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ALL-BA UPDATES

Order your 2020-2021 YEARBOOK
Have you ordered a yearbook for the 2020-2021 school year? Cost is $65. Order yours by the May 29 deadline - see the attached form or order online here. Contact Mr. Zabel if you have any questions.

2021-2022 Calendar
See attached for next year's BA/DMCS school calendar.

Host Family Needed for 2021-22
Host family needed for KoAm-sponsored Jiyun (8th grade female from South Korea), arriving next fall. Great cultural exchange, monthly stipend & support provided. Jiyun is sociable, empathetic, proactive, and responsible. She wants to become a good college student with good English skills. Jiyun has a younger brother and loves school, friends, and music. She is excited to come to America and study at BA! Contact Kris Sauer if interested in this great opportunity.

NOTE FROM THE NURSE’S OFFICE: Required Immunizations
All students who will be in 7^th grade this fall are required by law to have a Tdap (tetanus booster) as well as a meningitis shot. The meningitis shot is the first in a two-shot series which should be completed at 16 years of age. Students who will be in 12^th grade are required by law to have a second meningitis shot. Students should have had their first shot in the series before the start of 7^th grade. Any students who have conscientious objector forms on file will need to fill out a new form for this fall. If you have any questions or need a conscientious objector form, please contact Mary Herzog in the nurse’s office, 507-334-3948.

Adult 2021 Summer Employment Opportunity
Bethlehem Academy is looking for an energetic adult to help supervise the summer student work program. This student supervisor will work with the students under the direction of the BA maintenance team. The position runs from June 7 to August 13 from 8am-2:30pm with a half hour lunch break. Pay is $12/hour. Contact Steve Zabel at 334-3948 ext. 220 or by email if you or anyone you know may be interested. Position is flexible and may be shared. Deadline to apply is May 24.

BA Employment Opportunities
BA is hiring for a number of positions next year, including an Academic Support High School Position (Part-Time). Send in your resume and two references to mreeder@bacards.org if interested! Other openings include High School Spanish teacher, and Head Boys Basketball Coach. Find more information on these positions on our website here.

Summer Robotics & Sports Camps @ BA!
All BA/DMCS summer camps are still open - including ROBOTICS and SPORTS!! Options for both high school (robotics, football) and younger students (grades 1-8: robotics, football, basketball, volleyball) available. Click here for information and registration forms for all our summer options!

SMART Ride July 29-31, 2021
Save the date for this summer's SMART ride! Single day biking options available or join all 3 days, with camping at Mankato. This great event raises money for student scholarships! Click here for information on this great event.

Cardinal Golf Classic Aug 6
Registration is now open for the annual Cardinal Golf Classic! This year's event will be held at the Faribault Golf Club Friday, August 6 with a scramble format starting at 1pm. Registration just $100 includes golf, awards dinner, gift and hole contests. Sign up your foursome here today!

Counseling Support: We have learned of a suicide challenges circling social media on TikTok, Twitter and other sites. It involves encouraging teens to engage in "blue whale" and chapstick suicide challenges. Please be sure to talk with your child and be aware of their social media use and accounts. Here are other resources:

Crisis Phone Lines

YouthLine: Text teen2teen to 839863 or call 1-877-968-8491

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: call 1-800-422-4453

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: Text Hello to 741741

Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text "start" to 678-678

Here is a list of suicide warning signs for teens.

Online School Store Now Open!
BA facemasks, car clings and polo shirts are now available for purchase on our online school store. Also available are BABS fixed priced items, including wrought iron planters and messenger bags. Click here to purchase these great items!

Heritage Days Parade June 19
We are looking for student and parent volunteers to be a part of the BA/DMCS parade float in the Heritage Days parade Saturday, June 19 at 6:15pm! This is a fun way to get a jump start your student’s 2021-2-22 service hours. Email Kris if you can participate.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

REMINDER: PSEO 2021-22 Deadline May 27
All students interested in pursuing PSEO next year, 2021-22, MUST: (1) Notify the counselor of their intention/set a meeting with the counselor; and (2) Turn in their Notice of Student Registration 21-22 form to the counseling office BY Thursday, May 27. This deadline important as PSEO student classes may impact how next year's schedule looks for all students. If your student wants to do PSEO, please remind them to turn in this form on time.

JUNIORS: Upcoming ACT Test Dates
Register here! for the June 12 exam. Late signup deadline is TODAY: May 21. Reach out to Ms. Rogers (trogers@bacards.org) with questions.

SENIOR MOMS: RSVP for May 27 Lunch
All senior moms invited to the traditional seniors moms-organized lunch following the Awards Day ceremony Thursday, May 27! Lunch starts around 11am at Redemption. Please RSVP your attendance to Kris Shuda at akshuda@charter.net so she can forward a head count for this special event.

SENIORS: Grad Party List
A reminder to please email Class of 2021 grad party details (date, time, location, menu) to Barb Johnson for the master class grad party list.

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES
Robotics & Sports Camps @ BA!
Great summer camp options @ BA, including robotics for both middle and high school students (robotics camp flyer attached). Other options include football, girls volleyball and boys and girls basketball camps. Click here for information and registration forms for all our summer options!

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Faribault Golf Course: Kitchen Workers
Faribault Golf Course is seeking 3 part-time line cooks (1-2+ years’ experience) to start the golf season. Pay depends on experience and availability. Call or send resumes to Chef Patty LeBeau at chefpattylabeau@gmail.com or call 612-701-7190.

Vector Marketing Jobs for Class of 2021
Vector has Customer Sales and Service positions available this summer for seniors. Jobs are flexible full or part time positions. Work from home, $18/hour. For more information or to schedule an interview, please apply online at: www.burnsvillework.com.

ATTACHMENTS
Yearbook Order Form
2021-2022 BA/DMCS School Calendar
MS/HS Robotics Summer Camp Flyer

Family Focus 5/14/21

05/19/2021 author

Kris Sauer category

2020-21, May 2021

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May 14, 2021

Dear BA Families:

We are down to our last three weeks of school. It's been an incredible year! I know that our scholars have sacrificed, our teachers have adapted, and together with the grace of God, we have endured a year of challenges while continuing to follow our mission to provide excellence in Catholic education - "to lead, to serve, to inspire, and to seek the truth - Veritas!" Thank you for your partnership, your feedback throughout the year, and your grace as we traveled the challenges together. As we prepare to celebrate our 2021 graduating class with many of the pandemic restrictions lifted, may prayers find our nation, and our world, healed as summer begins.

I will be back at BA this next Monday, healed from my surgery. My fight with cancer looks positive and many prayers have been answered. I still have a journey ahead of me, but feel ready to return. Thank you again for your support. Over the next few weeks the schedule is packed. Please review the events below. Except for Awards Day, we will not be having any early release dates for 6-11th grade students.

This June we are honoring three staff members who will be retiring-Scot Gardner, Eileen Kriechbaum and Tracy Meschke. Please celebrate with us and send cards and notes. A special additional event is also planned for Scot Gardner with his family on June 12 at BA. While we bless our retiring staff, we also need new team members to carry on the legacy of excellence at BA. Please visit our webpage to share these openings with others: https://www.bacards.org/page/3033/categories/13

UPCOMING EVENTS:

May 17: AP Stats Exam
May 19: Home and School Ice Cream treats @ lunches
May 20: FFA - Baby Animal Day
May 21: HS Mass, Extraordinary Ministers Commissioning
May 20-21: Regular Class Schedule w/Senior Cardinal Hour Exams
May 24-25: Senior Exams, Periods 1-3
May 26: Mary Ceremony, 1pm: All school, 4 guests/senior
May 26: Baccalaureate, 7:30pm: All welcome
May 27: Awards Day, 9am: All school, 4 guests/senior, Gr 6-11 dismissed approximately 11:15am, no lunch served
May 27: PSEO registration deadline-see below for more info
May 28: Commencement, 7:30pm: All welcome
May 29: Yearbook order deadline
May 31: Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
June 1-2: High School Final Exams, no early releases
June 2: Last Day of School
June 12: Scot Gardner retirement celebrated hosted by the Gardner Family and BA; 12-2pm, BA Back 40.

KUDOS: To our spring sports teams, athletes and coaches! We are proud of you and thank you for your commitment.

FUNDRAISERS:

Annual Fund: We remain at 99% of our goal of $250,000. We need just under $4,000 before June 30, 2021, to reach this goal. Please share the news and support the mission of BA!
BABS Fund-A-Need: Thank you for the amazing support, we are nearly to our goal of $84,000 to purchase security cameras and updated classroom SMART boards.
Cardinal Club Raffle: We will be mailing out invitations to purchase raffle tickets for our Cardinal Club Raffle. Join the fun and support BA as summer begins!
BA Fair Stand: We are reviewing options for our Fair Stand, see open positions and let us know if interested in supporting us.
Summer Events: Join us at our summer events - the BA Smart Ride and BA Golf Classic. See the details below.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2021-22 Financial Aid Update: Financial aid has been awarded and tuition agreements will be sent soon. If you still need to complete your application, please do so as soon as possible. Contact Kris Sauer if you have questions .

FINISHING THE YEAR STRONG/COVID & MASK UPDATES: With the recent announcements by the CDC and Governor Walz regarding mask wearing for fully vaccinated individuals, we wanted to reach out with the guidance from the MN Department of Education that we are following until updated notice is received:

“The CDC has not yet provided clear guidance for school settings, but has stated that they expect to update guidance for children in school and summer camps soon. Additionally, our youngest Minnesotans remain ineligible for vaccines and eligibility for 12- to 15-year-olds was just announced this week. As a result, Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan, along with the existing face covering guidance for schools and child care settings, remain in effect. Through the end of the 2020-21 school year (last teacher contact day), masks must continue to be worn by everyone inside school buildings or on a school bus.”

We understand that this is frustrating and thank you for understanding that in order to remain open, our school, and all schools, will need to continue with our existing mask wearing policy for all students and staff when inside the building. We will keep you updated should that policy change.

Continue to support protocols and remain vigilant. Please help us keep students healthy and in school the rest of the year. Remember-

Stay home if sick; contact the attendance line with info & symptoms;
We encourage testing OFTEN! See links below. It is encouraged that your student test every two weeks.
If your student or member of your household is getting tested for COVID due to exposure or symptoms, stay home and isolate until you receive and provide a copy of test results to the office.
Consistently wear a mask indoors and continue to social distance from others.

