Dear IHM Parents, We are very pleased to reach out today with an update about our school. With your support, cooperation and dedication, we have been able to hold continuous, in-person instruction for our students for nine weeks. And to date, we have NOT had a positive case of COVID-19! This is because of our mutual commitment to the Diocesan protocols and overall vigilance. You may notice that in our Messenger each week, there is a Coronavirus Report on page 3. As of two weeks ago, our school is now listed on this report and many have been alarmed that it means that we have, in fact, had positive cases. Rest assured that being listed on the report represents “coronavirus activity,” which can include proactive quarantining because someone in your household is awaiting test results, quarantining, due to travel either because of mode of travel (plane, bus) or destination (hotspot) and /or exposure to someone who was exposed through extracurricular activities. We have had all of the previously mentioned scenarios, and that is why we are listed. This is good because it means parents have chosen to err on the side of caution and put the health of our school community on the forefront. Parents, again, we thank you for your partnership. If you do suspect someone in your home may have COVID-19 and are awaiting test results, we ask that you keep all students home until you receive those results. This could prevent a healthy student from having to quarantine. And if you choose to travel, students may have to complete a 14 day quarantine. Please contact the school office and Nurse Emily if you will be travelling so that we can determine if a quarantine is warranted. We have been warned that numbers across Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties are on the rise. We ask you to continue to be careful at home and in your personal lives by wearing a mask, washing hands, social distancing and limiting large gatherings so that our in-person instruction can continue into the holiday season. What we do at home and with our families can impact our school. Overall, we couldn’t be more proud of our faculty and staff, our students and our parents. In all cases, they have met and exceeded our expectations of what we thought would be a daunting and difficult challenge. We are stronger when we stand together and this is exactly what Immaculate Heart of Mary School has done! God Bless, Mrs. Marcos and Mrs. Harper

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ" (St Jerome). The USCCB, in cooperation with the Diocese of Bridgeport, is offering a family bible challenge beginning Oct 18. On Sunday, families receive an email with a chosen passage and reflection questions to consider together. On Wednesday, families receive an email with a quiz that asks about the week's passage as well as general Catholic knowledge. There is no cost to this program other than your time together as family. Sign up by clicking on the link above.

IHM will begin participation in the Summer Feeding program beginning Monday, October 5th and will continue through December 31st or until federal funds have been depleted. As part of the program, IHM will offer complimentary grab-n-go sack lunches to children who are not enrolled in our school. This means families with younger children may pre-order meals and pick them up at the designated time and location. Children up to 18 years of age are eligible for the free lunch. IHM will provide the grab-n-go sack lunch on in-school days only from 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

There’s just one more week to participate in this once a year baby bottle campaign. Please continue to fill your bottles for Care Net Pregnancy Services of Northern Kentucky. Return your filled and/or empty bottles to the church by November 1st. Every coin helps to make this campaign a success. Every prayer makes a difference! Thank you for your generosity. The Care Net Baby Bottle Campaign “Change for Change” will start on October 3 and end on November 1. This is a fun and easy way to promote life and support your local pregnancy help center! Simply take a bottle or two per family and place them in a popular place. Over the course of the campaign, remember to pray for our centers while you fill the bottles with coins, cash or checks. Return the bottles to church at the end of the campaign on the bottle return date. Your participation in this fundraiser makes a huge difference in the lives of the unborn as well as of the women and men who come to our centers seeking support.

The USCCB offers to Catholics the Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics. This statement represents our guidance for Catholics in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our democracy. We urge our pastors, lay and religious faithful, and all people of good will to use this statement to help form their consciences; to teach those entrusted to their care; to contribute to civil and respectful public dialogue; and to shape political choices in the coming election in light of Catholic teaching. The statement lifts up our dual heritage as both faithful Catholics and American citizens with rights and duties as participants in the civil order.

Bishop Barron's Word on Fire answers the top 12 questions frequently asked about the Vatican II Council.

Again....do not click on links or a text message purported to be from IHM or an IHM staff member as the criminals are at it again. Call us to check on the validity before you're the victim.

All of us are on a spiritual journey; all are at different mileposts on that journey. Since the very earliest days of the Catholic Church, there has been a process of accepting men, women, children, and entire families into the Church. This process, which we today call the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults/Children (RCIA/RCIC), follows the mission commanded by Jesus Christ: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28)

Bishop Foys has required masks for all attending Mass in all parishes within the Diocese. He did this to comply with the State Health Department's requirement, but also out of Charity. Many people want to come back to Mass, but have been afraid due to the number of people not wearing a mask. So, to be a welcoming parish, and out of charity, please wear the mask.

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce website has a list of who's hiring in KY.

A web page from our US Conference of Catholic Bishops with tons of resources for families--the domestic church--to use in the home.

Deacon Greg Kandra (Brooklyn, former CBS news writer) discusses today's news, answering the question "what's a Catholic to do?". Impeachment, drone strikes, primaries, polls, scandals.....how do we stay above the fray and keep our sanity? Click on the link above to read Deacon's article from the Feb 2nd issue of Our Sunday Visitor.

Julie Greene recently spoke at our Women's Prayer Breakfast about the early history of IHM Parish.

There is yet another email scam making the IHM rounds that at first glance appears to be from a staff member. It is not. The email asks for your "Immediately Response" or to help by sending him iTunes gift cards to help a hospital patient. Please just delete this email; do not click on any of the links or reply to the email. Do not become a victim! Call the office if you have any concerns.

Sad to say that yet another email scam using Fr. Nick's info is making its rounds. In this one it includes in the body of the message Fr. Nick's real email and phone number. The subject has been ASAP. Please do not fall for these scams! If Father Nick needs you "asap", he will call.

Keeping students safer on their school-provided devices is of paramount importance to IHM School. We would like to make you aware of a recent step our team has taken to monitor school-issued accounts. Bark for Schools is a powerful new monitoring service we are utilizing to help us better protect students both at school and at home.

Visit our Advent page for ways to make this Advent truly remarkable!

Annual Required Formation/Update for Lectors; March 24 OR March 25; for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion March 31 OR April 1.

There's no one who can teach us to prepare for Christ's coming better than Mary, whose faithful anticipation of Christ's birth is the perfect model for how we should anticipate Christmas. That's why streaming The Bible and the Virgin Mary has become a St. Paul Center tradition—there's simply no better way to get to the Christ child than through His mother. Join us as we again stream for free The Bible and the Virgin Mary. And this year, be one of the first to see a new edition featuring Bible passages read by Scott Hahn. Click on the Link in the Title Above to sign up to make the most of Advent. Free streaming begins December 3.

Help us celebrate our recognition as a 2018 Blue Ribbon of Excellence School on Saturday, November 17. We will assemble in the gym at 1 PM to recognize our wonderful teachers and staff. Class groups will have a group photo in front of our new Blue Ribbon Banner. We are planning various activity stations throughout the gym, and new. prospective families will be given a tour of the school by our student ambassadors.