Lord Jesus, in this holy Season of Lent, I seek the same strength You had as You faced temptation in the desert. Steady my heart when I feel tempted, lost or weary. Guide me when doubts strike and lead me astray. I want to give my life to You and the Father so I may walk in faith and courage, all the days of my life. Amen.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Holy Family Community,

This is the inaugural message from me to you. The goal is to share information about various activities and events throughout the year, including providing some clarity when needed. This first edition is focused on tuition rates for 2026-2027.

The term “Catholic Rate” has been removed as it has not and does not represent accuracy. The “Catholic Rate” has always been the “base rate,” or the “set rate” used to build a school budget each year. Subsidies received from Catholic parishes are not directly connected to the tuition rate of a parishioner, but are a general funding support given to our school. The parish subsidy rate is $300 per student each year.

The “Non-Catholic Rate” has also been removed as it has never been connected to the lack of parish affiliation or support. For example, if the school did apply the parish subsidy of $300 to a parishioner’s tuition, then the “Non-Catholic” student’s tuition would only be $300 higher. In fact, the “Non-Catholic” rate has been well over a thousand dollars or more each year. This additional surcharge has not been based on parish affiliation. FYI: There are other Catholic schools in the Diocese that have one rate for all students.

The school Finance Committee, Board of Advisors, and Bishop Danny reviewed and approved this clarification for the 2026-2027 school year. My next message, in two weeks, will discuss the parish subsidy process as that is another area needing clarification.

Thank you for your choice of Holy Family Catholic School for your child, and for your prayers and support for our school.

Take care and God bless.

Tim

“More than anything else, I want to console our Lord.”

St. Francisco Marto

Dear Parents,

It has been a busy week for our Holy Family students!

Last weekend, 28 middle school students presented their History Day projects at the Regional History Day competition. One student documentary and one group website will be advancing to the state competition in April. This is the first year that our middle school students have participated in the History Day competition, and it has been wonderful to see the school level competition and celebrate our students who are advancing to the state competition.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to witness the cast and crew of Oz perform in the PSIA District One Act Play Competition. Sitting the auditorium, I was struck by how much fun the middle school students were having during their performance. It was contagious to see these young men and women take to the stage and perform with such passion. The performance was excellent, and I look forward to cheering them on at the state competition on March 13!

This Saturday, many of our students in grades 1-8 will represent Holy Family at the PSIA District Competition as well. These students will compete in competitions ranging from writing and math to listening skills and speaking events. Since last semester, parent and faculty volunteers have coached the teams of students and helped prepare them for their specific events. As our students compete, I look forward to seeing these children do their best throughout the day. Go Angels!

Beginning March 9, our school community will pray a novena for all Dads. On the last day of our novena, Fathers and Father-figures are all invited to a Father’s Retreat on March 26 from 8:00-11:00. We hope you will join us for a morning of faith, fellowship, and food. The retreat will end with our school Mass at 10:00 where you will receive a special blessing.

God Bless,

Erin Vu

GENERAL INFORMATION

Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 8th. Remember to move your clocks ahead one hour.

The third quarter ends on Friday, March 6th. Report cards will be sent home electronically on Friday, March 13th.

Spring Break is Monday, March 16th through Friday, March 20th. Classes will resume on Monday, March 23rd.

Mrs. Jaoude's Fourth Grade Class

Hosting Mass

We had a wonderful Mass this morning. Thank you to the students in Mrs. Lyman's fourth grade class who proclaimed the reading for us.

Mass on Thursday, March 5th will be hosted by the students in Mrs. Joaude's fourth grade class. Please consider volunteering to help with set-up before Mass or take-down after Mass.

All are welcome to attend!

Stations of the Cross

Join us on Fridays during Lent to pray the Stations of the Cross. Did you know we have beautiful Stations right on our campus, in the courtyard? We’ll be meeting there after pickup and starting at 3:40pm every school Friday during Lent. Come pray this beautiful Lenten devotion with us as we journey closer to Christ during this prayerful season. The entire devotion lasts about 20 minutes. Families and children of all ages are welcome! 

Angel Virtue Program

In February, grades 2-4 focused on generosity and self-control. Grades 5-8 focused on trustworthiness, hope, generosity and self-control. Each teacher in these grades chose students who modeled these virtues in an especially positive way. The following students will be announced after Mass on Thursday, March 5th. A pin for the students to wear at Mass will be presented to them in the classroom. Congratulations to our Angels!

