Family Focus 4/9/2020
04/17/2020
Ed Friesen
April 2020
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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
UPDATES
Upcoming Events
- Friday, April 10: No School
- Monday, April 13: No School
- Monday, April 20: BABS online Live and Silent Auction opens: https://one.bidpal.net/babs
- Saturday, April 25: BABS online event, more information here: https://babsnight.weebly.com/
2020-2021 BA-DMCS School Calendar: Copy attached for your reference.
Tips for Successful Distance Learning
Still struggling a bit to manage distance/online learning? Faculty offer the following tips for navigating this new environment:
- Establish a routine by setting a wake-up time and bedtime.
- If prioritizing work is a challenge, encourage students to follow their class schedule.
- Encourage lots of breaks and get outside.
- Include physical activity as part of the day.
- Try not to do schoolwork on a bed. It is important to distinguish a workspace from a sleeping space.
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!
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.
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 ANNOUNCEMENTS
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.
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
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!)
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Family Focus 4/3/2020
04/03/2020
Ed Friesen
April 2020
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April 3, 2020 Note from Dr. Briscoe… We have now completed week one of the Minnesota Shelter in Place order. We all need to continue to follow this through April 10 to help minimize the number of people who get sick. The Governor extended school closings through May 4, 2020. My heart hopes that we can come back this spring but my head tells me that we may not. I know that students are missing school and the BA Staff is really missing all of our students and the chance to be together. My prayers are that we will back together soon. Parents, we continue to value the partnership that we have between you, your student and our great teachers. It is critical that you continue to monitor your student’s progress and make sure that they are staying engaged in online learning. Regular sleep habits and proper nutrition continue to be important. Make sure that your student is taking part in all online lessons. I understand that these are challenging times for all of us. We appreciate the trust and support that you continue to place in Bethlehem Academy. We continue to work on BABS 2020. BABS will take place virtually and you will be able to bid online on many great auction items as well as help us with the Fund-A-Need portion of the program. It is critical that we have a successful BABS on April 25, 2020. Find more details on our website here. We were blessed by your overwhelming support to help us pass our goal of $200,000 for the 2019-20 Annual Fund. Thank you, thank you, and thank you! BA leadership continues to meet each week via Zoom. We will get information out to you as we have it. This week we made the painful decision to cancel the spring play scheduled for late April. There is no chance to get the cast together to rehearse. I am sorry for all of the students who were involved. Spring sports are on hold through May 4. It will be challenging for the sports to take place unless the seasons are extended in to the summer. We have not postponed or cancelled any other events as of today. This continues to be challenging times for all of us. This “new normal” is a difficult as I miss attending Mass, meeting people for coffee, and interacting with friends and family. I have two granddaughters and my first grandson was born in the early morning of March 26. I have only seen pictures and heard him cry on the phone. I hope that someday soon I can hold him. We are not wired to shelter in place but by working together we can minimize the numbers of people who get sick. When we have new information we will share it immediately. Trust that you are in our prayers and in our hearts. Dr. Chuck Briscoe UPDATES Freezer Update & Thank You! The Lunch Ladies got a GREAT response to last week’s call for freezer help. (You will recall that they need to find freezer space for a 1000-lb commodities shipment that can’t be cancelled or diverted.) Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who responded. They’ve got this one figured out! Easter Flower Pickup April 7-8 The Easter Flowers ordered from the BA Activities Association will be available for pick up @ BA Tuesday, April 7 and Wednesday, April 8 from 3-6pm. In an effort to keep everyone safe, we are changing the plant pick-up process. To get your flowers, please enter the BA parking lot from 3rd Ave SW and park along the sidewalk near the main lobby doors. Remain in your car, roll down your window, and give your name to a committee member. They will locate your order and place it in your trunk. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this unusual time of social distancing.Wishing you and your family a safe and happy Easter! - BA Easter Flower Committee. Red Cross Blood Drive April 8, 2020 The American Red Cross has added additional appointment times for the April 8 blood drive at Bethlehem Academy. The blood drive is from 9am to 2pm by appointment only. The blood drive is considered an essential service and the Red Cross has implemented several additional safety measures. Donating blood products is essential to community health and the need for blood is constant. A donation now can help ensure a stable supply for upcoming months. Schedule an appointment at https://www.redcrossblood.org/ Volunteers are needed to assist at registration table and cantina area. All health and distancing guidelines will be followed. Contact Ed Friesen if you can help. Got pics? Build our Cardinal Community & Share your Stories! As we continue distance/online learning, building our community through (virtual) social connections is more important than ever! In the coming weeks, we encourage you to send in funny, interesting, and creative photos/videos related to e-learning to ksauer@bacards.org for the chance to appear on BA’s social media channels! 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! ANNOUNCEMENTS Distance/Online Learning We thank you for your patience as we continue distance/online learning to May 4. This is a new paradigm for all of us. Please be patient with faculty and with your students as we continue to adapt and adjust to this new way of learning. Know that EVERY member of our faculty and staff is here to help. Click here to find staff emails and do reach out if you need anything. 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. COVID-19 Resources on our Website We have created a COVID-19 resources page under the News tab on our website. It includes links to reputable medical information, distance learning resources, online Mass information, local food & business information, etc. Click here to access. 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 after Easter 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. 2020-2021 School Calendar The current version of the 2020-2021 school calendar is attached to this email. SENIOR ANNOUNCEMENTS 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. SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 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. Faribault Sertoma Club 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. BA VOLUNTEER/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 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.
