The Hornet's Buzz

November 8, 2024

Dear Holy Cross Community,

Happy Friday! Another week of learning at Holy Cross is in the books. From phonics to learning about germs and shark dissections, it was an inspiring experience for all students. Mrs. Kerth, Math Coach, led our Family Math Night on Thursday. It was such an inspirational night as families learned more about our Building Thinking Classrooms inquiry-based approach. Thank you to Mrs. Kerth and our faculty and staff for making this night possible and to all who joined us yesterday evening.

A brand new and exciting week is ahead. Holy Cross will celebrate Mass honoring Veteran's Day on Thursday, November 14. Likewise, Grades 3-8 students will participate in Thursday's second Mathletics tournament at Ascension. On Friday, Eighth-grade girls will attend "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" at UMKC, and the Parish will host a Bingo Night from 6:30 - 9:00 pm in Pflumm Hall. We hope to see you there!

Mark your calendars! Holy Cross' annual Celebration Gala will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025. School will be closed on Friday, February 28 to prepare for the event.

Celebration is the signature fundraising event for our Parsi school. It supports scholarships, security updates, and faculty professional development. As you might be aware, school tuition only covers around 50% of the actual cost of educating a student, so your support is greatly appreciated and needed. This is also a night to come together to celebrate all that makes Holy Cross such a special place: our community. Thank you wholeheartedly for considering supporting this event.

We wish you a wonderful weekend filled with peace, love, and joy.

May God's richest blessings be yours today and always,

Paola V. Clark, Ed.D.

Principal

I enthusiastically invite you to join Fr. Abner, fellow Holy Cross parents, and me as you hear from current parents about the power of togetherness and involvement in the community. Please join us this upcoming Monday, November 18, from 6:00 - 7:00 pm in Pflumm Hall.

At the heart of a successful school is an engaged and strong community that comes together to best serve our students. We wholeheartedly invite you to share your God given gifts of Time, Treasure, and Talent in service of our school and Parish this school year. We have many opportunities for involvement and look forward to your wonderful contributions. We are actively seeking volunteers for:

• Celebration, the Parish and School's biggest fundraising event of the year: please email gradeschool@holycrosscatholicschool.com if you have availability to support this event.

Please help us prioritize the safety and security of our students and staff. A reminder that parking is not permitting in the Tree lot during school hours. If you need to park and come in to the school, please use the front parking by the main office. Also, only turn right onto 95th when exiting the parking lot. All visitors must stop by the front office to check in.

The Student-Parent Handbook for 2024-25 can be accessed here. Please note that as part of our continuous improvement efforts, this is a living document that will be revised as needed in order to nimbly respond to any needs that may arise. Any edits will appear in a different font color.

November 14 - Veteran's Day Mass | Mathletics

November 15 - Holy Cross Parish Bingo Night @ School

Education in Virtue is the Archdiocesan Catholic Social-Emotional Learning program, a key component of our Virtuous Formation Program. It provides a curriculum and resources developed by the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, based on St. Thomas Aquinas’ teachings on the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit. These resources provide a framework for helping people of all ages understand how to live more virtuously.

At Holy Cross, we highlight a virtue each month that is woven organically into lessons and our daily school life. They are used in our announcements to guide our morning prayer, selection of the Saint of the Month, activities for our Faith Families, and classroom lessons. The virtue of November is Gratitude.

Our regular office hours are as follows. Please note that the school office will be closed during holidays and school year breaks.

Monday - Friday: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

Noon dismissal: 7:30 am - 12:00 pm

Your students' classroom teachers are the best point of contact for any student matters. Our team will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. Please note that it may take up to two business days to respond, as our faculty and staff tend to students and duties throughout the day. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

In an emergency, please call or email the Front Office at gradeschool@holycrosscatholicschool.com, and we will assist.

November is the Month of Gratitude. We pray to have a thankful heart as we realize all we have comes from Jesus. It is also a time to give back and serve others.

I've included some resources for the month below.

• Catholic Thanksgiving Prayers for Kids and Families
• PBS KIDS - Happy Thanksgiving
  
• Thanksgiving Activities for Families
• Thanksgiving Gratitude

Hornet spirit wear with this year's theme is available for purchase. The Holiday Sale at 1st Place Spiritwear has begun!

Holiday Sale Info