September 22, 2026

Dear St. Bartholomew School Families,

It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through September! The first few weeks of school have flown by. Thank you to everyone who attended Back-to-School Night. We hope you enjoyed visiting the classrooms, meeting the teachers, and learning more about the exciting year ahead.

This year, St. Bartholomew School and the Diocese as a whole are completing our reaccreditation through Cognia. Each year, we establish academic and spiritual goals that guide our work as a school community. Our academic goals this year focus on reading comprehension, understanding informational text, and mathematical thinking. Our spiritual goal centers on growing in faith through devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You will hear more about these goals and the ways we are working toward them as the year progresses.

Beginning this year, students in Grades 1–8 will take the diocesan-mandated MAP assessments twice annually which is a change of our usual three times a year. These computer-adaptive assessments help us better understand student progress and guide our instructional planning. Students will have ample time to complete the tests on their school-issued devices. A separate letter with more information will be sent home soon. Please make every effort to have your child in school during the testing windows:

• Fall: November 4–20
• Spring: May 3–17

As a reminder, families of the class hosting a School Mass are invited to attend. If you are interested in joining us, please contact your child’s teacher for the specific Mass date and notify the school office at least one day before attending. For security purposes, please be prepared to present identification upon arrival. We look forward to welcoming you to celebrate Mass with our school community!

September 28 marks the midpoint of our first marking period. As a reminder, St. Bartholomew School does not send home printed copies of progress reports or report cards during the school year. Only final report cards at the end of the year are sent home. If you have not logged in to PowerSchool yet this year, please login to see your child’s progress. Parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to log in to PowerSchool regularly to monitor their child’s academic progress, with a minimum of twice per marking period. If you have difficulty accessing your account, please contact the school office. Mrs. Tkacenko will be happy to assist you with your login information.

As we transition into the cooler fall weather, I strongly encourage you to label your child’s outerwear, sweaters, and sweatshirts with an indelible marker or name-label stickers. Our Lost and Found is already beginning to fill up, and we know the number of misplaced items will increase as the seasons change. A simple label makes it much easier for us to return belongings to their rightful owners!

With cooler weather comes an increase in seasonal illnesses. The nurse will be sending home a letter with additional information about healthy habits and guidance on when to keep your child home.

As a reminder, St. Bartholomew School does not offer rewards for perfect attendance. We believe this helps avoid placing unnecessary pressure on students and families to attend school when a child is ill or should otherwise remain home.

Please also remember that absences are excused only for funerals and official high school visits. All other absences, including those for reasons other than illness, are recorded as absences. Students must be physically present in the school building or participating in a school-sponsored trip to be considered present for the school day.

I am looking forward to visiting classrooms, seeing our students in action, and spending time with them throughout the coming weeks. Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we work together to make this a wonderful year for our children.

May God bless you and your families as we continue to move Always Forward with Jesus!

Warmly,

Mrs. Theresa Craig, M.Ed.
Principal