“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…. -Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)

Dear Holy Cross Parents,

As we enter  the joyous  hustle and  bustle of the holiday season, we often get bogged down with the decorations, shopping, baking, parties and holiday “stressors.” 

This week during chapel, students and teachers  reminded us the importance of celebrating the true meaning of Christmas by glorifying the One who gave it all.  They proclaimed “Jesus coming to Earth that night changed everything and it’s a moment we should celebrate with all our hearts.”  They excitedly shared the meaning of advent-the preparation for the celebration of Jesus Christ at Christmas and how this time reminds us that Christ brings us faith, hope, peace and love. 

Join us in celebration next week!  We invite you all to help celebrate the wonder of Christmas by joining us for our Holiday Musicals next week!  You will have a chance to hear our all our Lower School students KP - 5th Grade and our Middle and High School music students glorify our God and point our hearts to Christmas’ true meaning: Christ came with a plan for our redemption. 

Peace and Blessings,

Cindy Moon

ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLASS:  Parents, we are looking for business owners and entrepreneurs to share their knowledge with our students at HCLA.  Our Entrepreneurship class starts in January 2025 and we are in need of guest speakers.  Our students greatly benefit from your experience and insight, as they will be creating businesses of their own from scratch this spring.  If you are willing to volunteer, please reach out to Mr. Cleavenger dcleavenger@thehcla.org.    Thank you for your support!

WOW!  THE CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS WERE SIMPLY AMAZING!  THANK YOU TO MRS. LANG, MR. TEEL (AND MS. WALKER FOR SUBBING WHILE MR. TEEL IS OUT).  The amount of love, energy and enthusiasm you put into our music programs highlighting our KPrep through High School students shows in our students' performances.  It is wonderful to see our students sharing the message of the birth of our savior while sharing their talents.  The 5th graders did a great job performing the nativity scene and the beauty of our savior's birth.  A special thank you again to all of you for making the Upper Campus Christmas program extra special.  Mr. Teel was able to sit in the balcony, away from the crowds, to see his talented students dedicate the Christmas concert to him.  Holy Cross is family and this is just one shining example of the love.  Team Teel and our students of all ages made us very proud this week!  Click here to see a short Christmas video highlighting some of the programs.

Our re-enrollment for current families will begin January 13 and end January 24.   As a reminder registration fees ($350) are drafted in January when you secure your child's spot during our re-enrollment process. Please refer to the letter previously sent out and the corresponding tuition schedule.   Instructions will be sent out after the Christmas break.   IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO OUR DEADLINES.  OUR ADMISSIONS HAS BECOME VERY COMPETITIVE AND SOUGHT AFTER SO YOU WILL WANT TO BE SURE TO MEET THE DEADLINES TO SECURE YOUR CHILD'S SPOT.  WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR AMAZING REFERRALS AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH YOUR FAMILY.   Our priority application process ended December 18.  After our re-enrollment period in January we will evaluate open spots and begin offering acceptance and enrollment to new students for the upcoming school year.  

AFTER CARE FOR EARLY RELEASE DAYS

We will offer aftercare on both campuses as usual for those that typically attend until 5:30.  

Lower School cannot accept drop-ins on the early release days.  Aftercare is only for those who attend on a regular basis and are on the monthly plan.  VPK lunch bunch & extended day remain unchanged for early release days.

Due to the longer hours, drop in charges for early release days is $25 on the Upper Campus for those not on the monthly payment plan.

For those who already purchased t-shirts, they were distributed this week.  We will have additional "T-Shirts for Mr. Teel" and beautiful cut-crystal Christmas ornaments available for sale at our Christmas Programs.  All proceeds are going to Mr. Teel and family to help offset his expenses incurred while he stays in Jacksonville near the Mayo Clinic.  If you missed the opportunity while they are were available to order online, please stop by our Band Boosters/PALS table next week to purchase yours.  The online order form is no longer available, but the donation option is still available should you wish to support the Teels financially.

Holiday Uniform sale 50-75% off selected items while supplies last -  holycross-skoolstyle.com 

Lower School Students and Families

🎄Christmas Program Instructions🎄

Lower School students should arrive at Holy Cross Lake Mary for their designated program between 5:30 and 5:45pm.  Please drop off your students with their teacher to sit with their class in the sanctuary.  The show will start promptly at 6PM.   If the church parking lot becomes full, additional parking is available at the back parking lot near Home Depot.  Drive straight back between the gas station and Chick Fil A and the lot will be on your right.  There is a walking bridge that connects that parking lot to the church parking.

Dressy Christmas attire please. No Sneakers, Jeans or Shorts or T-Shirts.  Christmas colors such as red, green, gold, silver, white, black is ideal.  Boys - button up shirts and slacks. Girls - dresses (or dress pants).

2025 National Youth Gathering registration is approaching.

Adult chaperones can express their interest as well.

Donations to support our youth are gladly appreciated and can be done by using the same link.

To secure your spot or get more information visit https://hclm.org/nyg2025/

Save when you register by October 31.  There is still an opportunity to register after October 31.  If you have questions, please contact Josh Blankenship, Director of Family and Youth Ministries at HCLM.

LCMS Youth Gathering provides thousands of youth and adults the opportunity to come together as a community of God’s people to be encouraged in their walk with Jesus Christ and learn about the Christian faith.  The event only takes place every 3 years so don't miss your chance this summer.