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Family Focus 5/22/2020

06/02/2020 author

Ed Friesen category

May 2020

Note from Dr. Briscoe…

I am sending out my final newspaper column in my final Friday Focus. It has been a joyful four years at BA and I wish the school community much success in the future. Students: thanks for your outstanding efforts during the stay at home pandemic. We are all stronger individuals for the sacrifices we have made. Thanks and please leave the light on for me.

May 2020 Daily News Column

New Beginnings:

I struggled with the title of this column, the final column that I will write as a school principal. The past 35 years as a principal have been joyful 99% of the time. I have had the ultimate privilege to create hope for hundreds of staff members and thousands of students. All have had a huge impact on my life. They were certainly challenges, struggling with the death of students and staff members, and having to make very difficult decisions that all leaders have to make. As I prepare to go out the door, I will keep all of the great memories and leave the difficulty of the 1% in a small shoebox on a shelf.

My heart grieves for the Class of 2020. We left for spring break on March 6 and never came back. I was looking forward to going off the stage with them on graduation night. I scheduled my rotator cuff surgery for the first day of spring break, March 9, with hopes that I could minimize my time away. While I have adapted to the life of a left-hander in the past two months, I never thought that when we left on March 6 we would end up canceling all of the school events that create the memories the seniors will talk about at their class reunions forever. It was painful to cancel the play, concerts, prom, and then all of the graduation events. High school graduation is one of the major transitions of everyone’s life. There will never be a way to create the graduation that was to occur on May 22, 2020. I wrote my final speech before my surgery and was looking forward to that one final speech. I started the speech with my usual line that “I will spend the next five minutes or so trying to tell eighteen-year olds something that they don’t already know.” This always brought laughter from the audience which relaxed me to deliver a great speech. I wanted them to get five minutes of free advice from me that they would remember. We will follow the new state guidelines and have a virtual ceremony with students and their family in cars in the Bethlehem Academy parking lot on May 29, 2020. We will have cars come up and we will present diplomas with our masks and gloves on. My hope is that the Class of 2020 will talk about the last quarter of their senior year at every class reunion in the future.

Seniors, remember to always be kind and humble. Continue to practice service to others and go out of your way to volunteer to help neighbors and community members who need your help. When we recover from this scary virus, there will be numerous people needing your help. The Jesus that I know spent his life with the homeless, the sick and the people who struggled with the challenges that life brings each of us. Follow his pathway!

the isolation that we have all felt these past few months may we all remember to visit our parents, grandparents and relatives who reside in nursing homes. The loneliness that we feel after these few months will be felt by many of our elderly for much longer. hope that you will stay connected to the Church throughout your life.

I can promise you that you will make mistakes, get off track and some of you will need redirection. Like the MapQuest in your cell phone and car that says “recalculating” some of you will have to rely on us to go down a new pathway. Remember that life is a journey. Take the time to smell the flowers, drink good coffee, and treasure your family and friends. I love you; I will miss you and I wish you success. The BA Light will always be on for you! Nice Bike, Class of 2020! Thanks for the memories!

Dr. Chuck Briscoe

UPDATES

Staff Departures

We wish Sara Heselton, Mary Duecker, and Jake Schuman good luck in their future endeavors. We also wish Chuck Briscoe and Terry Condit a long and happy retirement.

Laptop & Textbook Drop Off, May 26-27

Families are asked to pick a time slot on Tuesday, May 26 or Wednesday, May 27 to return BA laptops, textbooks, calculators, sports uniforms, instruments or any other school property checked out to your students. In order to maintain the health and safety of our students and staff, please sign up for a specific family drop off time via this link. We ask everyone to wear masks and honor 6-feet social distancing requirements while in the building. Thank you!

Pass/No Credit Option for Semester 2

Recognizing the challenges placed on students and families, Bethlehem Academy has adopted a Semester 2 Pass/No Credit grading option for students who may have struggled academically during the 4th quarter due distance learning. AP and CIS classes do not qualify, and there are number of restrictions and caveats. Please review the attached grading policy. If interested in pursuing this grading option. please log into PowerSchool on or after May 29 to review current grades. Note the attached form must be returned to BA by June 4, 2020.

