The Hornet's Buzz

August 23, 2024

Dear Holy Cross Community,

What a fantastic first week of school! We were all smiles as our students filled the school with so much joy and energy. It was such a delight to stop by their classrooms to introduce myself and see all the great teaching and learning moments that are taking place at school. In addition, we had our first All School Mass at the Church, celebrated by Fr. Abner. Likewise, our community celebrated the end of the first week of school with an all-school assembly led by Class of 2025 who developed skits that showed how to "Be Holy Cross" or how not to be Holy Cross in different settings.

We look forward to seeing you at our Back-to-School Night next Tuesday, August 27 at 6:00 pm for Grades K-8. Although this is usually for Grades 1-8, Mrs. Cox will also be in her room to offer a session for families who were not able to attend our Kindergarten orientation last week. The schedule will be as follows to support attendance for families with children in more than one grade level:

• 6:00 pm Welcome/School Year Overview (Gym)
• 6:30 - 6:50 pm - Session I
• Grades K-5: Teacher's Classroom
• Grades 6-8: STREAM Lab
• 6:55 - 7:15 pm - Session II (Classrooms)
• Grades K-5: Teacher's Classroom

• Grades 6-8: STREAM Lab

Please take a moment to read our 2024-25 Student-Parent Handbook by clicking here. Please note that as part of our continuous improvement efforts, this is a living document that will be revised as needed in order to nimbly respond to any needs that may arise.

Thank you for your continued support and for partnering with us to ensure your student's success. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening.

May God's blessings be with you always,

Paola V. Clark, Ed.D.

A copy of the Student-Parent Handbook for 2024-25 can be accessed here. Please note that as part of our continuous improvement efforts, this is a living document that will be revised as needed in order to nimbly respond to any needs that may arise. Any edits will appear in a different font color.

Thank you for your support following our arrival and dismissal procedures to ensure the safety of our students and staff. The graphs below show the traffic flows for both drop off and pick up. Please note a minor graph adjustment in the tree lot parking flow to reflect the double traffic lines that separate PK/preschool and K-5 cars.

School begins promptly at 8:00 am every day and it is very important that students arrive on time. Arriving on time ensures that students do not miss important learning experiences such as morning meetings and announcements which provide the foundation for a successful and structured day at school. It also exemplifies a commitment to their education and signal to their peers and teachers that they value the classroom experience. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

• If your student has a sibling in preschool/PK, they should be dropped off and picked up at the preschool/PK location.
  
• If your student has an older sibling, they should be dropped off with them at their pick up and drop off location.

• If your student has a sibling in preschool/PK, they should be dropped off and picked up at the preschool/PK location.
  
• If your student has an older sibling, they should be dropped off with them at their pick up and drop off location.

Thursday, August 19: All School Mass in the gym

Education in Virtue, is the Archdiocesan Catholic Social Emotional Learning program which is a key component of our Virtuous Formation Program. It provides a curriculum and resources developed by the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, and based on St. Thomas Aquinas’ teachings on the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit. These resources provide a framework that helps all ages understand how to live a more virtuous life.

At Holy Cross, we highlight a virtue each month that is weaved organically into lessons and our daily school life. They are used in our announcements to guide our morning prayer, selection of the Saint of the Month, activities for our Faith Families, as well as classroom lessons. As we begin the school year, this month's virtue is Orderliness. We look forward to sharing our monthly virtues so that you can also reinforce them and highlight ways in which your student may be displaying this virtue in their daily life. A brief overview below that also shows what orderliness looks and sounds like.

Welcome back Holy Cross families! The nurses will be starting a "nurse nook" that will be in every newsletter moving forward. The Nurses' Nook will contain any pertinent health updates and information in the section of the newsletter labeled "Nurses' Nook". Feel free to contact Polly Mandl, or me Nina Haverkamp. with any questions or concerns (contact information below)

'TIS THE SEASON: With back to school comes back to germs!!!!

-Hand hygiene or good handwashing with soap and water is very important to help the spread of germs.

-Everyone should wash their hands when they get home, after using the bathroom, and before eating.

-Below is a great reminder for children (and even adults) on proper handwashing.

Help stop the spread of germs!!!!

New SCHOOL-WIDE policy

Important Food Allergy

-Our school is moving forward to be a food "allergy-conscious" campus.

-No homebaked treats for classroom/school-wide consumption.

-No donut shop or bakery items.

-We will require any food, snacks, treats, birthday treats, candy, etc that will be consumed as a class or school to be tree nut and peanut-free.

-When purchasing any treats for the class or school, purchase prepackaged items.

Look at the ingredient label for:

Tree nuts, or peanuts

Manufactured or processed in a facility with tree nuts or peanuts

May contain trace amounts of tree nuts or peanut

(this policy excludes food consumed for snacks and lunches by your child themselves)

PLEASE BE AWARE that some classes contain food allergies other than tree nuts and peanuts.

BEFORE purchasing any snacks, candy, or birthday/holiday party treats, please contact the classroom teachers, or nurses about classroom food allergies.

A friendly reminder that if your child will not be in school for any reason i.e. appointment, illness, or is out of town please email nurses.

Wishing all our families a happy and healthy school year!

Warm wishes,

Polly and Nina

Beginning Monday, August 16, we will go back to our regular office hours as follows:

Monday - Friday: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

Noon dismissal: 7:30 am - 12:00 pm

The best point of contact for any student matters, is your student's classroom teachers. Our team will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. Please note that this may take up to 2 business days to respond as our faculty and staff are tending to students and duties throughout the day. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

In case of an emergency, please call or email the Front Office at gradeschool@holycrosscatholicschool.com and we will provide assistance.

Hornet spiritwear with this year's theme is now available and on sale for purchase at 1st Place Spiritwear. Explore all available options and share your Hornet pride with the community as we celebrate our amazing students and school. This is also a great opportunity to support Holy Cross as we receive 10% back on all purchases.

Sharing this resource for another week as it has information about returning to school. Coping Skills for Kids by Janine Halloran, a licensed mental health counselor, is a site that offers free resources to help children handle big feelings in practical ways, including coping skills in school.