Family Focus 4/25/2020
04/25/2020
Ed Friesen
April 2020
Leave a comment
April 25, 2020
Note from Dr. Briscoe…
I want to thank all of you for your outstanding support of the 2019-20 BA Annual Fund. After not meeting our goal for the past several years, we have been able to exceed our goal of $200,000 by $43,000. We are now at $243,000 and still climbing. You are helping us to fill the gap between what student pay for tuition and what it costs us to cover our costs and keep the lights on at BA. Thank you for your help!
TONIGHT is our first and hopefully our last Virtual BABS. This is the 35th annual BABS and because of Covid-19 we are hosting BABS as a virtual event. We had several people come together to make a 35 minute video on April 15. It will be very strange to deliver a speech on the stage in the BA Auditorium at the podium with the cameraman being the only person in the auditorium. We need you to go on-line and bid on both silent and live auction items. There are several great items that we hope you will find interesting enough to bid on. We will conclude the program with the fund-a-need portion of the program. All dollars generated in the fund-a-need will go to mission and scholarship. Our enrollment is down and we really need to open our doors for more students. The dollars that you donate on Saturday will help open the doors for students. You know the quality of a BA education and how it changes the lives of students forever.
The Governor on Thursday extended distance learning for the rest of the school year. We are tentatively planning on having the school year end on May 22 for everyone. We will have a decision on Graduation by next Friday.
We value all of you for trusting your students’ education with a great faculty.
Dr. Chuck Briscoe
UPDATES
BABS 2020 TONIGHT!
BABS will be live tonight via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FaribaultBA/ and on our YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/bethlehemacademy. The auction site is live and can be found at https://one.bidpal.net/babs. Our Fund-a-Need this year is for mission and scholarship – donations can be made online or by sending a check to us at BA. We are well on our way to our Fund-a-Need goal of $70,000. If we hit the goal tonight, we will get a matching gift of $95,000. Thank you for your support. Now, more than ever, #WEAREBA!
Distance Learning Update
Governor Tim Walz on Thursday issued an executive order announcing that all schools in Minnesota will remain closed through the end of the academic year. Our teachers and staff have planned for this possibility and are prepared to continue instructing your child via distance learning through the end of the school year.
In light of this announcement, we have made some adjustments to our academic calender: May 1 and May 4 are distance learning days at BA. (The public schools have this day off; we do not.) The last day of regular class instruction, especially at the high school level, will be May 15. The week of May 18 will be for completion of final projects, papers, tests and make up work with the last day of school falling on May 22. Students will turn in laptops and textbooks the week of May 26-28.
The Minnesota State High School League yesterday announced the cancellation of all spring activities. We are making plans to host the Mary and Awards Ceremony virtually, with a decision on Commencement by next week. Senior received their caps and gowns yesterday and had their pictures taken. We continue to honor the Class of 2020 via social media posts and will continue to find ways to celebrate them and share this important milestone with the community while still adhering to stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines.
Thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility during this unprecedented time. The health and safety of our students remains our top priority as we continue to navigate this national health crisis.
Calendar Updates
- Spring Play, April 24-26: Cancelled
- May 1: BA in distance learning
- Prom, May 2: Postponed, new date/format TBD
- May 4: BA in distance learning
- Spring Concert, May 6: Cancelled
- May 15: Last day of regular classes
- May 18-22: finals/make up week
- May 22: Last Day of School
- May 26-28: Laptop and Textbook turn in
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
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 ANNOUNCEMENTS
Senior Scholarships/Transcripts
Mr. Schuman will continue to email all seniors any new scholarship offers that come up. See below for a list of current scholarships and deadlines. Students should email Mr. Schuman at jschuman@bacards.org with any questions 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.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Faribault Sertoma Club Scholarship
The Faribault Sertoma Club will offer (2) $1500 scholarships for post-secondary education to high school seniors graduating in the spring of 2020. The recipients of these scholarships will be students who best personify Sertoma’s motto, “Service to Mankind.” Please email Mr. Schuman for an application. Deadline is April 30, 2020.
Rotary STRIVE Program Postponed
Juniors: the Rotary STRIVE program is postponed until further notice. Please e-mail Faribaultrotarystrive@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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 at jglynn@familyservicerochester.org or 507-287-2010 if interested.