At this time, we have no new positive cases among school students and/or staff and no one is quarantining. Please see links to additional COVID resources below:

Please pray: For Ella Banon, younger sister to BA 8th grader Barak Barner who is recovering with cancer and students separated from BA this year due to anxiety and illness.

Mindy Reeder
President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

NOTE FROM THE NURSE’S OFFICE: Required Immunizations
All students who will be in 7^th grade this fall are required by law to have a Tdap (tetanus booster) as well as a meningitis shot. The meningitis shot is the first in a two-shot series which should be completed at 16 years of age. Students who will be in 12^th grade are required by law to have a second meningitis shot. Students should have had their first shot in the series before the start of 7^th grade. Any students who have conscientious objector forms on file will need to fill out a new form for this fall. If you have any questions or need a conscientious objector form, please contact Mary Herzog in the nurse’s office, 5078-334-3948.

Fair Stand Manager Needed
BA parent or parent team sought to run the BA Cardinal Cafe fair stand July 21-25, 2021, at the Rice County Fair. Tuition reduction and training from the retiring managers provided. Contact Kris Sauer for more information.

Adult 2021 Summer Employment Opportunity
Bethlehem Academy is looking for an energetic adult to help supervise the summer student work program. This student supervisor will work with the students under the direction of the BA maintenance team. The position runs from June 7 to August 13 from 8am-2:30pm with a half hour lunch break. Pay is $12/hour. Contact Steve Zabel at 334-3948 ext. 220 or by email if you or anyone you know may be interested. Position is flexible and may be shared. Deadline to apply is May 21.

BA Employment Opportunities
BA is hiring for a number of positions next year, including an Academic Support High School Position (Part-Time). Send in your resume and two references to mreeder@bacards.org if interested! Other openings include High School Spanish teacher, and Head Boys Basketball Coach. Find more information on these positions on our website here.

Summer Camps @ BA!
Boys basketball camps just added to the BA summer offerings. Other options include robotics, football and girls volleyball and basketball camps. Click here for information and registration forms for all our summer options.

SMART Ride July 29-31, 2021
Save the date for this summer's SMART ride! Single day biking options available or join all 3 days, with camping at Mankato. This great event raises money for student scholarships! Registration opening soon.

Cardinal Golf Classic Aug 6
Registration is now open for the annual Cardinal Golf Classic! This year's event will be held at the Faribault Golf Club Friday, August 6 with a scramble format starting at 1pm. Registration just $100 includes golf, awards dinner, gift and hole contests. Sign up your foursome here today!

Counseling Support: We have learned of a suicide challenges circling social media on TikTok, Twitter and other sites. It involves encouraging teens to engage in "blue whale" and chapstick suicide challenges. Please be sure to talk with your child and be aware of their social media use and accounts. Here are other resources:

Crisis Phone Lines

YouthLine: Text teen2teen to 839863 or call 1-877-968-8491

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: call 1-800-422-4453

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: Text Hello to 741741

Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text "start" to 678-678

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

JUNIORS: Upcoming ACT Test Dates
Register here! for the June 12 exam. Late signup deadline: May 21. Reach out to Ms. Rogers (trogers@bacards.org) with questions.

SENIORS: Grad Party List
A reminder to please email Class of 2021 grad party details (date, time, location, menu) to Barb Johnson for the master class grad party list.

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

COMMUNITY
Paradise Center for the Arts Summer Classes
The Paradise Center for the Arts offers a number of summer youth classes. See attached flyer for more information, or check out their website here.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Faribault Golf Course: Kitchen Workers
Faribault Golf Course is seeking 3 part-time line cooks (1-2+ years’ experience) to start the golf season. Pay depends on experience and availability. Call or send resumes to Chef Patty LeBeau at chefpattylabeau@gmail.com or call 612-701-7190.

ATTACHMENTS
Yearbook Order Form
2021-2022 BA/DMCS School Calendar
Paradise Center for the Arts Summer Youth Classes

Family Focus 5/7/21

05/12/2021 author

Kris Sauer category

May 2021, 2020-21

Leave a comment

May 7, 2021

Dear BA Families:
What a phenomenal concert we had this week! Even though I couldn't join in person, I loved sharing in the joy of the music, ABBA happens to be one of my favorites, thanks Mrs. Kratt! The band scholars also showed their accomplishments. The senior tributes and the greetings to Mr. Gardner touched my heart. Although in Mr. Gardner's retirement we are losing a BA icon, we know that the new teacher will be working with him to ensure that his legacy continues! Special congratulations to our band and choir directors for an event that showcased so many talents.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

May 10: Hoban Merit Scholarship Deadline (see below)
May 12: School Nurse Appreciation Day
May 14: Middle School Mass
May 20: FFA - Baby Animal Day
Testing for AP classes as scheduled

KUDOS: Scot Gardner and Cassie Kratt and all of the music students for the wonderful Spring Concert!

FUNDRAISERS:

Annual Fund: We remain at 99% of our goal of $250,000. We need just under $4,000 before June 30, 2021 to reach this goal. Please share the news and support the mission of BA!
BABS Fund-A-Need: Today we received a generous gift bringing our total to $80,120! Thank you for the amazing support! (Goal: $84,000)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2021-22 Financial Aid Update: We are working on financial aid and hope to have tuition agreements out in the next week or so. Students must be enrolled for next year for aid to be allocated. Contact Kris Sauer if you have questions or need assistance completing enrollment and/or responding to information requests from TADS.

FINISHING THE YEAR STRONG/COVID UPDATES: Continue to support protocols a remain vigilant. Please help us keep students healthy and in school the rest of the year. Remember-

Stay home if sick; contact the attendance line with info & symptoms;
We encourage testing OFTEN! See links below. It is encouraged that your student test every two weeks.
If your student or member of your household is getting tested for COVID due to exposure or symptoms, stay home and isolate until you receive and provide a copy of test results to the office.
Consistently wear a mask, continue to social distance from others - and please ask your students to do so as well especially when not in our building and limit social gatherings.

At this time, we have no new positive cases among school students and/or staff and no one is quarantining. We will continue to follow safety protocols including spacing, mask wearing, ventilation and cleaning as well as the 10 day quarantine. Please see links to additional COVID resources below:

Please pray: For Ella Banon, younger sister to BA 8th grader Barak Barner who is dealing with cancer; families suffering loss of a child in recent accidents; students who have been injured and are recovering; students separated from BA this year due to anxiety and illness, and I welcome continued prayers as well for my healing.

Mindy Reeder
President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

COVID Vaccine Clinic May 11 3:30-6pm
Rice County Public Health will be hosting Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic for anyone 16 years and older from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 11 at Faribault High School, 330 Ninth Ave. SW. Entrance for the clinic will be at Door 3 on the east side of the building. 16 and 17 year olds who attend must have parent/guardian consent via pre-registration or parents are welcome to attend with their student. The vaccine is free and pre-registration strongly encouraged, however walk-in appointments will be available. More information here or by calling Rice County Public Health at 507-332-5910, 507-332-5922, 507-332-5928, or 507-332-5966.

Order your 2020-2021 YEARBOOK
Have you ordered a yearbook for the 2020-2021 school year? May 29 is the deadline to purchase a school yearbook! Cost is $65. Order yours today - see the attached form or order online here. Contact Mr. Zabel if you have any questions.

Fair Stand Co-Manager Needed
BA parent team sought to co-run the BA Cardinal Cafe fair stand July 21-25, 2021, at the Rice County Fair for this year. We have a parent interested, but who knows they have a weekend conflict. Tuition reduction and training from the retiring managers provided. Contact Kris Sauer for more information.

Adult 2021 Summer Employment Opportunity
Bethlehem Academy is looking for an energetic adult to help supervise the summer student work program. This student supervisor will work with the students under the direction of the BA maintenance team. The position runs from June 7 to August 13 from 8am-2:30pm with a half hour lunch break. Pay is $12/hour. Contact Steve Zabel at 334-3948 ext. 220 or by email if you or anyone you know may be interested. Position is flexible and may be shared. Deadline to apply is May 21.

Crisis Phone Lines

YouthLine: Text teen2teen to 839863 or call 1-877-968-8491

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: call 1-800-422-4453

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: Text Hello to 741741

Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text "start" to 678-678

Here is a list of suicide warning signs for teens.

Online School Store Now Open!
BA facemasks, car clings and polos are now available for purchase on our online school store. Also available are BABS fixed priced items, including wrought iron planters and messenger bags. Click here to purchase these great items!

Summer Camps @ BA!
BA will be hosting a number of camps this summer, including robotics and sports camps. Click here for information and registration forms for all our summer camps.

Heritage Days Parade June 15
We are looking for student and parent volunteers to be a part of the BA/DMCS parade float in the Heritage Days parade Saturday, June 15 at 6:15pm! This is a fun way to get a jump start your student’s 2021-2-22 service hours. Email Kris if you can participate.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

Prom 2021
Troy Temple at FCTV used Brent Zabel's Grand March photos to create a Grand March video. Watch it on our YouTube Channel HERE.

JUNIORS: Upcoming ACT Test Dates
Register here! for the June 12 exam. Sign up deadline is May 7; late signup deadline: May 21. Reach out to Ms. Rogers (trogers@bacards.org) with questions.

SENIORS: Mary Ceremony Slide Show photos wanted by May 10: Seniors in Multimedia are currently working on creating a senior slide show that will be presented during the Mary Ceremony. We invite you to drop some photos of memories throughout their years growing up at this link. Students are using photos from this folder for the senior slide show. Please keep in mind we have to limit the video and will not be able to use ALL of the pictures you may put in this folder. Thanks again for helping us capture these memories of your graduates!

SENIORS: Post-Graduate Info Needed by May 13
Seniors need to respond to the Naviance post-graduation survey by May 13 to guarantee that info will be included in the graduation program.

SENIORS: Grad Party List
A reminder to please email Class of 2021 grad party details (date, time, location, menu) to Barb Johnson for the master class grad party list.

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES
Attached please find the middle school quarterly newsletter, which was also emailed to middle school parents on May 5th. Despite the challenges around us, your children continue to learn and grow into fine, young adults. Thank you for partnering with us during this unprecedented year!

