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Do the days feel longer? Are they beginning to run together? It would make sense given we are pretty much directed to stay home and “do nothing.” This sense of stagnation does little for the psyche or for one’s self esteem. So, what can we do? What is one thing you accomplished today? What is one thing you are grateful for?  What did you do for someone else today?  Regularly answering these questions is said to posit

The Wilmette Park District offers a weekly “Bust the Boredom” series on their website here outlining daily activities that help keep kids occupied. You can find a PDF of “Bust the Boredom” suggestions for the week of April 6th here and for the week of April 13th here. The Park District is also coordinating an Easter Egg Hunt open to all Wilmette residents. Find dates, details and coloring shee

Happy three day weekend, Crusaders! We wish all school families a safe and relaxing weekend. Today, teachers will focus efforts on planning in support of future e-learning curriculum and no assignments will be shared. Watch for new information to be posted to Google Classroom (for 5th-8th grade students) and Classroom Blogs (for Preschool through 4th grade students) on Monday. Please note a few reminders as we kick o

We kindly encourage families to assist us today with several opportunities to provide valuable feedback: Be sure to review last night’s SFX School News letter from Miss Barrett sharing a link to an SJ + SFX School Family Check-In. You can find a copy of this letter here and a link to the school family survey here. Parents who have yet to complete this 5Essentials Survey fielded by the Archdiocese of Chicago are

The Wilmette Public Library may be closed, but their annual bookmark design contest is ON! Print out the entry form here at home and bring your design to the Youth Desk once the library reopens. All entries will be displayed in the Youth Services Department, and the winning designs will be printed and distributed at the Library. This WPL contest is open to all students in grades K-8. Be sure to check the WPL website

We are pleased to announce our very first VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR! Social distancing may keep us apart, but it won’t keep us from our love of reading! Reading increases knowledge and vocabulary, lowers stress, and supports your child’s emotional growth. Perhaps the best benefit is the lasting bond you create with your child when you read with them. Stay tuned for more information about this online event providing access to

Thank you to the many SFX School families who participated in Coach Newman’s National Walking Day Challenge yesterday, April 1st! St. Francis took “1st place” in our virtual (and very friendly) competition with a total of 1,634,023 family steps. Thank you to St. Eugene, St. Mary, District 109 (Deerfield), and Indian Springs School District – among others – who joined us in our efforts to

Please note a few reminders for today, April 2nd: Today we celebrate the pets in your home that make you smile! Introduce us to your pets today by sharing a photo of them learning with you at home to elearning@sfx-school.org. Today’s parish liturgy can be found here or on the parish YouTube channel here. Please take a moment to read today’s reminder in the Newsblast to complete the “5Essentials̶

Dear Parents, Our teachers, parents, and students across the Archdiocese have an opportunity to participate in the Climate, Culture, and Catholic Identity Survey utilizing the 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of our school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness. The 5Essentia

Do you love the Brookfield Zoo? Did you know that during these days of e-learning that Brookfield Zoo provides live “Bring the Zoo to You” Facebook chats Monday-Friday at 11am Central? These live stream events feature animal care staff and some of Brookfield’s amazing animals. Find a list of upcoming events and schedule reminders here. Recent events have featured sea lions, giraffes and cockatoos. F

SFX is pleased to partner with Overtime Athletics to offer a line-up of sports-themed camps open to rising 2nd-8th grade students. Programming is organized by SFX 8th grade boys basketball coach Matt Auker and promises something for everyone! In addition to Coach Auker’s offerings spanning volleyball, flag football, and variety sports camps, SFX also hosts a week of Mike Small Basketball Camps here in the St. F

Good morning, SFX! Please note the following reminders for today, April 1st! Today is a Spirit Dress Down Day. Please dress for April Fool’s Day in your silliest gear. Don’t forget – we love to receive photos of your spirit day wear at elearning@sfx-school.org. Today’s parish liturgy can be found online here or on the Parish YouTube Channel here. School families received an email update last n

Good morning, SFX! News of the coronavirus is, of course, everywhere. And it is not limited to the virus itself, but includes rising death tolls, angry and desperate pleas from politicians and health care workers, and high unemployment rates. This is a lot. How can you talk to your kids about the pandemic in a way that will reassure them and not unnecessarily worry them? 1. You set the emotional tone, so try to manag

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in downtown Chicago has created an engaging new e-learning series designed to provide families with stimulating, new content every weekday, Monday-Friday. Each daily email explores a dedicated theme and past newsletters (since the program’s inception on March 16, 2020) are also catalogued for use by families. Examples of past themes include “Snakes are Ssso Cool” an

The Village of Wilmette reminds all school families of the importance of being counted in the nation’s 2020 Census. The census has moved online this year, and everyone who lives in your home as of April 1st should be included in your census response. Don’t forget! If no response is received for your address online by the end of April, census takers will visit you at home over the summer months. Learn more

Today, March 31st, we invite students to join us in dressing down in the spirit of summer fun… think beach wear, tank tops and flip flops! Whatever you decide to wear that best channels your inner-summer-self, get dressed as though you are ready for a fun beach day today. Don’t forget to send your favorite spirit day dress down pics to elearning@sfx-school.org!

Our friends from Boosterthon, an organization that promotes character, health and fitness through fundraising, have shared free access to their catalog of over 75 safe and child-centered videos focused on character-building and fitness. Log in at BoosterthonCharacter.com with access code: AtHome. there is no cost to register. Booster also offers free, daily content on their ChooseBooster Instagram page, including an

The Archdiocese of Chicago has extended the deadline for nominating teachers, administrators and staff for this year’s Heart of the School Awards. Any current full or part-time SFX or SJ teacher, administrator, or staff member may be nominated here through this Friday, April 3rd. Nominations are accepted across seven categories: Heart of Christ, Heart of the Community, Heart of Excellence, Heart of Enrichment,

Good morning, SFX! This week’s school liturgy is available for family viewing today, March 31st, here. All daily masse can be found on our Parish YouTube Channel here.

Please take a moment to review the following updates from the school office for today, March 30th: Be sure to review last night’s SFX School News update from Miss Barrett as we continue our e-learning experience here. Today is a spirit day… join us as we celebrate all we have accomplished as e-learners! Show us your e-learning work space today by taking a photo or a short movie of your space and sharing i

Union Square Play in NY is providing free content designed for parents of children ages 0-5. New, daily posts include one family activity, one kids’ video, and one event for parents. Visit unionsquareplay.com/new-today-online for new daily content, and unionsquareplay.com/ondemand for an on-demand video library housing a catalog of these engaging online events.  

While we continue to encourage families to stay safe and at home, there are critical ways we can all help! Please consider one of these ways you can lend a hand while still adhering to shelter-in-place guidelines: Sign up to make a recurring donation to Saints JFX parish here as we work to replace in-pew donations normally collected during Sunday Masses with critically needed electronic donations to support parish op

School families are invited to review this weekend’s update from Crusader Camp Directors Amy Butterworth and Kim Lavelle here. This SFX School News letter also contains links and reminders pertaining to all SFX Summer programs including Theatre Camp, Irish Dance Camp, and Academic Camp programs. Information regarding Sports Camp programming run through Overtime Athletics and Mike Small Basketball Camps can also