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Connections is Holy Spirit Prep's community of women, committed to building prayer, spiritual growth, and personal formation opportunities.
We would love if you could join us for Connections Wine and Cheese on Thursday, September 19! Come with your friends and meet new friends by sharing a lovely evening of fellowship among precious HSP ladies! Along with sharing heart-to-heart, we will have music by Fr. John Klein, L.C., and delicious food, as well as briefly share with you the spiritual growth, personal formation opportunities, and fellowship special moments that we will be offering this year.”
RSVP
When Friday, September 20 • 8:15am Where Holy Spirit Catholic Church
We celebrate our first of four All-School Masses of the year on Friday, September 20, at 8:15am! This Mass celebrates our 5th- and 6th-graders, and new 7th-graders, who will be inducted into the House system in a tying ceremony following Mass. Our school community will gather in Holy Spirit Catholic Church to worship together. Parents are encouraged to attend!
Parking and Drop-Off Drop-off for Lower and Upper School students will be at the Upper School in front of the Commons Building. Drop-off for Upper School students (including those with Lower School siblings) should be between 7:25–7:40. Lower School students should be dropped off between 7:40–7:55.
Law enforcement officers will be helping direct traffic in and out of campus. They may not allow cars to turn left onto Northside Drive. Upper School drivers will be directed to park on the track off of Northside Chase to accommodate parking for 5th-7th grade parents coming for the Tying Ceremony.
Lower School students will meet their homerooms in the gym, and Upper School students will meet in their homerooms before Mass.
Preschool The Preschool will start at its normal time this morning. Preschool students are welcome to attend this first All-School Mass of the year with their families!
Uniform This day is a dress uniform day.
ADORE is a Holy Hour of adoration, music, and reflection for HSP families by Fr. John Klein, LC. It is a piece of Heaven, and an amazing opportunity as a family and for our beloved kids to adore God in such a beautiful, friendly, and joyful way!
“Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the healing, sustaining, and transforming rays of Jesus, radiating from the Eucharist, come back to that Adoration.” -St Teresa of Calcutta
Mark your calendars for HSP’s only all-school athletic fundraiser! Casino Night supports all twelve sports that Holy Spirit Prep offers. Please join us for a fun evening to support your children’s coaches and help raise money for your child’s individual sport. This is a great opportunity to engage with many of the coaches at HSP. All proceeds raised from coach and team auction items will go directly back to that sport.
Register for Casino Night
Price of ticket includes chips for casino games, dinner, and an open bar. Along with blackjack, poker, and craps, enjoy a competitive round of team trivia. Prizes awarded to highest chip holders and trivia winners! So get a sitter, grab your friends and enjoy a fun night supporting your favorite HSP team! Can’t wait to see you there - C-Pride!
When Monday, September 9 - Friday, September 13 Where All Campuses
This week, we're kicking off the Annual Fund with a spirit week! The Annual Fund is used to supplement day-to-day operations within the school. Currently tuition covers only a percentage of the total costs to operate our school. Unlike tuition, donations to the Annual Fund are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Every dollar raised through the Annual Fund is used to offset expenses supporting all children at Holy Spirit Preparatory School.
Annual Fund Kickoff Week Schedule
Monday, September 9 - Hawaiian Day Students enhanced their uniform with Hawaiian-themed items from home. Leis will be distributed to students by the Annual Fund Committee.
Tuesday, September 10 - Crazy Sock Day Students enhanced their uniform with their craziest socks from home. There will be a crazy sock contest at the Upper and Lower Schools.
Wednesday, September 11 - Favorite Shoe Day With their uniform, students wear their favorite shoes (closed-toe – no sandals or flip flops, please, for safety reasons).
Thursday, September 12 - Neon Day Students may enhance their uniform with neon. The Annual Fund Committee will distribute glow necklaces.
Friday, September 13 - Spirit Wear Day Students may wear spirit wear to school.
Hosted by parents, these grade-level events are a casual opportunity for just parents in each grade to connect.
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: $50 until Nov 1st Pricing will increase as the school year progresses. Last day to pre-order a yearbook will be in January.
HOW TO ORDER Go to www.YearbookOrderCenter.com and search for our HSP job #14803.
You may also call the Order Center if you’d rather make the transaction over the phone. The number is (866) 287-3096.
DISTRIBUTION Yearbooks will be distributed on the last day of school, Friday, May 25, and students will have the opportunity to have their friends and classmates sign them at a signing party.
++Seniors will receive a complimentary yearbook.
If you have yearbook questions, you may email the yearbook advisor at cbentley@holyspiritprep.org or come by Room C142 during lunch.
If you haven't already done so, please complete the Activity and Transportation Waiver so that your student may be transported for school and athletic events.
Complete the Activity and Transportation Waiver
Also, please read your campus's Handbook and follow the links below to sign an acknowledgement.
