are additional prizes available for shares. Two years ago, one of our families won a family trip to Disney World!
How It Works
Students solicit pledges and donations for minutes they’ll complete in the upcoming obstacle course (September 28 for 6th-8th graders) and fun run (September 29 for PreK-5th graders). Boosterthon is our fundraising partner and helps us operate all aspects of Lion’s Leap. You’ll find everything you need to know on Mybooster.com– the online hub for collecting donations and tracking progress. Once you register your Lions, they can begin soliciting donations from friends and family based on a per-minute pledge or lump-sum donations (which will automatically be converted into per minute).
How Do We Keep Everyone Motivated?
Homeroom teachers will set goals to motivate all students with opportunities to earn theme days like crazy hair day, mismatched sock day, out of uniform days, etc. Units also have challenges to meet–the homeroom in each unit that raises the most funds at the end of Lion’s Leap wins a pizza lunch with Miss Bigane served in our outdoor classroom! At the end of our Lion’s Leap, if we reach our overall school goal, the top fundraiser in each unit will win the opportunity to Pie the Principal! (insert pic from last year)
Looking for Volunteers
We are looking for parent volunteers for both events, the middle school obstacle course on September 28th and PreK-5 fun run on September 29th. Are you able to volunteer? Please click on the link below to join us for fun filled days!
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Let's Celebrate Fr. Carl!
Fr. Carl is being honored with the Service Award by Trinity High School at their annual Bal Dominique on Friday, November 10th! We are very excited to celebrate with Fr. Carl at this special event. If you'd like to attend, tickets are still available by clicking on the image below. We hope you can join us to congratulate Fr. Carl and thank him for all he does for so many!
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Service Award
Rev. Carl Morello
Pastor of Ascension and St. Edmund Parish & St. Catherine-St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish
In addition to the many ways he has served the Trinity community through his sacred work and leads his neighborhood parishes, he has also been very involved recently in a new initiative "Housing Forward" providing warm and safe housing in Oak Park during the winter.
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Advocacy training will be held at St. Catherine/St. Lucy on September 25th at 6:00 pm in their Tutoring Center near the gym. Representatives from Empower Illinois will be there to help explain what we can do to help our legislators know that this program is vital and we need it to continue.
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We anticipate the lawn signs will arrive this week and will let you know when they are available for pick up. |
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New Teacher Spotlight
Ms. Terrie Kroeker, Technology Teacher, K-8
BS of Computer Information Systems, DeVry Tech MS Elementary ED, University of Phoenix
Favorite Movie: Wizard of Oz
Favorite Vacation Spot: Woodhaven
Fun Fact: I love to crochet
I am an experienced and passionate Chicago resident with strong ties to the area. I have five children, and six grand kids, seven great grand kids, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. On top of that, I am an avid crocheter and have crafted many Halloween hats/costumes. At St. Giles, I look forward to making new connections and helping out in any way possible.
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Greetings Lion Families,
The Cross Country and Soccer teams are off to fantastic starts to their seasons!
The Cross Country team participated in their third season meet this past weekend! Congratulations to all the runners who ran around the grounds of Marmion Academy in Aurora yesterday! Perfect running weather!
All four Soccer teams continue to play well in the early going - The 5th-8th grade level teams are looking solid! Each group is coming together nicely as a team unit. Collectively, the program has not yet taken a loss! Way to Go!Home games are played at Field and Taylor Parks - Come on out and support our Lions!
Schedules and Calendar can be found on the Athletic website: TeamSideline
Due to some syncing issues, the calendars may have displayed incorrect information last week.
(Clarification messages were sent.)
The information on TeamSideline’s Grade Level Team Sites is always the most accurate and up-to-date - both on the ‘Team Home’ page and under the ‘Events’ tab.
Girls' Basketball Registration is NOW OPEN! Coaching opportunities are available - Please contact me if you are interested!
Stay tuned for Boys Basketball Registration coming later this month!
Reminders:
Please consider becoming a member of the Athletic Advisory Committee (AAC). Contact Sean Clancy or Kristen Reale for more information.
If you have not signed up to receive text alerts from the Athletic Program, please do so here: Notifications Sign-up
The St. Giles Athletic Program always welcomes your feedback! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me!
A reminder that ALL student-athletes require a sports physical in order to participate in athletics this year - More information can be found on the Athletic website: TeamSideline
Thank you and Go Lions!
Sean Clancy
The Week Ahead in Athletics
Soccer
Monday 09/18/2023 4:00 PM Taylor Giles 5 v Ascension 5
Tuesday 09/19/2023 4:00 PM Field Giles 7 v Lukes 8
Wednesday 09/20/2023 4:15 PM Centennial Lukes 6 v Giles 6
Wednesday 09/20/2023 5:15 PM Centennial Lukes 7 v Giles 7
Thursday 09/21/2023 6:30 PM Veterans Field (FP) Ascension 6 v Giles 5
Thursday 09/21/2023 4:30 PM Primary DP 6 v Giles 6
Thursday 09/21/2023 5:30 PM Primary DP VAR v Giles 8
Friday 09/22/2023 4:30 PM Freedom Leonards JV v Giles 5
Saturday 09/23/2023 9:00 AM Veterans Field (FP) RF2 v Giles 7
Saturday 09/23/2023 9:30 AM Veterans Park (NR) Marys 7 v Giles 8
Saturday 09/23/2023 10:30 AM Veterans Park (NR) Marys 5 v Giles 6
Saturday 09/23/2023 4:00 PM Veterans Field (FP) Ascension 8 v Giles 8
Saturday 09/23/2023 6:00 PM Veterans Field(FP) Lukes 5 v Giles 6
(NR) = North Riverside
(FP) = Forest Park
Cross Country
9/16 9:00 am Meet #4 Round Barn Invitational (not that one!) - More info to follow!
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Trinity High School News
Shadow Visits
Please have a look at the information below for a special athlete shadow day for 8th grade girls on Tuesday, September 26th.
Students can sign up at the link below.
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TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES
Hello, Future! From the minute a student walks through the door at Trinity, she will be on a path to her future. She will plan, discover, collaborate, and develop confidence to become the best version of herself! Join us for Trinity's Open House ~ on Tuesday, October 3, and Sunday, October 15~ and see how, after four years, a student will confidently be able to say, Hello, Future!
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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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St. Patrick High School News
Shadow Days are now available! Click on the graphic below to register for an upcoming shadow day and be sure to check out our Open House!
St. Pat's has an all-new Career and Technical Education department in which our young men can discover pathways for engineering, manufacturing, technology, trades, civil service, business development, arts and communication. This complements our college prep and advancement placement programs as well. We believe that every young man is a unique learner and we want to prepare them for whatever they feel is their next step post high school.
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Hephzibah Kids Resale Event
Be sure to check out Hephzibah's kids resale event. This sale not only benefits a great local organization but also is a great resource for local families looking for clothing at an affordable price and in an eco-friendly way!
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Does your child like to sing? Pro Musica Youth Chorus is looking for children who would like to sing. Come to a Tuesday rehearsal to find out more about it! Email promusicachorus@gmail.com for more details
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Kids Unlimited has their fall calendar available now! Check out their offerings below or visit their website for full details of all available services. |
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