Principal's Postings - January 15, 2021

Dear HFS Families,
January always seems to be a month that drags along slowly. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays past us, it seems to be a somewhat dull and dreary time of year. Despite this, here at Holy Family we have the joy of knowing that we get to come together everyday to pray, work, and play. Nothing warms my heart more than interacting with your children. Their smiles and laughter bring us such joy. 
 Principal’s Spotlight
I would like to shine a spotlight on Mrs. Mary Mizii this week. Mrs. Mizii has been a faculty member here at Holy Family for 20 years, and she is a family favorite in our community! Each year, she organizes the Living Stations with her 5th Grade students, and she has been a leader in the planning of many a Catholic Schools’ Week celebrations. 
 She teaches Religion to our 5th and 6th Grade students and ELA to her homeroom. The passion she has for her Catholic faith comes out in all of her lessons, and she instills in her students, alongside her grade partners, a strong sense of community. When you enter her classroom, there is a warmth that radiates from within. It is clear that she loves her students and they adore her! “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16).
 Registration Update
As many of you are aware, we changed our registration process this school year. In order to have a clearer picture of what our enrollment might look like next year, we asked all of you to submit your registration in December. At this point, we have 75% of our students from PreSchool through 7th Grade re-registered for the 2020-2021 school year...75%!!! That is FANTASTIC! This will be incredibly helpful in planning for staff, books, and supplies for next year. Thank you for taking the time to submit your registrations!
 
For those of you who have not registered yet, it’s not too late! It’s as easy as heading over to our school website and clicking the Admissions tab. Click here to get started. If you have any questions, please call the office at 610-933-7562 or email Mrs. McNerney at Advancement@myholyfamilyschool.org. 
 I would also like to thank everyone for talking about our school with friends and neighbors, and even on Facebook neighborhood pages. The word has spread like wildfire about HFS, and we have seen a constant stream of people coming in for tours, registering for next year, and even registering for this year. We couldn’t do it without you. We are HFS strong!
 
Promotional Video
Several weeks ago, I shared with you that we were having a promotional video filmed. That video is completed, and I just love it! It really showcases our school, students, and staff. Beginning on Monday, I will be sharing 2 short clips and the full length video over the course of the week. I am so excited to share it with you, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
 
Please understand that the video was shot with the  post pandemic world in mind. There are some scenes in which students are not wearing masks. I can assure you that I was present for all parts of the production, and students were kept socially distanced in most instances. If they were unmasked and less than 6 feet apart, the timing was well under the 15 minute guideline. Students had the option of removing masks for some shots, and no one was made to feel uncomfortable if they chose to remain masked. 
 
YouTube Channel
Did you know that Holy Family School has its own YouTube channel? Click here to check it out! I noticed that there are not many subscribers, so I thought I would remind you all to subscribe to it when you have a moment. We will be using Facebook and YouTube to share our Promo Video, and we have some plans up our sleeves for YouTube in the very near future. Keep your eyes peeled!
 
Virtual Learning
This is a friendly reminder that all requests for students to move to a virtual platform must be addressed to BOTH the teacher(s) AND me. Students will not be approved unless I am aware of it. This can be found in our Reopening Plan on page 9.
 Additionally, the virtual learning platform is for Covid-related situations only. I understand that everyone gets sick with normal illnesses or needs a mental health day, but that is not an acceptable reason to utilize the virtual platform. In a non-pandemic year, this would be considered a sick day, and it will continue to be so this year.
 Cyber Day
Our next Cyber Day is coming up on Friday, 1/29. Teachers will provide their students with assignments for that day. These assignments should be completed and submitted according to the teachers’ directions. Below is a reminder of expectations for Cyber Day.
 
Teachers will communicate with you regarding the assignments to be completed.
Assignments will be posted on the teachers’ web pages on the school website and/or in Google Classroom.
Teachers will hold office hours for a short portion of the day to be available for any questions or concerns.
Office hours will be posted on the teachers’ web pages.
Students in grades K-4 should spend approximately 1-2 hours total on the assigned work.
Students in grades 5-8 should spend approximately 2-3 hours total on the assigned work.
This is an asynchronous day.
 
Lunch Volunteers
Thank you so much to all of our parents who have taken time from their busy schedules to volunteer during lunch recess. It is appreciated more than you know!
 
We still have a few spots open for January. Click here if you are able to volunteer. I am also including the link for February here. 
 Upcoming Dates
01/29/2021                           Cyber Day - Students do not report to school.
01/31/2021-02/05/2021        Catholic Schools Week
 
As always, I hope you find time to relax and enjoy one another’s company this weekend.
 
Peace and Joy,
Mrs. Jennifer D’Amelio