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Weekly NCA Newsletter! 
October 9, 2019 - Issue 7
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We had a blast with your students at the Wildcat Fun Run today! 

Thank you so much for all of your support throughout the program. Right now, we are 92% to our $45,000 goal! We have a BONUS night where funrun.com will remain open tonight and over the weekend. We want to reach our goal and allow for any additional pledges to be entered. Let's exceed our goal these next few days and remind friends, family, and neighbors that they still have time to make a final pledge.

Thank you again for your commitment to making NCA GREATER!
School News & Reminders

Uniform Update: The warm weather uniform period has passed. Students should be wearing uniform pants/skirts/skorts on regular days and sweatpants on PE days. Also, all students will need to wear a jacket to school as the weather transitions, and temperatures drop.

Land's End: Next week you will be able to order NCA gym sweatpants from Land's End in addition to Schoolbelles. We are also looking into offering Land's End mesh athletic shorts for girls. 

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. There are postings for Primary School recess volunteers on SchoolSpeak. 

 
Service Opportunity:  Volunteer for St. Gertrude’s Heart to Heart fundraiser.  No VIRTUS training required!!
Heart to Heart St. Gertrude's Cabaret
Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

Click below to volunteer!! 
 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0f45adac2ea46-heart

Date: 10/19  Location: St. Gertrude Gym

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.


Queen of Hearts: Pot is over $14,250! # 50 revealed the Jack of Spades. Drawings are at the Bubble on Saturday's at 6:30 pm.  They are a lot of fun! We hope you can join us!!!

If you can’t make it to The Bubble, Edge of Sweetness (10% off with purchase of tickets) and The Sovereign. Tickets are 1 for $1 or 6 for $5.


 
Important Dates:

October 9: Boosterthon Fun Run

October 10: Coffee w/ the Principal & Parent Appreciation Breakfast (Primary School) @8:15 AM

October 14: Columbus Day--No School
                                   
October 16: Soiree meeting at PS Campus at 6 PM

October 17: Coffee w/ the Principal & Parent Appreciation Breakfast (Middle School) @8 AM

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


 

I firmly believe we have the best parents in the world. They are true rockstars, and the real reason NCA is GREATER! A HUGE thank you to every parent who volunteered for NCA's Open House & Family Fun Day! We had record-breaking attendance, and the event was a massive success because of YOU! 

 

A BIG thank to all the parents who brought their children and supported the event with their presence. Thank you to all who invited friends and neighbors! Those seemingly small kind gestures help our school A LOT! So, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! We are so blessed to have you, and you are indeed one in a million!

Shakira Morrissette
Marketing & Admissions Director
We appreciate every parent that chooses to be part of our NCA community. We not only want to show you that we appreciate you but also value your feedback and suggestions. So join Principal Huzenis for coffee, breakfast, and an appreciation gift. Thursday, Oct 10 (Primary School Campus) at 8:15 AM and Thursday, Oct 17 at 8:00 AM (Middle School Campus). 

*Please RSVP for this event by clicking the link below.
https://forms.gle/KVe9M4AwzTufANjt5
🎉Congratulations to NCA’s 2019-20 Student Council Officers and Commissioners:
  • President: Rami Khosho
  • Vice Pres: Avila Griffin
  • Secretary: Emma Ferrell
  • Treasurer: Cat Gonzalez
  • Commissioner of Outreach: Nolan Reynolds
  • Commissioner of School Spirit: Nene Wrenn
  • Commissioner of Athletics: Devon Brunner
  • Commissioner of Social Events: Anna Garcia
  • And all the Class Representatives!
Please click the links below to review the STAMP Newsletters:
 

Introducing Mary Lidd - NCA’ s NEW Library Media Specialist!

Mary Lidd joins NCA this year as our new library media specialist. She grew up in Riverside and has been teaching for ten years. She has an MA in Library and Information Science from Dominican University and a BA in Sociology from DePaul University.

 

“Both campus libraries offer valuable reading and researching opportunities for students.  I would like to continue to strengthen the collections through acquisitions that students will use for learning and enjoyment.  One way to achieve this goal is through the promotion of the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award. Planning is underway to promote student participation in activities related to the books nominated to win in 2020.  In addition to providing materials, another one of my roles is to help students learn about and use digital and print resources effectively and responsibly.  

 

Fun Facts About Mary:

  • She enjoys swimming and hiking
🌿NCA is growing!

NCA is growing! Our three-year strategic plan will be released to our parent and parish community on Tuesday, Oct 22 at 6:30 PM in the Primary School Lunchroom. You're invited to NCA's State of the School Presentation, come and find out how NCA is growing and the strategy we've created to be successful in accomplishing our goals! We're planting seeds of action in each department, and we need your support!  

*State of the School is an adult-only event, beer and wine will be served.
Put your kids' sugar high to good use!

NCA Green team will be having a post-Halloween neighborhood clean-up. We'll meet on Saturday 11/2 at 9 AM in front of the primary campus. Gloves and bags will be provided but bring re-usable gloves if you have them. We'll also be collecting Halloween costumes and storing them for a 2020 costume exchange. Clean up counts for service hours.

Contact georgetully82@gmail.com with questions.

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 Spirit Wear Sale!!!!!

