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Family Focus 1/15/2021

01/15/2021

Ed Friesen

2020-21

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Dear BA Families:

Happy Snow! I hope that this heavier snowfall finds you safe and warm in your home. As our announcement shared yesterday, today is a snow day for our middle school students and an online learning day for our high school scholars. At this point in the year, we want to give our high school students every opportunity to be successful and stay on track toward their academic goals. Thank you for partnering with us in this goal. All afternoon activities and sporting events have been canceled for today.

Congratulations! Special congratulations to our Spelling Bee participants from DMCS and BA: Abby Bauer, Megan Cina, Caden Dokkestul, Owen Dotterweich, Langston Richter, Sarah Tobin, Mikayla Dienst, Keira Dryer, Braiden Johnson, Keira O'Connor, Raymond Onstad, Leighton Richter, Ella Simon, and Adey Wesee. After two hours, our finalists were: 1st- Langston Richter, 2nd-Owen Dotterweich and 3rd-Leighton Richter. I am so impressed with all of the contestants. Such dedication and drive to academic excellence and the Sinsinawan Dominican pillar of study!

Calling All Talented Students! The Bethlehem Academy talent show will be Thursday, February 4th, as part of Catholic Schools Week. Each act will need to be pre-recorded by 3:30pm on Monday, February 1. The video will be presented to the whole school on Thursday. If you would like to participate, please sign up at this link. If you have any questions, please see Mr. Gardner, Mr. Zabel, or Mr. Hillesheim.

Schedule for the upcoming three weeks:

• • Mon, Jan 18: No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
  • Tues, Jan 19-Fri, Jan 22: All students in person learning. Friday High School Mass

• Tues, Jan 19: Right to Life Dress Down Day (see details below)

• Fri, Jan 22: HS Right to Life March in St. Paul and Pregnancy Options of Faribault local event at 6:30 p.m. by their offices with guest speakers (see more info on this local event below).
• Mon, Jan 25: No School - Teacher Workday
• Tues, Jan 26-Fri, Jan 29: All students in person learning. Friday Middle School Mass
• Sat, Jan 30-4pm: BA Catholic Schools Week Mass at DMCC - if your family would like to assist at Mass, please reach out to Mrs. Kratt or Ms. Shimota.
• Catholic Schools Week & Snowball Activities. Theme: Faith. Excellence. Service.
  • Mon, Feb 1- Country vs. Country Club (Hats allowed)
  • Tues, Feb 2- Jersey Day - Day of Giving: students will be creating valentine cards for area seniors
  • Wed, Feb 3 - WIN DAY-come in for support and projects
  • Thurs, Feb 4- Pajama/Relaxed Clothes Day; Buddy Day with DMCS (virtual activities) and BA Talent Show presentation.
  • Fri, Feb 5- Dress to Impress, HS Mass; Snoball Activities & Crowning

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• FREE LUNCH: Will continue through April 30 for all BA students.
• 2021-22 FINANCIAL AID APPLICATIONS OPEN! Apply early for scholarships at this link: financial aid app. Please be sure to take advantage of our scholarship program. The initial application deadline is February 20, 2021.
• MARCH FOR LIFE: This January 22 is the March for Life with the Diocese and/or a local gathering in Faribault with Pregnancy Options at 6:30 p.m (see more info in the community section below).

COVID Update: As of January 8, 2021, we have one new COVID case with possible exposure at school in high school. We do have 11 students choosing distance learning fulltime and 20 students quarantining.

• Updated Student Symptom Screening form and Decision Tree - click on the links for updated information.
• All Illnesses: Please note, if your child is sick at any time, we do not expect them to join online learning. We want to give them time to recover. Just notify the attendance line as you normally would.

FUNDRAISER UPDATES:

• BA Annual Fund: Our goal is to raise $250,000 by June 30, 2021. As of January 15 we are at $130,428 -Thank you! We have another $50,000 pledged bringing us to 72% of our goal. Remember, by making a larger donation in 2021, you may actually decrease your taxable income!

• BABS:We are looking for committee members to join our team of volunteers. If you like to decorate, call for donations, have a talent for arranging silent auction baskets, or just have great ideas, please contact me at my email below. WE NEED YOU!

KUDOS: To our Student Service Club for creating blankets this week in support of Pregnancy Options!

Have a blessed long weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day on Monday!

Mindy Reeder, President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

Right to Life Dress Down Day, Tuesday, Jan 19

Student Service Club is having a dress down day this Tuesday, Jan 19, in honor of Right to Life month. All funds collected will go to buy diapers and other baby items for Pregnancy Options. To dress down (sweatpants ok): pay $1 and/or donate the following items: post-it notes, paper products; K cups for Keurig, tea bags, cleaning supplies (wipes, bathroom cleaner), diapers (sz 4, 5, 6), baby wipes & hygiene items; To wear a hat: add $2; To wear leggings: add $2 (Make sure the sweater or shirt covers up the backside!) Please help this organization out. THANK YOU!

Basketball Games: Spectator Update

The number of spectators that can attend basketball games this season is limited due to State of Minnesota orders. The Gopher Conference is limiting the number to 2 spectators per participant. This restriction allows each school to better meet both social distancing guidelines and any contact tracking requirements should the need arise. (The Big 9 Conference is also limiting spectators to 2 per participant.) Varsity/JV parents have been contacted about the opportunity to purchase passes for the season. Contact Athletic Director Ed Friesen with any questions.

See our online calendar for streaming links to games. Subscribe to our NFHS Network Channel to watch most of our games, both home and away, online.

Home and School: Volunteers Needed!

Home and School - your parent organization! - is looking for new parent volunteers to lead this parent group so vital to our BA community. Jane and Michelle are “retiring” and without new leader volunteers, this group will have to disband. Contact Jane at jandjhillesheim@charter.net or Barb or Tammy in the office (507-334-3948) if you have any questions.

Shadow Days & Tours

Does your student have a friend interested in BA? Invite them to join them for a shadow day (classmates are encouraged to come together) or for a personal family tour. Sign up to shadow here; sign up for a family tour (offered Mon-Fri from 3-6pm) here. Applications are now open for 2021-2022! Find more information on our admission page.

BA Angel Hot Lunch Fund

The lunch program still has over $1500 in negative hot lunch accounts. If you are able during this time of free hot lunches, please consider donating to help clear these accounts. If 30 BA families donated $50 each, we could bring current all accounts and help our families who are struggling during this pandemic. Drop a donation in an envelope marked “BA Angel Lunch Account Fund” in the front office; contact Tracy Meschke at tmeschke@bacards.org with any questions. Thank you!

Facemasks and BA Car Clings Available for Sale

We are now selling BA facemasks 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.

Wanted: Spring Sports Coaches

We have the following spring sports coaching positions open: Head Baseball, Assistant Baseball, Middle School Baseball, Head Track & Field, Assistant Track & Field (# of assistants to be determined). If you or someone you know is interested please contact Athletic Director Ed Friesen at efriesen@bacards.org. At this time, we believe the spring season will start late March or early April – a couple of weeks later than normal.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATE

Interested in College Band?

Members of the Notre Dame Band are hosting a series of virtual open house events for high school students interested in college band. The open house for the Minnesota, the Dakotas and Montana region is THIS SUNDAY, January 17th, at 6pm EST / 5pm CST.RSVP HERE. Notre Dame band members will be talking about aspects of college band in general, as well as information about the Notre Dame Band. This event is intended for high school juniors and seniors, but freshmen and sophomores are invited to attend as well.

Current 10th & 11th Grade Students: PSEO for Fall 2021

PSEO offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take courses at eligible post-secondary institutions. Students must meet the admissions requirements of the post-secondary institution, but do not pay for tuition, fees, or books. They earn high school credit and, if students continue their education beyond high school, colleges or universities may choose to transfer their completed coursework through PSEO as college credits. Students interested in taking PSEO courses at South Central or other colleges and universities must discuss this option with the counselor prior to clss registration, which will open to returning students the week of February 22. Please note that many schools have deadlines as early as the beginning of April. FAQs about PSEO can be found here on Counselor's Corner on the BA website. If you have any questions concerning PSEO, please reach out to Ms. Rogers at trogers@bacards.org.

ACT Test Prep Class through Faribault Community Education

As they have done in the past, Faribault Community Education is offering an ACT Test prep class through Advantage Test Prep (other classes and locations found at www.advantageprep.net). The 3-hour classes are held on 4 Saturdays starting January 30 at the Faribault Education Center. There is also an online class option. Click here for more information.

Juniors (and Seniors): ACT Test Sites Re-opening

Students whose ACT test was cancelled last December should check their registration status through their ACT.org account. Testing sites have begun to re-open in Minnesota, and students may be able to register for upcoming tests. The deadline for February 6 test registration is Friday, January 15. Please contact Ms. Rogers at trogers@bacards.org with any questions.

SENIORS:

FAFSA Updates 2021

The covid relief bill passed at the end of 2020 included some significant changes to the FAFSA. Here is an article that explains what changes were made. FAFSA is also providing a free educational webinar to the public on all recent changes to the college process on Wednesday, January 27 at 7pm. You can join through this Zoom Link. For other information about financing your student's education, please check out this page on the BA website, or reach out to Ms. Rogers at trogers@bacards.org with any additional questions.

College Deadline Update Emailed to Seniors: It is getting to that point where college deadlines have either recently passed or are coming up very soon! Contact Ms Rogers If you need: mid-year transcripts, information about schools/programs or pathways to your chosen trade, or help with scholarship applications. If you have received a decision about your application: update your application status in Naviance. If you have decided where you are going next year: update your decision status in Naviance. If you are still considering your plans for next year, email Ms. Rogers at: trogers@bacards.org to discuss your options.

