FSA Skating Party Tonight!

All school families are invited to the annual FSA skating party tonight at 5:30pm in the parking lot. Students are welcome on rollerblades (or skates) and scooters. Helmets are strongly encouraged! Thank you to Carly Hurd and Katie Rao for coorindating this fun evening for all.

Coffee League Soccer

Coffee League "Saturday Soccer" begins this weekend. The rosters and schedule can be found on the soccer BLOG. Buckeyes, enjoy your first Saturday soccer session!

Commissioning Mass This Weekend

This Sunday, September 10, is Catechetical Sunday, and we invite you all to "Pack the Pews" for a special Commissioning Mass at 10am in the Church. The mass invites all who teach and lead in our school and parish to share in a special blessing. This includes all coaches, parent volunteers, auxiliary members, and eucharistic ministers. We are so grateful for the vital role each of you plays in our faith community.

Lunch Volunteers

We love Lunch Volunteers! Volunteering for Lunch Duty is a great way to experience time with the students and is also a help to our teachers and administrators. Lunch in the Main Building is coordinated in three different periods throughout the day: Grades 6-8, Grades 3-5, and Grades K-2. Volunteering at the preschool is coordinated directly through the PK teachers. Volunteer slots will be provided two weeks at a time and linked in School News. Thank you for your help!

• Volunteer during the Week of September 11
• Volunteer during the Week of September 18

Concussion Screening

We are happy to announce that we have partnered with SportsBrain to help manage concussion assessments for the student-athletes at St. Barnabas School. Illinois law requires that each school has concussion protocols in place. Earlier this week, most grade 3 - 8 students participated in concussion baseline testing; you may read more about the concussion protocol HERE.

Viral Social Media Challenges

With social media challenges, users often record themselves performing dramatic, funny, or risky actions. At times, social media challenges can draw a large amount of attention, and popular events often appeal to children’s natural curiosity. While some challenges portray a positive message, such as raising awareness for philanthropic missions, kind behavior, or a fun dance, others can pose a risk by encouraging dangerous behavior, such as consuming harmful items or unsafe physical actions.

With the increased accessibility and virality of TikTok and other trends, we encourage all parents/guardians to talk to their children about what they like to do online, what kind of videos they are watching, and who they follow online.

Student Council Induction

We were honored to bless the new Student Council for the 2023-24 school year at our school mass this week. Thank you to Student Council Moderators Mrs. McGowan and Ms. O'Neill, and Director of Faith Formation, Mr. Patrick McGowan, for planning the beautiful mass. We look forward to a wonderful year with our dedicated student leaders.

iReady Diagnostic Testing Next Week

Next week, students in grades K - 8 will complete their beginning-of-the-year iReady Diagnostic testing. The Math Diagnostic will take place on Monday and Tuesday, and the ELA Diagnostic will take place on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday will serve as a make-up day.

iReady is an assessment tool administered throughout all of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic grammar schools. The diagnostic is completed three times per year: at the beginning of the year, in the middle, and at the year’s end.

The week of September 18, students will complete the curriculum-based Savvas/HMH assessments.

Homecoming

Next week, we celebrate Homecoming! Many thanks to our Student Council, Football and Cheer Coordinators, Homecoming Committee, and the Men's Club for working to make this memorable weekend of school spirit happen!

DRESS DOWN & PEP RALLY - Friday, September 15

We will celebrate with an all-school Pep Rally at 1:45pm in the gym. 8th-grade parents are invited to attend the Pep Rally; visitors, please check in at the Main Office before entering the gym. All students are invited to dress in St. Barnabas spirit wear or team jerseys paired with school-appropriate bottoms (jeans, shorts, athletic pants).

GAME DAY - Saturday, September 16

The game day activities start with a car parade with our football and cheer athletes traveling through the neighborhood (route and timing details will be released next week!). Then the Buckeyes will take on Most Holy Redeemer. The 4th grade game kicks off at 12pm, JV at 1:30pm, and Varsity at 3pm. Come cheer on this fantastic group of athletes!

VOLUNTEERS

The Men's Club is in need of volunteers to help with one-hour shifts throughout the day. If you are available to help, please contact Pat Wirtz at [email protected] or 312-286-0722. 

SPIRIT WEAR

Spirit Wear is available for purchase through the FSA's BUCKEYE SHOP. Please direct any questions to Meg Kreiter at [email protected]. 

Student Birthdays!

We love celebrating student birthdays and wanted to share a few reminders regarding celebrations.

• Out of Uniform: On or near their birthday, students are permitted to be out of uniform, in school-appropriate casual or dress-style apparel.  
• Food Treats: St. Barnabas School does not allow edible treats in the classrooms to protect all children with allergies and promote healthy lifestyle choices. Please do not send edible food to share with the class on birthdays. 
• Invitation Etiquette: Students may only pass out invitations at school if all classmates are invited.

School Picture Day

School Pictures Day, by Van Gogh School Photographers, is Monday, September 18, for students in PK - Grade 7 (Grade 8 class pictures will happen on October 18). Van Gogh encourages the pre-ordering of photo packages.

This week, students brought home an informational flyer from Van Gogh, also linked HERE. Or visit the Van Gogh SITE and enter our School Event Code 20051501 to place your order.

Big Bucks Raffle

Congrats to our Early Bird Drawing winners. Last night at Back to School Night, five winning tickets for $1,000 each were drawn! Just a few more weeks of ticket sales before the Grand Prize drawing on Saturday, September 23. Prize details, ticket captain contact information, and the Give Central purchase link are found HERE.

Snacks & Beverages

Help treat our teachers! Drop off beverages (Diet Coke, Coke, Pepsi, or LaCroix) and simple snacks to help stock the teacher's lounge. This is such a welcome treat and brings great joy to the teachers. Contributions may be dropped off anytime throughout the school day at the school's Main Entrance. Thank you!!

Student Enrichment

In last week's School News, we detailed numerous after-school student enrichment opportunities; those details can also be viewed on our WEBSITE.

MealManage

Hot Lunch service is now underway for grades K-8. Families pre-order lunch through the MealManage online account, and orders must be placed by Thursday night, the week before food service.

A school lunch (which includes milk) costs $6.25 per day; milk may be pre-ordered separately for $0.85. Hot lunch is not available for preschool students, but PK students may order milk. VIEW the September lunch menu.

Questions about hot lunch may be sent to Ms. Jeanne Reilly, School Business Manager, at [email protected]. Click HERE for FAQs from MealManage. 

FSA Meeting Date Change

The first meeting of the year for the FSA will now be held on Thursday, September 21, at 7:30pm on the Rectory Porch. Come and connect with some friendly faces and learn more about helping out St. Barnabas School. Contact Kathleen Hogan, FSA Chair, at [email protected] to learn more.

Fall Fest & Raffle Drawing

St. Barnabas Parish Fall Fest is Saturday, September 23. The all-ages fest begins with 4pm mass, followed by entertainment and dining. The Big Bucks Raffle Drawing is the showcase of the evening! Don’t miss this fantastic community event. If you’re interested in helping with planning or day-off volunteering, please contact Greg Liss at [email protected].

Speaker Series

In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of St. Barnabas, the Parish is hosting a Speaker Series. Join us for the next series on Tuesday, September 19, at 7pm in the Church Hall. Dr. Aaron Canty, Professor of Religious Studies and Theology at Saint Xavier University, will explore Fraelli Tutti, the letter sent out by Pope Francis in 2020. Learn more about the speaker series HERE.

RCIA

Want to know more truths about Catholicism that will blow your mind? Contact Deacon Andy Neu at [email protected] or 773-779-1166 x542. Learn more HERE!