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Immaculate Conception School 409 Palmer Rd.

Columbia, Illinois 62236 Michael L. Kish, Principal

(618) 281-5353 mkish@icsmail.org Tammy Hoeflinger, School Board President

Celebrating 166 years of Mission, Community, Service.

The mission of Immaculate Conception School is to provide experiences to inspire, challenge, and nurture the mind, body, and spirit of our students within the framework of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

and the tradition of the Catholic Church.

“God is good!” January 24,2020 Bienvenido el parochia! V. 45 #29 Dear Parent,

OPEN HOUSE Part of our Catholic Schools Week celebration is an Open House from 12:15 to 2:00. We are especially interested in new families. Please spread the word! Stop by and say hello to our teachers and visit the Science Fair in the Gym. SCIENCE FAIR Most schools don’t do a science fair. Excuses come easy. Too much work. Too hard. Parents might have to help their kid and actually work with them without killing them. Too hard to grade. Let them wait till they get a job in the sciences and on and on. I am very grateful for Mr. Kassebaum and Ms. Walker and our parents for their efforts! Again, prepare the child for the path, not the path for the child.

COMMUNITIES OF FAITH, KNOWLEDGE, AND SERVICE LEARN, SERVE, LEAD, SUCCEED

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK January 24-February 1 Friday, January 24

th Chain Links

Why go to a Catholic School? Have students write on one side of a link what they enjoy about attending a Catholic School. Chain links will be made and hung in the Gathering Space.(Please email Mr. Kish the top 5 reason from your class so he can include some in the letter home). Also have students color CSW sheet to display around the school during the week. (attached)

Sunday, January 26th

(need Ministers of Hospitality – ACTS Return) Celebrating Your Parish

Opening Mass 11am

Open House 12 – 2pm (Jeans day for open house participants on Mon. 1/27 – Staff/Students) Children’s Choir will be singing at Mass

Monday, January 27

th Celebrating Your Community

Service projects will be completed by each grade level: o PreS-3 Create pictures (to be distributed) to local nursing homes o 4-8 write letters to those on our SCHOOL PRAYER LIST (update list from DA and split list with your

partnering class – can write a letter to each person from each student or one letter to each person in which the whole class helped compose – letting each person know that we are praying for them. If you have a student in your class with a parent/grandparent/sibling on the list we will send our letters to them). *If you know addresses of anyone on the list, please share as well.

o All School Mass – celebrating 7 years at ICC

Tuesday, January 28th Celebrating The Nation

Teachers/Staff wear Blue, Boys wear White, Girls wear Red, we will all be Red, White, or Blue!

Teachers take time to treat their students (snacks, recess, games…). Wednesday, January 29th Celebrating Your Students

Students wear uniform bottom and the color of their shirt can be the color of their current classroom or the color of their favorite class/grade @ ICS.

Trivia 1st – 4

th 12:40-1:40pm Diewald, 5

th – 8

th 1:45-2:45pm Kassebaum, snacks Weiler

Thursday, January 30th Celebrating Vocations

Students wear a liturgical color (green – Ordinary Time, red – martyr, purple or pink – Advent & Lent, white/gold – Christmas/Easter) with uniform bottoms.

o Write a letter / draw a picture for each of our Seminarians (addresses attached) o Pres-2: Carl Schrage / Nicholas Flemming o 3-5: Robert Dodson / Thomas Lugge o 6-8: Levi James / Anthony Hyginus / Joel Seipp

Religion Class taught by 8th graders 1

st period (Taylor/Kassebaum)

Friday, February 1st Celebrating Faculty, Staff, & Volunteers

Students/Staff wear blue and white.

Mix it Up Day 8:30-11 (6-8 grade w STB Students – 9:00 start)

Create Thank You cards for cafeteria workers, Bus Drivers, Tinkers, Columbia Fire Department, Columbia Police Department, & Volunteers

8th Grade versus Faculty Volleyball Game 1:30pm – Mrs. Whelan

Throughout the Week

Morning prayer led by 8th graders

Have students write a Thank You to their parents for sending them to a Catholic School.

