Dear Academy Community, 

To honor all those brave men and women who served in our armed forces, we will be closed on Veterans Day Friday, November 10th. In a special way, we honor all those brave men and women who served in our armed forces this Veterans Day. A very special thank you to the Academy Family Association and all who came out on Tuesday night for a special Veterans Appreciation Prayer Service. 

We hope our students and families enjoy the four-day weekend!

Now, onto some important reminders, news, and events at the academy in the upcoming days….

School Closed for Professional Development on November 9th:  Just a reminder that Thursday, November 9th is a scheduled day off for students. This is then followed by the school being closed on Friday, November 10th, for Veterans Day. Enjoy the 4-day Fall weekend! 

Value Up Parent Assembly: On Tuesday, November 14th at 7pm we invite all parents to join us for a special presentation by Mike Donahue, a motivational speaker, who helps students, parents, and schools create a positive school climate by building self-esteem and mutual respect for all. There will be several age-appropriate presentations for students throughout the day for students in grades K-8. We hope you can join us!

Christmas Wreath Sale: The Academy Family Association is happy to bring back our Sherwood Farms Forest Fresh Christmas Wreaths and Evergreens sale.  These wreaths and evergreens are handcrafted from the boughs of trees grown high in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest Coast. They’re full, fragrant, and rich in color—perfect for your front door or above the mantle. 

New this year, all items will be shipped directly to the recipient!  Delivery is guaranteed within the two weeks after Thanksgiving.  Share the joy of the season with the purchase of a direct delivery item. These items make beautiful gifts for friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and business associates.   

These beautiful wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces are made with the lushes and most fragrant greens and are delivered fresh to your door.  Or you can choose to send them as a gift and they will be delivered directly to your recipient!

All prices include shipping costs.  We promise that you will not find as superior products at any online retailer at these prices!

This sale is a ONE WEEK Sale. 

• The sale ends THIS FRIDAY, November 10th

• All prices include shipping.

• Items delivered are guaranteed delivery to the recipients within two weeks of Thanksgiving.

• All items will be delivered directly to recipients  (not to the school)

You can place your order online via this direct link:

https://sherwoodfundraiser.com/SFDSCA

Thank you for your participation and support!

Early Childhood Registration: We are beginning to prepare for the 2024-2025 school year.  In the past few days, we  issued a Google Form of intent for any current Nursery and Pre-K student here at St. Francis who plans on attending St. Francis in 2024 as a Pre-K or Kindergarten student. Those forms are due by Monday, November 27th.  As always, we thank you for your dedication and support of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy. If you have any concerns that we may address, please do not hesitate to call or email us. 

After Thanksgiving,  an email will be sent home to families of current students to see if any siblings will be joining our academy next year if space allows. Please fill out all letters of intent as soon as possible, as we will begin open registration in the winter of 2024.  This is especially important to do with our current enrollment numbers. 

Tuition Arrears: This Wednesday, November 15th the 4th tuition payment is due.  Please be mindful to keep your account up to date on FACTS for all tuition or any outstanding fees. Please remember that report cards are not distributed unless your account is up to date as of November 15, 2023. Any issues please feel free to reach out. 

Little Sisters of the Poor Drive

Coffee with the Administration: We look forward to bringing back a forum that we used in the past for periodic meetings, “Coffee with the Administration.” Each session will be themed around a topic that may interest many families in our school community. Join Dr. Scharabch, Mrs. Hayes, and Mrs. Buckley on Monday November 20th at either at 9:00 am or 7:00 pm (Small Hall) for an informational session on what special education services look like at St. Francis de Sales. We hope to see you there.  

Thanksgiving Donation: St. Francis de Sales parish is collecting money again this year to sponsor Thanksgiving dinners for those in need. Last year, with the help of your generosity, the parish was able to purchase Thanksgiving dinners for families in need. If you’d like to help out, please send a $25 check (made out to St. Francis de Sales Church) or $25 cash in an envelope. Thank you again for your unwavering generosity. 

