Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful break.

As we enter the second half of the school year, the flurry of activities continues. The students are already in their 3rd week of the 2nd semester, and scheduling for next year’s classes will begin next week.

Most importantly, the special date of MARCH 15th– PO ’s major fundraiser is quickly approaching. By now, everyone should have received their invitation for “Taking Chances for St. Francis”. This year we will have a casino night/silent auction. This year we have lowered our ticket price to $75.00 per person (this includes food and drinks for the evening), to make it an affordable evening for all to attend. There is no assigned seating, so there is no need to try and get a table together, just get in your reservation ASAP. I promise a fun time will be had by all. You can contact Marianne Graunke at (630) 752-9109, if you have any questions.

Also, if you haven’t already done so, please purchase your raffle tickets for our cash raffle at $20.00 each or 6 for $100.00. Congratulations to John and Debra Valenta who won $250.00 in our first early bird drawing. Our next early bird drawing will be Sunday, January 28th. For ticket info, please call Jim or Cindy Massa (630) 357-9537.

This fundraiser, BENEFITS 100% of our school families, and therefore, as President of the Parents’ Organization, I am strongly encouraging all of you to participate in one way or another. Please attend, or if you cannot attend, please buy raffle tickets!!!!

We are also taking donations for our silent auction. See the parents' org. page on our web site for additional information. Link to auction item ideas.

PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE TO THE “TAKING CHANCES FOR ST. FRANCIS” INFO IN THIS NEWSLETTER!!!!!

Catholic schools week begins on Monday, January 28th with mass celebrated
by Bishop Sartain, please try and join in this wonderful celebration of our
Catholic faith and give thanks to God for the blessings we have by being part of the St. Francis community.

Infectious Mononucleosis

Epstein-Barr virus, which causes infectious mononucleosis, is a member of the herpes virus family and one of the most common human viruses. The virus occurs worldwide, and most people become infected with EBV sometime during their lives. In the United States, as many as 95% of adults between 35 and 40 years of age have been infected. Many children become infected with EBV, and these infections usually cause no symptoms or are indistinguishable from the other mild, brief illnesses of childhood. In the United States and in other developed countries, many persons are not infected with EBV in their childhood years. When infection with EBV occurs during adolescence or young adulthood, it causes infectious mononucleosis 35% to 50% of the time.

Symptoms of infectious mononucleosis are fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands. Fatigue, headache and loss of appetite may also be present. Sometimes, a swollen spleen or liver involvement may develop. Although the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis usually resolve in 1 or 2 months, EBV remains dormant or latent in a few cells in the throat and blood for the rest of the person's life. Periodically, the virus can reactivate and is commonly found in the saliva of infected persons. This reactivation usually occurs without symptoms of illness.

Most individuals exposed to people with infectious mononucleosis have previously been infected with EBV and are not at risk for infectious mononucleosis. In addition, transmission of EBV requires intimate contact with the saliva (found in the mouth) of an infected person. Transmission of this virus through the air or blood does not normally occur. The incubation period, or the time from infection to appearance of symptoms, ranges from 4 to 6 weeks. Persons with infectious mononucleosis may be able to spread the infection to others for a period of weeks. However, no special precautions or isolation procedures are recommended, since the virus is also found frequently in the saliva of healthy people. In fact, many healthy people can carry and spread the virus intermittently for life. These people are usually the primary reservoir for person-to-person transmission. For this reason, transmission of the virus is almost impossible to prevent.

The clinical diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis is suggested on the basis of the symptoms of fever, sore throat, swollen lymph glands, and the age of the patient. Usually, laboratory tests are needed for confirmation. Serologic results for persons with infectious mononucleosis include an elevated white blood cell count and a positive reaction to a "mono spot" test. This screening test gives results within a day; however it may not detect the virus during the first week of illness.

There is no specific treatment for infectious mononucleosis , other than treating the symptoms, and getting plenty of rest and fluids. No antiviral drugs or vaccines are available. Some physicians have prescribed a 5-day course of steroids to control the swelling of the throat and tonsils. The use of steroids has also been reported to decrease the overall length and severity of illness, but these reports have not been published.

Source: CDC, Mayoclinic.com

A reminder to all mothers and sons of SFHS that the Sophomore Class would like to invite everyone to the annual Mother-Son Brunch and Mass, which will be held on Sunday, March 2 beginning at 10am . Please save the date and join us for this special occasion.

ATTENTION PARENTS, ESPECIALLY SOPHOMORE PARENTS

On February 1, you will receive a letter detailing our summer course, “Intensive English and Math: Preparing for the College Boards.” Taught by Mr. Kolodziej, Ms. Pratscher, Mrs. Kustak and Mrs. Johnson, this course prepares hard working sophomores for all sections of the SAT and ACT, which students will write next year. The course has other benefits; for example, experience has shown that enrolled students get a head start on their challenging junior English and math courses. In addition, students have the opportunity to write all of their summer book tests.

This year, the course will run from June 16 to July 24. The course meets twice a week for two hours each meeting; at St. Francis, the course meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9-11 or 6:30-8:30 p.m. ; at Benedictine (where we also offer a 1-3 p.m.class) , the course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You will find more information in the forthcoming letter.

Please note that we create class sections on March 15. Therefore, if your son/daughter wishes to enroll for a specific class time, please submit his/her application by that date. Students may enroll any time after March 15, but they may not receive the time of their choice. Especially morning classes usually fill quickly.

This summer, we will also offer two courses for grades 7-9. One is “Pre-algebra Math,” taught by Benet freshman algebra teacher Steve Crosby. The other is “Study Skills,” taught by former St. Francis teacher (now at Benet) Kathleen Nolan. Both of these courses will also run from June 16 to July 24.

If your son/daughter is enrolled at one of our feeder schools, you will receive an informational brochure about February 15. These brochures are also available in the St. Francis main office.

If you have any questions about “Intensive English and Math,” “Pre-algebra Math,” or “Study Skills,” please feel free to call English Department chairperson Mark Kolodziej at 668-5800, extension 202. You may also contact him on his cell, 708-651-4356 .

The Girls Empowerment Group is back! Messages from the media, often repeated by peers, can set the stage for the belief that teenage girls should be more concerned with appearance and ability to win male approval than with their own interests and aspirations. Studies show the toll extracted by these messages on girls’ self-image and well-being: girls are 7-times more likely to be depressed and 3-times more likely to have a negative body image. However, by encouraging girls to have positive expectations for themselves, providing them with opportunities to develop competence and confidence in their abilities we can increase their power to make right decisions and avoid risky behaviors.

That is what the Girls Empowerment Group is all about. Through discussions and activities the group will aim to help girls make good life choices, feel good about themselves, and become confident in their talents and abilities. Some of the topics the group will focus on are: assertiveness skills, self-esteem, peer pressure, self-image, girls’ health issues, good decision making skills and stress management. In addition, the group will also address the impact of acculturation and media exposure on girls’ body image and eating behaviors. The Girls Empowerment Group will start in early March and will meet once a week for 8 weeks. The group is open to girls of all grades.

Parents who would like to find out more information about the Girls Empowerment Group or any other groups should contact Angelika Rupp at extension 104.