Weekly Update

Dear Families,

This week has been difficult for us with news of another school shooting. This time it was in Minneapolis, at a Catholic school and during Mass. All these things make it hit us a little differently. I pray that the staff, students and families at Annunciation Catholic School find comfort in their community and strength that can only come from God.

It is a too real reminder that we need to be prepared for so many situations. As a staff we have reviewed our emergency plan and already executed a fire drill and a bus evacuation drill. We have plans to continue our drills in the coming weeks. We do not do these to scare the kids but to make them feel able to respond in the event something happens.

In reviewing our plans, it has come to our attention that there are many students that do not have complete records in our student information system. This information is vital for us to have on a day-to-day basis and ESSENTIAL for an emergency situation. Because of this, I have opened update forms in the FACTS family portal. Every family needs to review the information AND update it. All students under "Permission to Treat" are set to "no" because it is a system default. It is extremely important that this get changed to "yes" or we will not have the ability to send a child for emergency care if they need it.

Also in the forms is a new policy and corresponding form given to us from the Diocese regarding Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure of information. Each family also needs to complete this form. The policy is intended to promote a respectful, unified community, consistent with Catholic values and the mission of our school and the Diocese of Rockford. If you have any questions, please reach out and I will do my best to answer them.

We still have openings in every grade level in the event you know someone that is looking for a change. Please have them contact Mr. Peyton Glawe at peyton.glawe@aquinschools.org or 815-235-3154.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Heitkamp

Snap! Raise

This year we have decided to partner with Snap!Raise for a new fundraiser for the school. Currently, we are spending over $18,000 per student to provide a Catholic Education and the most we are charging a single student is just under $6000. The difference in the cost is something that we hope to bridge with this fundraiser. Our goal is to raise $25,000.

What we need from each family:

In order for this fundraiser to be successful, we are asking each family to create an account (link will be sent by email) and put in 20 email addresses and 20 different cell phone numbers (text invite) for potential donors. These will be in the system for the duration of the campaign (28 days) and will not be used except to send a request for donation for this fundraiser. During the course of the 28 days, people with email will be sent 5 email requests/reminders and phone numbers will be contacted 3 times. The link for your family page can also be shared on social media if you wish to do it that way as well.

We hope to launch our fundraiser on September 8th. In order to launch, we need to have all families signed up and set up. Please make sure you are on the lookout for the email link to set up your page. You will be able to monitor your families progress from your dashboard.

There will be incentives and prizes as well. The biggest prize will be a drawing for a $500 tuition voucher. This will be for families that submit 20 emails and 20 phone numbers and have at least 1 donation. Drawing will be held at the end of the fundraiser.

JEANS DAY & DRESS UP DAYS

We will once again be doing Jeans Days (casual dress) on the first Wednesday of every month. The cost to participate is $3 for each Wednesday or $15 for the entire year. If your child isn't participating in the Jeans Days, they should be in their uniform on these days. These dates will be marked on the school calendar.

In the past we have done "dress up" days for Mass once a month. Since this was a "high school" tradition, it caused more confusion last year than anything. For this reason, we have eliminated the dress up days as a regular occurrence. You may see a dress up day for spirit week or a special occasion, but it will not be every month.

HEALTH/IMMUNIZATION FORMS

Physicals, Immunization, Dental and Vision forms are due to Mrs. Gaulrapp in the office. It is very important to have a record of immunizations by October 15th and not having them can cause your child to be excluded from school. Please contact Mrs. Gaulrapp if you have any questions.

FREE/REDUCED LUNCH FORMS

The free/reduced lunch application forms are attached to this newsletter. If you previously qualified or think you may qualify, please make sure you fill them out. These can also be sent to the office before school starts. The first day of school lunch is August 21st. If you do not have forms turned in by this day, you will need to send a lunch with your child or you will be billed for the full cost of the lunch at $4.50.