SENIOR WEEK/COMMENCEMENT UPDATES

THANK YOU to everyone involved in the production of the wonderful 2020 virtual Mary Ceremony!

We look forward to continuing our celebration of the Class of 2020 next week. All virtual programs are viewable on Bethlehem Academy’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FaribaultBA) and YouTube channel (https://tinyurl.com/bethlehemacademy)

Baccalaureate, Wednesday, May 27, 7:00 pm: YouTube premier.

Awards Program, Thursday, May 28: The virtual grade 6-12 awards program will debut at 7:00pm on Facebook and YouTube.

Commencement, May 29

7:00pm: Virtual Commencement ceremony will be presented at 7:00pm on Facebook and YouTube as well as on Power96 Radio (https://power96radio.com/listen-live/)
8:00-8:15pm: In-person diploma presentation in BA’s parking lot followed by a and short recessional south on Third Avenue.

Calendar Updates

May 26-27: Laptop and Textbook turn in; sign up here
May 27: Baccalaureate program, 7:00pm virtual presentation on BA’s YouTube Channel
May 28: Awards Ceremony, 7pm virtual presentation on BA’s Facebook page, YouTube Channel
May 29: Commencement: 7pm virtual ceremony broadcast live on Facebook/YouTube followed by a brief diploma presentation in the BA parking lot and recessional south on 3^rd Avenue

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2020-2021 Financial Aid & Tuition Agreements

We will begin releasing tuition agreements via TADS today, May 22. See separate parent email for more information. Please contact Sister Mary Margaret (mmurphy2@bacards.org) or Kris Sauer (ksauer@bacards.org) with questions.

PSAT Exam Signup for Class of 2022

Current sophomores: the PSAT exam is scheduled for October 28, 2020. Students interested in taking the exam need to email Mr. Schuman at jschuman@bacards.org by Friday, May 29 to meet the registration deadline.

Get Involved in BA! Join the Board of Directors

The BA Board of Directors is looking for 5-6 people to join the Board! It's a great way to meet new people, make new friends, and move BA forward. You will only have two meetings a month, so it isn’t a huge time commitment. And you can even join with a friend! We need you! If you want to help, have questions, or are on the fence about joining, please reach out to any of our current members, who would be happy to talk: Kathy Nass (Board Chair, 507-323-5365), Mike Donkers, Debbie Korman, Mellanie Smith, Kathy Halvorson, Mary Campbell, Pat DeGrood, Melissa Casper, Cory Caron, and Crystal Bauer. Bethlehem Academy needs our parents, alumni, friends to serve and help guide BA. We can’t wait to welcome you to the Board. Thank you! #WEAREBA #TogetherWeFly

Needed: Used Summer Reading/IRP Novels

A note from our English Departments: If you have any old summer reading novels, or IRP (Independent Reading Novels), sitting around at home that you would not mind donating we would love them!!! We will have a table available in the gym on the day students return laptops and textbooks for these book donations. Thank you for your consideration.

Box Tops

Keep turning in your Box Tops or to scan them digitally for credit! You can also turn in your receipts to school right after you shop and Mrs. Smisek will do scan them digitally if you don’t have the app. And, through May 10, earn double Box Tops when you buy any Box Tops participating products. This program helps support our middle school science program.

Grade 9-10 Students: Be a Big!

Big Brothers Big Sister of Southern Minnesota is recruiting interested 9^th and 10^th grade students for next school year. Check out this message from BA junior Kennedy Tutak: https://youtu.be/U50V_lOq_ZM. Interested students need to have a valid driver’s license by December 2020; commit to at least 2 years; want to be a kid’s new friend! Click here to take the first step in becoming a Big. Contact Megan Horton, Community Outreach Director at megan@bbbsofsouthernmn.org for more information.

Yearbook Orders

Still want to buy a 2019-2020 yearbook? It’s not too late! The BA Multimedia class has worked hard to create a memorable yearbook highlighting this historic year. Purchase yours for just $60 + tax online at http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A04015000.

