Charger Check-In

The start of the 2024-25 school year is almost here! It was great to see so many families at the Charge On 5K and Color Dash this morning. And the rain is not cooperating for the parish picnic this afternoon/evening.

This year our school-wide theme is "Anchored in Faith." This phrase takes its inpiration from Hebrews 6:17-19, "So when God wanted to give the heirs of his promise an even clearer demonstration of the immutability of his purpose, he intervened with an oath, so that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul sure and firm..."

Supply Drop Off for our PK3, PK4, kindergarten and 1st grades is set for Monday afternoon. Families should sign-up for a time slot. Please enter through the main church/school doors (Door 2) on Kedvale to be checked-in.

Here are some notes for our first day of school.

Gym Uniforms

• Kindergarten-8th grade students are welcome to wear their SCA gym uniforms to school everyday for the first few weeks of school. We will monitor the weather forecasts and move to regular school uniforms when it seems the hot and humid weather has passed.

Morning Entry

• PK3 and PK4 families should line up at the door by the small playground on the south parking lot. Teachers will greet families at the door beginning at 7:50AM and bring the children into school. Parents will not be able to enter the building.
• K-6th grade students will line up in homeroom groups on the center/main parking lot. Teachers will be outside at 7:50AM with signs to help with identification. Classes will move into the building at 8AM.
• Once your child has found their homeroom, I ask parents/guardians to move back from the homeroom to make it easier for other families to find the correct teachers.
• 7th and 8th grade students will gather at the main church/school entrance. Teachers will meet them at 7:50AM and enter the building at 8AM.

Snack/Lunch/Recess

• Snack will begin the first day of school for 1st, 2nd or 3rd graders. Please send them with a snack.
• Our 1st-8th grade students will have both lunch and recess on the first day of school. Be sure your child brings lunch to school. The milk program will begin that day.
• We will have recess too!

Dismissal

• Dismissal will happen as usual for 1st--8th grade students.
• 1st-4th grades will exit Door 9 onto the main/center parking lot.
• 5th and 6th graders will exit from the Alexandria Center. They can exit either onto to Kedvale or onto the main/center parking lots.
• 7th and 8th graders will exit from either the main church/school doors or from Door 9 on the center/main parking lot.
• Kindergarten families should wait behind the cones. The kindergarten classes willl come across the parking lot to the back of the gym where parents/guardians can pick them up.

A Bit More News...

• Morning care will begin on Wednesday, August 21. Extended care (after school) will begin on Thursday, August 22.
• Here are school supply lists for K-8 Grade and for PK3 and PK4. The deadline for ordering school supply kits has passed.
• Summer reading assignments for students in 6th, 7th and 8th grade are listed here: 6th grade summer reading and 7th & 8th grade summer reading. Students should have this work completed before the first day of school in August.
• Information about this year's Charger Crawl is further down in the Check-In. Registration opens at noon on Sunday, August 4.
• If you know of an SCA family who owns a small business that we can publicize here to help support them, please reach out to me via email. Scroll down to see local businesses we can support.
  

These links will take you to the updates to the Parent-Student Handbook. There are three additional updates in the fifth bullet-point. These do not have links, but they are highlighted in the table of contents.

• Daily Schedule - update to tardy bell and morning entry procedures
• The added flexibility for morning entry is intended to help those families with children in multiple grade levels. We ask, as much as possible, for K-4th grade students to continue to enter the building via Door 9 on the main/center parking lot. This is the same door we used last year.
• Cell Phones, Smart Watches and Similar Devices - update to end of day usage
• Supply of Undesignated Opioid Antagonists - new state law as of 1.1.24
• Uniform - update to uniform shorts for boys and uniform pants for girls
• also updated: milk program, timing of fall PTC, teacher requests
• clarification on shoes
• Hey Dudes may be worn; they should be considered dress shoes and must adhere to the expectation that school shoes be brown or black

As we begin the school year and ramp up for the start of athletic events in the gym, please remember that scooters are not permitted in the gym, in the gym kitchen or in the Alexandria Center. If your child rides their scooter to the gym for a game, for practice or for another occasion, it should be charged before leaving home, and the scooter should be locked up at the bike rack.

On behalf of the Chairs of the SCA Charger Crawl, we would like to invite you to participate in this year's event and wanted to tell you a bit about this awesome event if you haven't attended before.

What is the Charger Crawl?

The Charger Crawl is a Family School Association event held at the start of each school year to bring together the parents in the school to socialize, cocktail and eat at local school family homes. 150 parents meet at the first house and then spend the next three hours rotating between three middle houses meeting new parents and hanging out with veteran families in a casual environment. All 150 attendees then meet up again at the final house to end the evening.

What is the cost of the Charger Crawl?

The Charger Crawl is $75 per person and your ticket includes Charger swag, cocktails (beer, wine, seltzers and water), appetizers and a food truck at the final house.

How do I register?

Get your fastest fingers ready on Sunday, August 4 as this event always sells out fast! You will find the flyer with a QR code just above as well as the registration link just below. At noon on Sunday, August 4, the link will go live and the first 150 people to register will be in. All registered attendees will receive an email confirmation and payment is then required within 24 hours or your spot will be released to someone on the waitlist. Payment will be to the FSA Venmo or you can drop a check or cash off at my house (details are included in the registration form). The next 50 responses will go to a waitlist and be contacted if and when a spot becomes available. Please do not pay until you receive an email confirming you are in.

Why should you come?

The Crawl is a great way to meet new families and have a great night out all at once. We make sure to mix the crowds at each house switch so you will get to hang with everyone! This year's Crawl has some awesome swag too! As always we will have split the pot! It is sure to be the kick-off event of the year!

Still have questions?

Feel free to reach out to us at RNealis@gmail.com or kmkevin715@gmail.com

Thanks,

Rhonda and Jeff Knight and Kristy and Dan Kevin

St. Catherine of Alexandria parishioners can easily set up recurring contributions via Give Central.

Visit the link below to set up your recurring contribution. Donors can change the amount of the contribution or pause it at any time.

For many years, our small business neighbors have been stalwart partners with St. Catherine through offering Eat & Earns, sponsoring SCA events and offering discounts when the school places orders. Now is the time for our SCA community to show our support of these amazing small businesses. Please take the time to visit the "live" buttons below, and, if you are able, support them.

If you know of an SCA family who owns a small business that we can publicize here to help support them, please reach out to me via email.

Tuesday, August 20

• First Day of School
• Ice Cream Social in the parking lot from 6-7:30PM

Saturday, August 24 & Sunday, August 25

• Backpack Blessings at all masses

Tuesday, August 27

• Back-to-School Night from 6:30-8:30PM

Monday, September 2

• No School - Labor Day

Wednesday, September 4

• Picture Day for PK3-8th grade

Saturday, September 7

• Homecoming Mass at 4PM

Sunday, September 8

• Homecoming Games and Homecoming Celebration

Website: www.scaoaklawn.org
Location: 10621 South Kedvale Avenue, Oak Lawn, IL, USA
Phone: 708-425-5547
Facebook: facebook.com/scaoaklawn/