Newsletter

Dear Crusader Families,

On Monday, we shared the concern of a high absentee rate due to illness. Unfortunately, this trend has continued over the past two days. By the end of the day yesterday, 100 students were absent due to illness, and today, 94 students are absent. If your child is feeling unwell, we kindly ask that they remain at home until they have fully recovered, and all symptoms have resolved. We are taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of illness, including enhanced cleaning protocols throughout the school. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Today, your K-8 student/s will come home with their Middle of the Year Benchmark test scores in the areas of Math and Reading. We are so proud of the amount of growth across our school! It is truly a testament to the collaborative efforts made between our teaching staff and parents. Thank you for all you do in supporting your student’s education.

Depending on your student’s grade level, their test scores will be a combination of mClass/Dibels, i-Ready Reading and i-Ready Math. The purpose of completing these benchmarks is to understand your students’ growth, areas of need, and how we can best support each student moving forward, while continuing to monitor their progress. Please see the attached document HERE which will provide more information on interpreting the diagnostic reports and information about K-3 Reading and Improvement Monitoring Plans. If you have questions about your child’s diagnostics scores, please contact their teacher.

The second trimester will end on February 14, 2025. Report Cards will be sent home(k-3) and published via OptionC(4-8) the following week on Friday, February 21. In lieu of spring conferences, grade level teachers will reach out to parents to schedule meetings to be held on February 14.

Many Blessings,

Ms. Durstock

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

TUITION ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2025-2026  

The Catholic Education Foundation for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (CEF) will once again offer tuition assistance scholarships for the 2025-2026 school year. Scholarships are available for Pre-School - 8th grade students. FACTS applications may be submitted between now and February 16, 2025. Please see additional information regarding the Catholic Education Foundation opportunities here.  

Knights of Columbus Scholarship Essay Contest

Our Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Council of the Knights of Columbus is once again offering two $500 scholarships for the 2024-2025 school year to any IHM or Guardian Angels student currently in grades 3 through 7. The scholarships are based on an essay contest to encourage today’s youth to be more connected to their community and their faith. For an application or more information, please contact Bob Meyer at 513-404-0133 or [email protected].

You can find more information HERE

Important Dates

Thursday 2/6

All School Mass - Ambassadors

Friday 2/7

2nd and 5th Grade Buddies

Monday 2/10

PTO Meeting

Tuesday 2/11

Faculty Meeting

PTO NEWS

Father-Daughter Dance

Please save the date for the Father-Daughter dance. Tickets will go on sale on 2/1. The dance will be held at IHM on Saturday, February 22nd from 7:00 pm to 10pm. Please see the following flyer for more information.

You can view the flyer HERE

Purchase tickets via MTK starting 2/1: https://ihomschool.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/317915

Please consider volunteering for this event! SUG—https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B49A4A923A0FA7-50647916-pto#/

Art Night!

Come join us for family art night on Wednesday, February 26th from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Bring the entire family and work at your own pace as you explore the different forms of art from station to station. This is a FREE Family Fun Event with no registration requirements

Please us this link to volunteer SUG—https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B49A4A923A0FA7-50647889-academic#/

You can view the flyer HERE

HIGH SCHOOL NEWS

Elder News

Join the Panther Club. You can view the flyer HERE

McNick News

Explore McNicholas High School this fall and learn more about how you can Find Your Brilliance as a Rocket! Click here to view our admissions calendar, list of events, and steps to apply. To register for shadow day, Information Night, Open House, HSPT, and more, click here. We can’t wait to meet you! For more information contact us at [email protected] or 513-231-3500 x5809.

Register for all events by clicking here.

Learn more about everything McNicholas has to offer in a high school experience by browsing our comprehensive Interactive Viewbook here.

Questions? [email protected] or 513-231-3500 x5809

IHM PARISH INFORMATION

FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA LUNCHEON

Celebrating our two twinning communities Our Lady of the Mountains, Stanton, KY - near the Appalachian Mountains Cultural Center of Batahola Norte, Managua - near the sea in Nicaragua

NEW DAY — Sunday, April 6, 2025, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

NEW LOCATION — Guardian Angels’ Parish Undercroft, 6531 Beechmont Avenue $25 per person or $175 for table of 8 *Credit card fees for all purchases and donations

You can view the flyer HERE

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training FOR ADULTS, March 8th, 2025

The St. Gregory the Great Mental Wellness Ministry is excited to offer one of the premier training courses for adults who want to support youth with mental health challenges or substance use disorders -- or just want to increase their knowledge of these conditions and their impact on individuals, families, and the community. This is important training for all adults who interact with youth – including Teachers, School Staff, Parents, Grandparents. You can view the flyer HERE

Loose Coins Ministry reminder/ Change Matters!

We just want to remind everyone that our Loose Coins Ministry is still active. The change you put into the collection baskets at weekend mass is collected and put into action to help some of the neediest in our local area. When we have $500 dollars or more, we send a list of 3 agencies that could really use our help to our Junior High School students and then they research and discuss which charity can most use this money. After that is decided then the church sends a check to the charity. It teaches our students a great lesson in giving and it humbles us and pleases God when we give. So, coins, please! You can also put dollar bills into a white envelope with the words Loose Coins written on the outside. Thank you!

GREGORY THE GREAT SOCIAL MEDIA

Did you know we have new social media pages? Follow by clicking the links below:

Facebook

Instagram

Children’s Choir Information

Please see the link below for more information

: https://www.church.ihom.org/apps/news/article/1953919

Volunteering –Register with SafeParish

If you plan to volunteer or participate in any activity with students, including joining your child for lunch or helping in the classroom, you must be on our approved list. In order to volunteer you must be registered in SafeParish. To access or register for your SafeParish account go to http://www.aocsafeenvironment.org. Enter the passcode protectcincy when prompted. Full instructions are attached HERE should you need them. New volunteers will need to do the online raining session (60 to 90 minutes) and a background check. The background check has a fee of $25. Parishioners may request reimbursement, at the Parish’s expense, by submitting a copy of the receipt from selection.com to the Parish Office. However, if you are willing to cover this expense on your own, it will be most appreciated. Note: Leave the fasttrax field blank.