January 27 is the anniversary of the dedication of our Church. We will move the All-School Mass to that Monday to celebrate it and Catholic Schools Week. Fr. Gary will have the Mass as Fr. Carl will be off to Florida in search of palms. After Mass we will say a decade of the Rosary in union with all the Catholic Schools of the Diocese and talk about the glory of our beautiful Church. From time immemorial, humans have constructed beautiful houses for God!

CALENDAR January 2020 24 ICS Science Fair in gym 26 Catholic Schools Week 27 Anniversary of our Church Dedication---All School Mass---all welcome! 30-Feb. 2 Scholastic Book Fair 31 Team Quest with Sr. Thea Bowman School February 13 Child Protection Training 6:00 Garden Level March 8 12:15 Knights of Columbus Catholic High School Essay Contest

Magazine Drive #1 after Day 1---Mrs. Donjon’s Class MAGAZINE RENEWALS arethe big focus. Next Turn-in day is Tuesday, Jan. 28

th, and then the 31

st. Remember there is no “Bill-Me-Later” this year. Get the

check or make your sale on-line. Ready-Set-Fund has already earned $2449! 8th

Graders will receive their cash for sales prior to the DC Trip so it is another source of revenue for the Trip. Mrs. Diewald’s Class is leading on-line sales with 52! Thanks to Kim Siegel for chairing this year!

LAST YEAR’S TOP SELLERS: Will Schmoll, Michael Wessel,

Nate Stechmesser, Bella Schuette Why we should read: We talked about Crispr in 8

th Science last week because we get

Discover Magazine. Gene splicing raises severe ethical issues and China will put the doctor who has created at least 2 people already in jail. This is real. You won’t find it in a 5 year old textbook that is afraid to raise ethical issues. Life is lived on the edge. We have to prepare students for the path, not the path for the students. Reading is the first defense of liberty. Second is verifying your source through a URL. Read!

EXCITEMENT GALORE! SUPER BOWL? NO. SNOW DAY? NO. "ICS BOOKFAIR WEEK"!! YES! Please come and see us – Jan. 30th – Feb. 2nd. ON THE STAGE! All are welcome 10 - 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. 2 - 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1st. 8 - 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2nd. (Sufficient time to make it home for the Super Bowl) Volunteers needed for Book Fair If you are able to assist for even an hour that would be wonderful. Please contact me by phone or e-mail. Or click here for online sign up. Thank you, Teresa Dorshorst – 314-303-5352 tdorshorst79@gmail.com PARENTS AND FRIENDS DINNER AUCTION There's No Place Like Home So many of the extras we have that enhance our curriculum are a result of our high energy Parents and Friends. And what a fun time we have each year! Funny how unless you have to work for something, it often isn’t enjoyed as much. And we really enjoy the gift of Parents and Friends! For the first time ever it will be held in our new CEAC Center on Feb. 22, 2020. Tickets are $75 per person and may be purchased by sending in a check to school made payable to ICS Parents and Friends or online at https://icshome.givesmart.com. Reminder!! Grandparent and ICS Honor Roll forms are due back to school by next Friday, Jan 31. Every family that returns at least 1 (with payment attached) will receive a jeans day on Feb 7th! We are also going to have a drawing for a raffle ticket for the TRIP Raffle. Your family will get 1 entry for each Grandparent or ICS honor Roll form returned. There are extra forms in the office or you can use the one attached. Thank you for all your support of this fantastic event! It looks like this:

Dining out for ICS! Grab lunch or dinner at Joes Pizza on Wednesday January 29th! 10% of sales from 11 a.m - 9 p.m. will be donated to ICS Parents and Friends.

