Welcome Back Crusaders!

I hope everyone was able to take some time this summer and relax with family and friends.

I am very excited to welcome some talented teachers and staff into the Crusader community! Please take time to read their welcome bios listed below. God is so good and has sent us the best!

The Crusader community is blessed to be expanding as well! This school year, the Crusaders are welcoming the following:

• 25 new students in Kindergarten + 23 new students in grades 1-8= 48 new students
• Highest enrollment in 5 years!

Many, many thanks to all who made the Air Conditioning dream become a reality! This project would not have been possible without the help and support of the Parish, parishioners, and school families. We are truly appreciative to Dryden Building and R&W Heating and Cooling for completing the project within the summer timeline and making the school nice and cool for the upcoming school year! If you scroll below, there are pictures of the Air Conditioning units installed in the classrooms.

Every week, I will email the Crusader Chronicle on Friday. Please take time to read the information as it contains important school items and upcoming events. Next week, the Crusader Chronicle will contain the Top 10 Crusader Countdown- items that need to be completed before school starts on Wednesday, August 21.

The school office is open full-time now. The August office hours will be 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.- Monday-Friday. Once school begins, the office hours will be updated to 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

If there are any questions related to the information below, or you just have back-to-school questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

I am very excited for this school year and all the memories that will be made! I look forward to seeing everyone at the Back-to-School Bash on Sunday, August 18!

Gratefully,

Sarah Bitzer

Principal

My name is Abby Truesdale. I am looking forward to working at St. Francis as the new second grade teacher! I received my teaching degree 20 years ago. I was a Kindergarten teacher for 12 years before I decided to stay home with my kids. I now have a 17-year-old daughter, 15-year-old son, and an 11-year-old daughter. My husband and I, relocated to Lebanon eight years ago. Our kids are very active in sports and keep us busy! In the past 2 years I have been working as an intervention teacher. I am excited to get back into the classroom! God has blessed me with a passion for teaching and I am grateful for this opportunity! I love working with kids and helping them meet their full potential!

Hi! My name is Stephanie Krumholtz. I come to you from Waynesville Middle School where I have 35.5 years of experience teaching math at grade levels from 6th to 12th grade. These years have taught me how to anticipate questions and dispel misconceptions before they occur. Through my students, I have learned multiple strategies to approach problems that satisfy brains which operate in different ways. I like to make math fun and challenging but also understand that it can be a struggle.

For the past two years, I have worked with the St. Francis de Sales students as the Math Specialist. I am amazed at the students' willingness to learn new concepts and continue to challenge themselves. I look forward to continue working with the staff and students at St. Francis de Sales School!

With the new Master schedule in place, I will be able to continue providing Math enrichment and remedial support in the afternoons. My goal is to aid the K-8 students in achieving Math success and promote life-long learning!

My name is Casey Keller and I am excited to work alongside the awesome staff at St Francis De Sales this year as the 5th - 8th grade Science Teacher!

I have been part of the Crusader family for a few years as a parent. Ollie is going into 4th Grade & Liam is going into 2nd Grade. My daughter, Emmy, will join the boys next school year. Jacque, my wife, is a proud graduate of St Francis!

I obtained my Bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University and Masters Degree from University of Cincinnati.

I come with years of experience teaching math and science in 5th and 6th grades.

I can't wait to start my journey as a Crusader!

My name is Mallory Grau and I am excited to be the Physical Education teacher! My husband and I have 4 children, all of which will be at the school this year. I have a degree in Applied Science and have been a Physical Therapist Assistant for 15 years, rehabilitating athletes and patients of all ages. I am looking forward to teaching your children about the importance of movement, exercise and health… and of course the art of dodgeball!

Hello, my name is Jenna Engelhard, and I am excited to be joining St. Francis de Sales as your new Speech-Language Pathologist! I have been teaching speech and language skills to students since 2013, when I finished my degree at Ohio University. Since then, I have worked with students from preschool through high school and have loved each age level.

I live in Lebanon with my husband, three kids, and two dogs. We love spending time outside, hiking, camping, and gardening when the weather is nice.

I am excited to get to know everyone at St. Francis de Sales this year!

One of our soon-to-be 8th grade student, Nick Kruckeberg, had the opportunity to perform July 18-27 at the Cincinnati Opera. Below are pictures and additional information about his performances.

On behalf of the family, thank you for sharing and supporting Nick in his love of music.

The Kruckeberg Family

Many, many thanks to all who made the Air Conditioning dream become a reality! This project would not have been possible without the help and support of the Parish, parishioners, and school families. We are truly appreciative to Dryden Building and R&W Heating and Cooling for completing the project within the summer timeline and making the school nice and cool for the upcoming school year! Below are pictures of the Air Conditioning units installed in the classrooms.

This year, the parish will be forming an Education Commission for the school. The Education Commission’s purpose is to serve as a consultative body to advise and support the Pastor and Principal of St. Francis de Sales Parish and School on matters that primarily affect the school. The Commission’s responsibilities, in cooperation with the Principal and the Pastor, include, without limitation, the following:

• Recommending a mission statement for the School grounded in the Catholic faith tradition;
• Advising on policy decisions affecting St. Francis de Sales School;
• Setting strategic goals for St. Francis de Sales School;
• Acting as a liaison between and among parishioners, parents, and the School;
• Advising upon such other matters as may be brought to the attention of the Commission by the Pastor, Principal, parishioners, or parents.

Whether you are a current altar server or would like to learn how to serve at Mass, Fr. Craig and Fr. Brice will be holding a mandatory training/refresher class after all weekend Masses on August 24th and 25th. Part of this will be a refresher to get servers on the same page for things we should be doing; part of this will be to introduce some changes of which you need to be aware. The changes will go into effect the following weekend, August 31/September 1, so it is important you attend this training whether you are new to serving or if you are already on the server schedule. You may attend any of the six training sessions. The altar serving ministry is open to all parishioners grades 5-12.

Fr. Craig