Tri-Lakes Sportsman’s Club Scholarship

Graduating seniors interested in the outdoors and/or pursuing a degree in the outdoors or the environment are invited to apply for a $500 scholarship sponsored by the Tri-Lakes Sportsman’s Club. An application and personal essay, due March 10, is required. See Naviance or Ms. Rogers for more information.

Faribo 4 Kids Thomas Laughlin Scholarship

Faribo 4 Kids is sponsoring the Thomas Laughlin scholarship opportunity. There are 2 scholarships, each worth $1500. Applications must be postmarked by March 19, 2021. Seniors were sent this email Jan 6; more information can also be found through "Scholarships" on Naviance.

Allina Health Orthopedics Sports Medicine Scholarship

Allina Health Orthopedics will be offering two $2,500 scholarships, which will be awarded annually to one female and one male student athlete who intends to attend college to pursue a career in sports medicine. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2021. Contact Ms. Rogers for more information.

Steele-Waseca Electric Coop College Scholarship

Are you a Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric customer who has a Class of 2021 scholar planning to continue his/her education full-time at a two- or four-year technical school or college? If so, please have your senior email Ms. Rogers to find out more about applying for a $500 scholarship. Eligible students will be asked to fill out a form detailing academics, school and community involvement, and submit a short essay on their future goals.

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES

MS Positivity Project

In our religion classes MS scholars will be looking for the characteristic of perseverance within themselves and in their classmates. Perseverance is a quality we want all of our students to strive toward. Attached please find the perseverance card for your information and for extended conversations at home.

AIM Higher K-8 Scholarship

The Aim Higher Scholarship is a $1,000, student-based scholarship awarded to K-8 students from families with demonstrated need. This year's application deadline is February 20, 2021. Application is via the online TADS financial aid form found here. Click here to find more information via the English flyer and the Spanish flyer.

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATES

Middle School Edge/High School Youth Group

Middle School EDGE & High School Youth Group is open to all BA families. This is another great opportunity for your students to gather with others that want to grow in their faith and to enhance what they are learning in the classroom. Registration is required for both. Visit www.divinemercy.cc/faith-formation for more information.

COMMUNITY UPDATES

Pregnancy Options March for Life Event, Jan 22 6:30pm in Faribault

Pregnancy Options invites you to gather with them at 6:30pm January 22 in the street in front of Pregnancy Options (18 2nd St NW, Faribault). There will be hot apple cider and hot chocolate along with candles. We will be praying for the end of abortion, the overturning of Roe v Wade, and the strength of Pregnancy Options. Mayor Kevin Voracek will be present and will sign a proclamation on the Sanctity of Life in Faribault. Rep. Brian Daniels, Sen. John Jaskinski, and a representative from MCCL have been invited to come to share a few words. They are offering this as an alternative to and/or in addition to going to the Capitol. This will not be a long event and the center will be open if you would like to visit. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please contact the director, Gina Little. There are many ways to participate depending on what you are interested in! Gina’s email is gina@pregnancyoptionsfbo.org.

Faribault Soccer Association Summer Registration

Registration for the Faribault Soccer Association summer program is now open. The deadline to register for Traveling Soccer is February 6th. The players age is their age on December 31, 2021. Register online here; more information on the website here.

Family Focus 1/8/2021

01/08/2021

Ed Friesen

2020-21

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January 8, 2021

Dear BA Families:

Happy New Year! Our first semester ended with much success. So many of our students worked incredibly hard to end the semester positively. THEY ARE DEDICATED SCHOLARS! I pray for our students each week and am so grateful to partner with you and our staff as we celebrate their success. 

We will be in our Hybrid Phase One learning model next week, and in person every day the last two weeks of January due to previously scheduled days off:

• Week Jan 11-15: Students in building Mon-Tues, Thurs-Fri. No class Wednesday-faculty available for student support. Friday, Jan 15 - Middle School Mass day.
• Monday, Jan 18: No School. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday 
• Tue, Jan 19-Fri, Jan 22: All students in person learning. Friday High School Mass
• Mon, Jan 25: No School - Teacher Workday
• Tues Jan 26-Fri, Jan 29: All students in person learning. Friday Middle School Mass

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• FREE LUNCH: All BA students will receive Free Hot Lunch through April 30 due to our acceptance into a COVID relief program. An email (copy attached) regarding this was sent out earlier this week. Special thanks to our lunch program team who took the additional steps and to qualify BA for this program. 
• FINANCIAL AID APPLICATIONS OPEN: An email (copy attached) was sent to families inviting you to apply for financial aid for 2021-2022. Please be sure to take advantage of our scholarship program. Early applications encouraged; the initial application deadline is February 20, 2021. 
• MARCH FOR LIFE: This January 22 is the March for Life with the Diocese. Please see the information to sign up your scholar. Space is limited this year due to COVID protocols, please sign up by Tuesday, January 13 as this is a wonderful opportunity for our students to actively participate with others of their faith.

COVID Update: As of January 8, 2021, we have not had any additional Covid-19 cases where students have been in school. We do have 25 students distance learning due to personal requests, confirmed cases at home or exposure.

• Updated Student Symptom Screening form and Decision Tree - click on the links for updated information.
• All Illnesses: Please note, if your child is sick at any time, we do not plan to have them join online learning. We want to give them time to recover. Just notify the attendance line as you normally would. They will have time to make up assignments.

FUNDRAISER UPDATES:

• BA Annual Fund: Our goal is to raise $250,000 by June 30, 2021. As of January 8 we are at $125,200 -Thank you! We have another $50,000 pledged bringing us to 70% of our goal. Remember, by making a larger donation in 2021, you may actually decrease your taxable income! 

• BA Bash Raffle: Thank you for participating in our new, BA Bash Raffle. BA profited $12,400 from the raffle. Our budgeted goal was $10,000. Congratulations to our winners: 1stPrize: Joanne DeGrood; 2ndPrize: Jolene Mostrom; 3rdPrize: Pam Sartor

Thank you for your feedback on our winter survey. These results and your input is helping us reaffirm areas of strength and plan for areas for growth, not only for this year, but next year as well. We look forward to revised and additional classes, expanded spiritual activities and experiences, accelerated programming, community building events and additional student support. God is great! Keep praying for all that God has planned for your scholar and BA!

Mindy Reeder, President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

Robotics Returns Monday, January 11

After a required pause, the Vex Robotics Club is ready to get back to action! Any grade 6-12 BA student interested in joining should plan to meet Mondays starting Jan 11 from 3-5pm in the BA library. No fees this year. If interested and not yet signed up, please bring a copy of the attached form to the Monday’s meeting. Contact Coach Robinson at mrobinson@dmcs.cc with any questions.

Home and School: Volunteers Needed!

Home and School - your parent organization! - is looking for new parent volunteers to lead this parent group so vital to our BA community. See attached letter for more information; contact Jane Hillesheim or Barb or Tammy in the office (507-334-3948) if you have any questions.

Shadow Days & Tours

Does your student have a friend interested in BA? Invite them to join them for a shadow day (classmates are encouraged to come together) or for a personal family tour. Sign up to shadow here; sign up for a family tour (offered Mon-Fri from 3-6pm) here. Mid-year transfers are welcome, and applications are now open for 2021-2022. Find more information on our admission page.

BA Angel Hot Lunch Fund

The lunch program still has over $1500 in negative hot lunch accounts. If you are able during this time of free hot lunches, please consider donating to help clear these accounts. If 30 BA families donated $50 each, we could bring current all accounts and help our families who are struggling during this pandemic. Drop a donation in an envelope marked “BA Angel Lunch Account Fund” in the front office; contact Tracy Meschke at tmeschke@bacards.org with any questions. Thank you!

Facemasks and BA Car Clings Available for Sale

We are now selling BA facemasks and car clings in the BA Front Office! Click here to see the facemask and here for the car clings. They are “sold out” in the school store because they are now available here at BA! Send in payment (cash or check to BA) with your order to Tammy in the front office or Email Tammy with any questions. 

Semester 1 Report Cards

Semester 1 report cards were sent in a password-protected email earlier this week.  Please contact us if you did not receive the report card or had difficulty with opening the report card.

Winter Sports has Begun!

The winter sports teams began practicing this week.  The first games will take place at the end of next week.  Seating capacity will be limited to 2 spectators per participant; some junior high venues may be more limited.  Most games will be live-streamed.  Visit our online school calendar or our sports website for schedules, including streaming links.  Or, download the rST Activity Scheduler app to your smart phone to access schedules and streaming links.  For coop sports schedules and streaming links, visit their online calendar or sports website.

Wanted: Spring Sports Coaches

We have the following spring sports coaching positions open: Head Baseball, Assistant Baseball, Middle School Baseball, Head Track & Field, Assistant Track & Field (# of assistants to be determined). If you or someone you know is interested please contact Athletic Director Ed Friesen at efriesen@bacards.org. At this time, we believe the spring season will start late March or early April – a couple of weeks later than normal.

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

Faribo 4 Kids Thomas Laughlin Scholarship

Faribo 4 Kids is sponsoring the Thomas Laughlin scholarship opportunity. There are 2 scholarships, each worth $1500. A copy of the application form is attached. Applications must be postmarked by March 19, 2021. Seniors were sent this email Jan 6; more information can also be found through "Scholarships" on Naviance.

Allina Health Orthopedics Sports Medicine Scholarship

Allina Health Orthopedics will be offering two $2,500 scholarships, which will be awarded annually to one female and one male student athlete who intends to attend college to pursue a career in sports medicine. Deadline to apply is March 1, 2021. Contact Ms. Rogers for more information.

Steele-Waseca Electric Coop College Scholarship

Are you a Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric customer who has a Class of 2021 scholar planning to continue his/her education full-time at a two- or four-year technical school or college? If so, please have your senior email Ms. Rogers to find out more about applying for a $500 scholarship. Eligible students will be asked to fill out a form detailing academics, school and community involvement, and submit a short essay on their future goals.