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 14th 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
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!)
Attached Files |
Family Focus 4/17/2020
04/17/2020
Ed Friesen
April 2020
Leave a comment
April 17, 2020
Note from Dr. Briscoe…
We continue to be very proud of our students and teachers at BA. We know this is not easy and we are making adjustments to work load as we move forward. We look forward to honoring the Class of 2020, and continue to discuss options for Senior Week in the event the Governor extends distance learning through the end of the school year. We will all be stronger people for enduring the Covid Challenge of 2020. My prayers are that there will be light at the end of the tunnel and that school, church, and our lives will return to normal sometime in 2020. The “new normal” is very hard for us to do.
April 2020 Faribault Daily News Column
Opportunities to Grow:
As a long-time educator, I have witnessed several students and staff members rise above the challenges that life can throw at them and find a way to adapt and continue to grow and flourish. Sometimes the curve balls in life can be very hard to hit. When the pitch is really inside you will have to hit the ground and dust yourself up and get back in the batting box.
I love baseball. My dad was a very good pitcher and started throwing the ball back and forth with me before I was in kindergarten. I still have his pitching glove which is smaller than the choppers I wear to shovel snow. As I got older all of the lessons paid off as I could throw the ball hard and have fun playing baseball. Until a few years ago I used to say that I could still help the Twins using their model of pitching to contact.
The many years of pitching finally caught up with my right shoulder. An MRI in late 2018 indicated a slight rotator cuff tear. An MRI in early 2020 indicated that the shoulder was now a mess and I would need surgery. The tear was into the bicep and the pain was very challenging. The doctor said that I needed the surgery immediately if I hoped to save the parts of my shoulder. I had hoped to wait until after BABS or in the summer but my decision to have the surgery immediately proved to be a blessing with the virus hitting in mid-March.
On March 9th Donna and I walked into Summit Orthopedics at 5:30 a.m. for surgery. This was the first day of spring break and I hoped that I would minimize the number of days of school I would miss. I had no idea on that day that we would probably not be going back to school until fall. Dr. Warner told me that my job was to show up and relax. He would do the heavy lifting and together we would get through this. After several hours I left with my shoulder in a brace and my new ice machine in the car. The repairs were worse than expected and I now have two screws in my bicep and two holding one of the tendons to the bone. I will not set off any alarms at the airport as the screws are plastic. My favorite Faribault jeweler had promised me that the first few days would be the worst and he was correct. I spent most of my day and night in a recliner for the first few days. t got better with each passing day.
Going from two hands to one presented many challenges. It was my first time at bat in my youth. I had to keep swinging and to remember to run to first, not third base when I hit the ball. Eventually the swing got easier and someday I hope to hit a homerun again. I am always hopeful and there were days I could hear one of my mother’s favorite comments, “things could be worse.” After two weeks I got permission to drive one-handed which got easier with practice. There now is no coffee on my morning drive with only one hand. We are on a long break from dancing and we pray that we can resume dancing on the kitchen floor and riding a bike in May. The fine art of shaving is a real challenge with one hand and so is brushing your teeth.
This has been a reminder for me to appreciate the simple things in life, like the ability to tie your shoes and open a door. We take many things for granted, but between the virus and my surgery I am smelling the flowers, drinking good coffee and practicing social distancing. Like most of you, I am not wired to shelter in place. I pray that someday we can meet for coffee, get on a dance floor and hug each other again. Stay safe, stay home and keep washing your hands.
Dr. Chuck Briscoe
UPDATES
BABS 2020
Please check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FaribaultBA/ and please help us spread the word by sharing posts on our upcoming BABS event. See links to the auction site and event web page below. Mark your calendars and plan to join us online for our virtual BABS event!
- Monday, April 20, 10:00am: BABS online auction opens: https://one.bidpal.net/babs
- Saturday, April 25, 7:00pm: BABS online event, more information here: https://babsnight.weebly.com/
Please like and share all week long our BABS posts!!!
Calendar Updates
- Spring Play, April 24-26: Cancelled
- Prom, May 2: Postponed, new date/format TBD
- Spring Concert, May 6: Cancelled
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.orgwith 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!