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

Scrip Update!!
Bonuses, bonuses, and more bonuses! Check out the attached Scrip Update Newsletter for more information. Place your order by 8:30AM Tuesday and it will be available for pick-up after 10:00AM on Friday.

Sacred Relics of the Saints: Treasures of the Church, May 10 @ DMCC
Divine Mercy Catholic Church presents a teaching and exposition of Sacred Relics on Monday, May 10 at 6:30pm. See attached flyer. Fr. Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross will be here with an extraordinary Vatican collection of over 150 relics, some as old as 2000 years. The Church of St. Dominic in Northfield will present the same program on Saturday, May 15, at 6:00 pm.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Faribault Golf Course: Kitchen Workers
Faribault Golf Course is seeking 3 part-time line cooks (1-2+ years’ experience) to start the golf season. Pay depends on experience and availability. Call or send resumes to Chef Patty LeBeau at chefpattylabeau@gmail.com or call 612-701-7190.

ATTACHMENTS
Middle School Newsletter, May 2021
Scrip Update
Hoban Scholarship 2021 Application
Yearbook Order Form
Sacred Relics DMCC May 10

Family Focus 4/30/2021

05/05/2021 author

Kris Sauer category

April 2021, 2020-21

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April 30, 2021

Dear BA Families:
April is coming to a close and only four full weeks of school remain. The beautiful fresh air breathes spring into our school after the long, hard winter months. What an incredible year it's been! During the next four weeks work especially with your scholar to spend extra time on homework in order to finish the year strong.

As we continue in the liturgical year of Easter celebration, what a blessing to share in the Sacrament of Confirmation with our 8th grade scholars and families, even if it was remotely. They have taken the next step with the Sacrament of Confirmation and are now "sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and strengthened for service to Christ." (US Bishops) Congratulations!

SENIOR PARENTS: What precious weeks and events are yet to occur in May. These memories will be seared into your mind, capturing your heart. Take time off, plan quiet time together, and treasure this final time. Know that I am praying for you and honored to share this time with you. Reminders of events and times will be sent out.

SUMMER PROGRAMMING: This summer we will offer summer sports camps, Robotics and Arts programs, see below. In addition, for some upper classmen who have missed a credit in a class, we will be offering credit recovery this summer. Students will be contacted regarding this option. Take advantage of extending learning this summer to support your scholar!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK - May 3-7th! Send cards, write a note, share your thankfulness for all of the efforts of our teaching staff this next week! It's been an incredible year and they deserve our greatest appreciation.

May 1: Prom Grand March, 5pm, watch live here
May 3-7th: National Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4: AP Calculus BC Exam
May 5: AP English Literature Exam
May 5: Choir and Band Concert, 6 & 7 p.m. Limited attendance but join us online via our YouTube channel or FaceBook page!
May 6: Avant Spanish Test
May 7: HS Mass; AP European History exam
May 12: School Nurse Appreication Day

KUDOS: to Mrs. Sue Jandro & the Junior Class for their work in planning a safe and fun Prom! Congratulations also to our 17 Students of the Month, honored at BA on Thursday morning.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2021-22 Financial Aid Update: We are working on financial aid. Students must be enrolled for next year for aid to be allocated. Contact Kris Sauer if you have questions or need assistance completing enrollment and/or responding to information requests from TADS.

FUNDRAISER UPDATES
BA Annual Fund: THANK YOU! We continue to close the gap and are 99% toward our goal of $250,000. Keep sharing the good news!

BABS Fund-A-Need (FAN): Thank you! We have raised enough through the FAN to add needed security cameras and purchase 12 new interactive SMART Boards for our classrooms. Help us get to 18 SMART boards-donate to the FAN here.

FINISHING THE YEAR STRONG/COVID UPDATES: As we approach the end of the school year, we ask your assistance in remaining vigilant in upholding COVID safety protocols. Please help us keep students healthy and in school the rest of the year. Remember-

Stay home if sick; contact the attendance line with info & symptoms;
We encourage testing OFTEN! See links below. It is encouraged that your student test every two weeks.
If your student or member of your household is getting tested for COVID due to exposure or symptoms, stay home and isolate until you receive and provide a copy of test results to the office.
Consistently wear a mask, continue to social distance from others - and please ask your students to do so as well especially when not in our building and limit social gatherings.

Please pray: For Ella Banon, younger sister to BA 8th grader Barak Barner who is dealing with cancer; families suffering loss of a child in recent accidents; students who have been injured and are recovering; and I welcome continued prayers as well for my healing.

Mindy Reeder
President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES
Band/Choir Spring Concert May 5
The Spring Concert will be held in Van Orsow Auditorium. Choir begins at 6pm, Band at 7pm. Tickets will be distributed as they were for the winter concert and the event will be streamed live on our YouTube channel or FaceBook Page.

Merit-Based Hoban Scholarship Applications Available
Students in grades 8 through 11 are invited to apply for the John E. and Lucille M. Hoban Merit Based Scholarship. Students are required to write a two-part essay and must be a student in good standing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The 2021-2022 application is attached. The deadline for submission is Monday, May 10, 2021.

Order your 2020-2021 YEARBOOK
Have you ordered a yearbook for the 2020-2021 school year? May 29 is the deadline to purchase a school yearbook! Cost is $65. Order yours today - see the attached form or order online here. Contact Mr. Zabel if you have any questions.

Adult 2021 Summer Employment Opportunity
Bethlehem Academy is looking for an energetic adult to help supervise the summer student work program. This student supervisor will work with the students under the direction of the BA maintenance team. The position runs from June 7 to August 13 from 8am-2:30pm with a half hour lunch break. Pay is $12/hour. Contact Steve Zabel at 334-3948 ext. 220 or by email if you or anyone you know may be interested. Position is flexible and may be shared. Deadline to apply is May 21.

Counseling Support: We have learned of a suicide challenges circling social media on TikTok, Twitter and other sites. It involves encouraging teens to engage in "blue whale" and chapstick suicide challenges. Please be sure to talk with your child and be aware of their social media use and accounts. Here are other resources:

Crisis Phone Lines

YouthLine: Text teen2teen to 839863 or call 1-877-968-8491

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: call 1-800-422-4453

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: Text Hello to 741741

Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text "start" to 678-678

Here is a list of suicide warning signs for teens.

Online School Store Now Open!
BA facemasks, car clings and **NEW** polos are now available for purchase on our online school store. Also available are BABS fixed priced items, including wrought iron planters and messenger bags. Click here to purchase these great items!

Home Track Meet Help
Bethlehem Academy is hosting a home track meet on Tuesday, May 11. We are in need of volunteers for these events. Please contact Ed Friesen or Brent Zabel if you are willing to help with either of these duties.

Fair Stand Manager Needed
BA parent team sought to run the BA Cardinal Cafe fair stand July 21-25, 2021, at the Rice County Fair. Tuition reduction and training from the retiring managers provided. Contact Kris Sauer for more information.

Summer Camps @ BA!
BA will be hosting a number of camps this summer, including robotics and sports camps. Click here for information and registration forms for all our summer camps.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

PROM & POST-PROM: Prom is Saturday, May 1, 2021. Attendees should plan to wear masks for most of the evening. Prom will be hosted in our gym, with the Grand March at 5pm and the dinner and dance from 6-9:45pm. Grand March attendees have tickets to attend in person; all others are invited to watch on our BA YouTube channel and Facebook page. You may also join us outside for the outdoor Grand March starting after the indoor program. Attendees will exit the front lobby door and proceeding north around the block to end at the ramp on the Back 40. Parent volunteers needed for Post-Prom; sign up to volunteer for Post-Prom here.

SENIORS: Mary Ceremony Slide Show photos wanted

A note from Mr. Zabel: It is hard to believe that we are already preparing for our Mary Ceremony. We are so proud of the accomplishments our Seniors have achieved over the years. Seniors in Multimedia are currently working on creating a senior slide show that will be presented during the Mary Ceremony. We invite you to drop some photos of memories throughout their years growing up at this link. Students are using photos from this folder for the senior slide show. Please keep in mind we have to limit the video and will not be able to use ALL of the pictures you may put in this folder. Thanks again for helping us capture these memories of your graduates!

SENIORS: Faribault Daily News Graduation Section-May 6 Deadline
The Faribault Daily News will again publish its annual special section featuring area high school graduates. There is also a special online version where seniors can create and personalize a page of their own to share with friends and family. Graduates or their parents may submit a photo (at least 1MB, vertical and preferably pictured from the waist up) and information on the Daily News website at bit.ly/3t6yEL3. It is free; the deadline for graduate submissions is May 6. For more information, contact Regional Managing Editor Suzanne Rook at 507-333-3134 or editor@faribault.com.

SENIORS: Post-Graduate Info Needed
Ms. Rogers sent seniors a Naviance survey this week for information on their post-secondary plans. The survey is required regardless of whether they are undecided, attending 2 or 4 year school, going straight to a career, into the military, anything!! Survey deadline is May 13. Failure to fill out this survey by Thursday, May 13th, means your student is not guaranteed to be in the graduation program.

SENIORS: Grad Party List
A reminder to please email Class of 2021 grad party details (date, time, location, menu) to Barb Johnson for the master class grad party list.

JUNIORS: Upcoming ACT Test Dates
Register here! for the June 12 exam (sign up deadline: May 7; late signup deadline: May 21).

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

Sacred Relics of the Saints: Treasures of the Church, May 10 @ DMCC
Divine Mercy Catholic Church presents a teaching and exposition of Sacred Relics on Monday, May 10 at 6:30pm. See attached flyer. Fr. Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross will be here with an extraordinary Vatican collection of over 150 relics, some as old as 2000 years. The Church of St. Dominic in Northfield will present the same program on Saturday, May 15, at 6:00 pm.

Spring Break 2022 Guatemala Trip
Applications are now being accepted for the 2022 Spring Break Mission Retreat to Guatemala. Deadline to apply is May 1st. Click here for more information.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Faribault Golf Course: Kitchen Workers
Faribault Golf Course is seeking 3 part-time line cooks (1-2+ years’ experience) to start the golf season. Pay depends on experience and availability. Call or send resumes to Chef Patty LeBeau at chefpattylabeau@gmail.com or call 612-701-7190.

