School News Logo

September 30, 2022

view as a webpage

This past week was filled with moments that made us burst with pride! Our 8th graders volunteered their time, talent, and love on a field trip with the athletes of the Special Olympics. It was a day full of smiles and memories. Thank you to our St. Barnabas Community for your generous donations for the Maple Morgan Park Food Pantry! On Wednesday our incredible teachers participated in the first ever cross-campus professional development with our neighboring schools, Christ the King and St. Bede. It was an extraordinary experience for all. Our 8th graders heard from the leaders of Catholic Schools in our area as they continue to explore their next adventure after graduating from St. Barnabas! We look forward to seeing everyone at Mass on Saturday to kick off a fantastic Fall Fest! - Mr. Jonathan Stack & Ms. Grace Sadowski 

CALENDAR

 Date

Next Week...

Saturday, October 1

FSA Flower Mum pick up - 10am to 1pm church parking lot

Saturday, October 1

Fall Fest & Big Bucks Raffle - 4pm mass, followed by celebration in parking lot

Tuesday, October 4

St. Francis Pet Blessing, 4pm 

Wednesday, October 5

Parent Teacher Conferences, 4pm - 7pm

Thursday, October 6

11:50 Dismissal, No aftercare

Thursday, October 6

Parent Teacher Conferences, 1pm - 6 pm

Thursday, October 6

FSA Meeting, 7:30pm Innovation Center

Friday, October 7

No School

Monday, October 10

No School


Looking ahead...

Thursday, October 13

Homecoming Student Prep Rally

Friday, October 14

Holy Fire Field Trip, 7th & 8th grade

Friday, October 14

Howl at the Moon

Saturday, October 15

Homecoming Parade & Football Games

ADMINISTRATION

St. Barnabas School Parent Foundation

We are honored to welcome and introduce the St. Barnabas School Parent Foundation. This new foundation is created and managed through the generous spirit of St. Barnabas School families; it is a separate entity from the school and parish. The foundation serves to raise funds for investment in people and programs that enhance the educational experience and opportunities for students and faculty. Check out their new webpage or contact Foundation Chair - Taylor Zator at sbparentfoundation@gmail.com to become involved.

Parent Foundation

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conferences will be held on Wednesday, October 5, from 4pm - 7pm, and Thursday, October 6, from 1pm - 6pm. We look forward to connecting with parents/guardians to discuss our hardworking students’ achievements, progress, and goals. 10-minute conference times may be scheduled online. Parents/guardians are welcome to schedule a meeting with up to two teachers per child. Students in grades 6-8 are highly encouraged to attend the conference with their parents/guardians.

Book Your Conference

Van Gogh School Photographers 

Van Gogh School Photographers took pictures a few weeks ago for grades PK-7. The make-up date for school photos is Thursday, November 3. Families that did not pre-order the photos will have the opportunity to order when images are done being processed. To place an order, keep an eye out for a Van Gogh flyer and ticket code that will come home with your child in the next month. Questions may be directed to VanGogh at 847-382-2282, ext 7.  

Upcoming Long Weekend 

A reminder that next week we will have a long weekend in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day & Columbus Day. Students will dismiss at 11:50am on Thursday, October 6th (aftercare is not available), and classes resume on Tuesday, October 11.

COMMUNICATION

We have heard parent feedback that we need to improve our communication. We hear you, value your insights, and are taking steps to improve our communication. We will work throughout the year to keep parents informed and make continual tweaks and improvements across all communication channels. To that end, this week, we are releasing three new means of connecting with all of you…

School News

St. Barnabas School News is our revised newsletter format. We have transitioned to a web-based format that we hope will be enjoyed by our parents/guardians. St. Barnabas News will be released every Friday, and we ask all parents/guardians to take a few moments to read the update so you can prepare for the school week ahead.

Facebook Group

St. Barnabas School Buckeyes is our newly launched private Facebook group. The purpose of this group is to provide an online forum for current school parents/guardians and staff to exchange information. All members are welcome and encouraged to ask questions, respond, and share information. The administrators of the page are St. Barnabas School staff members - this will allow for timely and accurate clarity on school-related questions. Not all members of our school community are on social media, and this page is not intended to serve as the main line of communication for major school news and announcements but rather as a supplemental means of information sharing

Join the Group

Stay in the Know

Last, but not least, is our communications release “Stay in the Know.” This print piece allows community members easy access to some of our top happenings. Look for the poster of QR codes as a feature in the front window of the Main Entrance and attached in this newsletter.

