Holy Trinity Catholic School

Holy Trinity Catholic School is committed to teaching and modeling Catholic Christian morals and values; creating a safe, caring and respectful environment that supports academic excellence while fostering love of learning.

Goals:

• Form Intentional Disciples of Christ
• Provide a Safe Learning Environment
• Inspire a Passion of Service
• Maintain High Academic Expectations and Rigorous Curriculum

During this holiday season, let’s keep in mind and heart that it is the “little” things that we do for each other that make the biggest impact.

The best gifts come from your heart, not your pocketbook. Gifts of service and love bring joy to the hearts of everyone. Our presence is the best present that we can give to our children. Remember, Jesus is the reason for this season, He came to bring us joy and everlasting life. We must always keep Him at the center of all that we do each day. Going to Sunday Mass as a family is the most precious gift you can give your children this Christmas.

We only have 14 school days this month, and I want to encourage our students to have perfect attendance. December may be short in the number of school days, but it is jam-packed with exciting activities for our students!

Our days will be filled with learning fun, so please make sure to check our school calendar on our website for event updates. We appreciate all of the parent volunteers that have helped us this school year. The holidays bring Advent, St. Nicholas, Cookies with Santa, our Christmas Program, and Live Nativity. Make sure you stop by to join in on the fun and assist our PTO to provide fun activities for our students.

I hope and pray for a safe holiday season for you and your family. Take the time to slow down during this hurried and stressful time to take care of your health, pray, and hug your loved ones. Be sure to tell them how much you love them!

My wish for you is that you and your family have Peace, Joy, and Love this Christmas.

Pax et bonum,

Haleigh Cuevas

This iGive Catholic giving opportunity is for anyone looking to support a Catholic School, especially those outside of our small town community.

As Catholics, we are called to receive God’s gifts gratefully and share them lovingly in service to one another. May this GivingTuesday prompt us to gratitude and generosity. Our prayer is that every gift shared lovingly from a grateful heart will become bread for the multitudes and that, together, we will watch the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

Please share the below link with all of your Catholic friends across the United States and ask that they support our amazing school. I have also asked that the parish's thatsupport out school add this information to their Sunday Bulletins.

We are sending home returning student letters of intent for the upcoming school year with all students this week. We are quickly reaching our full capacity in several grade levels and need your assistance with planning. As we begin registration for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year we need to know exactly how many current students plan to return before accepting new incoming students. We are very excited about the amount of new student registration inquiries we are receiving Please complete the returning student letter of intent and return to school before we leave for Christmas break.

We are excited to share that our school will be participating in Hour of Code this December 9-13 during Computer Science Education Week (CSEdweek). Hour of Code is a global initiative designed to introduce students of all ages to the world of coding. While we spend much more than an hour on coding skills at our school through our Technology Literacy class, the Hour of Code is a fun and engaging way to spark an interest in computer science, and we are thrilled to provide our students with this unique learning opportunity.

The Hour of Code is a worldwide movement that encourages individuals to try coding for at least one hour. While our students will be engaging in coding activities during their school day, we encourage families to join the fun and explore coding concepts together at home!

In today’s digital world, coding is becoming a fundamental skill. It helps build problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity—skills essential for success in many fields. The Hour of Code is a chance to demystify technology and help students feel empowered to create rather than just consume digital content.

If you’re looking for fun, screen-free ways to engage with coding concepts at home, here are a few unplugged activities that can help spark curiosity and learning without a computer:

1. Algorithm Dance Party
   Teach your child how algorithms (a set of instructions) work by creating a "dance routine" together. Take turns giving instructions like "step forward," "turn left," or "jump," and then have your child follow your sequence. You can make it more challenging by adding more steps or creating "loops" where certain actions are repeated. This activity teaches sequencing and the logic behind programming.

2. Unplugged Coding Cards
   Create a set of coding "commands" on index cards. Each card can represent a specific action (e.g., move forward, turn left, repeat). Lay them out in a sequence, and then have your child follow the instructions. This helps build an understanding of how computers follow commands.

3. Code a Maze with Paper
   Draw a simple maze on a piece of paper, and give your child a set of "commands" to follow in order to navigate through the maze (e.g., “move forward 3 spaces,” “turn left,” “move forward 2 spaces”). This activity promotes problem-solving, sequencing, and critical thinking—all important aspects of coding.

4. Binary Bracelets
   Introduce binary code, the language computers use, by creating binary bracelets. Use beads to represent 0s and 1s, and assign each bead to a different color (e.g., 0 = blue, 1 = red). Then, create a short word or message by translating letters into binary (simple binary alphabet chart). This activity makes abstract concepts more tangible and fun!

5. Paper Robots
   Have your child draw or build a robot using paper and simple materials. Once their robot is ready, create a set of instructions (commands) for the robot to follow to complete a task, such as moving from one side of the room to the other. This activity shows how coding can be used to control actions.

