WELCOME PACKET 2021-2022
Dear FXW Families, We hope your family was able to rejuvenate over the summer. We are looking forward to welcoming students in our 2-Day Preschool Program on Wednesday, September 1 and all other students on Thursday, September 2. We remain committed to providing the FXW experience that our families know and rely on while also keeping students safe. During these trying times, we’ve learned that planning and working together will allow us to continue to provide the FXW experience. We ask that families adhere to the proper protocols so that our FXW community can continue in-person learning. Throughout the planning for this upcoming school year, we reviewed the latest public health guidelines, and requested the input of our Health and Hygiene Team. We are confident our plans and protocols will allow us to have another successful school year. This Welcome Packet will give you many of the details your family needs and wants to plan for this school year. You will see the return of programming like after care, extra curriculars, intercampus bus, and service projects. The health and well-being of those on campus – students, faculty, and staff – will always remain a top priority. In-person learning is best for both students and faculty, and as the COVID-19 statistics continue to fluctuate in Chicago and Illinois, we will continue to review the latest guidelines and evaluate our protocols as to not compromise the health and well-being of our students or faculty. We appreciate your partnership and confidence as we begin the school year on September 1 and 2. It is important you read and acknowledge our Family Commitment to the Health and Safety of our Community, which can be found in the Beginning of Year School Policies in the Parent Portal. See you in September! The Frances Xavier Warde School Leadership Team
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In this Welcome Packet, you will find everything you need to start the year, including: FXW FAQs...........................................................................................................................................................................................page 4 2021-2022 School Calendar.........................................................................................................................................................page 6 OSP/HNC/OES Directory................................................................................................................................................................page 7 Back on Campus Info......................................................................................................................................................................page 8 Leadership Team..............................................................................................................................................................................page 9 New Leadership...............................................................................................................................................................................page 10 New Staff............................................................................................................................................................................................page 11 OSP Faculty/Staff Directory.........................................................................................................................................................page 15 HNC Faculty/Staff Directory........................................................................................................................................................page 16 One East Superior Directory.......................................................................................................................................................page 17 OSP Drop-off....................................................................................................................................................................................page 18 OSP Pick-up......................................................................................................................................................................................page 19 HNC Drop-off and Pick-up..........................................................................................................................................................page 20 Homecoming..................................................................................................................................................................................page 21 Uniforms...........................................................................................................................................................................................page 22 Athletics/Extended Day/Co-Curriculars................................................................................................................................page 23 Communications/Social Media........................................................................................................................................pages 24-25 Living the Legacy...........................................................................................................................................................................page 26 Parent Advisory Committee...............................................................................................................................................pages 27-28 PAC Store...........................................................................................................................................................................................page 29 Advancement...........................................................................................................................................................................pages 30-31 Equity and Justice Forum.............................................................................................................................................................page 32 Maggie Daley Speaker Series .....................................................................................................................................................page 33 Social Emotional Development and Technology (SET).....................................................................................................page 34 HandCut..............................................................................................................................................................................................page 35 myFXW Parent Poral..............................................................................................................................................................pages 36-45 (includes what forms need to be completed before the first day of school)
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FXW FAQS If you have a question about...
Topic
Contact
Admissions
Sue Smeaton (smeatons@fxw.org, 312-268-2558)
Advancement
Sarah Frick (fricks@fxw.org, 312-268-2567)
Alumni
Sarah Frick (fricks@fxw.org, 312-268-2567)
Athletics
Tim Forberg (forbergt@fxw.org, 312-466-0700, x2647)
Attendance
attendance@fxw.org
Auxiliary Programs (Co-Currriculars/Extended Day)
Tom Burke (burket@fxw.org)
Billing/Tuition
billing@fxw.org
Campus Safety
Tom Ferraro (ferrarot@fxw.org; 312-268-2565)
Canvas
Sarah Vaughn (vaughns@fxw.org; 312-466-0700 x2692)
Counselors/Social Workers/ Psychologists
OSP: Andrew Miller (millera@fxw.org, 312-268-2526); Erica Vera (verae@fxw.org); HNC: Alyssa Brescia (bresciaa@fxw.org, 312-268-2527); Seth Preminger (premingers@fxw.org, 312-268-2503)
COVID-19 Procedures and Protocols
OSP: Chloe Smith (smithc@fxw.org, 312-268-2519) HNC: Pam Madura (madurap@fxw.org, 312-268-2518)
Curriculum
OSP: Courtney Britton (brittonc@fxw.org, 312-268-2555); Autumn Perry (perrya@fxw.org, 312-268-2559) HNC: Lauren Fitchett (fitchettl@fxw.org, 312-268-2513);
Equity and Justice Forum
Eboni Dixon (dixone@fxw.org) or Michael Kennedy (kennedym@fxw.org)
Financial Assistance
Sue Smeaton (smeatons@fxw.org, 312-268-2558)
FXW Merchandise
Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) (pac@fxw.org)
Gala, Scholarship Dinner
Sarah Frick (fricks@fxw.org, 312-268-2567)
High School Guidance
Brigid Cashman (cashmanb@fxw.org; 312-268-2514)
In the Loop Newsletter
communications@fxw.org
Library/Book Fairs
Benjamin Rogers (rogersb@fxw.org, 312-466-0700 x2637)
Living the Legacy
Beth Amatangelo (livingthelegacy@fxw.org)
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FXW FAQS Topic
Contact
Lost and Found
OSP: Monica Alvarez (alvarezm@fxw.org, 312-466-0700 x5) HNC: Myra Luna-Rinconeño (lunam@fxw.org, 312-466-0700 x6)
Maggie Daley Speaker Series
Eboni Dixon (dixone@fxw.org, 312-268-2520)
myFXW Parent Portal
FXW Helpdesk (helpdesk@fxw.org, 312-268-2599)
Nurse/Medications
OSP: Chloe Smith (smithc@fxw.org, 312-268-2519) HNC: Pam Madura (madurap@fxw.org, 312-268-2518)
Parent Advisory Committee
Lavina Williams (pac@fxw.org)
Parent Teacher Conferences
OSP: Monica Alvarez (alvarezm@fxw.org, 312-466-0700 x5) HNC: Myra Luna-Rinconeño (lunam@fxw.org, 312-466-0700 x6)
Religion/Masses/Prayer Services
Brigid Cashman (cashmanb@fxw.org, 312-268-2514)
SET Program
Sarah Vaughn (vaughns@fxw.org, 312-466-0700 x2692)
Social Media
communications@fxw.org
Student Devices
FXW Helpdesk (helpdesk@fxw.org, 312-268-2599)
Technology Support
FXW Helpdesk (helpdesk@fxw.org, 312-268-2599)
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THE FRANCES XAVIER WARDE SCHOOL SCHOOL
2021-2022
CALENDAR
The School calendar as outlined below provides opportunities for faculty and staff to come together to continue to build upon professional development and opportunities to learn together. While the calendar provides an outline of the year ahead, as our city may move between phasing, adjustments may be necessary throughout the year. Also both campuses will have Late Start starting on Wednesday, September 8. For the full calendar, click here.
