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2025-2026 QUICK VIEW SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
JESSICA BINKLEY, LOWER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL | DECEMBER UPDATE
Merry Christmas! On Wednesday our students participated in the most beautiful chapel. One of our 4th grade classes shared the Christmas story with us in word, action and song. It was the perfect reminder in this hectic season that Christmas is about Jesus coming to us as a baby to be the Savior of us all. We get so wrapped up in parties and gift giving and the joy that comes from gathering with friends and family that we can easily lose sight of what we are truly celebrating. Christmas isn’t about the gifts we give, it is about the gift we have already received from God.
For me it is an honor and a privilege to be a part of the Holy Cross family and I feel so blessed to be in a strong Christian school that puts Jesus first and has chapels like this one that point us to the word of God. I am praying for all of you to have a wonderful Christmas break, to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and to enjoy some quality family time.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! See you in 2026!
In His Service,
Jessica Binkley
DR. LUNARDI, UPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL | DECEMBER UPDATE
The Christmas season can bring both excitement and stress—at school and at home—for our middle and high school students and families. In Romans 12:15, Paul encourages the church to come alongside one another in times of rejoicing and in times of struggle. As we head into break, please let me know if there are ways we can support your child or your family.
Looking ahead to second semester, we will be working on student schedules over the break. I’ll reach out individually as necessary as we are putting them together, and once schedules are available in FACTS, I will notify everyone. Our goal is to have them ready by Friday, January 2nd.
Beyond wrapping up exam week and gearing up for the second semester, please know that our team will be praying for all of our students and families over the break. If you have any specific prayer requests, please feel free to send them to me or Pastor Blake as we would be honored to pray with you.
Merry Christmas!
Chris Lunardi
Save the Date:
December 18th & 19th, 2025 - Early Release Days: 1:00PM Lower | 12:55pm Upper
December 22nd, 2025 - January 2nd, 2026 - Christmas Break
December 24th, 2025 - 4pm Christmas Eve Service at Resurrection Church | 100 Aero Lane, Sanford, FL
December 24th, 2025 - 5pm, 7pm, & 11pm Christmas Eve Worship Services at Holy Cross Lake Mary | 960 Paul Hoyer Way, Lake Mary, FL
December 25th, 2025 - Merry Christmas & Happy Birthday Jesus!
January 5th, 2026 - VPK returns to school | No School for K-12th students
January 6th, 2026 - Beginning of 3rd quarter. K-12th students return to school
January 12th - January 23rd, 2026 - Re-enrollment for current HCLA students
January 13th, 2026 - 6th Grade Sneak Peek for current HCLA 5th Graders RSVP Here
January 19th, 2026 - No School
February 1st, 2026 - Step up applications open
February 4th, 2026 - Early Release Day: 1:00pm Lower | 12:55 Upper
February 6-8th, 2026 - Holy Cross Lake Mary HS Youth Retreat in Leesburg, FL. Registration now open
February 16th, 2026 - No School
March 16th - 20th, 2026 - Spring Break
Holiday Uniform Sale: Please use coupon code HOLIDAY26 for an additional 25% off items in the sale section of the website. This will be valid until January 31st. No returns or exchanges on these items. Visit: holycross-skoolstyle.com
Holy Cross Lake Mary Church Christmas Eve Service
Resurrection Church Christmas Eve Service
PLEASE CLAIM!
PLEASE CLAIM!
Please plan to browse through the lost and found at either campus by Friday, December 19th. After this date, we will be making a donation to our used uniform sale and/or throwing several lost items. We have many unclaimed items if you'd like to come take a look through them. We hate to get rid of good things, but we cannot store the items left behind. Please check in the office if your student is missing items.
Achoo!
Achoo!
The Upper Campus is in need of tissues and paper towels. If you'd like to make a donation of a box or two of tissues, or a roll or two of paper towels, please drop them off at the front office. We've exhausted our supply. Also, please remind your student to pack a spoon or fork in their lunch as we cannot supply those. Thank you!
