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February Events 2/3 – 2/4 – ACRE Testing (5th & 8th Grade)
2/4 – Vision & Hearing Re-Screening
2/8 – SMG Gala!
2/11 – School Board Meeting @ 6:30 (LRC)
2/11 – First Communion Enrollment Ceremony and
parent meeting @ 6:30pm
2/12 – HSA Meeting @ 1:00 (Parish Center)
2/13 – 5th Grade Family Life Parent Meeting @
7:00 p.m.
2/15 – Musical Auditions @ 3:30 – 7:00pm
2/17 – NO SCHOOL – President’s Day
2/17 – Musical Callbacks - 5:00 – 9:00pm
2/21 – Spiritwear Day
All students are welcome and encouraged to
participate spiritwear day! To participate, students
should bring a $1 donation which will go to Alex’s
Lemonade Stand. Students may wear jeans or
appropriate bottoms and gym shoes, and any SMG
t-shirt/sweatshirt or jersey.
2/24 – Parent Cyber Safety Presentation
@ 6:30 p.m.
2/26 – Ash Wednesday
2/27 – Birthday Out of Uniform
All students with birthdays during the month of
February are encouraged and allowed to dress down
on this day. Students’ attire should still comply with
the school dress code for out of uniform days.
2/27 – End of Trimester 2
2/27 – Confirmation Practice @ 6:30pm
2/28 – NO SCHOOL - Institute Day
2/29 – Confirmation @ 11:00am
SMG VIKING VOICE February 2020
Our Mission: We, the St. Mary of Gostyn Catholic School Community, are rooted in faith, empowered by knowledge, and inspired to serve. The faculty, staff, and parents form a unique partnership in carrying out this mission of teaching the message of Jesus by celebrating meaningful liturgies, providing opportunities for service within the community, and passing on the beliefs and traditions of our faith.
Registration for the 20-21 School Year!
Registration for the 2020-2021 school year
is now OPEN – and it’s digital this year!
Registration can be found on School Speak
under the Quick Links - ‘Registration 20-21
School Year’
Thank you in advance for submitting your
registration for next year!
Welcome to the Principal’s Corner! Each month you will find a special update letter from myself regarding special project updates, best-practices in education, and other topics! Thank you for your
partnership and examination of our school newsletter and this section each month.
SUPPORT OUR CAUSE—A Safe New Expanded Play Area!
With our Gala one week away, we wanted to share with you some exciting news that will involve our entire School Family population. We do not want you to miss out on the news.
One thing we pride ourselves on at St. Mary’s is our ability to listen to and assess the wants and needs of those we serve and then do our best to update our facilities to serve those needs that align with the goals of the School and Parish. With all the work we have done over the past several years to improve the safety and security of our School, it has become very obvious that we need to continue to limit the number of times our children cross the busy intersections of the streets around our campus.
With that goal in mind, we are in the process of developing plans for a new play area to the north of the school. It would incorporate what we endearingly call our current “mulch pit” with the piece of property between that area and our school. We will level the house that is there to make one large recess area appropriate to both the smaller school children and the older kids. This plan would allow us to escort the children directly from their lunch in the Activity Center to the play area without crossing any streets.
On the next page you will find renderings of what the space could look like with the following goals in mind, pending the success of this fundraising effort:
Installation of a new ground material in the space that is safe and easy to maintain.
Addition of a half-court basketball area.
Entirely enclosed fence area.
Storage sheds for play equipment as well as outdoor grounds keeping equipment.
A gate for access for the south side of the new area.
The plans are in their very early stages, dependent on the response that we get to our “Play Area Expansion” project. This will kick off with our Gala with our Support Our Cause, and we ask all of our School Families to help by making a contribution. We have a donation site set up on our Gala Auction where a credit card donation can be made immediately.
That site is: https://smg2020.givesmart.com/.
If you would prefer to make a donation by check, please send it to the School Office, marked “Attn: Play Area Expansion”. Once we see what kind of financial support we get both during the Gala and from those not in attendance at this event, we will be better able to move forward with specific plans for the area, thus getting specific costs assigned to it.
We thank you for your support to improve the safety and function of our School campus.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. James A. Schwab Mr. Christopher Tiritilli
Play Area Expansion Project
Registration Now OPEN!
