Well, it’s hard to believe that it is the end of October! Not only have we been blessed with beautiful fall weather, but we have been blessed to be part of such a great community here at St. Francis where the myriad of activities continue at “warp” speed.

There are many events being planned and awaiting your participation:

• It’s not too late to participate in the 2 nd annual SAA 5k run which will be held this Sunday, October 28 th at Danada Forest Preserve. You may register on line or you can register that day beginning at 7:30. Please come and support SAA.

• Mrs. Carolyn Brady-Riley has been busy preparing the cast for the fall play “Over the Tavern” which will be held on November 2, 3, and 4 th. It is sure to be a great show!

• On Sunday, November 4 th please join us for mass and brunch in the slant dome as we celebrate the progress of our capital campaign.

• Don’t forget to purchase your tickets to our annual fall fashion show “Luncheon at Tiffany’s” which is being held Sunday, November 18th at Drury Lane in Oak Brook. This year we have some wonderful grand raffle prizes which include a night’s stay at the Westin Lombard and tickets to St. Francis Casino Night/Auction, $500.00 cash raffle; a shopping spree and dining extravaganza at Yorktown Shopping center and a Tiffany necklace and matching earrings. This is a wonderful afternoon. So invite your daughters, mothers, sisters, other relatives and friends to see our St. Francis students, along with professional models as they model this year’s newest fashions.

• Our Spartan Wear committee has been busy promoting our school spirit wear and many new items, including the new Limited Edition St. Francis Christmas ornament which is being sold for only $10.00. So place your order today. Don’t forget Spartan Wear makes a great Christmas gift.

• Speaking of Christmas, once again, the PO will be having its annual Teacher Christmas Fund. Information will be sent out mid-November.

• The planning of our major fundraiser, “Taking Chances for St. Francis” is in full swing. We are always looking for more help, so please contact Jeanne Rosmonowski at 630-231-0882 or plan on attending the next planning meeting on November 7th at 7:00 in the library to see how you can get involved with this wonderful event.

• If you have an interest in the performing arts, please join us for a brief informational meeting on Thursday, November 8 th at 7:30 in the teacher’s lounge to see how you can help volunteer in this growing area at SFHS

Yes, we are blessed to be part of such a great community, so please take the time to get involved and reap the blessings!

Head Injuries\Concussions

It is important as parents to recognize that concussions occur in high school students not only in sports, but also with falls and other activities that teenagers engage in. Last year at SF we saw the typical football and soccer head injuries, but also a few serious concussions from falls on ice, snowboarding and skateboarding.

The significance of concussion is typically underestimated and under recognized by the athlete, coach and parent. And the evaluation and management of concussion as well as when it is safe to return to play is a controversial topic among sports medical professionals.

Some important notes for parents regarding concussions:

• Any insult to the head that results in a transient or temporary change in the mental state should be considered a concussion.
• A concussion is a brain injury.
• All concussions are serious.
• An athlete with a concussion should be removed from play and evaluated by a trained observer.
• Persistent headaches usually mean incomplete recovery
• Amnesia\confusion (not loss of consciousness) may be the main indicator of severity
• Duration of symptoms is a major factor in determining severity of a concussion
• The recommendation now is to transport students who have sustained any loss of consciousness to the hospital for evaluation.
• Return to play ( RTP) time is best made medically by a health care practitioner.
• With a brain injury there is increased vulnerability to a second insult (second-impact syndrome). RTP by a symptomatic athlete predisposes the athlete to 4-6 times greater incident of a second concussion and cumulative brain injury.

Concussion signs and symptoms:

Symptoms reported by the student: headache, nausea, balance problems or dizziness, double or fuzzy vision, sensitivity to light or noise, feeling foggy or sluggish, concentration or memory problems

Signs that are observed: loss of consciousness, moves clumsily, answers questions slowly, appears dazed or stunned

What should you do if you if you think your teenager has had a concussion?

1. Seek medical attention right away.
• A health care professional ( HCP) will be able to decide how serious the concussion is and when it is safe to RTP
2. Keep your teen out of play.
• Concussions take time to heal
• Follow the advice of you HCP
3. Tell all coaches about any recent concussions
4. Remind your teen that it’s better to miss one game than the whole season!

The thinking recently is to take a conservative approach in the RTP time following a concussion. And while the science surrounding concussion care increases, a clearer understanding of managing this condition may emerge later this year when the American Academy of Neurology is expected to publish its updated guidelines.

Source: JAMA, CDC

Daddy/Daughter Dance
December1, 2007

The annual Daddy Daughter Dance will be held in the Slant Dome on Saturday, December 1, 2007 from 7:30-10:00pm.  The cost is $25 per family and tickets for the dance will be available for purchase during lunch the week of November 26.   Light refreshments, professional photography, a DJ and favors will be available for those attending. 

On November 15 th we will MIX IT UP at LUNCH again-
Encouraging our students to break down barriers

On November 15 th, we will again encourage our students to join hundreds of thousands of students around the country to join the national MIX IT UP at Lunch event and stir things up in the school cafeteria. The event is being held in over 3000 high schools across the country to encourage students to identify, challenge and cross the various social boundaries that divide schools and communities.

As at many schools the cafeteria at lunchtime is a social map of our whole school. A map criss-crossed with boundaries. These social boundaries can create divisions and misunderstanding in schools and can even lead to bullying, harassment and violence. But by working to cross the barriers students can help create an environment that is characterized by less conflict and iontsed by more tolerance.

On November 15 th we will encourage our students to see what happens if they mix it up at lunch and will encourage them to swap seats in the cafeteria, step out of their comfort zones and sit somewhere new, with someone new. By joining the Mix it up event our students will contribute to crossing existing social boundaries and to increasing acceptance and mutual understanding. Please talk with your children about this event and encourage them to participate. If you would like to find out more information, contact Mrs. Rupp in the Guidance and Counseling Department at ext. 104.

This event is one you won’t want to miss! There will be ‘ Las Vegas ’ style casino games, including Blackjack, Roulette, Poker and Texas Hold ‘em, among others. We will have a silent auction with a limited number of high value, premium, ‘got to have’ items. An on-line auction via the SFHS web site will be conducted preceding the event including coveted SFHS mementos. In addition, there will be a smaller number of big ticket raffle items.

$75 per person admission fee will cover food, drinks and $XX in gaming chips. Additional chips may be purchased.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! This is a great way to get involved with St. Francis, meet people, make new friends and help make this a successful event! This event cannot be successful without many volunteers. There are various areas of need, big and small-please lend your talents.

Thank you in advance- Jeane Rosmonowski
ROZPJMR@comcast.net 630-231-0882 (home) 630-258-8490 (cell)

Link to Printable Volunteer Form

Do you have any unused eye glasses or sun glasses around the house? If so, donate your old eye glasses and sun glasses to a good cause.

As in previous years, St. Francis will again collect old glasses for “Sight Night”. Volunteers will then repair and classify the collected eye glasses by prescription and hand deliver them to people in developing countries who need eye glasses but cannot afford them. Some of the people who receive these glasses may not be able to work because of their poor eyesight, and may never have seen their own families’ faces clearly.

Also, we are again inviting St. Francis students to collect old eyeglasses in their neighborhoods on Halloween while they are “trick-or-treating”.

Trick-or Treat collection kits and a drop-off box for old glasses are available in the Guidance & Counseling Department. If you have any questions, please call Mrs. Rupp at 668 5800 x104. Collection deadline is the end of October.