Lord Jesus, thank You for the blessings You pour into my life each day. Help me not to be distracted by things that fade away, but to seek what has lasting value in Your love. Like St. Peter Claver, show me how to serve others with a generous and compassionate heart. May I bring Your hope and kindness to those around me and always find true joy in doing so. Amen.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

"But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."

1 Corinthians 14:40 

Dear Parents, 

This month, we are focusing on the virtue of Orderliness, which we demonstrate when we keep ourselves physically clean and our belongings well organized. At school, we are discussing how students can practice this virtue in their daily lives by keeping their desks tidy, using their planners responsibly, maintaining good personal hygiene, and helping with responsibilities at home, such as putting dishes away. 

As families, we invite you to continue the discussion at home too and practice growing in this virtue within our homes. One saint that models the virtue of orderliness well is St. Benedict. He was a founder of many monasteries, and he taught that everything should be done with care, purpose, and respect for God. St. Benedict encouraged his monks to keep a regular schedule of prayer, work, and study so that their lives would be orderly and peaceful.  

To learn more about St. Benedict, please visit these resources: 

• Saint Benedict | Franciscan Media 
• Rule of St. Benedict 

At Holy Family, security and safety are important so that our students have a safe environment where they can learn and grow. One visible part of our security program is our TX2 security officer, Officer Ray, who monitors the campus throughout the day through regular patrols and security checks. In addition, TX2 security officers may periodically fly drones over campus as part of their security procedures. These drones help monitor areas that may not be easily visible from the ground and support our ongoing commitment to campus safety. 

Keeping our campus safe requires the cooperation of our entire community. Thank you to all of our families who carefully follow the designated traffic patterns and drive cautiously while on campus. During arrival and dismissal, we ask all drivers to remain attentive and drive safely, even after dropping off or picking up their own children. 

For afternoon dismissal, we have arranged for additional staff members to assist with moving the carline cones at 3:00 p.m. if Officer Ray is unavailable. Once the cones have been moved, please continue in a single-file line to the dismissal area. We kindly ask that drivers refrain from merging into the line or cutting off other vehicles, as doing so helps ensure a safe and efficient dismissal process for everyone. 

Thank you for your continued partnership and support in making Holy Family a safe, welcoming, and faith-filled community. 

God Bless, 

Erin Vu

GENERAL INFORMATION

Mr. Segura's 5th Grade Religion Class Hosting Mass

We had a wonderful Mass this morning. Thank you to the students in Mrs. Mena's 6th grade Religion class who proclaimed the reading for us.

Mass on Thursday, September 17th will be hosted by Mr. Segura's 5th grade Religion class. If your child's class will be hosting Mass, please consider volunteering to help with set-up before Mass or take down after Mass.

All are welcome to attend!

Mark Your calendars for an all-parent meeting, our annual State of The School given by President, Billy Schiffiano; Principal, Erin Vu, and other members of the community.  

When: Tuesday, September 15 at 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. 

Where: Holy Family Gym

As you discern your commitment for next week, please see the email sent from the Holy Family Catholic School Advancement Office that was sent yesterday for important information. Get Ready! Get Excited! It's almost here! See what happens when YOU say YES! Your Gift = Every Student 

Coming to a mailbox VERY soon - if you haven't already seen it.  

Save the Date

Picture Day is coming on Thursday, October 1st. Look for more information on your child's picture day flier/order form that will be sent home soon. Students will be taking individual pictures and class group pictures on this day. Students are required to wear their formal Mass uniform.

Picture Day ID: EVT7TW274

Healthy children learn, grow, and thrive; and our school nurse plays a vital role in making that possible!



Every item donated to the Nurse’s Amazon Wishlist is a small investment in the health, safety, and well-being of our children. Let’s come together as a community and make sure our nurse has everything she needs to keep our kids healthy, safe, and ready to learn!

Annual Health Screenings

Holy Family will be performing the annual Student Health Screenings on Tuesday, October 20th and Wednesday, October 21st for students in

Pre-K4, Kindergarten, 1st grade, 3rd grade, 5th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade (boys only), and any news students in 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th grades. The following screenings will be performed: Vision, Hearing, Acanthosis Nigricans, and Scoliosis. The screenings are performed by Holy Family Parent Volunteers who have obtained their screening certification by the State of Texas or who are licensed medical professionals.