Family Focus 3/28/2020
03/28/2020
Ed Friesen
March 2020
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March 28, 2020 Note from Dr. Briscoe… The Governor has now extended the closing of all schools in Minnesota through May 4, 2020. Bethlehem Academy will continue with online learning through that date. If necessary, we are prepared to go through the end of the 2019-2020 school year online. April and May are typically busy months at BA. We are exploring options to maintain as many of these events as we can. BABS will move to an online auction format and take place April 25; raffle tickets are still being sold (see attached order form). Drawing will be held at approximately 7:30 pm APRIL 25. Spring sports are suspended to May 4. Production of the spring play, The Wizard of Oz, has been cancelled. We anticipate spring concerts will not take place. We are dedicated to honoring the Class of 2020 and are brainstorming ways to hold prom and conduct graduation events while maintaining social distancing rules that may be in effect. These are unprecedented times for everyone. We are used to quick responses and events falling into familiar patterns. There is a lot of gray right now and no one has enough answers and can tell when this will end. It appears that we are in this new normal for many months to come. I wish I knew the answers but like everyone else I pray that a vaccine will be developed and that people across the world can return to life as we knew it prior to March 2020. Access to the building is limited. With the exception of deliveries and the U.S. mail, we don’t anticipate anyone coming into the building during this time period. To minimize contact with others, BA staff will address the needs of students and families online or via phone during normal hours. When we have new information to share, we will provide that as soon as we can. Trust that you are in our prayers and our hearts.
Dr. Chuck Briscoe UPDATESDistance/Online Learning We thank you for your patience as we continue distance/online learning to May 4. This is a new paradigm for all of us. Please be patient with faculty and with your students as we continue to adapt and adjust to this new way of learning. Know that EVERY member of our faculty and staff is here to help. Click here to find staff emails and do reach out if you need anything. Teachers will have designated office hours to focus on responding to correspondence. Outside of their office hours, teachers will be providing virtual instruction using Zoom or Google Hangouts Meet, preparing curriculum and assessing student learning. We encourage students to create a consistent schedule for completing their studies. It is also important for students and teachers to work breaks into their day - get away from their screens and engage in some physical activity. 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. COVID-19 Resources We have created a COVID-19 resources page on the News section of our website. It includes links to reputable medical information, distance learning resources, online Mass information, local food & business information, etc. Click here to access. Bethlehem Academy Resources In addition to our weekly parent email and website resource page, we invite you to join the Bethlehem Academy Facebook page (for morning announcements, etc.) or follow us on Instagram or Twitter to stay up-to-date on BA happenings. Freezers Needed Do you have a spare freezer? Our Lunch Ladies desperately need to find freezer space for 1000 lbs of frozen food from a commodities shipment (which they are unable to cancel or divert) that should arrive in the next few weeks. A large chest or upright freezer or two that could be moved to BA into the early part of next school year would be ideal. All ideas welcome! Please contact Julie Trnka at jtrnka@bacards.org if you can help. Item Pick-up/Drop-off at School We hope that your student now has everything they need for distance learning. BA will not be open during the two week stay-at-home order from March 27-April 10. If necessary, we can get items to you via DMCS as they are continuing their drop off/pick up system from 10am-11:30am Monday-Friday. All distancing mitigation procedures will be in place for the pickup. Red Cross Blood Drive April 8, 2020 We are answering the call of the Red Cross and will be hosting a Blood Drive in Van Orsow Auditorium on Wednesday, April 8. All health guidelines will be strictly adhered to; adults only will staff this drive. Stay tuned for further information on how to volunteer and/or donate. 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 Tuition Assistance Although the initial financial aid deadline has passed, 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.
SENIOR ANNOUNCEMENTSAttention Senior Parents Mr. Zabel is still working to collect senior pictures and baby pictures. These pictures will be used in the senior slide show as well as the BA yearbook and BA Star Bulletin. Pictures can be sent to Mr. Zabel via email (bzabel@bacards.org). Please remind your seniors to upload photos of memories from their K-12 years 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. SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Faribault Elks Lodge Faribault Elks Lodge is offering scholarships for post-secondary education to high school seniors graduating in the spring of 2020. Click here for application or visit www.Faribaultelks.org and click on scholarships, then start the application. Deadline is March 31, 2020. P.E.O. Scholarship The P.E.O. Chapter AR of Faribault will be awarding one $1,000 scholarship to a 2020 graduating female pursuing post-secondary education from either FHS or BA. The application requires three short questions and a completed application form. Deadline is April 3, 2020. Please email Mr. Schuman for an application. Faribault Sertoma Club 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.
BA VOLUNTEER/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIESStudent Summer Work Program We are looking for student workers who will be in grades 9-12 next fall to help clean and prepare the schools for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Tuition credit provided. Please click here for additional information. 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.
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