❄️December sightings around campus & more❄️
Athletic Spotlight
Athletic Spotlight
Applications for the 2026–27 school year open Feb. 1, 2026, for the Private School Scholarship and Unique Abilities Scholarship. Mark your calendars so you don't forget to reapply for Step Up. Step Up will send you email reminders as well. For those of you new to Step Up, you must state your intent to use the scholarship on an annual basis. Your student will receive a new student award ID which will need to be provided to Finance.
Join us February 6-8, 2026 for our annual High School Youth Retreat at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center in Leesburg, FL. Here, high school students will have an opportunity to unwind from the stresses of school, spend time in nature, build community with each other and lean in to God's love for us. This year's theme, ABIDE, will tackle the latter topic: how do we truly and effectively lean into God in all aspects of our life?
Registration this year is $180 per student and covers housing and food for the weekend. As with previous years, we ask that students get dropped off at camp on Friday afternoon and picked up from camp on Sunday. More details to come as we get nearer to the event.
If you have any questions, please email me at Josh@hclm.org.
High School Mission Trip, Registration Now Open - Our high school students are heading to Camp Linn Haven in Linville, North Carolina, for an unforgettable week of service, worship, and community — June 21–27, 2026!
This trip is open to rising 9th graders through students graduating in Spring 2026. The cost is $425 per participant, with a $125 deposit due at registration. The remaining balance will be covered through group fundraising events, including our annual Crawfish Boil.
Registration opens Sunday, November 16th at 12:00 p.m., and space is limited to 35 student spots, so don’t wait to sign up!
Please note: Some additional paperwork will be required. Forms will be emailed after registration is received. Click the red button below for the registration link. Contact Josh@hclm.org with questions.
PALS sponsored, N.U.T.S. Days (No Uniform To School). Students are welcome to come to school out of uniform on the following days. Students must pay $3 per month. You can pay it all at once or on a monthly basis. Please keep dress code in mind regarding modesty, graphics, shoes, etc.
2025-2026 THEATRE SEASON LINE UP!
⬇️ CLUBS ARE IN FULL SWING VISIT THE CLUB HUB TO SEE OUR CURRENT ROTATION ⬇️
Information below sent prior to Dec. 1st
Dear HCLA Parents,
As we enter the Advent season, we are reminded that Christmas is more than lights, gifts, and celebration—it is the joyful anticipation of Christ’s coming. In the midst of busy schedules and full calendars, may we pause to reflect on God’s incredible gift of hope, peace, love, and joy through Jesus.
As a school community, we walk alongside your children in discovering that Christmas is not simply a holiday, but a celebration of God’s redeeming love. We pray your home is filled with His peace, joy, and renewed hope.
We also look forward to celebrating with your families at our Christmas concerts as we worship and rejoice together.
Our prayer is that your family finds quiet moments to wonder, worship, and rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. May His presence be your greatest gift this season.
Peace and Blessings,
Cindy Moon
Executive Director,
Holy Cross Lutheran Academy
UPPER SCHOOL DROP OFF - Dear parents, if you arrive prior to our gate being opened in the morning, please park away from the key pad and pull over as close to the curb as possible so teachers / staff can gain access to the key pad. Thank you for your cooperation.
Lower School Afterschool Clubs
Afterschool Club registration opens Monday, December 2nd at 2:00 PM—mark your calendars! We’ve got a lineup of exciting, creative, and hands-on clubs kicking off the week of January 12, 2026. Each club runs for six sessions. A variety of exciting club options will be available!
For full club descriptions and to register, please visit hclaclubhub.org. Reach out to Ms. Hartley at lhartley@thehcla.org for any questions.
IMPORTANT - STEP UP FUNDING NOTICE!
If you have not already done so, please log into your EMA account and approve the 2nd quarter payment to be paid on your student's behalf. They will begin showing up in student EMA accounts over the next 2 weeks. Please keep an eye out for updates from Step Up, so you can approve the payments to come to HCLA. It is important that you promptly approve each quarterly payment to come to HCLA. Delay on your part, or lack of approval puts the tuition responsibility on your family, so please be sure to check in on your EMA account every few days. As these quarterly payments are made, you will begin to see your outstanding incidental invoices being credited with these amounts.
