The Buckeye Shop

We have just launched the new Buckeye Shop, an online store for spirit wear and dress code apparel! We have worked to improve our brand consistency to reflect our St. Barnabas School pride, standards, and heritage, and look forward to unveiling all things school spirit. With this new model, the school, our athletic program, student clubs and activities, and the FSA will each have the opportunity to benefit from merchandise sales.

Within the store, you’ll find three categories: Spirit Wear, dress code-approved sweatshirts, and PE uniforms. All orders should be placed online, and your purchases can be shipped to school (and sent home with students) or shipped to your home for an additional fee. With our initial launch, all orders placed by November 1 will be delivered by mid-November. We will then transition to print-on-demand, with a typical turnaround of around 3 - 4 weeks for most orders. 

In addition to the spirit wear and uniform merchandise, you can also expect to see occasional online “pop-ups” for seasonal sports, events, and clubs. We wish you a happy shopping experience at The Buckeye Shop! Learn more and shop the collection.

Service Day Thank You

What a day! The sun was shining, the students were smiling, and we are so thankful to the nearly 100 parents who helped out with our annual Service Day. We believe service is fundamental to our beliefs and an essential lesson within our catholic school community. Supporting others, understanding and embracing differences, and recognizing that our kind words and actions can have a profoundly positive impact. We hope your children had a wonderful day. Listed here are the names and links to the organizations we served. Each one of these organizations strives to make our world a better place. Most support a large number of clients on an incredibly lean budget. If you're looking to expand your own service work, we encourage you to explore and use this list as a stepping stone to carry service into your family's thoughts and actions. Thank you for making St. Barnabas School a truly special place.

BelHaven Nursing, Blue Island Stray Dog Project, Burst Into Books, Catholic Charities, Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange, Edna White Community Garden, Friends of the Chicago River, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Mercy Circle, Precious Blood Ministry, Play Smart Literacy, Pro Labore Dei, Share Your Soles, Smith Village.

If you took photos of the day and would like to share, please email them to Ms. Sadowski at gsadowski@stbarnabasparish.org.

Don't Miss the Fun Food Deadline!

The FSA is hosting Fun Food - a lunch treat of Barraco’s on Halloween. On Fun Food days, our regular hot lunch service is not available. All students must have either a Barraco’s Fun Food order or bring a bagged lunch.

Place the student’s order for pizza, mostaccioli, or chicken tenders and sign up to volunteer! Orders are due next Friday, October 17 at 3pm, late orders will not be accepted.

Learn more and order.

Parent Foundation Witch Ride

The Annual Parent Foundation Witch Ride is next Thursday, October 16! This fun event raises awareness and funds for the St. Barnabas School Parent Foundation, benefiting our teachers. Gather your witch garb, bike, and candy, and get ready for a memorable night. View the details.

Join the Band

Optional lessons for Grade 4 - 8 Band begin on October 17. Lessons in flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, or snare drum will be available for all interested students. The band will meet on Fridays during the school day; there will not be before or after school lessons. Details from Mr. Gula, including lesson structure, pricing, and registration information, can be found here.

Kids Heart Challenge

Students are invited to join the American Heart Association - Kids Heart Challenge on Friday, October 17. At this optional school-day fundraising event, students are invited to jump rope to learn how to keep their hearts, bodies, and brains healthy—while helping children with special hearts live longer, healthier lives. We are so close to our $10,000 goal, and have already raised $8,600! Thank you to all who have already registered!

There is a minimum contribution of $25 per jumper; all interested students are required to pre-register. Learn more and register today!

Join the Girls Scouts

Girl Scouts began last week in the St. Barnabas Church Hall. Daisies (K-1st) and Brownies (2nd-3rd) will meet Mondays from 4 - 5:30pm. If there is enough interest in Junior Girl Scouts (4th - 6th), a troop can be organized. For questions or to register, please contact stbarnabasgirlscouts241@gmail.com

Girls Basketball Pack the House

Next Friday, October 17, let's "Pack the House" for Girls Basketball! Our Pack the House events honor the dedication and commitment of our 8th-grade athletes, as their time on the Buckeye basketball court draws to a close. 7th grade games begin at 5:30pm and 8th grade games begin at 7:10pm. Learn more.

Girls Volleyball Tryouts

All girl volleyball athletes in grades 6, 7, and 8 are asked to try out for team placement. Questions about tryouts can be directed to Volleyball Coordinator Trish McGill - stbarnabasgirlsvball@gmail.com.

GRADE 6: Sunday, October 26 from 4:30pm - 6:00pm

GRADE 7: Sunday, October 26 from 6:14pm - 7:45pm

GRADE 8: Sunday, October 26 from 8:00pm - 9:30pm

Athletes Mass

All are welcome as we gather in prayer and gratitude for the gifts of teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship on Sunday, October 26, for the 10am Fall Athletics Mass. Our fall sport athletes are encouraged to wear their team jersey to mass. Learn more

Special Olympics - Thank you to our 8th Grade students and teachers for spending a day last week participating in a service field trip at Special Olympics. Your enthusiasm and caring hearts brightened the day of the Special Olympic athletes.

Service Day - Thank you, parents, students, and our entire staff, for your support of Service Day. Each of you played an essential part in making Service Day a successful day! We also extended a warm thank you to the many area catholic high schools who helped out by lending us their buses and drivers to transport groups to some of the off-campus sites. 

Homecoming - Homecoming - Thank you to Elaine Gaffney, Ashley LoMaglio, Maggie O’Reilly, and all the parents who helped to plan an incredible homecoming celebration. We also extend a huge thank you to our parent Football and Cheer coaches and coordinators for their time and commitment to the athletes. To our Football Coordinator Brian Murrihy and parent coaches Brandon Bradley, Patrick Farrell, Mike Gaffney, Michael King, Matt Ladd, Nick LoMaglio, Bill Reardon, Matt Styczynski, Patrick Wirtz, and Andrew Youpel, along with our Cheer Coordinators Anne Lunkes and Tara Miles. Thank you for sharing your time and talent with our BC Knights athletes.

Parent Teacher Conferences - Thank you to the many parents who attended the Parent-Teacher Conferences this week. We are thankful for your attention and support of your child’s school experience. We also thank our teachers for their dedication and commitment to our students.

Nickys' Eat and Earn - Thank you to the families who enjoyed Nicky’s Eat and Earn last night - making an impact on both a neighborhood gem and on St. Barnabas School!

Treats for Teachers - Thank you to the many families who so generously donated beverages and snacks to our teachers this week. Our Treats for Teachers is a special way to thank our staff for all they do for our community, and we are so appreciative of your generosity.

Enjoy the long weekend Buckeyes - we will see you on Tuesday!