September 2021
February 2022
1—Opening Day for 2-Day Preschool
18—Staff Day (no school)
2—Opening Day for 3-Day and 5-Day
21—Presidents’ Day (no school)
Preschool and Grade K-8
March 2022
3-6—Labor Day Holiday (no school)
7-11—Spring Break (no school)
24—Staff Day (no school)
14—Classes Resume 24—Parent Teacher Conferences
October 2021 7—Parent Teacher Conferences
(afternoon and evening)
25—Parent Teacher Conferences (no school)
(afternoon and evening)
8—Parent Teacher Conferences (no school)
April 2022
11—Indigenous Peoples’ Day (no school)
14-18—Easter Break (no school)
29—Staff Day (no school)
19—Classes Resume 29—Staff Day (no school)
November 2021 22-26—Thanksgiving Holiday (no school)
May 2022
29—Classes Resume
27—Staff Day (no school) 30—Memorial Day (no school)
December 2021 9—Parent Teacher Conferences (afternoon and evening)
10—Parent Teacher Conferences (no school) 20-31—Winter Break (no school)
June 2022 15—Last Day of School 17-18—Parent Teacher Conferences
January 2022 3—Classes Resume 17—Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no school)
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THE FRANCES XAVIER WARDE SCHOOL OLD ST. PATRICK’S CAMPUS (OSP)
Preschool - Grade 3 120 S. Desplaines Street, Chicago, IL 60661
ADMINISTRATION/STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
Director of Education/Principal: Erin Horne | horne@fxw.org Principal: Courtney Britton | brittonc@fxw.org Assistant Principal: Autumn Perry | perrya@fxw.org Director of Innovation: Sarah Vaughn | vaughns@fxw.org Director of Auxiliary Programs: Tom Burke | burket@fxw.org
HNC Continued...
Grades 4-8 751 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654 Clinical Psychologist: Seth Preminger | premingers@fxw.org School Social Worker: Alyssa Brescia | brescia@fxw.org Math Instructional Coach: Amy Bilek | bileka@fxw.org Living the Legacy: Beth Amatangelo | livingthelegacy@fxw.org Nurse: Pam Madura | madurap@fxw.org Office Manager: Myra Luna-Rinconeno | lunam@fxw.org
Student Success Team Coordinator: Hillary Mitoraj | mitorajh@fxw.org School Psychologist: Andrew Miller | millera@fxw.org Social Worker: Erica Vera | verae@fxw.org
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
Math Instructional Coach: Amy Bilek | bileka@fxw.org
Head of School: Michael Kennedy | kennedym@fxw.org Executive Assistant to Head: Deb Keane | keaned@fxw.org Chief Financial Officer: Karen Moore | moorek@fxw.org Director of Admission and Financial Aid: Sue Smeaton | smeatons@fxw.org Director of Advancement: Sarah Frick | fricks@fxw.org Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Eboni Dixon | dixone@fxw.org
Living the Legacy: Beth Amatangelo | livingthelegacy@fxw.org Nurse: Chloe Smith | smithc@fxw.org Office Manager: Monica Alvarez | alvarezm@fxw.org
One East Superior Street, Sixth Floor, Chicago, IL 60611
STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
HOLY NAME CATHEDRAL CAMPUS (HNC) Grades 4-8 751 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654
ADMINISTRATION/STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
Director of Education: Erin Horne | horne@fxw.org Principal: Lauren Fitchett | fitchettl@fxw.org Assistant Principal of Student Support: Tiara Damper | dampert@fxw.org Assistant Principal of Climate and Culture: Norma Guzman | guzmanN@fxw.org Director of Auxiliary Programs: Tom Burke | burket@fxw.org Director of Athletics: Tim Forberg | forbergt@fxw.org Director of Innovation: Sarah Vaughn | vaughns@fxw.org
OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION
Athletics: FXWathletics@fxw.org Attendance: attendance@fxw.org Admissions/Financial Aid: admissions@fxw.org Billing/Tuition: billing@fxw.org Communications/In The Loop: communications@fxw.org Computer/IT: helpdesk@fxw.org Donations/Fundraising: advancement@fxw.org Living the Legacy: livingthelegacy@fxw.org Lunch Orders (HandCut Foods): Michelle Chamberlain | fxw@handcutfoods.com Security: fxwsecurity@fxw.org SET Program (Social Emotional Development & Technology): Sarah Vaughn | vaughns@fxw.org
Religious Eduation/Masses/Prayer Services: Brigid Cashman | cashmanb@fxw.org Learning and Logistics Coordinator: Meagan Dimit | dimitm@fxw.org
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BACK ON CAMPUS INFO In partnership with our Board of Trustees, school nurse, public health experts, medical professioanls, staff, and our administrative team, we believe coming back to school is essential for both academic and social emotional well-being of our students. As always our top priority is the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and parents. As we continue to learn more about the new COVID-19 varriants, we will review the latest guidelines to evaluate our protocols. We have included some helpful information below. Please know that a robust FAQ and COVID-19 If/Then Scenarios are forthcoming. •
Masks: FXW will follow the Illinois Department of Public Health mandate and all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask as we begin the upcoming school year. Masks must fit over the nose and mouth. They should have two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric and fit snuggly over the nose and mouth. Students should not use vinyl masks or masks with exhalation valves or vents. Please click here to read more.
•
Travel: FXW will follow the Chicago Emergency Travel Order. Please click here to follow for the latest information.
•
Community Commitment to Health and Safety: To read and acknowledge the FXW Family Commitment to the Health and Safety of our Community, click here.
•
COVID-19 Updated Symtoms: To read the updated list of COVID-19 symptoms, click here.
•
The Importance of Vaccines: To read more about the importance of the vaccine from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, please click here. You can also read this helpful FAQ from the Illinois State Board of Education about the vaccination for young people.
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LEADERSHIP TEAM
Courtney Britton Principal, OSP
Tom Burke Director of Auxiliary Programs
Eboni Dixon Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Lauren Fitchett Principal, HNC
Tiara Damper Assistant Principal of Student Services HNC
Sarah Frick Director of Advancement
Meagan Dimit Learning and Logistics Coordinator
Norma Guzmán Assistant Principal of Climate and Culture HNC
Erin Horne Director of Education, Principal
Michael Kennedy Head of School
Hilary Mitoraj Student Success Team Coordinator, OSP
Karen Moore CFO/COO
Autumn Perry Assistant Principal, OSP
Quamika Pickens-Harris Director of HR
Sue Smeaton Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
Sarah Vaughn Director of Innovation 9
NEW LEADERSHIP AT FXW Thomas Burke, Director of Auxillary Programs Tom Burke is the new Director of Auxiliary Programs. He received his Bachelor’s from the University of South Australia and brings 10 years of experience in after-school and co-curricular programming as well as the development and implementation of summer camps at The Packer Collegiate Institute (Brooklyn Heights, NY) and Ramapo Country Day Camp (Airmont). Tom has created and implemented diverse programs for students of all ages that will serve as an asset to FXW. He also knows the importance of after-school programs as he was the program director for Sports and Stuff, the after-school program in New York City, for the last 13 years. The after-school program provided a variety of enrichment classes, sports, and much more, and his knowledge and expertise will help develop our current auxiliary programs for all students. Eboni Dixon, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Eboni Dixon is FXW’s new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and started in this new role in July. Eboni is a Chicago native born and raised on the South Side in the historic Pullman neighborhood. With an undergraduate degree in Communication from Loyola University Chicago, she worked in different fields before choosing to focus on a career in education. Eboni entered education 15 years ago with Chicago Public Schools as a substitute teacher and was introduced to the Frances Xavier Warde School community while completing her Master of Teaching degree from Concordia University Chicago. Eboni joined FXW during the 2012-2013 school year and since then has taught first grade at the OSP campus for six years and fourth grade at the HNC campus for two years. Eboni is also an FXW parent to Tyler (class of 2021) and Sydney (4th grade). Most recently, Eboni completed her second master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Loyola University, Chicago. Entering her 10th year at FXW she recently shared of her excitement to continue her contributions to the community in a different role as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Hillary Mitoraj joins FXW as the Student Success Team Coordinator. She holds a bachelor’s in Education from Millikin University and a master’s in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Illinois. For the past three years, Hillary has served as the Early Intervention and Community Outreach Coordinator for a small, private school in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to that, she worked on the South and West sides of Chicago as a Director of Student Support Services and Diverse Learning Team Leader.
