School News & Reminders
Paperwork Due: Please remember to turn in all Medical Forms required for grades PreK, K, 2 and 6. Families should be receiving all other forms these next few days. Please return them ASAP. Returning volunteers as a reminder a CANTS form is required yearly to continue volunteering with the class.
Business Envelopes Needed: Please donate gently used or new business envelopes to Mrs. Cannon in the primary school main office. She is in desperate need of 8 1/2 x 11 or any size. We appreciate all donations. Thank you!
National School Lunch Program: Please make sure you complete the "Free and Reduced" form for breakfast and lunch being sent home today in the Wednesday Envelope, and return to your campus office. All Guardian Angel Scholarship recipients are required to complete and return this form. Also, see the attached letter requesting that all NCA families complete the NSLP online survey even if you are not applying for "Free and Reduced" meals. "Free and Reduced" application due ASAP. If you receive Financial Aid from NCA this form is required to be filled out.
Service Hours: Remember that every family must complete 20 hours of service every year! All volunteer opportunities are posted on SchoolSpeak. Look often as new opportunities are added all the time! There are opportunities now listed that do NOT require VIRTUS training! All Service hours must be recorded in SchoolSpeak. Please see the quick link on the left side of the website.
Virtus Training: There are multiple opportunities to volunteer on Schoolspeak. Please note that all opportunities require that you are VIRTUS certified unless otherwise specified. A VIRTUS class is being held on September 25 at NCA and you must pre-register. If you are interested in volunteering please go to the following link on Schoolspeak:
https://as4.schoolspeak.com/Public/BulletinDisplay.aspx?Id=1&name=PrepareT&Community=60660001&group=1
If there are any questions please feel free to contact Jen Reyes.
Tardy Policy @Primary Campus: Arriving at school on time is an essential part of teaching children good habits for life and work. Parents need to take an active role in ensuring that their child is NOT tardy to school. If a child is not in the building by 8:10 am – the parent will need to park the car, escort the child to the office, sign the child in as tardy and if the child is in 3rd or 4th grade, the child will need to wait until we have staff available to escort the student across the street. Classroom teachers WILL NOT be answering the doorbell at the gym building (it is disruptive to the classroom, and with no video access, security concerns prohibit their buzzing people into the building from the 3rd floor).@Middle School: The doors open at the Middle School at 7:40. Students have this time to get to their lockers and prepare their morning materials. Students must be seated at their desk when the 7:50 bell rings. If they are not in their seat, the homeroom teacher will mark them tardy. Students who walk through the doors at 7:49 - 7:50 will be sent directly to the office for a tardy slip and will wait in the office during announcements. Last year the teachers and students had too many distractions from students coming into the classroom during announcements. We are trying to eliminate the distractions for our start in the morning. We thank you for your cooperation and assistance in helping our students get a great start to the day.
Powerschool Parent Portal: Now open for the 2019-2020 school year. This is a portal where you can check your child's grade and progress throughout the school year. Parents in 3rd grade and any new families in grades 4-8 please check your family envelope for login information.
NCA's Extended Care Program kicks off another great school year! The ECP is available for all NCA students in preschool through eighth grade. It's offered in the mornings at our Primary School Campus and after school at both our Primary School and Middle School Campus. If you plan on using the ECP this school year you must register on SchoolSpeak. Prices have increased, so please review the attached 2019-20 ECP Handbook before registering. For all participating families, please make sure you sign and return the Handbook Acknowledgement Form before attending your first day.
NCA Calendars: We have NCA 2019-2020 Family Calendars for sale at both campuses. They are $15 and showcase all of the artwork that was sold at the Soiree. The calendars make great gifts, and they have all the relevant school dates and run August - August. Proceeds go to NCA's arts program. Be sure to stop by the main office and purchase one!
Please see order form attached.
Looking for a part-time job???
FSP is looking for a lunch server at the Middle School Campus. Hours are roughly 9:30am-1:00pm. Please contact Nadine
at nschauwecker@FSPRO.COM if you are interested. Thank you.
If you would like a hard copy of the newsletter each week, please send a note to the school office stating so, and one will be provided.
