🆕New/Updated Information

No Bus Service September 14th

The Davenport Catholic schools in Scott County all have school on Monday. There is no morning or afternoon bus service as the DCSD does not have school that day.

Picture Day

Picture Day is Tuesday. Students in MWF 3 YO PS and those who are absent on Tuesday will have their pictures taken on the 16th. Out of uniform dress guidelines apply.

Communication about ESAs for Tuition Payment – Sept 30th Deadline

If you have received an email or phone call about verifying the tuition amount SCCS entered in your student(s) ESA Odyssey account, you must take action. If you don’t verify the tuition in Odyssey, you will not be eligible for ANY funds for 2026-27, and you will be responsible for the entire tuition yourself. The deadline is September 30th. Thankfully, we’re down to families representing fewer than around 50 students. If you are contacted, take action now.

Public Funding and Private Schools

The phrase “no public money for private schools” is frequently heard in debates about school choice and Education Savings Accounts. Shane Vander Hart, in his article, “No Public Money for Private Schools,” June 29, 2026, challenge that notion this summer. Public dollars routinely follow individuals to private providers in many areas.

Medicare and Medicaid funds go to private hospitals, doctors, and medical organizations. SNAP benefits can be used at privately-owned grocery stores. Housing assistance can be used to pay non-government landlords. Pell Grants, GI Bill benefits, and tuition grants can be used at private colleges and universities throughout the nation. Why should there be an argument against public money for private schools just because they are K-12 institutions?

Vander Hart argues that in many cases, the government establishes the eligibility requirements and rules for participating service providers, but then individuals have some choice in where they receive the service. The question is less about funds going to private institutions and more about whether the program serves an appropriate public purpose and includes appropriate accountability. Iowa’s ESA program fits these criteria.

AC Improvement

We had working AC in the four east classrooms again by the end of the week. One of the other companies we contacted about giving us competitive quotes for the unit controlling those four classrooms found a leak in an easily accessiblel pipe and fixed it by week’s end.

We are still waiting for a warranty replacement for one of the three inter-connected units in one of our two VRF systems. By “warranty replacement,” I mean the equipment is under warranty. The labor and refrigerant will likely cost between $8,600 and $11,000.

It’s also time to think about heating season. There’s probably about $5,000 worth of work needed on our boilers.

I can remember when we were spending about $5,000 a year on a 50 year old boiler and decided that these annual expenses were too much, and we replaced the boiler. Now, it seems that we spend $20,000-$50,000 annually on our HVAC systems. Granted, we now have ventilation and air conditioning too. And, long gone are the days of a radiator heating system being on or off. Now, there’s heating some areas of the building while cooling others, gas systems, refrigerant, mechanical valves, computer systems, pre-heat, re-heat, capture heat, magic fairy dust, a wing and a prayer,….

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures – Trying It Myself

Oddly, we looked forward to our first rainy drop-off morning last week so we could observe patterns when the weather wasn’t ideal. We haven’t had a bad weather pick-up day yet though to see how things work then.

On Tuesday, I was returning to campus around pick-up time so I tried to experience it as a parent. It was about 2:38 when I entered on 42nd Street and parked in the north lot waiting for students older than K-1 to be dismissed. I kept looking toward the building to see when the older kids were coming out. Unfortunately, the only thing I could see was the side of the SUV parked next to me; I couldn’t see any kids. Now, I know that car riders in 2-8 are dismissed at 2:42 and 2:43 so I waited until about 2:43:30 and then got in line to do the drive through pick-up. Once in line, things seemed to move smoothly, although it did take longer than I thought and longer than morning drop-off. In the morning, one pulls up, and the kids jump out. In the afternoon, the car pulls up, kids have to identify their parents, siblings need to make sure they’re together, and kids need to approach the car, enter the vehicle, and buckle up, and then the car pulls ahead. That takes just a little more time.

Exiting the parking lot onto 42nd Street was a breeze without buses blocking the view. I then re-entered the lot and drove to the south part. This lot was emptying out quickly. Once I turned onto the rectory drive without clipping the sign, exiting onto Division was fairly easy as I made a right turn.

Finally, I entered the lot for a third time from 42nd Street and drove to the exit by the ball field. It was about 2:50, and the south lot probably had fewer than 20 cars. I was the only one in this drive by that time. Exiting onto Sturdevant with the buses along there does force one to inch one’s way out onto the street, but it was still far better than what we used to experience with buses and parked cars at the apartments along 42nd Street.

As we continue to evaluate our drop-off and pick-up procedures, experiencing them as a parent was helpful to me.

Here’s a few more reminders regarding traffic around campus:

• Proceed SLOWLY and cautiously through every location.  Little kids are hard to see by cars. 
• Backing up is even more dangerous. Apply even greater caution when doing so. Backing up in the drive-through pick-up lane should not be done as no one is expecting it there, and it’s then too easy to hit a child or staff member.
• Be attentive to your driving.  Talking on a cell phone, even handsfree, can be a distraction when one’s attention is needed most to watch for kids and pedestrians.
• Follow traffic signs and laws throughout the neighborhood. Families living near 41st and Fillmore have reported far more drivers ignoring the stop sign this fall.

One of the most consistent themes brought up in discussions about parking lot safety is that no matter what we do and what procedures and patterns we put into place, it depends upon parents. Please join together to make the parking lot safe.

