Chesterton Weekly 11/06/20
“The unconscious democracy of America is a very fine thing. It is a true and deep and instinctive assumption of the equality of citizens, which even voting and elections have not destroyed.”
― G.K. Chesterton
Please be sure to review our mass attendance policies for immediate families of students. Please note that they have changed as of October 8, 2020. All guests must RSVP using our Signup Genius so that we can keep tabs on how many are joined in one place.
Please be sure to sign up and review our healthy and safety policies for visitors on campus.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Parent Meeting
Online Day Debrief
Sophomore Play
Communications Workshop
Altar Server Training
Gala and Choir Attire
General Reminder
For many of the frequently asked questions and links, please be sure to bookmark our Parents page. It contains links to most of the common documents and sources of information you would need. And also be sure to check our school calendar regularly.
Parent Meeting
We look forward to the parent meeting tomorrow, Saturday, November 7, at 9 a.m. You can join us either in person on campus or through Zoom. At least one parent from each family is required to attend the meeting.
We will be discussing the following items with you tomorrow:
1. Chesterton Community and Culture (Mr. Bowles)
2. Headmaster's Update (Mr. Janeiro)
3. Advent Lessons and Carols & The Fleur-de-Lis Gala (Ms. Jurado with Mrs. Nawas from the Silent Auction Committee)
If you are attending on-site, just let us know by filling out this form:
app.smartsheet.com/b/form/6c44dcf566f0449582d71b18d24ce3ae
Parents coming to campus for the meeting are also warmly welcomed to join us for mass celebrated by Fr. James Socias at 8 a.m.
As usual, we ask parents who come to campus to abide by our building policies by wearing a mask while inside, and we will take temperatures at the door, as well. If you have been experiencing symptoms of sickness, please feel free to attend by Zoom.
If you are attending via Zoom, take a minute to register to attend the webinar at the link below:
cathf.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_x-SVw2LoTLuYubTUKrlV5A
For the sake of our community's privacy and security, you must use your full name as your Zoom display name. If you do not use your full name, you may experience a delay in being admitted into the room or be moved to the waiting room.
Thank you!
Online Day Debrief
Thank you to all families and students for a great online practice day! Thank you to our faculty and staff for their hard work, and our students and families for your cooperation and good spirits. We are confident that we can run another successful online learning period, should that be required. Please read over the following for a few brief tips and tricks for a successful online learning experience:
Please use your full name on your Zoom accounts. We will not let anyone without a full name into classes or meetings. If you find that you are still in a waiting room after a class has been started, please double-check that you are using the correct name.
In the interest of protecting the privacy and security of students, students should never screenshot or record class sessions. Such activity is strictly prohibited.
Please do not share classroom or password information with parties outside of the school. This is for your safety and privacy and that of your classmates.
UNIFORM: Students are to wear their uniform shirts while on Zoom. Gentlemen must wear their uniform ties, as well. If cold, students may wear only the accepted uniform sweater and the blazer over their shirts.
Also, note that the Zoom online class system is meant to aid students who are self-quarantining or are staying home while sick, in an abundance of caution, not as an accommodation for students who choose to travel on vacation or college visits on school days. Please review the Zoom policy below:
Please call Mrs. Ryan at the school office before 7:50 a.m. if you need the Zoom links for a sick child. For the privacy and security of all Chesterton students and faculty, please do not share this link or password with anyone outside of the school. As a routine security measure, class URLs will be changed without notice, so do not save these links for future use. Therefore, you will need to call in each day that your student needs to Zoom.
Students and parents, please review the expectations of behavior and uniform dress at the online learning page. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding online learning. Thank you!
Sophomore Play Ticketing
Because the DuPage County COVID Mitigations measures are in place, we will need to significantly limit the number of audience members at the sophomore performances of Skinflints and Scoundrels, an adaptation of Moliere’s The Miser.
We will be giving precedence to the immediate families of sophomores in reserving their tickets for up to two performances. Once they have reserved their seats for the nights of their choice, we may be able to open up ticket requests to students of other classes and their immediate families.
Tickets are $8 each, and proceeds support the drama department. Please note that members of each household will be seated together, and each household seating area will be social distanced from others.
We will record both casts of the play to share with the entire school community, along with extended family and friends who cannot be with us on-site. However, it is unlikely that we will have livestreaming available the day of the play performances.
Communications Workshop
It's not too late to sign up for our Communications Workshop! For the past 4 years, Mrs. Colleen Billing has been teaching a public speaking/interpersonal communications workshop at Chesterton, and she has also trained all of our gala speakers, lectors, and Advent Lessons and Carols readers.
This class is a great opportunity for all our students, especially freshmen, to learn the art of speech and communication. The students that have taken the workshop from Mrs. Billing can attest to the way that it has aided them in classes, drama performances, student ambassador duties, and more!
Mrs. Billing will be offering this workshop once again for all Chesterton students who have not yet taken her class. Freshmen and transfer students are highly encouraged to take her class. Class size will be limited and spots will fill up quickly—it has always sold out! So please register here as soon as possible.
The cost is $55 per student. Students are highly encouraged to attend all 5 days of the workshop. The courses take place at November 9 to 13 at 3:30 - 5p.m. on campus.
Altar Server Training for West House Chesterton Boys
Altar Server Training for all the Gentleman Saints in the West Houses, will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 10. It will take place directly after school and run until 4:15 p.m. If a student is taking Mrs. Billing’s speech class during the week of Nov. 9-13 and attended training the week before, he does not need to come. Thank you to our Chaplain, Fr. Ryan Adorjan for providing this valuable training for all the Gentleman Saints!
Gala and Choir Uniforms - Time to Order!
As we draw closer to the Advent season, we ask all families to order their Chesterton Choir and Gala uniforms if you do not have one already. Please read over the following document to review the choir/gala dress requirements and make any orders you need to (information on where and how to order is there as well). Remember that both Lessons & Carols and the Gala are all-school required events.
Our students will perform in the annual Advent Lessons & Carols on December 10th as originally planned. Students will be required to participate in their formal dress attire. Though our Fleur-de-Lis Gala might look a little different this year, we will continue the traditions, and gala attire will be required. Be sure to keep an eye on our calendar for all events. We are excited to hear the students sing and perform soon!
If your uniform needs alterations, we have two highly recommended seamstresses: CATHF mom, Julie Schaefer 630-308-9721, and Harriet Wrobel 773-317-8247. Prices are reasonable. Please consider using them for your alterations.