Celebrations or news to share? 
Please contact Erin Holmes at eholmes@sfhscollegeprep.org

Be there TONIGHT -- Friday, October 2 -- for two Spartan traditions in one: Senior Night and Teacher Appreciation. Cheer on our incredible soccer team, hit up the Food Truck for brisket tacos and grilled cheese, and applaud our seniors and teachers.

5:45 p.m.: Senior Intros

6:00 p.m.: Varsity Soccer vs. Nazareth 
(Halftime: Players' teachers escorted on field)

All Night: Fernando's Street Kitchen

Saturday, October 3

5:00 to 7:00 p.m. (Italian Dinner and Kids' Activities)

7:30 p.m. (Transitus Procession and Feast Day Vigil Mass)

St. Francis H.S. Campus

Join us as we celebrate the 800th Easter of Saint Francis by coming together with our entire Spartan community for an evening of fun and fellowship.

Dinner is $12 per person and is served in the Student Union. If coming for the Procession and Mass only, please meet outside the Learning Resource Center (Door 1). Vigil Mass will follow the Procession in the Spyglass Athletic Center.

Registration is encouraged; please use the QR code above or click here.

SFHS is going pink!

The Advancement Team will sell pink t-shirts during lunch periods next Tuesday - Thursday (October 6 through October 8) as part of a coordinated fundraiser to benefit the Loyola Medicine Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center. The cost is $15 each.

We encourage everyone to wear pink at home games: volleyball vs. Montini on Tuesday, October 6 and football vs. Notre Dame on Friday, October 9. T-shirts will be for sale during the games; there also is an opportunity to order online and pick up later.

Let's attack breast cancer together!

Monday, October 5

6:30 p.m.

Rosmonowski Room

Planning is underway for our "Back to the Future"-themed Ensuring Our Future Auction, and we are seeking parents willing to help make the event as big a success as the hit Michael J. Fox film. This year's theme celebrates 70 years of St. Francis High School and our continued commitment to making student futures bright.

We are asking parents to get involved by:


• Joining auction committees
• Donating auction items or experiences
• Helping secure sponsorships
• Sharing talents, connections, or creative skills
• Attending the event and hosting a table with friends

Anyone interested in helping should attend the October 5 meeting. We will serve a specialty cocktail and appetizers as we continue brainstorming. The auction is our biggest fundraiser of the year and secures funding for the future of SFHS.

Please use this link to sign up to volunteer.

Save the Date: The auction is Saturday, March 6 at the Sheraton Lisle Naperville Hotel.

For more information, contact Gina Griffin at ggriffin@sfhscollegeprep.org.

The SFHS Freshman Day of Service is Friday, October 9 (Institute Day).

Participating freshmen will participate in a morning of reflection and service at Feed My Starving Children in Schaumburg; this counts for three hours of service. Students should meet in the Spyglass Athletic Center by 7:40 a.m. They will return by noon.

Full details were emailed to freshman families this past Wednesday.

For questions or more information, please contact Maribeth Giovenco at mgiovenco@sfhscollegeprep.org or Michael Page at mpage@sfhscollegeprep.org.

Starting Wednesday, October 14, AP® students are asked for a final commitment on taking an AP® exam in May. AP® exams are optional.

In making this decision, please keep in mind:

• The total cost per exam is $110. This includes the additional charge to pay for proctors and exam expenses.
• Students wanting to take an AP® exam are given a registration sheet and need to submit a check made payable to St. Francis High School to the Counseling Office between October 14 and 23.
• Seniors should check with their potential colleges regarding AP® policies on granting college credit at www.collegeboard.com.
• AP® exams are scored on a scale of 1-5. Some colleges grant credit for a 3 or better. However, many only grant credit for a score of 4 or 5.
• Click here for 2026 Exam Dates

Questions? Please see Adam Lindley or talk with your AP® instructor.

Grandparents Day for SFHS Seniors is Friday, October 16. An invitation with further information was sent to senior parents last week. Use this link to register.

Seventy years ago, on November 11, 1956, ground was broken on a dream shared by 741 founding families from seven parishes to build a co-institutional Catholic high school for the young men and women of our area.

To honor our anniversary, we are moving Day of Giving to November 11 — the date it all began.

You make St. Francis High School possible. Please save the new date to participate on November 11, our Day of Giving, and help us carry our 70-year legacy -- seven decades of academic excellence and faithful service in the Francis Way -- boldly into the future.

