May 2022
A Walk Through the Halls of Holy Cross
Seventh grade students working on the school literary magazine
A Lenten note from a first grader demonstrating almsgiving
From Holy Cross Principal, Cara Swinefurth
I’m frequently asked what it's like to be the principal of a small Catholic K-8 school in the city. While the answer can vary depending on the day, the one thing that never changes is the joy and commitment I have to our mission at Holy Cross Central. Come with me on a walk around HCC!
I find our kindergarteners in their Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) class painting pictures of apple trees. While they paint, they are practicing giving and receiving compliments on their work. This reinforces our values of kindness, courtesy, and respect, while also teaching important communication skills.
Grade 4 is engaged in a fraction activity, their teacher very focused on the instruction and insisting on strong math language.
Grade 8 is also working on math – finding the area and volume of geometric shapes. They are using their study cards to assist in recalling the correct formulas to use.
I enter the grade 7 classroom and find part of the class working on their culminating essay after reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. One student has drawn parallels of Anne hiding in the attic with the feeling of isolation at the beginning of the pandemic – an interesting thought. Others are in the Tiger Den (our literacy lab) working on the school literary magazine, where grades 3-8 can contribute their pieces for publication. (See pic)
Grade 1 finds me before I can visit them. They are making the rounds through the school passing out Lenten notes to demonstrate almsgiving. I receive a slip from a little one that brightens my day. (See pic)
Grade 5 is comparing two characters from the novel Ghost by Jason Reynolds. They use a graphic organizer and have a sound debate about the qualities, supporting their thoughts with evidence from the story.
I can feel the excitement coming from the library where grade 3 has a guest speaker – a USPS mail carrier. The students have been writing letters as pen pals with the third graders at St Philip Neri. Today they find out about delivering mail and receive an activity book from our community friend.
Our 2nd graders are working hard in their reading stations: meeting with the teacher, using a tech program and playing a game. There is also a group working with a tutor from the Dyslexia Institute of Indiana. Building a strong reading foundation is essential!
Finally, our 6th graders are busy writing draft pieces. They can write on any topic they choose but must include the verb tenses from recent instruction. Some of them are very creative in their work.
I’m so grateful for the commitment of our teachers. Everything described above is carefully planned and executed to give our students the best education possible, surrounded by God’s love, serving children as Jesus taught us.
School Happenings
Central Catholic
Congratulations to the Central Catholic Saints boys volleyball team that recently won their first Catholic Youth Organization city championship.
Holy Angels
The second grade scholars were learning about rows and columns in math class. They used their desks to make six rows and two columns.
Holy Cross
St. Philip Neri
K-2 students celebrated Dr. Seuss Day (March 2nd). Students visited three classrooms to hear different Dr. Seuss stories and complete some fun activities. The day even included a taste of green eggs and ham!
Give to IQE Through Qualified Charitable Distribution
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), though an individual retirement account (IRA), have become a very popular giving vehicle. Donors 70½ and older may use qualified QCDs to donate up to $100,000 per year to the charity of their choice, and receive unique tax benefits. At age 72, these donations count as required minimum distributions. QCD gifts can be made to benefit the Indiana State Tax Credit Program to provide tuition assistance to our Mother Theodore Catholic Academies.
For more information on how you can utilize QCDs in your giving plan, please contact us the Institute for Quality Education (IQE) scholarships@i4qed.org or call (317) 951-8781.
Tax or legal information provided herein is not intended as tax or legal advice. Always consult with your legal, tax or financial advisors before implementing any gift plan.
MTCA and NDAA Logos
When you donate to support the students at Central Catholic*, Holy Angels*, Holy Cross and St. Philip Neri*, we want it to be clear where your dollars go. Over time our branding and logos have changed to reflect our organizational structure and partnerships. The Mother Theodore Catholic Academies continues to be our legal name with the Notre Dame ACE Academies providing support to three (designated with an * above) of the four schools. Both logos will be used to illustrate our organizational structure which is designed to provide students with the best Catholic and academic experience.
Amazon Smile donations resulted in $143 for MTCA/NDAA between October 1 and December 31, 2021.
Follow our Schools on Facebook
Central Catholic
Holy Cross
Holy Angels
St. Philip Neri
For more information
- To inquire about admissions or to arrange a tour of one of our schools, contact Rose Springman, at rspringman@archindy.org or call (317) 236-7324.
- To inquire about donating to MTCA/NDAA, please contact Ellen Sanders at esanders@archindy.org or call 317-236-1501.
- To inquire about the strategic direction of our schools, please contact Interim Director, Peggy Elson at pelson@archindy.org or call 317-236-7322.
