Family Focus 07-15-22
July 15, 2022
Dear BA Families:
It's Rice County Fair Time! Join me at the fair by helping out in our Cardinal Cafe. We need everyone to volunteer to ensure that we have all times covered at BA's Cardinal Cafe @ the Rice County Fair, July 20-24. (Click to sign up.)
Welcome new BA Staff! We are finalizing all open staff/teaching positions and invite you to connect with our new teachers and staff in welcoming them to the BA family. Please see two more new staff introductions below.
Summer Band / Music Lessons - Join our new band director, Brad Lorence, for summer music lessons (gr 6-12) and summer band (gr 8-12) beginning the week of July 25. Click HERE for more information or email Mr. Lorence at: brad_lorence@bacards.org.
BA SEEKS BOARD MEMBERS: Would you like to be a part of our leadership through the BA Board? Please consider supporting our school through Board leadership. The application link is here: (Application for Board)
BA SUMMER EVENTS-Please join us!
(click on the links for more information)
- BA's Cardinal Cafe @ the Rice County Fair, July 20-24: Earn service hours: parent & student volunteers needed!
- BA's SMART Ride for Catholic Education, July 28-30: Ride a single day or camp & ride OR support one of our riders!
- Cardinal Golf Classic @ The Legacy, Aug 5, 12 noon: great sponsorship opportunities and/or register to golf
Get ready for 2022-2023 (click link for info)
- Summer Office Hours: Mon-Thursday, 9am-1pm
- Summer Reading Assignments
- 2022-23 BA SCHOOL CALENDAR (Link)
- School Supply List 2022-2023 *Please note our Mass dress code update to ensure you have Mass attire for the fall.
KUDOS: Thanks to our maintenance team and student workers for their hard work this summer in cleaning and preparing for our fall return! The school shines! Special thanks to all basketball camp organizers for a great experience for younger scholars.
Continue to join us in prayer over the summer for our staff, new teachers, and prayers for Ukraine and the lives of the unborn.
Blessings, Mindy Reeder - President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org
ALL BA UPDATES
Welcome to our new staff!
HS Social Studies -Christian Bjornson
Hello Cardinals! My name is Christian Bjornson, and I’m the new high school social studies teacher at B.A. I recently completed my M.Ed. in social studies education from the University of Minnesota and am excited to begin my first full year of teaching this fall. Prior to going back to school for teaching, I earned a M.A. from Norwich University and a B.A. from the University of Minnesota—both in history—and worked as a historical interpreter and researcher for the Minnesota Historical Society. Though I’m a recent transplant to Faribault (originally from Minneapolis), I have deep family roots in the area: my great-great grandfather settled here after immigrating from Germany, and my grandmother grew up on Division Street. When I’m not teaching, some of my favorite hobbies include reading, playing music, visiting museums, or enjoying the outdoors. I’m also an avid disc golfer and always looking for course recommendations!
High School Student Support/Teaching Assistant
Hi, my name is Katy Ashley and I am looking forward to working at BA this year in my student support position! I graduated from Winona State University in 2020 with a degree in History and a minor in Art History. For the past two years I have been working in the Metro area for a medical firm as a lab assistant. I love being outdoors, playing sports, and am a voracious reader. As a DMCS and BA alumni, I hope to help the next generation of graduates obtain an excellent education!
Math Department
Hi, I’m Dave Gilmore, a new math teacher at Bethlehem Academy! I live in Nerstrand and have 2 daughters that attend high school in Northfield. I currently work at South Central College in Faribault and have been teaching math there for almost 15 years. I have my M. Ed. degree from U of M, Twin Cities and my B.A. in Math Education from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Besides math, I also enjoy playing guitar and teach guitar lessons in Northfield with the Northfield Community Ed Program. I’m excited to begin teaching at BA and I am really looking forward to joining the team and meeting all of you!
I’m Josh Maus, a new math teacher at Bethlehem Academy this year. I’ll be teaching Advanced Algebra, Consumer Mathematics, and AP Statistics. I currently work as an analyst for a sports data firm in Bloomington, Minnesota, and I’ve previously worked in finance and education. I’m originally from Northfield, where I attended St. Dominic School, Northfield High School, and St. Olaf College. I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics with a Statistics minor. In my free time, I enjoy playing baseball and fishing. I’m excited to join the BA family!