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES

AIM Higher K-8 Scholarship

The Aim Higher Scholarship is a $1,000, student-based scholarship awarded to K-8 students from families with demonstrated need. This year's application deadline is February 20, 2021. Application is via the online TADS financial aid form found here. Find more information via the English flyer and the Spanish flyer.

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATES

March for Life Friday, January 22

As promoted to our high school students in religion class: high school and college students are invited to this day of prayer, inspiration, pro-life education and advocacy for the pre-born. Families are welcome and may register as a group. Cost is $25 per person; lunch and transportation provided by Divine Mercy Youth Ministry. Online registration by January 13 required. Click here to learn more. There will some phenomenal speakers, and the group will be marching from St. Agnes to the Capitol for the MCCL rally at the Capitol. Space is limited due to COVID transportation restrictions.

Middle School Edge/High School Youth Group

Middle School EDGE & High School Youth Group is open to all BA families. This is another great opportunity for your students to gather with others that want to grow in their faith and to enhance what they are learning in the classroom. Registration is required for both. Visit www.divinemercy.cc/faith-formation for more information.

Family Focus 12/11/2020

12/11/2020

Ed Friesen

2020-21

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December 11, 2020

Dear BA Families:

Blessed 2nd Week of Advent! This week brought BA students and staff together both here and online for our Immaculate Conception Holy Day Mass. What a joy to celebrate this feast day.

BA RECEIVES FULL ACCREDITATION! After our review we are happy to share that Bethlehem Academy continues as a school of excellence and is now fully accredited by MNSAA for another seven years. Each accreditation review period has us reflect on our strengths and areas for growth. Please visit our strategic plan here for updates on our progress. 

This week my father quietly left this world. He loved Christmas and in the past had portrayed St. Nicholas for the students at my Catholic elementary schools, even though he was a Lutheran! It’s fitting that God called him home the morning after the feast day for St. Nicholas. I thank the BA community for your kind words and prayers during this time of loss. You may view his story at: https://www.parkerkohlfuneralhome.com/obituary/JamesJim-Biers Others of the BA family also recently passed including Father Patrick Griffin. Our prayers are with all families at this time who are experiencing loss as their loved ones are called home.

This next week we will be in our Hybrid Phase One learning model. Here is a review of the week ahead, a detailed bell schedule for the week is attached:

• Monday, Dec 14, Red Day: All students in person learning. Ugly Sweater $1 Dress Down Day, proceeds to purchase masks for St. Vincent de Paul. Band practice, all grades.
• Tuesday, Dec 15, White Day: All students in person learning. Christmas Sock Day. Special high school schedule for reconciliation/regular middle school schedule. Band practice, all grades.
• Wednesday, Dec 16: No classes scheduled. Students may be asked to come in for exams (distance learners) and/or additional assistance/review as arranged with teachers.
• Thursday, Dec 17, Red Day: All students in the building. Special middle school schedule for reconciliation. Regular schedule for high school. Red Day high school final exams/activities.
• Friday, Dec 18, White Day: Middle school Mass celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe. MS follows a Mass day dress code and schedule. High school follows a regular White Day schedule. White day high school final exams/activities. Parent and student surveys due by 6pm.
• Monday, Dec 21- Friday, Jan 1: NO SCHOOL / MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY 2021!

COVID Update: As of December 9, 2020, we have not had any additional cases and remain at nine positive Covid-19 cases in our BA family (members who have tested positive but not transferred through school.) Presently we have only one student quarantining due to outside exposure, not exposure through BA and therefore we are returning to school next week in Hybrid Phase One (all students here, four days a week). Please continue to follow the protocols at home and any time your family is in public so that we can offer hybrid or full in-person learning in the months ahead depending on our numbers, the County numbers, and State and Archdiocese recommendations. 

• Updated Student Symptom Screening form and Decision Tree - click on the links for updated information.
• Traveling for Christmas or gathering with groups outside of your immediate family? Please plan to quarantine at home and notify the school office that your child will be online that first week in January. Call/email the school attendance line (334-3948, attendance@bacards.org) to let us know. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students and staff safe!

BA Survey: Please take a few minutes to respond to our survey questions as we complete our first full semester of the academic year. We ask that you please complete the survey by next Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. Find the parent survey at this link and the student survey at this link.

FUNDRAISER UPDATES:

• BA Annual Fund: Our goal is to raise $250,000 by June 30, 2021. As of December 9 we are at $80,044-Thank you! We invite you, or your extended family, to help us achieve $100,000 in our Annual Fund by Christmas! This is a great time to give! With the 2020 COVID giving tax rule changes, all donations of any amount can be taken as a tax credit in 2020. Please spread the news and help us achieve $100,000 by Christmas!

• BA Bash Raffle Tickets-Looking for a unique stocking stuffer? Order 2020 BA Bash Raffle tickets! Only 1000 $25 tickets printed - send your payment to the front office today and we’ll place you in the drawing. Top Prize-$2020, 2nd Prize-$1020, 3rd Prize: $520. Proceeds help us cover extra costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click HERE to download your order form. All ticket orders must be received by December 30, 2020. Thank you!

KUDOS: Congratulations to Elliot Smith ‘21, one of only 14 MN students named to the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Class 1A Individual Academic All-state Team and to the following on being named to the Gopher Volleyball All-Conference Team: Brianna Radatz ‘21 (1st team); Kennedy Tutak ‘21 (second team); Reagan Kangas ‘23 (honorable mention) and Jennifer Robert (sportsmanship award). Brianna, Kennedy, and Kate Trump ‘23 were also named to the Faribault Daily News All-Area Volleyball Team!

Blessings during our first week of Advent! Please continue to pray for the Gardner family.

Mindy Reeder, President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Christmas Break will be a full two week break to clean our building and allow additional professional development time for our staff. We will be out of school Dec. 21-Jan. 1, 2021.

ALL-BA UPDATES

Christmas Spirit Dress Down Day Monday!

Get in the Christmas spirit! SADD and BA’s Student Service Club are sponsoring a $1 Christmas Sweater Dress Down Day on Monday, December 14. As they requested, all proceeds will go to purchase face masks for St. Vincent de Paul. Mask donations are also welcomed. Extend the Christmas spirit and wear Christmas socks on Tuesday-no donation required. 

MS and HS Band/Choir Next Week

Thank you to David Swenson ‘15 for filling in for Mr. Gardner! A reminder that both high school and middle school students will have band Monday and Tuesday next week, December 14 and December 15. Please be sure your students have their instruments as we will be recording their Christmas songs on Tuesday to share with our community later in the week. Choir will record on Thursday, Dec 17. Students will not have band practice next Thursday and Friday but will have a study hall instead. 

Attendance Reminders

A gentle reminder to call or email the front office (507-334-3948 or attendance@bacards.org) for any changes to your scholar’s attendance - doctor appointment, excused absence, college visit, change in distance learning, etc. They will then inform your scholar’s teachers. Thank you for your help with this!

Home and School Update

It’s not too late to pay your Home and School dues! Please turn your $25 in at the front office. Also a reminder that Home and School is looking for new parent volunteers. See the attached Christmas letter from Michelle and Jane. New volunteers are needed or this group so vital to our school community will have to end. Thank you!

Make your voice heard!

A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and House members have revived the COVID relief talks and the US Council of Cathlic Bishops (USCCB) is asking for our help to ensure Catholic schools are included in this new legislation. To tell Congress Catholic schools need access to emergency aid, click on this link to share your support.

BA Christmas Angel Fund

Help us support BA families in need!Please consider a donation to the Christmas Angel Student Lunch Account Fund. Many families in our BA community are struggling in a multitude of ways this Christmas season. Please keep them all in your prayers and, if you are able, please consider donating to help families cover their students’ lunch accounts, many of whom fall just outside the federal and state guidelines for assistance. Donations can be dropped off at the BA front entrance or mailed to our address. Thank you!

Prospective Student Visit Options

Help us grow our student enrollment and spread the good news about BA! Take the Future Cardinal Challenge and invite one family/student to join us for a personal touror one of our limited shadow opportunities. Mid-year transfers are welcome, and applications are now open for 2021-2022. Find more information on our admission page.

Alumni Update Form

We would appreciate any updates for your post-college graduates. Please fill out the attached form and email it to Sister Mary Margaret. Alumni can also update their contact information, sign up for our Veritas newsletter, or share news on our Alumni website page found here. Thank you! 

Mobile Food Distribution: Volunteers & Distribution Info

Area community groups have joined forces to provide mobile food distribution. Drop off sites are Thursday, 12/17 at South Central College and 12/18 at Evergreen Estates and Cannon River Mobile Home Park. Flyers in English and Spanish attached with more information. 

Holiday Shopping: Amazon Smiles

If you are holiday shopping via Amazon, go to https://smile.amazon.com, pick Bethlehem Academy as your organization and AmazonSmile will donate to BA, at no cost to you. It works with Amazon Prime and you can use Scrip to pay for your purchases. Thank you!

Holiday Scrip: Holiday SCRIP is a great option for gift giving! You purchase these small denomination gift cards after all Sunday Masses at Divine Mercy Catholic Church and from the Divine Mercy Catholic School Business Office at 15 SW Third Avenue. 

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

December ACT Exam Cancelled

The ACT for December 12 has been cancelled due to COVID 19. If you were planning to take the test on this date, you should be rescheduled for a future date. A reminder to seniors: most schools right now are test optional due to the pandemic. Please contact Ms. Rogers if you have questions or need help rescheduling your ACT exam. 

Unemployment Benefits to HS Students

The State of MN has announced that due to Covid-19, high school students who have lost work due to the pandemic may be eligible to receive unemployment. If your student lost their job due to the pandemic, they may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. The application deadline is December 26. FYI that Ms. Rogers also emailed this information to all high school students December 10. Find more information here. 

