HFRCS Newsletter August 27, 2024

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy last week of summer! It’s hard to believe that next week students will be returning for another year of school! I hope that everyone had a fun and relaxing summer break and is ready for a great year of learning!

There has been quite a bit of work happening at the school in the past two weeks. New magnetic white boards have been installed in the classrooms as well as large corkboards in the hallways. Classrooms are coming to life as teachers refresh bulletin boards and plan for a new year. We have also installed brand new water fountains/bottle filling stations on both floors. There are many preparations that go into a new school year!

I regret to share that Mrs. Adler will not be returning to Holy Family this year and unfortunately, we have not been able to hire a replacement. As a result, we will not be having a Spanish program this year. We have purchased a Spanish module for IXL that older students can access for independent study. Younger students have access to Duolingo through Clever, which provides short lessons in languages that students can engage in independently. The extra class period will move into ELA and teachers can use this time for writing reinforcement, silent, sustained reading, and catching up on any pertinent ELA lessons.

As mentioned in our last newsletter, all important beginning of the school year paperwork has been posted in FACTS. It is important for you to read and sign off on those forms. Information on how to access these forms is repeated in today’s newsletter. Next week, a special reminder email will be sent as well. By the end of this week, parents can access student class lists through FACTS.

Today, all bus information has been posted in FACTS. As always, in the beginning few weeks of school, there may be some glitches with bus stops and pick up times. Please be patient. If anyone has questions about their bus information, please contact Mrs. St. John and share your concerns. Mrs. St. John works directly with the transportation directors from all our sending school districts.

Please be sure to see the calendar in today’s newsletter for all the information for the start of school. The dates and times for important events are listed there. Tuesday, September 3 is Teacher Organizational Day. There will be a Teacher Meet and Greet on that day from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Parents and students are welcome to come to school to visit their classroom. It would be most helpful if students attending the Meet and Greet could bring classroom supplies that day to avoid excessive carrying on the first day of school. School will begin for students in grades 1-8 on Wednesday, September 4. This day will be an early dismissal day with students dismissing at 11:30 AM. Parent pickup is needed for students in the Neshaminy and Bensalem school districts. There will be important orientation sessions for parents and students in our PK and Kindergarten programs on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week. Please see the school calendar in this newsletter for details.

On the first day of school, our students in grades 1-8, our faculty and our Pastors will gather on the field at approximately 8:00 AM. Students will gather with their classmates and meet their teachers on the field where we will welcome everyone to the new school year and will be led in prayer and the blessing of backpacks by Monsignor McCormac and Father Weber. Parents are welcome to join us as we greet the new school year!

May God bless all our families and students as we embark on a new school year!

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Mrs. Haggerty

We are a family of FAITH!

Remember to go to Mass this weekend.

Attached is the tentative calendar for the 2024-2025 school year. The calendar is also available on our school website hfrcs.org > Parents > School Forms.

Car line for morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up will remain the same as last year. Please review the Family Handbook for reference on Morning Carline (pages 15-16):

Car Line Arrival Procedure:

Car line drop off starts at 7:40 AM. Cars should pull up in front of the Parish Center where you will be greeted by a staff member. Please do not park and bring your child to the front door:

1. Please have your child(ren) exit by the right passenger side (if possible) so they can safely exit toward the sidewalk.
2. For safety reasons and the efficient flow of traffic, parents/drivers must remain in their vehicles. We have staff members who will assist your children out of your vehicle.
3. We understand that the first day of school is an exciting time, but please say your goodbyes while waiting in line. Our staff is ready to open doors and assist your children out of the car.
   
4. Please have your children ready to go with their belongings (e.g. backpack, water bottles), so they do not leave anything behind.

IMPORTANT SAFETY REMINDERS:

• If your child has exited your vehicle but the vehicle in front of you still needs to be unloaded, please stay in line and DO NOT overtake the vehicle in front of you.
  
• Please DO NOT drop off your child(ren) at the front door when staff members are still available in front of the Parish Center for everyone's safety. If you do, your vehicle will be going against the traffic when you exit the parking lot.
• Please be extra cautious and attentive when exiting the parking lot.
• If dropping off for morning CARES, please park in the parking lot and walk your child to CARES. The fire lane should remain free and not be used for parking.

Car Line Dismissal Procedure:

1. Cars will line up in the church parking lot.
2. Each family has a carline number that should be displayed on the front passenger window. Existing families have the same family car line number as last year. New families will be assigned a number and the information will be sent this week.
3. A staff member will record family numbers from right to left using the lanes in the front of the school. Cars will be dismissed individually when students have their seat belts on.
4. Help our staff know whether your car is loaded and ready to leave the parking lot! Give us a thumbs up if you are ready to go or a thumbs down if you are not ready. Please wait for direction from a staff member before pulling out of your lane.

Busing information is available in the FACTS Family Portal factsmgt.com under Resource Documents. The file is only accessible by our school families.

For Neshaminy bus riders: If you do not see a stop for your student, please contact Neshaminy Transportation.

During the first week of school, PK-Gr.8 parents/guardians need to complete and sign school-required forms and submit documents before school starts. This year, most forms will be completed online via the FACTS Family Portal. Instructions for accessing these forms are attached. Forms need to be completed for each student .Please complete all forms by Friday, September 6.

Access FACTS FAMILY Portal factsmgt.com with your login and password and use district code HFR-PA. If you haven’t set up your FACTS Family Portal account, follow the attached instructions in the newsletter. You will be able to save your progress and complete the forms at a later time.

Some forms, such as Emergency Information and Medical Information Update, will still need to be completed on paper and this form will be provided on the first day of school.

School Website: https://hfrcs.org/uniforms-gym-attire

• Uniforms can be purchased from Flynn O'Hara
• Gym clothing and spirit wear can be purchased from Kampus Klothes
• See photos of uniform in our Uniform Guidelines.

Supply Lists can be found in the Teacher Pages (see the top menu of our website hfrcs.org). Students attending the Teacher Meet & Greet are welcome to bring their supplies! See you soon.

Specific grades have State-mandated screenings (Physical for Kindergarten & 6th Grade and Dental for Kindergarten, 3rd Grade & 7th Grade). Refer to the school website for more information.

Signed Medical Treatment Order forms will also be needed if your child needs to take any medication during school hours.

This information is included as part of the Start of the School Year Documents and uploaded in the FACTS Family Portal.

Father John R. Weber, Pastor

Father Manuel Flores, Parochial Vicar

View the Parish Weekly Bulletin.

Sunday Mass Schedule:

4:00 PM (Vigil Mass), 7:30 AM , 9:30 AM , 11:30 AM , 1:00 PM La Misa en Español

Weekday Daily Mass:

8:30 AM - Monday through Saturday

Holy Days: (subject to change)

5:00 PM (Vigil), 8:30 AM, Noon, & 7:00 PM

The Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Thursday: 6:45 PM - 7:30 PM, Saturdays: 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

The Sacrament of Baptism:

1st and 3rd Saturdays, at 11:00 AM

Monsignor Michael McCormac, Pastor

Monsignor Michael Magee, Weekend Assistant

View the Parish Weekly Bulletin.

Mass Schedule:

• Monday-Saturday: 9:30 AM
• Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM
• Sunday: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM
• Holy Days: 6:30 AM, 12 Noon, 7:00 PM (except January 1st which follows a Sunday Mass schedule)

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday: 4:15-5:15 PM or by appointment

Daily Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Saint Joseph Chapel

Monday - Saturday: 8:00 AM–8:00 PM

Sunday: 12:30 PM–8:00 PM

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