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Dear IHM Parents,

Well, here we are at the end of the year! It was an unexpected ending and not one anyone anticipated,

but we did it with many curves and bumps along our year’s journey. With each others’ support, we were

#SAINTSSTRONG. For that, we are very thankful and very proud. Our teachers, parents and students have

risen to meet every challenge along the way, and we know there were quite a few. Our teachers have gotten a

serious crash course in technology, our parents see our teachers in a whole new light and our students realize

how important our school community is to them. Lessons have been learned and we are stronger for them all.

In keeping as transparent with you as we can, we recognize that the plans for facilitating instruction

are ongoing for our return date of August 12th. While we can’t give you our specific plan at this time, we do

want to ease your anxiety by giving you the realm of suggested guidelines (see below) that we could be faced

with in August. Currently, we are forming a task force of expert advisors in their fields to collaborate with us

and the Department of Catholic Schools to draft tentative plans for returning to school in August. Once those

proposed plans are approved, we will also be sending out a survey to our parents that will give us your

feedback. We thank you for your partnership and we know that your choice to enroll your child at IHM

during these unprecedented times is not one to be taken lightly. We thank you for the trust you place in us

and know that we are already planning with our faculty to further streamline NTI, the platforms that we use

as a school and utilize as much teacher/student virtual interaction as possible. We hope to keep our students

as engaged in our school community as possible if/when remote learning takes place. As directed, our faculty

will remain in a “readiness” state, in the event that an intermittent or extended closure would be warranted.

From Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools

Initial Guidance for Schools and Districts (May 15, 2020):

Preparing for Intermittent Closures: Regardless of start time, schools and districts should remain vigilant

in preparing for sudden intermittent closures or rapid transitions to extended periods of remote learning.

KDE encourages schools and districts to build and communicate transition plans and maintain a constant

state of readiness throughout the school year. This may involve changes to the way students store

materials, the types of materials students take home daily and considerations for blended learning in

lesson planning. For example, schools may determine that it would not be appropriate to use lockers and

students should be encouraged to take all of their materials home every day.

KDE encourages districts to prepare alternative schedule models that may be deployed if the DPH

recommends that schools reduce the number of students in the building. Districts may build alternative

schedules that meet the needs of their population. KDE has prepared four possible alternative schedules as

a starting point for consideration:

May 21, 2020

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Synchronous Opt-In: Under a synchronous opt-in model, parents may choose whether their children

attend school in person or virtually. Instruction would be delivered synchronously to students who are at

school and at home through virtual live streaming. This option requires heavy use of instructional

technology, including digital tools that already are available in most classrooms (mobile devices, web

cameras, digital meeting platforms and learning management systems). Careful consideration will need to

be made for intentional activities to engage and support students participating from home as the in-person

students may more easily draw the teacher’s attention. This model leverages the strengths of teachers and

staff and may require greater flexibility for co-teaching, co-facilitating and coaching opportunities to drive

learning successes.

Fully Online: Under a fully online model, students would receive instruction while at home through a

combination of synchronous and asynchronous digital delivery methods. This method may be more

appropriate for students in higher grade levels who can be more self-directed. This model reflects existing

remote learning models in place through Kentucky’s virtual learning providers, as well as many successful

Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) Program designs.

Our communication with you will be essential as we begin to discern the direction for our students in August.

We will continue to be transparent with you, proactive for our students and diligent in upholding the integrity

of the education we provide. Likewise, please feel free to reach out to us if we can do anything to help you

and your family. Obviously, we want to keep our school and parish community as strong as we can. If you

have any questions or concerns, we ask that you reach out to us so that we can foster our partnership and

continue to be #SAINTSTRONG. We wish your family a healthy, rejuvenating and relaxing summer. May

God bless our families, Father Rottman on his new assignment and Monsignor Dominic as he adjusts to our

IHM family during this uncertain time. Again, thank you for choosing IHM!