ATTACHMENTS
2021-2022 BA/DMCS School Calendar
Hoban Scholarship 2021 Application
Yearbook Order Form
Sacred Relics DMCC May 10

Family Focus 4/23/2021

04/28/2021 author

Kris Sauer category

April 2021, 2020-21

Leave a comment

April 23, 2021

Dear BA Families:
As I write this newsletter on Thursday, sunshine streams into the windows of my home where I continue to recover. As was previously shared, my surgery was successful and additional bone and CT scans did not show any spread of the cancer past my lymph nodes. I am thankful for your prayers and support and will be able to join students, families and staff remotely for the next few weeks.

I was saddened to learn about students connected to our school who have been injured or passed away during these past few weeks. We are thankful for our counselor and your partnership as we support our students during these times. Please continue to reach out to Ms. Rogers or other staff for any emotional needs this spring.

Staff Announcements!
New Band Director Hired: We are excited to announce that Mr. Edward Wendt, Jr. will be joining Bethlehem Academy as our new band director. He will be replacing Mr. Scot Gardner, Bethlehem Academy’s band (and occasional choir) teacher of 44 years. Mr. Wendt comes from the Totino-Grace Fine Arts Academy, where he taught various music groups, and Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Winsted where he instructed high school band and other various groups and ensembles. Please join us as we welcome him into the BA family.

Retirement Announcement: After 33 years, Eileen Kriechbaum has also announced her decision to retire. Her love of the Spanish language and culture has inspired 100s of BA students to continue in their Spanish studies beyond high school. We will miss her energy and love as she transitions to retirement.

Retirement Celebrations: With three dedicated staff retiring this spring, including Tracy Meschke, Eileen Kriechbaum, and Scot Gardner (details below for Mr. Gardner), watch for additional details later this spring to join BA in honoring all three staff as they leave a legacy for all to follow at BA.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

April 26-28: MS MAP Testing - see below
April 26-30: Prom Dress Down Days
- Monday, April 26 - Beach Day
- Tuesday, April 27- Neon Day
- Wednesday, April 28- America Day
- Thursday, April 29- Jersey Day
- Friday, April 30- Prep day (MS students must be in Mass-appropriate clothes
April 29: Student of the Month, 7:30am in the Gym / ACT Aspire 9th grade makeup test day
April 30: Middle School Mass Day
May 1: Prom 2021, Grand March streamed live on our YouTube channel here
May 4: AP Calculus BC Exam
May 5: AP English Literature Exam
May 5: Band and Choir Concert, 6 & 7 p.m. Limited attendance but join us online via our YouTube channel!
May 6: Avant Spanish Test
May 7: AP European History exam

KUDOS: To our Ms. Story and our FFA officers Karlie DeGrood, Brooke Johnson, and Matt Palan for doing such a great job representing BA & our FFA program on KDHL's Tuesday morning radio show!

Congratulations to the Robert's Family - they were the lucky winner of the $200 Amazon gift card, drawn from all families who registered for 2021-22 by April 1st!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2021-22 Financial Aid Update: We are working on financial aid. Students must be enrolled for next year for aid to be allocated.Contact Kris Sauer if you have questions or need assistance completing enrollment and/or responding to information requests from TADS.
2021-2022 School Calendar: copy attached

FUNDRAISER UPDATES
BA Annual Fund: THANK YOU! We continue to close the gap! As of today we have received $246,996 in gifts, 99% toward our goal of $250,000. Keep sharing the good news.

BABS Fund-A-Need (FAN): Thank you! We have raised enough through the FAN to add needed security cameras and purchase 11 new interactive SMART Boards for our classrooms. Help us get to 18 SMART boards-donate to the FAN here.

FINISHING THE YEAR STRONG/COVID UPDATES: As we approach the end of the school year, we ask your assistance in remaining vigilant in upholding COVID safety protocols. We've seen an uptick in students and family members who have been asymptomatic but tested positive for COVID, and numbers in Rice County continue to climb as COVID variants take hold. Please help us keep students healthy and in school the rest of the year. Remember-

Vaccinations now available for students 16 or older! See link below.
Stay home if sick; contact the attendance line with info & symptoms;
We encourage testing OFTEN! See links below. It is encouraged that your student test every two weeks.
If your student or member of your household is getting tested for COVID due to exposure or symptoms, your student should stay home and isolate until you receive and provide a copy of test results to the office.
Consistently wear a mask, continue to social distance from others - and please ask your students to do so as well especially when not in our building and limit social gatherings.

At this time, we have no new positive cases among school students and/or staff. Any confirmed or exposed school members are quarantined. All interested staff have received the vaccine. We will continue to follow safety protocols including spacing, mask wearing, ventilation and cleaning as well as the 10 day quarantine. Please see links to additional COVID resources below:

Please pray: For Ella Banon, younger sister to BA 8th grader Barak Barner who is dealing with cancer; families suffering loss of a child in recent accidents; students who have been injured and are recovering; and I welcome continued prayers as well for my healing.

Mindy Reeder
President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES
Counseling Support: We have learned of a suicide challenges circling social media on TikTok, Twitter and other sites. It involves encouraging teens to engage in "blue whale" and chapstick suicide challenges. Please be sure to talk with your child and be aware of their social media use and accounts. Here are other resources:

Crisis Phone Lines

YouthLine: Text teen2teen to 839863 or call 1-877-968-8491

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: call 1-800-422-4453

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: Text Hello to 741741

Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text "start" to 678-678

Here is a list of suicide warning signs for teens.

Merit-Based Hoban Scholarship Applications Available
Students in grades 8 through 11 are invited to apply for the John E. and Lucille M. Hoban Merit Based Scholarship. Students are required to write a two-part essay and must be a student in good standing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The 2021-2022 application is attached. The deadline for submission is Monday, May 10, 2021.

Order your 2020-2021 YEARBOOK
Have you ordered a yearbook for the 2020-2021 school year? May 29 is the deadline to purchase a school yearbook! Cost is $65. Order yours today - see the attached form or order online here. Contact Mr. Zabel if you have any questions.

Adult 2021 Summer Employment Opportunity
Bethlehem Academy is looking for an energetic adult to help supervise the summer student work program. This student supervisor will work with the students under the direction of the BA maintenance team. The position runs from June 7 to August 13 from 8am-2:30pm with a half hour lunch break. Pay is $12/hour. Contact Steve Zabel at 334-3948 ext. 220 or by email if you or anyone you know may be interested. Position is flexible and may be shared. Deadline to apply is May 21.

Lilly O’Donnell Memorial Service April 30
There will be a memorial candle vigil for Lilly O’Donnell on Friday, April 30, 8:30pm at the Northfield High School football field. Please wear a mask if you plan to attend.

Band/Choir Spring Concert May 5
The Spring Concert will be held in Van Orsow Auditorium. Choir begins at 6pm, Band at 7pm. Tickets will be distributed as they were for the winter concert and the event will be streamed live on our YouTube channel. Additional information will be provided by Mrs. Kratt and Mr. Gardner.

Online School Store Now Open!
BA facemasks, car clings and **NEW** polos are now available for purchase on our online school store. Also available are BABS fixed priced items, including wrought iron planters and messenger bags. Click here to purchase these great items!

BASEBALL APPAREL - Click HERE to order by this Saturday, April 24.

Home Track Meet Help
Bethlehem Academy is hosting home track meets on Thursday, April 29 and Tuesday, May 11. We are in need of 2 more volunteers for these events:

Public Address Announcer - follow a script to announce upcoming races and possible announce results as they become available
Starter's Assistant - assist in getting race results and getting next race participants ready.

Please contact Ed Friesen or Brent Zabel if you are willing to help with either of these duties.

Parent Volunteers for Mr. Gardner Open House June 12
Calling all band parents/guardians! Scot Gardner has served Bethlehem Academy as the band director for 44 years. During his tenure, he has touched the lives of thousands of students, building their confidence, inspiring them with his love of music, and inviting them to strive for excellence both in their music and in life. To celebrate Scot, Cassie Kratt is seeking parents volunteers to help plan a retirement open house to be held at BA on Saturday, June 12. Please email Cassie if you are interested in honoring Scot in this special way. Thank you!

Fair Stand Manager Needed
BA parent team sought to run the BA Cardinal Cafe fair stand July 21-25, 2021, at the Rice County Fair. Tuition reduction and training from the retiring managers provided. Contact Kris Sauer for more information.

Summer Football and Girls Basketball & Volleyball Camps
BA will be hosting a number of camps this summer. Football camps are open to students in Grades 4-12, with a passing camp open to varsity players. Girls basketball and volleyball camps are open to girls in grades 2-8. Click here for information on all our summer sports camps.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

PROM & POST-PROM: Prom is Saturday, May 1, 2021. Attendees should plan to wear masks for most of the evening. Prom will be hosted in our gym, with the Grand March at 5pm and the dinner and dance from 6-9:45pm. Grand March: BA 12th graders attending Prom are allowed 4 guests each. 10th & 11th grade BA students will get 2 guests, as will each non-BA student attendee. Guest names must be provided to Tammy Anderson by Thursday, April 29. Post-Prom and non-BA student guest permission slips are due Wednesday, April 28. Parent volunteers needed for Post-Prom; sign up to volunteer for Post-Prom here.

GRADE 9/10: ACT ASPIRE MAKEUP TEST INFO

The ACT ASPIRE make up test for 9^th grade students is next Thursday, April 29. Students will be contacted individually at school to attend the make-up session. ACT has informed us that we will have test scores sometime in July. To learn more about the test, visit www.act.org/actaspire.

JUNIORS: Upcoming ACT Test Dates
Register here! for the June 12 exam (sign up deadline: May 7; late signup deadline: May 21).

SENIORS: Faribault Sertoma Club Scholarship
The Faribault Sertoma Club is offering two $1500 scholarships for post secondary education. The recipients of the scholarships will best personify Sertoma's motto, "Service to Mankind". Deadline is April 30.

SENIORS: Grad Party List
A reminder to please email Class of 2021 grad party details (date, time, location, menu) to Barb Johnson for the master class grad party list.

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES

Grade 6-8 MAP Testing April 26-28
Middle school students will spend 2 periods daily next Monday through Wednesday (April 26-28) in MAP testing in math, reading, science and language. Please be sure your student gets a good night’s sleep and is well rested for these exams.