Ag Career Scholarship

The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) is providing four $5,000 scholarships to MN students who are pursuing a career in agriculture. Find the application is at mncorn.org/scholarships. The deadline to apply is January 8. Scholarship applicants must be a young adult member of MCGA who is working toward a degree in an agriculture-related field. 

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATES

Middle School Edge/High School Youth Group

Middle School EDGE & High School Youth Group is open to all BA families. This is another great opportunity for your students to gather with others that want to grow in their faith and to enhance what they are learning in the classroom. Registration is required for both. Visit www.divinemercy.cc/faith-formation for more information. 

Family Focus 12/4/2020

12/04/2020

Ed Friesen

2020-21

Leave a comment

Dear BA Families:

Welcome Advent! What a blessing to celebrate Advent and prepare our hearts for the joyous celebration of Christmas and the birth of our Savior. Bethlehem Academy is decked in Advent reminders, from our creche to our Advent wreath. During our full hybrid model, a member of our Peer Ministry group is reading an Advent prayer each Monday and Thursday morning while we light the first week’s candle. 

This week Mrs. Jandro returned to her math classroom. We are so excited to have her back at school and invite everyone to continue to pray for her extended healing. In addition, we will have a substitute teacher for Band. Welcome to David Swenson, Class of 2015 alum and a music and theology graduate studies student at the University of Notre Dame. He will sub over the next two weeks for band rehearsals when he is available. Please remind your scholar to bring their band instrument! 

This next week we will continue with our full hybrid learning model. Here is a review of the week ahead:

• Monday, Dec. 7: All A-Ka scholars report; Ke-Z scholars report online to PowerSchool and check in with all classes for lessons and assignments. (Unless you have made other arrangements.)
• Tuesday, Dec. 8: MASS DAY SCHEDULE 8:05 a.m. - All in person and online students report, middle school to homeroom, high school to first hour classes. All students in the building will attend Mass in our gymnasium as it is a Holy Day and DMCS will be at IC Church. Students at home (Ke-Z) are asked to join us online on our YouTube channel. (www.tinyurl.com/BethlehemAcademy)

9:30 a.m. – Ke-Z students report online to PowerSchool and check in with all first hour classes for lessons and assignments.

• Wednesday, Dec. 9-Student Support Day (WIN): Students needing support or time for projects may schedule time to come into the building or may be requested to report by a teacher. Student Service Club will be packing COVID bags for St. Vincent de Paul from 2-3pm.
• Thursday, Dec. 10-Friday, Dec 11: All Ke-Z scholars report; A-Ka report online to PowerSchool and check in with all classes for lessons and assignments. (Unless you have made other arrangements.)

COVID Update: As of December 3, 2020, we have had 9 positive Covid-19 cases in our BA family (members who have tested positive but not transferred through school.) Presently we have 22 students quarantining due to outside exposure, not exposure through BA. Please continue to follow the protocols at home and any time your family is in public so that we can offer hybrid or full in-person learning in the months ahead depending on our numbers and State and Archdiocese recommendations. When these numbers drop, or we have no additional cases in our BA family, we can consider changing learning models.

• Updated Student Symptom Screening form and Decision Tree - click on the links for updated information.
• Traveling for Christmas or gathering with groups outside of your immediate family?Please plan to quarantine at home and notify the school office that your child will be online that first week in January. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students and staff safe!

FUNDRAISER UPDATES:

• BA Annual Fund: Our goal is to raise $250,000 by June 30, 2021. To date we are at $75,944-Thank you! We invite you, or your extended family, to help us achieve $100,000 in our Annual Fund by Christmas! This is a great time to give! With the 2020 COVID giving tax rule changes, all donations of any amount can be taken as a tax credit in 2020. Please spread the news and help us achieve $100,000 by Christmas!

• BA Bash Raffle Tickets-Looking for a unique stocking stuffer? Order 2020 BA Bash Raffle tickets! Only 1000 $25 tickets printed - send your payment to the front office today and we’ll place you in the drawing. Top Prize-$2020, 2nd Prize-$1020, 3rd Prize: $520. Click HERE to download your order form. All ticket orders must be received by December 30, 2020. Thank you!

KUDOS: Thank you to all of our parents who helped to contribute to the coffee treat at school this week for our staff. What a blessing! Also, congratulations to all of our Students of the Month honored this week. They exemplified one of the four Dominican pillars of prayer, study, community and service and we are so proud of our scholars: Shae Battles, Riley Bauer, Madelyn Bauer, Luke Caron, Aiden Carroll, Megan Cina, Matthew Croke, Karlie DeGrood, Madelyn Gersemehl, Aubrianna Howard, Allison McCabe, Luke McCrea, Sophy Smith, Zachary Velishek, Jonathan Vold, and Verity Wray-Raabolle.

Blessings during our first week of Advent! Please continue to pray for the Gardner family.

Mindy Reeder, President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Christmas Break will be a full two week break to clean our building and allow additional professional development time for our staff. We will be out of school Dec. 21-Jan. 1, 2021.

ALL-BA UPDATES

BA Mass Update

Several families have reached out regarding viewing live BA Masses via Divine Mercy Catholic Church’s Facebook page. FYI that the parish Facebook page can be viewed without logging into Facebook, as it is a public site. Viewers can ignore the log-in/create account information that loads on the bottom of the page and watch Mass without having to log in. With the no wifi in Immaculate Conception, streaming to YouTube or other platforms can be a challenge while streaming to Facebook using a cellular connection has worked consistently. Know also that the Masses remain on the DMCC Facebook page in video format, so if you have concerns and are not able to be with your student while Mass is streaming live, you can choose to watch it together at a time that is more convenient for your family. Finally, as we will be hosting a separate on Tuesday, December 8 a Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mass (a Holy Day of Obligation) in Van Orsow Auditorium. That Mass will be streamed on our BA YouTube channel. Find that link here.

BA Christmas Angel Fund

Help us support BA families in need!Please consider a donation to the Christmas Angel Student Lunch Account Fund. Many families in our BA community are struggling in a multitude of ways this Christmas season. Please keep them all in your prayers and, if you are able, please consider donating to help families cover their students’ lunch accounts, many of whom fall just outside the federal and state guidelines for assistance. Donations can be dropped off at the BA front entrance or mailed to our address. Thank you!

Prospective Student Visit Options

Help us grow our student enrollment and spread the good news about BA! Take the Future Cardinal Challenge and invite one family/student to join us for a personal tour or one of our limited shadow opportunities. Mid-year transfers are welcome, and applications are now open for 2021-2022. Find more information on our admission page.

Alumni Update Form

We would appreciate any updates for your post-college graduates. Please fill out the attached form and email it to Sister Mary Margaret. Alumni can also update their contact information, sign up for our Veritas newsletter, or share news on our Alumni website page found here. Thank you! 

Mobile Food Distribution: Volunteers & Distribution Info

Area community groups have joined forces to provide mobile food distribution. Drop off sites are Thursday, 12/17 at South Central College and Friday 12/4 and 12/18 at Evergreen Estates and Cannon River Mobile Home Park. Flyers in English and Spanish attached with more information. Volunteers also need to pack and distribute the food boxes! Contact Becky Ford at becky@faribaultyouthinvestment.org to help. 

Holiday Shopping: Amazon Smiles

If you are holiday shopping at Amazon, please go to smile.amazon.com and choose Faribault B A Inc. as your organization (include a space between the B and the A). Amazon will send BA a donation for every purchase you make. It works with Amazon Prime and you can use Scrip to pay for your purchases. Thank you!

Holiday Scrip: Holiday SCRIP is a great option for gift giving! You purchase these small denomination gift cards after all Sunday Masses at Divine Mercy Catholic Church and from the Divine Mercy Catholic School Business Office at 15 SW Third Avenue. 

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

Potential KoAm Host Family Opportunity

The KoAm Educational Foundation has reached out about a possible international transfer student. Jisoo (9th-grade female) has been studying in Minnesota this fall, but her school is extremely small (7 girls in the entire high school), and she is looking for a school with more opportunities to make friends and get involved. Jisoo is outgoing, practical, and laid-back. She loves to dance, compose, and sing and is hoping to pursue a career in the arts. She is an only child but would love a host family with siblings she can interact with and spend time with. She came to the US spring 2020 right before COVID, and despite the difficulty of distance learning, she came back this fall in the hopes of attending school in person and learning more about US culture and language. Please contact Kris at ksauer@bacards.org or KoAm at administrator@koameduall.org or call KoAm at 1-800-521-6640 for more information. 

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATES

Nov. 30 - Return to School - Full Hybrid

11/24/2020

Ed Friesen

2020-21

Leave a comment

Dear BA Families:

Thank you for partnering with us during these challenging times. Our online learning reset period improved student success and engagement compared to online learning last spring, and we thank you for partnering with us during this timeframe. We even welcomed a new middle school student during this period! As you are aware, COVID 19 cases and deaths have escalated dramatically since we went into our reset. We pray that you and your extended family have remained healthy and safe during this time.

With planning and prayers, we are returning to campus starting Monday, November 30, 2020, in our full hybrid model which splits our student body into two alpha sections. This decision was made based on county numbers, input from the Diocese, school leadership team, faculty and our own quarantining and COVID case counts which have been changing daily. To date, we have had nine positive cases. By moving to a full hybrid model, even if a student tests positive for COVID, we will significantly limit the number of students we need to send home to quarantine. By reducing the number of students in the building, we can also mitigate any possible holiday exposure and increase our chances to return to full in-person learning possibly yet this December. Here are specifics for how this model will work, starting Monday, Nov. 30:

November 30-Dec. 11, 2020: Full Hybrid

• Students with last names A-Ka report to school Monday and Tuesday each week.
• Students with last names Ke-Z report to school Thursday and Friday
• Wednesday is our support day - no scheduled classes. Students who need extra support or time to work on projects may come to school. Both teachers and/or students may schedule meetings for this time.
• A full detailed report of our hybrid model is in our Addendum for your review is at this link.

