Dear Parents,

Thank you for your patience with all these emails. I know these are uncertain times and please understand we are trying our best to provide regular updates. At the moment please note the following:

• School will resume as scheduled on Monday. However, if local authorities provide different guidance, we will let you know ASAP.
• Parent Teacher Conferences will take place as planned from 8:00am-10:00am tomorrow.
• All sports camp tomorrow will proceed as planned.
• All athletic activities are cancelled through Sunday. The other Principals and I are in constant communication and we will evaluate the rest of the sports season on Sunday.
• All extra curricular activities scheduled for the weekend are cancelled, this includes play practice.
• The Mother-Son Dinner has been postponed.
• All field trips are cancelled for the month of March.
• I am having teachers prepare possible E-Learning plans, we want to make sure that if there is a possible closing we are prepared to provide academic support to students. In the event of school closing, this would all be communicated through Google Classroom.
• As I mentioned in my email this morning, we are in consult with the Archdiocese and public health officials. Should any situation change, we will make decisions that are in the best interest of our school community.

Lastly, I know as adults this is a lot to process. There is so much information and it is rapidly changing. Please see below for a wonderful resource on talking to your children about COVID-19. Here is an additional resource. https://www.nctsn.org/print/2251

7 WAYS TO HELP KIDS COPE WITH CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ANXIETY

If the ongoing spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing anxiety, stress and uncertainty for adults, consider how troubling it may be for children.

Depending on their age and media exposure, children may know more about the virus than grownups think. And even if unaware, children still might sense tension and anxiety from adults around them.

Children’s pediatric psychologist, Dr. Sabrina Stutz, offers seven things parents can do to help reduce their children’s anxiety about COVID-19.

1) Meet children’s concerns with validation, compassion

• Listen carefully to their concerns and learn where they heard their information. Validate their fears by saying something like, “It can be frightening when a new illness comes around that we don’t know everything about.”
• Gently correct any misconceptions they may have heard and encourage them to continue to ask questions.
• Maintaining a routine can provide children a sense of security. Keeping a usual schedule – including school, activities and chores – will protect mental and physical health.

2) Stick to developmentally appropriate facts

• Avoid having adult-level conversations about COVID-19 around children. Similarly, carefully monitor children’s exposure to media reports about the virus.
• Answer questions with brief, developmentally appropriate explanations. For example, you might tell a young child, “Coronavirus is a new type of cold/flu, and so it is important for us to wash our hands more and sneeze in our elbows to keep healthy.”
• Remind children that doctors and other experts around the world are working hard to stop the virus. This can help kids understand that smart, capable people are taking action.

3) Reassure kids by empowering them

• Telling kids how they can help provides a sense of agency and can turn anxiety into an actionable goal.
• Reassure children that they can protect themselves and others by practicing proper hand-washing and cough etiquette and taking other healthy steps.
• Kids can also be included in other family-wide preparations. For example, if you were preparing for the possibility of being home for a while, ask the child what they might want to snack on or what activities they might enjoy during that time.

4) Look for kid-friendly methods

• Make learning about hand washing and other preventative measures fun. Help kids learn about germs by giving them some lotion and then sprinkling glitter on their hands. Tell them the glitter is like germs, and then ask the child to try to wipe it off with a paper towel or just water. They won’t get far! Then you can explain how soap and warm water removes the glitter – and germs – best.
• Teach younger children how long to wash hands for by singing a 20- to 30-second song together. “Happy Birthday” or the “ABCs” are classics. You can also be creative and estimate 20-to-30 seconds of any song the child likes.

5) Emphasize kindness

• As always, it is helpful to teach kids to continue to be kind to all people, regardless of their country of origin or their appearance. Kindness is always possible – even when they feel afraid.
• To help children more realistically assess risk, educate children that most people who visit the doctor or wear a mask probably don’t have the virus.
• It is important to remind children that we are all trying our best to stay healthy and it’s not anyone’s fault if they do get sick.

6) Remember to model positive behavior

• Parents who show good coping skills can help reassure kids that they are safe. After all, kids learn from their parents how to react in new situations.
• Remember that kids make mistakes. If your child accidentally does not wash their hands or doesn’t sneeze into their elbow, gently remind them. Scaring children with the potential consequences of their mistakes is not helpful.
• Adults should model self-care behaviors: Maintain activities and sleep schedules. Eat healthfully and practice hand hygiene and cough etiquette.
• It’s also helpful for grownups to limit their own media consumption around Coronavirus (COVID-19) and stick to a few trusted resources such as the Centers for Disease Control to prevent information overload and anxiety.

7) Watch for behavior changes

• Changes in a child’s sleep, appetite, interest in being with friends or leaving the house, or levels of reassurance seeking, as well as excessive hand-washing can be signs that more help is needed.
• If basic stress reduction techniques like deep breathing, distraction or guided imagery don’t help, reach out to your primary care provider for additional support.

Peace,
Dr. Erika Mickelburgh
Principal 

Heart of the School Awards Nomination officially launched!

Every year, the Archdiocese of Chicago honors outstanding Catholic school employees with the Heart of the School Awards. Any current full or part-time St. Paul of the Cross School teacher, administrator, or staff member may be nominated here through March 30, 2020. Nominations are accepted across seven categories: Heart of Christ, Heart of the Community, Heart of Excellence, Heart of Enrichment, Heart of the Future, Heart of Inclusion, and Heart of Service. We encourage all school parents and students to consider the many ways your teachers and staff embody the descriptions of these seven categories and take a moment to honor them with your nomination. Parents, students, fellow teachers and staff may submit up to seven separate nominations (one form per category). Winners will be selected by a committee appointed by the Office of Catholic Schools and honored at the Heart of the School luncheon this spring. 