The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest and the Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee are this Saturday, January 25th. Free throw warm up starts at 8:30am with the contest beginning at 9:00. The spelling bee starts at 11:00am. We can always use help with the free throw contest to manage all the people. We still need a couple spelling bee judges. If

you are a teacher, or know one who would be interested in helping us out, please contact Jim VonDerHaar at 314-494-8874. Chess Meets: First meet of the season this Saturday, Jan.25th at St. Teresa School in Belleville. Doors open-8:00, registration-until 8:45. Play begins at 9:00. Blessed Sacrament – Feb. 22, ICS - March 7, St. Clare - March 14, Queen of Peace - April 4 (Diocesan)

Chess Schedule: Practices: In the Garden Level Tuesdays from 3:00-4:30 Gr. 2-3 2/4, 2/18, 3/3, 3/17, 3/31 Grades 4 through 8 - 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, 3/10, 3/24 Congratulations to William Sanker --- 2020 Geography Bee school champion! A two-peat for our 8th grader who also won as a 7th grader! William will take the state qualifying test in early February, competing against all other middle school Geography winners in Illinois. The top 100 get invited to the State Geography Bee later this spring. We wish you the best, William! Congratulations are also in order for second place, Blake Powers (8th grade), and third place, Grant Monheiser (7th grade). Your knowledge of the world is impressive! Mrs. Cheryl Tolan Valentine bags for the children at the Griffin Center. We will be filling 300 bags, so we will need your help. In the bag we would like to give each child a pencil and two pieces of candy. We have listed below the items we would like each grade level to donate. If you could please send all donations to the second grade classrooms by February 7th we would greatly appreciate it. Also, many of the children do not have Valentines to hand out to their friends. It would be great if you could donate a box or send in any extra cards you may have.

Grades Pre K & K – candy Grades 1 & 2 – candy Grades 3 & 4 – bags Grades 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 – pencils Thanks to Mrs. Diewald for chairing!

KIDS AGAINST HUNGER The ICS Builders Club is seeking funding to make over 15,000 meals as part of the Kids Against Hunger project. We have raised $1190 so far! Olivia Blaskiewicz is Director of the activity scheduled for February 8 in the ICS Cafeteria. This is the 11th year for the program which makes meals for children we will never meet in a land we may never visit. This year’s goal is $3,500 to make 15,000 meals. Donations can be mailed to The ICS Builders Club, Immaculate Conception School, 409 Palmer Rd., Columbia, IL or dropped in the Church Sunday envelope collection. Thank you for your generosity.

Gratefully, Olivia Blaskiewicz, Director of Kids Against Hunger for the ICS Builders Club

YOUNG AUTHORS TURN-IN... The K-4 Awards Assembly will be Feb. 19th. Thanks to all our judges and Carrie Stark for chairing! INTERMEDIATE SPEECH Our intermediate meet will be February 22nd at St. Joe's in Freeburg. Practices each Wednesday and Friday from 3-4. Practices are not mandatory but the more you attend, the better you will do. Thank You, Ms. Catie Taylor Scholastic Bowl 2020 Match Schedule Monday, January 13th Bl. Sacrament Varsity won 2. JV split. Tuesday, January 14th Columbia Middle School Varsity and JV split. Tuesday, January 21st St. James JV only-won 2 Wednesday, January 22 nd @ Queen of Peace Varsity won 2 JV won 2

Wednesday, January 29 th Queen of Peace Thursday, January 30 th @ Bl. Sacrament Saturday, February 1 st Mater Dei Tournament @ Mater Dei High

Tuesday, February 4 th @ All Saints Tuesday, February 11 th @ Carriel Jr High – O’Fallon Wednesday, February 19th @ St. James Thursday, February 27 th @ Triad Tuesday, March 10th Fulton Jr. High – O’Fallon Wednesday, March 11th @ Aviston Wednesday, March 18th Lincoln Middle School – Edwardsville Monday, March 23rd All Saints Tuesday, March 31st Liberty Middle School – Edwardsville Thursday, April 2nd @ Fulton Jr. High – O’Fallon Monday, April 6th Aviston Tuesday, April 14th Carriel Jr. High – O’Fallon Wednesday, April 15th @ Lincoln Middle School – Edwardsville Tuesday, April 21st @ Liberty Middle School – Edwardsville Wednesday, April 29th Regional Monday, May 4 th Sectional Friday, May 8th State @ Peoria Civic Center