Learn more about our history and share your own stories here.

Get your passport ready! The SFHS 2027 Spring Trip, an excursion for Spartan parents and other adults in our community, is an Alpine Adventure to Bavaria, Austria and Swiss Lakes. The trip, led by former SFHS Golden Apple French Teacher Sue Koenitz Harsa and assisted by Peg Kopec, former SFHS Physical Education Teacher and Hall of Fame Volleyball Coach, is Sunday, May 30 to Monday, June 7, 2027.

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Space is limited to 25 participants. Book your spot now!

Please contact Peg Kopec at pkopec@sfhscollegeprep.org. 

The Francis Way represents SFHS' four core commitments: Nurturing Relationships, Serving Others, Seeking Wisdom and Encouraging Peace. Throughout our school community, we consistently see evidence of The Francis Way.

This week, we applaud all the ways our students modeled these commitments as part of our Francis Week. On Monday, religion classes grabbed the sidewalk chalk and created joyful art across our campus honoring Saint Francis' love of nature.

The week also included a campus-cleaning service project, prayer and reflection in the chapel, and peace pledges created during lunch periods.

Our National Honor Society was recently recognized as a Chapter of Distinction! This national honor highlights our commitment to leadership, service, and upholding the pillars of NHS through meaningful impact in our school and community.

"The NHS Chapter of Distinction Award celebrates chapters that truly embody what the National Honor Society stands for," National Principals Association CEO Ronn Nozoe said. "The St. Francis High School chapter demonstrates how powerful it can be when young leaders channel their talents toward meaningful service and positive change."

Congratulations to our Girls and Boys Golf teams for taking 1st (Girls) and 2nd (Boys) place at IHSA 1A Regionals!

Special kudos to Hannah G., who took home the 1st place individual medal, Mary Jo C., who placed 5th individually, and Matt C., who placed 4th individually.

So proud of our Spartans!

Next stop for both teams: IHSA Sectionals on Monday, October 5.

Eager to give back? The Mothers' Club, which supports SFHS and our Spartan students, is seeking additional help for volunteer shifts and committees. This includes selling Spartanwear and representing the Club at prospective student events.

View all volunteer options and sign up for a slot here.

End of Uniform Shorts Season: Beginning Monday, October 5, uniform shorts are no longer permitted and may not be worn again until the spring uniform period. Students should make sure they have the required Schoolbelles uniform pants ready to go. If you need additional pants, please order now to allow time for delivery. The uniform order information is available in mySFHS within the Dean's Tile.

October 22 Testing Day: Thursday, October 22 is a Testing Day for sophomores and juniors. Information was communicated in an email and again in a previous Weekly Spartan. As a reminder, seniors do not report to school that day; freshmen are on a retreat, with more information communicated by the Pastoral Ministry Team.

Seniors - Meningitis Vaccine: All seniors must submit proof of the second dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Many students receive this on or around their 16th birthday. Please check your student’s health immunization record to ensure it is completed. If a second dose is needed, please schedule it soon and upload proof of immunization to Magnus Health under the Child Health Immunization Form field.

Executive Functioning Workshop - This hands-on workshop is open to students in grades 6-12 and their parents. It will be held 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 6 in the Robinson Family Learning Center. Cost is $65 per student/parent team. Use this link to sign up. Many students need help improving executive functioning skills like organization, time management, studying, and note-taking. Students should bring their Surface Pro). Questions? Email Angelika Rupp at arupp@sfhscollegeprep.org or Colleen Gronkiewicz from Nurturing Wisdom at colleen@nurturingwisdom.com

Blood Drive - It’s time to roll up your sleeves! 💪 Thursday, November 19 is our annual Blood Drive and we're challenging our students to show just how big of an impact the Spartan community can make! Students over the age of 16 are eligible to donate (with parental consent). This is also open to our community at large.

February 2 is our biennial Young Hearts for Life Screening. We are thrilled to offer this program again to all students. Details are forthcoming. We rely on parent volunteers to make it possible. Please mark your calendars and join us for a full or half day.

Opt-In for Text Messages: In the event of an inclement weather schedule change or emergency, we send text message notifications to parents in addition to an email and phone call. Parents must opt-in to receive text messages. Text "Yes" to 79041 and then save the number as SFHS in your contacts so you don't miss the message.

Lunch Menu: Located in mySFHS within the Resource Board in the Food Service tile.

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