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Important Dates:
Sept 21: Queen of Heart Kick-off Party at The Double Bubble at 6:30 pm
Sept. 30: Boosterthon Pep Rally
October 2: Professional Development Early Release:
MS Campus- 1:50 Dismissal
PS Campus- 2:10 Dismissal
ECP available at both campuses
October 4: NCAPO Meeting—Primary School lunchroom @ 8:15 AM
October 5: Open House & Family Fun Day Primary Campus 10-12 pm
October 9: Boosterthon Fun Run
October 14: Columbus Day--No School
October 21: School Pictures Retake at Primary Campus
October 22: State of the School Presentation—Primary School lunchroom @ 6:30 PM
October 25: NCAPO Halloween Family Dance
October 31: Black & Orange Dress Down Day
Halloween Classroom Celebrations
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Please see the attached flyers for more details:
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The Board of Specified Jurisdiction (BSJ) would like to welcome everyone back for another great school year. As we did last year, we've assigned to each grade level a board member or two to serve as a point of contact for any parents with students in that grade. If you have any ideas, questions, or concerns, please feel free to contact your grade-level representative at any point during the school year. Additionally, we have an independent (non-parent) representative you can reach out to if you prefer. All the best in the coming school year!
Please click on the attachment to review the list of BSJ Class Representatives.
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PLEDGING OPENS IN ONE WEEK!
Help us reach our fundraising goal: $45,000
Parent Action Steps:
1. Register your student(s) on FUNRUN.COM on 9/23.
2. Reach out to sponsors by sharing your pledge link.
3. All pledges and payments are made online.*
4. Cheer on your student at the FUNRun on 10/9.
Run & Done Collections
• EASY for everyone! Sponsors pledge and pay online, saving our volunteers 50+ hours and helping our school collect more pledges faster.
• Sponsors can either make a pledge per lap or a flat donation. If they make a pledge per lap, their credit card is charged after the Event.
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Don't miss out on all the fun!
Invite a friend and RSVP for our Open House & Family Fun Day by clicking the link below!
https://forms.gle/AXKhEUdwmnHjTJxW8
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Attention all “Fun”draiser parents…the NCA 2020 Soirée planning is underway. You won’t want to miss this year!
For those of you that don’t know what the NCA Soirée is…it is Northside Catholic Academy's biggest fundraiser and it raises funds for technology, facility improvements, and other critical programs. We need a lot of help to make this a successful event for our school along with it being a memorable evening with fellow parents, neighbors, parishioners and community members.
Please join us at our first Soirée meeting TONIGHT, Wednesday, September 18 at 6:30 in the Primary Campus Teacher’s Lounge. This is a great way to help the school, get your service hours and meet a lot of other parents. If you can’t make it to the meeting tonight, just send us an email at cari@pyka.com
NCA SOIRÉE
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Ravenswood Event Center
*Look for your “Save the date” magnet in today’s Wednesday envelope and place it on your fridge!
NCA Soirée Co-Chairs
Laura and Joe Marinelli
Cari and Bryan Pyka
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HAVE PLANS THIS FRIDAY? IF NOT, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE A FRIDAY NIGHT LIKE THOSE GOOD OL’ COLLEGE DAYS!
2019 NCA Flip Cup Tournament Party. Come meet other NCA parents while hanging out in the McGowan’s garage. Join the McGowans and Pykas for a night of flip cup, folding chairs and garage debauchery. If you aren’t familiar with how to play flip cup, there are plenty of Youtube clips and no experience is necessary. All you can eat pizza, beer and snacks will be served. You may sign up as teams or as individuals. Individuals will be placed on teams.
Date: Friday, September 20, 2019
Time of event: Come at 7pm, first round of tournament starts at 7:30
Location of event: The McGowan’s Garage (directions will be given when you sign up)
**Special notes: All proceeds go directly to the school. $35 per person, couples need to buy 2. Please make checks payable to NCA and send to Leigh in the school office.
If have any questions or want to attend this FRIDAY...please email Seamus at seamusmcgowan2000@yahoo.com
We hope to see you there! Cheers!
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NCA Wildcat Athletics 🐾
If you have any questions about our NCA Wildcat Athletics, please contact either our AD Dave Scholtes (dscholtes@ncaweb.org ) or Assistant AD Seamus McGowan (smcgowan@ncaweb.org)
Wildcat Fans
Please keep on an eye on our Athletic Calendar on the NCA website and come out and CHEER on our wildcats. Look out for our Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, and Big Red football schedules
Cross Country Update
Wildcats JV Girls team takes 2nd place in the St. Helen’s meet. Photo is attached
Girls Volleyball Update
6th-grade girls volleyball stayed sharp during its back and forth match vs Sacred Heart
Wildcat Jr Running Club and Bitty Basketball
Last week both programs began. Our little Wildcats in K-4th are working hard in both these sessions. Thank you, parent coaches and Jr coaches for your help.