Some students may be asked to report daily; we will be contacting those families directly. If you have any extenuating circumstances which warrants a change for your child’s reporting days, please email the school to let us know of your request: mreeder@bacards.org.

What will the next two weeks look like? Both Faribault and BA’s buses are still operating.

• Mon, Nov. 30-Tues, Dec 1: All A-Ka scholars report; Ke-Z report online to PowerSchool and check in with all classes for lessons and assignments.*Tuesday we celebrate students of the month from A-Ka.
• Wednesday, Dec. 2 –Students needing support or time for projects may schedule time to come into the building or may be requested to report by a teacher.
• Thursday, Dec. 3 – All Ke-Z scholars report; A-Ka report online to PowerSchool and check in with all classes for lessons and assignments. *Today we celebrate students of the month from Ke-Z.
• Friday, Dec. 4 – MASS DAY SCHEDULE. All in person and online students report to homeroom. Ke-Z students will attend Mass. All students at home (A-Ka) are asked to watch Mass online (https://www.facebook.com/divinemercy.cc). 9:30am: Students report to class, A-Ka students report online and check all classes for lessons and assignments.
• Monday, Dec. 7 – All A-Ka scholars report; Ke-Z report online to PowerSchool and check in with all classes for lessons and assignments.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8 – MASS DAY SCHEDULE. All in person and online students report to homeroom. All students in the building will attend Mass in our gymnasium as it is a Holy Day and DMCS will be at IC Church. All students at home (Ke-Z) are asked to join us online (https://www.facebook.com/divinemercy.cc). 9:30 a.m. – Ke-Z students report online to PowerSchool and check in with all classes for lessons and assignments.
• Wednesday, Dec. 9 – Students needing support or time for projects may schedule time to come into the building or may be requested to report by a teacher.
• Thursday, Dec. 10-Friday, Dec 11:  All Ke-Z scholars report; A-Ka report online to PowerSchool and check in with all classes for lessons and assignments.

Why are we returning in this full hybrid model? Due to our reset, Bethlehem Academy is better positioned to have students safely in the building; however, since the time of our initial shift to an online reset on November 10, we have had new students and staff diagnosed with COVID, new families having to quarantine, and more families asking to move to distance learning if we return. By returning to campus in full hybrid, we can further mitigate exposure. For those of you still worried if it is safe to return to campus, please know that we have taken even additional precautions including:

• Spreading desks out further or grouping them to limit possible exposure.
• Limited lunchroom seating to no more than 3 a table
• In addition, to date we have not had spread within our building

Final Note: Please note, this plan may still need to be adjusted depending on COVID cases within our building, exposure, or on a positive side, the lack of cases or exposure. The more you do at home to mitigate cases and exposure, the more likely we can continue in hybrid or change to full in-person learning.

Finally, a couple of notes:

• In regards to students when learning remotely, the teachers have adapted their format to do a check in with distance and flipped lesson, so that when students are here they are getting more direct support, which is what was recommended by the schools utilizing this learning model. Our staff feel confident that this will work well.
• Revised symptom checklist for student self-screening: At the advice of public health authorities, we have revised our student screening checklist. Please see the attached checklist to screen for symptoms on days your student will be in the building.

Please contact the school with any questions. Sending wishes for a blessed and safe Thanksgiving! Finally, lease share enjoy and share this link to our virtual Grandparents Day program.

Blessings,

Family Focus 11/22/2020 11/24/2020 Ed Friesen 2020-21 Leave a comment

November 22, 2020

Dear BA Families:

Happy Sunday as we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus, King of the Universe! What an exciting week as we wrapped up our fall sports. Every day seems to bring new information as we adapt to our environment and changing needs. We hold you and your family in our prayers each week as we meet these challenges together. Our Accreditation review is complete. This review ensures that we follow excellence in all that we do, a process that happens every seven years. Our strategic plan is online for your review. Next week is our short Thanksgiving week. Please watch for grandparent letters to be shared with you so that you can give these to your loved ones. We’ll also be creating a virtual grandparent presentation - watch for this next week! Here is a look at our week: 

• Monday – Nov. 23 – RED DAY

• • 8:05 Morning Announcements: https://meet.google.com/uod-epie-zxa(Also bookmarked in the Cardinal App Store)
  • Middle School Online Schedule: *See your schedule online
  • High School Online Schedule: RED DAY – follow your personal school bell schedule
  • No MS or HS Band Lessons

• Tuesday – Nov. 24 – WHITE DAY - Grandparents Day!

• • 8:05 Morning Announcements: https://meet.google.com/uod-epie-zxa(Also bookmarked in the Cardinal App Store)
  • Middle School Online Schedule: *See your schedule online
  • High School Online Schedule: WHITE DAY – follow your personal school bell schedule 
  • No MS or HS Band Lessons
  • Watch for our special Grandparents Day video. 

• Wednesday, Nov 25-Friday, Nov. 27: NO SCHOOL
  • Have a blessed Thanksgiving Break 

GIVING WEEK AT BA - It’s not too late to donate to our Annual Fund! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS ALREADY SUPPORTED BA! We have reached our $25,000 match challenge (Oct-Dec) thanks to the donations this week. To date our Annual Fund is at: $70,239 (+$25,000 match) = $95,239 - 38% of our goal of $250,000. You can make a gift to our Annual Fund until June 30, 2021, at https://www.bacards.org/page/3044

COVID UPDATE: Although we’ve had seven positive cases among our students and staff to date, all are now healthy and all but one are off of their quarantine restrictions. We ask that during the Thanksgiving break you continue following COVID safety protocols with your family in order to limit your exposure so that we can return to school.

• Wear a mask
• Keep 6 feet away from others when in public
• Wash your hands often!

KUDOS: Congratulations to Kennedy Tutak ‘21, our State Farm Athlete of the Week, to our Student Service Club for collecting and donating over 650 pairs of socks for St. Vincent de Paul - and to all who supported their sock drive with donations, and special congratulations to both of our volleyball and football teams and their coaches on an amazing year despite all the challenges thrown their way this season! 

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Christmas Break will be a full two week break to clean our building and allow additional professional development time for our staff. We will be out of school Dec. 21-Jan. 1, 2021.

Blessings,

Mindy Reeder,
President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

Online Letter Jacket Ordering

Originally, MECA Sportswear was planning on being here Monday, Nov. 16 for letter jacket ordering. With BA currently in online learning mode, the letter jackets may be ordered online at this link. A new date for the representative to come to BA will be set in the near future. Attached is the original letter jacket ordering announcement and a letter jacket sizing guide. We encourage students, especially the boys, to consider the Traditional BA Cardinal letter jacket.

November SADD Posters

Attached please find two posters on Thankfulness prepared by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) students. Meant to be hung in high-traffic areas in our building, we ask that you share them with your students. Thank you!

Volunteer Opportunities

• BABS Committee-We are looking forward to another fantastic BABS event April 10, 2021! BABS (BA Boosters & Supporters) is our biggest fundraising and social event of the year and key to successfully moving BA forward. Mrs. Reeder at mreeder@bacards.org. Our first virtual meeting is Dec 2 at 6pm. Thank you!

Holiday Shopping: Amazon Smiles

If you are holiday shopping at Amazon, please go to http:/smile.amazon.com and choose Faribault B A Inc. as your organization (include a space between the B and the A). Amazon will send BA a donation for every purchase you make. It works with Amazon Prime and you can use Scrip to pay for your purchases. Thank you!

Prospective Student Visit Options

We’d love to grow our student enrollment! If you know of a family interested in our authentically Catholic, Domincan prep school, please invite them to sign up here for a family tour offered Monday to Friday from 3-6pm. We are also working on limited shadow opportunities; stay tuned for more information. 

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

Potential KoAm Host Family Opportunity

The KoAm Educational Foundation has reached out about a possible international transfer student. Jisoo (9th-grade female) has been studying in Minnesota this fall, but her school is extremely small (7 girls in the entire high school), and she is looking for a school with more opportunities to make friends and get involved. Jisoo is outgoing, practical, and laid-back. She loves to dance, compose, and sing and is hoping to pursue a career in the arts. She is an only child but would love a host family with siblings she can interact with and spend time with. She came to the US spring 2020 right before COVID, and despite the difficulty of distance learning, she came back this fall in the hopes of attending school in person and learning more about US culture and language. Please contact Kris at ksauer@bacards.org or KoAm at administrator@koameduall.org or call KoAm at 1-800-521-6640 for more information. 

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATES

• Middle School Edge/High School Youth Group

Middle School EDGE & High School Youth Group is open to all BA families. This is another great opportunity for your students to gather with others that want to grow in their faith and to enhance what they are learning in the classroom. Registration is required for both. Visit www.divinemercy.cc/faith-formation for more information. 

• DMCS Butter Braid Sales: DMCS students are selling butter braids! Order by November 30 for December 15 delivery. Contact DMCS at 507-334-7706 for more information.
• DMCS Holiday Scrip: Holiday SCRIP is a great option for gift giving! You purchase these small denomination gift cards after all Sunday Masses at Divine Mercy Catholic Church and from the Divine Mercy Catholic School Business Office at 15 SW Third Avenue. 

Family Focus 11/13/2020

11/13/2020

Ed Friesen

2020-21

Leave a comment

Dear BA Families:

Our online learning reset was very positive this first week. Thank you for supporting your student and partnering with our teachers to shift to online learning during this reset period. Mr. Wollersheim has reached out to students who missed a class and assisted them. Please remember, our campus is open and we can support your student as needed during this online learning period. Let us know if you plan to come into school. In addition, some teachers will be calling small groups of students to work on art, shop, or other projects at school. In addition, students who missed class or are behind in their work as asked to come in, if possible, on Wednesday, November 18, to receive support. Here is our schedule for next week:

GIVING WEEK AT BA!