SAVE THE DATE FOR SUMMER 2020 EVENTS!

Summer event dates below – please add these to your calendar! More information coming soon.

Cardinal Café @ the Rice County Fair: July 22-26
Cardinal Golf Classic: Friday, August 7
S.M.A.R.T. Challenge Ride: Thursday, August 6-Saturday, August 8 (1-day ride options available!)
Heritage Days Parade: Saturday, August 8, 2pm.

Attached Files

PassNo Credit.pdf

Family Focus 5/15/2020

05/16/2020 author

Ed Friesen category

May 2020

UPDATES

Staff Update: John Wollersheim

We are excited to announce that John Wollersheim has been hired as a part-time Assistant Principal for the 2020-21 school year. Welcome back, John!

Finals Week, May 18-22

Finals week, by necessity, will follow a slightly different format as we conclude the year in distance learning.

High school students will follow the attached finals schedule for taking tests. Classes with papers/projects may follow a different due date schedule. Middle school students have final projects and/or tests scheduled throughout the week (see attached) Middle school teachers will communicate additional informatioin directly with their classes. To support your student, attached please find a finals week tip sheet prepared by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions.) As always, please reach out to any faculty or staff member if you need assistance helping your student navigate learning as we complete this quarter.

SENIOR WEEK/COMMENCEMENT UPDATES

Mary Ceremony May 20

BA's annual Mary Ceremony will be a virtual presentation this year. The video will air on Wednesday, May 20 at 7pm on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FaribaultBA/) and on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZqaxs-NZshM_rB0SMQ9X_A and will remain available on both platforms after it runs live.

Seniors: Mary Ceremony Cards & Graduation Stole Pick Up

Seniors who have not yet done so are invited to please stop by school Monday between 9am and 3pm to pick up:

Cards & postage stamps for Mary Ceremony
Stoles

If you cannot pick up during these days/times, let us know and we can try to to continue proper social distancing and stay 6 ft apart; facemasks encouraged.

Seniors: Diploma Walk Schedule

Seniors and their parents are invited to come to BA so that graduates may walk the stage in their cap and gown to receive their diploma as part of the virtual commencement program (see below for more information on commencement). A sign up email will be sent separately to seniors and senior parents with 30 minute time slots available the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20; late afternoon Thursday, May 21; Friday, May 22, and possibly Tuesday, May 26. In addition to filming for the commencement program, BA photographers will be on hand to take photographs. Please be prepared with face masks as appropriate and respect social distancing guidelines at all times. Signup for diploma walk here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0948A9AD2F4-graduation

Virtual Baccalaureate Ceremony May 27, Xpm

We hope to have a virtual, livestream Baccalaureate during the evening of May 27.

Virtual Awards Ceremony May 28, 7pm

Our 2020 Awards Ceremony will premier live on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at 7pm Thursday, May 28 and will remain available on both platforms after it runs live.

Commencement May 29

Bethlehem Academy’s 2020 Commencement will be a virtual program combined with a brief diploma presentation ceremony held in the Bethlehem Academy parking lot. Please be prepared with face masks as appropriate and respect social distancing guidelines at all times.

Virtual Commencement Program airs live on Facebook and YouTube at 7pm, and will remain available on both platforms after it runs live.
8:00/8:15 pm – Brief BA parking lot program for the Class of 2020 and immediate family members. Each graduate will have one assigned parking spot in the BA parking lot. The program will include:

An brief final message of congratulations by Dr. Briscoe
Diploma drive by: Each senior will be called individually up to the diploma pick up table. Their car will move to the drop off area by the front lobby doors, the diploma envelope will be presented, the then car moves north on 3^rdAve and turns on 1^st to return to BA parking lot
Final congratulations & horn honking
Cars recess out of parking lot onto 3^rdAve for a SHORT recessional, final route to be determined.

MORE UPDATES

Summer Work Program

Given the current COVID-19 restrictions, we regret that we will have to cancel the student summer work program.