Soccer Update
NCA varsity soccer was firing on all cylinders as it won 6-0 vs QAS
NCA Wildcat night at a Loyola University volleyball game. Sept 27th See flyer attachment for details
NCA Wildcat night at a Loyola University soccer game. Sept 22nd and Oct 12th. See flyer attachment for details
NCA Wildcats of the Week
(1) The Jr Coaches for NCA Bitty Basketball this week
These 7th and 8th graders showed off their leadership skills as they led various drills, handed out high fives, and created team handshakes for the K-3 basketball players. The coaches pictured are Peter, Avila, Devon, Will, Nolan, Griffin, and Max #NCAleadership #WildcatsBIGandSMALL. Photo is attached
(2) NCA Varsity Soccer Wildcat of the week is Devon Brunner. As our goalie, Devon did not allow a goal in either of our games this week coming away with two shut outs. Also, he played the field for a half and scored a goal to seal the win against QAS for our Wildcats.
Devon works hard in practice and is always eager to improve. He is quick with a smile and is good for a laugh. Congratulations Devon. Photo is attached
(3) The 6th-grade girls' volleyball Wildcat of the Week is Anna Stecky. Anna works hard at practice to improve her serving and defense. All her hard work paid off in our game against
Sacred Heart this week. Anna was on fire, putting together multiple strings of aces and great D! Congratulations Anna! Photo is attached
Wildcat Photos Needed!
Calling all parents! For inclusion in our weekly newsletter and on our website, please forward any athletic pictures from our sports programs to Shakira Morrissette at smorrissette@ncaweb.org
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🎃🎃🎃Cub Scout Pack 3822 annual pumpkin sale is here!! All proceeds benefit the Pack 3822 scouts and used to improve our programing.
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For parents who are interested in programs and resources for academically talented students and their families, please visit the following website from the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University.
www.ctd.northwestern.edu
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RPBA is Hiring!
Join our team at Rogers Park Business Alliance!
We are hiring a Spanish Speaking GROW Program Manager/Educator. Applications are now being accepted.
PROGRESANDO Educator (Submit a cover letter in Spanish along with your resume for this position) to sprice@rpba.org
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Free Bike Check-Up
When: Sun, Sep 22 12pm - 2pm
When: Roberts Cycle, 7054 N. Clark St.
Roberts Cycle is celebrating customer appreciation day! Stop by the shop and receive a free tune-up on your bike. Customers also receive $10 off accessories with a min $20 purchase or $10 off repairs of a min $50 purchase.
After you have treated your bike to some R&R, walk over and purchase a ticket to Taste of Clark Streetand enjoy delicious bites down this historic street.
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Taste of Clark Street
When: Sun, Sep 22, 2 - 6 pm
Where: Northwest corner of Clark St. and Morse Ave, 6950 N. Clark St.
Taste of Clark Street is THIS weekend and we are celebrating all of the authentic and delicious restaurants we offer on this historic street.
Looking for delicious food from different regions of Mexico? Join us for mouth-watering delights that await you at Taste of Clark St. With over 13 Clark St. restaurants, taste traditional homemade samples from La Choza Mexican Grill, El Pecado, Taqueria El Chorrito, Tamales lo Mejor de Guerrero and more.
Hang out at our "HUB" on Morse Ave. and Clark St. where we will have, seating, live music, activities, and more food.
Advance tickets are $20 or $30 including beer/wine. Purchase here.
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September 23, 2019, 6 pm - 8 pm: Intercambio: A Language Exchange
A partner event between Helix Cafe and Centro Romero, Intercambio is an innovative language exchange. With the goal of sharing languages over the conversation, the event is open to anyone interested in learning another language and sharing their own. This is not tutoring, but dialogue for all.
Individuals and small groups will talk and share in all languages and guide one another in learning new words in new languages. RSVP Here.