We are excited and proud to announce that registration for the 2020-2021 school year is now open For your convenience, we have digitized our re-registration process for all current families. The registration process will now be completed electronically through School Speak! We have created a tutorial video (link below) to walk you through each step to register for the 2020-2021 school year. Please note that this year we are continuing the re-registration incentive period, in which registration fees remain at $300 for all returning families until the April 6th deadline. At that time, all re-registration fees will increase to $350. We respectfully ask that you please begin registering for the 2020-2021 school year as soon as you can. As with each year, the more accurate enrollment numbers we have, the more effective we can be in planning for the 2020-2021 school year. Our school budget is very comprehensive and affects items such as classroom instructional assistants, school scheduling, curriculum and materials and subscription based support services such as (School Speak, AIMSweb, etc.) It also affects our technology inventory and budget including Chromebooks and iPads (applications and programs).
Note: As in past years, please note that the $300 registration fee is a per family fee, and can be paid in cash, check or through our school/parish website. Also as in past years, an additional $300 registration fee (per additional child) is due in August of each school year. ***For families who have a child(ren) in Preschool and a child(ren) in K-8, please note that registration fee is required for both the Preschool child and child in the K-8 program in order to secure enrollment for the following year.
If for any reason you do not intend on registering for the 2020-2021 school year, or have any questions about the registration process, please contact the school office so that we may plan and assist accordingly. Thank you for your continued support of our great school. I am eager and excited for next year, as we will continue to build on the excellent foundation that St. Mary of Gostyn School has
developed. VIDEO LINK: Digital Registration Video Tutorial
All School (Sunday) Mass!
We are proud to officially announce the date of our
annual All-School Mass on Sunday, April 26th at the
8:00am mass.
As in previous years, the purpose for this event is
to celebrate mass as a school and parish family,
alongside some of our parishioners. We hope to
offer them a glimpse at the fruits of their
stewardship and support of our school. At this
special mass, our students will be serving as
greeters, readers, gift-bearers, altar servers, reading
the petitions, and singing in the choir as well.
Please join us as we celebrate mass together on
this special day!
Year End Tuition Statements Available
The Year End Tuition Statements are available for
families to download from the Smart Tuition parent
site: https://parent.smarttuition.com
Have you seen our NEW Gym?
January was a big month here at SMG! After we
returned from Christmas break, the students
received a pleasant surprise – a brand new gym
was waiting for them! Excitement has been buzzing
throughout the school since the doors opened.
We had many “first” moments in our new space,
including our 8th grade class being the first gym
class, our first practice was held after school, our
first assembly during school, and our first game!
This is just the beginning of many more memories
to come in our new, beautiful space!
Breakfast with the Bishop
Third grade student, Ryan F., represented
St. Mary of Gostyn at the annual Breakfast With
the Bishop on January 16. The Joliet Diocese kicks
off Catholic Schools Week each year by hosting a
special prayer service and breakfast with the
bishop. The diocese invited a student from each
school along with one of their parents to
participate in this special event which was held
at the University of St. Francis in Joliet.
Third Grade & Preschool Story time
Our preschool class came to the “big” school for
story time with our Third grade class. They were
so excited to spend time with the students and
experience time in the “big” classroom!
B.R.A.V E. Anti-Bullying Classroom Presentation
Grace Rodi, a former SMG student and currently
the Miss Collegiate title holder for the Miss
Collegiate America Pageant talked to Kindergarten
about the systems message of B.R.A.V.E.- Building
Respect and value for Everyone. We signed a
poster stating that we will help spread the message
of anti-bullying, kindness, being an up stander and
how to show respect to everyone we encounter!
Learn Not to Burn Program
Downers Grove Fire Department Visitied the
preschoolers to present the Learn Not to Burn
Program. This is an amazing program that covers
dialing 911, stop, drop and roll, toys versus tools
and so much more! At the end of the presentation,
the firefighter dressed in all of his gear and crawled
around the floor with the chldren. He gave them
the opportunity to touch his gear and hear what
his voice would sound like in ac actually fire.
The children loved the program!
Geography Club Winners!