Tips for Successful Distance Learning
Mr. Schuman, our Guidance Counselor, sent all BA students a video this week with words of encouragement and tips to staying on track with distance learning. Find the video here: https://youtu.be/M_RC9m4aFlw
Faribault Public Library Online Resources
The Faribault Public Library is offering an electronic library card and numerous online resources. Check out the attached flyer for more information.
SCRIP Update
Good news! Barring any unforeseen circumstances, DMCS will resume placing Scrip orders on Tuesday, April 21. All orders must be received by 8:30 am that morning. You will be able to pick-up your orders every Thursday from 4-6pm starting April 23rd. Pick up will be at DMCS Door # 3 (the side gym door). Just pull up and honk your horn! Peggy will meet you with your order. PLEASE NOTE: orders must be paid by check. (The online payment option will not be available until further notice.) All standing SCRIP orders will be resumed as well. ACH orders will be processed as usual. If you do not wish to receive your standing order at this time, please notify Peggy Johnson at pjohnson@dmcs.cc. You may still purchase gift cards for Hy-Vee, Fareway, Kwik Trip, Walmart and Communinty Scrip at 1st United Bank in Faribault. Please contact Peggy if you have any questions about the program.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Top PSAT Score Congratulations!
Please join us in applauding BA junior Verity Wray-Raabolle for her outstanding achievement on the 2019-2020 SAT/National Merit Scholarship Test. She is among the top 1% of the more than 1.5 million high school juniors across the United States who took the exam, and is one of the 50,000 highest scoring students who will be recognized as either a Semifinalist or Commended student next fall. We are very proud of Verity at BA. She is an outstanding student, and a kind, caring person who reflects the values that BA students proudly display as students and as leaders in their schools and communities after graduation.
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! In the coming weeks, we will continue honoring 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 Twittertoday! We also encourage you to share your own photos/videos on social media using the hashtag: #WEAREBA #TogetherWeFly. Thank you!
SENIOR ANNOUNCEMENTS
Senior Scholarships/Transcripts
Mr. Schuman will continue to email all seniors any new scholarship offers that come up. See below for a list of current scholarships and deadlines. Students should email Mr. Schuman at jschuman@bacards.org with any questions 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.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Faribault Sertoma Club Scholarship
The Faribault Sertoma Club will offer (2) $1500 scholarships for post-secondary education to high school seniors graduating in the spring of 2020. The recipients of these scholarships will be students who best personify Sertoma’s motto, “Service to Mankind.” Please email Mr. Schuman for an application. Deadline is April 30, 2020.
Rotary STRIVE Program Postponed
Juniors: the Rotary STRIVE program is postponed until further notice. Please e-mail Faribaultrotarystrive@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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 at jglynn@familyservicerochester.org or 507-287-2010 if interested.
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 14th 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
April 9, 2020 Note from Dr. Briscoe… I continue to be very proud of the BA staff and students as we finish week four of online learning. We continue to work to meet the needs of your student and to address any technology issues that get in the way of teaching and learning. I know that we are all learning things that we can use for the rest of this year and for many years to come. We have decided to postpone the May 2nd Prom. Instead, we are working on options for a rescheduled and less formal event, hopefully sometime this summer. We are also looking at the end of the year school activities including the Mary Ceremony, the Awards Ceremony, and Graduation 2020. We will have an answer for you soon on those three very important school events. We are looking at the possibility of having the seniors come back in the fall for a formal graduation ceremony on a weekend. This would allow us to have student speakers and present your students diploma in a formal setting. We will also look at doing something simple at the end of May for graduation. We will have a clear answer in the next few days. I know these are very challenging times as we pray that we can beat this virus through the shelter in place model that has been extended through May 4th. You can reach all of us via e-mail and we can call you back with any questions that you may have. This will be the first Easter that I have not been in church, had an Easter egg hunt or had an Easter basket. I have still not held my new grandson born on March 26, 2020. Stay safe, stay home and remember the value of prayer. Dr. Chuck Briscoe Upcoming Events 2020-2021 BA-DMCS School Calendar: Copy attached for your reference. Still struggling a bit to manage distance/online learning? Faculty offer the following tips for navigating this new environment: Student Cell