• Monday – Nov. 16 – RED DAY

• • 8:05 Morning Announcements: https://meet.google.com/uod-epie-zxa (Also bookmarked in the Cardinal App Store)
  • Middle School Online Schedule: *See your schedule online
  • High School Online Schedule: RED DAY – follow your personal school bell schedule

• Tuesday – Nov. 17 – WHITE DAY 

• • 8:05 Morning Announcements: https://meet.google.com/uod-epie-zxa (Also bookmarked in the Cardinal App Store)
  • Middle School Online Schedule: *See your schedule online
  • High School Online Schedule: WHITE DAY – follow your personal school bell schedule 

• Wednesday – Nov. 18: MASS DAY & WIN-STUDENT SUPPORT DAY (No live classes) THIS IS ALSO OUR NATIONAL ACCREDITATION DAY AT BA! We will have a team at BA reviewing all of our areas for excellence.
  • 8:30 a.m. MASS with DMCS online at https://www.facebook.com/divinemercy.cc or if you can come to IC, please do!
  • After Mass: If you need support, please email teachers. If you missed class or are behind in assignments, you will be asked to come into school. If you cannot come into school, you will be connected with online. Teachers may also be reaching out to students. 

• Thursday – Nov. 19: RED DAY ***GIVE TO THE MAX DAY – Support BA at: https://www.bacards.org/page/3044

• • 8:05 Morning Announcements: https://meet.google.com/uod-epie-zxa (Also bookmarked in the Cardinal App Store)
  • Middle School Online Schedule: *See your schedule online
  • High School Online Schedule: RED DAY – follow your personal school bell schedule Friday

• Friday - Nov. 20: WHITE DAY *Normal schedule (NOT a Mass day)

• • 8:05 Morning Announcements: https://meet.google.com/uod-epie-zxa (Also bookmarked in the Cardinal App Store)
  • Middle School Online Schedule: *See your schedule online
  • High School Online Schedule: WHITE DAY – follow your personal school bell schedule

GIVING WEEK AT BA-Nov. 16-20! Please consider a gift to the BA Annual Fund this week, or share the link with friends and family on your social media platforms starting next Monday. We would love to see every parent make a gift of support of any size to our fund and show our parent strength! Our goal this year is to raise $250,000. To date we have raised: $63,831.85 - 25.5% of our goal.

• HELP US REACH OUR MATCH! A donor has stepped up with a $25,000 match by December 31, 2020. Click here to read a copy of our letter and share this link with others at: https://www.bacards.org/page/3044

COVID UPDATE: At this time we have six positive reported COVID 19 cases at BA. Please join me in praying or a quick recovery for our students and staff. With all of this news, I wanted to share The Catholic Spirit published this wonderful article for prayer at home: https://thecatholicspirit.com/commentary/faith-at-home/teach-us-to-pray-as-stressed-out-parents/

• Online Learning Picture Challenge - WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR? Send us your photos by Friday, Nov. 20 to create a Thanksgiving Wall of Blessings! Don’t forget, we will be writing letters to our grandparents this week as we cannot celebrate Grandparents Day together. 

KUDOS: Special congratulations this week to our senior football player John Rose, State Farm’s Athlete of the Week and senior swimmer Abby Larson, who on Nov. 11, signed a National Letter of Intent to participate in Division I swimming at the University of St. Thomas next fall.

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Christmas Break will be a full two week break to clean our building and allow additional professional development time for our staff. We will be out of school Dec. 21-Jan. 1, 2021.

Upcoming Events:

• • Nov. 16-20-Giving Week and Give to the Max Day, Nov. 19 - Support BA during national Giving Week with a donation online or by sharing this link-https://www.bacards.org/page/3044
  • Nov. 24: Grandparents Day will not be held in person this year. Students will be writing letters to their grandparents, or grandfriends. Please watch for these letters to come home and mail or share them with grandparents and special friends!
  • Nov. 25-27: NO SCHOOL - Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

• Nov. 30: Return to in-person learning, schedule to be determined.

Please join me in praying for students and families as they recover from COVID. I invite you to also join me during weekly Adoration at any time.

Blessings,

Mindy Reeder
President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

Student Directory

We are close to finalizing this year’s student directory. If you DO NOT want your address and phone numbers included in the directory, please email Barb Johnson (bjohnson@bacards.org) by Wednesday, November 18. 

Volunteer Opportunities

• BABS Committee-We are looking forward to another fantastic BABS event April 10, 2021! BABS (BA Boosters & Supporters) is our biggest fundraising and social event of the year and key to successfully moving BA forward. Mrs. Reeder at mreeder@bacards.org. Our first virtual meeting is Dec 2 at 6pm. Thank you!

1. Plug in laptop
2. Quit all applications.  (Closing a window does not quit the program on a Mac.  Choose quit from the application menu or click & hold mouse over app in the doc and choose quit)
3. Re-start laptop and leave lid display open

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

Class of 2021: College Early Action Deadline 11/15

Reminder: the next round of early action admissions are due November 15. Please remind your seniors to check their college application deadlines, follow up with teachers for letters of recommendation, and with Ms Rogers for your transcript requests!

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATES

• Middle School Edge/High School Youth Group

Middle School EDGE & High School Youth Group is open to all BA families. This is another great opportunity for your students to gather with others that want to grow in their faith and to enhance what they are learning in the classroom. Registration is required for both. Visit www.divinemercy.cc/faith-formation for more information. 

• DMCS Butter Braid Sales: DMCS students are selling butter braids! Order by November 30 for December 15 delivery. If interested, send the attached form and payment in with your student and have them drop it off in the BA Front Office. We will be sure it gets to DMCS by the order deadline.
• DMCS Holiday Scrip: Holiday SCRIP is now available. See attached flyer for more information. Holiday SCRIP is also available after all Sunday Masses at Divine Mercy Catholic Church and from the Divine Mercy Catholic School Business Office at 15 SW Third Avenue. 

COMMUNITY

IRIS Turkey Trot: This year’s IRIS Turkey Trot will be held Thursday, November 26th both in person and virtually. See attached flyer for more information and note the November 12 (today) registration deadline for a free t-shirt!

Attachments:

• IRIS Turkey Trot
• Scrip for the Holidays
• Activities Calendar for Week of November 16

Family Focus 11/6/2020

11/08/2020

Ed Friesen

2020-21

Leave a comment

November 6, 2020

Dear BA Families:

What lovely weather this first week of November! Each day our Peer Ministry class has joined us on morning announcements to lead the prayer for vocations as part of the National Vocations Week. BA is blessed to have 97 graduates follow the call to vocations. We invite you to continue praying for vocations at home, here is a link to the vocations’ prayer: https://www.usccb.org/committees/clergy-consecrated-life-vocations/prayers-vocations

Growing spiritually in our faith is a central to our mission. Each BA staff person and teacher set a spiritual goal this fall. To enrich this goal, professional development and growth opportunities are offered throughout the year. Our staff will be hearing personally from David Rinaldi, a Catholic presenter and NET Ministries program director on Monday during their workshop. I also recently attended the online presentation by Father Spitzer on our Catholic Faith and Science through the Diocese. He is not only motivational, but inspirational in how he shares the beautiful links between science and our faith. I invite you to listen and connect to his teachings online through many videos and resources through the Magi Center and Credible Catholics found here. We would love to also have parents joining in prayer through Adoration in a parents’ prayer group. Please email me if you are interested in helping us start this group! mreeder@bacards.org.

ELECTION AT BA: BA students voted this week to participate in a mock election. The process, support and promotion of candidates and results were shared with our student body and online. We pray for final election results as we wait.

ANNUAL REPORT: Bethlehem Academy celebrates and shares our progress toward our strategic plan each year through our BA Annual Report. This past year, though challenging, resulted in positive growth in academics and financial stability. Read the report here for the full details about our 2019-20 academic year.

ANNUAL FUND: The Annual Fund helps to bring in over $200,000 each year to support our schools mission. Our goal this year is to raise $250,000. Each gift to our annual fund supports the foundation of our school, providing academic support, expanding new programs and meeting budgetary needs. To date we have raised: $49,092 - 19.6% of goal.

• HELP US REACH OUR MATCH! A donor has stepped up with a $25,000 match by December 31, 2020. Click here to read a copy of our letter and share this link with others at: https://www.bacards.org/page/3044

COVID UPDATE: At this time we have three reported COVID 19 cases at BA. Next week is a four day week, so we will continue with in-person learning on those days. On October 27, the Deputy Commissioner of Education issued a letter emphasizing school level approaches. Deputy Commissioner Mueller references Step 5 on page 8 of the Safe Learning Plan which Governor Walz released in late July. This step states, "After the initial selection of a learning model for school opening, the decision to shift to an alternative learning model should center on the impact of COVID-19 at the school level, while maintaining awareness of changes in viral activity in the community through continued review of the biweekly county-level case data." In addition we did update our addendum here. We will meet with all staff on Monday and share any teaching model changes with our families next week. With all of this news, I wanted to share The Catholic Spirit published this wonderful article for prayer at home: https://thecatholicspirit.com/commentary/faith-at-home/teach-us-to-pray-as-stressed-out-parents/

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Christmas Break will be a full two week break to clean our building and allow additional professional development time for our staff. We will be out of school Dec. 21-Jan. 1, 2021.

Upcoming Events:

• Nov 9:No School / Teacher Workday
• Nov 9: Virtual Open House for Prospective Gr 6-12 Students - 6 pm on our Facebook page
• Nov 10: BA School Store Closes for Christmas Orders; reopens in January. Click here to order.
• Nov. 11: Happy Veteran’s Day! A limited program at BA for students will be held.
• Nov. 19: Give to the Max Day - Donate online and share the link-https://www.bacards.org/page/3044
• Nov. 24: Grandparents Day will not be held in person this year. Students will be writing letters to their grandparents, or grandfriends. Please watch for these letters to come home to mail!
• NOv. 25-27: NO SCHOOL - Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Blessings, 

Mindy Reeder, President/Principal mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

Online School Store Order Deadline Nov 10!