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NEW STAFF AT FXW Mya Akin is tremendously excited to join the FXW community as a Grade 2 teacher. She brings a wide range of experience with 19 years of educating children. She has a bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Stephens College, a master’s in Reading Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon Univeristy, and an endorsement in gifted education. Originally from Michigan, she has lived in and worked in Missouri, Southern California, the Washington, D.C. area, and Chicago. She brings a zest for life, adventure, and a sense of inquiry to the classroom. Kia Andreadou loves teaching and is looking forward to meeting her Grade 3 students. She attended the University of Athens in Greece where she obtained a bachelor’s in Political Sciences and Public Administration. She returned to the United States and received a master’s in International Relations from the University of California Irvine while teaching students in her free time. She came to the realization that teaching was her true calling and obtained a second master’s in Teaching. Kestner De Vera is excited to be part of the Grade 8 team. He has a bachelor’s in Global Disease Biology from the University of California, Davis and a master’s of Secondary Education from John Hopkins University, School of Education. He has taught for seven years. He most recently taught science to Grade 7 in Hawai’i. He also previously was a dance coach and hip hop instructor.
Millie Dunbar (picture forthcoming) is excited to join the Grade 4 team this year. She received a bachelor’s from Illinois State University. Millie’s teaching skills have been recognized as she was a 2013 Golden Apple Finalist. She has been teaching middle school students for the past four years, and is looking forward to teaching a younger group of students.
Kristin Edens is looking forward to joining the Grade 1 team. She received a bachelor’s from Savannah College of Art and Design and received her teaching degree in elementary education from National Louis University. She has taught at various types of schools in Chicago including a Catholic school, Montessori school, and charter school. Her passion for teaching even took her to the Czech Republic for two years where she taught English to students in Grades 3-8.
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NEW STAFF AT FXW Angela Gagnon joins the OSP campus as a second grade teacher. Angela holds a masters of Education from DePaul University and has a decade of prior experience as an elementary school teacher. Previously she taught at The Cathedral School in New York City and spent this past spring subbing at FXW. Angela is also an FXW parent and is excited to join the faculty in Grade 2.
Rajni Hasija (picture forthcoming) is the new Global and Digital Citizenship teacher. She has more than 18 years of extensive experience working as a Social Studies teacher and supervisor at schools with different curriculum and catering to students from different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds and with different learning capabilities. She holds a bachelor’s in Education and a master’s degree in History. She is bilingual and holds certifications in Diet, Nutrition, Child Care, Life Skills, Meditation and Yoga.
Terrence Hodges is eager to join FXW’s preschool team this year. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Family Studies with a minor in Psychology from Central Michigan University and has six years of experience working with preschoolaged children in school and therapeutic environments.
Katie Immen is excited to join the FXW community this year as a Learning Specialist at the OSP Campus. She earned her bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Loyola University Chicago and master’s in School Counseling from DePaul University. She holds endorsements in Reading and Language Arts. Katie worked as a school counselor at Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to that, she taught at Old Saint Mary’s in Chicago as a K-2 Student Support Teacher and Kindergarten assistant at Latin School of Chicago.
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NEW STAFF AT FXW Naomi Kaplan is looking forward to meeting her Grade 3 students. She holds a bachelor’s from the American University and a master’s in Elementary Education from National Louis University. She has over 13 years of teaching experience throughout the Chicagoland area, including Ginsburg Solomon Schechter Early Childhood Center and Bennett Day School.
Eric Lindau will join the FXW community as our Physical Education teacher. He is a native of Illinois, but grew up in a suburb of New York playing lacrosse. After lacrosse in college and a bachelor’s from Colorado State University, he worked in advertising for about 10 years before realizing his calling to be an educator. He has taught in various schools throughout the country; most recently he taught at Chicago Jewish Day School.
Patricia Lomden will join FXW as a Technical Support Analyst. She holds a bachelor’s from Roosevelt University and an associate’s degree in Information and Network Technology from Westwood College. Her experience with various online platforms will be a great contribution to the FXW IT Team.
Heidi Meyer is excited to join the FXW Kindergarten team. Heidi earned her bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Kansas State University and holds a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Chapman University. She has 12 years of Kindergarten teaching experience from her time at St. Andrew School and St. Benedict Preparatory School in Chicago. Heidi is looking forward to meeting her new Kindergarten students.
Robert Perry is very excited to be joining the HNC team as the Student Recreation Supervisor. Rob has worked with middle school students for two years as a culinary arts instructor, specializing in nutrition. He coached little league and basketball in the past and is very much looking forward to coaching the debate team this year. Rob is a civil war buff and tech enthusiast. One of his greatest accomplishments is being an FXW parent of a daughter who graduated in 2016 and a son who is starting Grade 2 at OSP this fall.
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NEW STAFF AT FXW Nurse Chloe Smith is thrilled to continue her passion of school nursing with FXW. She has practiced school nursing ever since she received her bachelor’s in Nursing from Elmhurst College. She has been a school nurse in many diverse communities from Romeoville, IL to Denver, CO and back to Chicago. She is looking forward to working with the school community in keeping it safe and healthy.
Maddi Stern (picture forthcoming) is the new Grade 5 ELA teacher. She is originally from Elmhurst, but has spent the past two years teaching in Indianapolis while completing her master’s degree and her Teach for America corps commitment. She received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geoscience and Anthropology from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN.
Shae Turner is an enthusiastic educator and mentor in early childhood education. She joined the FXW community last year as a long-term substitute and looks forward to joining the preschool team this school year. She has had a long career working in the field of education in various capacities including preschool, private school and public charter school settings. She aims to have a positive impact in the development of lifelong learners while holding a strong commitment to continued personal growth as an educator and leader.
Erica Vera holds a bachelor’s in Clinical Psychology from Universidad Femenina del Sagrado Corazon in Lima, Peru and a master’s from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has worked for 12 years implementing social/ emotional learning programs in an elementary school. She recently moved to Chicago to be close to her family, and looks forward to working with students and families at FXW.
José joins the FXW community this year as a Spanish teacher at the HNC Campus. José comes to FXW from Centro Venezolano Americano, Caracas Venezuela, where he worked as a language teacher with their kid and teen programs. He has more than 10 years of experience teaching English & Spanish in Venezuela and Chicago. Jose has earned his B.A. in Education from the Pedagogical Institute of Caracas, Venezuela and received certificates in Service Learning and Assessment and Evaluation in Bowling Green State University and The University of Oregon respectively.