Phone Numbers During this period of distance/online learning, it may be helpful for teachers to have student cell phone numbers as an additional way to communicate with students. This may include texting announcements and assignments as well as calling students for follow up and feedback on assignments. If you are willing to provide your child's cell phone number, please complete this secure form. Message from the Sinsinawa Mound Please see attached letter of encouragement, gratitude and appreciations from Sr Colleen Settles, OP, D. Min., Corporate Chair for Sponsored Schools Dominicans of Sinsinawa. SCRIP Update Good news! Barring any unforeseen circumstances, DMCS will resume placing Scrip orders on Tuesday, April 21. All orders must be received by 8:30 am that morning. You will be able to pick-up your orders every Thursday from 4-6pm starting April 23rd. Pick up will be at DMCS Door # 3 (the side gym door). Just pull up and honk your horn! Peggy will meet you with your order. PLEASE NOTE: orders must be paid by check. (The online payment option will not be available until further notice.) All standing SCRIP orders will be resumed as well. ACH orders will be processed as usual. If you do not wish to receive your standing order at this time, please notify Peggy Johnson at pjohnson@dmcs.cc. You may still purchase gift cards for Hy-Vee, Fareway, Kwik Trip, Walmart and Communinty Scrip at 1st United Bank in Faribault. Please contact Peggy if you have any questions about the program. April Students of the Month Congratulations to the 6 middle school and 12 high school students of the month for April! We were not able to celebrate their achievements in person, so faculty prepared an awards ceremony video. Check out our Facebook page for more! American Red Cross Blood Drive Thank you to the faculty, staff, alumni and community members from Faribault, Medford, New Prague, Northfield, and Owatonna who participated in the April 8 Red Cross blood drive. Over 50 people successfully donated much-needed blood! 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. 2020-2021 Class Registration and Enrollment We continue to work on class registrations for next year. Please check in with your student and encourage them to submit their 2020-2021 class registration in PowerSchool when you can. Also, if you have not yet done so, please re-enroll your student for next year as we cannot finalize schedules for students not enrolled. Click here for more information on re-enrolling in TADS. 2020-2021 Financial Aid & Tuition Agreements Under the circumstances, we have delayed our normal tuition assistance evaluation process. We will not begin award allocation discussions until next week and hope to have tuition agreements out by early May. Please know that it is not too late to apply for financial aid! Any family who is concerned about affording full tuition and fees may still apply for tuition assistance through TADS, with whom we partner to fairly assess need. Contact Kris at ksauer@bacards.org with questions on this process. 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! In the coming weeks, we will be honoring 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 Twittertoday! We also encourage you to share your own photos/videos on social media using the hashtag: #WEAREBA #TogetherWeFly. Thank you! Senior Pictures / Yearbook Survey Deadline April 10 Please get your senior and baby pictures to Mr. Zabel and respond to the Senior Yearbook Survey by Friday, April 10. These pictures & information from the yearbook survey will be used in the senior slide show as well as in the BA yearbook and BA Star. Pictures can be sent to Mr. Zabel via email (bzabel@bacards.org). Seniors can upload their K-12 photos to the designated Google folder. Thanks for your help and cooperation in honoring the Class of 2020! Senior Scholarships/Transcripts Mr. Schuman will continue to email all seniors any new scholarship offers that come up. See below for a list of current scholarships and deadlines. Students should email Mr. Schuman at jschuman@bacards.org with any questions 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. Faribault Sertoma Club Scholarship The Faribault Sertoma Club will offer (2) $1500 scholarships for post-secondary education to high school seniors graduating in the spring of 2020. The recipients of these scholarships will be students who best personify Sertoma’s motto, “Service to Mankind.” Please email Mr. Schuman for an application. Deadline is April 30, 2020. Rotary STRIVE Program Postponed Juniors: the Rotary STRIVE program is postponed until further notice. Please e-mail Faribaultrotarystrive@gmail.com if you have any questions. 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 14th 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 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. Summer event dates below – please add these to your calendar! More information coming soon. Attached Files
Family Focus 4/9/2020
04/17/2020
Ed Friesen
April 2020
Leave a comment
UPDATES
Tips for Successful Distance Learning
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SENIOR ANNOUNCEMENTS
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
BA VOLUNTEER/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
SAVE THE DATE FOR SUMMER 2020 EVENTS!