Happy Valentine's Day! We hope you find yourself blessed by God's love today.

Reminder that there is NO SCHOOL Monday, February 17 as we observe President's Day.

It was a great week at BA - our 6th and 7th graders went on a field trip to the MN History Center, with lots of hands-on activities including exploring a sod house, experiencing a simulation of the 1965 Fridley tornado, and participating in a mission aboard a C-47 transport plane on D-Day. Our 8th graders spent yesterday in retreat where they were invited into a deeper relationship with God and challenged to listen and recognize God's voice in their lives. So many students went to confession that retreat leaders were afraid they would run out of time! So proud of our students for being open to God's word and of our HS student leaders who helped with this amazing retreat. High school students participated in History Day, with 18 making it to the regional competition in Mankato. Finally, we celebrated our senior boys and girls basketball players and their parents at home games this past week. God is good!

As we plan for next year, there are many other wonderful things in the works. We are talking to some excellent candidates for our Head of School, head football, and choir positions and are adding college class options to our curriculum all while growing popular co-curricular programs like Campus Ministry, FFA, and Knowledge Bowl. Exciting things are happening as well with our staff. As you may know, Ed Friesen successfully completed his master’s in educational leadership last fall. Michael Bengen will complete a masters in PE and health in May and Grant Yackly will earn his master’s in educational leadership and technology integration this summer. Katy Ashley is halfway through a master’s program and Brent Zabel, Kallie Battles, and Tom Nardi are all starting master’s programs this spring and summer. At completion, nearly 80% of BA's teaching staff will have earned a master’s in their field of education. We are so grateful for their dedication to professional development and their commitment to guiding your sons and daughters to achieve personal, spiritual, and academic excellence!

Reminder to families seeking tuition assistance that the deadline to apply is two weeks from today, Friday, February 28. Applications received after that date will be allocated aid as available. Find the application at www.mytads.com; 2023 tax returns may be used, but 2024 W-2s and current paystubs must be submitted. Contact Kris Sauer if you have questions or need assistance.

The week ahead: 

UPCOMING EVENTS: Click HERE for a copy of the 2024-2025 BA School Calenda

• February 26: 6^th grade Youth Frontiers retreat
• February 28: 10:30am Mass @ BA; TADS financial aid applications due (www.mytads.com)
• March 3: History Day regional competition; Winter Band Concert, 6pm
• March 4: 7th grade retreat
• March 5: 8:30am Ash Wednesday Mass @ DMCC - Lenten Season begins
• March 6: P/T Conferences, 4-6pm; Post-Prom DNO @ Godfather's
• March 7: Third quarter ends; DMCS Meat Raffle Fundraiser
• March 13: SADD St. Patrick's Day $ Dress Down
• March 14: 10:30 am Mass @ BA
• March 17-21: Spring Break, No School

Prayers for healing, health, and happiness for our Bethlehem Academy Cardinal family!

With gratitude, 
Kris Sauer, Ed Friesen, 
Interim Co-Heads of School

Get your tickets now for Blossom & Bloom, the BABS 2025 Gala at https://one.bidpal.net/babs2025/welcome - you won't want to miss this great night celebrating our students and staff!

School Store now open! Purchase BA gear at the concessions stand during home basketball games or order online HERE for front office pickup.

COMMUNITY INFORMATION
 

Calendars:

Online BA School Calendar:
https://gopherconference.org/public/genie/7/school/7/

Online Faribault Falcons Calendar:
https://big9conference.org/public/genie/4/school/7/

We hope you are enjoying this long weekend with your sons and daughters! Faculty spend today in professional development on topics ranging from AI in the classroom to curriculum development, with several staff members participating in a Chamber-sponsored business mixer to explore school-community partnerships and opportunities. 

Looking ahead, we are starting to frame up the school calendar for next year. Unfortunately, Faribault Public Schools has not finalized their 25-26 calendar and we are also waiting to hear from the Archdiocese regarding staff participation expectations for next year's NCEA (Nat'l Catholic Education Association) Conference that will be held April 7-9, 2026, in Minneapolis. Know that we are eager to finalize this and will get that to you as soon as possible.

Enrollment and class registration for 2025-2026 will be opening soon. Families seeking tuition assistance are reminded that the deadline to apply is February 28. Applications received after that date will be allocated aid as available. Find the application at www.mytads.com; 2023 tax returns may be used, but 2024 W-2s and current paystubs must be submitted. Contact Kris Sauer if you have questions or need assistance.

Parent service hours opportunities: parent volunteers are needed to help on the 160th Anniversary Celebration (August 2) and the Cardinal Golf Classic (August 1) committees. Both events are this summer, but planning is starting now. Helping means you can earn parent hours for this year through May and an early start on hours for next year for time June to August. Log into POINT (https://pointapp.org/sign-in/) to sign up and contact Kris with questions. Another option: we've set up an Amazon store for BABS wish list items. Find the list to donate an item HERE - one parent hour earned for every $25 spent (self-report via POINT). 