Lower School Handbook Acknowledgement
Upper School Handbook Acknowledgement
When Friday, September 27 • 11:15am Where Upper School Gym
Varsity athletes are scheduled to have a letter jacket fitting on Friday, September 27 during lunch. Head down to the Upper School gym at 11:15am to get fitted for your jacket.
The varsity and middle school cross country teams competed in the Cherokee County Classic over Labor Day weekend. Varsity boys and girls competed in a 5K race, and middle school boys and girls competed in a 3K race.
Meet Results
Varsity Boys (5K) 12th Alejandro Mata 19:13.4 13th Jacob Wilhelm 19:15.6 36th Emil Sacco 21:34.8 39th Norman Labbe 22:22.9 43rd Jackson Sacco 22:58.1
Varsity Girls (5K) 5th Julia Del Bosque 22:11.0 15th Alexa Lambert 23:22.0 22nd Camila Del Bosque 24:22.20
Middle School Boys (3K) 37th Davis Braun 13:14.9 83rd Matthew Sayer 14:44.4 121st Alex K 16:59.3 124th Kian Jessop 17:08.9
Middle School Girls (3K) 91st Kiera Jessop 20:30.80
Last week, both middle school and varsity football teams fought hard in their respective games. The middle school boys won their fight against Community Christian with a final score of 42-26.
Varsity football met a tough opponent in Lanier Christian Academy. After being down 0-28 at the half, our boys came back strong in the last two quarters. We scored two touchdowns, adding some pressure to the Lanier defense, but ended up short at the final whistle, 13-36.
Join us again this week as both teams take on Young Americans Christian Academy:
Middle School Football at YACS Thursday, September 12 • 6:00pm • Away
Varsity Football at YACS Friday, September 13 • 7:30pm • Away
Photo Credit: Olivia Jones, 11th Grade
Our Lower School soccer program dominated in their first games this past weekend. More than half of the teams won their games, and the losses were close matches: U10 boys lost 7-5, and U12 girls lost 4-3.
Results U7 Girls - W 5-2; T 1-1 U7 Boys - no score recorded U8 Girls - W U8 Boys - W 5-4 U10 Girls - W 6-1 U10 Boys - L 7-5 U12 Girls - L 4-3 U12 Boys - W 9-1
Nine members of the varsity clay targets team participated in a competition last weekend at Old Hudson Plantation in Sparta, Georgia. Congratulations to our top three shooters: Hector Padilla, Max Bendig, and Adam Marshall.
Wish them luck at their next competition this Saturday at Tom Lowe Shooting Grounds!
Get ready to bring your parents to school!
Bring Your Mom to School Day
When Wednesday, September 18, 8:30am-9:30am Where Preschool Classrooms
Bring Your Dad to School Day
When Wednesday, September 25, 8:30am-9:30am Where Preschool Classrooms
You'll get to share a snack and some craft time in your classroom until about 9:30am with mom, dad, or any special friend you'd like to bring.
The learning and play continues longer in the day with our Preschool Afternoon Activities. You can sign your child up for Lunch Bunch in the Preschool from 12:30pm-1:00pm and register for a fun and engaging enrichment listed below, and extend the Preschool Day to 1:45pm.
Atlanta Playball is a sports and movement skills program for boys and girls of every ability and interest, ages 2-4. Our uniquely qualified coaches teach our science-based curriculum which is scaled to each age and skill level. The benefits of Playball reach far beyond sports skills. Everything our participants learn has benefits in the classroom and in day-to-day life as well!
World Champion Tony Young All-Star Karate Academy is a privately owned and operated Martial Arts School by World Champion Anthony Young, an 8th Degree Black Belt and US Karate Champion. He will teach your child(ren) ages 3-4 years of age the basic fundamentals of Karate to include discipline, respect, stances, punches, and kicks. Students will be required to wear a white Karate uniform and a blue Karate t-shirt to each class.
Hands-on Adventures and Creations! Create and explore through exciting games, crafts, and sensory activities Miss Georgia. We’ll embark on an exploration through scavenger hunts, building our own obstacle courses, games, and crafts. We’ll spark excitement using all 5 senses through hands-on activities, music, and experiments. Children will build their skills by learning to work together as a team as well as independently…all while having fun adventures together!
Holy Spirit Tennis Academy with Coach Paula hosts mini tennis for preschoolers ages 2-4. Using low compression balls, kids have fun hitting the ball through games and drills that teach them skills, coordination, and technique.
Potions and Motion Camp! Mix up loads of fun with Miss Kiley, HSP’s Preschool STEAM teacher. Does your little one want to be a REAL scientist, explore the world through sensory play and have a blast doing it? Join us for potion making, music and movement, and engineering. All children will wear lab coats, goggles, and use scientific instruments…as well as keep a science journal…just like a real scientist!