6. Storytelling with Code
   Code is all about telling a story through sequences and actions. Have your child create a simple story, then "code" the sequence of events. For example, "First, the character wakes up. Then, they eat breakfast. Next, they go outside to play." This helps develop the idea of cause-and-effect relationships, a key concept in coding.

• Encourage curiosity! Ask your child what they learned during their Hour of Code activities at school and explore similar topics together at home.

• Try out one of the unplugged activities listed above.

• Keep the conversation going! Discuss how coding is used in everyday technology, such as video games, websites, or apps.

• Consider exploring free online coding platforms like Scratch or Code.org after completing the Hour of Code challenge at school.

We hope you and your child have a wonderful time participating in the Hour of Code this December. Whether it’s through unplugged activities or hands-on coding experiences, together, we can help build the next generation of creative problem solvers.

Thank you for your continued support in fostering a love for learning!

Monday, December 2-6, 2024

• Santa Shop

Monday, December 2, 2024

• Motivational Monday (Assembly at 7:55)

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

• Giving Tuesday (I Give Catholic)

Thursday, December 5, 2024

• 800 Club Drawing
• Coastal Charm Meeting @ OLG Community Center 5:30-6:30

Friday, December 6, 2024

• 8:15 Weekly Mass (5H)
• St Nicholas Day/Tree Lighting

Sunday, December 8, 2024

• Cookies with Santa @ OLG Community Center

Monday, December 9, 2024

• Motivational Monday (Assembly at 7:55)
• Tri School Mass @ SSC 9:55

Thursday, December 12, 2024

• 800 Club Drawing

Friday, December 13, 2024

• St. Lucia Day
• Pre-K Polar Express Day

Monday, December 16, 2024

• Motivational Monday (Assembly at 7:55)
• Coastal Charm Meeting @ BCFD Studio 5:30-6:30

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

• Christmas Program @ OLA Gym 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 19, 2024

• AR Points Due- All Library Books Due!
• 800 Club Drawing
• Dominos Pizza Night
• Christmas Break Begins: Dismissal at 11:30 a.m., No aftercare
• Living Nativity

Coming Soon:

January 6th: Students Return to School

January 10th: Mass with the Bishop

January 16th: Dominos Pizza Night, Prek Conferences

January 17th: Picture Retakes/Group Pictures

January 20th: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No School)

January 27th: 2024-2025 Registration Opens

Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent (from, "ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas.

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus’ promise to come back. But the scripture readings during Advent tell us not to waste our time with predictions. Advent is not about speculation. Our Advent readings call us to be alert and ready, not weighted down and distracted by the cares of this world (Lk 21:34-36). Like Lent, the liturgical color for Advent is purple since both are seasons that prepare us for great feast days. Advent also includes an element of penance in the sense of preparing, quieting, and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas.

As we prepare for Christmas, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes some differences to the Mass that should be observed during the season. For instance, the priest wears violet or purple during Advent, except for the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) when rose may be worn (GIRM, no. 346). Aside from what the priest wears, other aesthetic changes in the Church can include a more modestly decorated altar.

The final days of Advent, from December 17 to December 24, we focus on our preparation for the celebrations of the Nativity of our Lord at Christmas. In particular, the "O" Antiphons are sung during this period and have been by the Church since at least the eighth century. They are a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming of Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes, but of present ones as well.

Advent devotions including the Advent wreath, remind us of the meaning of the season. Our Advent calendar below can help you fully enter into the season with daily activity and prayer suggestions to prepare you spiritually for the birth of Jesus Christ.

School officially starts at 8:00 a.m. daily and will end at 3:00 p.m. daily.

BEFORE CARE:

Students that arrive between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. will be monitored by a designated teacher or staff member.

AFTER CARE:

Holy Trinity offers an After School Care Program from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. The cost is $180 per child, $250 for 2 children, $300 for 3 or more. Daily drop in charge of $12. A $5.00 late fee will be assessed when children are not picked up on time. An information sheet and application may be obtained in the school office.

Chorus

Holy Trinity, Father, Spirit, Son

We come together here as one

To pray, to learn, and to grow

In the loving kindness that you know.

Come with us to work and play together

We are all a part of one big family,

In a school filled with joy, spirit, peace

Our love will grow as you can see.

Repeat Chorus

Sharing God’s love as a community

Each day we work to build a unity

Caring and loving others as we go

Just as Jesus taught us years ago.

Repeat Chorus

Haleigh Cuevas, Principal

Jordyn Kapidzic, Admissions Director/ School Counselor

Alexa Renz, Office Manager

Ashley Dedeaux, Business Manager

Email: hcuevas@holytrinitybsl.org
Website: https://www.holytrinitybsl.org
Location: 301 South 2nd Street, Bay St. Louis, MS, USA
Phone: (228)467-5158