Holy Cross Academy
(PreK-8th)
Forming Saints, Scholars, and Leaders
Sixth through Eighth
Sixth Grade
Holy Cross Academy blends a spiritual reverence with a complete academic package for your child. Upon entering Holy Cross, your child will be welcomed into a learning environment that emphasizes development in the Catholic Faith, academic excellence, and a diverse array of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Holy Cross Academy can blend these elements like no other in the area!
First, faith is the main focus at Holy Cross Academy. Your child’s faith will permeate their entire experience of each and every day. Spiritual development in the 6th grade will introduce an in-depth study of the origins of the faith through the Old Testament. Students will study the Passion and suffering of Jesus through an annual 6th grade tradition of the Tale of the Three Trees. The students will be involved with multiple service activities such as making lunches for the homeless, and “Food for Those in Need’, a special project for grade 6. Each class, including grade 6, has a special piggy bank for the Oblate Sisters’ missions.
Second, at Holy Cross Academy, we have a superior academic faculty. Academic instruction touches the mind, body, and spirit. 6th grade students will write research papers, write letters to authors, and have “Literature Days." Students will study with hands-on experiments in local ponds, travel on field trips to Washington D.C. or Richmond, complete science fair projects, and challenge themselves to try their shot at the Diocesan Spelling Bee and National Geography Bee.
Third, creativity is expected here at Holy Cross Academy. Your child will not be bored here at our school. Co-curricular activities support and enrich formal instruction. 6th grade students will enjoy creating newscasts of space in science class. There is a yearly career expo through our Guidance department, and students create board games about novels and write and perform original plays in Language Arts class.
Fourth, we want your child to love coming to school. Extra-curricular activities are more than just an afterthought. They are part of your child’s daily routine. Here are some of the activities your child could enjoy outside the classroom:
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Boys’ and Girls’ Sports
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Science Squad
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Drama Club
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Chorus
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Photography Club
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Young Catholics Service Group
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Scouts
This dynamic school community presents your child with these and many other experiences for growth. The faculty are willing and eager to assist you with any questions that you may have about our fabulous school. Please contact the office of Holy Cross Academy at 540-286-1600 to learn more or set up a tour of our facility. Registration is ongoing.
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Mrs. Rebecca Shoop and Mrs. Brooklee Quigley
Seventh Grade
Welcome to Holy Cross Academy! We are very happy to tell you and your child all about our community. Our school is a world of learning that emphasizes Development in the Catholic Faith, Academic Excellence, and Diverse Co-curricular and Extra-curricular activities. Holy Cross Academy seeks to meet the needs of every individual in a very unique way!
First, we live our faith at Holy Cross Academy. It is taught and nurtured and practiced in some way every day. We begin every day and every class with prayer. We share our concerns for individuals who are suffering from infirmity by remembering them in our school wide prayer in the morning and at our weekly Liturgy. We have our parochial vicars come to our Religion class every week to enhance our academic religion lesson. We perform Hope Projects that reflect the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and we begin our preparation for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation in Seventh grade.
Second, Academic Excellence is a way of life at Holy Cross Academy. In seventh grade our students study pre-algebra in classes where they are grouped by ability. They explore the wonders of Life Science and are required to do a Science Fair experiment. They begin an in-depth look at our country’s history from its infancy through the War Between the States. Language Arts is all about our students honing their writing skills, improving grammar, increasing vocabulary and fostering a true love of reading. They will explore and create several different forms of poetry, write short stories and business letters. In math, the students will design their own roller coasters and perform all the necessary calculations. They will have a class in Spanish three times per week where they will explore the Spanish language and the Spanish Culture.
Third, we will inspire creativity in your student by widening the horizons of the classroom through diverse co-curricular activities that support and enrich classroom instruction. All of our rooms are equipped with internet capable technology to enhance our lessons. In religion, we pair up with technology to create a brochure about the Sacraments of Healing and a Prayer Card about our Confirmation Saint. We take field trips to compliment what we are studying. For example, we took a trip to the Newseum to see the effects of weather on our ecosystem in their Hurricane Katrina exhibit. We also made a pilgrimage to Saint Matthew’s Cathedral and discovered, not only religious treasures, but also beautiful mosaics and a huge pipe organ.
