*The school newsletter will be sent digitally on Sundays with upcoming information for the week. Anything that is missed will be sent via email.

A NOTE FROM MRS. LITKE

On behalf of the students and staff of Holy Trinity Catholic School, thank you to everyone who helped to make this year’s Steak & Wine event possible!

This event is our largest fundraiser of the year, and it simply would not happen without the generosity, time, and dedication of so many people. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who donates to the live and silent auctions, helps with decorating and set-up, prepares and serves the meal, works throughout the evening, and gives their time as committee members and volunteers.

A very special thank you goes to our new Steak & Wine committee chairs, Deacon Leo and Maggie Wehseler. Your leadership, countless hours, and commitment to this event are truly appreciated. We are also so grateful to all of our Holy Trinity parents who give so generously of their time and energy to support our school and our students. Your involvement makes a tremendous difference!

Thank you as well to Nick and Crystal Ratke and the Pierz Ballroom for graciously hosting us once again and for continuing to save this special date for Holy Trinity year after year. We are so thankful for your partnership and hospitality.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to Schubert Auctioneers for helping make our live auction possible, and to all of the businesses, families, parishioners, alumni, and friends of Holy Trinity who generously support this event through donations and sponsorships.

A special thank you to Father Aaron for his leadership, encouragement, and dedication to keeping Holy Trinity focused on our mission. Your support and spiritual leadership remind us that everything we do is ultimately about providing our students with an education rooted in Christ.

Most importantly, thank you for believing in Holy Trinity and for all you do to support our students. Every donation, every hour volunteered, and every helping hand is a reflection of the incredible community that surrounds our school. Your generosity allows us to continue our mission of providing our students with an education rooted in Christ and centered on faith, learning, and the whole child.

We are truly blessed by the generosity of our Holy Trinity family and community, and we are so grateful for each and every one of you.

GIVING TREE

As the holiday season approaches, please contact the office if you know of a family—or if your own family—that could use some extra support during this time of year.

For our new families, each year we host our Giving Tree, which provides an opportunity to purchase gifts for families in need. Over the years, we have been fortunate to support many families, as well as organizations that provide assistance to families and service members.

As always, all families will remain completely confidential. To get the process started, the office only needs the name of a contact person and a phone number.

Thank you for helping us continue this tradition of giving and spreading kindness throughout our community during the holiday season!

5TH GRADE BAND INFORMANCE

Please read the following information from Mr. Mathwig regarding the Band Informance.

I am excited to invite you to our OPTIONAL upcoming Band "Informance" on Friday October 30th, at 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM in the High School Band Room. This special event is designed to showcase the incredible progress your student has made in learning their instrument so far this school year. Due to the high number of students we are blocking it up into two different sections, when reserving your spot try to pick the night that corresponds with your child's instrument section.

An "Informance" is an informal concert, and we are making this one extra fun! During the evening, your child will perform in a mini-concert, giving them the opportunity to show off their hard work and skills. But that's not all—you'll get to join in the fun by playing alongside your child as they teach you how to play their instrument!

To add to the excitement, students are welcome to dress up in Halloween-themed costumes for the event. We encourage everyone to join us for this evening of music and fun in a relaxed and festive atmosphere.

We hope to see you there to celebrate your child's musical accomplishments! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Remember this is completely optional!

Please RSVP so we can plan seating arrangements- use the following link

ILLNESS REMINDERS

We have seen a few cases of strep throat over the past couple weeks. Please be aware that the symptoms can range from the sudden onset of fever, (red) sore throat, and/or swollen glands with white patches. Some may have headaches, stomach pain, and vomiting.

If a child has been diagnosed with strep throat without fever and/or vomiting, the child must be on antibiotics for 12 hours before returning to school

If a child has a fever for any reason,

regardless on starting an antibiotic treatment, the child must be fever free for 24 hours without any form of fever reducing medication.

If a child has vomited or had diarrhea 2 or more times in a 24 hour period, the child must be free of those symptoms for 24 hours without incident .

Please refer to the document below for additional health and illness related information.

GRADE CHECKS IN JMC FAMILY

log into your jmc Family account (make sure you are in the 2026-2027 school year)

(1) Click on Report Card / Transcript

(2) Click on Report Card

(3) Select child from drop down *if applicable*

(4) Your child's teacher ("advisor") is listed on the right hand side, underneath the attendance information.

RECESS DUTY

We are currently looking for a few more volunteers to help with recess duty. If you are able to help out for an hour or so one day a week, it would be greatly appreciated! Please call or email: 320-468-6446 or office@holytrinitypierz.org. 

TODDLER CLASS

Please see the flyer below for upcoming Toddler Class dates, and feel free to share it with anyone who may be interested! 

While the Mass dates below typically don't change, they can. Please check them weekly!

MASS SCHEDULE

Mass is on WEDNESDAYS at 9:00am.