Choir Director
Hi, my name is Emily Cicha, and I’m so excited to meet everyone! I’ve lived in Mandan, North Dakota, my whole life. I love to sing and play music and was active in the arts. I graduated from University of Mary this last spring. Singing has always been my favorite thing, but I’ve also played oboe and English horn in college and for my local symphony. I look forward to getting to know everyone and to share music and our faith together!
Band Director
Hello BA! My name is Brad Lorence and I will be the band director at BA this fall. I am super excited. I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in December of 2021 with my degree in Instrumental Music Education. I enjoy being outdoors, particularly playing golf, going on hikes, and watching various sporting events. I am also a big fan of road trips and beautiful, historic Catholic churches. Mbeannaí Dia thú!
Vikings Football Game Aug 20: Discounted tickets are available for the Vikings vs the San Francisco Forty Niners on August 20. Purchase tickets using this link and promo code (CARDINALS) and the Vikings will make a donation to the BA football program.
DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SCHOOL
Family Focus July 1 2022-Summer
July 1, 2022
Dear BA Families:
Happy 4th of July! I hope you are having a blessed summer! At Bethlehem Academy, our summer is in full swing, from summer events and programs, to cleaning and building projects, BA is abuzz with activity. Please be sure to sign up and get involved - we really need everyone to volunteer, especially at BA's Cardinal Cafe @ the Rice County Fair, July 20-24. (Click to sign up.)
Welcome new BA Staff! Please see below a few more introductions from our new BA teachers and staff. Our staff looks forward to connecting with you at our back-to-school events. Band practice and sign up for summer programs will be out after the 4th for all band students - watch for the update!
BA SEEKS BOARD MEMBERS: Would you like to be a part of our leadership through the BA Board? Please consider supporting our school through Board leadership. The application link is here: (Application for Board)
Scrip Credits: If you participated in the ShopWithScrip program, your annual credit has been applied to your account in FACTS. Go to www.factsmgt.com login on the FACTS Family Portal (FCS-MN is the District Code) and choose 2022-2023 on Financial Home to see your credit. For more information on how to earn SCRIP tuition credits, click HERE.
BA SUMMER EVENTS-Please join us!
(click on the links for more information)
- BA Summer Sports & Robotics Camps-boys basketball & robotics!
- BA's Cardinal Cafe @ the Rice County Fair, July 20-24: Earn service hours: parent & student volunteers needed!
- BA's SMART Ride for Catholic Education, July 28-30: Ride a single day or camp & ride OR support one of our riders!
- Cardinal Golf Classic @ The Legacy, Aug 5, 12 noon: great sponsorship opportunities and/or register to golf
Get ready for 2022-2023 (click link for info)
- Summer Office Hours: THE FRONT OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED JULY 5-8 FOR CLEANING. Staff will be monitoring emails.
- Summer Reading Assignments
- 2022-23 BA SCHOOL CALENDAR (Link)
- School Supply List 2022-2023
Continue to join us in prayer over the summer for our staff, new teachers, and prayers for Ukraine and the lives of the unborn.
Blessings, Mindy Reeder - President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org
ALL BA UPDATES
Welcome to our new staff!
Math Department
Hi, I’m Dave Gilmore, a new math teacher at Bethlehem Academy! I live in Nerstrand and have 2 daughters that attend high school in Northfield. I currently work at South Central College in Faribault and have been teaching math there for almost 15 years. I have my M. Ed. degree from U of M, Twin Cities and my B.A. in Math Education from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Besides math, I also enjoy playing guitar and teach guitar lessons in Northfield with the Northfield Community Ed Program. I’m excited to begin teaching at BA and I am really looking forward to joining the team and meeting all of you!
I’m Josh Maus, a new math teacher at Bethlehem Academy this year. I’ll be teaching Advanced Algebra, Consumer Mathematics, and AP Statistics. I currently work as an analyst for a sports data firm in Bloomington, Minnesota, and I’ve previously worked in finance and education. I’m originally from Northfield, where I attended St. Dominic School, Northfield High School, and St. Olaf College. I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics with a Statistics minor. In my free time, I enjoy playing baseball and fishing. I’m excited to join the BA family!
Choir Director
Hi, my name is Emily Cicha, and I’m so excited to meet everyone! I’ve lived in Mandan, North Dakota, my whole life. I love to sing and play music and was active in the arts. I graduated from University of Mary this last spring. Singing has always been my favorite thing, but I’ve also played oboe and English horn in college and for my local symphony. I look forward to getting to know everyone and to share music and our faith together!