***New Items Added*** Be sure to check out the BA school store! New items, including window clings and Under Armour hoodies and fleece pants just added. The store closes November 10 for early December (Christmas!) delivery. Get your order in today. Find the link here. 

Virtual Open House November 9, 6pm

We will be hosting an virtual open house Monday, November 9, at 6pm for prospective students in grades 6-12. Please encourage friends and neighbors who might be interested in our authentically Catholic, Dominican prep school to watch live or at their convenience. On campus family tours offered Monday through Friday from 3-6pm. Register for a tour here. 

Volunteer Opportunities

• BABS Committee-We are looking forward to another fantastic BABS event April 10, 2021! BABS (BA Boosters & Supporters) is our biggest fundraising and social event of the year and key to successfully moving BA forward. To make this event a success, we need your help. If you are interested in serving on the BABS Planning Committee, please contact Mrs. Reeder at mreeder@bacards.org. Thank you!
• Family Service, a non-profit agency that helps seniors with different needs, is seeking volunteers to help senior homeowners in Faribault with fall clean-up. This would include raking, picking up sticks, cleaning out garden beds, etc. Please contact Jennell Loeffler at 507-287-2010 ext. 1082 or jloeffler@familyservicerochester.org if interested.
• Tutors-Do you have time during the school day? Do you have a math or language arts degree and could support high school students? We are looking for volunteer tutors in several subjects to support our high school students during study hall. You can meet with them virtually during their study hall. Call to learn more: 507.334.3948.

REMINDERS:

• Masks-Please remind your student(s) of the importance of bringing a mask with them to school every day. They should have extras in their backpack, their locker, and their car. While we have extras available, we have been going through them faster than anticipated. Thank you!

• Donations of masks and hand sanitizer welcome!

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

St. Catherine’s University: Weekly Virtual Info Sessions

Junior/Senior girls: The Counseling Center at St. Catherine's University in St Paul is offering weekly virtual group information sessions on Mondays from 3:30-4:00pm. If you are interested in joining, email Anne Moe at admoe674@stkate.edu for a zoom link or with more specific questions as you explore your college options.

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATES

• Middle School Edge/High School Youth Group

Middle School EDGE & High School Youth Group is open to all BA families. This is another great opportunity for your students to gather with others that want to grow in their faith and to enhance what they are learning in the classroom. Registration is required for both. Visit www.divinemercy.cc/faith-formation for more information. 

• DMCS Butter Braid Sales: DMCS students are selling butter braids! Order by November 30 for December 15 delivery. If interested, send the attached form and payment in with your student and have them drop it off in the BA Front Office. We will be sure it gets to DMCS by the order deadline.
• DMCS Holiday Scrip: Holiday SCRIP will be sold after all Sunday Masses beginning this weekend. Thank you for your support of the SCRIP program! We will also be selling it out of the DMCS Business Office beginning Tuesday, November 10th! 

Family Focus 10/30/2020

11/08/2020

Ed Friesen

2020-21

Leave a comment

October 30, 2020

Dear BA Families:

Thank you for your partnership! Watch today’s Q1 video update from Mr. Wollersheim and I at this link. 

November begins with All Saints Day, a special day to gather at Mass in praise of all who inspire us. As I look back on the many All Saints’ Day celebrations of my past, my favorite is when students dress as their favorite Saint and share the story of the Saint with others at weekend Masses. Although All Saints' Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church it is also a day of joy, dedicated to the Saints of the Church. As you walk the halls of Bethlehem Academy, Saint pictures and their stories, created by students, invite us to learn more. In addition, images of the Saints that guide BA, St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena, welcome you at our entrance, continually guiding the direction of our school. This Sunday I hope to see you at Mass and invite you to join in conversation with your family in the history of the Saints. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BApiwgFPs10&autoplay=1&list=PL58g24NgWPIzvBk2IQVES_xC4WTm6-CDI

This next week our students in the US Government class will wrap up their Mock Electionand study of the election process and our current candidates. All social studies classes participated in civil discourse and learned about the United States Bishops direction in civic debate. Here is the information shared with students: (Pledge and USCB Debate Guide)

ANNUAL FUND: Did you know that each year Bethlehem Academy invites donors to support us with a gift? The Annual Fund helps to bring in over $200,000 each year. Our goal this year is to raise $250,000. Our Annual Fund provides the foundation necessary to run the school and gives us an opportunity to continue the mission established by our Sinsinawa Dominican founders in 1865. Each gift to our annual fund supports the foundation of our school, providing academic support, expanding new programs and meeting budgetary needs. To date we have raised: $42,737- 17% of goal.

• HELP US REACH OUR MATCH! A donor has stepped up with a $25,000 match by December 31, 2020. If we raise $25,000 between October 1 – December 31st, the donor will double your gift to the Annual Fund! Please help us double the gifts to our school. Click here to read a copy of our recent Annual Fund letter with more information. You can share the link to support us with others at: https://www.bacards.org/page/3044

COVID UPDATE: At this time we have no COVID 19 cases to report at BA. We will continue with in-person learning but are evaluating calendar dates and working with the County and State to ensure that we follow guidelines if cases continue to rise in our area. Please review the updated addendum here. 

KUDOS: Congratulations to our Section 1A Swim Champions, senior swimmers, Abby Larson (200 free & 500 free) and Verity Wray-Raabolle (200 backstroke). What a great way to wrap up their year!

Upcoming Events:

• Oct. 31: Trunk & Treat event at the Rice County Fairgrounds (4-6 p.m.)
• Nov. 1: All Saints Day 
• Nov 9:No School / Teacher Workday
• Nov 9: Open House for Prospective Gr 6-12 Students - 6-7 p.m. Click here for info; flyer attached
• Nov 10: BA School Store Closes for Christmas Orders; reopens in January. Click here to order.
• Nov. 19: Give to the Max Day - Donate online and share the link-https://www.bacards.org/page/3044

Thank you for your continued partnership! Report cards will be available today for your review online. Thank you to our high school families for joining us for conferences online this Thursday. Have a blessed All Saints Day this Sunday.

Blessings, 

Mindy Reeder, President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

10/30 Football/Volleyball Game Access

Girls varsity volleyball take on Waseca tonight @ home; watch the game live on our NFHS network here. 

BA vs Medford 7pm tonight @ Bruce Smith Field for the Battle of the Paddle! Watch live right here on our Facebook page; follow Gordy's play-by-play on KDHL AM 920 at https://kdhlradio.com/listen-live/

BA Online School Store Now Available!

***New Items Added*** Be sure to check out the BA school store! New items, including window clings and Under Armour hoodies and fleece pants just added. The store closes November 10 for early December (Christmas!) delivery. Get your order in today. Find the link here. 

Open House November 9

We will be hosting an in-person open house Monday, November 9, from 6-8pm for prospective students in grades 6-12. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please encourage friends and neighbors who might be interested in our authentically Catholic, Dominican prep school to sign up on our webpage here. An open house flyer is also attached.

Volunteer Opportunities

• BABS Committee-We are looking forward to another fantastic BABS event April 10, 2021! BABS (BA Boosters & Supporters) is our biggest fundraising and social event of the year and key to successfully moving BA forward. To make this event a success, we need your help. If you are interested in serving on the BABS Planning Committee, please contact Mrs. Reeder at mreeder@bacards.org. Thank you!
• Family Service Rochester, a non-profit agency that helps seniors with different needs, is seeking volunteers to help senior homeowners in Faribault with fall clean-up. This would include raking, picking up sticks, cleaning out garden beds, etc. Please contact Jennell Loeffler at 507-287-2010 ext. 1082 or jloeffler@familyservicerochester.org if interested.
• Tutors-Do you have time during the school day? Do you have a math or language arts degree and could support high school students? We are looking for volunteer tutors in several subjects to support our high school students during study hall. You can meet with them virtually during their study hall. Call to learn more: 507.334.3948.

REMINDERS:

• Masks-Please remind your student(s) of the importance of bringing a mask with them to school every day. They should have extras in their backpack, their locker, and their car. While we have extras available, we have been going through them faster than anticipated. Thank you!

• Donations of masks and hand sanitizer welcome!

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

St. Catherine’s University: Weekly Virtual Info Sessions

Junior/Senior girls: the Counseling Center at St. Catherine's University in St Paul is offering weekly virtual group information sessions on Mondays from 3:30-4:00pm. If you are interested in joining, email Anne Moe at admoe674@stkate.edu for a zoom link or with more specific questions as you explore your college options.

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH UPDATES

• Middle School Edge/High School Youth Group

Middle School EDGE & High School Youth Group is open to all BA families. This is another great opportunity for your students to gather with others that want to grow in their faith and to enhance what they are learning in the classroom. Registration is required for both. Visit www.divinemercy.cc/faith-formation for more information. 

Family Focus 10/23/2020

11/08/2020

Ed Friesen

2020-21

Leave a comment

October 23, 2020

Dear BA Families:

Celebrating our scholars is a part of our mission in the BA Family! God has a plan for each person and as we celebrate their strengths, they become more aware of who God is calling them to be. Homecoming celebrated our seniors, in fall sports, and on our Royal Court. Many of our senior athletes have been recognized in their sport and we’ve shared this online. Congratulations to all of our seniors and special congratulations to our Homecoming King, J. J. Malecha, escorted by Ashley Rost.

This week we also held our first “Student of the Month” recognition. Students gathered to hear what teachers see as their strengths, exhibiting through the Dominican pillars of: Prayer, Study, Community and Service. We are proud of each honoree and invite you to enjoy our video sharing this event with you. Congratulations: Austin Ahlman, Payton Bice, Maci Bongers, Declan Chappuis, Jared Davila, Destinee Fregoso, Malia Hunt, Brooke Johnson, Riley Kangas, Lucas Klokonos, Zachary McCabe, Isabella Pankonin, Jason Shuda and Monica Wilder.