Christmas Show Costumes: Earlier this week we posted on our website and social media accounts what costumes are needed for this year’s Christmas Show for students in Grades K-8 on December 18th and 19th (Please note there was an error in last week’s update). Any questions about costumes or dress please contact Mrs. Maureen Hayes at [email protected]

To take another look at the information posted please see the link below. Information on how to order tickets to this year’s show will be given out before Thanksgiving. 

https://stfrancisacademybh.org/resources/christmas-show-costume-list

Yearbook Order Form: A few weeks ago marked the start of our 2023-2024 Yearbook Sale! The yearbook is a great way to remember special events throughout the year! All students will be featured in the yearbook on their class page!

If you would like to order a school yearbook, (delivery in June) please fill out the following form.

After you submit your order you will be charged on your FACTS account during the month of January.  

Payment is expected within 20 days of posting.

The completed form(s) is due by Thursday, December 7th. Since we have to send in our yearly order soon after there will be no orders accepted after this date.

**Class of 2024 Families, any graduate that has $130 (cost of a full page ad) worth of ads in the yearbook will receive a free yearbook, up to two free yearbooks. Please keep this in mind when placing your order.**

CLICK HERE FOR THE YEARBOOK ORDER FORM

Picture Makeups: For any student in Grades 3-7 who missed taking pictures this week. Their makeup pictures will be on Tuesday January 9th 2024. 

FACTS Portal: On November 13, 2023, FACTS will enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all families accessing FACTS for the following products:

• FACTS Payment Plans and Billing

• FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment

To help facilitate the use of MFA, FACTS recommends that all users utilize a free authentication app, such as Authy, Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator. Users can also choose to receive an authentication email containing a unique code. These authenticator options support existing login credentials by verifying usernames and passwords, along with something users have in their possession.

SAVE THE DATES

Thanksgiving Holiday: This is just a reminder that St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy has a half day on Wednesday, November 22nd with 12 noon dismissal. This is then followed by Thanksgiving Recess on November 23rd and 24th. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Class Picture Day: Please note that on Wednesday, November 29th all students need to be in their full dress uniform (No Dress Down Tickets) to be in their class picture. Thanks in advance for your cooperation with this. 

Toys for Tots: With the Christmas season approaching, as we look forward to the birth of our Lord, we should remember those less fortunate than us. In the spirit of giving, we are asking that students donate a gift for other children. Please bring in an unwrapped toy or game after the Thanksgiving Holiday. All donations will go to children in need. Thank you for your generosity. All donations need to be made by Friday, December 15th.  

Polar Express: We are so excited to announce that we will have our annual Polar Express Night this year in the school Gym on Friday, December 1st. We will be having two sessions this year. The 1st session will be only for Kindergarten and 1st grade students from 4pm-6pm. Our second session will be for 2nd-4th graders from 6:30pm-8:30pm. We are looking forward to a great night … All Aboard!

Report Cards: Please note that all report cards are digitally distributed on Wednesday, December 6th at about 3pm via the FACTS Parent Portal. This year  conferences will take place on Thursday, December 7th from 12:45pm-2:45pm and from 6pm-7:30pm. On Monday, November 27th we will send out information on signing up for time slots for conferences. All families will have until Sunday, December 3rd to sign up for the conferences on Thursday, December 7th.

Immaculate Conception Day: Friday December 8th is a Diocesan Holiday for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is a Diocesan Holiday so just a reminder that St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy is closed. 

SFDS Parish Tree Lighting: Please save the date for Tuesday, December 12th at 6pm as St. Francis de Sales Parish lights their Christmas Trees, Angels, and Nativity. We hope you join us for this great tradition. 

Christmas Boutique: We are also happy to announce the dates of our Christmas Boutique this year. The Christmas Boutique for our students will be December 12th- December 13th. More information to follow closer to the dates. 

Have a great weekend! See everyone on Monday!