10/14 6th Grade - Parent Hospitality after Mass in church basement

10/21 3rd Grade Gangl- Parent Hospitality after Mass in church basement

10/28 1st Grade Scholl- Parent Hospitality after Mass in church basement

11/04 4th Grade - Parent Hospitality after Mass in church basement

11/11 5th Grade - Parent Hospitality after Mass in church basement

11/18 1st Grade Radunz - Parent Hospitality after Mass in church basement

11/25 3rd Grade Stangl - Parent Hospitality after Mass in church basement

12/02 2nd Grade

12/08 3rd Grade Gangl (Tuesday- Holy Day)

12/16 Staff Led

UPCOMING EVENTS

https://www.holytrinitypierz.org/events

October

14 K-6 Birthday Lunch

14 K&1 Pumpkin Patch

15 No School - MEA

16 No School - MEA

21 Toddler Class - 6:00pm

28 Picture Retake Day

30 End of 1st Quarter

30 5th Grade Band Informance

November

4 3rd Grade (Gangl) Confession

4 Parent / Teacher Conferences

5 Parent / Teacher Conferences

6 No School - Teacher Workshop

10 3rd Grade (Stangl) Confession

11 4th Grade Confession

11 K-6 Birthday Lunch

11 2nd Grade First Reconciliation

5:30pm

11 Toddler Class 6:00pm

16 5th & 6th Grade Confession

25 Toddler Class 6:00pm

26 No School - Thanksgiving Day

27 No School - Thanksgiving Break

SMART PHONES & WATCHES

As a reminder- phones and smart watches are not allowed in class. It would be best if they could be left at home, but at minimum, they need to be left in your child's backpack until after school. Thank you.

PRAYER WARRIORS

Our first grade teacher, Leah Scholl, is looking to create a group of prayer warriors- people that come into the school once a month and pray. It was decided to move the day of prayer to Tuesdays from 6:15-6:45, and those that are able can walk over to the church for Mass at 7pm afterward. Each person on the prayer warriors team will be given a classroom and would go into the classroom and pray for the class and students in it. This is a great opportunity for those that may not be able to come during the day to help and volunteer. Prayer is powerful and important! If you are interested, please contact Ms. Scholl at: lscholl@holytrinitypierz.org

HTCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Thank you to new members: Kari Solinger and Kyle Bednar for your willingness to volunteer your time and talents on the school's governing board.  A full list of all members on HTCS board of directors can be found here: https://www.holytrinitypierz.org/school-board

CATHOLIC Q&A

Do you have a question? Ask it here confidentially: https://forms.gle/HtyousD9FNb65d1B6

Question: Should Catholics celebrate Halloween?

Answer: The best way to answer this question is to learn what Halloween is. Halloween has Catholic roots and comes from All Hallow's Eve because it is the night before All Saints' Day. The word hallow means holy. It is a day to remember all those who have gone before us. Halloween today has become more secular than it started out to be for Catholics. In some cases can be evil, so it is important to be careful with how we celebrate. It is ok to dress up and enjoy the day, but we should be sure to not get caught up in celebrating the demonic and witchcraft. We should not be celebrating evil and darkness, but rather celebrating the triumph and victory of good as we remember that Jesus conquered death!

When dressing up and decorating, we should ask ourselves: does the costume or decoration point to the victory of Jesus or does it just focus on what is scary? Does it make me feel joyful and hopeful or afraid? There are many amazing Saints that would make wonderful costumes. In this way, one is glorifying the Lord, remembering the Saints and evangelizing to others. Here are some ideas (and there are many more!):

• St. Francis of Assisi – Brown robe, rope belt, and a stuffed animal

• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton – Black dress, white bonnet, and a book

• St. Thérèse of Lisieux – Religious habit and roses

• St. Joan of Arc – Armor, helmet, and a toy sword

• St. Joseph – Biblical robe and carpenter’s tools

• St. Clare of Assisi – Religious habit and a monstrance

• St. Elizabeth of Hungary – Princess dress, crown, and roses

• St. Patrick – Green robe, bishop’s staff, and shamrock

• St. Nicholas – Bishop’s robe, mitre, and staff

• St. Peter – Biblical robe and oversized keys

• St. Michael the Archangel – Wings, armor, and a shield

• St. Dominic Savio – White shirt, dark pants, and jacket

• St. Carlo Acutis – Red polo shirt, jeans, and sneakers

• St. Lucy – White dress, red sash, and a wreath

• St. John Bosco – Black priest outfit and a book

• St. Anthony of Padua – Brown robe and a lily

• St. Catherine of Siena – Religious habit and a crucifix

• St. Bernadette – Blue-and-white clothing and a rosary

• St. Maria Goretti – White dress and flowers

• St. Juan Diego – Cloak or tilma with roses

• St. Thomas Aquinas – Religious habit and a book

• St. Maximilian Kolbe – Brown Franciscan robe and a cross

• St. Teresa of Ávila – Religious habit and a book

• St. Gianna Beretta Molla – White coat and medical bag

• St. Pier Giorgio Frassati – Hiking clothes and a backpack

A fun idea: Add a name tag with the saint’s name and one fact about his or her life to share with others!

I invite you to listen to the following video for more information on celebrating Halloween as a Catholic Christian:

https://youtu.be/iGoEafxcijI?si=VCXoVGaF1WkMHJOT

https://youtu.be/-zl0HuFujpI?si=8tYfwsrSzX1X61gK

END OF LIFE PLANNING

As Catholics, we have a hope beyond the end of our earthly lives, but many practical questions remain about caring for ourselves and our loved ones as we move through this life stage. Typical questions include: What does the Haven of Mercy Area Catholic Community teach about end-of-life medical treatment? Is cremation or burial preferred? How do I make a health care directive that honors my Catholic beliefs? Father Ben Kociemba will address these questions and others during a workshop, “Planning for End-of-Life with Purpose and Peace of Mind” on November 2 at Holy Family Church at 7:00 p.m. Greg Gall, Senior Member Advisor of Catholic United Financial, will also be on hand to speak about the financial aspects of end-of-life decisions, including final expenses, estate plans, charitable giving, power of attorney and more. This workshop is sponsored by Catholic United Financial and hosted by Advisor Greg Gall. To save your seat call 1-800-441-9949 or email workshops@catholicunited.org.