2025-2026 QUICK VIEW SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR

JESSICA BINKLEY, LOWER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL | November UPDATE

I have always loved Thanksgiving with the coming together of family and friends for a meal and a reminder of the blessings we have been given. This year is no exception. God has truly blessed our school community with amazing teachers, loving and friendly students, and supportive parents. Every day I am thankful for such a spirit-filled place to call home. It is refreshing to walk through classrooms and see students eager to participate, watch students on the playground as they laugh, run, and play like the children they are, and to talk with parents about the Godly conversations they are having with their children at home. We have so much to be thankful for this year. It is easy to be reminded that we have a great facility, but more than that we have a God-centered school community where we stand with other Christian families and help one another grow in His ways.

Thank you for being an integral part of our school community and for living out God’s Word with us. Happy Thanksgiving Holy Cross. May God bless you this holiday season.

In His Service,

Jessica Binkley

DR. LUNARDI, UPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL | November UPDATE

Our campus has been full of excitement and energy during this jam-packed stretch between Homecoming and Thanksgiving. Winter sports are underway, our middle school and high school Thespians have been competing and performing for our community and local audiences, and Q2 academics are in full swing. Our students are certainly ready for the break, but we also recognize that the holidays can be stressful for some students and families.

This season is a wonderful reminder of Paul’s encouragement to the church in Philippi: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Paul speaks directly here, giving clear guidance—“be anxious for nothing” and “in everything… with thanksgiving.” While this doesn’t guarantee that everything will go smoothly during the holidays, it does help us orient our hearts as we enter this meaningful time of year.

As always, if there’s anything we can do to support your student or your family, please reach out to me or any of our staff members. We are so grateful for our families and honored to partner with you in raising your children to become who the Lord has created them to be.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chris Lunardi

Save the Date:
November 11th - December 10th - Toys for Tots Collection at both campuses
December 2nd, 2025 - Lower School Afterschool Club Registration opens at 2:00pm
December 6th, 2025 -  Resurrection Church is hosting a  movie night at the Upper Campus Gym at 6:00pm. See flyer below for more details
December 8th, 2025 - Lower School Aftercare early pickup at 4:30pm. Please plan ahead so that our teachers can prepare for the Lower School Christmas Program. Thank you!
December 8th, 2025 - Lower School Christmas Concert at Westview Baptist Church at 6:00pm
December 11th, 2025 - Upper School Christmas Concert at Holy Cross Lake Mary Church at 6:30pm
December 12th, 2025 - Middle School Sugar Soiree at 6:30pm, Upper Campus Gym.  Tickets now on sale!
December 13th, 2025 -  Lower School PALS Christmas Party with Vitality Living at 1:00pm RSVP Here
February 6-8th, 2025 - Holy Cross Lake Mary HS Youth Retreat in Leesburg, FL. Registration now open

                                                                                                   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.

Athletic Spotlight

⬇️ CLUBS ARE IN FULL SWING VISIT THE CLUB HUB TO SEE OUR CURRENT ROTATION ⬇️

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.

Dear HCLA Families,

As we enter another wonderful month together, my heart overflows with gratitude for the beautiful culture and spirit that define our community. During our Homecoming celebrations, I was reminded once again of what makes HCLA so special—the unity, joy, and Christ-centered love that bring our school family together.

From our youngest learners to our high school seniors, everyone played a part in making Homecoming week a true celebration of community. It wasn’t just about fun events, games, and spirit days—it was about belonging. It was about seeing students, families, alumni, and staff all standing side by side, united by our shared faith and purpose.

I also want to express my deepest thanks for your incredible generosity in giving food items for The Sharing Center. Your compassion and willingness to care for those in need reflect the heart of Christ in action. Through your giving, we not only bless others, but we also are teaching our students the value and joy of giving—helping them see that serving others is both a privilege and a calling.

As we look ahead to Thanksgiving, we are encouraging our students to thank God for His many blessings and to show their gratitude by living out their faith through everyday acts of love and service—both at school and at home. This season invites us to reflect His grace with thankful hearts and generous spirits. May we carry this same spirit of joy, unity, and service into all we do, continuing to nurture a community where faith flourishes, excellence is pursued, and every person is known and valued as a child of God.

Peace and gratitude,

Cindy Moon

Executive Director,
Holy Cross Lutheran Academy

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.

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:

• 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

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.