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OSP FACULTY/STAFF DIRECTORY PRESCHOOL Room 10: Maureen Albring Corissa Cardenas Room 11: Malinda Glenn Shae Turner* Room 12: Katie Cleaveland Ezra Hawkins Room 13: Liz Forman** Terrence Hodges II* Room 14-2: Jen Andersen Casey Marx Room 14-3: Jen Andersen Kerri Johnson Room 15-2: Nicole Bowman MacKenzie Higgins Room 15:3: Beth Amatangelo MacKenzie Higgins Room 16:Amy Nash Janet Lara KINDERGARTEN Room 20: Victoria Krolikowski Heidi Meyer*
Room 20a: Elizabeth Cummins** Georgia Hawkins**
GRADE 2 Room 33: Mya Akin* Angela Gagnon
Room 21: Ryan McCarthy In process of hiring
Room 34: Cindy Herrera Mary Claire O’Malley
Room 22: Naomi Malutan Kim Milano
Room 35: Brooke Harrison Hannah Kim
GRADE 1 Room 23: Ewa Sieminska Katie Tieken
Room 27: Rodney Trask** Maya Martin**
Room 24: Michaela Delaney Meghan Minton Room 25: Emma Fleming Amanda Zola Room 26: Kristin Edens* Jenny Stricker
GRADE 3 Room 30: Rafael Rinconeño Room 31: Anne Pulver Room 32: Kia Andreadou* Room 36: Naomi Kaplan*
ART Efrén Adkins
LIBRARY-MEDIA SPECIALIST Benjamin Rogers*
SOCIAL WORKER Erica Vera*
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Autumn Perry
MATH INSTRUCTIONAL COACH Amy Bilek
SPANISH Jazmine Romero-Rojas Jose Velasquez
MUSIC Shannon Bahr
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST Brooke O’Rourke
DANCE Sarina Klein DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION Sarah Vaughn DRAMA/MUSIC Maggie Portman FACILITIES Andre Norwood Anthony McMath FLEX TEACHER Stephanie Tso Joann Williams Aarika Johnson LEARNING SPECIALISTS Katherine Immen* Carroyl Jones Katie Mooney Caitlin O’Shea** Ashley Schultz Mary Steingraber**
OFFICE MANAGER Monica Alvarez PHYSICAL EDUCATION Faline Blanchard Marvin McCurry PRINCIPALS Erin Horne Courtney Britton
STUDENT SUCCESS TEAM COORDINATOR Hillary Mitoraj* * indicates new hire ** indicates position change
SCHOOL NURSE Chloe Smith* SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST Andrew Miller SCIENCE Lindsay Mosshammer
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HNC FACULTY/STAFF DIRECTORY GRADE 4 Millie Dunbar* Melissa Marston Beth Quinn Kristin Wenc (Science) Chet Williams**
GRADE 6 Jessica Arl (ELA) Ann Carbonetto (Math) Kristen Hockney (ELA) John O’Rourke (Social Studies) Brianna Zelm (Science)
GRADE 5 Haley Anglin** (Math) Katie Dougherty (ELA) Liz Lowery (Social Studies/ Science) Maddi Stern* (ELA)
GRADE 7 Sydney Davis** (Science) Darby Evans (ELA) Keth Goodman (Math) Conor Luck (ELA) Moira Ryan (Social Studies)
ART Rachel Mason Kristin Wenc
GLOBAL AND DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP Rajni Hasija*
OFFICE MANAGERS Stephanie Hagerman Myra Luna-Rinconeño
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS Norma Guzmán Tiara Damper**
LEARNING AND LOGISTICS COORDINATOR Meagan Dimit**
PHYSICAL EDUCATION Eric Lindau*
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Tim Forberg
HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE TEAM Brigid Cashman Tiara Damper Meagan Dimit Lauren Fitchett Sandra Medina-Alba** John O’Rourke** Jamie Scallon
CLINCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST Seth Preminger DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION Sarah Vaughn DRAMA Jeff Predmore FACILITIES Cecil Davis Yeshua Jessup FLEX TEACHER Jamie Scallon** FRENCH Frank Schaldenbrand
LEARNING SPECIALISTS Carrie Egan (Grade 8) Maggie Madden (Grade 6) Colleen Pugliese** (Grade 4) Takiyah Olatunbosun (Grade 7) Claudia Ramirez (Grade 4) Carla Spinelli (Grade 5) MATH INSTRUCTIONAL COACH Amy Bilek MUSIC Joel DeFayette
GRADE 8 Kestner De Vera* (Science) Robert Jasenof (ELA) Steven Ripes (Math) Sydney Van Sickle** (Social Studies) Kees van der Hout** (ELA)
PRINCIPAL Lauren Fitchett RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COORDINATOR Brigid Cashman SCHOOL NURSE Pamela Madura SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER Alyssa Brescia SPANISH Sandra Medina-Alba Karolina CuervasHernandez** STUDENT RECREATION SUPERVISION Rob Perry* * indicates new hire ** indicates position change
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ONE EAST SUPERIOR DIRECTORY ADMISSIONS Sue Smeaton, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Vinkeia O’Neill, Assistant Director of Admissions Dalia Ahmed, Advancement and Admissions Project Manager ADVANCEMENT Sarah Frick, Director of Advancement Dalia Ahmed, Advancement and Admissions Project Manager DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION Eboni Dixon, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion FACILITIES Dan Kaput, Facilities Manager FINANCE Karen Moore, Chief Financial and Operations Officer Benjamin Johnson, Controller Siobhan Kozicki, Staff Accountant/Accounts Payable Danaka Williams, Staff Accountant/Accounts Receivable HEAD OF SCHOOL Michael Kennedy, Head of School Deb Keane, Executive Assistant to the Head of School HUMAN RESOURCES Quamika Pickens-Harris, Director of Human Resources IT David Mitchell, Systems Administrator Madeleine Cieslak, Manager of Information Systems Alex Kuppler, Database and Applications Coordinator Shadell Jamison, Tech Support Analyst (OSP) Patricia Lomden, Tech Support Analyst (HNC)
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OSP DROP-OFF Old St. Patrick’s Campus Drop-Off Procedures OSP Arrival 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. • • •
Students are assigned an entrance based on their grade level. Assigned entrances provide students: - the most efficient entry points to travel to their classrooms - common routines and expectations with their classmates Parents may drop all their children at a common entry point. We ask that parents utilize their youngest child’s entrance.
Please click here to review the drop-off procedures for OSP. Please remember: • For all Preschool - Grade 3 students, drop-off takes place from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. Students will be assigned to one of our two entrances based on where their classroom is situated within the building: Green and Blue. • Please do not leave your vehicle unattended in any of the arrival lanes. See the map and drop-off procedures for each entrance.
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OSP PICK-UP OSP 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. Dismissal 1. Students are assigned an exit based on their grade level. 2. Assigned exits provide students -the most efficient exit points to travel from their classrooms -common routines and expectations with their classmates 3. Parents may need to pick up their children from both exits. Please click here to review both the 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. dismissal procedures.
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HNC DROP-OFF/PICK-UP Holy Name Cathedral Campus Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures DROP-OFF: •
For all students in Grades 4-8, drop-off takes place on State St. between 8-8:30 a.m. except for Wednesdays. Late start Wednesdays will have drop-off will begin at 8:30 a.m.
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Please do not leave your vehicle unattended in the Kiss-and-Go lane.
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Grade 5 & 6 students will follow directional arrows and signage to go directly to their advisory rooms using the HNC stairwell.
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Grade 4, 7 & 8 students will follow directional arrows and signage to go directly to their advisory rooms using the Auditorium stairwell.
