Frequently Asked Questions for New Parents

Frequently Asked Questions  For New Parents 
 
Q. Who provides lunch for the students and how do I pay for it?

A.  L & L Catering provides hot lunches. Please click on Lunch Information for more info.
 
Q. Where should I pick up my child from after care?
 
A.  At the school office. The cost for after care is not included in tuition.

Q. How many volunteer/service hours do I need?
 
A. Twenty hours per family. Please note: You must take the Ethics & Integrity Ministry (EIM) Basic Workshop to be eligible to volunteer at the school. For more information visit:  www.austindiocese.org. You must take an EIM workshop every three years (either the basic course or the refresher).
 
Q. Is there a complete list of all volunteer opportunities? 
 
A. Yes, please click on Parent Service Hours for more information. 

 
Q. What is RenWeb?
A. RenWeb is the online database that provides data sharing school-wide. It automates school administration, classroom management, and communication between our school and your family. RenWeb contains information regarding your child’s classes, current grades, lesson plans, upcoming events, and contact information for teachers, administrators, and other families.
 
 
Q. What is school grounds clean up? 
 
A. At the beginning of the school year, each class is assigned a specific Saturday morning of the month to clean up the school grounds. Families pick up trash, leaves, etc. and participating students are rewarded with a one-day Spirt Wear pass. Please consult the school calendar or your homeroom parent for your scheduled Saturday.
 
Q. What do students wear on Mass day?
 
A. All-School Mass is every Friday at 8:15 am in the church (unless we observe a Holy Day of Obligation earlier in the week). For all Mass days, girl students are required to wear white uniform shirts and uniform skirt or jumper. Boy students are required to wear white uniform shirts and long navy uniform pants. Shorts are not allowed. If Friday is a school holiday, Mass will either be rescheduled or cancelled for the week.
 
Q. What is a Mass Buddy? 
 
A. Each student in Pre-K3 through 1st Grade is assigned a corresponding student in the 5th - 8th Grade who sits alongside them at Friday All-School 8:15am Mass. The older students serve as mentors, both demonstrating and advising on proper Mass behavior. It is customary (though not required) for Mass buddies to exchange small gifts at Christmas and at year’s end. Parents and other family members are welcome (and strongly encouraged) to attend all-school Masses as students are allowed to sit with their parents/families.
 
Q. What is Spirit Wear Monday?
 
A. On Mondays, students, faculty, and staff may wear blue jeans (pants only, no shorts) with a St. Ignatius school sanctioned t-shirt. Examples include BBC spirit gear and team wear, PTO school seal shirt, Bobcat Fun Run or Fall Fest shirts. Students may also wear the t-shirt with uniform shorts or skirt. There is no spirit wear day if a holiday falls on Monday. The BBC, PTO, and Fall Fest will all offer T-shirts for sale during orientation.
 
Q. What is PTO?
 
A. The St. Ignatius Parent-Teacher Organization meets bi-monthly on a Tuesday evening. Dinner is available to purchase beginning at 5:30pm followed by the 6:30 pm meeting. Each class is assigned to host a PTO meeting and your homeroom parents will request volunteers to help serve the meal. The PTO provides the main course. In addition to serving the meal, the host class is responsible for providing desserts, soda, and water.
 
Q. What is the BBC?
 
A. The Bobcat Booster Club is the school’s official athletic organization representing the Bobcat Nation. Through spirit gear sales (t-shirts, school seal sweatshirts, St. I baseball caps and window decals) team practice gear sales, volleyball & basketball game concession sales, and Friday lunch time St. Ice Cream sales, the BBC raises funds to outfit our varsity athletic teams with professional uniforms and equipment like the scorer’s table, electronic scoreboard, and volleyball net system. The BBC also hosts an annual Academic/Athletic Awards Banquet. If your child participates in varsity athletics (5 ^th-8 ^th grade), you are already a member of the BBC. However, you are not required to have a son or daughter in varsity athletics to volunteer. The BBC welcomes all parents (with children in any grade) who want to volunteer. Contact BBC president Stephanie Hernandez for details.
 
Q. What is the St. I Academic/Athletic Awards Ceremony?
 
A. Hosted by the BBC, this annual spring ceremony is held in the Family Center (gym) to recognize 4 ^th -8 ^th grade scholars and all varsity athletes. Honored students receive an invitation to the ceremony, while parents and family members must purchase a ticket. The event features two 8 ^th grade student speakers and a distinguished alumni guest speaker.
 
Q. What is Fall Fest?
 
A. An annual outdoor carnival held each fall in the parish parking lot, Fall Fest features game booths, bingo, a raffle, pony rides, live music, barbeque dinner, and other delights. It is also the primary fundraiser for our parish. As a ministry of the church, our school takes a leading role in Fall Fest. Each class staffs a game booth and all school families are encouraged to volunteer, sell raffle tickets, buy Fall Fest t-shirts, and enjoy a great day with our whole St. Ignatius parish community.
 
 
Q. What is the Halloween Carnival?
 
A. Held in the Family Center, the Halloween Carnival is an exciting fundraiser for the PTO and 8 ^th grade. Each grade is assigned a game booth and is responsible for building and equipping it, assembling it prior to the carnival, staffing it during the carnival, and disassembling the booth after the carnival. The PTO awards prizes for the best booths.
 
Q. What are Box Tops for education?
 
A. Specific brands of food (for example, General Mills) have a Box Top on the package that can be turned in for money. Each box top coupon is worth 10 cents for our school. So please start saving them today. For more information, visit www.boxtops4education.com/
 
Q. How much money is each family required to fundraise for the school and how do I do it?
 
A. Each family is contractually obligated to raise $300. You can do it by collecting pledges for the Bobcat Fun Run, securing sponsorships for the School Gala, donating to the school general fund, or writing a check to the school.
 
 
Q. What is the Bobcat Fun Run? 
 
A. In the school’s fundraising triad, the Bobcat Fun Run is the granddaddy of them all! Over the past  years, this annual fundraiser has raised over $70,000 each year. Beginning in February, each student requests donations from friends, family, or neighbors to sponsor their run. Rather than asking for pledges per lap, we ask students to simply secure a set donation. The day of the race, our campus transforms into a running track, and this event becomes one of the biggest highlights of an exciting school year! Awards are given to top fundraisers, and more. You will receive more information about this year’s Bobcat Fun Run in February.
 
Q. What is Field Day?
 
A.  This is not a fundraiser, just a delightful Junior Olympics-style competition for all students. Held in late May and hosted by the athletic department, Field Day is the exclamation point to a fun-filled school year. PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten class events are held on one day and the 1 ^st-8 ^th Grades compete the next day. Your child is assigned a team and a team color. On their field day, please send them to school in comfortable athletic wear bearing the team’s color. In the spring, you will receive more information regarding events and requirements for Field Day.