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NCA families!
Our Wildcat Stomp “Dance, Your Paws Off” fundraiser will kick off in just three weeks on 10/14. Our goal is to raise $25,000 for teacher support, COVID operational costs, maintain affordability for parents, and strengthen our school community. This year, fundraising is more critical than ever to provide learning resources and fund our school budget. We’ve asked our friends at Booster to power our fundraiser to make it more profitable, fun, and easy for everyone. We have worked closely together to ensure this event follows the safety and health guidelines of our school.
Here’s what all students can get excited about:
• Fun, engaging character development lesson
• A high-energy event to give our school a much-needed boost of fun!
If your family feels it’s not in the position to support the school financially, that’s ok. Families can support our school by also SHARING our fundraiser with friends and family online. Sharing IS supporting.
Key dates to remember:
• Donating Opens - 10/7
Register on FUNRUN.COM, SHARE, & GIVE!
• Fundraiser Kick-Off - 10/14
• Event Day - 10/23 • SAVE THE DATE!
Thank you for supporting Northside Catholic Academy through the Wildcat Stomp.
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School News & Reminders
Soiree Meeting: Soiree Meeting Scheduled!! Bring your thinking cap and fun ideas to our first NCA Soiree meeting. September 30, 6:30 PM in the PC cafeteria.
Please RSVP to Jen Reyes at jreyes@ncaweb.org or Leigh Holzman at lholzman@ncaweb.org. If the number of attendees is too high we will move to a virtual platform.
FSP Lunch Ordering: Through FSP NCA has been offered free lunches for every student from September through December. For those who ordered in September, you will receive a credit. NCA will be emailing an October lunch order form as soon as we receive the menu from FSP. For the short term, orders will no longer be taken on Bonili.
NCA's 2020-2021 Family Handbook is now posted on SchoolSpeak and NCA's website. Parents should take some time to review this important document.
Service Hours: All virtual volunteer opportunities will be posted on SchoolSpeak. Look out as various virtual service opportunities will be added throughout the year! Service opportunities will be different this year due to the guidelines. The full 20-hour commitment will not be required, BUT we still hope parents will sign-up and participate.
Virtus Training: If you have a Virtus account but have not yet completed the Virtus course please contact Jen Reyes at jreyes@ncaschools.com. If you need to complete the steps to volunteer please go to Schoolspeak Prepare to Volunteer tab.
NCA's Extended Care Program kicks off another great school year! The ECP is available only at the Primary School. It's offered in the mornings and after school. If you plan on using the ECP this school year you must register on SchoolSpeak. Please review the updated 2020-2021 ECP Handbook, before registering. For all participating families, please make sure you sign and return the Handbook Acknowledgement Form before attending your first day.
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September 23: Middle School dismisses at 1:45 &1:50 and Primary School at 1:55 and 2:10. ECP is available at the Primary School.
September 24: Kindergarten Virtual Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 24 @ 6:30 pm
Parents will receive a Zoom invite from their kindergarten teacher
September 25: NO SCHOOL - PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
September 30: Soiree meeting @ 6:30 PM in PC cafeteria
October 7: Wildcat Stomp- DONATING OPENS! FunRun.com
October 7: Middle School dismisses at 1:45 &1:50 and Primary School at 1:55 and 2:10. ECP is available at the Primary School.
October 14: Fundraiser Kick-off
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Important Reminder
Parents should look at their child's mask and make sure it is clean and fitting correctly every day. If the staff sees an inappropriate mask that does not look like it is meeting the guidelines, your child will be provided with a new disposable mask for the day.
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October’s parent organization meeting will take place THURSDAY EVENING, October 1st, at 8 pm via zoom. Come see what the NCAPO has planned in place of our traditional fall family dance! Want to help plan a virtual trivia night? Find out how to be a room parent and get those service hours done in one fell swoop!
If you are interested in attending, please email Jen Kenny at NCAPO@ncaschools.com for a link to the meeting.
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In the NCAPO’s second installment of NCA GIVES BACK, we’d like to remind our families in this gorgeous weather time of year, that Moody’s has a great beer garden. Jake and all the crew at Moody’s have been extremely generous in their give-back days to the NCAPO and in their donations to school events. Please continue to support the businesses in our community that has supported our school in the past. You deserve a frosty cold one and some of their fantastic onion rings, stop by 5910 N Broadway and treat yourself.
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AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support Northside Catholic Academy every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop Amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to NCA.
Go to smile.amazon.com and assign Northside Catholic Academy as the organization you want to support, and every quarter you'll receive an email showing how much has been donated.
As always, thank you for your continued support!
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Please click the attachment to view details and requirements.
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Please click the attachment to view the room parent request letter.
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Self-Care Awareness Month- Who cares about the parents? WE DO!
Being a parent is a thankless and sometimes very stressful job. Being a parent during a Pandemic adds to the stress, creating many nerve-racking and overwhelming moments. As a parent, your focus is always on your family, and you might find it challenging to give that same attention to yourself.
A lack of self-care can create a downward spiral. When you are not caring for yourself, it's tougher to be an empathetic and patient parent. You matter, so it's essential to set aside a little bit of time for self-care, even when you feel like you don't have a single second to devote to yourself. September is Self-Care Awareness Month, and we want to encourage our parent community to take some time to participate in self-care activities every week this month. Below are this week's five self-care suggestions.
1. Meditate
Even a quick 5-minute meditation can help you feel rejuvenated. If you are new to meditation, guided meditation might be a good option. There are many apps, websites, and audio files that can walk you through the steps of meditation.
