April 15, 2021

Dear SPC Families,

Thank you all for your careful and diligent attention to the strict adherence to the travel guidelines after spring break! I am so grateful that our school community has followed the guidelines and remains committed to keeping our students in school! 

Week of the Young Child at SPC 
We are excited for a fun-filled week celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers and families next week. This is the 50th anniversary of NAEYC's (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Week of the Young Child. The festivities will be taking place for the EGC students throughout the week. Additionally, we will have a week-long EGC service project...creating Newborn & Hygiene kits for families with young children. Please click here for all of the details!

May Crowning:
The current date on the calendar (May 12) is tentative as we hope that capacity limits in the church will be able to be extended. Both Father Britto and I are fully committed to having a May Crowning for our 2nd and 8th graders. While I do not think parents and guests will be allowed, we will live stream the event. The Mass will also be live-streamed into the classrooms. 

It is time to Wear Shorts!
Spring is in the air! Students can wear shorts starting on April 12 through the rest of the school year. A reminder that shorts should be the SPC gym shorts or Khaki or Navy uniform shorts.

REMINDER May 7 Professional Development Day - No School
The Illinois State Board of Education has allowed schools to add four additional days of professional development to the calendar. We have chosen to use three this year. The last PD day for the year is scheduled for Friday, May 7. There will be no school for students that day. 

Parent Speaker Series - Dr. Rob Daniels Part II - April 20th
We will conclude this year's Parent Speaker Series with Part II from Dr. Rob Daniels on April 20 at 6:00 p.m. His focus will include Proactive Parenting Strategies. It is not necessary to have attended Part I of this series as he will be presenting new content. We hope you can join us! Please register for this evening zoom.

Announcing Pilot of Mixed Age Early Childhood 2021-2022 School Year
We are excited to announce we will be piloting two mixed-age (3 and 4 year-olds) classrooms in the fall of 2021. A mixed-age preschool classroom of 3 and 4-year-olds has been "best practice" in early childhood for over ten years. It is important that as we enhance our academic programs, we do so with research and best practice in mind and not "this is what we have always done."  

Next year we will have six classrooms designated for our preschool and prekindergarten-aged children. We will offer two preschool (3-year-old) rooms, two prekindergarten (4-year-old) rooms, and two multi-age (3 and 4-year-old) rooms. All six classrooms will continue to meet all required early childhood benchmarks and Illinois/Archdiocese of Chicago standards. We will continue to honor our students' needs with differentiated practices and learning centers and foster each individual child's cognitive, social/emotional, language, physical and spiritual development.  

This allows us not only more flexibility in enrollment, but also the ability to restructure various components within our program. Research shows that older children can model more sophisticated approaches to problem-solving, and younger children are motivated to accomplish these tasks with older children's guidance. The combination of leadership and excitement to learn creates an environment of cooperation, which is beneficial to all. Further research indicates early childhood mixed-age group interaction can have unique adaptive, facilitating, and enriching effects on children's development.

In multi-age rooms, children develop a sense of community with their classmates, and they become a "family of learners" who support and care for each other. The spirit of cooperation and caring developed by children in a mixed-age classroom encourages them to help each other and makes them more likely to cooperate than compete. Older children model more sophisticated approaches to problem-solving, and younger children can accomplish tasks they could not do without the older children's assistance; this dynamic increases the older child's level of independence and competence. The research supporting mixed-age classrooms indicates that academic achievement is the same as, or better than, children's academic achievement in same-grade classrooms. Mixed-age classrooms do not negatively affect student achievement, and students in these classrooms have significantly more positive attitudes toward school, themselves, and others (Stone, 1998; Veenman, 1996). Children will spend two years in preschool. A mixed-age classroom allows the teacher to develop a deeper understanding of each child's strengths and needs and better support the child's learning. Children have time to develop and become progressive, successful learners 

Supplemental Research:

https://www.alphamontessoridfw.com/blog/mixed-age-groups-in-early-childhood-education/

https://bingschool.stanford.edu/news/mixed-age-classrooms-provide-optimal-learning-environment

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED382411.pdf

https://dpi.wi.gov/early-childhood/devel-approp/mixed-age/grouping

https://auroraearlyeducation.com.au/2020/04/mix-age-group-benefits/

Quarantine and Testing Guidance Applicable to All Archdiocesan Schools: Updated April 13

Fully Vaccinated People

• It is NOT necessary to obtain a COVID-19 test or quarantine following a known close exposure as long as the fully vaccinated individual is asymptomatic; if symptomatic, contact your health care provider and, if proven to be COVID-positive, complete the appropriate Archdiocesan reporting form.
• Domestic travelers do not need COVID-19 testing or post-travel self-quarantines as long as they are not symptomatic.
• International travelers must have a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding a flight to the U.S. and should be tested 3-5 days after returning from international travel. Self-quarantining is not required post-international travel for vaccinated people unless required by a local jurisdiction. 

Unvaccinated People (all of our students)

• Quarantine for 14 days is required following close exposure to anyone with COVID-19.
• Domestic travelers to an "Orange state" on the Chicago Emergency Travel Order map must adhere to:
• 10-day quarantine upon return OR
• Pre-arrival negative test (within 72 hours prior to returning arrival to the state) with strict masking, physical distancing, and avoidance of in-person gatherings (separate from school attendance). Any test administered by a 3rd-party is sufficient; however, a self-administered test is not acceptable. Archdiocesan schools should accept any negative test prior to school attendance, including tests upon return to the state.
• International travelers must:
• Self-quarantine for 10 days OR
• Obtain a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND self-quarantine for a full 7 days after returning home.  

Guidance for Individuals with Prior COVID-Positive Diagnosis within Past 90 Days

People are presumed immune for 90 days after a COVID-positive diagnosis and have completed the minimum 10 days of isolation and remain symptom-free. Therefore, these individuals are not subject to either domestic or international travel quarantines during their 90-day immunity period (they must have proof of positive diagnosis testing date). However, for administrative purposes, individuals may be subject to remote learning requirements as part of a cohort. After 90-days, these exceptions no longer apply, and any unvaccinated person must follow the quarantine guidelines noted above for all non-vaccinated individuals.

COVID Dashboard April 15, 2021

• Demonstrates aptitude for extracurricular activities and has contributed to his community through philanthropic opportunities.
• Completes an essay of 500 words or less titled, “What I will gain from a Catholic Education.” 
• All Finalists will complete a virtual interview with SPC Men's Club Board Members (week of May 17 or 24)