The most up-to-date calendar is attached here.
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
Feb. 18th No School
Feb. 21st No School - Presidents Day
Feb. 24th Vision and Hearing Screening
Feb. 28th No School
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
Thank you for all of your participation in the activities and donations for our class service projects. We are planning to start fresh with our Food Drive next week.
Macaroni Monday - spaghetti, macaroni, shells, rice, etc.
Granola Tuesday - trail mix, protein bars, granola bars, etc
Wheaties Wednesday - cereal, oatmeal, nonperishable breakfast item, etc
Tasty Thursday - tuna, soup, Hamburger Helper, etc.
Fruity Friday - canned fruit, sweet treats, etc.
Our 3rd - 5th grade students have a Baby Board Book Drive still going on into next week. If you would like to contribute, please send any new or like new board books for infant/toddler age to school with your child.
Keep your eyes open for more information about our Pre-K’s Trike- a-thon that is coming up soon too!
Sophia’s Kitchen was thrilled to see all of the items that the Kindergarten through 2nd grade donated. Thank you so much for helping with that project!
QUARTER 3 MIDTERM & MID-YEAR CONFERENCES
Midterms will be sent home TODAY for 4th-8th grade students. Please contact your child’s teacher if you would like to schedule a mid-year conference. These are optional and by request only.
MAP TESTING
MAP Testing is finished for MOST students. Scores will be sent home next week with your child. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
COME OUT & SUPPORT OUR PLAYERS & CHEERLEADERS
The 8th Grade Regional Championship game will be on Monday, February 7th at 6:00pm at St. Vincent de Paul. Come out and show your support!
VALENTINE’S DAY SUCKER SALES
Student Council will be hosting a Strawberries and Cream sucker sale February 7th-11th. Suckers are 50 cents each or 5 for $2.00. Students are allowed to only purchase 10 per day. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
YEARBOOK COVER CONTEST
Students have the opportunity to design our 2021-2022 yearbook cover! Please find more information on the flyer. Our auction theme this year is Around the World, so a travel theme or Around the World theme is a BONUS! This is open for any student at SMS!
If you have taken pictures at any events involving our students and would like to share them with Ms. Gilbert for use in the yearbook please email them to lgilbert@saint-mark.net. Please send them anytime throughout the school year until February 25, 2022. Thank you.
2021 TAX DOCUMENTS
2021 Tax Documents for Tuition and Before/After Care are ready to be printed off in your FACTS Account. Hard copies of these documents are not sent home with your students. In order to print your tax documents please follow the instructions below. If you are looking for 2021 Church contributions, you will need to contact the parish office to receive that information. Login to FACTS SIS Parentsweb (formerly called Renweb Parentsweb)
2. Click on “Financial” on the left-hand side
3. Click on “Financial Home” on the right-hand side in the Financial Links box
4. Click on “View Details”
5. Click on “View Payment Summary” (please make sure that “2021” is the year selected) 6. To print off the tax information, click on the print icon at the top right corner
WEATHER
Weather permitting, our students will have outdoor recess daily. Assuming other relevant conditions are conducive to outdoor recess, students will go outside when temperatures with wind-chill are 20 degrees or above.
Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for outdoor recess daily. In addition, the school can be a bit chilly when the temperatures are much lower. Also, we are opening windows in the rooms from time to time for air circulation.
AUCTION NEWS
Tickets for the St. Mark's School Auction to be held on March 12th, are now available! Check out our link to get yours!
saintmark.schoolauction.net/makingourmark
If you have any questions or want to get involved, give us a call at 309-676-7131
PND SHADOW VISITS
Eighth grade students are invited to experience a day in the life of a PND student by scheduling a shadow visit. Shadow visitors will have a chance to explore the PND campus, attend classes and lunch, and learn more about the activities that PND offers. Please visit https://my.peorianotredame.com... to schedule your visit.
ILLNESS & COVID PROCEDURES - updated January 11, 2022
The newest guidance moves quarantine and isolation periods from 10 days to 5 days, in line with guidance issued earlier for the general population. Below is an outline of the updates with the links to further details from the CDC.
CDC Recommended Isolation Period for Those Testing Positive for COVID-19
Staff or students who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should isolate for 5 days after onset of symptoms, or 5 days from specimen collection date if no symptoms are present.
Staff or students who test positive for COVID-19 and have no symptoms or their symptoms are resolving can be released from isolation after 5 days. To calculate the 5-day isolation period, day 0 is the first day of symptoms or specimen collection date if asymptomatic. If they continue to have fever or other symptoms have not improved after 5 days of isolation, they should wait to end isolation until they are fever-free for 24 hours and their other symptoms have improved.
Schools should ensure that staff or students who test positive for COVID-19 should continue to wear a well-fitted mask around others (including at home) for 5 additional days after release from isolation.
STUDENTS MAY RETURN TO SCHOOL WHEN ALL of the following requirements are met:
1. COVID results are received by the school in writing. This includes both Point of Care (rapid) and PCR (lab) tests if both are performed at the student’s healthcare provider.
2. Symptoms have improved (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks).
3. Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.
4. Vomiting and diarrhea free for 48 hours.
If a student tests positive for Covid and has completed the 5 day quarantine, he/she will need to isolate while eating around others until a full 10 days after the first day of symptoms. It is imperative that students who participate in athletics or extracurriculars be mindful that PROPER masking is required at all times.
Here is more information from the CDC:
Overview of COVID-19 Quarantine for K-12 Schools
*Note: We are NOT participating in the Test-to-Stay Protocols.
If your child is waiting for test results, he/she positive, or he/she must quarantine, we can provide your child with his/her chrome book and have your child go to online learning.
ONLINE LEARNING
As a reminder remote instruction is only available for students that test positive for Covid or are exposed to a positive case and are unable to attend school. Last minute notice of absence does not guarantee that remote learning will be available. Remote instruction may be available only if other classmates are quarantining.
Please note that we do not issue Chromebooks for general absences. Students will need to use a personal device if completing work while not in attendance.