Studio Go Bitty Ballerinas! Pre-Ballet introduces the young dancer to both movement and basic concepts of ballet technique, balance, coordination, flexibility, and strength. While learning dance our ballerinas also learn poise, determination, patience, and so much more. Dancers will need to wear a pink leotard, pink tights, and pink ballet shoes. Boys will wear a white top, black shorts, and black ballet shoes.
You are invited to a grade-level Coffee and Conversation with Mr. Pietrantonio following an upcoming grade-level Mass. This is an opportunity to speak directly with Mr. Pietrantonio about your Lower School experience, and hear from him on his work this year with our Lower School students. RSVP for a grade-level coffee Upcoming coffees include:
*Dr. Lindekugel will also join the coffee
Have you been looking for an easy way to help the PVA? Consider volunteering to bring flowers for the Lower School chapel. We have plenty of vases in the closet to the right in the back of the chapel. We need the flowers delivered by 8am on Monday morning, and you can sign up for only one week.
Sign Up to Bring Flowers
On Fridays and days that we dismiss the whole Lower School (like early dismissal days), we want to ensure a safe and a smooth carpool. Usually we have two or three waves of cars. Starting this Friday, afternoon carpool protocol will change. The first wave will remain the same, with vehicles queuing from the exit gate to the back stairs in front of the soccer field. The drivers of that first wave may get out of their cars and pick up their kids from the pick-up area. The second wave, from the back stairs to the school entrance, must remain in their cars until the school staff in charge of carpool move the wave forward and indicate it is safe to leave your vehicle. For their safety, no student is allowed to walk to the car without an adult. A second whistle will let you know that everyone needs to be in their cars to start moving lanes. We will follow this same procedure with the third wave. If you decide not to enter the carpool line, but park in the front driveway or across the street, please avoid walking through the exit gate to retrieve your child. Instead, please enter through the front office, pass through the courtyard, and walk down the stairs between the gym and Intermediate Building to pick up your student(s) and return to your car the same way. We want to avoid any danger for you and your students. Please share this update to Friday afternoon dismissal with your family, babysitters, and friends who may pick up your students.
When Friday, September 20 • After All-School Mass Where Holy Spirit Catholic Church
The first all-school Mass of the year celebrates our 5th- and 6th-graders, and new 7th-graders, who will be inducted into the House system following Mass in a tying ceremony in the Upper School Library. Our school community will gather in Holy Spirit Catholic Church to worship together. Parents are encouraged to attend!
Following the Tying Ceremony, newly inducted House members will face off in their first House competition. Details will be announced next week, so stay tuned!
Starting the last week of September, the IB building will be accepting sign-ups to run for House Representative. The 5th-7th grade House Representatives make up the IB Leadership Council which connects to and mirrors the Upper School Leadership Council. There will be one rep selected per House, and the elected 7th grade students take the lead on this council as they are the senior members of the Intermediate Building.
There will be an informational meeting for all IB students on Thursday, September 26 to learn more about the requirements for running and responsibilities of the position. Sign-up sheets will be available in the IB building on Friday, September 27 and are due by Friday, October 4.
Candidates will begin their campaigns on Monday, October 7 and will be allowed to campaign up until Tuesday, October 15. Speeches will be given on Thursday, October 17, and election day will be Friday, October 18.
IB House Representative Election Process September 27-October 4: Sign-Up to Run October 7-October 15: Campaign Period Thursday, October 17: Speeches Friday, October 18: Election Day
When Tuesday, September 17 • 8:00am Where McDonough Hall in Holy Spirit Catholic Church
While looking at colleges over the summer, one word was repeated over and over again - daunting. How do parents at HSP deal with a word such as daunting? Prayer - that’s how! Let us carry on the Senior Parents Rosary tradition and pray our way through this daunting process.
Please join us for a Senior Parents Rosary on Tuesday, September 17 in McDonough Hall at 8:00am before morning Mass in St. Mary's Chapel. You do not have to know how to pray the Rosary to attend. We will have follow-along cards and extra rosaries available.
Questions? Contact Lynn Meenan (lynnmeenan@yahoo.com) or Jackie Bohling (jbohling@hsccatl.com).
We look forward to seeing you all!
When Tuesday, September 17 Where Upper School Board Room
Join Dr. Lindekugel and the Upper School leadership team for a meal and a conversation about what awaits your 8th-grader over the next five years at the Upper School.