The Father's Club now has a Facebook Page! Please go there and like to find information on upcoming events. https://www.facebook.com/ICSFathersClub/ Thanks to our Dads for all they do for us! Next Fathers Club event is Poker Night on March 6! We play with a full deck! Child Protection Children’s Component POSTPONED tentatively to February 7. As part of Diocesan Policy, Call For Help presented videos to all students in the school. We cannot do enough to keep out children safe and they need to learn to be vigilant as well. If any questions arise, use your good parenting skills and help form your child’s life.

THE SPORTING NEWS…DIOCESAN TOURNEY: Both Parochial and Junior Boys advanced past the first round but it was one and out due to last week’s weather. Nonetheless, both teams played some of the best ball of the year. God doesn’t care where we start. God cares where we finish. Same with the great god ball! Thanks to our players, coaches, parents, and fans for some real growth! Volleyball pictures will be next week Wednesday, Jan 29th in the ICS gym. Please see the following schedule and click here to find the order form. 5:15pm 7th grade girls 5:30pm 8th grade boys 5:45pm 5th grade boys 6:00pm 8th grade girls 6:15pm 5th grade girls 6:30pm 6th grade girls 6:45pm 6th grade boys 7:00pm 7th grade boys

Our uniforms have hit the field in Haiti!

SOMETHING SPECIAL TO COMMEMORATE Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. See the movie “Just Mercy”. This movie is based on the book by Bryan Stevenson who started the Equal Justice Initiative. The movie should have won an Academy Award. 1 out of every 9 prisoners we have executed in this country have eventually been proven innocent. There’s an old political saying that “America always gets it right but usually after it has exhausted every other possibility”. I hate going to DC and saying “there’s the Capitol. It was built by enslaved people. The Statue “Freedom” was placed there by Phillip Reid, an enslaved man. There’s the White House. It was built by enslaved people.” 11 of our first 15 Presidents owned slaves. The Catholic Church owned slaves. I love saying we cannot escape “in those times” but we can live justly and mercifully “in these times”. A life sentence is less expensive than the multiple appeals trying to stop an execution. And it often allows time to seek the truth. Jesus was a victim of a rush to judgement and capital execution---an innocent man. Pro-life cradle to the grave. THANKS TO SHARI MURPHY AND HER KINDERGARTENERS for remembering Dr. King! https://suelewis.smugmug.com/2020ICS/Martin-Luther-King-Tribute/

GIBAULT has 104 people in DC for the March for Life. “Thoughts and prayers” are good but St. Paul said it also takes action. (You can’t pray to win the lottery and pay off the CEAC debt and then not buy a ticket.) As a society, we need to work hard to be sure there are viable options to not even consider an abortion in the first place. All of us come from somewhere. All of us need to take care of each other.

Debbie Buechler, Jacob Jordan’s grandmother, needs our prayers as she enters hospice. There is no magic to a prayer list but there is a comfort knowing people care. Bob Wooters, at his Mom’s funeral, told me how often she laid her hand on her Church’s prayer list and prayed for everyone at once. I have done this many times since. Symbolism and ritual help give our life purpose. Debbie, we lay our hands on you and Lauren Darr and everyone on our list---in prayer! God be with you and your family! Lauren Darr has moved to rehab and needs our prayers. She is doing the work! Jackie Kaempfe, parish quilter, wife of Marty, and mom to Bobby, Linda, and Donna, had a stroke in Texas while visiting friends and has died. We had kids in mutual grades and went on family vacation together several times. She is also a second cousin to John Goodman. Prayers please for all who knew her. She had the joy of laughter. Rest in peace Jackie! Our Condolences to Susan Fohne(cafeteria staff) and Sophie and Morgan Conrad on the loss of her sister and great aunt Geraldine B. "Gerry" Schilling, nee Doerr, 75, of Waterloo, IL, died January 21, 2020, in Creve Coeur, MO. She was born May 16, 1944, in Belleville, IL.

