Big Bucks Tickets Still Available!

Thank you for the incredible support from our school community and to the many families who have purchased additional tickets or helped sell tickets! We still have around 150 tickets left to sell to reach our goal of 2,000 tickets sold and awarding the $50,000 Grand Prize. Please help us reach our goal and share the online purchase link with friends and family or consider purchasing an additional ticket (or two) of your own! Tickets purchased online will automatically be entered into the drawing. Online ticket sales will end at 9am Saturday morning. Purchase here.

Fall Fest Tomorrow!

Our annual Fall Fest is tomorrow! Please join us for the 4pm mass, followed by an all-ages celebration in the lot. Petting zoo and games for the kids, camaraderie for all! The Big Bucks Raffle drawing will take place at approximately 9pm. Don't miss this fantastic community event! Food and drinks are cash only, and walking is encouraged as parking is limited. 

The planning committee is still in need of a few more volunteers, sign up here!

Children of all ages must be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Children on school and parish grounds without proper supervision may be asked to leave.

Service Day Details

Next Friday, October 4, is Service Day! Over 650 students, chaperones, and staff will gather to live out our Root Belief - We are the hands of Christ. Our Preschool-Grade 3 students will complete their service learning project at school, and Grades 4 - 8 will travel off campus to 12 different service sites in the Chicago area. Please review all the details outlined below:

• ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL - all students should arrive at the regular 7:45am morning bell. We will dismiss at 1:30pm (1:20 PK); After Care is available. 
• BAGGED LUNCH FOR ALL - All students should bring a disposal lunch and water; there is no hot lunch service.  
• STUDENT APPAREL - All students should wear school spirit wear or gym uniforms. Closed-toe shoes are required for all. NO Crocs or sandals!
• Edna White, Friends of River, and Growing Home volunteers should bring garden or work gloves (and sunscreen).
• Greater Chicago Food Depository volunteers must wear pants; students in shorts will not be permitted to travel to this service site.

CHAPERONES - Thank you to the over 100 parents who volunteered to help on Service Day!

All chaperones should check in at the Church vestibule between 7:55am - 8:00am. Upon check-in, you will be directed to your group seating area. We invite you to wear school spirit wear, and you’re welcome to bring a bagged lunch to eat with the students. Each service group will wrap up at a different time throughout the day (between 11am - 1pm); please review all chaperone names and estimated work times HERE.

Chaperones, some of you have been contacted by Mrs. Connolly about your outstanding Virtus requirements. Please complete these action items no later than Monday morning.

Parent Teacher Conferences 

We invite you to sign up for Parent Teacher Conferences, which will be held on Wednesday, October 9, from 4pm - 7pm and Thursday, October 10, from 1pm - 6pm. REGISTER HERE

A few scheduling notes:

• Parents may register for up to two conferences per child.
• Conferences last 10 minutes. We encourage you to plan a 10-minute gap between meetings to allow time to travel between scheduled meetings.
• Students in Grades 6 - 8 are encouraged to attend conferences with their parents/guardians.

Winter Sports Registration 

Winter sports registration is now open! Registration takes place through TeamSnap; if you do not have a TeamSnap account, please follow the instructions for setting up your first-time account. REGISTER HERE



Boys Basketball (Grades 3 - 8) runs from mid-November through early March. Teams typically practice twice per week, with approximately 15 games per season for 3rd graders and 25 games per season for all other grades. Contact Basketball Coordinator Jim Jennings with questions at stbarnabasbasketball@gmail.com.

Girls Volleyball (Grades 4 - 8) games start the first week of December and run through February. Teams practice twice a week with games on weekends. Upper grades usually have one additional game during the week. Contact Volleyball Coordinator Trish McGill with questions at stbarnabasgirlsvball@gmail.com.

Get Involved

The FSA kicked off its first school year meeting earlier this week. If you missed the meeting but want to learn more, please complete this Interest Form.

Mums Pick-up on Sunday

Reminder to pick up your mums on Sunday morning from 8:30am - 11am. There are still flowers available to order - they are beautiful and only $11 for pre-orders! There may be a limited number of potted mums available for cash and carry on Sunday morning for $13 each. Order here.

Please Update/Set-up Toolkit

Much of what the FSA manages is run through the Membership Toolkit, and it is necessary for families to update their account every year or set up an account if new to the school. It is a quick and simple process to update grade level and homeroom. Without this information, you cannot order Fun Food, and many of the other items you order and pay for may end up in the wrong place. Click for the easy steps to update. 

Upcoming Fun Food

Barraco’s is back for Fun Food on Halloween. All student lunch orders are due by Friday, October 18. Options include cheese pizza, chicken tenders, and mostaccioli (gluten-free or regular!). If you have any questions, reach out to Elise Mayer at elise.mayer@chsd218.org. Order today!

Order the 2023-24 Yearbook!

The FSA has been hard at work preparing the yearbook commemorating last year (2023-24). Books are in production and available to order online. Order by October 19 (or September 27 for custom orders). Order here and use passcode: 1017023074133939. Learn more

Helpful Workshop on Sunday Night

The Studio Beverly is hosting a workshop on Sunday night for parents/guardians of grade school-age children. This interactive workshop offers parents concrete tips on instilling healthy habits and routines to set their kids up for a successful school year. Learn more and register here.

Thank you to FSA Chair Kathleen Hogan for your leadership and dedication to the FSA and the St. Barnabas school community. We are so grateful for your time.

We also thank the many high school representatives who came out on Tuesday to share a bit about their schools with our 7th and 8th-grade students; we feel honored to have such an incredible selection of Catholic schools in Chicago.