Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s), Over the course of this academic year, the administration has been examining our safety and security protocols throughout the school. We have met with members of our own security team as well as Commander Joyce from the 22nd District to examine where we need to enhance and improve our security practices. As a result of these meetings, we have hired Officer Dan Reilly to serve as our new Head of Security. Officer Reilly has worked at McAuley for the past few years as a member of our security team providing him a familiarity with McAuley as well as an awareness of the school's strengths and weaknesses around school safety. As Head of Security, Officer Reilly will manage the McAuley security team which includes daytime, evening and special events. He will also be the liaison between the security guard team, the Deans' Office, local police departments and the security task force for our school. Daily there is at least one armed security guard in the building daily from 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and almost always one present at athletic and special events. Our security team is composed of three current police officers and one retired police officer, however we are working to expand our pool. As we build out our team, we are looking to have two police officers in the building for our evening shift and better security on weekends and at events. If you or any of your family members or friends are current or retired police officers or sheriffs and are interested in joining our team, the job description is attached here. At the recommendation of our security experts, the only door we will have open for entrance during the day will be the Circle Drive. Beginning Monday, October 10 all students will need to enter the school through our main entrance, Circle Drive as our athletic entrance will no longer be open. We communicated this with our students today, but we ask that you remind them of this change. We will continue to look at best practices locally and nationally to determine how we can create the most secure and safe environment possible for your daughters and our employees. I assure you that the safety of your daughters is of the utmost importance to me and to our President, Carey Harrington. Although conversations around school safety are hard and carry an emotional heaviness, unfortunately they have become unavoidable for all schools. However, we hope it brings you peace of mind knowing this topic is in the forefront of our minds daily, and we are continuing to be attentive to needs in our school around safety and security. Should you have any questions, concerns or feedback around this topic or the job description please contact Ms. Meg Gardner, Assistant Principal for School culture at 773.881.7711 or mgardener@mothermcauley.org. In Mercy, |
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Kathryn M. Baal, PhD Principal |
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Parent Resource - Family Action Network The Family Action Network (FAN) is an organization that promotes a high-quality speaker series that highlights a variety of topics often associated with books written by experts. Their mission is to present fresh ideas that elevate minds, expand hearts and make the world a better place. Their programming is free and open to the public, and many of the events are now easily accessible via Zoom. FAN has fabulous resources for families and educators whether you want to attend presentations or add to your book collection. I want to mention two specific upcoming presentations for you, including one that focuses specifically on female adolescents and social media. - On Thursday, October 13 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM writer and author Donna Jackson Nakazawa will speak about her book, Girls on the Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in the Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media. You can register for the event here as well as find out more information about the author and book.
- Education journalist, author and advisor Anya Kamenetz will be speaking Tuesday, October 18 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM. On Zoom, she will talk about her book The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children's Lives, and Where We Go Now.
Parent-Teacher Conferences Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, October 27. They will take place live on campus from 1:00 - 8:00 PM. Look for an email early next week with information on how to sign up as well as other logistics. Monday, October 10 and 17 School IS in session on Monday, October 10 as we welcome over 200 shadows from local grammar schools. Monday will follow a condensed schedule with a 1:38pm dismissal. Furthermore, school will NOT be in session on Monday, October 17. National Testing Day - Wednesday, October 12 National Testing Day is Wednesday, October 12. The freshmen will take the PSAT 8/9 and the sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT/NMSQT tests. Students must be in their testing seat by 7:50 AM. Students are assigned to a room based on their Theology class and teacher. Room assignments can be found here. Students should bring 2 pencils and their calculator. Testing will end around 11:50 AM. Students should plan to be in school from 7:45 AM to 12:00 PM on this day and are required to wear their uniform. If your daughter is testing with extended time accommodations, you should have received an email with detailed information as the test can take up to an additional 2 hours. The school building will close at 3:30 PM on testing day. Seniors have no classes on this day and do not need to report to school. Uniform Update This is a friendly reminder that we have begun conducting uniform checks throughout the school day. Any student who is not in full uniform will be issued a detention. Faculty and staff are aware of the two dozen freshman and junior students with uniform skirt issues, and these students will not be penalized. With cooler temperatures arriving, students may wear uniform quarter zip pullovers and black leggings or tights under their skirts. Additionally, there is a navy blue pants option, which can be found on our website. NO non-uniform sweatshirts are permitted, nor are sweatpants or pajama pants to be worn under students' skirts. If you have questions regarding your daughter's uniform, please contact her level dean. Halloween Dress Students are expected to be in full uniform on Monday, October 31. Any student wearing a costume will be sent home. |
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National Testing Day On Wednesday, October 12th, the freshmen will take the PreACT and the sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT/NMSQT. Students will be dismissed between 11:45 am and 12 pm. Students testing with accommodations will have extended time on these tests and will be dismissed between 2 pm and 2:30 pm. Seniors will have the day off and are highly encouraged to tour a college campus and finish submitting their college applications. The October 15th and November 1st priority deadline is approaching quickly. All applications must be submitted by November 1st and all transcripts must be requested by October 18th. College Counseling The Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the College Scholarship Service Profile are now open. The colleges your student is applying to will determine which form(s) you will need to submit. It is highly encouraged that families submit the FAFSA and CSS profile in the month of October. Some schools will NOT offer merit aid if a student applies or submits the FAFSA or CSS Profile after the November 1st, priority deadline. If families plan to obtain federal loans, the FAFSA or CSS Profile must be filed. All schools accept the FAFSA and about 300 highly selective schools require the CSS profile. Please see the information below. Complete the FAFSA at fafsa.gov and the CSS profile at CSS Profile College Board. |
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School Counseling Mental Health Matters was kicked off this week with student centered activities to highlight the importance of taking care of one's mental health. The goal of this week is to highlight the importance of their mental well being as a critical aspect of their overall health and happiness. It's important to remember that we ALL have mental health and depending on the day it can go up or down. We want students to take a proactive effort in its maintenance! With millions of Americans facing the reality of living with a mental health condition, everyone directly or indirectly is affected. These lessons will serve as a foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits and coping mechanisms. We recognize that mental health is a year round concern and we plan on continuing this conversation throughout the year. Finally, freshmen were presented with Signs of Suicide through Elyssa's Mission, a nationally recognized suicide prevention program, which teaches students how to identify signs of depression and suicide in themselves and their peers. It's important to remember that mental health stigma would have us be silent and feel isolated. It's important to talk to those we care about because every time we do, it makes them feel less alone! School Refusal and Avoidance Tips for Parents On September 16th, we hosted a "Coffee with the Counselors" for parents to attend and learn about the functions of school refusal and the helpful and unhelpful techniques parents can utilize when supporting their child. We partnered with therapists from Compass Behavioral Health in presenting this information in hopes that we could work together with caregivers and present as a united front in dealing with this very common issue. Tips & Reminders: - Prepare for refusal. It will get harder before it gets better.