Show your support and get your NCA Wildcat spirit gear today!!! Photos Spirit Wear is attached

 

Prices and packages are listed below. If interested please email order with (1) your name, (2) child’s name, (3) child’s grade/teacher, and (4) what items or package you are interested into smcgowan@ncaweb.org

 

Payments can be made via main office (attention NCA Athletics) or through Venmo @Seamus-McGowan-1
 

NCA Wildcat SUPERFAN PACKAGE: All 4 spirit items for $40!!! 

The superfan package is the best value, but the offer is for a limited time only. You can also buy the items individually. See the price list below.

 

Sweaty bands— $12

Wildcat socks— $10

NCA Wildcat hat— $15

NCA bleacher seat cushion $20

 

Wildcat Cross Country
Talk about going the extra mile!!! These dedicated runners, coaches, and parents got some extra mileage this past week at their meet in Yorkville, IL. Good luck runners in your postseason.

 

NCA Bitty Basketball and the JR Wildcat Running Club
These little athletes are continuing to put in some hard work. Finish strong little wildcats at your last two practices and the running club’s mock cross country meet. Photos are attached

 

Thanks to all NCA and Loyola Rambler fans would attend the NCA nights at the Volleyball game and the LU soccer game. If you missed out, please support another NCA/LU night on Oct 12th.

 

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. Please visit NCA's Athletic Calendar for more details about these games
 

October 9, 2019 (Wed)

Vball 5th Girls White vs. Sacred Heart White 6 PM – 7 PM

Vball 6th Girls vs. AACA Gold 6 PM – 7 PM

Vball 7th Girls Blue vs. AACA Blue 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM

October 10, 2019 (Thurs)

XC Meet Lane Tech Rising Runners 4 PM – 6 PM

Vball 8th Girls B vs. Latin 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM

Vball 8th Girls A vs. Queen of Angels 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

October 11, 2019 (Fri)

Vball 8th Girls B vs. AACA 6 PM – 7 PM

Vball 7th Girls White vs. St. Matthias 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM

October 12, 2019 (Sat)

XC IESA Sectionals 7:30 AM – 12 PM Athletics
🎃🎃🎃Cub Scout Pack 3822 annual pumpkin sale is here!! All proceeds benefit the Pack 3822 scouts and used to improve our programing.

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
Intercambio: October 14, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Co-hosted by Centro Romero, Intercambio is a weekly language exchange. Attendees share language in an informal setting. A perfect event for anyone looking to learn a new language, make new friends or share experiences. 

Twidley Bits Pop-Up: October 16, 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Experience the amazing world of jams, fruit butter, plant-based cheeses and pickles with Twidley Bits! Twidley Bits Owner, and Edgewater resident, Lauren Ocello will be onsite for tastings, in-depth product knowledge, and sales. The experience is guaranteed to be delicious! 

Poetry and Prose: October 21, 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Co-hosted by Heirloom Books, Poetry and Prose are a new series on North Clark. This event will feature poet-essayist Brooke Bergan and poet-playwright Michael Rychlewski. These acclaimed poets and friends will share their own words and prose from their favorites in a night that will be sure to delight and entertain. BYOB. RSVP Here.  

St. Gertrude's Sacraments: Please click the attachment to view letter and registration form.
Knitting Group: The Knitting Group invites all knitters and crocheters to join us for fun and blanket square-making on Wednesday, October 9 from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Ministry Center.

Blessing of Chicago Marathon Runners: At the 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, October 12, all marathon participants will be blessed.

State of the Parish: At all Masses the weekend of October 12 and 13, the state of the parish annual financial report will be reviewed.

New Heart to Heart Fundraiser—A Cabaret!: Save the date! The annual Heart to Heart fundraiser, usually a play, will now be a cabaret held on Saturday, October 19 from 7:30-10:30 pm in the Gym, 1402 W. Granville. Tickets are $10 and $7 for seniors. 

 Volunteers are needed for many tasks, email Mike Tobin at Mtobin@vantageleadership.com for more information. We're looking for card tables to create a bistro environment. If you have any, please consider sharing and we'll make sure you get them back!

Christmas Bazaar Donations/Volunteer Slots Now Open: Contributions for the White Elephant areas will be accepted on Sundays from 12:00-3:00 pm in the Social Hall, 1401 W. Granville Avenue, beginning Sunday, October 27 through Sunday, December 1. Please note, no clothing, linens, or stuffed animals will be accepted.

To volunteer to help on Sundays with the White Elephant donations or at the Bazaar, click here. You can also visit signupgenius.com, click the search icon, then under Search for a Sign-Up, type inevents@stgertrudechicago.org and you can choose how you would like to help.

Applications to Become a Vendor at St. Gertrude Christmas Bazaar Available: This year, our annual Bazaar will be held on Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8. Tables for vendors can be reserved for $50 per day per table. Applications can be found on the home page of the parish website, www.stgertrudechicago.org, in the back of the church, or at the Rectory.

*Applications are due by Wednesday, October 30. Email Victoria Healy at stgertsbazaar@gmail.com for more info. 

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. 

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.
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!
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!
 
Copyright © 2018 Northside Catholic Academy. All rights reserved.

Primary School Campus: 6216 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago, IL 60660
Phone: 773-743-6277  Fax: 773-743-6174

Middle School Campus: 7318 N. Oakley Ave., Chicago, IL 60645
Phone: 773-271-2008  Fax: 773-764-1095

www.northsidecatholic.org 
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