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

Spring Break 2022 Guatemala Trip
Applications are now being accepted for the 2022 Spring Break Mission Retreat to Guatemala. Deadline to apply is May 1st. Click here for more information.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Faribault Golf Course: Kitchen Workers
Faribault Golf Course is seeking 3 part-time line cooks (1-2+ years’ experience) to start the golf season. Pay depends on experience and availability. Call or send resumes to Chef Patty LeBeau at chefpattylabeau@gmail.com or call 612-701-7190.

Tri-Star Manufacturing: Assembly Work
Student workers sought for summer assembly work at Tri-Star Manufacturing in Kasson. Contact Peggy Sheldon at 507-331-4347 if interested.

ATTACHMENTS
2021-2022 BA/DMCS School Calendar
Hoban Scholarship 2021 Application
Yearbook Order Form
Sacred Relics DMCC May 10

Family Focus 4/16/2021

04/20/2021 author

Kris Sauer category

2020-21, April 2021

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April 16, 2021

Dear BA Families:

I am pleased to report that Mrs. Reeder's surgery went well and she is resting at home. Your continued prayers for her recovery are greatly appreciated.

BABS 2021 - DENIM & DIAMONDS THANK YOU! Thank you to all the donors, supporters, participants, and volunteers who made BABS 2021 a success! I am pleased to report that so far BABS has brought in $102,886, including $45,916 from the auctions, raffles, and games and $56,970 for our Fund-A-Need (FAN). That is enough in FAN donations to purchase all needed security cameras and 11 new SMART Boards for our classrooms. Our goal is to raise enough to purchase SMART Boards for all 18 of our classrooms. You can watch the video here and donate directly to this year's Fund-A-Need here. Please help if you can, and thank you for helping us raise the dollars needed to continue to empower our students and staff to achieve personal, spiritual, and academic excellence here at Bethlehem Academy!

Upcoming schedule:

April 21: Administrative Professional Day - say thank you to our front office staff!
April 23: HS Mass Day
April 26-28: MS MAP Testing
May 1: Prom 2021

KUDOS: To all our staff and parent volunteers who helped make BABS 2021 possible, including BA seniors Zackary Bartness and Maci Bongers, who produced our Fund-A-Need video. (A video which, according to our auctioneer, Glen Fladeboe, is one of the best he's ever seen!)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2021-22 Financial Aid Update: We will be working on financial awards in the next few weeks. Students must be enrolled for next year for aid to be allocated. If you haven't already, please complete enrollment in FACTS and respond to any emails from TADS requesting financial aid application documents or additional information, as we cannot review/assess incomplete applications. Contact Kris Sauer if you have questions or need assistance with this process.
Earn Tuition Credit - Summer Student Workers Needed: We still have openings in our summer student work program. Students are guaranteed 2 weeks of work and all earnings are credited towards tuition. Contact Barb Johnson to sign up.

FUNDRAISER UPDATES
BA Annual Fund: THANK YOU-what a blessing! We are at $246,878. 98.7% of our goal of $250,000. Gifts to the annual fund can be sent through June 30, 2021 - perhaps we will surpass our goal thanks to prayers and support this year!

FINISHING THE YEAR STRONG/COVID UPDATES: As we approach the end of the school year, we ask your assistance in remaining vigilant in upholding COVID safety protocols. We've seen an uptick in students and family members who have been asymptomatic but tested postive for COVID, and numbers in Rice County are also going up as COVID variants take hold. Please help us keep students healthy and in school the rest of the year by:

Staying home if sick; contact the attendance line with info & symptoms;
If your student or member of your household is getting tested for COVID, your student should stay home and isolate until you receive and provide a copy of test results to the office;
Consistently wear a mask, continue to social distance from others - and please ask your students to do so as well.

At this time, we have 1 positive case among school students and/or staff. Any confirmed or exposed school members are quarantined. All interested staff have received the vaccine. We will continue to follow safety protocols including spacing, mask wearing, ventilation and cleaning as well as the 10 day quarantine. Please see links to additional COVID resources below:

Please pray: For Mrs. Reeder and all members of our community dealing with cancer, including Ella Banon, younger sister to BA 8th grader Barak Barner.

John Wollershim, Assistant Principal
jwollersheim@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES
Parents Volunteers Sought for Mr. Gardner Open House
Calling all band parents/guardians! Scot Gardner has served Bethlehem Academy as the band director for 44 years. During his tenure, he has touched the lives of thousands of students, building their confidence, inspiring them with his love of music, and inviting them to strive for excellence both in their music and in life. To celebrate Scot, Cassie Kratt is seeking parents volunteers to help plan a retirement open house during the early summer of 2021. Please email cricker@bacards.org if you are interested in honoring Scot in this special way. Thank you!

School Store!
Need BA facemasks or car clings? Missed out on buying the cool wrought iron planters on our BABS silent auction?!? We've set up an online school store for these items and more! Click here to purchase these great items! Coming soon: BA polo shirts!

Fair Stand Manager Needed
BA parent team sought to run the BA Cardinal Cafe fair stand July 21-25, 2021, at the Rice County Fair. Tuition reduction and training from the retiring managers provided. Contact Kris Sauer for more information.

Student Summer Workers NEEDED!!
Our summer student work program is back! Interested high school students (grades 9-12 in 2021-22) are encouraged to apply. Please call the BA office @ 334-3948 or email Barb Johnson with the names of your students. Students are guaranteed 2 weeks and will work at both BA & DMCS under the direction of Head Custodian Steve Zabel. Hired students may be asked to work additional weeks. The hourly wage is $8.21/hour. All earnings will be credited to their tuition account.

Summer Football and Girls Basketball & Volleyball Camps
BA will be hosting a number of camps this summer. Football camps are open to students in Grades 4-12, with a passing camp open to varsity players. Girls basketball and volleyball camps are open to girls in grades 2-8. Click here for information on all our summer sports camps.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

GRADE 9/10: ACT ASPIRE MAKEUP TEST INFO
ACT Aspire make up testing will take place the last week of April. ACT has informed us that we will have scores sometime in July. We will keep you posted as we learn more. To learn more about the test, visit www.act.org/actaspire.

PROM: Prom will be held May 1, 2021. Attendees should plan to wear masks for most of the evening. Prom will be hosted in our gymnasium, with the Grand March at 5pm and the dinner and dance from 6-9:45pm. Please note new end time to accommodate fireworks display at the parent-planned Post Prom event. Grand March guests: BA seniors who attend Prom are allowed 4 guests each. BA juniors who attend Prom are allowed 2 guests each. This is per BA student, not per couple. Non-BA student attendees do not have a Grand March guest allotment. (For example: 2 BA seniors attend together=8 Grand March guests; 1 BA junior + 1 outside guest = 2 guests, etc.). Students should provide their guest names to Tammy Anderson by Thursday, April 29. More details to follow early next week.

JUNIORS & SENIORS: AP TESTING INFO
Scheduled AP exams begin at BA on Monday, May 3rd through Thursday, May 13. See attached letter for exam dates and what students should and should not bring to the AP exam.

GRADE 10/11: PSEO Update
PSEO Student Registration: Deadline May 31st, no exceptions. More information about what PSEO is can be found here on the BA website. If your student is interested in PSEO, they must set up an appointment with Ms. Rogers to discuss their options; apply to their selected college’s PSEO program; email Ms. Rogers a completed Notice of Student Registration form and a transcript request, OR meet with Ms. Rogers a second time. If emailed, must be sent before noon on 05/31.

JUNIORS: Upcoming ACT Test Dates
Register here! for the June 12 exam (sign up deadline: May 7; late signup deadline: May 21).

College Visit Info
Virtual College Night Event Week of April 19
BA Students have been invited to a Virtual college night event! With the ongoing challenges of holding in-person College Fairs, the school/college counseling staff from Catholic high schools in the metro area have teamed up to deliver exciting programming for students and families the week of April 19, 2021. These events will include live, virtual sessions with admission representatives from a variety of colleges and universities with a different theme each night. Sessions will begin at 6:30 p.m. with recordings available later. Registration for these events is free, yet necessary to secure a spot, due to limited capacity.

SENIORS: Faribault Sertoma Club Scholarship
The Faribault Sertoma Club is offering two $1500 scholarships for post secondary education. The recipients of the scholarships will best personify Sertoma's motto, "Service to Mankind". Deadline is April 30.

SENIORS: Grad Party List
A reminder to please email Class of 2021 grad party details (date, time, location, menu) to Barb Johnson for the master class grad party list.

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

Guatemala Mission Trip Info Night April 19
Interested high school students and their parents should plan to attend this introductory session held April 19 at 6pm in the St. Faustina Commons. Email Anna at ablessing@divinemercy.cc with questions.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Faribault Golf Course: Kitchen Workers
Faribault Golf Course is seeking 3 part-time line cooks (1-2+ years’ experience) to start the golf season. Pay depends on experience and availability. Call or send resumes to Chef Patty LeBeau at chefpattylabeau@gmail.com or call 612-701-7190.

Tri-Star Manufacturing: Assembly Work
Student workers sought for summer assembly work at Tri-Star Manufacturing in Kasson. Contact Peggy Sheldon at 507-331-4347 if interested.

ATTACHMENTS
AP Exam Dates & Information

Family Focus April 9, 2021

04/16/2021 author

Kris Sauer category

2020-21, April 2021

Leave a comment

Dear BA Families:

I am pleased to report that Mrs. Reeder's surgery went well and she is resting at home. Your continued prayers for her recovery is greatly appreciated.

JOIN US VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON: BABS - DENIM & DIAMONDS, is TOMORROW, April 10! We look forward to seeing many of you at BABS tomorrow night for our in-person event. For those not able to attend, we encourage you to support this great event virtually! The Silent Auction is open and features many wonderful items. Place your bids through Sunday, April 11 at 2pm here. Our Live Auction will be live streamed on both our Facebook page and our YouTube channel. You can donate directly to this year's Fund-A-Need here. Please help if you can!

Upcoming schedule:

April 10: BABS Denim & Diamonds, find info here
April 12: Grade 10 ASPIRE test (NEW DATE); last day to purchse Prom tickets
April 14: Grade 9 ASPIRE test (NEW DATE)
April 21: Administrative Professional Day - say thank you to our front office staff!

