Dear Academy Community, 

This Wednesday, 1/24 is the Feast Day of our school’s Patron Saint: Saint Francis de Sales.

Born in France in 1567, Francis was a patient man. He knew for thirteen years that he had a vocation to the priesthood before he mentioned it to his family. When his father said that he wanted Francis to be a soldier and sent him to Paris to study, Francis said nothing. Then when he went to Padua to get a doctorate in law, he still kept quiet, but he studied theology and practiced mental prayer while getting into sword fights and going to parties. Even when his bishop told him if he wanted to be a priest he thought that he would have a miter waiting for him someday, Francis uttered not a word. Why did Francis wait so long? Throughout his life he waited for God's will to be clear. He never wanted to push his wishes on God, to the point where most of us would have been afraid that God would give up!

This weekend, we ask St. Francis de Sales to pray for us. Onto the rest of the week here at the Academy.

Re-Registration 2024-2025: St Francis de Sales Catholic Academy’s administration and staff are already looking ahead and making plans for next school year. In preparation for the start of 2024-2025, please take time now to complete your child’s re-enrollment for next year. This form is due on Friday, February 2nd and the $200 re-registration fee per student is due on Sunday, February 25th.

To Re-Register, please follow the steps below:

1) Please go to www.factsmgt.com

2) Select Parent Log In from the menu bar and FACTS Family Portal from the drop-down menu.

3) Type in your username and password.  If you have forgotten your username or password, please click on the link provided.

4) After logging in, click on Apply/Enroll in the left menu.

5) Click on the Enrollment/Reenrollment link.

6) Our Online Enrollment system will open with a link to the enrollment packet. The online process should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Your information will be saved if you need to quit and come back later. All re-registration fees will be paid via the FACTS Tuition portal. All fees will be due on February 25, 2024. If you have your account set to automatic withdrawal the fees will come out of your account 2-3 business days before.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact Mrs. Kenny at 718-634-2775 or [email protected].

Catholic Schools Week: We are three weeks away from what many of us feel is the best week of the school year, Catholic Schools Week. Please see below our schedule of events for the week. More information about the dress-down days and events of the week will be coming in the next few weeks. Stay tuned early next week for information on how you can order this year’s Catholic Schools Week T-Shirt. 

I-Ready Diagnostic Test (Week of 1/22): All students in Kindergarten-8th grade will be taking the second round of the diagnostic test during the week of January 22nd. Students will complete both the i-Ready Math Diagnostic and the Language Arts i-Ready Diagnostic. This will be the second time that the students are taking the diagnostic test, and we look forward to sharing their results and growth with you once we have completed the test for all students. 

For those who are not sure i-Ready is an online program for reading and mathematics that will help your student’s teacher determine your student’s needs, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. I-Ready allows your child’s teacher to meet your student exactly where they are and provides data to increase your student’s learning gains. 

Learn more about i-Ready by watching this video!

How can parents help their child prepare for an iReady assessment? 

Your child’s teacher administering the assessment uses pre-assessment instructions to explain the assessment to students. Parents need to encourage their children to try their best on the assessment. Since iReady is a general measure of a student's ability in mathematics, students perform best on the assessment in the same way they perform best in school—when they have had plenty of rest, attend school regularly, and have eaten.

Encourage your child to take each lesson and quiz question seriously. Emphasize “thinking before clicking,” because just clicking through will not be a productive use of their time nor reflect what your student actually knows. Please remind your child to read passages in their entirety, use paper and pencil to solve math problems, and use the tools that appear at the bottom of the screen in some lessons.

First Penance: Good luck to many of our Saint Francis second graders who will receive their first Penance this week on Wednesday, January 24, at 6:30pm at St. Francis de Sales Parish. We will keep you all in our thoughts and prayers as you continue on your spiritual journey and prepare to receive the Eucharist for the first time.

Shrek JR The Musical Last Chance to Sign Up: All signups are asked to be in by Sunday, January 21st. Please note that if your child does not want to audition for a lead role and will join the ensemble, you should still fill out the form below.

St. Francis de Sales is very excited to partner with Inside Broadway to offer a production of Shrek the Musical Jr. this May. This enrichment activity is open to our current 4th-8th graders. If you have any questions, please let us know. Again, we are excited to have our students have this amazing opportunity this spring.

https://forms.gle/HKgzecVJ88igSAw36

Yearbook Ads: We are now accepting ads for the Class of 2024 yearbook! All ads will be accepted and considered on time until Wednesday, February 7th. Late ads will be accepted on 2/8 and 2/9 with a $10 late fee per ad included in the total price. 

All ads must be submitted as a JPG or hard copy. No PDFs can be accepted. Please follow all directions EXACTLY as they are printed in the link below. Directions are provided for ways to create a JPG ad using Canva.  Please share the directions with any family members/friends who may want to submit an ad for a graduate. 

We recommend working on your ads early. Working on your ads early will allow us to assist you should you encounter any issues.  All questions and ad submissions should be sent to Ms. Farragher using our school's yearbook email:  [email protected]

SFDS Class of 2024 Yearbook-Creating an Ad

Adult Paint Night: On Friday, February 2nd from 7-9 pm, Mrs. Gina Todd (an Academy art teacher) will host an adult paint night in the SFDS Small Hall. Attendees will receive step-by-step instructions to create a beautiful painting. Light refreshments will be provided, and guests can bring their own appetizers and beverages.

Please note this event is for adults 21+ and is $35 per person. Please send in a check or cash to the main office.

The deadline for registration is January 29th. Space is limited. To register, please use the link below.

https://forms.gle/t3axXmcksJ9LdECZ7

SAVE THE DATES

1/29/24- Coffee with Administration 9 am Session and 7 pm Session. These sessions will be an overview of I-Ready, how to read the I-Ready diagnostic report, the use of I-Ready in School, and how I-Ready can be used at home. 

Mid-Winter Recess: Just a reminder that from February 19th-February 23rd St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy will be closed for Mid-Winter Recess.

Have a great weekend!