God Bless Your Day,

Mrs. Marcos and Mrs. Harper

NTI instruction will continue through tomorrow, Friday, May 22nd

Teachers will be averaging grades the week of May 26th

Report cards will be electronically released Friday, May 29th

Textbook/library book drop off has been moved to the Cafeteria,

please see schedule below:

May 26th 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM

May 27th 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM

End of the Year Information

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Our Catholic Church’s Catechism defines Christian Hope as “the power by which we firmly and

constantly long for what we were placed on Earth to do.” Our world is full of people who need our help to

have Hope. But one group, parents whose unborn children are diagnosed with a disorder, especially needs our

attention. Parents in these situations are often encouraged to choose abortion so that they do not have to go

through with the birth and the baby does not have to suffer an impairment. This type of logic creates a

“Culture of Death.” Our society thinks that new life is disposable if it does not fit its requirements for a

“normal” baby. It’s our job as Christians to eliminate this ideology.

Indeed, it is very challenging for parents to realize that their unborn child will have a disorder. Many

parents react by ending the child’s life, thinking this does some good for him/her. But God gives parents in

these situations Hope that their child will be able to have a meaningful life. The Bible tells us, “Before I

formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the

nations,” (Jeremiah 1:5). So, we, as the people of God, must spread this news to anyone considering an

abortion. A lot of future parents could benefit from knowing that there is a God who has a plan for their

disabled baby. They must know that when God made their baby, He knew what He was doing and He never

makes mistakes. “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm

you, plans to give you hope and a future,” (Jeremiah 29:11). So although some people believe that a baby

born with a disorder is some type of mistake, we know this is not true. We know we have no right to take

away the gift of life that God has given to impaired children. How can we feel that our evaluation of their

value is superior to God’s?

Furthermore, the sanctity and value of every life must be preserved. Even though human standards

may regard disabled babies as imperfect and therefore expendable, we, as children of God, know that life is

precious because it has resemblance to the existence of God himself. “God created mankind in his own

image, in the image of God he created them.” (Genesis 1:27). Our society needs our help to realize that babies

are handcrafted by God. This means that all people, not just people of certain religions, must respect the

divine gift of life. It is our duty to persuade our world that God means for us to be respectful of his wonderful

gift of life.

Even if people do truly want the best for their disabled children, some still believe that abortion is the

best choice. In fact, “many women terminate their pregnancies when they learn that their child has Down

Syndrome,” or other conditions. Ending the baby’s life before it is even born is often considered a way of

ending their suffering, so future parents may believe this to be the best choice for their child. However,

suffering is not a reason for one’s life to be deemed expendable. Accordingly, “Pope Francis said that

abortion is never the answer to difficult prenatal diagnoses.” This means that we must protect the lives of the

disabled babies that our society puts at risk. The parents of these children need us because they have been

separated from God’s source of Hope. We can help them find it, even if we give just a small act of kindness.

We can show them the respect that they, in turn, must give their unborn child, regardless of developmental

diagnosis.

To summarize, the lives of all babies must be treated with respect. The parents of unborn children

with disorders need our help to discover the Hope that can be found in God. We must make sure they

understand terminating their baby’s life is not a choice. We must protest any agencies or doctors that tell

hopeless parents abortion is the best way to face an alarming diagnosis. We cannot let them fall into the idea

that this is morally acceptable. We must tell them that their child deserves a chance at the life that God has set

out for them to live. We must give them Hope.

Diocese of Covington Pro-Life Essay Contest 3rd place winner Written by IHM 8th grader Emma Linkugel

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On Saturday, May 30th (original graduation date) the virtual Graduation Ceremony will be

posted on our IHM YouTube channel at 11:00am, followed by a pickup sendoff parade at

IHM at 3:00pm! Link to our Immaculate Heart of Mary School YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC3_JcYt4pNH7hyQrUlw54Q

Please be advised that if your student(s) have a balance due on their lunch accounts for the 2019-2020 school

year, these charges need to be paid by Friday May 22, 2020. You can pay the charges online at

K12paymentcenter.com or by sending a check to the school office C/O the cafeteria.

If you have an 8th grader that is not going to a diocesan high school or a student that is not returning for the

2020-2021 school year, you can request a refund of your lunch balance for amounts of $5.00 and above by

completing a refund form that can be found on the cafeteria web page at https://ihm-ky.org/school-lunch-

program on the left side of the website under documents. Refunds will be processed by the Diocesan School

Lunch Program and mailed to you.