Generosity

Anna E.-Mrs. Reilly

Noah M.-Mrs. Reilly

Ainsley M.-Sister Chiara Luce

Sophia K.-Mrs. Wilson

Noah T.-Mrs. Wilson

Julia C.-Mrs. Blackstone

Alessandro F.-Mrs. Blackstone

Gianna V.-Ms. Blackstone

Gabe J.-Mrs. Mejia

Sage S.-Mrs. Mejia

James H.-Mrs. Stratton

Nikki L.-Mrs. Stratton

Elsie Q.-Mrs. Stratton

Lulu S.-Mrs. Stratton

Andrew M.-Mrs. Jaoude

William J.-Mrs. Lyman

Emma L.-Mrs. Lyman

Wesley W.-Ms. Moore

Richard C.-Ms. Donohoe

Paloma N.-Mr. Segura

Hannah B.-Ms. Spielman

Luke M.-Ms. Spielman

Avery T.-Mrs. Amador

Emily C.-Mrs. McGill

Claire W.-Ms. Paynter

Shepard H.-Sister Maria Miguel

Alex Z.-Mrs. Poulos

Vivi S.-Sister Rene Noel

Jacob B.-Ms. Ruiz

Xavier H.-Ms. Schroeter

CJ C.-Ms. Soto

Ryan D.-Ms. Sprigg

Roscoe W.-Mr. Stanton

Self-Control

Lucas A.-Mrs. Reilly

Mia C.-Mrs. Reilly

Leo W.-Sister Chiara Luce

Olive M- Mrs. Wilson

Ruby S.-Mrs. Wilson

Piper F.-Mrs. Blackstone

Olivia R.-Mrs. Blackstone

Isabella R.-Mrs. Blackstone

Kristy T.-Mrs. Blackstone

Julia B.-Mrs. Mejia

Luciana W.-Mrs. Mejia

Francis K.-Mrs. Stratton

Anastacia J.-Mrs. Jaoude

Blaine B.-Mrs. Lyman

Katherine F.-Mrs. Lyman

Luciana S.-Ms. Moore

Paloma B.-Ms. Donohoe

Christopher M.-Mr. Segura

Jimmy B.-Ms. Spielman

Gigi C.-Mrs. McGill

Lucia R.-Sister Maria Miguel

Awdri J.-Ms. Paynter

Jake B.-Mrs. Poulos

Sasha P.-Sister Rene Noel

Matthew W.-Sister Rene Noel

Pia M.-Ms. Ruiz

Lucy W.-Ms. Schroeter

Bryanna W.-Ms. Schroeter

Oliver L.-Ms. Soto

Kalie T.-Ms. Sprigg

Madison M.-Mr. Stanton

Hope

Annaleah P.-Ms. Donohoe

Minhthien D.-Mr. Segura

Genevieve A.-Ms. Spielman

John Paul P.-Ms. Spielman

Mateo F.-Mrs. Amador

Lauren C.-Mrs. McGill

Elizabeth B.-Sister Maria Miguel

Ava A.-Ms. Paynter

Anabelle B.-Mrs. Poulos

Rachel Z.-Sister Rene Noel

Emilia G.-Ms. Ruiz

Cecilia C.-Ms. Sprigg

Haddie R.-Mr. Stanton

Trustworthiness

Maria B.-Ms. Donohoe

Chloe C.-Mr. Segura

Heidi V.-Ms. Spielman

Andrew S.-Mrs. Amador

Isla S.-Mrs. McGill

Andrew M.-Mrs. Mena

Elena V.-Mrs. Mena

Elliot P.-Sister Maria Miguel

Noah G.-Ms. Paynter

Aemilya V.-Mrs. Poulos

Lyric S.-Sister Rene Noel

Addi D.-Ms. Ruiz

Clyde M.-Ms. Soto

Arabella J.-Ms. Sprigg

Rachel D.-Mr. Stanton

One Act Play

Huge congratulations to Holy Family Middle School Theatre who won 1st place at the PSIA One Act Play Competition on Wednesday, 

February 25. They will be heading to compete at the State competition in Carrollton on Friday, March 13th.

Individual awards won: 

Best Actor- Nathaniel Willett 

Best Actress- Gabby Molina 

Tech Award -Gabriel Ryan 

Vest Tech Overall- Eusebio D’Mello  

SIX All Star Cast awards: 

Vivi Saunders

Shepard Hanford 

Rachel Dobson

Lily Elizondo 

Zandie Karikoga

Clara Scully

Two Honorable Mention:

Evelyn Vu and Haddie Roberts

Congratulations! Break a leg at STATE! We're so proud of all of you!

Sound in Motion

Our Pk-5th Grade Classes are excited to show you all the ways they have been moving and dancing in PE and Music Classes this spring!

Families with last name M-Z are invited to join us in the Pavilion on Thursday, March 12 at 2:00 pm, and families with last name A-L are invited to join us on Friday, March 13 at 2:00 pm.  

To help the sign-in process go faster, please fill out this form ahead of time:

https://forms.gle/jf1JGobAbusg83rM9

You can pick your visitor badge up in the Pavilion before the performance. If you do not fill out the form, you will have to sign in at the school office before coming to the Pavilion. 