📣Calling all Lower Campus dads/father figures 📣
Once a month, on the 2nd Thursday (Lower PALS meeting day), dads/father figures will take over the morning carline. If interested you would open car doors, greet our students and remind them that they are special! Join other dads/father figures for high fives and cheers as our students arrive to school. Carline begins at 7:45am and concludes at 8:15am. You are more than welcome afterwards to join us for the November 13th PALS meeting if you are able. Ready to sign up please sign up here. Dads/Father Figures Helping in Carline. Please email lowerpals@thehcla.org with any questions or concerns.
A special thank you to the Lower School Dads who helped with carline in December
Lower School Students and Families
🎄Christmas Program Instructions🎄
Lower School students should arrive at Westview Baptist Church for their designated program by 5:30pm. Please drop off your student(s) at the front portico and then families proceed to park your car. Doors open at 5:30pm.
Dressy Christmas attire please. No Sneakers, Jeans or Shorts or T-Shirts. Christmas colors such as red, green, gold, silver, white, or black is ideal. Boys - button up shirts and slacks. Girls - dresses (or dress pants).
Lower & Upper Christmas Programs
Lower & Upper Christmas Programs
Steam Spotlight
Steam Spotlight
Congratulations are in order for our Competition Robotics Team! Our very own HCLA Robotics team was invited to Regionals. This competition may only be attended by invitation only and is reserved for top competitors. Our team welcomed the news with excitement. Keep them in your prayers as they go on to represent our school at Regionals.
Toys for tots
Toys for tots
As we enter this season of joy and giving, we invite your family to participate in our Toys for Tots collection. We are hoping to bless many children this holiday through the program. We encourage you to talk to your children as they choose a gift, celebrating the joy of giving and reminding them that their kindness shines God's love into someone else's life. Thank you for partnering with us in nurturing compassionate hearts.
Collection bins are available at both campuses now through December 10th.
Thank you
Thank you
We are so grateful for your generosity in supporting our Toys for Tots drive. Your kindness and commitment to our community have made an incredible difference.
Thanks to your generous contributions, we were able to fill 4 large boxes with toys that will bring the joy and magic of Christmas to disadvantaged children within our community.
It is touching to see our school community come together and give so generously. Thank you again for your support and making this year's toy drive a success.
Join The Story Network Study - Begins October 19th
Join The Story Network Study - Begins October 19th
We're inviting all academy families to join our network-wide alignment study using "The Story: The Bible as One Continuous Story of God and His People" by Randy Frazee.
This is an opportunity for all ages to share a common experience of faith across our school, your home, and our network churches.
Network-Wide: Everyone reads the same content at the same time for a unified focus.
For All Ages: Attend worship and choose from multiple developmentally appropriate study opportunities surrounding the service times. Bibles for every age will be available.
School Connection: Your student will reinforce the content in their chapel messages at the academy.
Join any of our network congregations to participate:
Join any of our network congregations to participate:
Holy Cross Lake Mary: 8 am & 10 am
Resurrection Church: 11 am
The Cross Orlando: 10 am
...and more!
We encourage you to choose a network church and join us!
Questions? Contact: Tiffany@hclm.org.
DON'T MISS OUT ON THE MEMORIES - ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK TODAY!
Please note the specific QR code per campus
Thank you PALS and to many of you for submitting your business information. This HCLA Family Business Directory is a platform that showcases businesses owned, operated or employing members of our school family. This will be periodically updated, so please feel free to provide your business information if you've started a new business or are new to the HCLA family.
Looking for a Church Home? We have two local churches in our network ready to welcome you. Resurrection Church gathers at our Upper Campus Gym on Sundays and our founding church Holy Cross Lake Mary is located off of Lake Mary Blvd.
sundays at 8:00 & 10:00am
sundays at 8:00 & 10:00am
960 Paul Hoyer Way, Lake Mary
SUNDAYS AT 11:00
100 Aero Lane Sanford (Upper Campus Gym)
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