KUDOS: Special thanks to our art teacher, Jason Hillesheim, who worked tirelessly to matte, frame and organize four gallery shows for our students this year. What an inspiration to our scholars and way to showcase their gifts! Kudos as well to our Student Council for running a very successful American Red Cross blood drive on Monday.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2021-22 Financial Aid Update: We will be working on financial awards in the next few weeks. Students must be enrolled for next year for aid to be allocated. If you haven't already, please complete enrollment in FACTS and respond to any emails from TADS requesting financial aid application documents or additional information, as we cannot review/assess incomplete applications. Contact Kris Sauer if you have questions or need assistance with this process.
Earn Tuition Credit - Summer Student Workers Needed: We still have openings in our summer student work program. Students are guaranteed 2 weeks of work and all earnings are credited towards tuition. Contact Barb Johnson to sign up.

FUNDRAISER UPDATES
BA Annual Fund: THANK YOU-what a blessing! We are at $246,038 - 98% of our goal of $250,000. Gifts to the annual fund can be sent through June 30, 2021 - perhaps we will surpass our goal thanks to prayers and support this year!

FINISHING THE YEAR STRONG/COVID UPDATES: As we approach the end of the school year, we ask your assistance in remaining vigilant in upholding COVID safety protocols. We've seen an uptick in students and family members who have been asymptomatic but tested postive for COVID, and numbers in Rice County are going up as well as COVID variants take hold. Please help us keep students healthy and in school the rest of the year by:

Staying home if sick; contact the attendance line with info & symptoms;
If COVID testing, stay home and isolate until you receive and provide a copy of test results to the office;
Consistently wear a mask, continue to social distance from others - and ask your students to do so as well.

Rice County Free Mental Health Resources

Please pray: For the O'Donnell family, who lost Lilly (former BA classmate of our junior class) to a tragic car accident last weekend; Ella Banon, younger sister to BA 8th grader Barak Barner; and Mrs. Reeder as she recovers from surgery.

John Wollershim, Assistant Principal
jwollersheim@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

Spring Sports
Spring sport activity fees may be paid online or by sending a check to the school office. The activity fee for baseball, fastpitch softball, golf and track & field is $135 per participant. The $165 fee for trap shooting may also be paid online or by sending a check to the school office.

Student Summer Workers NEEDED!! Sign Up By April 6
Our summer student work program is back! Interested high school students (grades 9-12 in 2021-22) are encouraged to apply. Please call the BA office @ 334-3948 or email Barb Johnson with the names of your students. Students are guaranteed 2 weeks and will work at both BA & DMCS under the direction of Head Custodian Steve Zabel. Hired students may be asked to work additional weeks. The hourly wage is $8.21/hour. All earnings will be credited to their tuition account.

Summer Football and Girls Basketball Camps Registration Now Open
BA will be hosting a number of camps this summer. Football camps are open to students in Grades 4-12, with a passing camp open to varsity players. Girls basketball camps are open to girls in grades 2-8. See attached flyers for more information.

Face masks and BA Car Clings Available for Sale
We are now selling BA face masks and car clings in the BA Front Office! Click here for more information. Send in payment (cash or check made out to BA) with your order to Tammy in the front office or email Tammy with any questions.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

GRADE 9/10: ACT ASPIRE TEST INFO
We have rescheduled the ACT ASPIRE assessments to Monday, April 12 (Grade 10) and Wednesday, April 14 (Grade 9). your child will be taking ACT® Aspire® assessments. We ask you to encourage your child to do their best and get plenty of sleep the night before. To learn more about the test, visit www.act.org/actaspire.

PROM: Prom will be held May 1, 2021. Students in 11th and 12th grade are invited and may invite an outside guest. Attendees should plan to wear masks for most of the evening. Students and guests are invited to Derham Farm at 3pm for pictures. Grand March will be held at 5pm in the BA gym. BA senior prom attendees are allowed 4 guests each and each BA junior attendee will get two guests for the Grand March. It will be live streamed. Prom will be hosted in our gymnasium, with the dinner (all-you-can-eat wood fired food truck) beginning at 6pm, and the dance running from 7-10:30pm. The dance portion of the evening will be limited with creative measures in place to mitigate exposure, as per MDH guidelines. Prom tickets are being sold during HS lunch periods; $30/couple, $15/individual. The deadline to purchase Prom tickets is Monday, April 12. An after prom party is currently being coordinated by junior and senior parents with more details to come.

Dear Parents: Navigating College Admissions-April 13 Virtual Event
Sponsored by the MN Independent School Forum, BA parents are invited to attend this free 6:30pm April 13 virtual event. In his book, Dear Parents (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018), Jon McGee, Head of School at Saint John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville, MN, offered parents of college-bound students a road map for navigating the complex and often emotional challenge of preparing themselves and their children for college. The parent of four children (one college graduate, two currently in college, and one still in high school), McGee will offer insights and guidance drawn from years of personal and professional experience about college, college preparation, and college choice at the various stages of our children’s lives. Click here to sign up for this FREE event.

GRADE 10/11: PSEO Update
PSEO Student Registration: Deadline May 31st, no exceptions. More information about what PSEO is can be found here on the BA website. If your student is interested in PSEO, they must set up an appointment with Ms. Rogers to discuss their options; apply to their selected college’s PSEO program; email Ms. Rogers a completed Notice of Student Registration form and a transcript request, OR meet with Ms. Rogers a second time. If emailed, must be sent before noon on 05/31.

JUNIORS: Upcoming ACT Test Dates
Register here! for the June 12 exam (sign up deadline: May 7; late signup deadline: May 21).

College Visit Info

Virtual College Night Event Week of April 19
BA Students have been invited to a Virtual college night event! With the ongoing challenges of holding in-person College Fairs, the school/college counseling staff from Catholic high schools in the metro area have teamed up to deliver exciting programming for students and families the week of April 19, 2021. These events will include live, virtual sessions with admission representatives from a variety of colleges and universities with a different theme each night. Sessions will begin at 6:30 p.m. with recordings available later. Registration for these events is free, yet necessary to secure a spot, due to limited capacity.

SENIORS: Faribault Sertoma Club Scholarship
The Faribault Sertoma Club is offering two $1500 scholarships for post secondary education. The recipients of the scholarships will best personify Sertoma's motto, "Service to Mankind". Deadline is April 30.

SENIORS: Open Campus
Open campus for seniors in good standing begins today and is offered every Friday through April 30. Daily open campus begins Monday, May 3rd. Seniors may only leave campus during a scheduled lunch or study hall. Signed parent permission is required and students must sign in and out in the front office.

SENIORS: Grad Party List
A reminder to please email Class of 2021 grad party details (date, time, location, menu) to Barb Johnson for the master class list.

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

ATTACHMENTS
Football Passing Camp (Varsity)
Football Summer Camp (Grades 4-12)
Girls Basketball Summer Camp (Grades 2-8)

Family Focus 3/31/21

04/08/2021 author

Kris Sauer category

2020-21, March 2021

Leave a comment

Dear BA Families:

Happy Easter! We hope that this Easter weekend brings your family great joy and hope. As you prepare for the Easter celebration, please see below for a few announcements and reminders for your family from BA faculty. I also wanted to let you know that I have been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be out for surgery April 6-April 16 and working from home April 19-May 14. I expect to return in-person by May 17, just in time for our end of year events and graduation. I appreciate your prayers during this time. John Wollersheim will be back full-time in the building during my recovery.

Don't miss BABS - DENIM & DIAMONDS, April 10, 2021! Please purchase your raffle tickets here and admissions ticket here -you can also stop in the front office for both. We also invite you to donate here, support this year's Fund-A-Need and plan to bid on our fabulous live and silent auction items! Watch for (and share!) our posts on our Facebook page as we add new items. Check out our BABS webpage for all the details, including admissions and sponsors to date! WE ESPECIALLY NEED:

VOLUNTEERS!! Free event admission if you sign up here to help.
Wine, beer, or soda (new unopened bottles) for the Ring Toss!
Gift cards for the "Pick a Pocket" game

PROM: Prom is scheduled for May 1, 2021. Students in 11th and 12th grade are invited and may invite an outside guest. Attendees should plan to wear masks for most of the evening. Students and guests are invited to Derham Farm at 3pm for pictures. Grand March will be held at 5pm in the BA gym. BA senior prom attendees are allowed 4 guests each and each BA junior attendee will get two guests for the Grand March. It will be live streamed. Prom will be hosted in our gymnasium, with the dinner (all-you-can-eat wood fired food truck) beginning at 6pm, and the dance running from 7-10:30pm. The dance portion of the evening will be limited with creative measures in place to mitigate exposure, as per MDH guidelines. Prom tickets will be sold during high school lunches after Easter. An after prom party is currently being coordinated by junior and senior parents with more details to come.

Upcoming schedule:

April 2: NO SCHOOL/Good Friday
April 5: NO SCHOOL/Easter Monday
April 6:
- Red Cross Blood Drive @ BA. See info below.
- Aspire Test for 9th Grade at BA (Breakfast 7:30-8:00am) See more information below.
- Student summer worker deadline. See info below.
April 7: BABS Silent Auction bidding opens. Click here!
April 8: Aspire Test for 10th Grade at BA (Breakfast 7:30-8)
April 9: HS Mass
April 10: BABS Denim & Diamonds, find info here

KUDOS: Thank you to our families for supporting the BA Athletics Association Easter flower fundraiser and special thanks to our volunteers! Also, congratulations to our Ag and Shop Department - we received a $10,000 Cargill grant to support our ag programs, shop and new, small engines classes! Thanks to Pat DeGrood, Sister Mary Margaret and Casi Story for applying for this grant.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2021-22 TADS Financial Aid updates: We are still accepting applications for tuition assistance. We will begin working on awards following the Easter break, so be sure to take advantage of our needs-based scholarship program and apply ASAP using this link: financial aid app. Please respond to any emails from TADS requesting documents or additional information as we cannot review/assess incomplete applications. Contact Kris Sauer if you need assistance with this process.
REMINDER: All new and returning students who have completed enrollment in FACTS by Thursday, April 1 will be eligible for a $200 Amazon gift card drawing! If you haven't already, follow the link from Faribault Catholic Schools/FACTS to finish this today.