St. Baldrick's Save the Date and Sign Up!
Last Year SPC raised over $33,000 to fight childhood cancer. We participated in honor of Dominic Vecchio, who sadly lost his courageous battle this December. This year let us honor the memory and fight of Dominic and so many children who face cancer. Please consider joining the team and raising money. Last year we also had a great time at the event while fighting for a great cause!
https://www.stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage/129638/20

Attention Parents and Students - Endowment Scholarships Five Merit Based Scholarships

The Endowment Committee is excited to announce the merit-based scholarships available to current SPC students for the 2020-2021 school year. Each year the Endowment administers five merit-based, named scholarships totaling $3,750:

1. Pastoral Leadership Award- We are pleased to invite current 5th and 6th grade students to Three monetary awards of $750 will be given to students who most demonstrate the qualities of leadership and service to others.
2. Maureen Kelly McCambridge Scholarship- We are pleased to invite current 7th grade students to apply for this $1000 scholarship established in Maureen’s honor and
3. Roseann McHugh New Family Welcome Award- This $500 award is available to families who, for the first time during the 2019-2020 school year, have students in K-7th grades and are returning to SPC for a second year. It will be granted to welcome a new family to the SPC community.

Please click here to read all of the information including criteria, instructions on applying, and timeline.

SPC Home & School Association
City Barbeque Fundraiser March 18 from 10:30 am to 9 pm. 

Flyer must be presented at the time of checkout and no online order counts towards fundraiser.
Out of uniform is March 20.

St. Paul of the Cross will be starting a reading incentive program called Squeeze’s Scholars on Monday, March 16th. The Chicago Dogs professional baseball team in Rosemont is providing us with this wonderful opportunity. As an incentive to participate in this fun program, every student who reads the goal set by their grade level teacher between March 16th and May 8th will receive a free hat and a free ticket to any Chicago Dogs 2020 regular season home game at Impact Field.  When your child has completed their reading goal at home, send the verification form attached to this email on or before Friday, May 8th. Your child's homeroom/reading teacher will then send home the ticket order form. Please contact Mrs. McCallister at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions. 

Reading Goals

Preschool- read 50 books

Prekindergarten- read 50 books

Kindergarten- read 480 minutes

First Grade- read 25 books on their own

Second Grade- read 600 minutes

Third Grade- read 700 minutes

Fourth Grade- read 600 minutes

Fifth Grade- read 600 minutes

Sixth Grade- read 400 minutes

Seventh Grade- read 400 minutes

Eight Grade- read 400 minutes

Please click here for the details and form.

The Six Flags® Read to Succeed Six Hour Reading Club

A few weeks ago all kindergarten through sixth grade students received the Six Flags Read to Succeed Six Hour Reading Club information. The Six Flags® Read to Succeed Six Hour Reading Club is due by Wednesday. April 8th.  Teachers will not be accepting reading logs after that date. Every student in kindergarten through sixth grade who completes six hours of recreational reading and enters the information online by Friday, Wednesday, April 8th is eligible for a free admission ticket valid at Six Flags Great America. Tickets will arrive in May, and will be distributed to those students that participated.

This year all reading logs need to be completed online. You can register your child/ren by going to http://www.sixflags.com/books . Please see all homeroom teacher’s codes below. 

Homeroom Teacher Codes:

Mrs. Kusinski- XW4QZ

Mrs. Murphy- PADTH

Mrs. Rinaldi- A9TU3

Mrs. Hader-HFETT

Ms. Kraft-MDWRX

Mrs. Chaparro- D9EAH

Mrs. McCallister-S5E6V

Ms. Chambers- PZZHU

Mrs. Johnson- A5CY6

Mrs. Galvin- EKCVJ

Mrs. Golden-YWR2H

Ms. Lewandowski-4RMSZ

Mrs. Valdez- JPDBZ

Ms. FaQuin- ZQNPZ

Mrs. Zimmerman-Q9K7V

Mr. Okimoto-EKVBE

Mrs. Pecoraro-CGW7S

If you have any questions, please email Mrs. McCallister at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   

Spring Session begins Wednesday, March 18th!
Please click here to download the flyer.

Sticky Fingers Spring Session begins Thursday, March 19th! 
Please click here to download the flyer.

St. Paul of the Cross Parish

We have an active and vibrant parish and encourage everyone to read the weekly bulletins for Fr. Britto's weekly letter and to stay informed about all of the upcoming events and programs. Parish Bulletin for March 8, 2020 

From The Community

Resurrection College Prep Parent Session on Teen Vaping and Teen Drug Use Tuesday, March 10th at 6:30 pm
Please click here to download the flyer and more information.

Loyola Academy Summer Jr. High Enrichment Program

St. Viator Future Lion March Newsletter

Park Ridge Newcomers Labors of Love

Please SAVE THE DATE and help us spread the word – tickets for this year’s Park Ridge Newcomers Club “Labor of Love” Gala are going on sale March 9! Last year’s event sold out in just 24 hours! This year’s recipients are near and dear to our community and Maine South family! The event this year is Saturday, May 9, from 7pm-12am at the Hyatt in Rosemont. Help us “Make Magic Happen” for Sara and Olivia – two local sisters in need. Also, yard signs are NOW available for a suggested donation of $20 each – also available on the PRNC website. Help us paint this town purple - all proceeds benefit the girls!

Sara & Olivia’s story:
https://www.parkridgenewcomersclub.org/page-1857688 

Yard signs:
https://www.parkridgenewcomersclub.org/page-1857652

Summer Camps

Bricks 4 Kidz Summer Camp Flyer!