Holy Family School Newsletter

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Happy New Year! Welcome back from what I hope was a blessed, restful, and merry winter break! As we begin 2025, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the first half of our school year. It has been a truly remarkable journey filled with growth, learning, and community spirit. Thanks to your unwavering support, our students have flourished both academically and spiritually.

We are incredibly grateful for the partnership we share with our families. Your dedication to your children’s education and your active involvement in our school community continue to make Holy Family School a special place.

As we look ahead to the second half of the year, we are excited about the opportunities that await. From upcoming events like Catholic Schools Week (be sure to see information below) to classroom milestones, we are committed to providing an environment where every child feels supported and inspired to achieve their best.

As we continue to prioritize providing an exceptional educational experience for our students, I want to update you on tuition planning for the upcoming school year. Our school board has been working diligently to thoroughly review our programs, resources, and operational needs. This review has reaffirmed our commitment to excellence and highlighted areas where we must make strategic investments to maintain and enhance the quality of education we offer. To support these initiatives, it will be necessary to implement a modest tuition adjustment. This decision was made with careful consideration of balancing affordability for families with the financial sustainability of our school. Rest assured, we remain committed to transparency and accountability, ensuring every dollar supports our mission to nurture and inspire our students. In the coming weeks, we will provide detailed information about the tuition changes, along with resources to assist families in planning for the year ahead. We are here to support you every step of the way. Thank you for your continued trust in our school community. Together, we are shaping a bright future for our students.

May God continue to bless you with his special graces,

Ms. Otte

This month I would like to talk about staying safe while outside. Hypothermia and frostbite happen very quickly and often we don’t realize it is happening until it is too late.

Students need to come to school wearing proper outside clothing. You never know if the bus or car will break down or slide off the road. Hats, mittens, scarves etc. need to be worn any time students are outside.

Frostbite is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in the affected areas. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes.

Frostbite can permanently damage body tissues, and severe cases can lead to amputation. In extremely cold temperatures, the risk of frostbite is increased in:

• People with reduced blood circulation.

• People who are not dressed properly.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of frostbite include:

• Reduced blood flow to hands and feet (fingers or toes can freeze)

• Numbness

• Tingling or stinging

• Aching

• Bluish or pail, waxy skin

FIRST AID

People suffering from frostbite should:

• Get into a warm room as soon as possible.

• Avoid walking on frostbitten feet or toes.

• Immerse the affected area in warm (not hot) water.

• Warm the affected area using body heat.

• For example, an armpit can warm frostbitten fingers.

• Do not rub or massage the frostbitten area.

• Do not use a heating pad, heat lamp, stove, fireplace, or radiator.

• Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.

• Contact your primary care physician for direction.

• Wear layers of light and warm clothing, a wind-resistant coat, waterproof shoes, and a hat, gloves, and scarf.

• Work slowly when doing outdoor tasks, such as shoveling your driveway or removing snow from your car.

• Return inside frequently to warm up.

• Stay hydrated.

• Take a friend and carry a charged cell phone when participating in outdoor activities.

You should have received a message from HFS last week regarding a change to the school calendar. The Sauk Centre Public School amended the 2024-25 school calendar at their December board meeting. On Monday, January 20th there will be no school for students. This will be an in-service day for teachers and staff to continue training from this past fall for ALICE, a school safety platform. We continue to implement developmentally age-appropriate training for students on this platform as well. This is an ongoing training for staff and students.

Looking ahead to the end of January, we will celebrate Catholic Schools Week during the week of January 27th. We will celebrate the parents on two separate dates based on the the letters of the alphabet.

• Tuesday, January 28 - Families with the student's last name starting with A - K
• Thursday, January 30 - Families with the student's last name starting with L - Z

On the above dates, parents will be invited to attend mass in the morning with the students then join them afterward in the school cafeteria for bingo and pastries. Each parent's day celebration will be done by 10:45.

