News From Holy Cross Regional Catholic School 
July 26, 2014

My how summer flies by!  I hope this summer season has allowed each of you some rest and relaxation as you spend family time together.  We have been working hard at the school preparing for a banner year.  All signs show that enrollment is up (thank you, Ms. Mosley) and we are excited about our future.  The building has been alive with "campers" working on soccer, softball, volleyball, writing, poetry, computer coding and more!  Now we are gearing up to welcome back all our great students who begin classes on Monday, August 18.  Please be sure to attend Back to School Night on Wednesday, August 13 so that you can start the year with a bang. 
Blessing to you!
Mrs. Culbreth

PreK/K Day

Pre-K and K "Play Date" - Thursday, August 8th

Calling all pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students!  Join us for a fun and interactive morning with your teachers as we help you acclimate to your new classroom.  Please meet us in the cafeteria on Tuesday, August 5 from 10-11:30 for a fun-filled morning. 

VIRTUS Training:
There will be a VIRTUS training at the school on Sunday, August 10. Any parent or adult who would like to volunteer at the school (book reader, cafeteria helper, fieldtrip chaperone, etc.) must have VIRTUS training.  It is a 3 hour session that must be completed only once; then participants are sent an update each month via email.  To register for this event, please go to www.virtus.org.  Many thanks to Mr. Jeff Hansen for holding this session for our school!


Helpful information as you plan to return:

Back to School Night will be held on Wednesday, August 13.

6:30 pm:

All Parents of 6th Graders (new to HC and returning to HC) meet with Ms. Kluba in her room.

All Dual Enrollment Students and Parents meet with Mr. Washington in MS Science Lab.

 

All NEW families to Holy Cross meet in cafeteria.

7:30 pm.
All RETURNING families meet in cafeteria

Gaels Galleria:  Will be held in the gym during Back to School Night for parents to pick up information about the bus program, the school lunch program, After Care Program, orchestra, band, Girls on the Run, Forensics, PTO, PE Shirts and more!

Athletics:  Students participating in fall sports are reminded they must have a physical on file before beginning practices or competing in games.  Forms are available at the front office.  Athletes are also reminded of the $100 sports fee which will be collected upon return to school. 

Contracts:  If you have not returned your contract to the Business Office, we ask that you do so as soon as possible.  Contracts help us verify numbers so we can do a better job of planning for the school year. 

Save the Dates:
Fall Festival/Chili Cook-off:  Saturday, November 1
PTO Breakfast with Santa:  Saturday, December 6



CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AP STUDENTS!  July means the release of AP test scores from the College Board and learning how our top students did on the nationally normed AP test.  Once again, Holy Cross scholars fared well on their tests with five students achieving the highest score of 5 on an exam, four students achieving a 4 on an exam, and seven students achieving a 3 on an exam (the exams are scored on a 1-5 scale). We extend particular congratulations to our graduated seniors who earned:

AP Scholar Award:  Tom Bruzek, Anne David, Mary Paige David, Lexi Quinn
AP Scholar with Distinction:  Madeline O'Toole
AP Scholar with Honor:  Thomas Schubert


Have you heard the GREAT NEWS?  Holy Cross School was awarded a $10,000 grant from Plum Creek Foundation to use toward new playground equipment on the elementary playground.  We are grateful that Plum Creek saw our school as investment worthy and we are planning for an exciting new look on our playground later this fall.

AND the News Keeps Getting Better!!.....

GREAT NEWS FOR RISING 5TH GRADE CLASS AND MRS. SHENIGO! 

We are happy to announce that two donors have stepped forward to supply  our rising 5th grade with Chromebooks for  the 2014-15 school year.  Mrs. Shenigo will pilot a new plan of technology integration with her class during the 2014-15 school year.  She and Mrs. Jones will work together to implement the Chromebooks  as a tool for learning.  Each student will be issued a Chromebook to use for the school year.  We are currently ordering these devices and hope to have them ready for student use by the second marking period of our school year.  Hooray for our donors!  This gift allows our students to build their skills for their bright futures. 

 

 

PTO News:
Mr. Tom Adams has agreed to serve as our new PTO President for the 2014-15 school year.  Tom has an insider's view of the school as the father of Morgan (K) and husband of teacher, Hope Adams (K).  Tom's recent volunteer leadership for the Appomattox 150th Celebration is testament to his strong commitment to give back to his community.

We also want to thank Jay and Jan Mata for their years of service as Co-presidents of the PTO.  Their hard work and dedication to our school made for many successful fundraisers, events and classroom opportunities.  Jan's gift for organization and Jay's "can-do" attitude were a perfect match for our needs.  Thank you, Jan and Jay -- you made a difference for all of us!

Earn Tuition Credit with New Scrip Program!
Dear Families,
Check out how simple it is to participate in our scrip program now!  You will find everything you need to know if you click on the link below, and you can also find the information under Resource Documents on Renweb.  Start shopping now and you will help our school and yourself at the same time!
Scrip Information


ELEMENTARY SUMMER READING NEWS from Mrs. Main

Summer seems to be slipping away! We have just about 4 weeks until we return to school. Has your student been working on their summer reading goal? Here are some reminders and ways that you can help with our upcoming summer reading celebration "Fifties fun day" on September 5th:

  • Students entering Pre-K through 2nd grade, read 15 books by yourself or with a parent/helper.
  • Students entering grades 3-5, read 350 pages from one or more chapter books.
  • Record reading on log sent home in June (or get a new one from office). Turn in your log by Wednesday, August 28th, and receive your invitation to our "Fifties fun day"- September 5th.
  • HELP IS NEEDED IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
  1. Volunteer to help with an activity at our celebration
  2. Donate a food/drink item for the party
  3. Help ahead of time with making name tags, etc.
  • If you can help with any of the above, or have any questions at all, please contact Mrs. Main as soon as possible at main_h@hcrs-va.org or 434-941-7516

 

Students may come in to the elementary library any time that the office is open this summer to take Accelerated Reader quizzes. Directions for taking the quiz are posted next to the computers! Always check to be sure the office is open and that someone is in the building! Don't forget, a complete list of Accelerated Reader quizzes that we have at Holy Cross School is located on RenWeb. Hard copies are available in the office as well! Enjoy the rest of your summer!!

 

School Supply and Summer Reading Lists

All school supply and summer reading lists are on Renweb Parentsweb under Resource Documents. 

Click on the link below to view and download our 2014-2015 Holy Cross Calendar:
Holy Cross 2014-2015 Calendar 

 

Dear 6th Grade Parents,
 
As we near the start of the school year, I need to remind you of a Virginia law that requires all rising 6th grade students to show record of a T-dap immunization series before they are allowed to begin their 6th grade year.  I ask that you contact your child's doctor and request this information be faxed to the school as soon as possible.  Our fax number is 434-847-4156. If your child still needs this immunization, please make immediate plans to have it done before the start of school so we can have all records on file. 

I recognize that this is "one more thing" to add to the back to school list, but I must stress the importance of this record.  According to state law, we are not to allow students into 6th grade without record of the Tdap.  The Diocese supports this law and requires us to verify our records with an audit at the start of the school year.  We have no wiggle room -- we must have records of the immunizations.
 
Thank you for understanding the importance of this request and making it a priority.  Mrs. Harvey has sent earlier requests, so you may have taken steps to take care of this matter.  Please call Mrs. Harvey at the school if you have any questions about this request.
 
We look forward to welcoming all our 6th graders back in a few short weeks!  It will be a fantastic year, so we want to be sure all our children are ready to go!
 
Many thanks and best wishes for a continued wonderful summer,
Patti Culbreth