Dear Academy Community, 

In all of our homes, we have great holiday traditions that we partake in year after year. In our school, one of our favorite traditions is decorating the tree outside of the main office. The tree is in memory of Ms. Kathy Farrargher a former teacher at St. Francis de Sales. It is always a great sight to see an empty tree after Thanksgiving getting filled by the students' ornaments over the weeks of Advent. 

So many of our current parents, now alumni knew Ms. Farragher and likely had her as a teacher while a student at St. Francis.  They knew of her creative talent, and they completed art projects with her all the time.  One of the notable assignments each year was that her students had to make a doll decorated as a person in history or a literary figure, etc.  That's why the angel on the tree was made to look like a doll. When you are in the school, over the next two weeks, all are invited to take a good look at the tree and one of our favorite traditions. 

A special thank you to all the parents who came out for Family/Teacher Conferences this week. Please take a look below to see what is going on for the week of December 10th and beyond here at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy. 

Christmas Show: All orders for the 1st round of tickets should have been sent into the main office already. Any questions about tickets please call the office. Any questions about costumes or dress, please contact your child's teacher directly. To take another look at the information posted about costumes  please click here.

A separate order form will get emailed on Monday, December 11th for an opportunity to order more tickets to the show if available. 

Both shows’ Dress rehearsals will take place on Monday, December 18th. 

The dress rehearsals are as follows Monday, December 18th

Kindergarten-Grade 7 -  B Classes, 3C and those 8th graders who volunteered to participate-10am-11:30am

Kindergarten-Grade 7 -  A Classes, 5C and those 8th graders who volunteered to participate- 12:45pm-2:15pm

All students should be ready in costume on Monday, December 18th. 

The dress rehearsal serves as a chance for elderly relatives who are unable to come out at night or handle a large crowd to see the show. This dress rehearsal does not serve as a way to get a sneak peek or another viewing of the show. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Final directives for the show will be emailed next week. 

Christmas Boutique: The Christmas Boutique for our students will be December 11th- December 12th. Please see below the schedule of when classes will be attending. If you want your children to do a little Christmas shopping for their family please be sure to send in money with your child next week. 

Tuesday 12/12: Pre-K, Kindergarten, 4B, 5A and 5B, 6B, Grade 8

Wednesday 12/13: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4A, 5C, 6A, Grade 7

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. 

Sibling Registration Intent Form: Our school year is rapidly moving along. We can hardly believe that Christmas is almost here. As we begin to prepare for the 2024-2025 school year, we want to ensure that our plans maximize the benefit to your child/children. We have just completed a period in which our current Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten families filled out a letter of intent for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes for next school year.

We ask that if you have any sibling (brother or sister) of a current student here at St. Francis who plans on attending St. Francis in 2024 as a new Nursery, Pre-K, Kindergarten or Grade 1-7 student please complete the form below by Monday, December 18th. After that, we will be opening registration to the public in the Winter of 2024 (If space allows)

https://forms.gle/gho3LJmgiSB5pavx6

Please note we anticipate having waiting lists in many grades for next year. This intent form is for planning purposes only and does not guarantee your registration for the 2024-2025 school year. 

Baya Bar/Panino Rustico Special Lunch: Our special lunch with Baya Bar/Panino Rustico in November was a success! We are happy to announce we will be offering a monthly special lunch starting in January 2024. 

Panino Rustico will be offering 2 different 1/2 Paninis with chips and Baya Bar will be offering 2 different 9oz  Acai Bowls. Please fill out a separate order form for each child. You will be billed via FACTS.

The completed form(s) is due Thursday, 12/21. No late orders will be accepted. No refunds will be issued if a child is absent. 

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.  

Stockings for a Cause: This Christmas season we are partnering with Stockings for a Cause. For the past 13 years, Stockings for a Cause has partnered with various businesses in NYC and nationwide to raise money for a worthy recipient. Past honorees have been wounded vets. These men and women have given up so much to help others, Stockings for a Cause was created to show our thanks and to give back to them! 

We are inviting each homeroom to participate in the Stockings for a Cause fundraiser this year. Students are asked to donate $2 each which will go towards their homeroom stocking. We are asking that our students use their own money whether it be from doing some house work or loose change that they collected for this donation.  All money collected will go directly towards helping this year’s recipient, Army Sergeant, Jason Earl Walker. Sergeant Walker was injured in September 2013 on foot patrol when he stepped on an IED which took his left foot in Afghanistan. Stockings for a Cause will be teaming up this year with Tunnel to Towers in hopes to build Jason the smart home he needs to live a beautiful life.

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

SAVE THE DATES

Dress Down Day: Thursday, December 21st is a $1 dress down day. All students are encouraged to wear Red and or Green, or wear an ugly holiday sweater. All money raised is going to a family in need. 

Christmas Craft Day: Every year, students, 5th through 8th grade, prepare a craft activity to create, with students in Pre K-4th grades.  This year the entire school will be partaking in this activity on Thursday, December 21st in the afternoon.

Christmas Vacation: On Friday, December 22nd we have a ½ day 12 noon dismissal, this kicks off our Christmas Recess. Please note we do not reopen until Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024. 

January PD Day: Just a reminder that when we return from Christmas Recess our students have a 4 day weekend that gets kicked off on Friday 1/12 as the faculty participates in a Diocesan-wide professional development day that is then followed by Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday 1/15.

Have a great weekend!