Family Focus 7/19/24
07/26/2024
Kris Sauer
July 2024, 2024-25
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July 22, 2024
Dear Parent/Guardians:
We are humbled by the confidence extended by the Board of Directors in naming us interim Co-Head of School and look forward to partnering with all of you to continue our mission of providing a Dominican Catholic education following the pillars of prayer, study, community, and service to guide your sons and daughters toward personal, spiritual, and academic excellence. (Click HERE for the leadership announcement email from Board Chair Beth Dienst sent the morning of 7/122/24 for more information.)
As we plan for 160th year of academic excellence, we are excited to welcome the following members to the Bethlehem Academy team:
Grant Yackly, Assistant AD/Assistant Dean/Technology Integrationist: I am delighted to be joining the BA community. Most recently, I served as a Health and Physical Education Teacher at the Academy of Holy Angels. Additionally, I coached boys' high school hockey for two seasons and held various summer educational positions for New Prague Area Schools. I obtained my bachelor's degree from Minnesota State University - Mankato and am set to complete my master's degree next summer at the University of St. Thomas. I am dedicated to fostering a Christ-like environment in all my past and future endeavors, both personally and professionally. I am very excited about beginning at BA!
Tom Nardi, Middle School Theology Teacher: I am thrilled to join the BA community as the Middle School Theology Teacher! I'm from Prior Lake and attended the University of St. Thomas where I studied Theology and Catholic Studies. I spent the last year working and teaching at Brilla College Prep Middle School in The Bronx, NYC with the Seton Teaching Fellows program, and I’m excited to be back home! I’m an avid MN sports fan and watch all of the Vikings and Twins games, I also like to keep score/stats for the Twins as well. I’m excited to meet everyone and teach the students of Bethlehem Academy!
Nathan Bienias, School Counselor: I am excited to join you as your new school counselor for grades 9-12. I'm here to support you in achieving your academic goals and addressing your social and emotional needs. Originally from New Brighton, MN, I enjoy all things nerdy, including Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. My favorite band this year is Sleep Token. A fun fact about me is that I have a twin brother with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). My girlfriend and I bond over our love of cats, and she inspired me to get two kitties of my own - pictures available upon request. I look forward to getting to know each of you and helping you find success in your high school journey!In addition, we congratulation Brent Zabel on his promotion to Dean of Students while we welcome the
addition of Lindsay Bjorkquist, who - we learned late last week - will step in Katie Smith's position as middle school counseling support (see intro graphic at left). Stephen, as previously announced, will be on hand through the end of July before transitioning to a new counseling position at Lakeville South. Finally, we are excited to add Joe Zappa as our new nighttime custodian.As we partner with you for the upcoming year, find a list of summer volunteer hours below - including a VERY flexible opportunity to earn hours by helping us prep and paint the concessions area for a much-needed refresh! If you haven't already, a reminder to please complete your tuition contract as soon as possible. Click HERE to log in. Find the purple tuition icon and follow the prompts to set up your contract. Thank you to those who have already taken care of this! Please note any unpaid 2023-24 tuition will be added to your 2024-2025 tuition contract if not paid by August 23rd. Contact Lisa to make arrangements for payment or if there are any questions.
Don't forget to sign up to join us for the Cardinal Golf Classic August 2nd at the Legacy. This is a great day of fun and fellowship with fellow BA parents, alumni and supporters. Click HERE for more information, including affordable sponsorship options to raise the profile of your company with our 100+ golfers. Support our 8 SMART riders with a donation through July 31. Click HERE.
THANK YOU to the Simones and Casper family for their excellent work organizing and running the BA Cardinal Cafe fair stand. Their efforts, as well as the efforts of all of our student and parent volunteers, meant we had another successful week at the Rice County Fair!
Finally, blessings and prayers to our colleagues at Divine Mercy Catholic School as they move into their new building on the DMCC parish campus. Find a link to help them move in the volunteer opportunities section below.
Blessings,
Kris Sauer, Ed Friesen
Interim Co-Head of School
ALL BA UPDATES
JULY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Parent Volunteer Program Information: Click HERE
See below for a list of parent and student volunteer opportunities this month. The concessions project help is VERY flexible in terms of days and times!
- DMCS Moving Help (BA parents and students earn service hours) Click HERE to sign up. Self-report your hours in POINT; we will get a list from DMCS as well so as not to miss anyone!
- Paint the Concessions Stand Monday, July 22! Help us save money on the concessions project and join us to prep and paint the concessions and bathrooms. A 2nd paint date is set for Monday, July 29. Contact Kris if you can help!