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Grade 4-8 students are expected to be in the classroom by 8:30 a.m. Tardies will be issued after 8:30 a.m. On Late Start Wednesdays tardies will be issued after 9 a.m.
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Administration and/or staff members will be stationed throughout the building to assist with this process.
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Parents must wear masks (even when in their car) when dropping off or picking up their child.
PICK-UP: •
Older siblings follow younger siblings’ location.
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Both State St. and Wabash Ave. will be used for dismissal.
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Pick-up will be staggered by grade level using the following schedule:
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3:10 p.m.: Grade 4 on State St.
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3:10 p.m.: Grade 5 on Wabash Ave.
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3:15 p.m.: Grade 6 on State St.
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3:15 p.m.: Grade 7 & 8 on Wabash Ave.
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Dismissial ends at 3:30 p.m.
Please do not leave your vehicle unattended in any of the pick-up lanes.
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HOMECOMING 2021 As we move forward with school activities, we look forward to bringing back our Homecoming Weekend and Celebrations. More details closer to Homecoming as we continue to monitor the ongoing pandemic. Please know this is subject to change. IMPORTANT HOMECOMING DATES: •
Friday, September 17: Girls Volleyball
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Saturday, September 18: Boys Flag Football
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Sunday, September 19: FXW Homecoming Mass at OSP (mass time to be determined)
SIGNUPS ARE OPEN!
POTTEY CLASS JUNE 6-7, 2020
Please note that our first annual Homecoming event took place prior to the pandemic in September 2019.
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UNIFORMS Kindergarten–Grade 8 Uniform Overview FXW OFFICIAL VENDORS Lands’ End landsend.com 800-963-4816; school code: 900057944 Dennis Uniform dennisuniform.com 800-854-6951; school code: G69GV MASKS FXW branded masks are available for purchase from Lands’ End in white, gray, and navy blue. Masks are also available for purchase at the FXW PAC Spirit Store. DRESS UNIFORM—TOPS Long or short sleeve polo style shirt (white or evergreen only). •
Polo style shirts may be plain or have the FXW School logo (Lands’ End and Dennis Uniform).
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FXW’s school logo is the only emblem allowed on polo style shirts.
UNIFORM—BOTTOMS Grades K-4: Girls may wear sailor dresses (Dennis Uniform), navy jumper dresses, skorts, skirts, walking shorts, or dress pants (Lands’ End and Dennis Uniform). Blue polo dresses are not part of the FXW uniform. Grades 5-8: Girls may wear navy blue dress pants, walking shorts, or skirts/skorts. Girls must wear navy shorts under dresses and skirts. Grades K-8: Boys may wear navy dress pants or walking shorts (Lands’ End and Dennis Uniform). Form-fitting workout pants, cargo pants, cargo shorts, leggings and capri pants are not to be worn as uniform pants. ACCESSORIES Socks/tights must be solid color: white, navy, black, or evergreen. Footless tights and leggings are not approved.
Sweaters/Vests (optional) (solid evergreen, white, or navy blue, with or without School logo).
Belts: If a belt is worn, it must be a navy, black, or brown belt.
Sweaters and vests are to be worn over uniform shirts. All must be pullover sweater/vests or button-down sweaters. Sweaters may not have hoods or zippers.
Headbands must be a solid color: black, blue, brown, forest green, or white.
EVERYDAY UNIFORM—TOPS The following two styles are permissible: Long or short sleeved polo style shirt (white or evergreen). •
Polo style shirts may be plain or have the FXW School logo (Lands’ End and Dennis Uniform).
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FXW’s school logo is the only emblem allowed on polo style shirts.
Long or short-sleeve t-shirts or sweatshirts must have the FXW logo (white or evergreen).
You can order uniform clothing in four easy steps: 1. Visit the vendor online 2. Select your purchase 3. After you complete your order, include your school code to ensure you are ordering FXW approved clothing items 4. The FXW logo is optional If you have questions, please call FXW’s official vendors directly.
22 *You may also purchase plain, long or short sleeve polos and navy bottoms (based on above guidelines) at your local stores, without any emblems on them.
ATHLETICS/EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM/CO-CURRICULARS ATHLETICS/EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM/CO-CURRICULARS UPDATE We will offer after-school activities for our students on both campuses. Please click here for more information and to register. You can also click here to register for Right at School at OSP and click here to register for Right at School at HNC. Please review the 2021-2022 Athletic Handbook, click here.
Please note this image was taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
QUESTIONS? Contact Tom Burke, Director of Auxiliary Programs burket@fxw.org; or Tim Forberg, Athletic Director (312) 466-0700 x2647 or forbergt@fxw.org
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COMMUNICATION As a School, we communicate with families on a regular basis through a variety of channels, including:
IN THE LOOP Our In the Loop newsletter is sent every week on Sundays at noon and includes all-school and gradelevel announcements, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and a snapshot of the schedule for the upcoming week. WITH MISSION IN MIND Our With Mission in Mind newsletter is sent twice a month through our Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to reflect on how we as a School are living out our mission and Charisms daily. In addition, our Equity and Justice Community Bulletin initiative that kicked off this summer will be incorporated into our bi-monthly With Mission in Mind newsletters. The first With Mission in Mind will be sent on September 13. HEAD OF SCHOOL LETTERS Our Head of School Michael Kennedy will send global all-school updates and reflections on a semiregular basis. VERACROSS PARENT PORTAL The School will use the Veracross Parent Portal as an additional platform to communicate important information to parents. In addition, all emails sent by the School are accessible through your inbox within the Parent Portal. To view the Parent Portal, click here. TEACHER UPDATES FXW teachers will communicate with families through their classroom blogs, email, and Seesaw/Canvas depending on your child’s grade level. SCHOOL MESSENGER FXW uses an emergency notification system called School Messenger to immediately notify parents about weather-related closures, emergency early dismissals, etc. We will conduct a test of School Messenger at the beginning of the year to ensure all parent contact information is correct. More information about this test can be found in In the Loop. COVID-19 CASE COMMUNICATION If the School has a positive COVID-19 case, the Communications Team will communicate that information via email and School Messenger as it pertains to each classroom.
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SOCIAL MEDIA FXW uses social media as a tool to update our community on different classroom specific, grade-level, and school-wide events, initiatives, and projects. We also use our social media channels as an additional method of communications for important school updates, such as school closures due to inclement weather, etc.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY •
All FXW students, board members, parents, volunteers, administrators, faculty members, staff, vendors, or guests (whether at school, at school-sponsored co-curricular, extracurricular or social functions, or otherwise) share the responsibility for modeling appropriate behavior and creating an online environment where mutual respect, tolerance, civility, and acceptance are promoted.
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FXW is committed to monitoring the activity (posts, comments, etc) on all school-sponsored social media sites to make sure all content aligns with the mission and values of our School. Any inappropriate content will be flagged and removed in a timely manner.
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All policies and behavior guidelines that cover student and parent conduct on the school premises and at school-related activities similarly apply to the online environment.
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The online behavior of all members of the FXW community should reflect the same standards of honesty, respect, and consideration that one would use face-to-face.
