Chesterton Weekly 9/10/21
“The Blessed Virgin Mary is born to be Mother. The supreme consolation that Our Lady receives at the foot of the cross of her Son is the assurance that her vocation as Mother does not end with Christ’s death. The Lord commands the world, Behold your Mother.”
- G.K. Chesterton
IN THIS ISSUE:
Plus Portals
Friday Cleaning Schedule - Updated
Drop Off and Pickup Procedures
Student Driver Registration
House Supper Club - September 18
Senior Retreat - Offsite at Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church
40 Days for Life Prayer Event
Open Houses
Save the Dates
PlusPortals Student Information System
Last week, all students and parents received an email from PlusPortals inviting them to create their student account in our new information system. All students should have set up their account and should familiarize themselves with the system. If any student is having trouble signing in, please have them call the office or email Mrs. Ryan: 630-442-1424 or michelle.ryan@cathf.com
Friday Cleaning Schedule
Please be sure to keep an eye on the cleaning schedule at our school calendar: http://www.cathf.com/events. Today the West houses are cleaning and next Friday, September 17, the East houses will be responsible for the deep cleaning of the school. The houses will continue to alternate from there. Thank you for working together to keep our campus clean!
Drop Off and Pickup at Campus
Just a few reminders about our basic drop-off and pick-up procedures.
The building opens at 7:45 a.m.
Parents can drop off and pick up students only in the circle on the south side of the building, and those students should enter at Door #9.
If a student arrives at 7:57 a.m. or after, he should enter at Door #1. If a student arrives at campus after the first period bell at 8:00 a.m., he will need to check in at the office so he can be marked tardy before going to class. Student who arrive after the bell receive a demerit for tardiness.
Student drivers should park in the main parking lot (lot #1). To relieve hallway congestion and congregating near the doorways, we will also allow student drivers and their passengers to enter and exit through Door #1 only.
When you arrive, please know that coffee cups, tumblers, or open-top containers are not permitted on campus. Please drink or empty those containers before coming into the building.
Student Driver Registration
To all students who drive to campus, please see Mrs. Ryan at the front office to pick up the vehicle registration form if you did not receive one at the driver’s meeting this week. Every student driver needs to register his vehicle (and any secondary vehicles he may be driving). If you have a registration sticker from a previous year, you can continue to use it, but please be sure to re-register for the year as we may be assigning parking spots in the future.
Please let the front office know if you have any questions, and be sure to park in the main inside parking lot.
House Supper Club - September 18
At this time you all should have received an invitation from a house mom inviting you to the supper club for your student’s house. Please contact that house mom with any questions you have about the evening. It’s going to be a night to remember! Please contact Ms. Severance if you haven’t received an invitation yet.
Senior Retreat at Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church
The senior class will have their annual retreat at Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church. It’s an absolutely stunning church and we are good friends with their pastor, Fr. Loya. The entire day, 8:00am - 3:30pm, will be held on-site at Annunciation so students should go straight there: 14610 S. Will Cook Road in Homer Glen, IL 60491. We pray that the seniors will have a fruitful retreat led by Fr. Adorjan!
40 Days for Life Prayer Event on October 1
On September 22, 40 Days for Life begins. Not sure what that is? Read all about it here. Inspired by Saint Pope John Paul II, we take as our motto Cultura Vitae, the culture of life. We make it our mission to prepare our students to triumph over the materialism and despair that pervade our culture and to accept our Lord's offer to have life and have it abundantly. In doing this, we take the pro-life cause as our particular mission.
Each year during 40 Days for Life we go to the Access Abortion Clinic to spend an hour in prayer as a school. It’s a beautiful way to live out our mission in the public sphere. As the clinic is on a busier road, our young students are a beautiful witness to those driving by. This year we will pray together as a community at the clinic on October 1. Traditionally, after the hour of prayer, we gather together for an evening of community and fun. Please keep October 1 open on your calendars. The House of Ambrose will be organizing the evening so keep your eye out for all the details from them.
Open Houses and Admissions Activities
We are excited to host 7th and 8th graders at our admissions Open Houses where we will give prospective students a sneak peek into life at Chesterton! If you have a 7th or 8th grade student, please be sure to sign up for an open house today. Ms. Ambuul will also make sure that you receive all of our admissions communications.
We host our open houses on campus and during the school day so they have a chance to really see us in action. Students and their families will have the opportunity to meet with our faculty, staff, and students, peek into our classrooms and see a Socratic dialogue in action, tour our beautiful campus, and more. It's the perfect opportunity to get that taste of Chesterton Academy!
Please let us know if you have any family or friends who are interested in Chesterton! Feel free to call Ms. Emily Ambuul anytime regarding your own family’s high school search or if you know any other families who might be interested.
Open House Dates:
9am - 11am on October 13, 2021
9am - 11am on November 10, 2021
9am - 11am on January 12, 2022
Please send this link to your friends and family to RSVP for our Open House dates: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/d8293d7cd5604069bd92d6cb77c1c132
Once they’ve signed up, we will send them any additional details regarding the event. If they can't find a time on the RSVP form linked below, just call Ms. Ambuul at 630-442-1424 and we will work something out! At least one parent must attend the open house with each prospective student. We are excited to get to know your family and friends!
We will begin setting up shadow days later this month, and they will begin in October. Also be sure to save the date for Saturday, December 4, when we have the High School Placement Test, which is a required part of our application.
Save the Dates
9/18: House Supper Clubs
9/23: Senior retreat - Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church
10/1: 40 Days for Life Cultura Vitae Event - Access Clinic, Downers Grove
10/6: CLT for seniors
10/7: Our Lady of the Rosary procession
10/11: Columbus Day - no school
10/13: October Admissions Open House - invite your family and friends!
10/25 - 10/29: Speech Class - more info to come