Dear HFS Families,
Welcome back to school! It has been a long 6 months without your children and you, and we are beyond thrilled to be together again. This week has been filled with smiles, laughter, and love. It has also been filled with a great deal of hard work, determination, and many adjustments. While those adjustments will eventually become routine, I know that our students and teachers will continue to give it their all! “All you peoples, clap your hands; shout to God with joyful cries” (Psalm 47:2).
Teacher Spotlight
This week, I would like to shine a light on all of our teachers as they have done so much to help make the reopening of Holy Family School the success that it is. It is because of their efforts and contributions that our days have been running as smoothly as they have this week.
I would also like to spotlight all of our first year teachers - Mr. Pendleton, Mrs. McCarthy, Ms. Pizzico, and Ms. DiCastelnuovo. Not only have they taken on all of the challenges and responsibilities that come with being a first year teacher, but they are doing so during a global pandemic. It takes a special kind of person to take on those challenges, and we are so glad they chose to share their talents with us.
Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Snyder. He has been with us as our Reading Specialist and building sub for a number of years, but he did not hesitate to take on the role of a homeroom teacher. We are grateful for the stability and consistency that his presence provides for our students.
Staffing Update
I am pleased to announce that we have hired a teacher for the 7th/8th Grade ELA position. Mrs. Patricia Guzman has been a teacher for 16 years and has a number of certifications, including Middle School English, Elementary K-6, Reading Specialist PK-12, and Spanish PK-12. She earned her BA in Spanish from Shippensburg University and her M.Ed. in Reading and Language Arts from Millersville University. She will officially join us on Monday, September 21st.
8th Grade High School Shadowing
I have had some questions regarding our 8th Grade students and the possibility of shadowing at area high schools. As per the recommendation from the Office of Catholic Education, no student should be shadowing in person at any diocesan high school. Doing so would break our cohort model. Thank you for your understanding.
Parent Alert
It has come to our attention that there is an extremely disturbing video (graphic suicide) appearing on TikTok on the "For You" homepage. This makes it harder to avoid when scrolling through the video stream. To limit exposure to this video, it is suggested to parents that they institute a temporary ban of several days to their children's use of the app. Since TikTok is actively trying to contain and limit the sharing of the video, several days of not using the app should confirm that the video will not appear in your children's video feeds. Please contact Jen Caplan, school counselor, if you would like any guidance in this matter.
Thank you again for everything you have done to show your support of HFS. We are forever grateful to your time, patience, and generosity. Enjoy the weekend, and we can't wait to see you next week!
Peace and Joy,
Mrs. Jennifer D’Amelio
PS. Mrs. D’Amelio has me proof her postings. Big mistake as it allows me to hack her communication and publicly praise her for her leadership! I wish you could have seen the patience, wisdom, and composure with which she brought this team together to provide the safest possible return for our kids. We are truly blessed to have her in the office! Spotlight on her!
Mrs. Martino