FUNDRAISER UPDATES
BA Annual Fund: THANK YOU-what a blessing! We are at $244,545 - 98% of our goal of $250,000. Gifts to the annual fund can be sent through June 30, 2021 - perhaps we will surpass our goal thanks to prayers and support this year!

COVID UPDATES: At this time, we have 1 additional positive case among school students and/or staff. Any confirmed or exposed school members are quarantined. All interested staff have received the vaccine. We will continue to follow safety protocols including spacing, mask wearing, ventilation and cleaning as well as the 10 day quarantine. We will be evaluating any updates from MDH and the CDC for implementation after Easter.

Family vaccine connector: If you or anyone in your family is interested in receiving a vaccine, please sign up at the State of MN's Vaccine Connector, a tool that helps Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Sign up here.
COVID Tests recommended: The Minnesota High School League and Health Department is recommending testing for students if they have symptoms. They are offering free tests and families may receive them at home. Click here to get your free test.
Free Mental Health Resources available to Families: The Rice County Trauma Project has partnered with Advanced Trauma Consulting to create a short video series addressing grief, loss and pandemic trauma. You'll find the toolkit HERE.

Please continue to pray for Ella Banon, younger sister to one of BA's 8th grade students, Barak Barner. Your prayers and support are asked for by the family. Fiind Ella's GoFundMe page at this link. Ella Strong t-shirts may also be ordered here.

Mindy Reeder, President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

Spring Sports
Spring sport activity fees may be paid online or by sending a check to the school office. The activity fee for baseball, fastpitch softball, golf and track & field is $135 per participant. The $165 fee for trap shooting may also be paid online or by sending a check to the school office.

Student Summer Workers NEEDED!! Sign Up By April 6
Our summer student work program is back! Interested high school students (grades 9-12 in 2021-22) are encouraged to apply. Please call the BA office @ 334-3948 or email Barb Johnson with the names of your students. Studens are guaranteed 2 weeks and will work at both BA & DMCS under the direction of Head Custodian Steve Zabel. Hired students may be asked to work additional weeks. The hourly wage is $8.21/hour. All earnings will be credited to their tuition account. Requests for summer work must be submitted by Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

Student Council Blood Drive April 6
BA's Student Council is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive at BA on Tuesday, April 6 (Red Day). Interested parents and students should use this link to sign up and then click on Bethlehem Academy on the left. Spots are filling up fast! If you are 17 years old or older, you are eligible to donate. If you are 16, you can donate with parent permission. See this page for more information about donating and eligibility requirements. FYI that donors will need a picture ID with you on April 6 (driver’s license, BA student ID). Thank you!

Face masks and BA Car Clings Available for Sale
We are now selling BA face masks and car clings in the BA Front Office! Click here for more information. Send in payment (cash or check made out to BA) with your order to Tammy in the front office or email Tammy with any questions.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

GRADE 9/10: ACT ASPIRE TEST INFO
On April 6 (Grade 9) and April 8 (Grade 10) your child will be taking ACT® Aspire® assessments. The valuable data we gain from these assessments allows us to make evidence-based decisions when addressing your child’s strengths, areas for improvement, and growth potential. This can give you an early indication of his or her likely readiness for the future, providing time to address areas where improvement is needed. We will be administering the ACT Aspire Summative assessment to continue charting your child’s progress year-over-year. Measuring academic growth is necessary to keep your child on track for college and career readiness. The test is aligned with the ACT, the most popular college entrance test in the United States. It will allow us to adjust curriculum and instruction as needed, to help maximize your child’s ACT performance in the coming years. We ask you to encourage your child to do their best and get plenty of sleep the night before. To learn more about the test, visit www.act.org/actaspire.

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

Family Focus 3/26/2021

03/31/2021 author

Ed Friesen category

2020-21, March 2021

Leave a comment

Dear BA Families:

Blessed Holy Week! I do pray that Spring Break brought you joy. I know that some students and families are just completing quarantines due to cases, exposure, or travel. We look forward to having everyone back in-person soon! During this Holy Week, BA students will begin on Wednesday with reconciliation. As we celebrate the Triduum, beginning with Holy Thursday and culminating with Easter Sunday, I am overjoyed to be at BA serving our students, staff and families where we can celebrate the gift of everlasting life through Jesus. May your spirit be exuberant this Easter.

This quarter also begins our end-of-year testing, starting with our 9th and 10th grade students taking the Aspire test (see high school section below for more information on this exam). This test is an all-day test on April 6 for 9th grade and April 8t for 10th grade. We will offer a free breakfast for the 9th and 10th grade students on these days from 7:30-8:00 a.m.

BABS - DENIM & DIAMONDS, April 10, 2021: Don't forget to order your raffle tickets here, purchase an admissions ticket here, volunteer to help here, consider a donationhere, support this year's Fund-A-Need and plan to attend in-person or online to bid on our fabulous items! Check out our BABS webpage for all the details, including admissions and sponsors to date! A separate email with all of the information and volunteer needs was sent yesterday.

Schedule for the upcoming three weeks:

March 31: HS & MS Reconciliation
April 1: Complete enrollment by today for a chance to win a $200 Amazon Gift Card!
April 2: NO SCHOOL/Good Friday
April 5: NO SCHOOL/Easter Monday
April 6:
- Red Cross Blood Drive @ BA. See info below.
- Aspire Test for 9th Grade at BA (Breakfast 7:30-8)
- Student summer worker deadline. See info below.
April 8: Aspire Test for 10th Grade at BA (Breakfast 7:30-8)
April 9: HS Mass
April 10: BABS Denim & Diamonds, find info here

KUDOS: Proud of our Shop Students who built birdhouses and donated them to River Bend Nature Center and partnered with the Fire Station on a table project this past month AND our High School Student Council & Student Service Club who led a month-long Lenten service project that brought in 100 pounds of toiletries that were donated today to St. Vincent dePaul for families in need.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2021-2022 Enrollment-WIN a $200 Gift Card! Re-enroll and register for classes by April 1 to be eligible for a $200 Amazon Gift Card drawing! Please email Kris Sauer with questions.
2021-22 TADS Financial Aid updates: We are still accepting applications for tuition assistance. Be sure to take advantage of our needs-based scholarship program and apply by April 5 using this link: financial aid app. Please respond to any emails from TADS requesting documents or additional information as we cannot review/assess incomplete applications. Contact Kris Sauer if you need assistance with this process.

FUNDRAISER UPDATES
BA Annual Fund: THANK YOU-what a blessing! We are at $244,045 - 98% of our goal of $250,000. Gifts to the annual fund can be sent through June 30, 2021 - perhaps we will surpass our goal thanks to prayers and support this year!

COVID UPDATES: At this time, we have 1 additional positive case of school students and/or staff. Any confirmed or exposed school members are quarantined. All interested staff have received the vaccine. We will continue to follow safety protocols including spacing, mask wearing, ventilation and cleaning as well as the 10 day quarantine. We will be evaluating any updates from MDH and the CDC for implementation after Easter.

Family vaccine connector: If you or anyone in your family is interested in receiving a vaccine, please sign up at the State of MN's Vaccine Connector, a tool that helps Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Sign up here.
COVID Tests recommended: The Minnesota High School League and Health Department is recommending testing for students, especially in sports where they have experienced increases. They are offering free tests and families may receive them at home. Click here to get your free test.
Free Mental Health Resources available to Families: The Rice County Trauma Project has partnered with Advanced Trauma Consulting to create a short video series addressing grief, loss and pandemic trauma. You'll find the toolkit HERE.

ALL-BA UPDATES

Spring Sports
Practices for spring sports begin on Monday, March 29. Spring sport activity fees may be paid online or by sending a check to the school office. The activity fee for baseball, fastpitch softball, golf and track & field is $135 per participant. The $165 fee for trap shooting may also be paid online or by sending a check to the school office..

Easter Flower Pick Up March 30-31
Flowers ordered through the BA Activities Association will be available for pickup in BA's Front Lobby Tuesday, March 30 and Wednesday, March 31 from 3:00-6:00pm.

Student Summer Work Sign Up By April 6
Our summer student work program is back! High School students (grades 9-12 in 2021-22) who apply and qualify for financial aid will have first priority; other interested students are encouraged to apply. Please call the BA office @ 334-3948 or email Barb Johnson with the names of your interested students. Students are guaranteed 2 weeks and will work at both BA and DMCS under the direction of Head Custodian Steve Zabel. Hired students may be asked to work additional weeks. The hourly wage is $8.21 per hour. All student earnings will be credited to their tuition account.  Requests for summer work must be submitted by Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

Student Council Blood Drive April 6
BA's Student Council is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive at BA on Tuesday, April 6 (Red Day). Interested parents and students should use this link to sign up and then click on Bethlehem Academy on the left. Spots are filling up fast!  If you are 17 years old or older, you are eligible to donate. If you are 16, you can donate with parent permission. See this page for more information about donating and eligibility requirements. FYI that donors will need a picture ID with you on April 6 (driver’s license, BA student ID). Thank you!

Face masks and BA Car Clings Available for Sale
We are now selling BA face masks and car clings in the BA Front Office! Click here for more information. Send in payment (cash or check made out to BA) with your order to Tammy in the front office or email Tammy with any questions.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

GRADE 9/10: ACT ASPIRE TEST INFO
On April 6 (Grade 9) and April 8 (Grade 10) your child will be taking ACT® Aspire® assessments. The valuable data we gain from these assessments allows us to make evidence-based decisions when addressing your child’s strengths, areas for improvement, and growth potential. This can give you an early indication of his or her likely readiness for the future, providing time to address areas where improvement is needed. We will be administering the ACT Aspire Summative assessment to continue charting your child’s progress year-over-year. Measuring academic growth is necessary to keep your child on track for college and career readiness. The test is aligned with the ACT, the most popular college entrance test in the United States. It will allow us to adjust curriculum and instruction as needed, to help maximize your child’s ACT performance in the coming years. We ask you to encourage your child to do their best and get plenty of sleep the night before. To learn more about the test, visit www.act.org/actaspire.

GRADE 10/11: PSEO Update
PSEO Student Registration: Deadline May 31st, no exceptions. More information about what PSEO is can be found here on the BA website. If your student is interested in PSEO, they must set up an appointment with Ms. Rogers to discuss their options; apply to their selected college’s PSEO program; email Ms. Rogers a completed Notice of Student Registration form and a transcript request, OR meet with Ms. Rogers a second time. If emailed, must be sent before noon on 05/31.