New Lunch Employee

Please join me in welcoming Brenda Milam to JFK’s lunch program. She joins Nathalie Flores, Gina Smith, Julianne Tongue, and SCCS lunch program director, Meredith Ash.

📌Still Relevant

Receiving the Principal’s Post Via Text?

If you would like to receive text messages from JFK, type “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. I have started to send the Principal’s Post link out by text and email. We also use text messages for things like snow days, for example. Families must opt in to receive text messages.

Save the Date: “Made for More: Visions of the Promised Land”

OLV is hosting the multimedia event, “Made for More: Visions of the Promised Land,” featuring national author/speaker Christopher West and musician Mike Mangione on Thursday, November 12, 2026 from 7:00-9:30 pm in the church. Cost is $30 per person.

This program explores life, love, and human destiny through the lens of Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.  It weaves together live music, spoken word, sacred art, and video clips into a reflective multimedia experience.  CLICK HERE for a video clip.

Altar Servers Needed

Sign your student up to altar serve at a weekend Mass.

Want to Become Catholic, Receive the Rest of Your Sacraments, Learn More About Your Faith?

If you answered yes to any part of the above question, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) may be right for you. OCIA is a friendly, low stress setting that helps you learn and experience the Catholic faith. OCIA is led by a dedicated group of trained volunteers who teach and pass on the knowledge, traditions and meaning of the Catholic faith. There are no tests to take and no pressure, but you will be surprised at how satisfying it can be to learn about God in such a supportive group setting. Children are welcome to accompany their parents.

OCIA sessions are held on Sunday mornings in the Gathering Space Meeting Room (GSMR) at the church. Sessions start on September 13th after the 9:00 am Mass.

If you cannot do the group sessions for some reason, reach out anyway. We don’t want scheduling issues to prevent a richer participation in the Catholic faith.

For questions or more information, contact
 Deacon John at 563-343-2968,
 Chris at 563-505-3126/[email protected]
 or the PARISH OFFICE at (563) 391-4245.

Approved Snack List

Snacks must be from the approved snack list. The updated list also shares some of the criteria used to determine the snack list.

I-Ready Math Requirements

I-Ready use can help your child’s math skills. 

I-Ready Math is an online program we use to better understand each student’s math strengths and learning needs. It begins with a short diagnostic/screener that helps identify what skills a student has mastered and where additional support or challenge is needed. Based on those results, i-Ready provides personalized math lessons that adjust to each child’s level, allowing students to work at an appropriate pace while building confidence and understanding. At school, students use i-Ready Math for at least 30 minutes per week as part of their regularly scheduled instructional time. That should be enough time to at least do one i-Ready lesson per week. Students not finishing the lesson at school will have it assigned as homework. In addition, students who are not proficient in math based upon screeners or ISASPs will be required to work with i-Ready outside of school hours, reinforcing the school/home partnership. Students may always voluntarily do i-Ready lessons at home as well.

Checking Students’ Grades and Missing Work

Below is a link to the instructions for parents to check students’ “in progress” standards grades. It also includes directions for checking missing assignments and Algebra grades for students taking the class at Assumption. The directions cover how to use both the PowerSchool portal on a computer and the PowerSchool app.

Important notes:

• There are some things that just cannot be done on the app. You will have to use a computer for them.
• There is a message that says “Grades disabled by school.” IGNORE this message. It references a certain type of grade and not the standards-referenced grades we are using.

Instructions 

📚Learning Habits Matter

Reading Motivation

“I don’t like reading” sometimes means “I haven’t found what I like to read.”

Choice matters. When students find books connected to their interests—whether that’s animals, sports, humor, mysteries, history, fantasy, or something else—reading is more likely to become something they choose to do rather than something they have to do.

PK–2
• Let children choose favorite topics and stories—even if they choose the same ones repeatedly

Grades 3–5
• Help students explore different authors, series, genres, and nonfiction topics until something clicks

Grades 6–8
• Make room for personal choice alongside required school reading
• Don’t dismiss a book simply because it isn’t what an adult would choose

We can’t make children love reading. We can, however, help them find books they might love to read.

🗓️ Highlighted Events

Multiple calendars are available on our website, www.jfkcatholic.org/.  On the school side of the website, a one-page summary calendar is on the front page.  Detailed calendars can also be reached by clicking on the calendars heading toward the upper right corner of the website. Anything underlined on the calendar can be clicked on, and more details will open for you. Below are a few highlighted events:

• Sept 14: No bus service
• Sept 15: Home & School Mtg. Picture Day
• Sept 16: Picture day for T/Th 3 YO and make-up day
• Sept 17: Constitution Day. Papa Murphy Dine & Donate
• Sept 18: Candy Bar Sale Begins. H & S Outdoor Movie Night
• Sept 21: Host VB games. Music Boosters
• Sept 24: Papa Murphy Dine & Donate
• Sept 25: Out of uniform fundraiser. 2 hr early dismissal. No pm PS classes
• Sept 28: Caffeinate Me H & S fundraiser.
• Oct 2: Candy Bar Sale Ends. 7/8 March with AHS at Homecoming
• Oct 3: Confirmation Retreat
• Oct 5: Inservice. No classes. ECLC closed.

💭Personal Sharing

If you missed my message emailed on September 11th, you can find if here: Sept 11th, 25 Year Anniversary Message.

Chad