National Honor Society Inductees: Congratulations to the following juniors and seniors, inducted into the National Honor Society following the conclusion of this morning’s high school Mass following the characteristics of Character, Leadership, Scholarship, Service and Citizenship: Isaac Caron, Avery Han, Madelyn Bauer, Camryn Belmont, Emily Casper, Ellie Cohen, Matthew Croke, Andrew Donahue, Madelyn Gersemehl, Mercedes Huerta, Abby Kugler, Molly Lund, Livia Schulz, Sophia Smith, Aiden Tobin.

US GOVERNMENT STUDIES: Mr. Tom Madden extends learning during election times for our scholars. Here is an update of what students in his classes will be experiencing this election year.

Mr. Madden: “With the election coming up on November 3rd we at Bethlehem Academy are educating our students about the electoral process. In the ‘Citizenship and Government’ course students will learn about political parties and the electoral process. As part of this unit, they will be researching candidates running for federal office and creating campaign posters. The posters will help educate their fellow students about the candidates and some of their major beliefs/plans. In conjunction with the Office of Minnesota Secretary of State, Steve Simon, the school will hold a Mock Election in which students will cast ballots for the President, Senate and the House of Representatives. 

We strongly believe that we need to prepare our students to be active citizens in our democracy. We want them to leave our doors knowing the importance of voting and how their voices matter. In the previous midterm elections of 2018, Minnesota led the nation with a youth (ages 18-29) turnout rate of 43.7%. While this number is low, it shows the impact young men and women can have in an election.”

COVID UPDATE: At this time we have no COVID 19 cases reported. We will continue with in-person learning but as our County rises in COVID 19 cases, we will also ensure that students are prepared should we need to move to Hybrid. We will keep families alerted to any changes in our learning format and adjustments that may be needed to any of our models as we move throughout the year. In addition, we’ve updated the “Parent & Student COVID Addendum” over our MEA workshop to clarify specific areas, add the new decision tree model, and update any changes from MDH that are pertinent to Catholic schools. Please review the updated addendum here. 

Upcoming Events:

• October 27: Picture Retake Day 
• October 29:  
  • DRESS DOWN DAY! Bring a $1 or Candy for our “Trunk or Treat” event and you can dress down! (See dress code info below)
  • PSAT test for Juniors @ BA 8am-12pm
  • HS Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences (Sign up here)
• October 31: Trunk or Treat at the Fairgrounds, 4-6pm; register your trunk here. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and partnership! Please reach out if you have any concerns or questions. 

Blessings, 

Mindy Reeder, President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org

ALL-BA UPDATES

MS & 9th Grade Speaker David Rinaldi: Living Your Faith!

David Rinaldi, NET Ministries Program Director, spoke to our middle school and 9th grade students today on Living Your Faith!: So many teens perceive faith formation as just another subject like math or history. They see it as just a bunch of stuff they're forced to learn but that has no relevance to their life. In this presentation, David shows that our faith isn't about a bunch of facts and figures--it's about a relationship with a Father who loves them more than they'll ever realize! David encourages and equips young people to place God at the center of their lives and challenges them to share His love with others. At NET Ministries, David trains and equips missionaries to bring the Gospel to nearly 100,000 people a year. He holds a Master's Degree in Theology from Ave Maria University and has 20 years of ministry experience with youth and young adults. He has given over 1000 presentations to a variety of audiences and has never been run out of town. David's presentations are grounded in the teachings of the Catholic Church and are based on the Bible, the Catechism, and the writings of the saints. Please ask your students about this amazing speaker!

BA Robotics Club Starts Oct 26

After a delayed start, the Vex Robotics Club is ready to get started! The first meeting for BA students will be held Monday, Oct 26, 3-5pm in the BA library. High School Robotics will only meet on Mondays this year; no school, no robotics and no fees this year. Interested students should bring a signed copy of the attached form to the first meeting.

FFA Oct 26 Meeting & Fruit/Butter Braid Sales

The next FFA meeting is Monday, October 26th at 3:00pm in the greenhouse. Officers will be nominated for elections. FFA members are selling Fruit/Butter Braid Sales through Nov 6. All profits will go into the FFA fund which covers the cost for contest fees, state, and hopefully next year’s national convention. Email Ms. Story for more information.

Picture Retake Day Oct 27

For those that were missing for school pictures, a photo order form is attached. For those requesting a retake, please bring in the original photos. We will replace their initial order. Please indicate on the returning order what they didn’t like about the initial photos so that can be corrected on the retakes.

Trunk or Treat Dollar/Candy Dress Down Day Oct 29

Student Service Club is hosting a Dress Down Day Thursday October 29. For a dollar or a bag of candy, students may dress down for the day. Hats, leggings (worn with a long top/skirt/dress), sweats or athletic pants are allowed. NO athletic shorts and NO COSTUMES, please. All attire must be neat, clean, modest and free of offensive logos. All proceeds go to our community drive through Trunk or Treat event from 4-6pm Saturday, October 31 at the Rice County Fairgrounds.

Socktober through Oct 31

Student Service Club is hosting Socktober through October 31. Please consider donating new socks for any age; there will be a box at the side door of BA, and a decorated box at DMCC. All socks will be donated to St. Vincent de Paul.

BA Online School Store Now Available!

We are pleased to announce that we have created an online school store selling BA spiritwear. Find the link here. Orders will be taken online through Tuesday, Nov 10, with delivery expected the first week in December. Choose door-to-door delivery (fees apply) or local delivery to BA (free). These items make great Christmas gifts. Check it out today!

Open House November 9

We will be hosting an in-person open house Monday, November 9, from 6-8pm for prospective students in grades 6-12. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please encourage anyone interested in our authentically Catholic, Dominican prep school to sign up on our webpage here. 

Volunteer Opportunities

• BABS Committee-We are looking forward to another fantastic BABS event April 10, 2021! BABS (BA Boosters & Supporters) is our biggest fundraising and social event of the year and key to successfully moving BA forward. To make this event a success, we need your help. If you are interested in serving on the BABS Planning Committee, please contact Mrs. Reeder at mreeder@bacards.org. Thank you!
• Family Service Rochester, a non-profit agency that helps seniors with different needs, is seeking volunteers to help senior homeowners in Faribault with fall clean-up. This would include raking, picking up sticks, cleaning out garden beds, etc. Please contact Jennell Loeffler at 507-287-2010 ext. 1082 or jloeffler@familyservicerochester.org if interested.
• Tutors-Do you have time during the school day? Do you have a math or language arts degree and could support high school students? We are looking for volunteer tutors in several subjects to support our high school students during study hall. You can meet with them virtually during their study hall. Call to learn more: 507.334.3948.

REMINDERS:

• Masks-Please remind your student(s) of the importance of bringing a mask with them to school every day. They should have extras in their backpack, their locker, and their car. While we have extras available, we have been going through them faster than anticipated. Thank you!

• Donations of masks and hand sanitizer welcome!

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES

Juniors: PSAT Testing Oct 29

Reminder: Juniors who signed up last spring will be taking the PSAT exam Thursday, October 29 from 8am until noon at BA. Registered students received an email this week from their school counselor, Ms. Rogers, with test instructions. ***We have 3 extra tests for this October date. Contact Ms. Rogers ASAP if your student is interested.*** If your student did not sign up for the October PSAT, the CollegeBoard just added a new January testing date. We will begin taking registration for the January PSAT when we have more information in early November. Please reach out to Ms. Rogers (trogers@bacards.org) with any questions.

HS P/T Conferences

High School Parent/Teacher conferences will be held Thursday, October 29th via individual Zoom meetings. Core high school teachers have 5-minute blocks from 4-7:30pm; specialist teachers are available to meet with parents from 4-5:30pm. Please note that Ms. Ricker, our Choir Director, will not be available to meet October 29. If an individual conference is needed, she will be available after November 3rd. Please contact her at cricker@bacards.org if you wish to set up a time to meet. Please sign up for a time to meet with your child’s teachers and discuss their progress HERE.

Class of 2021: Coca-Cola Scholarship due October 31

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program, the largest corporate-sponsored, achievement-based scholarship program in the country, is now accepting applications from current high school seniors to become Coca-Cola Scholars and receive one of 150 college scholarships worth $20,000. Click here for information on how to apply.

St. Catherine’s University: Weekly Virtual Info Sessions

Junior/Senior girls: the Counseling Center at St. Catherine's University in St Paul is offering weekly virtual group information sessions on Mondays from 3:30-4:00pm. If you are interested in joining, email Anne Moe at admoe674@stkate.edu for a zoom link or with more specific questions as you explore your college options.

Class of 2021 - Early Action Deadline Nov 1! 

Seniors! Early action deadlines for most colleges starts on November 1! Remember to request your transcripts and letters of recommendation through Naviance. Check out the Naviance how-to videos on matching the Common App, requesting letters of recommendation, adding colleges and requesting transcripts, and exploring colleges at this link. If you have any questions, please email and/or stop by Ms. Roger’s office. 

DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH UPDATES

• David Rinaldi Parent Presentation - Friday Night - Don’t miss it!

We want to encourage you to make this a date night for you and your spouse! Hear from David Rinaldi as he talks about Christ-centered parenting in today's crazy world and how you remain united as husband and wife. Following Dave's talk there will be refreshments and time for you to talk as a couple. Our evening will end with Adoration and priests will be available for confession. Free to attend, RSVP required here.

• Middle School Edge/High School Youth Group

Middle School EDGE & High School Youth Group is open to all BA families. This is another great opportunity for your students to gather with others that want to grow in their faith and to enhance what they are learning in the classroom. Registration is required for both. Visit www.divinemercy.cc/faith-formation for more information.