JUNIORS: Upcoming ACT Test Dates
Register here! for the April 17 exam (late signup deadline: March 26) and the June 12 exam (sign up deadline: May 7; late signup deadline: May 21).

JUNIORS: STRIVE Program Information-First meeting March 31
STRIVE is a select group of seniors that meets 8 times during the school year to help students achieve their goals after graduation. Meetings are online via Zoom and in each session we hear from community members who cover topics like goal setting, budgeting, applying for scholarships, career development and more. If you are not able to attend the session live, a recorded version will be available for you to watch. Students who are part of STRIVE and participate in at least 6 meetings will be eligible to apply for STRIVE scholarships. The first meeting is March 31. See attached flyer for more information.

College Visit Info
University of St Thomas Info Session March 31
Join the Virtual Info Session (30 minutes) on March 31st with an admissions counselor who will cover academics, campus life, the admissions process, and basics of financial aid!

Signature College Night: A Virtual Event!

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

ATTACHMENTS
* 2021-22 Rotary Strive Program
* High School Mission Retreat Flyer
* Signature College Nights

Family Focus 3/12/2021

03/26/2021 author

Ed Friesen category

March 2021, 2020-21

Leave a comment

Dear BA Families:

Happy Spring Break! I do pray that your family finds time to refresh and renew in body, mind and spirit this Lent and over our Spring Break. I know that our staff looks forward to this time. Over the last two weeks additional stress was added for both our staff and scholars due to new COVID cases, expanded quarantining and added online learning students. Thank you for shifting with us this Friday as we adapted to these changes in order to finish our 3rd quarter positively. I'm praying that when we return, we are all healthy and refreshed for our final quarter of the school year! Please see updates below for online learning changes.

BABS - DENIM & DIAMONDS, April 10, 2021: Your packets were mailed! Don't forget to order your raffle tickets here, consider a donation here, and plan to attend in-person or online to bid on all of our auction items. Check out our "BABS" webpage for all the details, including admissions and sponsors to date! .

We are also looking for these items for our auction:

Gas outdoor fireplace
Wine, beer and/or your favorite mixers
Gift Cards
Vacation homes/destinations
Sports or golfing outings
Experiences...

Schedule for the upcoming three weeks:

March 15-19: NO SCHOOL / SPRING BREAK
March 23: Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day - send a card!
March 24: High School Stations of the Cross
March 31: HS & MS Reconciliation
April 1: Enroll by today for $200 Amazon Gift Card drawing
April 2: NO SCHOOL/Good Friday
April 5: NO SCHOOL/Easter Monday
April 5: Student Summer Worker deadline
April 6: Red Cross Blood Drive @ BA
April 10: BABS Denim & Diamonds, find info here

KUDOS:

Proud of MS Student - Owen Dotterweich for competing this week in the Regional Spelling Bee and representing BA!
Congratulations to our students of the month! What an honor to hear how dedicated they are each month to one or more of the Dominican pillars of: Prayer, Study, Community and Service. Find the ceremony on our Facebook page here.
Congratulations to senior Verity Wray-Raabolle! She was selected as a National Merit Finalist, one of only a few in the nation. We are proud of her dedication to excellence at BA! See the presentation here, and watch for a Facebook post honoring Verity's accomplishment after spring break.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2021-2022 Enrollment-WIN a $200 Gift Card! Re-enroll and register for classes by April 1 to be eligible for a $200 Amazon Gift Card drawing! Please email Kris Sauer with questions.
Class Registration: BA is expanding course offerings! Students need to register by MARCH 12 to ensure class options for next year. Some classes have size limits.
2021-22 TADS Financial Aid applications still open. We are still accepting applications for tuition assistance. Be sure to take advantage of our needs-based scholarship program and apply via TADS by April 1 using this link: financial aid app. Applications received after this date will be put on a deferred list.

FUNDRAISER UPDATES:

BA Annual Fund: THANK YOU-what a blessing! We are at $242,238 - 97% of our goal of $250,000. Gifts to the annual fund can be sent through June 30, 2021 - perhaps we will surpass our goal thanks to prayers and support this year!

COVID UPDATES: At this time, we have 3 additional positive cases of school students and/or staff. Any confirmed or exposed school members are quarantined. All interested staff have received the vaccine. We will continue to follow safety protocols including spacing, mask wearing, ventilation and cleaning. Plans for BA moving forward:

Online Learners: As we hopefully return to a more normal fourth quarter, please know that online learning is reserved for students quarantining and students with medical/health concerns. If you elected for online learning all year, you are able to continue although we do encourage you to return to in person class. All other reasons for online learning are no longer accepted including: online learning for athletes, vacations, and sick days. This was never the intent of online learning and has resulted in extra stress and academic concerns for both teachers and scholars.
Spring Break Plans: If you are traveling over spring break, please follow the CDC guidelines. Upon return, if your student or anyone in your family is experiencing symptoms, we would ask that you quarantine. As a precaution, you may choose to quarantine for the first three days following spring break to ensure that you do not have symptoms. Please email with any travel-related distance learning requests.
Family vaccine connector: If you or anyone in your family is interested in receiving a vaccine, please sign up at the State of MN's Vaccine Connector, a tool that helps Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Fill out the form to sign up here.
COVID Tests recommended: The Minnesota High School League and Health Department is recommending testing for students, especially in sports where they have experienced increases. This is free and families may receive them at home. Click here to get your free test.
Free Mental Health Resources available to Families: The Rice County Trauma Project has partnered with Advanced Trauma Consulting to create a short video series addressing grief, loss and pandemic trauma. You'll find the toolkit HERE.

Please pray for Ella Banon, younger sister to one of BA's 8th grade students, Barak Barner. Your prayers and support are asked for by the family; find Ella's GoFundMe page at this link. Ella Strong t-shirts may also be ordered here.

Mindy Reeder, President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

Spring Break Volunteers Needed
Maintenance has 65 bags of salt that need to be moved to the boiler room and the Mother Samuel Building over spring break. If interested and able to help, please contact Steve Zabel. Service hours provided. Day/time flexible.

Friday Morning Student-led Rosary
Campus Ministry is leading the rosary every Friday during Lent. Please meet in Ms. Shimota's classroom Friday mornings at 7:40am. Rosaries and prayer sheets will be provided. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to attend!

Spring Break SCRIP Note
Scrip orders will NOT be processed the week of March 15 - March 19 due to Spring Break. Please plan your order for next week accordingly. If you have any questions please contact Peggy Johnson at pjohnson@dmcs.cc

Student Summer Work Sign Up By April 5
Our summer student work program is back! High School students (grades 9-12 in 2021-22) who apply and qualify for financial aid will have first priority; other interested students are encouraged to apply. Please call the BA office @ 334-3948 or email Barb Johnson @ bjohnson@bacards.org with the names of your interested students. Students are guaranteed 2 weeks and will work at both BA and DMCS under the direction of Head Custodian Steve Zabel. Hired students may be asked to work additional weeks. The hourly wage is $8.21 per hour. All student earnings will be credited to their tuition account. Requests for summer work must be submitted by Monday, April 5, 2021.

Face masks and BA Car Clings Available for Sale
We are now selling BA face masks and car clings in the BA Front Office! Click here for more information. Send in payment (cash or check made out to BA) with your order to Tammy in the front office or email Tammy with any questions.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

Junior & Senior Parents: After Prom Meeting March 23
Prom 2021 is on and all junior and senior parents are invited to an After Prom brainstorming session Tuesday, March 23^rd at 6:30pm in the BA Cafeteria. Many hands make light work. Let's make Prom a memorable event in 2021! See parent email sent March 12 or contact Debbie Korman at 507-339-8059 with questions.

FREE ACT/SAT Practice Test & Prep Online
The weekend of March 20 and 21 the Princeton Review is offering a Free Practice ACT and Free Practice SAT, and Scores Back Strategy Session for MN students. They are offering a free practice ACT, SAT, and review session. If your student cannot attend the specific date and time next weekend sign up and your student will have 3 months to take a practice test.

PSEO/CIS/AP Meeting Video Links
If you missed the PSEO/CIS/AP Meeting hosted by Ms Rogers March 4th, find a recording here and on the BA Website in the Counselor's Corner. This video covers each of these pathways for students to earn college credits before graduation! Contact Ms. Rogers with any questions.

SENIORS: Open Campus
Open campus for seniors in good standing will begin on Fridays starting Friday, March 26 through Friday, April 30. Daily open campus will begin Monday, May 3rd. Seniors may only leave campus during a scheduled lunch or study hall. Parent permission is required and students must sign in and out in the front office. Permission forms must be turned in to the Front Office.

SENIORS: College Scholarship Opportunities
There are several national and local scholarships available with deadlines in March, including the Schulze Family Foundation Scholarship, Tri-Lakes Sportsman’s Club Scholarship, Faribo 4 Kids Thomas Laughlin Scholarship, Allina Health Orthopedics Sports Medicine Scholarship, and the Steele-Waseca Electric Coop College Scholarship. Have your students check the Scholarships section of Naviance (find video here; find Naviance information on our web page here) or email Ms. Rogers to find out more.

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH (DMCC) & SCHOOL (DMCS) UPDATES

SCRIP Note: Scrip orders will NOT be processed the week of March 15 - March 19 due to Spring Break. Please plan your order for next week accordingly. If you have any questions please contact Peggy Johnson at pjohnson@dmcs.cc

DMCC Youth Ministry Events

High School Spring Break Mission Night, March 17, 6-9pm
Since we aren't able to physically go on a mission trip to Guatemala, we are bringing a little bit a Guatemala right here! Movie night, discussion, prayer and guest speakers. We will also talk about plan for future mission trips. Open to anyone in 8th grade on up. No registration required. Held in the Youth Room of the IC Basement.

More information and programs on the Divine Mercy Catholic Church High School Youth Ministry page at https://www.divinemercy.cc/high-school

COMMUNITY UPDATES
Faribault Youth Baseball Traveling League Sign Up
Youth baseball traveling leagues are forming now! Practices begin early April. Registration open to March 15. Register at faribaultbaseball.com or email faribaultbaseball@gmail.com with questions.

Attached Files

Youth-Boys-Spring-Football.pdf

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