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Dear Catholic School Families,

I hope your Christmas celebrations were joyful and pray that the New Year brings a time of renewal and peace for the nation and our state.

The second half of the school year is now underway. Much time, planning and prayer have gone into supporting in-person learning this year, and all three will continue to sustain us in our success going forward.

We acknowledge that the year has begun with violence in our nation’s capital and your children may have been upset by reports of these events. I encourage you to read the statement of Cardinal Cupich carefully. As a community of faith, we seek our Lord in prayer for the peace, health and unity of our nation. Given that such occurrences can affect each of us differently, offered here is a resource to help you support your child after a trauma.

As with all things related to the pandemic, available information and guidance on subjects from quarantine periods to vaccine distribution timelines continue to evolve. The Archdiocesan COVID-19 Task Force continues to monitor all developments and is in constant contact with our local health departments and will notify the Office of Catholic Schools of matters that affect school operations. Your principal and school leadership will keep you apprised of any changes that have an impact on your school. Until then, our guidance remains the same, including a 14-day quarantine period for those requiring a quarantine.

In the meantime, please be assured of my prayers for a healthy and peaceful start to 2021 for you and all of our Catholic school families.

Yours in Christ,

Jim Rigg, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools
Safe Operating & Infection Protocols
As you have likely heard from your principal, please continue to report illnesses and close contacts/exposure during our remote learning period. This will help your school leadership and teachers plan for necessary quarantines as we prepare for the resumption of in-person learning on Jan. 19.
Quarantine Periods
Many families have asked whether the archdiocese will be considering a 10-day quarantine period for COVID-19 exposure cases or after out-of-state travel. The archdiocese is maintaining a 14-day quarantine until further notice. While the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has indicated that 10 days is allowable in certain circumstances, state and local health departments are still encouraging a full 14 days. Safety is always our highest priority, and we will continue to require 14-day quarantines for exposure and out-of-state travel in the foreseeable future.
#SchoolHero

Our #SchoolHero campaign continues! If you aren’t following our social media channels, learn more about the most recently honored heroes and follow Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see who is celebrated next:
Family Faith Formation

This past Sunday, we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord. Here are a few suggested discussion topics and activities for your family to use in celebrating this Feast:

  • At his Baptism, Jesus was publicly proclaimed God’s Son and then filled with the Spirit. At that moment, he began his work of proclaiming the kingdom of God on earth. At our Baptism, we, too, were filled with the Spirit. How are we called to proclaim the kingdom of God?
  • Celebrate the Baptism of the Lord by having a celebration of the Baptisms in your own family. Invite all godparents for a special virtual celebration. Place symbols of Baptism on a table in your home. Tell family stories about Baptisms.
  • How does your family help you better live the new life that was given to you at Baptism?
Tax Credit Scholarship Application
Did you know scholarships offered through the program could cover up to 100 percent of tuition and eligible fees for one year? The scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to the availability of funds! If you received a tax credit scholarship this year (2020/21 school year), you must reapply for a tax credit scholarship for next year (2021/22 school year).

You must apply for tax credit scholarships through a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO), which distributes the scholarships. The archdiocese is working with two SGOs: Empower Illinois and Big Shoulders Fund SGO.

Both SGOs will begin accepting applications the week of Jan. 10. See specific dates and learn more on our website.
Have questions? Your principal is the best first contact about operations, safety procedures and academics as they are best addressed at the school level.
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Archdiocese of Chicago, All rights reserved.

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Chicago, IL 60611

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