Dear SPC Families,
Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas break! I'm dedicating much of my Thursday Mailing letter to the delightful January Chicago weather.
It's hard to believe our first Celebrating the Spirit Gala since 2020 is three short weeks away! The committee has been working hard in preparation for this exceptional community-building party for all of us! It's great to have all the RSVPs coming in! Remember, the ticket prices go up next week, January 19th. Click here to purchase your tickets.
FREEZING COLD WEATHER NEXT WEEK!
Next week, the bitter cold arrives; therefore, we will do our best to limit the EGC students to the UGC. Mrs. Dohr will come over for Library for grades preschool-2. However, since we will most likely have indoor recess, we plan to walk over for gym time so the students can run around! We will make that decision based on the specific day's temperature.
Drop off: We will continue the kiss-and-go at drop-off next week, but I am instructing the helpers to go inside right at 8:00 am; if you are late, you must walk your children inside.
SNOW DAY DECISIONS!
December was such a joy with mild winter temperatures and inclement weather, but it does not look like January will treat us the same way! Making the call to close school for weather is my least favorite decision because unless there is a blizzard that shuts everything down, the decision will always result in some people being unhappy. While there is no exact science to calling a snow day, I evaluate the following: Can students and teachers get to and from school safely?
WHEN DO I MAKE THE DECISION?
I make the decision the night before so that families can plan accordingly, but I won't call the day if there is no snow falling from the sky. Given that teachers must travel to school, the latest I will decide is by 5:00 am the day of. If you have yet to hear by 5:00 am, consider us open!
HOW WILL I BE NOTIFIED?
Gone are the days of sitting by the TV watching for the school name to scroll across the bottom. We will send an email blast, text message, and robo-phone call! We will also post it on Instagram. We will also notify the Emergency Closing Center.
IF THERE IS A SNOW DAY, WILL THERE BE REMOTE LEARNING?
I am a believer that there is childhood joy in hearing the news of an impromptu snow day. Therefore, the first "snow day" is always a good old-fashioned day, a surprise day off. If there is a need for more emergency closing days, then we will likely have asynchronous learning days.
SNOW DAY COOKIES:
This is a friendly reminder that you should have these ingredients on hand to bake if we do have a snow day!
Here is Dr. M's SnowDay Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe...
Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1-teaspoon baking soda
1 Cup Butter (softened)
1/4 Cup White Sugar
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Small Package Instant Vanilla Pudding (secret ingredient)
1/4 Cup Love (secret ingredient)
1/3 Cup "It's a snow day" excitement (secret ingredient)
1-teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
1 Package (12 oz) Chocolate Chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix flour with baking soda in a separate bowl. Set aside.
In a different bowl: Combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla pudding, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add eggs.
Add flour to the mixture and combine.
Add chocolate chips, 1/4 Cup love, and 1/3 Cup "it's a snow day" excitement!!
Drop onto the baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Enjoy while watching a favorite movie or playing a family board game!
Welcome, Mr. Jay Torrens, Music Teacher!
Hello, my name is Mr. Torrens, and I will be the new music teacher for the rest of the year! I studied K-12 Music Education with a Vocal Emphasis at Millikin University and am excited for the many fun activities I'll be doing with the students.
JANUARY SAVE THE DATES (please remember to sync your calendar to the school calendar from the website)
January 15th: NO SCHOOL
January 17 & 18th: Iready Winter Testing
January 19th:
Re-enrollment ends for current families
Home and School Out of Uniform
January 28th Catholic Schools Week Open House (10:00 am-12:00 pm)
January 28-February 2 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK! More fun details to follow next week.
Re-ENROLLMENT for 2024-2025
If you still need to complete your re-enrollment, please do so by January 19th! Beginning the week of January 22nd, we will start the process of reviewing and accepting new applications for the 24-25 school year. Current families' enrollment is only guaranteed through January 22nd!
THANK YOU NOTE FROM THE WOMEN'S CENTER:
Congratulations! In collaboration with the parish, we raised over $23,000 from the baby bottle project! Click here for the letter
Peace,
Dr. Erika Mickelburgh
Celebrating the Spirit 2024
We can't wait to Celebrate the SPC Spirit on February 2nd!
Purchase tickets here, and don't forget that the ticket prices go up next week on January 19th!
Thank you!
CTS 2024 Co-Chairs
Kelly Bontempo, Amy DiGregorio, and Megan Weber
SPC Home & School Association
Home & School Association Restaurant Fundraiser - Lou Malnati's, Tuesday & Wednesday, January 16th & 17th
The H&S fundraiser will be at Lou Malnati's on Tuesday & Wednesday, January 16th & 17th. If you participate, students may come out of uniform on Thursday, January 18th. They will not have out of uniform passes, so please send your receipt to school with your child. Thank you for your support!
Please click here to register for Bowling with the Boys.
Please click here to download the flyer.
Chess Ed - Chess Enrichment Workshop
NO SCHOOL MLK DAY 1/15/24
Please click here for all the details and to register.
FROM THE PARISH
We have an active and vibrant parish and encourage everyone to read the weekly bulletins for Fr. James' weekly letter and stay informed about all upcoming events and programs.
Please click here for the latest bulletin.
Please click here for Fr. James' "The Daily" - Daily Mass Readings and Reflections
FROM THE COMMUNITY
From the Community
Park Ridge Hawks Lacrosse Boys and Girls Spring Registration
Edison Park Indoor Youth Soccer Spring Registration Information
Click here to download the flyer with all the details.
Pre-K Social Skills Therapy Groups in January at Assential Therapy