- Anxiety is uncomfortable and not dangerous. Your child can handle it!
- Sit down with your child and set expectations/ rewards/ consequences.
- Family accommodations are loving and helpful.
- Link attendance with rewards and natural consequences. "If you attend school you can see your friends" "If you don't attend school you do not get your phone"
- You can be empathetic and hold expectations. "I see your anxious about your test, and I know you can handle this"
- Set a timer and disengage. Give your child an opportunity to make the decision.
- Consistency is key!
- Keep school in the loop about the plan.
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In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are celebrating our Hispanic alumnae who have been trailblazers and role models in our community. Xotchil Ramirez '24 interviewed Yaitz Noriega '17 and Lizette Balderas '23 interviewed Melissa Zeilner Marx '06 for our Hispanic Heritage Month Alumnae Spotlights. Click the buttons to watch the highlights! |
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Thank you to our Peer Ministers and Theology Department for making this year's Freshman Retreat such a wonderful experience for our Class of 2026! It was a day filled with reflection, prayer and fun! |
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We are pleased to offer a total of 15 named scholarship opportunities this fall! Each scholarship is funded through the generosity and kindness of our scholarship donors. All applications are due via online application on Monday, October 17, 2022 by 11:59 p.m. You can find more information on scholarships by clicking the button below. |
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| Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) Application |
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The application process for the 2023-24 school year opens as of October 3, 2022. Financial aid awards are not automatically renewed and must be applied for annually. Mother McAuley utilizes the online service of Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) to process financial aid applications. FAST does not decide whether financial assistance will be given or the assistance amount; rather FAST provides a need-based financial aid analysis service that includes a recommendation of what a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition. All information from FAST is kept confidential. Results are reviewed by the Mother McAuley Financial Aid Committee and awards are based upon the 2023-24 financial aid budget.
To begin the application process:
- From the McAuley website at www.mothermcauley.org, click on the "Quicklinks" menu on the
homepage. Select "Financial Aid (FAST) Application" from the drop down menu. - The application process is self-guided. You may navigate in and out of the program allowing you
to partially complete an application and go back to it at another time. Online support and a 24/7 helpline is provided at 877-326-FAST (3278) or help@ismfast.com. - The charge for the application is currently $48, paid by credit/debit card at the end of the
session. We are unable to offer fee waivers. If you do not have a credit or debit card, please call the Mother McAuley Tuition Office at 773-881-6506 for assistance. After completing the online application, upload or mail your 2021 tax returns for both state and federal taxes with W-2's directly to FAST. Do not mail documents to Mother McAuley.
Currently enrolled students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 to receive Mother McAuley financial aid.
The application deadline for priority consideration is December 16, 2022. For applications received by this deadline, award decision letters will be mailed to families on February 15, 2023. Please note that applications and/or tax information submitted after the deadline will not be considered until April 2023, and awards will be based on any remaining financial aid funds.
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Congratulations to our Mighty Macs for their amazing accomplishments! * Varsity volleyball defeated Notre Dame (KY) in the championship match to win the 2022 ASICS Challenge tournament. This is the sixth time McAuley has won this tournament since its start in 1987! * Cross country ran at the Loyola lakeshore invitational varsity took 4th, frosh/soph placed 3rd and the open runners were 2nd. * Madi Ignolia '23 won the Open Race and Nora Enright '24 won varsity; both Varsity and Open took 1st place! * JV tennis had a strong showing at their GCAC Conference- Stella Harris took 2nd for 1st singles, and Nora-Wolfe Halpern took 3rd for 2nd singles. * Our swimmers and divers placed 4th at the Fremd meet. * Golfers played great at their sectionals Click here to read the article in the Beverly Review! |
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| Save the Dates! Open House Thursday, November 3 from 6pm - 8pm 8th Grade McAuley Volleyball Clinic. Come train with the Mighty Mac Volleyball Team! All 8th grade students are invited to join us for a FREE volleyball clinic on Thursday, October 20 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Registration is required. Players may arrive at 4;30 p.m. for an opportunity to watch the McAuley Varsity Volleyball team practice. Click the button to register! |
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| Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School 3737 W. 99th Street Chicago, IL 60655
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