We encourage you and your family to connect with us on the following social media platforms: Like and follow our Facebook page for the latest news, photos, events, and more. There is also a separate Facebook page geared toward our alumni and alumni families. Follow us on Twitter to stay informed of everyday campus happenings and highlights in education. Follow us on Instagram, where we capture activities, events, and special occasions. Our Alumni can also stay in touch with us via Instagram (@FXWAlumni). Follow us on YouTube, where we post all-school and grade specific videos as well as host virtual events via livestream. We also encourage you to post photos of you and your family at FXW events, service opportunities, athletic events , etc. and ask that you tag us @fxwchicago on whichever platform you are using. Feel free to also use the following hashtags: •
#FXWExperience
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#FXWAcademics
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#FXWService
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#FXWFaith
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#FXWDiversity
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#FXWAthletics
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LIVING THE LEGACY The Frances Xavier Warde School honors our namesake, Mother Frances Xavier Warde. A sister of Mercy from Ireland, Mother Warde came to Chicago to serve the neediest communities. Through our Living the Legacy program, students and their families continue this dedication to service by helping those in need throughout the Chicagoland area. FXW partners with Chicago-area organizations to offer service opportunities throughout the year. From our youngest Preschoolers to our Grade 8 students, everyone participates! Some of our community partners and recommended organizations include:
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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s • Just Roots Chicago Hospital • Lakeview Pantry (The Hub) Big Shoulders (Maternity BVM, • Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly St. Malachy, St. Agnes, • Madonna House Academy of St. Benedict the African) • Mary and Joseph Homeless Shelter Bishop Conway • Mercy Home for Boys and Girls Blessings in a Backpack • Misericordia Catholic Charities • Mission of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Extensions • North Lawndale College Prep Chicago Collegiate Charter School • Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital NICU Chicago Help Initiave • Operation Gratitude (Veterans) Cradles to Crayons • Pilsen Food Pantry Digs with Dignity • St. Eulalia Fourth Presbyterian Church • St. Mary’s Little Sisters of the Poor Gary Comer Youth Center • The American Red Cross of Chicago & Great Lakes Alliance Northern Illinois Greater Food Depository • The Bloc Green Day • The Clare Heartland Alliance (Hollywood House, • The Night Ministry FarmWorks, Human Care Services) • Upcycling Colors The Honeycomb Project Jesse Brown VA Hospital Most of the organizations on this comprehensive list offer both contactless and in-person volunteer opportunities throughout the year.
QUESTIONS? Contact Beth Amatangelo LivingtheLegacy@fxw.org
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PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC)
ABOUT The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is a parent-run group that supports the mission of FXW. PAC is the consolidation of the former Parent Group Advisory Board (PGAB) and Parents at the Heart (PATH) into one parent organization. The Parent Advisory Committee serves as a resource for the community and works with faculty, staff, and families to promote FXW spirit by coordinating community-building events, school support, and volunteer opportunities. PARTICIPATION All parents with a child enrolled at FXW are a member of the PAC and are welcome to participate by attending bi-annual meetings, serving as a Committee Lead or PAC Classroom Representative (formerly Room Parent), and volunteering. Getting involved is easy! Announcements for volunteer opportunities are posted in In the Loop, along with links to sign up. COMMITTEE LEADS AND PAC CLASSROOM REPRESENTATIVES PAC Committee Leads coordinate many events and programs throughout the year to serve the community. Serving as a lead is a two-year commitment. Parents can share interest in a role to the PAC Co-Chairs or via the solicitation at the end of the year in In the Loop. With the consolidation of PGAB and PATH into PAC, we will now only have PAC Classroom Representatives (PAC Reps). PAC Reps are the liaison between classroom parents and both the specific classroom teachers and the broader FXW community. In this role, parents assist teachers in coordinating various events and organizing support to classroom families during times of illness, death, births, and any other life-altering event. Parents can express interest in serving as a PAC Rep via survey to come out in August. NEW CHARISM COMMITTEE Our new PAC Charism Committee is the essence of the former Parents at the Heart (PATH). The Charism Committee Leads will continue to support the former PATH events, including Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day, Mardi Gras, Mother’s Day Luncheon, Ceremony of Recognition and the Summer Movie Night. In addition, the leads will assist PAC Reps in helping families in need, from arranging for prayers, meals, playdates, carpool help or the mobilization of classroom families during any time of need or transition.
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PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC) THE PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEES BY AREAS OF SUPPORT STAFF APPRECIATION
COMMUNITY BUILDING
End-of-Year Fund
Book Swap
Holiday Gift Fund
Charism Committee
Spring Faculty and Staff Luncheon
Grade-Level Parent Socials Uniform Swap
SCHOOL SUPPORT
OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Angel Fund
Book Fair
Book Fairs
Charism Events
Merchandise (Spiritwear)
Lunch (OSP)
PAC Reps
Merchandise Sales Office Support
QUESTIONS? Contact PAC Chair Lavina Williams pac@fxw.org
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PAC SPIRIT STORE
FXW MERCHANDISE The Parent Advisory Committee is proud to offer official FXW Merchandise and Spirit Wear. All proceeds from purchases support faculty and staff at The Frances Xavier Warde School, including Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week in the spring and our Holiday and End of Year gifts. All purchases are final sale and can be made via our online store.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE STORE
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ADVANCEMENT Through campaigns, special events, and grants, FXW’s Advancement Department manages fundraising initiatives for the School and for the Children at the Crossroads Foundation (CATC). Parent participation plays an integral role in the success of these programs. There are short- and long-term volunteer opportunities associated with these efforts, including: FXW FUND: SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 29, 2021 The FXW Fund is our 5-week campaign that allows us to create a community that is grounded in faith and committed to service; a community that truly represents and benefits from the incredible diversity present in our city; a community that learns and grows inside and outside the classroom, creating the thinkers and leaders who will shape our world for generations to come. In short, your tuition helps to create an exemplary school, and your support of the FXW Fund helps to create an unparalleled experience. To learn more, please contact Sarah Frick. GALA: DATE TO BE DETERMINED IN FEBRUARY Gala is our largest fundraising event and we will hold this event this year whether it be inperson or virtual. Please stay tuned for more information. Please be on the look out for opportunities to volunteer from the Advancement Team in In the Loop. 30
CHILDREN AT THE CROSSROADS FOUNDATION (CATC) Children at the Crossroads Foundation (CATC) was created in 1990 on the belief that economic circumstances should not preclude any eager and capable child from receiving a quality education. The Foundation seeks to enrich our community by significantly improving the academic achievement, self-esteem, and life opportunities of school children by offering need-based scholarship support to students attending FXW. Over the last 30 years, CATC has awarded over $15 million in need-based scholarships to nearly 700 FXW students. However, all FXW students— whether they receive a scholarship or not—benefit from being a member of this special community filled with a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. The FXW Advancement Department organizes many events and initiatives through the school year that benefit CATC, including:
SCHOLARSHIP DINNER: MAY 2022 The annual Scholarship Dinner provides funding for scholarships for students to attend FXW. This is a wonderful event where CATC supporters and friends gather in celebration and support to ensure that eager and capable children receive a quality education. More information is forthcoming. SCHOLARSHIP SUNDAY: SPRING 2022 Scholarship Sunday is a dedicated Sunday at both Old St. Patrick’s Church and Holy Name Cathedral which offers a second collectin to support the scholarship efforts of CATC. Please stay tuned for more information. ILLINOIS INVEST IN KIDS ACT The Illinois Invest in Kids Act allows state income tax credits for individual and corporate tax payers who make authorized contributions to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). CATC is an approved SGO under the Act. Please contact Sarah Frick for more information.