Many breathing exercises can help reduce your stress in just a couple of minutes, which means that you can practice these even when you're short on time. Even though they're quick, a few deep cleansing breaths can do wonders for calming your mind and your body.
2. Go for a Walk
Exercise can be just as good for your mind as it is for your body. Though you might not always feel like you have time to hit the gym or to engage in an intense workout, fortunately, a brisk walk can be an excellent self-care strategy.
Whether you're pushing a stroller or you're walking by yourself, get your body moving for 20 minutes. A little extra activity can help you feel energized for the rest of the day.
3. Write in a Gratitude Journal
Studies show people who keep gratitude journals sleep longer and experience higher quality sleep (something every parent could likely use). The best part is, writing in a gratitude journal only takes a few minutes of your time, and it doesn't cost you any money.
Before you go to sleep, jot down three things you're thankful for. Your list might include simple things, like a sunny day, or it may consist of big things, like getting a debt paid off. Either way, simply reminding yourself of the things you have to be grateful for can help you feel good about life.
4. Join a Book Club
A book club can serve several purposes. Joining a book club that meets in person will help you have regular social interaction, it will motivate you to set aside time to read, and it can help you have something to look forward to each week. If you aren't aware of any local book clubs, contact your library. They may host book clubs, or they may be able to help you find one in your community.
You can always start your own book club, too. Gather a couple of people every week to discuss a chapter of a book. Take turns picking the books and host the discussion on Zoom.
5. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness programs or simply a daily mindfulness practice can help you become more present—this is key to fully savoring what's going on right now. Rather than replay something in your mind that happened yesterday or worry about what might happen later today, savoring the moment will help you enjoy all the positive things right in front of you.
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The entire Middle School shared what they feel each of them is called to do for God with amazing spiritual guidance from Ms. Halm.
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A few weeks ago our 1st-grade students wrote to superhero doctors and nurses. Today the superhero’s sent pictures to thank them for the beautiful cards! The cards were sent to Loyola Hospital, Rush Hospital, and Stanford VA Hospital in California.
1st grade learned the value of spreading joy!
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5th-grade social studies students worked in pairs to find text evidence to answer questions. Our e-learners were so thrilled to get to interact with their in-class friends! Keeping our classroom community connected and engaged!
Room 14 remote learners have been doing an excellent job with their Spanish, math, and spelling activities.
E-learning + sweet treats = Gummy Bear Science! Our remote learners had lots of fun in Ms. McNulty’s 6th-grade Science class this week!
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1st grade took their journals outside and enjoyed the nice weather today! The students loved writing in the fresh air!
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NCA Alumni Spotlight- Luke Davey
Congratulations to Luke Davey, an NCA alumnus! He was Athlete of the Week at Notre Dame, and the school posted, "Luke works extremely hard and is a great ND Don!"
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EXCITING NEWS!
We are happy to announce the formation of a brand-new choir here at St. Ignatius: St. Ignatius Handbell Choir. We will have an informational meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, at 6:30 p.m., in the Music Room. This choir will be open to children and adults, Grade 4 and up. We will learn music to enhance our liturgies and praise God. Our rehearsals will be 30 minutes each, and we hope to play each month. Come and see it!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Carole Prendergast
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Fr. Mike Will Run a Marathon for Heart to Heart This Year
Even though the Chicago Marathon will not occur this year, Fr. Mike Bradley WILL run a personal marathon right here in the neighborhood to benefit our Heart to Heart ministry! On Sunday, October 11 at 6:00 am, Fr. Mike will start his run at the front entrance of the Rectory and run the 26.2 miles in a specially designed Edgewater course.
Solicitations for donors to support Fr. Mike and the Heart to Heart Ministry will be going out soon. And there will also be other ways to support Fr. Mike via the parish website. There will be lots more information in future newsletters and ways to donate online and in church.
Please begin thinking about being part of the Fr. Mike Marathon Support Team on October 11. We are looking for parishioners willing to be stationed at specified locations along the route to provide him with water and some nutritious snacks to get him through the run. And we’ll be inviting everyone to find a time and a spot on his route where you can be present to cheer him on! As usual, there will be some special t-shirts available for purchase which support him and Heart to Heart! This year, we also have lawn signs to support him!
Please return this completed form and payment for any ordered items to the Rectory office, drop this in the Sunday collection box, or email stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org.
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St. Gertrude- Update First Communion and Confirmation Catch-Ups
Last Friday, Jim Potthast, our Coordinator of Religious Education and Youth Ministry, resigned his position here at St. Gertrude. His unexpected and swift departure has left us in a bind. Last weekend, we expected to begin both the celebrations of First Communion and Confirmation postponed because of the pandemic and Religious Education classes.
We’re working hard to schedule the First Communions and Confirmations that were to be made in the spring. The new plan is that they will be celebrated each weekend beginning October 3 through November 15. Each celebration will be limited to six children/young adults and their families. Rectory staff will be reaching out to these families to schedule a date and time this week!
We are working out the details of the sacramental preparation programs for 2021 First Communion and Confirmation. If you have a question regarding rescheduled sacraments or date preferences, please reach out to Kevin Chears at kchears@stgertrudechicago.org.
I am very sorry for all the families who have been adversely affected by this turn of events. Hopefully, in a few more weeks, things will be back to a regular schedule. Thank you to all of you for your patience and understanding!
~ Father Rich
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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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