She is survived by her husband Ronald J. Schilling; children Donna (Mike) Olson, Diane (Dan Dragues) Schilling, Daniel (Kelly) Schilling, and Darryl (Laura) Schilling; 8 grandchildren Courtney, Carley, and Connor Olson, Ethan, Tate, and Kole Schilling; & Kyle and Karleigh Sonderman; sisters Cheryl Grayson, Susan (Tom) Fohne, and Sandy Doerr; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Judy (Terry) Schreder, Betty (Bill) Schimpf, David Rippelmeyer, Geralyn (Bruce) Kaestner; nieces; nephews; and cousins.

Geraldine is preceded in death by her parents William C. & Genevieve (nee Grahlherr) Doerr; father-in-law and mother-in-law Jerome & Elizabeth Schilling; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Glenn Grayson, Linda Rippelmeyer, and James and Donald Schilling.

She was a member of SS Peter and Paul Church - Waterloo where she also sang in the choir.

As an expression of sympathy the family prefers memorial contributions to: SS Peter & Paul Grade School Athletic Fund

Gibault High School Athletic Fund or St. Jude's Hospital

Visitation: 2 PM to 8 PM Sunday, January 26, 2020 at Quernheim Funeral Home 8 AM until 10:00 AM Monday at Quernheim Funeral Home

Funeral Mass: 10:30 AM Monday, January 27, 2020 at SS Peter & Paul Church in Waterloo, IL Father Osang Idagbo C.M. officiating Interment at SS Peter & Paul Cemetery in Waterloo, IL

HEADLINES: front page: John the Baptizer arrested! Page 6: Jesus of Nazareth has job openings for “fishers of men”. Equal opportunity but flawed followers preferred. Find him. Follow him. Come and celebrate the story of the greatest rebel of all time who took on the most organized religion and the largest empire of the day. Following Jesus is counter-cultural for sure! Hope to see you here! PRAYERS: Special Intention Debbie Buechler, Lauren Darr, Kathy Neal, Lindsey Herbeck, Dan Hoeflinger, Ashley Burris, Lindsay White, Danielle Dorlac, Logan Eichenseer, Patrick Kish, Marian Wickersham, Tom Keeven Sr., Ed Schaefer, Libby LoPorto, Tom Giovanni, Dion Scherr Miller, Donna Kania, Owen Jordan, Anthony Hendricks, Mark Fiore, Shawn Eichoff, Charlie Stockes, George Perry, Angela Roepke, Jan Hoffmann, Bill West, Jennifer Nesser, Tom Kish, Patti Rottler, Mike Taylor

Mike Kish Principal PS Parish New Year’s Resolution---a full Church. Sure seems to be working at 11:00! Thanks for coming and lifting our community spirit! 3 Sundays in a row! PS Columbia Rotary Club blood drive Feb. 11 at Turner Hall Have a heart! Give the gift of life and be someone’s Valentine!

AHHHH…that new chromebook smell! And smile! Principal’s favorite. Yes, I have them. I use a geodesic dome as a reference on how we have to work together to support the burden of life. A geodesic dome, like the beautiful chapel at SIUE built by R. Buckminster Fuller, has glass pane panels of the globe we live on. If we hold hands and work together, we can make it through the struggles of life and support the weight. Great job Grady!

Friday, January 24th, 2020 SPPS Grade School Gym, Waterloo

Doors open at 6:30 PM Tournament starts at 7 PM

Prizes awarded for top 3 places in 2 flights at a minimum. Tickets are $25 and include:

7 Rounds of Euchre (12 hands per round) Beverages (Soda, water and Beer) All you can eat fried chicken - (at the end of the last round)

For information or questions please contact: Tim Huels (406-6399) Josh Phelps (978-4048).