If you have any questions please email Toni Sturpe, Cafeteria Manager, at tsturpe@ihm-ky.org.

Save the Date: Join us for NEW and FREE Sports and Adoration on Friday evenings twice a month!

Required 8th Grade Theology of the Body Retreat: Saturday, October 17, 2020 @ IHM 8am-

6pm

EDGE Halloween Party: Monday, October 26, 2020 @ IHM 7-8:30pm

EDGE Retreat: Saturday, November 7, 2020 – Sunday 8th @ IHM

Children’s Carnival: Saturday, February 6, 2021 @ IHM 4-8pm

Required 8th Grade Theology of the Body Retreat: Saturday, February 20, 2021 @ IHM 8am-

6pm

IHM Youth Ministry Important information from our Youth Minister Brad Whittle

8th Grade Graduation Information

End of the year lunch account balances

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School is Out—What’s a Parent to Do?

For the past two months, the Coronavirus has created havoc in our lives. Suddenly, parents were not only

working from home, but students were learning from home too. Hopefully, your family began to find some

sort of routine, and the dust has settled a bit. But now, we’re in for a new challenge. Parents no longer have to

worry about children completing their schoolwork, but with many summer camps and activities cancelled,

what happens now? Summer is going to look very different indeed.

The best way to tackle summer is to take some time to come up with a plan. First and foremost, have a

routine. Routines provide structure for a child. Knowing what to expect helps a child to be successful and will

hopefully allow for less interruptions for working parents. Having a routine will also combat boredom that

will eventually set in.

Here are some ideas:

Determine set times for your child to wake up, have breakfast, and lunch.

Fitness: Schedule a time for your child do some sort of fitness daily. This could be doing Go Noodle,

selecting a fitness program on TV, or a handful of basic exercises such as jumping jacks.

Daily Chores: Assign daily chores such as cleaning up after meals, walking the dog, feeding pets,

making the bed, etc. Establish specific times for chores to be completed.

Other Chore Time: Designate times where you assign special chores (clean bathroom, sweep porch,

etc.)

Daily Reading Time: Reading is so important for your child’s brain development. Let them choose

something they enjoy (and you approve of).

Creative Time: Research and list out as many ideas of fun things your child would enjoy doing.

Gather supplies for these ideas and encourage them to select one once or twice a week (or more).

Game time: If your child has siblings, schedule a game time twice a week. Make sure you develop a

fair way of selecting which games to play.

Outdoor play time, weather permitting.

Meal Planning: Have your child plan a meal. For more fun, have them prepare the meal (help if

needed).

Science Experiments: Purchase a science kit or research ideas on the internet and schedule one or

more each week.

Tech-Free Free Time: Give your kid free time without technology. This often allows for creative play.

The more structured your routine is, the more likely your children will follow it. They may grumble and

groan at first, but within a couple weeks, they will settle in and know what to expect. Of course, there will be

days you’ll need to be flexible with the routine -- but that’s okay!

If you need any help, support, advice, or suggestions over the summer, please don’t hesitate to reach out to

me, Ann Williams, School Counselor, at awilliams@ihm-ky.org. Have a safe, happy and healthy summer!

See you next fall!

Counselors Corner

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PTO is very excited to offer back to school supplies kits through 1st Day School Supplies. This will be

offered as a convenience option for incoming IHM students grade K-5.

This is not mandatory and a K-5 grade school supply list is attached for those who wish to shop on

their own.

This is a great option for 3 reasons:

1. The first is parents are looking for a RISK FREE back to school shopping solution. Our service

provides parents a contact free solution to get supplies that oftentimes require multiple visits to

multiple stores with HUGE crowds and long lines.

2. Second, we have a full supply of all the brands you and your teachers want including:

Ticonderoga, Mead, Elmers, Crayola, Avery and Fiskars... not to mention the impossible to find

germ fighting brands like Clorox and Purell. Retailers have made it hard to find these brands in

the past. Can you imagine what it will look like this summer? We are hearing impossible. Not

with us! WE HAVE THEM ALL!!!!