QUESTIONS? Contact Sarah Frick, Director of Advancement 312-268-2567 or fricks@fxw.org 31
EQUITY AND JUSTICE FORUM OBJECTIVE As we begin a new school year, we do so by acknowledging the social injustices that continue to occur. We will use these events as a way to reflect and guide our decision-making, that will inform our programmatic initiatives and changes, and will highlight FXW’s value proposition by deepening our understanding and appreciation of our mission and charisms. The Equity and Justice Forum is charged with: 1. Providing a space and place for listening, dialogue, and greater understanding about race and racism in our country, especially ideas for dealing with current challenges and planning for a better future; 2. Serving as a catalyst for bridging differences regarding race in America, promoting reconciliation, and encouraging fresh perspectives. AREAS OF FOCUS •
Cultural Competency in Curriculum: Discuss and recommend ways in which to more comprehensively integrate cultural competency into curriculum and pedagogy. Develop strategic initiatives to support diversity and inclusion actionable and measurable steps.
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Recruit and Retain a Diverse Workforce: With the combined forces of our HR Director, who for the first time in FXW’s history is a Person of Color (POC), the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the Leadership Team, undergird, lend ideas and people power to new strategic planning specifically focused on attracting and retaining faculty from underrepresented groups.
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Diversity, Equity, and Justice Training for Faculty & Staff: In addition to SEED and ongoing professional development training with experts in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) field, discuss inclusive cultural competency and anti-racist training for faculty and staff. For Faculty and Staff leadership, determine best approach for proactively engaging with constituents to ensure students feel safe and supported.
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Community (Students, Parents, Faculty, & Staff): Determine measures FXW can take to provide a more inclusive culture while determining the best approach for proactively engaging with all students, FAS, and parents to ensure everyone feels safe and further foster a culture of inclusion.
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Admissions Recruitment and Retention of Families of Color: Recommend additional ways in which to provide support to the Admissions Team and develop a sustainable plan for the recruitment and retention of families of color.
QUESTIONS? Contact Eboni Dixon, Director Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (312-268-2520 or dixone@fxw.org) or Michael Kennedy, Head of School (kennedym@fxw.org)
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MAGGIE DALEY SPEAKER SERIES
In addition to providing an outstanding education for our students, The Frances Xavier Warde School is also committed to offering learning opportunities for parents, education professionals, and the community at large. Our Maggie Daley Speaker Series provides an ideal forum for us to discuss and explore issues that are vital to our school community, our city, and our world. These conversations focus on many factors that help us to shape our community of lifeling learners for the world in which they live. We will continue to focus on fostering: •
Social-Emotional Learning, including perservance and responsibility, executive functioning, and self- and socialawareness
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including best practices for creating a truly pluralistic community
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A Healthy Family Life, including strategies for navigating technology and social media
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, September 30 The Maggie Daley Speaker Series: One Book returns on September 30 . In Caste, Isabel Wilkerson argues that the current social and political landscapes in America derive from the infrastructure of human hierarchy developed 400 years ago when Europeans first came to this land. This hierarchy placing whites at the top and black people at the bottom is the American caste system, and although no one alive today is responsible for starting it, we have inherited it and perpetuated it for generations. Wilkerson examines the different caste systems around the world and how they damage the lives of everyone involved, even those at the top. She believes that to understand how to move forward, we must examine the past and the racial structures that keep progress as a nation at bay.
QUESTIONS? Contact Eboni Dixon, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 33
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY (SET) PROGRAM Dear Families, We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks for the start of school. As you look to September, you are invited to learn more about our Social Emotional Development and Technology (SET) Program. SET is an outreach program that brings discussions and resources to our FXW families through presentations, grade-level coffee talks, book discussions, and a resource library. We encourage you to participate in these talks and presentations over the course of the year. The SET Program, now in its seventh year, is the collaboration and partnership of FXW’s Director of Innovation, Social Workers, Psychologists, and OSP Library/Media Specialist. The program represents our commitment to the Charisms by engaging the FXW community to foster balanced technology practices that support optimal learning, healthy relationships, and emotional well-being. More information about FXW SET events for the 2021-22 school year is forthcoming. We look forward to seeing you at SET events and to the start of a great school year! Sincerely, Alyssa Brescia, HNC Social Worker Andrew Miller, OSP School Psychologist Seth Preminger, HNC Clinical Psychologist Benjamin Rogers, OSP Library/Media Specialist Sarah Vaughn, Director of Innovation Erica Vera, OSP Social Worker
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HANDCUT FOODS We are looking forward to partnering with HandCut Foods as our food program provider this year. Please click here to review their offerings, pricing, and more.
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myFXW PARENT PORTAL Dear FXW families, Before the year begins, we ask you to login and become familiar with the systems we use at FXW. In this guide, you will find important information about our myFXW parent portal, powered by Veracross; our Learning Management Systems, Canvas (Grades 3-8) and Seesaw (PreschoolGrade 2); and our electronic medical records system, Magnus Health. We have created this guide to assist you in the completion of the following steps which need to be completed before the school year begins: Update your profile information (check addresses, emails, phone numbers for accuracy). Set your directory visibility preferences. Set up your emergency and pick-up contacts. Check your AutoPay credit card or checking account for accuracy. Accept school permission slips and policies electronically before the first day of school: 1. Student and Family Handbook Acknowledgement Form 2. FXW Family Commitment to Health and Safety 3. Year-long Permission Form for Parks 4. Device Usage Agreement and Responsible Use Policy 5. Photo Permission Form 6. Leave on Own Form 7. Academic, Medical, and Faith Decision 8. Medication Acknowledgement 9. Public School System Acknowledgment 10. Mathodology Photo Permission (Grades Kindergarten - 5) Please take time to read this entire guide so that you are logged into our systems and ready to go. If you have additional questions, please contact our helpdesk at helpdesk@fxw.org. We look forward to another great year! FXW IT Team Madeleine Cieslak
Manager of Information Systems
David Mitchell
Systems Administrator
Alex Kuppler
Database & Applications Coordinator
Patricia Lomden
Technical Support Analyst
Shadell Jamison
Technical Support Analyst
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myFXW PARENT PORTAL myFXW Parent Portal (Powered by Veracross) Our myFXW portal has up-to-date information on school events and activities, family and staff directories, tuition invoices and payments, links to school systems such as Magnus Health and Canvas, fundraising events and donation information, online registrations and important forms and documents. To access the portal to go to https://www.fxw.org and click on Login at the top.
Fill in the fields for your username and password. For forgotten passwords, click the Can’t access your account? link on the login page for assistance.
Once logged in, you should see the parent portal Dashboard. Become familiar with the navigation options.
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myFXW PARENT PORTAL DASHBOARD The parent portal Dashboard includes a list of your children, the week’s calendar, and quick links to school resources. Below are some quick pointers for navigating the Dashboard. 1. Classes and Reports is where you’ll find your children’s classroom blogs in PreschoolGrade 4. 2. Canvas is where you’ll find classroom announcements and assignments in Grades 3-8. 3. My Calendar contains all events pertinent to your household. 4. School Calendar (under the Calendars dropdown in the navigation menu) lists all school events. 5. Billing is where you can view and pay invoices as well as manage your AutoPay account info.
HOUSEHOLD PROFILE UPDATE Click the Update Family Profile link. Once at the Household Profile Update page, review all sections for accuracy. At the beginning of each school year or if you have updates to your family information during the year, go to the My Information button and make the necessary updates. All families must verify their information before the beginning of the school year.
