New Family Mass on Saturday

All families, new to the school and parish, as well as existing families, are invited to a New Family Mass and Reception this Saturday, September 20. Gather at the Church for 4pm mass, then enjoy a pizza reception in the Church Hall. Learn more and RSVP.

Calendar Reminders for Next Week

Wednesday, September 24, is 1:30pm Dismissal (1:20pm for Preschool). After Care is available until 6pm. Friday, September 26, there is no school for students, as our staff participates in an Archdiocese-wide professional development day.

Service Day Update

Two weeks until Service Day! Engaging our school community in hands-on service experiences is fundamental to our Catholic belief in helping and supporting others. A few important details about the day:

Time: Friday, October 3 is a 1:30pm Dismissal Day (1:20PK). Students should arrive at the regular 7:45am morning bell.

Lunch: There is no hot lunch; all students should bring a bagged lunch. Preschool - Grade 1 students should also bring a snack.

Apparel: Wear gym uniforms or spirit wear tops with casual, non-uniform bottoms.  

Chaperone: Thank you to the 100 parents who volunteered to help out! Volunteer check-in is at 8am in the Church. Next week, those who registered to chaperone will receive an email with additional details about your project. 

Additional Support: To provide additional support to some of the organizations, we are seeking contributions of new or gently used children’s books, used crayons, dog shelter supplies, gently used shoes (all sizes), and additional financial contributions. Learn more about donation details.

Winter Sports, Register by Sept 25

Registration for Boys Basketball (Grades 3 - 8) and Girls Volleyball (Grades 4 - 8) is now open. Registration is due by Thursday, September 25. Please don't delay as our sports coordinators need sufficient time to submit team rosters to the league. Register here.

Athletes in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades are asked to try out for team placement.

BASKETBALL TRYOUTS: 

• 6th Grade: Friday, September 26 from 6pm - 7pm and Sunday, October 5 from 4:30pm - 5:30pm
• 7th Grade: Friday, September 26 from 7pm - 8pm and Sunday, October 5 from 5:30pm - 6:30pm
• 8th Grade: : Friday, September 26 from 8pm - 9pm and Sunday, October 5 from 6:30pm - 7:30pm

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: Tryout times coming soon!

Fall Fest & Big Bucks, Next Weekend

Fall Fest is Saturday, September 27! We hope you'll join us for this all-ages event. We will gather at 4pm in the Church for Mass, dedication of the newly renovated worship space, and enjoy the beautiful voices of our combined Children’s and Adult Parish choirs. After Mass, proceed to the parking lot for an all-ages celebration with food trucks, petting zoo, face painting, and the Big Bucks Raffle.

In advance of Fall Fest, we still have around 375 Big Bucks tickets to sell! Please help us reach our 2,000-ticket goal by sharing the Give Central purchase link with your friends and family, or consider purchasing additional tickets of your own. Or, contribute to the collection of Big Bucks tickets for the teachers and staff. Contribute to teacher tickets via cash, check, Venmo, or online Membership Toolkit. Learn more about the staff collection.

Upcoming Safety Drill

On Thursday, October 2, we will hold an Intruder Lockdown Drill for the entire school. We understand that thoughts and discussions of school shootings and emergencies may cause stress and fear. The school lockdown drill (required by the Illinois School Safety Drill Act) helps prepare the people in the building for a potential emergency. As with fire drills and other safety programs, we hope and pray that these drills always stay drills, but it’s critical to teach our school community what to do quickly and correctly in an emergency. We encourage all students to take part in this important safety measure. If you do not want your child to participate, please complete the exemption form.

Head Lice Policy and Reporting

Head lice, although not a serious health threat, can be a time-consuming nuisance that primarily impacts households with school-age children. Per our School Handbook (page 29), we do not exclude students, nor do we conduct head lice checks at school. This policy was put into place after guidance from health professionals, the Illinois State Board of Education, and careful consideration by our administration. If you discover your child has head lice, we encourage you to reach out to any individuals your child may have had recent close contact with so that they may check for signs of head lice. We also encourage you to report to the Main Office. Your information will be kept confidential and is only shared with select administrators or teachers who have direct contact with the child. If more than three cases, clustered within a grade, are reported to the school we will share a notice with parents/guardians of that grade so you can be on the lookout for lice in your home.

The school's head lice policy and tips for managing and preventing head lice can be found here.

School Pictures

Last Friday was picture day for Preschool - Grade 7. If you did not pre-order your pictures, there is no need to worry. The pre-order picture code is no longer valid, but in a few weeks' time, your child will bring home a proof and flyer with ordering details and a new order code. 

The re-take date for all will be Tuesday, October 28; 8th Grade Graduation pictures are Wednesday, October 15.

Diverse Learners HS Panel, Sept 24

Parents and guardians of 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students with Student Support Plans/IEPs are invited to attend a High School Panel discussion hosted by St. Barnabas on Wednesday, September 24 at 7pm in the Church Hall. Representatives from area Catholic high schools will share details about learning support services at their schools. Learn more.

Annual Mums Sale, Pick up Sept 27

Pre-order beautiful 9" potted mums for only $11! The annual FSA mum sales will be held on Saturday, September 27 (the morning of Fall Fest). Mums may be picked up 9am-12pm at St. Barnabas Convent Lawn. Learn more, and pre-order online.

Parent-Teacher Conferences, in October

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday, October 8, from 4pm - 7pm, and Thursday, October 9, from 1pm - 6pm. Junior High students (6th, 7th, 8th grade) are encouraged to attend the conference with their parents/guardians. You may register for up to two conferences per child. The conferences are ten minutes in length with a two-minute gap between for travel. Register for Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Fun Food, Order by Oct 17

Barraco’s Fun Food is Friday, October 31. Thank you to the FSA for bringing this fun tradition to the students! 

STEP 1 - Before you place your first Fun Food order of the year, follow these steps to update your family information in Membership Toolkit. If you place an order before updating your parent and student details, the food may not be properly allocated to your child.

STEP 2 - Place student order for pizza, mostaccioli, or chicken tenders and sign up to volunteer! Orders are due Friday, October 17 at 3pm. Learn more and order.

Parent-Student Clubs

All families are invited to join the Adventure Guides Father-Son group or Blackhawk Princesses Father-Daughter group. These groups provide a wonderful bonding opportunity, allow your children to make new friends, and foster a sense of community among parents in the parish. Learn more and get involved.

Order the 2024-25 Yearbook

Last year's yearbook is being created, and there is still time to place your order. Don't miss out on this special keepsake. Learn more and order.

Peace Wave, this Sunday - On Sunday, September 21, wherever you are at noon, please join the International Day of Peace - Peace Wave. People all around the world are asked to take a moment of silence or pray for peace.

Parish Round Table, Thursday at 7pm - Join other concerned parishioners to discern ways to encourage greater participation in the faith life of our four SPR parishes, and to reach out to those who have not returned to church or who are seeking a welcoming faith community.