RSVP for Class of 2024 Day
As you know, part of the faith experience at HSP includes a yearly overnight retreat. We will take each class off campus for their retreat, either to Covecrest in Tiger, GA, or Hidden Lake in Dahlonega, GA. Please print and sign the appropriate grade-level permission slip below, and send back to the Campus Ministry office. Please note on the permission slip if your child has an allergy or dietary restriction. Permission Slips 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade Each retreat has a different theme that is explored through fun, dynamic activities, and also moments of prayer. It gives students a way to bond with classmates and teachers outside of the classroom in the beautiful surroundings of Northern Georgia! Students arrive at school at the usual time, in casual dress. We depart as the school day is beginning and return to school by 3:05pm on the next day. Students can pack pillow, blanket and sheets/sleeping bag, towel and toiletries, water bottle, a flashlight, and a few warm sweat shirts depending on the weather. Bug spray and sunscreen are recommended when the weather is still warm for the optional hike and outdoor time. The retreat will be led by Fr. Juan Hernández, Fr. John Klein, and Yvonne Fontaine, as well as a team of our Upper School faculty. We look forward to this time with each class. Please let Yvonne Fontaine know if you have any questions about the retreats and join us in prayer that these retreats will be a fruitful experience for all of our students.
Senior Ad Sales are now open, and we want to inform you of how to create and purchase a tribute to be included in the 2020 yearbook. It is tradition that parents, friends, and family members create senior ads for the yearbook. Check out previous yearbook issues to see them; the ads are located on the last pages. The ads are a secret to the yearbook staff and students - your senior will not see the ad until yearbook distribution day in May.
Tribute ads typically include photos alongside your personal message. We use an online program that makes it easy to create your ad with templates, colors, and fonts.
How to Order Your Ad When you go to the site linked below, you'll create an account, so that you can return to the site in subsequent sessions to work on your tribute. You don't have to finish it in one sitting. You pay when you finish your tribute, so you are able to begin creating the ad before you pay for it. The deadline to order senior ads is Monday, November 4, so please carefully note that date. It is very important that you finish creating it and pay for it by November 4 or it WILL NOT be able to appear in this year’s yearbook.
Get Started on Your Senior Ad
Note: HSP job number is #14803.
If you have technical questions, the Tech Support Team is happy to help. You may reach them toll free at (877) 362-7750 or at TechAdviser@HerffJones.com.
If you have yearbook questions, you may email Christine Bentley at cbentley@holyspiritprep.org.
The Upper School is introducing a Pep Band this year! We are looking for donations of gently used musical instruments with a special need for an electric bass, guitar/bass amps, and trumpet. If you have instruments to donate or would like more information on the program, please contact performing arts teacher Ms. Dinella at cdinella@holyspiritprep.org.
Thank you so much for attending Parent Night last Wednesday! It was our pleasure to meet you and to share our vision for the Upper School this year. As promised, here is the slide deck from the presentation, which includes details on:
After significant study, we have revised the sequence of Theology classes in the Upper School. Our previous sequence was:
8th grade – Sacred Scripture 9th grade – Creed and Church History 10th grade – Sacraments and Prayer 11th grade – Moral Theology 12th grade – Philosophy and Apologetics
Starting in 2020-21, our sequence will be:
8th grade – Sacraments and Prayer 9th grade – Sacred Scripture 10th grade – Creed and Church History 11th grade – Moral Theology 12th grade – Philosophy and Apologetics
There are many benefits to offering Church History class in sophomore year – and ample time to continue the preparation of our students for Confirmation – while Sacred Scripture will benefit our students as a high school class. Due to the foundational nature of its content, the Sacraments and Prayer course lends itself quite well to the 8th grade position.
This new sequence will go into effect in the 2020-2021 academic year. In the meantime, to make the transition, all 8th-10th graders are currently enrolled in Sacraments and Prayer this year; 8th grade to begin the new sequence, 9th because Sacraments and Prayer will not be offered in 10th grade next year, and 10th grade because they have not yet taken this course. By the end of 10th grade, all students will have taken all three courses.
Note that this year’s "Sacraments and Prayer," classes are being taught at grade-appropriate levels, differentiating for the differences in age and maturity of the students in those sections.
Feel free to contact our Theology Department Chair, Tom Cole, at tcole@holyspiritprep.org with any questions or concerns you may have about this change, or any aspects of our Upper School Theology curriculum.
HSP students in grades 9-11 are invited to spend 9 days next summer in the Costa Rican rainforest and Caribbean shore learning about sea turtle conservation and rainforest wildlife including monkeys, toucans, sloths, bats, and frogs. We will be hosted by Ecology Project International, a non-profit that specializes in experiential science education. I travelled with them on a teacher fellowship last year and I whole-heartedly support their mission and solid educational practices. The focus of the trip is participating in ongoing conservation research and to explore a richly diverse ecosystem and culture. Dates: June 2-10, 2020 Cost: $3,195 includes airfare, lodging, meals, everything! Space is limited. Deadline to sign up with deposit is October 18.
Please visit the following website to watch an informational video, get more details, and SIGN UP!
https://www.ecologyproject.org/courseinfo/0061W00001BFues
Contact Mrs. Jimenez with any questions at kjimenez@holyspiritprep.org.