Service hour reminders: if you sign up to volunteer through POINT, there is no need to self-report your hours as the system automatically counts then for you. Student hours should not be logged under parent accounts; their hours are separate and must be turned in to their Theology teachers. Parents who volunteer for co-op sports teams may self-report a maximum of 5 parent volunteer hours/season. Volunteering for DMCS/DMCC-only events (SpiritFest, Spooktacular, etc.) may self-report a maximum of 5 parent hours for each event. We are grateful for your partnership, and your gifts of time and treasure. Please reach out to Kris with questions. 

Finally, excited to share that last weekend's winter open house was the most successful in recent years, and fundraising to date for the annual fund is above average for this time of year. Please share the good new of BA within your family and friend networks and help us grow enrollment for next year! 

The week ahead: 

UPCOMING EVENTS: Click HERE for a copy of the 2024-2025 BA School Calendar

• February 13: Prom $ dress down, 1pm WIN schedule for History Day; grade 6-7 field trip; grade 8 retreat
• February 14: 10:30am Mass at BA
• February 17: NO SCHOOL, President's Day
• February 20: FFA blue & gold $ dress down day
• February 21: 8:30am Mass at DMCC
• February 26: 6^th grade Youth Frontiers retreat
• February 28: 10:30am Mass @ BA; TADS financial aid applications due (www.mytads.com)

Prayers for those in our community who are sick or undergoing surgeries, and for healing, health, and happiness for our Bethlehem Academy Cardinal family!

With gratitude, 
Kris Sauer, Ed Friesen, 
Interim Co-Heads of School

BABS - our biggest event of the year - is just around the corner. Get your tickets now at https://one.bidpal.net/babs2025/welcome

School Store now open! Purchase BA gear at the concessions stand during home basketball games or order online HERE for front office pickup.

Online BA School Calendar:
https://gopherconference.org/public/genie/7/school/7/

Online Faribault Falcons Calendar:
https://big9conference.org/public/genie/4/school/7/

What a blessing to celebrate Catholic Schools' Week with your sons and daughters this week! Our middle schoolers joined DMCS students for Mass and Buddy Day/service projects while our high school students traveled to The Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis for Mass, tours of this beautiful cathedral, and service for the homeless. It was a wonderful day living out our Dominican pillars of prayer, study, community, and service!  Thank you to all who supported the Basilica project with your donations.

Please join us for the 4pm BA-sponsored Catholic Schools' Week Mass tomorrow at Divine Mercy Catholic Church. We are hosting a new student open house this Sunday from 11am-1pm. Please help us grow enrollment and invite interested students and families to join us for this event!

Enrollment for 2025-2026 will be opening soon. Families seeking needs-based scholarships and aid are reminded to apply NOW for financial aid via TADS; aid applications close February 28. 2023 tax returns may be used, but 2024 W-2s and current paystubs must be submitted. Find the application at www.mytads.com.  Reminder that families must apply each year for requested aid; applications do not carry over from year-to-year. Contact Kris Sauer if you have questions or need assistance.

The week ahead: 

UPCOMING EVENTS: Click HERE for a copy of the 2024-2025 BA School Calendar

• February 1: BA-hosted Mass, 4pm, Divine Mercy Catholic Church
• February 2: Admissions Open House, 11am-1pm; click HERE to register for this new student event: help us grow enrollment - encourage interested families to attend!
• February 5: Student of the Month, 7:30am, BA gym
• February 6: Post Prom Dining Night Out, Godfathers, 4-7pm
• February 7: NO SCHOOL / Teacher Workday
• February 13: Prom $ dress down, 1pm WIN schedule for History Day; grade 6-7 field trip; grade 8 retreat
• February 14: 10:30am Mass at BA
• February 17: NO SCHOOL, President's Day

Finally, two things: one - a reminder that we have NO SCHOOL next Friday; and two - congratulations to our 2025 SnoBall Queen, Brooklyn Becker!

Prayers for the victims of the DC plane crash, for those affected by the California wildfires, for those in our community who are sick or undergoing surgeries, and for healing, health, and happiness for our Bethlehem Academy Cardinal family!

With gratitude, 
Kris Sauer, Ed Friesen, 
Interim Co-Heads of School

School Store now open! Purchase BA gear at the concessions stand during home basketball games or order online HERE for front office pickup.

Online BA School Calendar:
https://gopherconference.org/public/genie/7/school/7/

Online Faribault Falcons Calendar:
https://big9conference.org/public/genie/4/school/7/