Family Focus 12/11/2020
12/11/2020
Ed Friesen
December 2020, 2020-21
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December 11, 2020
Dear BA Families:
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.
Attached Files |
Food Delivery in Faribault-English-December2020 FINAL Locations.pdf |
Food Delivery in Faribault-Spanish-December20202 - FINAL Locations.pdf |
Family Focus 12/4/2020
12/04/2020
Ed Friesen
December 2020, 2020-21
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Dear BA Families:
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
Middle School Edge/High School Youth GroupMiddle 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.
Attached Files |
Food Delivery in Faribault-English-December2020 FINAL Locations.pdf |
Food Delivery in Faribault-Spanish-December20202 - FINAL Locations.pdf |
Nov. 30 - Return to School - Full Hybrid
11/24/2020
Ed Friesen
November 2020, 2020-21
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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,