HOST FAMILY NEEDED: We are still seeking a host family for Daln, an incoming 8th grade girl from South Korea. Daln's favorite subject is P.E. and Art. She loves to make friends, work out, and aspires to become a cosmetologist. KoAm provides the host family gift of $500/month and provides additional student fund to cover all additional expense for the student. Boarding and transportation provided by the host family. BA provides a tuition credit, fulfillment of the parent service hour requirement, and a year-long home athletic passes. It is a wonderful way to bring a great cultural exchange within your own community! Please contact KoAm's local area coordinator Haewon Park at 612-234-1518 or haewon@koameduall.org.
Summer Band Starts July 30! High school summer band camp is on July 30th and August 1st, 6th, 8th, 13th, and 15th from 3:30 to 6:00. Plan to meet in the band room. We will be going over our band handbook, working on pep band music, polishing our parade marching for Homecoming, and meeting new members of the band. If you cannot make it to one of the rehearsals, please let Mr. Lorence know. (email: Brad_Lorence@bacards.org)
2024-2025 BA School Calendar: Click HERE
Student Summer Reading Assignments: Click HERE to find titles and reading guides for each grade and/or high school class for your sons and daughters.
DIVINE MERCY CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATE
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.png) Register for the Eucharistic Congress here: https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Form/4cb0329e-b079-490f-a808-16c9d3c1d5b6 |
Online BA School Calendar:
https://gopherconference.org/public/genie/7/school/7/
Online Faribault Falcons Calendar:
https://big9conference.org/public/genie/4/school/7/
Family Focus 7/12/24
07/18/2024
Kris Sauer
July 2024, 2024-25
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July 12, 2024
Dear Parent/Guardians:
We hope you had a wonderful July 4th weekend, and are enjoying this week of sun and little to no rain!
THANK YOU to our 2024 SMART Riders: current and past parents Sara & Cory Caron, Aaron Langer, Bob Crone, and George Farmer; alumni Wade Bauer (BA Class of 1974) and Dave DeGrood (BA Class of 1977); and BA Art Teacher Jason Hillesheim! They have been braving the heat and contending with newly arranged routes thanks to all the rain we've had lately. The ride concludes tomorrow (Saturday). Please keep them in your prayers as they ride and raise dollars to help BA students with tuition assistance, and consider supporting them with a donation HERE.
As we partner with you for the upcoming year, find a list of summer volunteer hours below - including a VERY flexible opportunity to earn hours by helping us remove wallpaper, paint, and prep the concessions area for a much-needed refresh! A reminder to please complete your tuition contract as soon as possible. Click HERE to log in. Find the purple tuition icon and follow the prompts to set up your contract. Thank you to those who have already taken care of this! Please note any unpaid 2023-24 tuition will be added to your 2024-2024 tuition contract if not paid by August 23rd. Contact Lisa to make arrangements for payment or if there are any questions.
Don't forget to sign up to join us for the Cardinal Golf Classic August 2nd at the Legacy. This is a great day of fun and fellowship with fellow BA parents, alumni and supporters. Click HERE for more information, including affordable sponsorship options to raise the profile of your company with our 100+ golfers.
Finally, blessings and prayers to our colleagues at Divine Mercy Catholic School as they move into their new building on the DMCC parish campus. Find a link to help them move below.
Blessings, The BA Leadership Team
Kris Sauer, Ed Friesen, Brent Zabel
Click on individual names to contact a member of the Leadership Team or email the entire team at leadership@bacards.org
ALL BA UPDATES
JULY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Parent Volunteer Program Information: Click HERE
See below for a list of parent and student volunteer opportunities this month. The concessions help is VERY flexible in terms of days and times!
- July 17-21: BA fair stand @ the Rice County Fair - parent and student volunteers needed, click here to sign up. Help needed all shifts but especially on Sunday, July 21.
- DMCS Moving Help (BA parents and students earn service hours) Click HERE to sign up.
- Concessions Phase 1: July 16, 6:30pm: Help us save money on the concessions project and join us to strip the wallpaper borders in the bathrooms. Prep and painting planned for the last 2 weeks of July. Contact Kris if you can help!
HOST FAMILY NEEDED: We are still seeking a host family for Daln, an incoming 8th grade girl from South Korea. Daln's favorite subject is P.E. and Art. She loves to make friends, work out, and aspires to become a cosmetologist. KoAm provides the host family gift of $500/month and provides additional student fund to cover all additional expense for the student. Boarding and transportation provided by the host family. BA provides a tuition credit, fulfillment of the parent service hour requirement, and a year-long home athletic passes. It is a wonderful way to bring a great cultural exchange within your own community! Please contact KoAm's local area coordinator Haewon Park at 612-234-1518 or haewon@koameduall.org.
2024-2025 BA School Calendar: Click HERE
Student Summer Reading Assignments: Click HERE to find titles and reading guides for each grade and/or high school class for your sons and daughters.
