HFRCS Newsletter September 3, 2024

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy first day of school eve! I imagine that there are lots of emotions circling around your children as they anticipate the first day of school – excitement, nervousness, apprehension and maybe even a little anxiety. Rest assured; all will be well. Our teachers have been working to make their classrooms welcoming and fun. Tomorrow will be a wonderful day to meet new friends, get to know teachers and get oriented to a new school year.

Today our teachers met for Mass and were guided in prayer and sacrament by Father Weber. Following Mass, we met for a faculty meeting and discussed preparations for the new school year. We’re confident that this year will be the best one yet!

Hopefully many of you were able to attend our Teacher Meet and Greet this afternoon! It was wonderful to see our students, many of whom have GROWN so much over the summer! We missed you!

As a reminder, tomorrow will be the first day for grades 1-8 and we will be having an 11:30 AM dismissal. Parent pick up is needed for students in the Neshaminy and Bensalem school districts. Thursday and Friday are full days for grades 1-8. Please remember to pack your child a lunch with a beverage for both days. On Monday, our PK3, PK4 and Kindergarten students will have their first day, and our breakfast and hot lunch program will also begin on Monday.

Please refer to our school newsletter, which is sent every Tuesday afternoon, for all the most important school information. In addition, we send a morning text every morning at 6:30 AM which includes any pertinent information for the day. We continually strive to be as communicative as possible, ensuring that our families have the information they need for their child.

We ask for your prayers for a very blessed school year! Working together as a team will ensure the best success for our students.

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.

K-Gr. 8 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 are assigned a number and the information was sent via email 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. For other bus concerns, please contact Mrs. St. John joann.stjohn@hfrcs.org.

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.

Students in Grades 3-8 will be sent home with:

1. Chromebook Insurance information with student-specific device details. We highly recommend for families to get the Chromebook insurance.
2. Technology acknowledgement and insurance purchase option (green paper)
3. Emergency Information Record & Medical Information update (double-sided)

Please return the completed forms #2 and #3 by Monday, September 9.

Students in Grades 1-2 will receive the following documents:

1. CLEVER from HOME - has sign in information, keep secure, and keep at home
2. Emergency Information Record & Medical Information update (double-sided)
3. Dismissal Procedure form - please return ASAP as this will help with dismissal

Please return the completed form #2 by Monday, September 9 and form #3 ASAP.

PK and Kindergarten students will receive their forms on their first week of school. Please return the forms before the end of the first week.

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

Pot of Gold

The results of the drawing can be found here. Drawing will be held tonight. The jackpot prize from the last drawing was $36,000!