The Buzz

Greetings SBPS Parents and Friends:

Welcome back to a brand new school year! We are so happy to have all our Bengals back this year, with many new families joining our community. The students and parents have really brough positive vibes to the first days of school - thank you! Thank you to our Home and School Association for welcoming our teachers, students and families back over the past week. Making the connections is so important. Today, I had one new-to-the-school father tell me, “All the schools we toured said the community was the best thing about the school, but St. Ben’s really lives it!” Our school families are such an important part of this - so thank you!

We have also enjoyed welcoming our new pastor, Father Ryan, this week. He’s been a joy-filled presence already here at SBPS and we look forward to this year’s journey together. After the preschool and kindergarten Bye-Bye Breakfast, Father Ryan was assisting Joe Accardi, with a morning coffee cart for teachers and staff, delivered right to the classroom doors! What a great way to start the day!

I’m excited to share some information about three major initiatives this year: Introducing our Root Belief Statements, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partnership with DePaul University - RISE Together, as well as Mastery-Based Learning. I’ll be sharing information this year about these initiatives, providing updates as we go from week to week. Please take the time to read through the posts below on these initiatives. Staying informed helps parents be prepared and confident.

I strongly encourage parents to read the post below about Mastery-Based Learning (MBL). There are links to two great videos that help explain the overall concept and reporting approach to student mastery. I also included a helpful chart to explain the difference between traditional grading and mastery-based learning. With MBL, students AND parents will have a much clearer understanding of student achievement, what students are supposed to be mastering and clear descriptions about what mastery looks like. This helps students at all ability levels to continue to grow and thrive. I just ask for your patience with us, especially your children’s teachers, as I share short and timely tid-bits about MBL. It’s natural that parents have questions when things in school change. Please know that moving to MBL will take St. Ben’s to the next level of Catholic school excellence and further supports the Vision for our Graduates. After watching the videos and reading through announcements as we roll out MBL, should you still have questions, please direct them to me instead of parent chat groups. Please give me the time, attention and trust as we roll out MBL.

Next week we begin extended care. For grades K-8, parents need to RSVP in advance each week. Please click on the tile below to access the sign up form.

Now that school is in session - PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE CROSS WALKS - this makes things very unsafe for all pedestrians. We appreciate your compliance and help.

Finally, I’d like to share a quick update regarding our crossing guard, Sharon, and her hours. The crossing guard will be present M-F (On CPS School Days only) starting at 7:45AM. She will also be present M-F at 3:15PM. Please note we will not have any coverage for Tuesday dismissal because of our 2PM dismissal time. Please let your children and caregivers know so they can plan accordingly. Thanks to everyone who reached out to me or Alderman Martin’s office to express their concerns.

There’s a lot more important information below. Be sure to check out the following:

• Introducing St. Benedict Prep Root Beliefs

• Introducing SBPS Partnership with DePaul University and RISE Together Training

• Introducing SBPS Mastery-Based Learning - please read a high-level overview with some helpful videos to watch

Please find listed below important dates:

• August 23 and 24, 2025 - Garage Sale Donation Drop Off from 10am to noon in courtyard

• August 25, 2025 - First Day of Extended Care

• September 1, 2025 - No School - Labor Day Holiday

• September 3, 2025 - iReady Diagnostics for grades K-8

• September 3, 2025 - Middle School Back to School Night at 6PM in GYM

• September 5, 2025 - St. Ben’s Annual Parent Mixer - no cost - it’s free! Get your babysitters now! For all school parents PK-8

• September 7, 2025 - Grandparents Day Mass 10AM in Church - Have your child show their GP’s their classroom after Mass

• September 9, 2025 - Grades K-5 Back to School Night - 6PM in GYM

May God be with us always! Let’s continue to have a great start to the new school year!

Ms. Rachel Gemo, Head of School

Ms. Gemo’s Prayer Corner

A Prayer for the School Year

Loving God,

As we begin this new school year, we place our trust in You.
Bless our students with curiosity, courage, and compassion.
Bless our teachers with wisdom, patience, and joy.
Bless our families with strength, unity, and peace.

May our classrooms be places of learning and love,
Where faith and knowledge grow hand in hand.
Help us to see Your image in every person we meet,
To persevere through challenges, and to build a future together.

Guide our hearts to reflect Your goodness,
Our minds to seek Your truth,
And our actions to serve Your kingdom.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.