Fourth, here at Holy Cross Academy, we strive to create a fun and loving atmosphere to foster your child’s love of learning. We have team sports such as soccer, field hockey and basketball. We have the Math Olympics Team and National Junior Honor Society, Photography Club, Drama Club and Youth of Note Chorus. In seventh grade, students may cantor at our weekly Liturgies and students in grades 5 to 8 assist at Mass as Altar Servers. We also have a very active Student Council Association whose Officers are elected from among our Middle School Students.
Here at Holy Cross Academy we are prepared to face the challenges of the future with Christ as our Guide. Together we will grow in God’s Grace. The faculty is prepared to discuss this wonderful opportunity that awaits your child; we hope to hear from you soon!
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Mrs. Lisa Withers & Ms. Julie Olsen
Eighth Grade
Welcome to eighth grade at Holy Cross Academy! We are happy to have this opportunity to tell you about student life in the eighth grade. One of the first things you will notice at Holy Cross Academy is that integrity, character, and kindness are lived and reinforced throughout the students’ day. High expectations, both academically and morally, are set by the teachers, but amazingly, are often surpassed by the students.
Our faith is present in all that we do at Holy Cross Academy. Every day begins and ends with school-wide prayer. Every class, as well, begins with prayer. Mass is celebrated every week and on every Holy Day that occurs on a school day. Students study Religion and continue preparation for their Confirmation which occurs in the spring of their eighth grade year. In addition, our parish priests take an active role in the students’ religious education and Confirmation preparation. In Christ’s service, each class provides and prepares lunches for the Thurman Brisben Homeless Shelter twice each year, and participates in food and clothing drives, as well as their own classroom HOPE project.
Academic excellence pervades every class the eighth grade offers. Besides Religion, students study in one of three math courses: Math 8, Pre-Algebra, or Algebra. Those who study Algebra will also study Geometry. Those who excel in Algebra and plan to attend public high school have the opportunity to get course credit in Algebra by passing the Virginia SOL the summer after eighth grade. Those students who plan to attend a Diocesan high school may place out of Algebra by passing an end-of-year placement test. In addition, students study Physical Science in eighth grade, investigating properties of matter, chemistry, and physics; they learn United States History from 1870 to 2000 in Social Studies; and in English and Literature class, they continue to perfect their writing and reading comprehension skills through a study of short stories, novels, non-fiction selections, and poetry.
Being an eighth grader at Holy Cross Academy carries some unique opportunities and responsibilities. Each student is paired with aspecial friend in kindergarten. The eighth graders sit with these children at weekly Mass, modeling proper behavior. Throughout the school year, the eighth graders share time with their young friends playing on the playground, having Christmas cocoa, reading aloud to them, and making crafts with them. In addition, eighth graders present the Living Nativity during Advent, attend the Diocesan Vocations Mass in the fall; and participate in the Diocesan Shakespeare Festival each May.
Opportunities for enrichment abound at Holy Cross Academy. Classroom teachers use technology like interactive white boards and digital document cameras, and incorporate the Internet whenever possible to enrich daily lessons. Students also learn Spanish, participate in gym class, and have weekly lessons in computer technology. Our guidance counselor leads weekly lessons in which students discuss ways to live their faith in these challenging times. Students compete in classroom and school-wide rounds of the National Spelling Bee and the National Geographic Geography Bee. And the eighth grade Social Studies students finish the year with a challenging, comprehensive research paper in which they develop needed skills to be successful in high school.
Holy Cross Academy offers many extracurricular and extension activities for our eighth graders. Students have the opportunity to play soccer, basketball, and field hockey; attend school dances; and participate in Photography Club, Choir, Drama Club, and Running Club. They can develop leadership in the Student Council Association and in Young Catholics for Change, our school service club. In addition, for students who qualify, there is an active chapter of the National Junior Honor Society at Holy Cross Academy.
Holy Cross Academy provides a challenging, nurturing environment in which to learn and live our faith. We are ready to welcome you and your child to our community!
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Mr. Joseph Cralle& Mrs. Amber Dimmer