DIRECTORIES Families can search our family directories by criteria or see lists by homeroom and grade level. The directories are taken down over the summer and will be re-added once class lists are available to all families in August.
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myFXW PARENT PORTAL Canvas Canvas is our Learning Management System used for students in Grades 3-8. Teachers for these grades will post daily homework assignments in Announcements. Homework will be every week night, and students will have assignments written in their assignment notebook. Please note parents and students will not receive a notification about homework unless they go into Notifications in Canvas and choose to have an update sent (for directions see Setting Up Notification Preferences in Canvas on the next page). To access FXW’s Canvas Site on the web, go to www.fxw.org/login and click the Canvas icon. ACCESSING CANVAS ON A LAPTOP OR DESKTOP The following information will be helpful to you when you access Canvas on a laptop or desktop computer. As of July 2020, Canvas supports the current releases of the following browsers: •
Chrome 90 and 91
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Safari 13 and 14 (Macintosh only)
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Firefox 89 and 90 (Extended Releases are not supported)
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Edge 90 and 91
The most up-to-date information on supported browsers can be always be found here. *Some supported browsers may still produce a banner stating, “your browser does not meet the requirements for Canvas.” If you have upgraded your browser but you are still seeing the warning banner, try logging out of Canvas and deleting your browser cookies. CANVAS MOBILE APPS For parents and guardians, we do not recommend the use of the Canvas iOS or Android apps as they provide very limited visibility. Canvas is best experienced on the web using a PC or Mac. LOGGING INTO CANVAS THROUGH A WEB BROWSER Go to www.fxw.org/login. There is a button under the Quick Links section that will automatically log you into your Canvas account. Once logged-in, select “Courses” in the global navigation bar.
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myFXW PARENT PORTAL SETTING UP NOTIFICATION PREFERENCES IN CANVAS By default, Canvas will not send email notifications. To receive notifications from Canvas, you will have to opt in. Here’s how to set up these notifications to your liking: 1. Log into Canvas through a web browser on a laptop > go to Account (upper left-hand corner) > Settings
2. Add your desired way(s) to be notified.
3. Click on the Notifications tab on the left-hand navigation bar.
4. Set the frequency of your notifications by clicking on your chosen tab by Announcements and Grades. For example, to get a daily summary of homework postings, choose the daily option to the right of Announcements. Note, daily summaries are sent out by Canvas anytime between 5:006:00 p.m. You may modify these settings at any time.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Notify me right away Send a daily summary Send weekly summary Do not send me anything
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myFXW PARENT PORTAL These are your preferences. You may select how you want to receive announcements (email or text message), and how often you want to receive them. If you do not change anything, you will not receive notifications. While we understand that you will select the preferences that best meets your needs, we do recommend using the following settings: • •
•
Leave all notification preferences except for Announcements set to Do not send me anything. Set Announcements to Daily Summary (one notification sent between 5:00-6:00 p.m. each evening that is a summary of all announcements posted that day) or to Notify me right away (you will receive a notification each time an announcement is posted—this could be several times during the day). Set Grading to your personal preference.
Your setting notifications will apply to all of the courses your children are enrolled in. It is not currently possible to set up different notification levels for each class or for each student. For more detailed directions on setting notifications visit the Canvas Help Center.
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myFXW PARENT PORTAL Seesaw Seesaw is our learning management system for Preschool through Grade 2. Implemented during our Learning Off Campus period, we hope to continue augmenting our primary and lower school students’ learning plan with Seesaw for the upcoming year. LOGGING IN TO SEESAW ON A WEB BROWSER All access to Seesaw can be found by going to app.seesaw.me on your web browser. There, it will prompt you to log in as a teacher, student, or administrator. By selecting Student, you will be taken to a login page asking for either a student sign-in with email and password (typically used for older students), or by entering a text code. Our students have all been assigned an individual text code that teachers will distribute at the start of the school year.
ACCESSING SEESAW VIA MOBILE There are both iOS and Android applications for Seesaw that allow full access to classes and lessons. All student iPads will be outfitted with the Seesaw app by our IT department prior to the start of the year.
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myFXW PARENT PORTAL VIEWING CLASSES IN SEESAW Once logged in, students will be automatically directed to one of their Seesaw courses. To view ALL of their courses, they can click on their name in the uppler left corner of the page to pull up a full menu of each course they have been assigned to. The three tabs on the far right of a course’s page will allow the student to navigate their assignments: •
The Journal will display all announcements and assignments posted by the teacher.
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The Activities tab will display ONLY assignments that require responses by the instructor.
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The Inbox will isolate new posts for the student.
NOTE: While all students have an assigned QR code (scannable for logging in on mobile devices) in addition to their text code, using the QR code will result in the student only being able to view their homeroom course. In order to view their specials and other activities, students MUST sign in with their text code.
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myFXW PARENT PORTAL Magnus Health Magnus Health is a web-based electronic medical records system providing FXW with secure storage and up-to-date student health information. You will use Magnus Health to submit required medical forms and report information on your student’s allergies and medications. LOGGING IN TO MAGNUS HEALTH Login to myFXW at https://www.fxw.org/login and click the Magnus Health iconunder the Quick LInks section. You will be automatically logged into your Magnus Health account. Once in Magnus Health, you will see each of your students listed on the Front Desk.
Clicking on the Complete now tab for each student will bring you to the student health tracker page.
The Student Health Tracker page has a list of all medical documents you must provide by the specified deadline. For your reference, this list is also included below. Please read about each requirement carefully as some documents will require a physician’s signature. 44
myFXW PARENT PORTAL LIST OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR FXW STUDENTS 1. Vital Health Record (all students) 2. State of Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination Form including the Health History (New Preschool students, all Kindergarten and Grade 6 students and new students in Grades 1-8) 3. Immunizations (New Preschool students, all Kindergarten and Grade 6 students and new students in Grades 1-8) 4. Dental Examination Form (Kindergarten students, Grade 2 and Grade 6 students and new students entering Grade 2 or Grade 6) 5. Eye Examination Form (Kindergarten students and new students in Grades 1-8 enrolling in an Illinois school for the first time) 6. Pre-Participation Sports Physical including the Concussion Information Sheet (required for all students in Grades 4-8 if participating in a school sport) 7. Medication Authorization Form (required for all prescription and over-the counter medications administered at school) 8. Parent/Guardian Permission Form (required for all prescription and over-the-counter medications administered at school) 9. Asthma Action Plan (if applicable) 10. Food Allergy Action Plan (if applicable) 11. Diabetes Action Plan (if applicable) 12. Seizure Action Plan (if applicable) Certain forms are completed online, and other forms must be downloaded, printed out, completed by you or your doctor, and then sent back to Magnus. Important note: A cover sheet prints out with each of these documents and must accompany each document when returned to Magnus. This cover sheet tells Magnus how to electronically file the document, identifying the student to whom they belong. To return these documents you have two options—choose whichever is most convenient for you: 1. You can fax them to Magnus 2. You can scan and then upload them to Magnus QUESTIONS To access support options, click the on the “Need Help?” tab in the upper right-hand corner of your screen at any time for links to support documents, a step-by-step video, email, etc. Due to the sensitivity of this information, it is best you send the required information directly to Magnus. If you need assistance using Magnus Health, you can reach their support at 877-461-6831, or via email service@magnushealthportal.com. 45
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school in September!
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