DIVINE MERCY CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATE
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Register for the Eucharistic Congress here: https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Form/4cb0329e-b079-490f-a808-16c9d3c1d5b6 |
Online BA School Calendar:
https://gopherconference.org/public/genie/7/school/7/
Online Faribault Falcons Calendar:
https://big9conference.org/public/genie/4/school/7/
Family Focus 6/30/24
07/12/2024
Kris Sauer
June 2024, 2023-24
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"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6 (Campus Ministry-selected Bible verse for 2023-2024)
June 30, 2024
Dear Parent/Guardians:
The Bethlehem Academy Board of Directors closed out the 2023-2024 school year at their meeting Wednesday night. Thank you to outgoing Board Chair, Cory Caron, for his leadership these past three years and welcome to incoming Board Chair, Beth Dienst. We extend our gratitude as well to Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa Associates Mary Jane Alexander and Patty Murray, for their service to the Board.
The Selection Committee for the Head of School position, together with school leadership, is actively working on an interim leadership model for the 2024-2025 school year while we continue with the search process. We will share more in the coming weeks.
The Board also passed an updated PSEO class reimbursement policy effective for next school year: for each PSEO class of 3 credits or more taken in a high school semester, tuition may be reduced 3.5% if, upon successful completion of the course, parents make a request to the BA business office within a time period set by the school administration. Once classes begin in the fall, details on the process and relevant deadlines will be provided in a timely manner to those affected by this policy.
Tuitio
n contracts / Scrip: We ask parents to complete their tuition contracts and set up a payment schedule in EduTrak ASAP. Click HERE to log in. Find the purple tuition icon and follow the prompts to set up your contract. Email Lisa Moon if you need family key information to set up an account. FYI: Scrip credits earned will be applied to EduTrak contracts as a payment June 28.
Happy Fourth of July! A reminder that the office will be closed next week, July 1-5. The leadership team is likewise taking time away from the office July 1-5. Enjoy your time with friends and family!
Blessings, The BA Leadership Team
Kris Sauer, Ed Friesen, Brent Zabel
Click on individual names to contact a member of the Leadership Team or email the entire team at leadership@bacards.org
ALL BA UPDATES
RAFFLE/VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Parent Volunteer Program Information: Click HERE
- July 11-13: SMART Bike Ride for Catholic education. Click HERE to register to ride or sponsor a rider. (Participating parents earn volunteer hours for biking!)
- July 17-21: BA fair stand @ the Rice County Fair - parent and student volunteers needed, click here to sign up.
- August 2: BA Cardinal Golf Classic - sponsor this great event and/or golf with us at the Legacy! Click here to register.
FREE Baby Grand Piano! A member of our BA community has a Yamaha baby grand piano they would like to give to a passionate instrument lover who will take it and care for it. Please reach out to Gina Yetzer if interested.
2024-2025 BA School Calendar: Click HERE
Student Summer Reading Assignments: Click HERE to find titles and reading guides for each grade and/or high school class for your sons and daughters.
Lost and Found: Claim by July 10!
Summer Office Hours: BA's front office is open Monday through Thursday, 9am-1pm, closed Fridays, and will be closed the week of July 1-5.
PSE Local Coordinator Position Available: PSE, the student exchange company that is sending Bethlehem Academy a Korean boy for the '24-'25 school year is looking for a Local Coordinator. This is a contracted, paid position and is about 1 hour per month. The Local Coordinator checks in with the student and the host family monthly and fills out an online report (14 questions) and uploads the students grades in a PDF format. The LC vets the host family, making a trip to the home to meet the family and see the student's bedroom and also does an orientation with the family (a PowerPoint presentation) and also the same with the student. The pay is $80 a month to fill out the online report and the LC then gets paid $300 for meeting the family and doing the orientations for both students. Please contact Cheryl Da Silva, PSE Regional Manager 617 710 5700 or cdasilva@pse-edu.org if interested.
DIVINE MERCY CHURCH & SCHOOL UPDATE
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Register for the Eucharistic Congress here: https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Form/4cb0329e-b079-490f-a808-16c9d3c1d5b6 |
Faribault Transportation Open House:
Faribault Transportation is holding an Open House on Tuesday, June 25th from 4:00 to 6:30pm. It’s a fun Summer get together with our drivers. It is open to the community. If you are interested in driving school bus or being a bus aide, this is a great opportunity to learn more about these positions at Faribault Transportation. Tuesday, June 25th from 4-6:30pm. Bring your family!! Faribault Transportation is located at 2615 NW 1st Ave. in Faribault.
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Fall sport option for BA students! Mountain biking with the local team: Cannon Valley Composite. All ability levels are welcome. For more information, reach out to Coach Todd Trembley at ttrembley@charter.net |
Online BA School Calendar:
https://gopherconference.org/public/genie/7/school/7/
Online Faribault Falcons Calendar:
https://big9conference.org/public/genie/4/school/7/