We are only three weeks away from “Taking Chances for St. Francis!!!!” We are so excited and plans are really coming together. So many hard working volunteers have given countless hours of their time to help make this a big success. So if you haven’t purchased your tickets, please do so NOW!! This promises to be a fun night for all.

JUST A FEW THINGS TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME:

• It is a very casual evening
• No need to be a gambler to attend
• A silent auction with over 150 great items will be available
• Raffles going on throughout the night (1 in 40 chance for each raffle)
• Music, Food and Drinks all night long (all included in your ticket price)
• A great time to socialize with friends

So even if your spouse can’t attend, grab one of your friends and bring them along – you’re sure to have a great time!!! Let’s make history by selling out
this event. Please purchase your tickets NOW!!! There will be NO tickets sold
at the door.

As we continue into the DEEP FREEZE, remember spring is right around the corner. Even if the weather is not an indicator, our spring school activities will begin starting with the spring musical “Parade” which will be performed Thursday, March 6 th through the 9 th. Please come and give your support to the fine theatre program we have here at St. Francis. You will be amazed at the
talent of our students.

Also, spring sports tryouts begin the last week of February through the first week of March. So yes, there is an end to this Chicago winter!!!

Looking forward to seeing EVERYONE at Casino Night!

Sue Ferraro

The information below has been provided by MOMS CONNECTED

Teens today are bombarded with more pressures than ever before. "Acceptable behavior is oftentimes based on what they see around them. You won't want to miss this wisdom filled event when Jill Savage will speak on "Guarding Our Teens Against Cultural Influences".

MOMS CONNECTED (for mothers of "teens") "Guarding our Teens against Cultural Influences"

Thursday, February 28th, 9:15am-11:15am. First Baptist Church of Geneva, 3534 Keslinger Road, Geneva. $6.00 per mom at the door. (includes breakfast) Childcare for younger children is $4.00 for one child and $2.00 per each additional child, must have children pre-registered.
Register at (630)232-7068x138.

Streptococcal Infections (Pharyngitis\sore throat)
“My throat hurts.” How many times have you heard that complaint from your student? What to do? It is the most common complaint leading children and adults to acutely seek medical care.

Background:
Unfortunately, there is no one single sign or symptom that identifies children whose episode of pharyngitis (sore throat) is caused by Group A Strep ( GAS). Strep accounts for about 15-30% of all cases of acute pharyngitis in children, with the highest incident among children 5-11 years. The other 70-85% of sore throats are caused by viruses and non-group A strep. It is not recommended to test each child with a sore throat for strep. It too often leads to treatment of Group A carriers (20% of the population) who have only a viral infection.

Signs and Symptoms:
Generally it is believed that you cannot diagnose a strep throat by the way it looks. Symptoms that are consistent with a Step infection are: abrupt onset of fever (101- 104F.), throat pain, headache, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, an exudate (pus, white streaks), and tender anterior cervical lymph nodes. When there is runny nose, hoarseness, or cough the diagnosis is highly likely to be viral or allergic. In any case you know your student better than anyone else...so when in doubt have it checked out.

Treatment:
A throat culture has 90-95% sensitivity to GAS. Treatment is with penicillin. Antibiotics shorten the course in young children, but have only modest effects on symptoms in adolescents and adults. However, they prevent local complications and rheumatic fever.

At one time doctors would treat all sore throats with antibiotics. That is not the case today due to the development of resistant strains of bacteria from the over use of antibiotics. If your doctor recommends antibiotics, make sure your student take the entire course even if he feels better. This prevents a reoccurrence and also prevents the bacteria from becoming resistant to the antibiotic. Children who are on antibiotics can often return to school after 24 hours of treatment as long as they feel OK and no longer have a fever.

Self Care:

• Double your fluid intake. This will thin the mucous.
• Gargle with warm salt water. Put a ½ tsp of salt in a glass of warm water and gargle. This will sooth the throat.
• Suck on a throat lozenge or hard candy to stimulate saliva which baths and cleanses the throat.
• Run a humidifier to keep mucous membranes from drying out. Remember to change the water daily and keep the unit clean to prevent growth of harmful molds and bacteria.

Prevention:

• Thorough and frequent handwashing.
• Use alcohol based hand sanitizers when soap and water is not available.
• Sneeze or cough into your sleeve. If you use a tissue, hands should be washed after.

(Source: School Health Alert, Merck Manual, uptodate.com, 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.

We encourage all levels; freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors and their moms to attend. Start as freshman now and make it a yearly tradition!

Please RSVP by Wednesday, February 26. The cost is $25 per person; checks payable to SFHS. We will not be able to accept walk-ins on the day of the event.

Link to Printable Response Card
Link to Printable Invitation

If you misplaced your copy, you are welcome to print an electronic version and return that to the main office in an envelope marked "Brunch".