Stay in the Know

ACADEMICS

Google Classroom and Email

All students at St. Barnabas School have a new email address this year. Email addresses and passwords were shared with parents/guardians via email last weekend. Student emails may be used by parents/guardians to log in and view your child’s Google Classroom and the entire Google Suite. We encourage families to view Google Classroom at least once a week for an overview of their child’s school week, including Week at a Glance, classwork and homework assignments, and class expectations. Any questions regarding passwords and utilizing Google Classroom may be sent to Kathleen Davies, Technology Director, at kdavies@stbarnabasparish.org.

iReady 

Weekly iReady assignments are now being assigned to all students by their ELA and Math teachers. Students are asked to complete 45 minutes (or two lessons) weekly in both Math and ELA. iReady is a valuable component of our curriculum and is mandated by the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools. Incomplete weekly iReady lessons are logged in PowerSchool similar to any other missing homework assignment. 


Beginning of the year iReady Diagnostic scores will be sent to parents/guardians next week, in advance of Parent-Teacher Conferences. Questions regarding performance in iReady can be directed to your child’s Math or ELA teacher.

FAITH & FORMATION

St. Francis Pet Blessing 

The unconditional love we give to and receive from our pets draws us into the circle of life with our Creator. Let us celebrate the bond of creation together! All are invited to bring their furry, feathered, (or even finned!) friends to our annual Pet Blessing on Tuesday, October 4, at 4pm outside the church at St. Barnabas. If your pet is no longer with you or cannot attend, feel free to bring a picture, their leash, or even their bowl.

Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors Wanted

Are you looking to become more involved with the church? The Parish needs Eucharist Ministers and Lectors; please consider joining this rewarding ministry. Inquiries to Deacon Andy Neu, aneu@stbarnabasparish.org.

Ministry Details

EVENTS

Fall Fest - Saturday, October 1

Fall Fest is tomorrow! Don’t miss the parish-wide event, a guaranteed fun evening for all ages. The event starts with 4pm mass, followed by entertainment and the Big Bucks Raffle Drawing in the school parking lot and convent grounds. Event admission is free. Food, drinks, and spirit wear will be available for purchase throughout the night.

Howl at the Moon - Friday, October 14

The Howl at the Moon - Dueling Pianos Event is back. You don’t want to miss this highly entertaining event! $35 ticket ($40 at the door) and cash bar available. The event is open seating, so gather a group or come out on your own and meet your fellow neighbors, school families, and parishioners.

Howl at the Moon
Purchase Tickets

Homecoming - Saturday, October 15

A true celebration of our Buckeye Spirit - homecoming weekend is almost here! The homecoming committee is hard at work planning the details. The parade route and activity updates will be released soon.

Homecoming Game Schedule

FSA

Monthly Meeting

Next FSA meeting is Thursday, October 6 at 7:30 in the Innovation Center. All are welcome!

Flower Mum Pick-up

Pick-up your beautiful fall mums tomorrow, Saturday, October 1 from 10am - 1pm in the church parking lot (smaller lot, west of the church on 101st Place). Same-day purchases are also available (while supplies last) for $13 cash. For questions during pick-up time, text Kate Hogan at 773-648-0715.

mums

ATHLETICS

Pack the House 

Save the Date for the Girls Basketball Pack the House on Friday, October 21. All students and families are welcome to the gym to cheer on our Buckeyes!

Winter Sports Registration

Registration for the winter sports season is almost here! The sign-up for Girls Volleyball (4th through 8th grade) and Boys Basketball (3rd through 8th grade) will run from early October through October 24th. A registration link will be emailed to all families by the Athletic Board.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Pop Tops

Student Council will begin collecting pop tops to support programming for the Ronald McDonald House. Each homeroom will receive a container, and pop tops can be sent to school. This is an easy way to support a wonderful organization. 

Spirit Week

Student Council is hard at work finalizing dress down themes for Spirit Week (October 11 - 14). Stay tuned for more details soon!

Homecoming Pep Rally

The Homecoming Pep Rally will take place on Thursday, October 13th, at 1:45pm. This is a student event, but 8th grade parents/guardians are invited to attend. Parents please check-in at the School Main Office.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Lunch Duty

We welcome volunteers to lunch duty! This is a fun opportunity to see your child and their classmates and help out with supervision. All volunteers must be Archdiocese Complaint (Virtus trained, background checked, and complete mandated reporter training).

Compliance Info
Lunch Duty Signup

Staff Snack and Beverage

Our September was made a lot sweeter by the hospitality of the families that have tirelessly contributed to filling the staff snack and beverage area. Our hearts are full and your generosity is humbling. September donation efforts were led by our 7th and 8th grade families. October we will be connecting with our 5th and 6th grade families to support the efforts. Please keep an eye out for a SignupGenius coming next week to 5th and 6th grade!

THANK YOU

Thank you to our 8th Grade students, 8th grader teachers, Mrs. McGowan and Mrs. Baudo, and Ms. Sadowksi for partnering with the amazing athletes of the Special Olympics for flag football training. It was a truly extraordinary day and the kindness of our students filled us with gratitude.

special olympics pic

ONE Barnabas - We Belong to Each Other

Questions, Comments - Email us.