A Few “Brief” Notes from the Principal

Hello Crusader Families!

This was a very busy week for our students, staff, and families!  We were able to hold our Shadow Day on Tuesday for 5th graders going into 6th grade next year, and 8th graders going into High School.  It was a great, fun, and positive experience for all involved.  If you haven’t registered yet for next year, you can do so by using this link – https://www.holynamecrusaders.com/admission/.

We also held our Open House and Living Library event on Tuesday evening.  We had a wonderful turnout and a lot of fun!  It was great to see so many familiar faces and we were blessed with seeing some new faces as well!  Please pray that our Holy Name Catholic School Family will continue to grow and prosper.  Mrs. Vicky LaMarche did a fabulous job setting up a beautiful Book Fair and Living Library!  The Living Library was a first for many of us, but quickly became a fan favorite and something we’re looking to do again next year.  If you didn’t get a chance to visit the Book Fair yet, it will be open during school hours today.

We are all noticing how much the students are growing this year as their skirts and pants are becoming shorter everyday.  It is school policy that uniform skirts and shorts are to be no higher than 2 inches above the knee.  If you’re not able to purchase new uniforms, please stop by our uniform closet.  We have several uniforms in all sizes that you can shop through.  Donations are suggested at $1 a piece, but are not required.  If your child is out of dress code, we will look for bottoms in their size in the uniform closet that they can change into.  If we don’t find any in their size, we will call you to bring an appropriate length uniform bottom.  Please adhere to the dress code/uniform policies.

I pray you all have a fun, safe weekend!

God bless,

Mrs. Brief 😀

A “Viau” from the Headmaster

Hello Crusader Family!

We were finally able to reschedule our Shadow Day for this week. The 8th grade students joined our high school on Tuesday and seemed to have a great time. They started their day bright and early with convocation at 7:45 a.m. and then attended Mass and classes the rest of the day. They were able to see what it was like to spend a day with our high school teachers and also had some fun playing pool and ping pong. A few of them are registered to attend the high school next year. I’d sure like to see a few more! Please reach out if you’d like a tour or if I can answer questions.

Our juniors and seniors will be leaving Monday morning for their Rome Pilgrimage. They’ve been spending time in class the last few weeks preparing by learning more about the cities they will be visiting, studying the language and the music they will be using for Mass. They’re very excited about this pilgrimage. Please keep them in your prayers as they travel. Speaking of Rome,  I wanted to address some things that I’ve heard recently about the Pilgrimage. One of the things I wanted to make clear is how this trip is funded. It’s funded 100% through fundraising on the part of the student. Not ONE PENNY comes from the school budget. Students have two years to raise the funds needed to attend and they work very hard to meet their goal. Our current 9th and 10th grade students are fundraising NOW for their trip in two years.

The Rome PILGRIMAGE is just that. A Pilgrimage. When you look at the pilgrimages that were discussed in the Bible, you will see that they were a purposeful, sacred journey to a holy place. They were meant to increase the person’s faith in God. And that is what this is for our kids. It is part of the Chesterton CURRICULUM and all juniors and seniors have the opportunity to go. Will they do fun things? Yes. Will they see beautiful sites? Yes. Will they eat lots of Gelato? Yes! BUT it’s also a beautiful, spiritual experience. They’ll be gone for two weeks with nothing but a carry-on suitcase. They’ll be walking upwards of 10 miles per day. They’ll be praying, attending Mass, visiting Holy sites and will see the Pope!  The pilgrimage is a beautiful opportunity for our kids to grow in their faith.

If you’d like to hear more about their trip when they return, please consider attending the Pasta Dinner on April 24th in the multipurpose room. They’ll be sharing pictures and stories about their trip. As always, if anyone has any questions about this or about anything we do at the high school, please reach out. I’m very proud of what we do and am happy to discuss things that might be unclear.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

God Bless,

Mrs. Viau

A Few “Brief” Notes from the Principal

Hello Crusader Families!

We had another great week at the Grade School as we kicked off the month of March.  It’s hard to believe that we’re only three weeks away from the end of the third quarter.  Time flies when you’re having fun learning and watching Mr. Czach swish a half court shot to earn the students and staff a N.U.T. Day!

We have rescheduled our Shadow Days for 5th graders going into 6th grade next year and 8th graders going into 9th grade for Tuesday, March 10th.  Information was emailed to parents earlier this week with details and we’re all looking forward to an exciting day.  We are also having our Open House and Living Library on Tuesday, March 10th from 6:00-7:30pm.  Come check out classrooms, teachers, the Book Fair, and the Living Library!  There will be activities and fun for everyone.  This event is open to the public, so bring your friends and family and show them what an amazing place Holy Name is!

As promised from last week’s Brief Viau, I have some changes for the 26-27 school year to share with you.  First, as mentioned last week, Mr. Czach will not be returning next year, however I’m excited to announce that Mr. Tony Derkos will be teaching his Middle School Math classes as well as being our Athletic Director.  Mr. Derkos has experience in teaching Middle School Math and will be a great addition to our Holy Name Teaching Team.  Second, our amazing Mrs. Casey will be retiring at the end of this school year after 39 years of teaching!  While we are so sad to see her leave, we are excited for her to enjoy her well deserved retirement.

Even though Mrs. Casey won’t be teaching Third Grade next year, you will be seeing a familiar face… Mrs. Lightfoot will be teaching Third Grade in 26-27 and Mrs. Wiltzius will be teaching First Grade!  In addition, I have heard our Holy Name Family’s concerns and comments regarding the large size of our current Fourth Grade class, so we will be adding a section of Fifth Grade in 26-27.  Therefore, you may notice some postings soon for next year as we work towards finding highly qualified teachers to join our Holy Name Family.  I will continue to keep you updated on new placements, new hires, and new beginnings.

God bless,

Mrs. Brief 😀

A “Viau” from the Headmaster

Hello Crusader Family!

We are over halfway through the quarter and the students are working hard. I have let all of the kids know that I am available to take a look at their grades and print them off for them. Some have taken me up on that offer and some have not. I would encourage all parents to log into their FACTS accounts to check your student’s grades. There are some with missing assignments and I can tell you that the teachers are more than willing to work with your student for at least partial credit if they get turned in. Once the quarter is done, it’s too late to make things up. We’re encouraging the students to be responsible and part of that is to turn in all of what is assigned.

I’m excited to announce that our prom has been scheduled for May 9, 2026. Details on the theme, meal and price are still being worked out but please save the date!

We’re excited to welcome the 8th grade class to the High School next Tuesday for Shadow Day! It’ll be a great way for them to get a feel for what it’s like to attend our amazing high school.

Another date to be sure to get on your calendar is April 18, 2026. This is the date of our Holy Name Spring Fling. This year’s theme is “Yooper Faith and Family”. If you haven’t attended before, now is a great time to attend. There will be a delicious meal, fabulous items to win and fun games to be played. All high school students will be asked to be there to help out with this event.

We have another delicious Fish Fry tonight! The last two weeks, we’ve had record attendance and we appreciate the support so very much! We’ll be serving again this week from 5:30 to 7:30; dine in or take out is available!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

God Bless,

Mrs. Viau