3. Finally, we had no control on how the school year ended but we can do something about how

next year will start. We owe it to teachers, parents and students to make the start of this year to

be the best ever. 1st Day School Supplies can be a huge part of this celebration. Our supplies

provide confidence to teachers, parents and students.

The link below is open and orders can be placed starting today.

Last Day to place an order will be June 15th.

Supplies will be available for pick up at our back to school open house in August.

http://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/kits.php?sid=42658

Also please see below for items that are not included in kits and will need to be

purchased:

Kindergarten $15 for rest mat will be collected from teacher on the first day of school.

$7 for misc. projects given to teacher on the first day of school.

1- headset for Computer class

1st Grade 1- Sock for white board

1 - headset(no I-phone or wireless) for Computer class

2nd Grade 1 - headset (no I-phone or wireless) for Computer class

3rd Grade 1- roll of Aluminum Foil for STEAM class

1 - headset (no I-phone or wireless) for Computer class 4th Grade 1- headset (no I-phone or wireless) for Computer class

5th Grade 1- Green 2 pocket plastic folder & 1 notebook for Spanish class

1- Yellow 2 pocket plastic folder for Music Class

1 pack of Dixie Cups for STEAM

1- headset (no I-phones or wireless) for Computer class

Grades K-5 school supply information for 2020-21 school year

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(Check out the local libraries, Barnes and Noble, Half-Price Books for copies of books) Kindergarten: Please read with your parents Dr. Seuss’s ABC Book Grade 1: go to ihm-ky.org school parents page under Summer Reading to retrieve 1st grade packet

Grade 2: Henry and Mudge and the Tumbling Trip, by Cynthia Rylant

Henry and Mudge and the Forever Sea, by Cynthia Rylant

go to ihm-ky.org school parents page under Summer Reading

to retrieve 2nd grade packet.

Grade 3: Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

go to ihm-ky.org school parents page under Summer Reading

to retrieve 3rd grade Packet.

Grades 4-8: go to ihm-ky.org school parents page or go to link below to retrieve

your Summer Packet.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1woKPehFV7g1USG18axVRdwRlLAFRQHRz/view?usp=sharing

IHM 2020 K-8th Grade Summer Reading

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Tentative Assigned Dates for First Holy Communion are as follows: For families formerly scheduled for the Saturday, May 2nd First Communion, your

new date is Saturday, August 1st at noon. For families formerly scheduled for the Saturday, May 9th First Communion, your

new date is Saturday, August 8th at noon.

Tentative Practices for First Communion Thursday/Friday, July 30 & 31, 6:30pm – 8pm, practice for the August 1, First Holy

Communion. Thursday/Friday, August 6 & 7, 6:30pm – 8pm, practice for the August 8, First Holy

Communion.

Remember: These dates are contingent on the directives of Governor Beshear & Bishop

Foys as to when we can safely return to our churches in larger groups.

First Holy Communion Rescheduled Dates & Practices

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Immaculate Heart of Mary School Calendar 2020-2021 School Year

August 9 Open House – 1:30-3:00 pm

August 12 First day of school for students

August 14 No School – Assumption

September 7 No School – Labor Day

October 9 No School- Professional Development

October 12 No Bus Service

November 2 No School – All Saints

November 3 No School – Election Day

November 24 Parent/Teacher Conferences –1:00-8:00 pm

Dismissal at noon, no pm bus service- Private Transportation

November 25-27 No School – Thanksgiving Break

December 8 No School – Immaculate Conception

December 21 – Jan. 3 No School – Christmas Break

January 4 School Resumes

January 18 No School – Martin Luther King Day

January 25– 29 Catholic Schools Week

February 15 No School – Presidents Day

March 19 No School – Professional Development

April 1-9 No School – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Spring Break

April 12-16 No Bus Service all week – Private Transportation only

May 18 No Bus Service – Private Transportation only

May 20-25 No Bus Service – Private Transportation only

May 26 Last Day of School – Dismissal at noon – No Bus Service –

Private Transportation Only

June 1-4 May be utilized as Snow makeup days as needed

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