Calendar Updates

May 18-22: Finals/make up week
May 20: AP English Language (online) Exam, 1pm
May 20: Mary Ceremony, 7pm live video presentation on BA’s Facebook page, YouTube Channel
May 22: AP Statistics (online) Exam, 1pm
May 22: Last Day of School
May 26-28: Laptop and Textbook turn in; times tba
May 27: Baccalauereate program, TBA
May 28: Awards Ceremony, 7pm virtual presentation on BA’s Facebook page, YouTube Channel
May 29: Commencement: 7pm virtual ceremony broadcast live on Facebook/YouTube followed by a brief diploma presentation and recessional in the BA parking lot

2020-2021 Financial Aid & Tuition Agreements

We are working on setting up tuition agreements for 2020-2021. Please watch for an email in the next week or so with more information.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2020-2021 Student Council Officers

High school students voted this week to elect Student Council officers for next year. Congratulations to the following students: President - JJ Malecha; Vice-President - Verity Wray-Raabolle; Treasurer - Elliot Smith; Secretary - Malia Hunt.

BAAA Merit Scholarship for Class of 2021

The BA Activities Association, the school’s booster club, awards two $250 merit scholarships to juniors to be applied towards your senior year tuition and fees. You can find the scholarship application here: https://forms.gle/duxWQcdGYbQ7Xtxo7 Application deadline is 5pm, Friday, May 22.

PSAT Exam Signup for Class of 2022

Needed: Used Summer Reading/IRP Novels

Box Tops

Grade 9-10 Students: Be a Big!

Yearbook Orders

Senior Scholarships/Transcripts

Seniors please email Mr. Schuman at jschuman@bacards.org with any questions on scholarships or if a transcript is needed for a particular scholarship. Students still applying to colleges should use Naviance to submit their transcript requests. Parents and students are encouraged to email at any time with questions/concerns.

BA VOLUNTEER/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Summer Lawn Mowing Jobs

The Olmsted County-based Neighbors Helping Neighbors program, a chore-based service to help seniors and those with disabilities with lawn mowing, is expanding in the Faribault area. They currently have two elderly women in our area looking for lawn mowing assistance. This summer the volunteers will not have contact with the homeowner, but will work in the yard on their own, or with their family. Contact Jackie at jglynn@familyservicerochester.org or 507-287-2010 if interested.

Seeking New Members for BA Board of Directors

It is time to think about joining the Bethlehem Academy Board of Directors. If you are committed to the mission of BA and want to help shape the future, consider applying for an open position on the Board. It meets monthly, works in-between on committees and is a vital part of BA. Applications are available here. Term begins August 2020 for three years. Questions? Contact Kathy Nass at 507-323-5365.

SAVE THE DATE FOR SUMMER 2020 EVENTS!

Summer event dates below – please add these to your calendar! More information coming soon.

Cardinal Café @ the Rice County Fair: July 22-26
Cardinal Golf Classic: Friday, August 7
S.M.A.R.T. Challenge Ride: Thursday, August 6-Saturday, August 8 (1-day ride options available!)
Heritage Days Parade: Saturday, August 8, 2pm.

Attached Files

HS Finals Schedule.pdf

MS Finals and Projects.pdf

Finals Study Guide.pdf

Family Focus 5/8/2020

05/16/2020 author

Ed Friesen category

May 2020

UPDATES

New BA President/Principal

The BA Board of Directors this week announced the hiring of Melinda “Mindy” Reeder as BA’s new President/Principal. Dr. Briscoe is retiring after 43 years in education, the last four at Bethlehem Academy. Ms. Reeder begins her tenure at BA July 1, 2020. Click here for a copy of the Board’s press release and Ms. Reeder’s introduction letter.

Hoban Scholarship

Students entering grades 9-12 for the 2020-2021 school year are invited to apply for the John E. Hoban and Lucille M. Hoban Merit Based Scholarship. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good standing with the BA Leadership Team. Interested students must prepare and submit a 2-part essay to Sr. Mary Margaret by Thursday, May 14. Click here for more information, including the essay prompt.

Front Office Staffing

We are pleased to announce that Barb Johnson will be staffing the BA front office from 9am to 3pm, Monday-Friday.

