Summer Update from Principal: 
Holy Cross Families,
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer filled with rest and relaxation ... and power! The school weathered the recent wind storm with just a few trees down and limited damage to the Title I trailer on our property. Our Lego camps have been a huge success (thanks to Karl Rony) and our Bible Stories Camp was a summer hit (thanks to Sherry Schemmel and her team of volunteers).
The office staff has been very busy preparing for another exciting year. We will institute the recommendations made by our visiting team while continuing to celebrate our reaccreditation status from SACS and NCEA. We will welcome many new families who will soon learn the joys of the Holy Cross community. We will welcome your children back with a joyful noise, and we look forward to nurturing each of our students to full potential.
At the beginning of the summer, Kim Kovalesky decided to return to her roots as a social worker with special needs adults. We will miss Kim's dedication in PreK but wish her well in her new career endeavors. We are excited to announce that Leigh Ann Laneve will step into the post as our new PreK teacher. Leigh Ann is a familiar face around Holy Cross as her children attend the school, but we hope you will take a moment to wish her well when you see her. Next door to PreK, Jessica Hamilton will serve as the K teacher while Kelsie Harcup is out on maternity leave. Natalie Wesley will serve as elementary PE teacher until Ms. Hamilton completes her role as substitute for K and returns to PE.
Please mark your calendars that students return to school on Monday, August 20. We will have a 1:35 dismissal on Monday, August 20 and Tuesday, August 21 with the remainder of the week following our regular school schedule. Please remember our Back to School Night will be held on Thursday, August 16 - more details will follow.
God bless you as you enjoy the remainder of summer!
Patti Culbreth
Pre-K and K "Play Date"
Mrs. Laneve and Ms. Hamilton cordially invite our Pre-K and K families to join us for a fun morning on August 9th from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Our "play date" will resemble a regular school day. We'll welcome the children in the cafeteria as we do at the start of each school day. Mrs. Laneve and Ms. Hamilton will then escort the children back to their classrooms where they will engage in play and story time while becoming comfortable in their new classroom setting. Please RSVP by August 7th to Amy Lawson at lawson_a@hcrs-va.org or 847-5436.
 Attention Parents of Seniors:
Senior portraits will be taken at school Monday and Tuesday, August 13 and 14 from 10-2 pm. Casual and formal pictures will be taken. Please contact Fran Harvey for scheduling and more details.
Service Hours
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Students who have completed service hours over the summer should turn in the forms signed as soon as possible. Half of the hours are due no later than December 7, 2012 and must be turned in by December 7, 2012 in order for them to count. First semester hours will not be accepted after December 7 for first semester. To help the process, turn the forms in as hours are completed. To download a copy of the form click here: Service Hours Form
Middle school students are required to complete 15 hours of service.
The following requirements are for high school:
9th grade: 20 hours (10 hours are due by December 7 in order to receive credit)
10th grade: 25 hours (12.5 hours are due by December 7 in order to receive credit)
11th grade: 30 hours (15 hours are due by December 7 in order to receive credit)
12th grade: 35 hours (17.5 hours are due by December 7 in order to receive credit)
*Just a reminder forms can not be signed by parents or family member.
If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Shenigo at
ELEMENTARY SUMMER READING NEWS from Mrs. Main
- Summer seems a bit shorter this year, don't you think? Actually it is!
 Elementary students, you may continue to read to meet the summer reading goal through Monday, August 27th. Then turn your reading logs in to your teachers by Friday, August 30th. - Students entering grades 3-5 need to read 400 pages from chapter books, while students entering Pre-K through 2nd grade should read (or be read to-Pre-K/K) 20 books.
- Extra reading logs are available in the HC office!
- HELP NEEDED for our "OLYMPIC FUN DAY" celebration on Monday, September 10th. Volunteers needed to help at various games/stations. If you can't help that day, perhaps you would like to donate a food/drink item for the celebration. PLEASE CONTACT MRS. MAIN IF YOU CAN HELP WITH EITHER OF THESE: main_h@hcrs-va.org or 434-237-2420. It will be a fun time!
ACT Test Dates for 2012-13:
Test Date Registration Deadline Late Fee Required
September 8, 2012 August 17, 2012 August 18-24, 2012
October 27, 2012 September 21, 2012 September 22-October 5, 2012
December 8, 2012 November 2, 2012 November 3-16, 2012
February 9, 2013 January 11, 2013 January 12-18, 2013
April 13, 2013 March 8, 2013 March 9-22, 2013
June 8, 2013 May 3, 2013 May 4-17, 2013
ACT Test Fees:
ACT No Writing = $35.00
ACT Plus Writing = $50.50
To register for the ACT, or for more information, visit the website at www.actstudent.org/start
To access test registration information for the SAT, visit their website a www.collegeboard.com
Congratulations to our 5th graders Grayson Combs, Powers Muller, and Sebastian  Astorga, who are all members of the Lynchburg Colonial Little League all star team. Their team advanced to the state championship games in Dulles beginning July 19. This is the second year in a row that both Grayson and Powers have been a part of the all star team. We are really proud of their achievements! GO GAELS!
You Can Make a Difference for Our School with Box Tops!
We've recently launched our 2012-2013 Box Tops for Education fundraising campaign. This year we've set a goal of earning $2000.00 through Box Tops.
Here's how you can help:
* Clip Box Top coupons from favorite products and send them to our school.
* Sign up to support our school on the Box Tops website at btfe.com
This year we are changing our program. If we meet our goal we will all come together to celebrate. The PTO will have a pizza party and fun family event. We will have one for the elementary and one for the middle/high school. If you send in a bag of 50 trimmed Box Tops with your child's name on the bag your child will be ente red into a drawing for a Gift Card from Game Stop. This is the easiest way to raise money for our school. Every Box Top counts. Please put all your Box Tops in the collection box in the lobby. So far I have collected $300.00 in Box Tops over the summer.
For more information on how you can help our school earn cash through Box Tops, contact Jan Mata, our Box Tops coordinator, at jan@packetradio.com.
Don't forget to keep collecting your Tyson and Campbell's labels
 Summer Reading and Supply Lists have been posted on our website as well as on to the Renweb Parentsweb page. Please log in to your Parentsweb account and under the School Information heading click on Resource Documents. The lists and reading requirements are listed by grade level.
Save-the-Date Families of Pre-K and K Students: "Tissues and Tea"
August 20th at 8:45 a.m. Inviting all Pre-K and K parents to join us for breakfast, tea and tissues =-) as we celebrate this important milestone in your child's education. More information to come.
Music All Aware
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