Thank you! Coach Ligon and Mrs. Pish.

Please join the Angels 4 Life club as we pray for an end to abortion and for respect for all life from conception to natural death. 

Parents and families are invited to join us in the Oratory of the Holy Angels on Wednesday, March 4 or on Tuesday, March 10. We will begin at 7:20 am and pray for about 25 minutes. We will have a sign in sheet at the door of the Wisdom building.

On Friday, March 27, Angels 4 Life will join the family prayer group to pray a special Stations of the Cross for Life. We will begin at the usual time of 3:40 pm. Families and children are welcome. 

Dress Like a Teacher Tomorrow

During Catholic Schools Week, students were going to be able to dress like a teacher. Unfortunately, that did not happen because of the bad weather. We are offering students the opportunity to do so. On Friday, February 27th, students may "Dress Like a Teacher".

Centex History Day Regional Contest winners

Middle School students completed History Day projects on the theme: Reform, Revolution, and Reaction last semester in their Social Studies classes. We held a middle school judging day on December 15th. 28 students advanced to the Regional Contest which was held this past weekend at St. Edwards. Congratulations to the following students for advancing to the State History Day Competition on April 11th which will be held at the Bob Bullock Museum: Rose Isaac for a documentary and Jemma Mathew, Francita Jerald and PhiAn Tran for a website. 

Flu and Cold Season is Here

The peak of the cold and flu season is upon us. We have seen many cases of flu and flu like illness across all grade levels. To prevent widespread flu in the school, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines:

Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

• Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
• Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
• Headache
• Mild stomach ache

Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:

• Fever (greater than 100 degrees by mouth and your child may return to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently below 100 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours)
• Vomiting (even once)
• Diarrhea
• Chills
• General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches
• Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
• Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose 

Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. Students may return to school per the Health Guidelines (2024 Health Guidelines for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Austin). Please contact your physician with any questions or concerns.

Middle School Dance

February 27th from 6:30-8:30 is the Around the World themed middle school dance! 6th-8th graders come dance the night away in this fun filled event hosted by Student Council and the 7th grade class.

Ace Scholarships

Holy Family/Savio families who qualify and interested are encouraged to apply for the ACE Scholarships. Awards from ACE Scholarships are separate from the school tuition assistance program. 

Applications are due April 15, 2026.

The ACE Scholarships Texas 2026-2027 Application can be found here: Texas Application

Financial Eligibility Guidelines: 

The Department of Health and Human Services published their 2026 Federal Poverty Level Guidelines earlier this month, and the maximum qualifying income for ACE is 350% of Federal Poverty Guidelines. As a result, the maximum qualifying income guideline chart for ACE scholarships for the 2026-2027 school year is as follows: 

How do I apply?

To apply, visit ACE Scholarships Application.

For any questions, please visit our Help Center. If you don’t see an answer to your question, please contact us at txsupport@acescholarships.org or (985) 800-3950.

1. Applications open the 1st Monday in February and close at 11:59pm on Tax Day in April (in the time zone in which the school the applicant is applying to resides).

2. Confirm that you qualify for an ACE scholarship based on the financial guidelines listed in the chart below.

3. Identify the right ACE partner private school for your child.

4. Complete the school’s application and enrollment process for your

child.

5. Complete the ACE Scholarships application, including required documents to submit along with application (prior-year 1040 tax return, child support, SNAP, etc). You may begin an application and save and return at any time. Applications must be complete and submitted before the April 15 deadline for the students to be considered for awarding.

Texas Education Freedom Accounts Program

Applications Now Open



Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced the formal name for Texas’ school choice program — Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) — and the selection of Odyssey as the certified educational assistance organization that will help launch the program for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Through the new Texas school choice program, the Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA), Catholic education may now be within reach for more families. Eligible students may qualify for $10,000 per year to help cover approved educational expenses, including tuition, materials, and services.

The Bike Bus program is changing from Wednesdays to Fridays. Please see attached flier and links for more information.

Holy Family Catholic School is pleased to announce the expansion of our pre-school program beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year. Beginning in the fall, Holy Family will offer PK 3 and PK 4 full-day and half-day options for students. Applications are now open! For more information, please reach out to Mrs. Cammy Nguyen, Director of Admissions, at 512-244-4825 or email her at cnguyen@holyfamilycs.org.

Attention all STEM enthusiasts! We are looking for individuals who work in the STEM field or have a passion for STEM to have a booth at STEM night on March 10th (5pm-7pm). Booths can include STEM job booths, demo booths or interactive booths. Let us know what you would like to do for your booth and how many tables you would like. For more information contact Ms. Ruiz at sruiz@holyfamilycs.org. Please use the following link to reserve a booth at STEM Night.