PSAT Exam Signup for Class of 2022

Calendar Updates

May 13: AP English Lit & AP European History (online) Exam
May 15: Last day of regular classes
May 18-22: Finals/make up week
May 20: AP English Language (online) Exam, 1pm
May 20: Mary Ceremony, 7pm video premiere presentation
May 22: AP Statistics (online) Exam, 1pm
May 22: Last Day of School
May 26-28: Laptop and Textbook turn-in (times to be scheduled)
May 28: Awards Ceremony, virtual presentation
May 29: Commencement

Needed: Used Summer Reading/IRP Novels

2020-2021 Financial Aid & Tuition Agreements

We encourage families with financial aid applications to be responsive to any emails from TADS requesting additional information. Financial aid allocations and Archdiocesen scholarships are in progress and any applications listed as POOR or FAIR in TADS are not eligible until this information is provided. Your help is appreciated, as our goal is to have tuition agreements out in May. Please contact Kris at ksauer@bacards.org with questions on this process.

Class Registration and Pending Enrollment

We are reaching out by phone and email to students whose TADS enrollment is pending and/or who have not submitted their 2020-2021 class registration in PowerSchool. Your assistance with this process is appreciated, as it helps us plan for classes and for next year’s budget. Please note that we cannot place students in classes until their enrollment is finalized. Contact Kris at ksauer@bacards.org with any questions. Thank you!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Box Tops

Juniors: Mock ACT Exam

The ACT Prep Class final packets for Juniors in Mrs. Guth’s ACT prep class are available for pickup by the gym door at DMCS. Packets can be picked at DMCS Monday-Friday between 10-11:30am and 5-6 pm. Juniors not in the prep class interested in taking the mock test in preparation for the June 13 exam should contact Mrs. Guth at cathy_guth@yahoo.com. She will score the exams and be available to help students with corrections.

Grade 9-10 Students: Be a Big!

Yearbook Orders

Tuition Payments

We are aware these are uncertain times for many of our families and finances may be tight. We have asked TADS to turn off all late payment fees. Please reach out to Sr Mary Margaret if you have concerns or need to alter your current payment plans or due dates as we are very willing to work with you. We appreciate the continual payments you are able to make as they help BA maintain a cash flow for salaries.

Building our Cardinal Community: Seniors & Community Stories

As we continue distance/online learning, building our community through (virtual) social connections is more important than ever! We continue to honor the Class of 2020 on our social media accounts. We also encourage you to send us YOUR funny, interesting, and creative photos/videos e-learning stories to ksauer@bacards.org. And if you haven't already, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter today! We also encourage you to share your own photos/videos on social media using the hashtag: #WEAREBA #TogetherWeFly. Thank you!

Senior Scholarships/Transcripts

BA VOLUNTEER/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Summer Lawn Mowing Jobs

Nursing Home Outreach

We encourage you to join Ms. Heselton’s classes in sending letters, poems, or artwork to isolated nursing home residents. Please send your message to: Milestone Senior Living (2500 14^th St NW, Faribault, MN 55021) or contact Anne Pleskonko @ lifeenrichmentfb@milestoneseniorliving.com to be a resident penpal; and/or Pleasant Manor Senior Community (41 Brand Ave, Faribault, MN 55021). Residents are lonely without the option for visitors and would love your notes of encouragement!

MSAB Captions Project

Caption podcasts for the MN State Academy for the Blind. Write subtitles for podcasts created by MSAB students. Please contact Jennifer Pelletier at jennifer.pelletier@msa.state.mn.us if you would like to help.

Seeking New Members for BA Board of Directors

SAVE THE DATE FOR SUMMER 2020 EVENTS!

Summer event dates below – please add these to your calendar! More information coming soon.

Cardinal Café @ the Rice County Fair: July 22-26
Cardinal Golf Classic: Friday, August 7
S.M.A.R.T. Challenge Ride: Thursday, August 6-Saturday, August 8 (1-day ride options available!)
Heritage Days Parade: Saturday, August 8, 2pm.

Attached Files

April 27 to May 29 v2.pdf

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