September 26, 2019, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Coffee Talk: Let's Talk About Death
Death is something that you may not talk about, or it is something you talk about every day! But it always on our mind. How does it work? How’s it celebrated in different religions? What happens? Join us in this discussion-style night on Sept. 26th from 6-7: 30 pm. It’s part of a new series at Helix Cafe where a variety of topics will be discussed every 4th Thursday of the month. Hosted by Nicole Brennan, this discussion will feature Jamie Greenebaum, a local mortician, to answer more technical questions. RSVP Here.
September 29, 2019, 3pm - 4:30pm: Anti-Racism Reading Group: White Fragility
Stemming from the Helix Cafe & Andersonville Chamber event in July, Micro-aggression in the Service Industry, this reading group will read and discuss White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. For attendees, the discussion will focus on how the system of racism impacts our community, how you uphold that system, and how to interrupt. The hope of this discussion is for attendees to more deeply understand systemic racism and then brainstorm, participate, and begin to lead to ongoing anti-racist efforts in our community.
The Andersonville Chamber has donated copies of White Fragility that are available to borrow at Helix Cafe. Copies are also available for purchase at Women and Children First Bookstore, and for lending at the Chicago Public Library. RSVP Here.
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Change in St. Gertrude Rectory Hours
The Rectory will close at 4:45 pm on Fridays beginning Friday, September 6.
St. Gertrude Religious Ed Teacher Needed
Have you been thinking of a way to give back or make connections at St. Gertrude? Consider becoming a catechist! Catechists teach Religious Education classes, which at St. Gertrude are offered to children in grades 1-8. Classes are taught on
Sunday mornings from 9:00-10:15 am. Other catechists teach brief lessons of faith based on the Sunday readings in our Kids Word program. This takes place during the 10:30 am Masses in Church and is for children in grades K-4.
The goal of catechists is to share their faith and the lessons of God and Jesus by creating age-appropriate lessons, teach the traditions of the church, and build community with the families of their students. Catechists are usually not professional teachers, just willing parents and parishioners who enjoy kids and want to help them grow in a personal relationship with God, participate in the sacraments, and develop a mature conscience and integrate faith in all areas of their lives.
Candidates must either be Virtus-certified or willing to take training that educates participants on the signs of child sexual abuse, the methods, and means by which offenders commit abuse, how to prevent it, and submit to a background check.
Classes begin on Sunday, September 8. We are still in need of parents to serve as catechists and Kids Word leaders. Please consider offering your time and talents to help our young people learn about and grow in their faith. If you have any questions, please reach out to Family Minister Jim Potthast at jpotthast@stgertrudechicago.org.
Free Powers of Attorney and Living Wills Workshop
On Friday, September 20 from 12:00-2:30 pm in the Ministry Center, attorneys will assist attendees with preparing the actual documents and having them notarized so that they become effective immediately. Bring your state I.D. and the name and address of the person whom you will designate to act on your behalf. Call the Heart to Heart staff at 773.973.5464 to register.
Interested in Being Catholic?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process by which adults learn more about the Catholic Church. This free program begins on Sunday, September 8 after the 10:30 am Mass in the Ministry Center and meets until Pentecost.
Many people who begin RCIA are non-Catholics seeking to become Catholic or at least to explore whether Catholicism might be a good home. Those who complete the process and decide to become Catholic are initiated into the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. Others who take RCIA are already Catholic but want a deeper understanding of their faith foundation.
The RCIA process does not ask those who have been baptized in another faith to give up their denominational experiences. Rather, the RCIA process seeks to add new colors and designs to their existing faith life tapestry. In addition to attending Mass, the RCIA process includes weekly gatherings of breaking open the Word of God, sharing our stories, and learning about our faith traditions.
For information about the RCIA process at St. Gertrude or to register for the program, contact Kevin Chears at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org or call the Rectory at 773.764.3621.
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Volunteer Sign Up Directions
1. Go onto SchoolSpeak.com
2. Click on the Quick Link that says Volunteer
3. There you will see NCA’s volunteer opportunities. All volunteer opportunities require Virtus Training unless otherwise noted.
4. Click on the sign up you want. Find a spot to sign up!
5. Remember every Family needs 20 service hours!
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Volunteer Requirements
1. Completion of form 7703
2. Completion of Online background screening (eApps database)
3. Completion of CANTS form (DCFS background screening – paper only – must be submitted annually)
4. Submission of a signed Code of Conduct form
5. Completion of the Virtus training (must pre-register online)
All forms and other information regarding these requirements can be found on the NCA website under Volunteer. Thank you for working with us to ensure the safety of all children!
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