ATTENTION SOPHOMORE PARENTS

A reminder that MARCH 15 is the enrollment deadline for students who want to ensure a specific time in our summer course, "Intensive English and Math:  Preparing for the College Boards."

On March 15, we establish the number of class sections, and while a student may enroll at any time after March 15, he/she will have to accept whatever time is available.

f you have any questions, please call Mr. Kolodziej at 708-651-4356.

ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
PARENT OR GUARDIAN STATE PUPIL
TRANSPORTATION REIMBURSEMENT FORMS  

The Illinois State Transportation Forms are available in the Main Office for parents or guardians to sign up for reimbursement. These forms will be available from February 1, 2008 until June 30, 2008 . These forms are for the 2006\2007 school year. Parents or guardians must come to the school to fill out the form. Students cannot fill-out the form for you and the forms cannot leave the Main Office. The office is open from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You must have the following information with you in order to complete the form:

1. Your Name (Last, First) The name MUST match the name printed on your social security card.

2. Address Information (Street Address, City, State, Zip Code)

3. Social Security Number (You must use the social security number of the person signing the form.)

4. Number of Pupils (Number of children you are claiming who attend St. Francis.)

5. Claim Amount

Enter the total amount of money you spent to transport your children attending this school to and from school. The amount must include cents; a decimal sign is preprinted on the form. The costs of transporting your children to school include bus fares and other payments made to providers of transportation and/or 0.485 cents per mile driven when the parent/guardian or student drives to and from the school.

To compute mileage reimbursement when driving children to school, multiply the distance between home and school by four (4) then multiply the product by 0.485 cents. This is the daily cost. Then multiply the daily cost by 180 (number of days school is in session).

To compute mileage reimbursement when children drive themselves to school, multiply the distance between home and school by two (2) then multiply the product by 0.485 cents. This is the daily cost. Then multiply the daily cost by 180 (number of days school is in session).

NOTE: Mileage can be verified by use of MapQuest. Please be as accurate as possible. It is helpful to have your calculations completed prior to coming into the office.

6. Signature of Parent/Guardian

7. Date of Signature

I will be taking photos of this year’s graduation program. This will include events before, during and after graduation such as the graduates preparing for the service, the choir and band, the procession, the Mass, speakers, diploma ceremony and random pictures outside (weather permitting). I will take a picture of each graduate as he/she receives his/her diploma. I have been doing this type of photography for 15 years.

I will put these on to a compact disc (CD) which you can view on a computer or use to make prints at any photo processing center, i.e. Osco, Wal-Mart, Target, or any private camera company. The CD will be professionally produced and mailed during the summer. I hope to make the first mailing in late June.

The cost is a contribution to the Beverly McCleary Scholarship Fund. My sons and I have established this fund with contributions received in her memory. This is a scholarship that is awarded to an incoming freshman and is renewable each year. It is given annually. All contributions will go directly to the scholarship fund. My sons and I will cover the cost of production and shipping. Checks should be made out to St. Francis High School.

Please complete the form and return to: Mr. Mark McCleary, % St. Francis High School, 2130 W. Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187. There is a link on the St. Francis website for this form. If you have any questions please contact me at mmccleary@sfhsnet.org.

Thank you. It has been my pleasure and privilege to have been a part of you and your son’s and daughter’s educational experience at St. Francis High School.

NAME ________________________________________________________

ADDRESS ____________________________________________________

CITY _______________________________  STATE ___________________

ZIP CODE __________________________ PHONE ____________________

Parents are welcome to join sophomores in a prayer service and ring blessing on Thursday, March 13 at 9:15 a.m. in the Kuhn Cultural Arts Center. Please be sure to complete all payments for your ring as soon as possible!

Back by popular demand, “Dancing With The Spartans” returns this March. Peg Kopec will instruct adult couples in the “Wedding Package”. Instruction in the fundamentals of Swing, Waltz and a few others will be taught during six nights March 4 th, 6 th, 11 th, 13 th, 18 th and 19th. Classes run from 7:00-8:00 pm . The cost is $20 per couple. Come join the fun and be prepared for a special live band dance April 11th featuring our own Bob Mamminga, and all those weddings!

To date we have recorded 2000 volunteer hours! Thank you to all who have taken the time to access the link and record their hours. The winter season is coming to an end (hopefully) and now is the time to document the hours you have spent helping the St. Francis co-curricular programs.

You can access the link from the SFHS website homepage or click below:

http://www.sfhsonline.org/volunteer.html

The volunteer list is helpful as we plan the annual Volunteer Appreciation Party. This year’s party will be held on Friday, April 18th. Please mark your calendars. Details will be provided in the next newsletter and invitations will be mailed at the beginning of April.

Think spring!