We began this past school week by celebrating one of the most meaningful days for the Holy Cross community, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Since our school is named in honor of the Holy Cross, this feast provides a special opportunity for our students and faculty to reflect upon the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the promise of His Resurrection.
To begin our celebration, our eighth grade students prayerfully processed around campus while carrying the cross. Students from every grade lined the procession route and joined them in prayer. Following the procession, our school community entered the church together to celebrate Mass. Our eighth grade students served as wonderful leaders throughout this beautiful celebration.
The cross is at the heart of our identity as Holy Cross School. It reminds us that even through suffering and sacrifice, Christ leads us toward hope, resurrection, and eternal life. As a school community, we renewed our commitment to live and lead with faith, hope, and love under the sign of the cross. We extend a special thank you to Ms. White and our eighth grade students for leading such a meaningful procession and Mass.
Monday also marked the beginning of our first STAR testing window for students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. STAR testing is administered four times throughout the school year and allows us to monitor student growth, identify areas requiring additional support, and determine where students may be ready for greater academic challenges. Testing will continue throughout the coming week. We encourage families to help students prepare by ensuring they receive a good night’s rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive ready to give their best effort.
On Tuesday, we welcomed families for our Elementary Back to School Night, followed by our Junior High Back to School Night on Wednesday. These evenings provided valuable opportunities to discuss classroom routines, expectations, and curriculum. Most importantly, they allowed us to strengthen the partnership between home and school. We are grateful to every family who entrusts their children to our care, and we look forward to working together to provide our Crusaders with an excellent education and a place where their faith can continue to grow. Thank you to our teachers for the tremendous time, preparation, and care they dedicated to these evenings.
After a quiet Thursday on campus, we concluded the week with our Family Movie Night on Friday. This wonderful event brought our school community together for prayer, fellowship, snacks, laughter, and a movie under the evening sky. We are especially grateful to our HSA for the time and thoughtful preparation that made this evening possible.
Next week, we look forward to the first Military Kids Club meeting of the school year. This club is open to any student who has a family member currently serving or who has previously served in the military. Families interested in having their child participate should contact our school counselor. It is always inspiring to see students of all ages come together to share their experiences, support one another, and make a difference.
We also look forward to welcoming representatives from several Catholic high schools to campus as they begin speaking with our middle school students about the next steps in their educational and faith journeys.
As always, we are deeply grateful for the support of our families, parishioners, faculty, and staff. We feel truly blessed to have begun this school year on such a joyful and faith filled note.
God bless,
Mrs. O’Mara
