"Do small things with great love"  



This past week as we celebrated Valentine's Day, we were reminded that we are blessed with so much love, dedication, and joy in our school and community. We are so incredibly proud of our student-athletes who competed last weekend and those who came on to cheer on our Buckeyes at Pack the House. The energy was incredible, and we received so many wonderful compliments about our students. Thank you to everyone who made it such a success! 

On Tuesday, we celebrated a beautiful liturgy honoring law enforcement officers and their families for their bravery, sacrifice, and dedication. It was a blessing to have the police officers in our parish join us for Mass and a reception after in our main school hallway. Thank you to those who dressed down in blue and donated money to benefit "Get Behind the Vest." We are so thankful for the generosity and love of our school community.  

The Power of a Pause. We hope our students, staff, and families have a wonderful long weekend and enjoy some rest, relaxation, and fun before we return back to school with many faith-filled and fun events as we begin our Lenten journey, honor and celebrate the life of "Pat Mac" on St. Baldrick's Day and plunge into Lake Michigan for "Parker's Party." We will see everyone on Tuesday! ~ Mr. Stack and Ms. Sadowski

NO SCHOOL - Monday, February 20

Reminder: We have no school this Monday, February 20; we hope you enjoy the long holiday weekend in honor of Presidents’ Day. Also of note, as mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we have no school on Monday, March 13. This is a recent addition to the calendar. CALENDAR.

IREADY DIAGNOSTIC

Earlier this week, all parents/guardians were emailed their child’s mid-year i-Ready Diagnostic results. The results include helpful information for teachers and parents to understand areas of proficiency and areas that may need more focus. FAQ about i-Ready may be found HERE. If you have questions about your child’s scores, you may connect with their Math or ELA teacher via email to make arrangements to discuss the results, or feel free to reach out to Mr. Stack at [email protected]

STAFFING ANNOUNCEMENT

We are excited to introduce our new teaching team for Physical Education.  Mrs. Kaley Farrell and Mrs. Beth Cruz will job share as part of the Physical Education team. Mrs. Farrell will work Mondays, Fridays, and rotating Wednesdays, and Mrs. Cruz will work Tuesdays, Thursdays, and rotating Wednesdays. CLICK here to read more about Mrs. Farrell and Mrs. Cruz.  

MRS. SHERI JENDRA

We bid farewell to Mrs. Sheri Jendra, who will leave her position as Manager of Student and Parent Services at the end of the month. We thank Mrs. Jendra for her 18 years of dedicated service to St. Barnabas School & Parish. In her time here, she has worked in various roles, including Virtus Administrator, Religious Education Assistant, Scrip Administrator, and Preschool Aide. Join us in wishing Mrs. Jendra well in her future endeavors.

FSA ICE SKATING PARTY

Thank you to the FSA for hosting their annual President’s Day Skating Party! Join in the fun this Monday, February 20, from 10am - 12pm at the Morgan Park Sports Center.

ATHLETICS

Sports Schedule for the Week:

VIEW the Grade 4 - 8 Basketball and Volleyball Schedule for the Week. Good luck to all the boys' basketball athletes that begin their playoff series this weekend.  Please note that this weekly schedule does not include girls' volleyball Marist tournament games, only the regular season VB games.



Junior Basketball and Soccer Registration

Registration is open for Spring Soccer, grades K-8 and Junior Basketball, grades K-3.  Junior Basketball runs from late March through early May on Sunday afternoons in the school gym. Soccer also runs from late March through early May; expect one weekly game (various days of the week and locations) and one-two practices per week. Enroll on REGISTRATION BUZZ.

ASH WEDNESDAY, NEXT WEEK

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. There will be an all-school student liturgy on Wednesday, February 22, at 8:45am in the Church; all families are welcome to join in the mass and to receive ashes. The parish will also host a 7pm Ash Wednesday evening mass. 

Join for Taize Prayer on Thursday, February 23, at 7pm in the Holy Spirit Chapel. With song, scripture, and quiet reflection, Taize is an easy way to bring more light into your prayer during Lent.

The complete Lenten Schedule for the parish may be found HERE.  

BEFORE AND AFTERCARE IS HIRING

Before and Aftercare is looking to add to their support staff Mondays - Fridays from 6am - 7:45 or 3pm - 6pm. This could be a wonderful after-school job for high school students. Interested candidates may email Ms. Jan, Before and Aftercare Program Director, at [email protected].

TAX INFO - SCHOOL TUITION

Families may log into their FACTS tuition payment account to obtain their 2022 tax information. Once in your account, please click “View Details” then “View Payment Summary” and select the year 2022. A printer icon is located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen should you need to print the information.

SOUTHSIDE IRISH PARADE

All are invited to be part of the St. Barnabas float in the Southside Irish Parade.  A southside tradition since 1979, we encourage all families to help honor St. Barnabas School & Parish. Thank you to the FSA for coordinating.

CASINO NIGHT 

On Friday, March 24, The St. Barnabas Parent Foundation will host their inaugural fundraising event, “Bet on the Buckeyes,” at Ridge Country Club. Tickets for the casino-theme event may be purchased HERE. 

Thank you to the generous DONORS who have already contributed to the event as sponsors and auction donors. OPPORTUNITIES for event sponsorship will close on February 21st. If interested, please reach out to [email protected]. Please consider joining the list of generous sponsors. 

POLAR PLUNGE WITH PARKER’S PARTY

Parker’s Party is a group of inspired and fun-loving students and families who will take the annual plunge into Lake Michigan on Sunday, March 5, in support of Special Olympics and 7th-grade student Parker Baudo. Over the last six years, Parker’s Party has raised over $100,000 for Special Olympics. All are welcome to take the plunge or support the charity. Join the team or contribute HERE. Help spread the word by sharing the link with your friends, family, and social media. Questions, please connect with Ms. Sadowski at [email protected].

PAT MAC’S PACK & ST. BALDRICK'S DAY - Friday, March 3 

St. Baldricks: All students are invited to sign up to shave their heads or cut 8" of their long hair. If your child wants to participate, they must register for the St. Barnabas team on the St. Baldrick's site - and then they can start fundraising. REGISTER HERE. 

Bracelet & Dress Down: All students are welcome to dress down on March 3 - current or previous years Pat Mac’s apparel, green, or anything celebratory of the inspirational life of Pat Mac is encouraged. There is not a dress-down fee this year, but we invite all families to contribute by purchasing a $5 bracelet to wear on March 3. 100% of the proceeds go to Pat Mac’s Pack Foundation. PURCHASE BRACELET

Pat’s Legacy: St. Barnabas student, Patrick McNamara, passed away from cancer in 2011. Pat’s 7th-grade classmates and friends began the first St. Baldrick’s event at St. Barnabas, and to date, we have raised over $200,000 to donate to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in memory of Patrick McNamara. Today's St. Barnabas students did not have the chance to meet the real Pat Mac, but we feel it's important to remember why our kids shave, cut off 8" of hair, and celebrate Pat's life. Kids helping kids is at the heart of this event and what our school community is all about. We encourage all families to watch the included video, which was made by Pat's classmates. We hope it gives you some insight into the extraordinary life of Pat and our beloved tradition - We Are Pat Mac’s Pack!

Questions: may be directed to Jessica McCarihan, [email protected], or Colleen Cooney, [email protected].