Our SMG Geography Club competed in the annual
National Geographic Geography Bee. Twenty-five
students from grades 4-8 competed. Ten of those
made it to the oral bee rounds. They are Erin C.,
Colin D., Blake H., Evan J., Isabella K., Marcello L.
Brett N., George P., Erin S., Alex T.
The final results:
3rd Place - George P.
2nd Place - Evan J.
1st Place - Erin S. (Our 2020 School Winner!!)
Erin recently took the state qualifying test and we
are awaiting the results!
Earthquake Challenge
In fourth grade science, the students were
challenged to create a building that can survive an
earthquake simulation while using limited supplies.
The students had unique and creative approaches
to solving this challenge. This is a great activity to
wrap up learning about the impact of earthquakes!
Helping The Ronald McDonald House
Preschoolers have filled 4 containers of pop
tabs for The Ronald McDonald House for
recycling. Soon, all tabs will be converted into cash
for the RMH which will provide supplies and treats
for the sick children at the nearby hospitals. Some
of our students have recruited family members to
collect for our mission! PS4's, Eli K.’s, Uncle Jeremy,
put containers out at his school and teachers and
staff have collected two full containers of pop
tabs. Everyone can collect and drop your tab off
labeled “preschool” or Ms. Debbie.
Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
Did you sign up yet for our Frozen musical? We
are excited to work with the students of St. Mary of
Gostyn on another entertaining musical.
Auditions: Saturday February 15, 2020
Callbacks: Monday February 17, 2020
Registration and more information is available on
School Speak!
SMG Cheerleaders shared their spirit at PADS
The girls helped with the PADS set up and table
decorations. The guests LOVED the decorations
- it created such a welcoming atmosphere. Several
guests made comments about them and, they
really felt a sense of gratitude and appreciation
- it was great! Thank you girls for your warmth
and hospitality!
Alumni News
Congratulations to our former SMG students!
Nazareth Academy
We’re happy to announce Nazareth Academy
students from SMG were listed on the Honor Roll
for the First Semester of 19 – 20 school year. The
“A” honor roll indicates a grade point average of
3.80 or higher on a 4 point scale. Congratulations
to the following:
Sophia Cho
David Sobkowiak
Emily Sparke
SaraJayne Weidner
Amazing job to all!
Benet Academy
Our SMG class of 2016 are getting ready for the
next chapter of their lives, as they prepare for their
2020 high school graduation! Your future awaits,
keep making SMG proud!
A Huge Thank You! We want to thank our Blue and Gold Gala Chairs
for all of the work that has gone into making our
upcoming Gala a wonderful success! Their hard
work has added some great new ideas to the
event...A Fashion Illustrator to provide a take home
memory of the event, an improved Whiskey and
Wine Reserve, an ability to potentially have your
child as Prinicipal of the Day even if you are not at
the event, new auction items, great Theme Party
buy ins, and a whole lot more.
Thank you to Mrs. Suzanne Mraz and Mrs. Christina
Zycinski, our Gala Chairs. Their leadership has
made this event a hit for two years in a row
now! Mrs. Natalie Parrillo has helped with much of
the "night of" prep for the event. Mrs. Marla Ginex
is our new chair this year for the Raffle. Carmen
Lira-Okuku once again provided the wonderful
graphics from start to finish for the event.
Additional thanks go to the following ladies who
had a role in the planning of the event or the
Auction/Buy In procurement.
Ronda Chiappe
Annie Delano
Kelly Durkin
Sarah Glitto
Jennifer Manthei
Annie Mendez
Gina Neill
Heather Pigott
Amy Read
As the saying goes, “It takes a village...” This village was
GREAT. We thank them for another outstanding Gala.