Band Director
Hello BA! My name is Brad Lorence and I will be the band director at BA this fall. I am super excited. I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in December of 2021 with my degree in Instrumental Music Education. I enjoy being outdoors, particularly playing golf, going on hikes, and watching various sporting events. I am also a big fan of road trips and beautiful, historic Catholic churches. Mbeannaí Dia thú!
Vikings Football Game Aug 20: Discounted tickets are available for the Vikings vs the San Francisco Forty Niners on August 20. Purchase tickets using this link and promo code (CARDINALS) and the Vikings will make a donation to the BA football program.
DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SCHOOL
Family Focus June 3, 2022-Summer Edition
"But Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7 (Bible verse of the year chosen by Peer Ministry)
June 3, 2022
Dear BA Families:
Congratulations to our Graduates! We send our Class of 2022 graduates off with prayers and blessings. They are now a part of the Bethlehem Academy legacy and we look forward to hearing from them in the future as they pursue their dreams.
We will be busy this summer planning for the next school year. Our school office is open Monday through Thursday 9-1 p.m. Come in if you need to drop something off, order more Cardinal raffle tickets, or come in and talk with us. We're excited to expand our programs and courses and welcome new staff! Please see our first introduction, below, of our new BA Band Director.
BA SEEKS BOARD MEMBERS: Would you like to be a part of our Board? Please consider supporting our school through Board leadership. The application link is here: (Application for Board)
MASS DRESS CODE: As part of our plan for improvement, we thank you for your specific feedback on the dress code and Mass dress. We will be moving forward with a simpler Mass dress code, BA polos and dress slacks or khakis. All scholars will be provided a BA shirt for our first year roll out. The student council will help select the shirt style.
HANDBOOK UPDATES: In addition, as part of our Strategic Plan our handbook is reviewed annually. Updates to the handbook will be completed over the summer and shared with students during Orientation and Back-to-School week. It will be available online in August as well.
BA SUMMER EVENTS-Please join us!
(click on the links for more information)
- BA Summer Sports & Robotics Camps
- DMCS Scholarship Night, June 10
- Heritage Days Parade, June 18, 6:15pm: Student volunteers needed! Get an early start on your service hours. Email Kris Sauer to sign up.
- BA's Cardinal Cafe @ the Rice County Fair, July 20-24: Earn service hours: parent & student volunteers needed!
- BA's SMART Ride for Catholic Education, July 28-30: Ride a single day or camp & rider for up to 3 or support a rider
- Cardinal Golf Classic @ The Legacy, Aug 5, 12 noon: great sponsorship opportunities and/or register to golf
Get ready for 2022-2023 (click link for info)
- Summer Office Hours: stop by to pick up lost & found items, including glasses, a full set of retainers, jewelry, hoodies, and water bottles.
- Summer Reading Assignments
- 2022-23 BA SCHOOL CALENDAR (Link)
- School Supply List 2022-2023
Continue to pray over the summer for our new teachers, safety of scholars, and prayers for Ukraine and all of those suffering from violence and loss. Please continue to join us during the month of May in saying a Hail Mary or the Rosary as we celebrate Mary.
Blessings, Mindy Reeder - President/Principal
mreeder@bacards.org
All BA UPDATES
Welcome to our new band director!
Hello BA! My name is Brad Lorence and I will be the band director at BA this fall. I am super excited. I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in December of 2021 with my degree in Instrumental Music Education. I enjoy being outdoors, particularly playing golf, going on hikes, and watching various sporting events. I am also a big fan of road trips and beautiful, historic Catholic churches. Mbeannaí Dia thú!
MIDDLE SCHOOL INFORMATION
Click HERE to register!
DIVINE MERCY CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND CHURCH
Registration for the Steubenville Youth Conference is now open! Open to grades 8 (going into 9th next year) and up. July 29-31 at the University of St. Thomas. Cost is $275 per person, $100 deposit to hold your spot. Register online HERE. Find the conference video teaser HERE.
Summer Youth Formation Programs! Summer Stretch and Totus Tuus registration is open! There is a program for everyone, grades 1-12! Teen leaders also needed. Find more information and register online HERE.
COMMUNITY INFO