The Hornet's Buzz

July 26, 2024

Dear Holy Cross Community,

Thank you very much for coming to our Summer Soirée last weekend. It was lovely seeing and meeting many of you and your children. I am eager to continue meeting you and our wonderful students.

Our team remains hard at work in preparation for another excellent new year. As I continue to have the opportunity to work with more members of our amazing faculty and staff, I find myself deeply inspired by their care, dedication, and passion for our Holy Cross students. This is a truly special community bonded by our Catholic faith and the commitment to serving God and our students to best of our ability, in alignment with this year's theme.

Building a strong sense of community to surround students with support is key to student growth and success. In addition to the upcoming events listed below to come together for our School, I will be sharing more about this year's Celebration and volunteer opportunities in the upcoming newsletters. We are excited to partner with you to continue providing our students with an excellent faith-filled whole child education.

Please know that your invaluable help and gifts of time, talent, and treasure make a difference in the lives of every Holy Cross student each and every day. We are forever grateful for your steadfast support.

I look forward to seeing you at our Grounds Cleanup day on August 3 and Sign Up Day on August 7.

Many Blessings,

Paola V. Clark, Ed.D.

Principal

Our weekly newsletter has a new name: The Hornet's Buzz. It is our hope that this will support streamlining and enhancing school communications. While Dr. Clark will continue to making weekly posts on the Hornet's Buzz, it will also allow for other school departments to include important announcements for the community. We thank you in advance for your support.

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming events. We look forward to seeing you then!

We have two new dates: our grounds cleanup day will be on August 3 from 8:00 - 2:00 pm and our Kinder/New Family Orientation will take place on August 14 from 5:30 - 6:30 pm.

Please stop by the School's office to pick up your summer mailing packet at your earliest convenience. Our summer office hours can be found below. Thank you.

A digital version of all summer mailing forms can be accessed here.

Please note that our summer mailing will be completely digital beginning with the 2025-26 school year.

Middle School Parents,

Holy Cross Catholic School middle school students are required to provide their own Chromebook device for use at school and at home for homework. This is part of their school supply list. It will be something they use multiple times a day, every day.

Below is a list of devices that would work for our system and what they will be doing in class. These are just a few options. You are welcome to choose whatever device you see fit for your child as long as it is a Chromebook. If you find another device and want to double check it will work please email me at lloeffert@holycrosscatholicschool.com.

Chromebook device options for Holy Cross Students:

Acer Chomebook Spin 513 Convertible Laptop

Acer Spin Chromebook

Dell Chromebook

HP Chromebook

HP 360 Chromebook

I would also recommend a carrying case for the chromebook. I have seen many chromebooks fall on the floor, get jostled around, and not cared for as well as we would hope. Having a case to place the Chromebook in while switching classes could increase the longevity of the device.

Students are required to have this device on the first day of school and it will be connected to the system for the duration of their time at Holy Cross.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Laura Loeffert

Technology Coordinator

Hornet spiritwear with this year's theme is now available 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.

I look forward to sharing educational, spiritual, and well-being resources with you. Please let me know if you have any specific requests, and I will do my best to secure them. It is my hope that they will be useful to you and your family as we partner in your student's educational and spiritual journey at Holy Cross and beyond.

This week I am highlighting Common Sense Media for parents. Common sense media offers a variety of resources for parents and educators and focus on building a more healthy, equitable, and empowering future in order to support children in the digital age.

Please find some helpful resources below:

• Age-based media ratings and reviews at Common Sense Media.
• Independent recent research on the impact of media on kids' physical, socio-emotional, and intellectual development.
• Advocacy efforts around digital equity and tech accountability