Information Regarding Screenings:

• Vision: Students who wear glasses or contacts must use them during the screenings.
• Scoliosis: We are required to conduct spinal screenings for our female students in 5th and 7th grades and males in 8th grade. This involves a visual screen of your child's spine. Students will be asked to remove their shirts. We recommend that girls wear a bathing suit or camisole under their clothing for privacy and boys may wear a sleeveless undershirt.
• Acanthosis Nigricans screening, which focuses on the presence of physical markers that can be symptoms of youth on-set type 2 diabetes, will be conducted at the same time as the vision and hearing screenings for students in grades 1, 3, 5, and 7. 
• 

The Parent Association Health Committee helps organize screeners and volunteers for the event. Some roles require certified screeners (certification classes offered throughout the year and are Free) while other roles only require the volunteer to be EIM compliant. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up using the volunteer link provided in the newsletter. If you are interested in getting certified next year, please contact Mrs. Guzman for more information.

If you prefer that we do not screen your child, please let Mrs. Guzman know by the end of the school day on Friday, October 16th. If we do not screen your child, you will be responsible for having your child screened by their physician and submit their screening results to Mrs. Guzman by October 31st. 

If you have any questions about these state mandated health screenings, please contact Mrs. Guzman.

Holy Family Catholic School is proud to support PSIA on campus. PSIA is an exciting opportunity for private school students in grade 1st to 8th to engage in academic competition, test their skills and knowledge and receive recognition for academic excellence.

Students in 1st – 8th grade are welcome to compete in over 20 competitions for PSIA. Due to high participation in several subjects, there will be a school competition (date TBD) and the top 3 (in most events) will continue on to compete in the District meet on February 20, 2027, at Brentwood Christian School. The State meet is scheduled for April 24, 2027, at Texas State University. Please see the Informational Brochure for a brief description of each event, along with the Conflict Pattern chart chart to avoid overlapping events. You will find more details about each event on the PSIA Website. There is a $40 registration fee which covers the cost of entrance fees to district and state (up to 3 events per child), and materials for training/coaching.

Volunteers are needed to coach our students for competition.  Coaching involves committing to meet weekly with participants for a 45 minute practice session, typically before or after school. No experience is necessary - training and resources are provided.

A PSIA Parent Information Session will be held on Friday, October 2 from 8:30am - 9:30am in the Middle School Library. Come join us after Community & Coffee!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the PSIA Coordinators, Mrs. Morley (aprilmorley8@gmail.com) or Nicole Blair (NicoleLeeBlair@yahoo.com).

Items Needing Immediate Attention - Due by September 11th

Please read the following items below:

Family Handbook 2026-2027

Technology and Internet Safety Acceptable Use Policy

Complete this form and return:

Handbook and Technology Agreement Form

Required of All students - New and Returning

Please return via email to Kelly Walker, drop off in the school office or have your child turn it in to his/her teacher.

Ethics and Integrity in Ministry (EIM)

All persons who engage in ministry in the Diocese of Austin (clergy, religious, employees, and lay volunteers) must complete the EIM registration and training through VIRTUS® Online in order to serve in ministry. New applicants, and existing applicants who have never attended an EIM Workshop, must attend an in-person EIM Workshop to fulfill their initial EIM compliance requirement. Please visit https://www.austindiocese.org/eim-instructions for more information. If you are a new applicant who has submitted an EIM Application and need to attend an EIM Workshop, contact your parish/school EIM site administrator regarding the status of an in-person EIM Workshop at your location.

All volunteers must wear EIM name badges to indicate they are volunteers with Holy Family Catholic School. Once you have completed the EIM workshop, please contact Dr. Danna Kelemen for a new or replacement badge, or if you have any questions regarding EIM compliance.

Thank you for your assistance in keeping our community and children safe. 

COMMUNITY NEWS

St. Vincent de Paul's Fall Fest

Hello Holy Family Parents!

St. Vincent de Paul’s Fall Festival is around the corner! Please click on this link for more information on how to get involved FALL FESTIVAL | St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church | Austin, TX or scan the QR code on the flyer for the pre-sale order form. We hope to see you there!