Weekly Newsletter from Ms. McAllister

Weekly Rocket Newsletter
Friday, January 8th, 2021

Rocket Families,

Welcome back AACA students and families! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and a restful break.

As was previously communicated by the Archdiocese and AACA, the Archdiocese made this week and next week virtual learning weeks, not to extend vacation, but to ensure that all students and families have the opportunity to quarantine so that everyone may return to the building safely. Please note, if you were not in the state/city by January 4^th, based on your travel destination, you may have to continue to quarantine until you meet Arch quarantine guidelines. If you are/were in a red state, you must quarantine for 14 days upon your return. If you were in an orange state, you must quarantine for 14 days or receive a negative test result within 72 hours before you return to Chicago. If it is not possible to get a test before you return to Chicago, you can test upon your return, but students cannot attend school until both parents or students have received negative tests. Negative tests must be submitted to Nurse Cody at nurse@aaca.school. They must include name, date, time, and result. This information will be kept confidential.

I know that these dates differ from the CDC recommendations and the City of Chicago guidance for travel, which is now 10 days. The Archdiocese has decided to remain using the 14 day expectation for travel and exposure quarantine. As recommended by the CDC and IDPH, the Archdiocese consulted with local health authorities of Suburban Lake County, Suburban Cook County, and the City of Chicago. All recommended that we continue to observe 14 days of quarantine for exposure to Covid or travel to hot spots. Although this may be inconvenient, the most important thing is the health of our students and staff. Please let your teacher(s) know if your child(ren) will be extending virtual learning past January 19th for travel quarantine reasons.

Have a Blessed Weekend,

Gerit McAllister

Updates and Announcements

We are happy to announce a new community-building initiative for AACA, titled TLC for the Community. Get ready for some community engagement and bonding time, even if it is virtual. More information to come!
Reregistration is open! Reach out to mbodlak@aaca.com with any questions you may have.
As always, if you have any questions regarding Covid or any Covid procedures, please reach out to nurse@aaca.school or gmcallister@aaca.school.
We were told we would be receiving our calendar grids for the 21-22 school year next week. When we do, we will begin working on our tentative school calendar for next year. I will share that with you as soon as I am able.
The Archdiocese is determining whether or not we will be switching to e-learning following spring break. I will communicate any information regarding this as soon as I receive it.
Dine out at Chipotle on January 19th from 4-8pm and Chipotle will donate 33% of sales back to AACA! You must show this flyer when ordering.
SEEK 21 Parish Mission, Feb 4-7, 2021
We are excited to bring to St. Alphonsus FOCUS’ SEEK21 as our parish mission for 2021! The SEEK21 conference is a unique opportunity to experience a faith-filled, immersive four-day conference right here, virtually. FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) typically ministers to young adults on college campuses throughout the United States, but this year’s conference is open to parish communities, and all age groups from young adults to seniors.
You can register on St. Alphonsus' website here!

We are in need of small group leaders for this conference. For those willing to lead a small group, SEEK will provide training materials. Be sure to mark on the registration that you are willing to lead a small group! Questions? Please contact Associate Pastor, Fr. Patrick Gorman or Brooks Robinson, Pastoral Associate
We were told by the Archdiocese that we are now allowed to have minimal volunteers. 2-5 parents total can be on our volunteer list to help out with things like lunch supervision. This is a huge relief in terms of support for our teachers and staff. If you are someone that is able to volunteer consistently and will follow all of our Covid protocols, please reach out to mgunsaulus@aaca.school.

Important Dates

January 4^th-15^th – Full School Remote Learning
January 18^th – MLK Day: No School
January 19^th – Return to in person learning, Mothers' Club Hot Diggity Dog Day
January 27th – Deadline for current student reregistration
January 29th – 8th grade pizza lunch fundraiser