A more detailed outline of the week's events will be sent out soon and posted on our Facebook page and school website. However, each year on Student Day, we celebrate with the students by offering "Mini Courses". If you are willing/able to help with a mini-course, please complete the form below or call the school by January 8th. More information on mini-courses can be found below.

For over three decades, Lions clubs around the globe have been sponsoring a very special art contest in schools and youth groups. Creating peace posters gives children everywhere the chance to express their visions of peace and inspire the world through art and creativity.

In December, local Lions Club members, Bob McLellan and Joe Uphus presented awards to three sixth grade students at Holy Family School. Congratulations to our competition winners:

1st Place: Levi M

2nd Place: Laura H

3rd Place: Anna H

Thank you to our local Lion's Club for sponsoring this event for our students!

Just before Christmas break, we held our monthly all-school assembly to recognice those students who were chosen for being "Kind & Caring" throughout the month of December. This month's winners are:

Back Row from Left: Raina M (4), Aubree H (5), Tenleigh R (5), Anna D (6), Emma F (6)

Middle Row from Left: Ms. Otte, Easton A (2), Ayla B (2), Vivi J (3), Bode B (3), Harper W (4)

Front Row from Left: Presley R (K), Tinsley P (K), Chloe A (1), Ramsey J (1)

Responsibility is the Character trait that we will be focusing on in January. Children learn responsibility by being given age-appropriate responsibilities, carrying them out successfully, and living with the consequences when they neglect them. When children see these consequences at an early age, they realize that even though they do not always want to do a particular chore or act a specific way, they begin to see the positive in doing the right thing. This internalizing will not occur at a magic age "all of a sudden," but it is a gradual learning. Children must be given small but important tasks at home and school.

These jobs and/or responsibilities can be simple ones that take very little time, i.e., taking out a small trash can daily, picking up toys before bed, giving the cat a bowl of fresh water, bringing in the paper in the morning, speaking respectfully to others even when you are upset, etc. The important thing is that the child knows someone is counting on him/her to do a particular job or to do the right thing, and it will be noticed if he/she does not do it. They also need to see that no one else will do it for them because they "don't feel like it today." Predetermined consequences can be arranged and must always be carried out if the child shirks his/her responsibility. The side benefit is that children with responsibilities at home and school have healthier self-esteem because they feel competent and important, a feeling many children lack when adults do everything for them and do not hold them accountable.

The definition of Responsibility we will focus on this month includes four emphases:

• Responsible for Actions
• Responsible in the Job of School
• Dependable
• Committed

As you discuss this character trait with your child, please include ideas that encompass all these aspects of responsibility.

Thank you for your help and support.

We want to say Thank You to all the parents who have been bringing in treats for the staff at HFS. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Please watch page 3 of the Sauk Centre Herald for weekly happenings at Holy Family School. Thank you to Felling Trailers, Polipnick Insurance, Daniel B. Borgmann Ltd, Dan Welle Chrysler GM, Truckers Inn and Klaphake Farms for sponsoring this weekly section in the newspaper.

We hope you are able to utilize JMC efficiently. Please note that while they DO have a family app, there will be different information available when logging in on a desktop computer (or desktop version on a mobile device).

Below is a video that we invite you to watch to inform you of everything that is available for you on the JMC Family App - there is also a link to a document that outlines the app. (If you need the HFS JMC pin, please use 0739.

https://youtu.be/9cTB1YXquqI?si=a-iGmr2v_d52SM4v

Discovering jmc Family

After watching the video, login to JMC Family (here is a link to a video that will help you if you have problems):

Logging into the jmc Family portal

Just a reminder, your login username is (in most cases) your last name. If you do not remember your password, click "Forgot Password" and you will be redirected to set up a new password.

Once you log in, we highly recommend that you turn on customized alerts so that you can receive notifications for different messages or grade changes. Below is a link to set up these customized alerts:

Set family alert configurations in jmc Family

Please watch future newsletters for more helpful tips on using JMC and the JMC Family app!