Reflections from Fr. Keith Dear School Families: The Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are held each February recognizing cinematic achievements from
the previous year. I have seen several of the nominees for the Oscar for Best Picture: Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Joker, Little Women, 1917, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. My favorite was 1917, but I also enjoyed Little Women and Ford v Ferrari. As a lifelong automotive enthusiast, a movie about Ford Motor Company’s historic win at Le Mans appealed to me. Driving on an open road, or even in traffic, elicits a sense of freedom and possibility. Every journey has an origin and destination. Our journey of faith begins at Baptism when we are forgiven of Original Sin, spiritually adopted as beloved children of God the Father, given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and incorporated into the Church. The grace, participation in the Divine Life of God, received at the Sacrament of Baptism prepares us for the destination: Heaven. Our destination is union with God forever in Heaven, surrounded by the Angels and Saints. The road to Heaven is the process of salvation, whereby we repent and configure our lives more deeply to Jesus. There are many “exits” we can take on this way. Sin and temptation present themselves as attractive alternatives when the road seems long, difficult, or even just boring. But, these alternate routes are dead ends. They do not lead to happiness, only temporary and fleeting pleasure, power, wealth, or honor. If there is a way to Heaven, then certainly there is another way to perdition. We are faced with so many possibilities and choices. Seek after God, not only when it is easy but most especially when it is hard. Convenience cannot save us, only the Cross. In his seminal work The Lord of the Rings, the author J.R.R. Tolkien has his beloved character from The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, remark to a young Frodo “the greatest adventure is going out your own front door.” We should evoke that same spirit of curiosity, wonder, and resolve as we make the journey of faith. We need no other map than Jesus who is the way, truth, and life (John 14:6). Together, parish and school, we are SMG,
Lice Prevention (Links below!)
In an effort to be as proactive as we can, we
encourage all of our parents to check your child’s
head for lice on a continual basis.
“Fortunately, research finds that most children
do not catch lice while at school. Lice are
spread by direct and sustained head-to-head
contact (i.e. children rubbing heads together
for a sustained period of time), which is more
common at slumber parties or camping
trips.” (Communicate 58: News From Downers
Grove School District 58. Volume 7, Issue 11 2016)
St. Mary of Gostyn follows the standard lice
procedures for schools recommended by national
health organizations, including the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), the American Academy
of Pediatrics, the National Association of
School Nurses and many others.
REMINDERS!!!
Office Hours
The SMG school office is open Monday – Friday
from 7:00 – 3:15pm.
Student Arrival
Students who are not in their classrooms by 7:40
am will be considered tardy. All tardy students
should enter through the main entrance near the
school office and see Mrs. Toth and/or Mrs. Czech.
Drop Off Safety
Please use the following directions and share them
with anyone who drives your students to or from
school:
MORNING ARRIVAL
All students (K – 8th grade) should enter
the school through the main entrance on
Prairie Avenue.
Be aware that all of our school buses use
this drop-off area in the morning.
Pre-school drop off is on Prairie Avenue
along the Learning Resource Building.
If you drop your children off on Douglas
Avenue, please pull all the way up to the
northern doors.
Please do NOT park or stop in front of the
Learning Resource Building. Buses cannot
make a turn northward if there are cars
present in the area.
AFTERNOON DISMISSAL
Buses use flashing lights and stop signs
when loading students. Never pass a
stopped school bus from either direction
when this occurs.
Leave the parking lot at the extreme east
end and turn right to avoid the school
buses.
Prairie Avenue is closed for most of the
block to Fairview Avenue when students
are boarding.
Please do not park in the “No Parking
Zone” located on Prairie, just west of
Douglas St. This zone is marked with signs
from the village
Cold Weather/Recess/Emergency Procedures
Winter is unofficially here! Ordinarily all students
go outside for recess unless the “feels like”
temperature is below 20 degrees.
Please remind your child to dress appropriately,
including gloves and hats. Only children with a
note from the doctor will be allowed to stay inside.
If the weather dictates a temporary close of the
school for the day, please examine the following
procedure & resources for confirmation of an
emergency closing.
You will also receive an email blast from
School Speak.
You will receive a phone call from our automated
One Call Now System.
You can go to the emergency closing center
website at www.emergencyclosingcenter.com and
search for St. Mary of Gostyn School, Downers
Grove.
You may call 1-847-238-1234 from a touchtone
phone and enter the main phone number of the
St. Mary’s (630-968- 6155).
Listen to WGN radio (720-AM), WBBM radio
(780-AM), or watch CBS (ch.2), NBC (ch. 5), ABC
(ch.7), FOX (ch. 32), WGN-TC (ch.9), or CLTV cable
for broadcast crawls.