October 05, 2023
SFDS Update #5 2023 (Week of October 8th 2023)
Dear Academy Families,
It is amazing how quickly the school year is progressing. Before we know it, it will be Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, please save the date for Monday, 12/18 and Tuesday, 12/19 for our annual Christmas Show.
Catholics, in our theology and personal devotions, put a great deal of emphasis on the role and importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Very often, our Christian brothers and sisters who belong to other communities do not understand--or strongly disagree with-- this devotion. As Catholics, however, we believe that Mary is completely unique in the story of salvation. She was chosen by God to be the Mother of the Savior and because of this; we honor Her and ask for Her prayers through devotions like the Holy Rosary.
Bishop Brennan has again asked that we join with other dioceses throughout the country by hosting a Rosary Rally. Our school-wide Rosary Rally will be on Wednesday, October 18th at 1:15pm. Students in grades one through eight will be participating in this very special service and are asked to bring their rosary beads to school that day.
Now onto some upcoming events and news at the Academy over the next few weeks.
Columbus Day: Our first day off this school year is Monday, October 9th, 2023, for Columbus Day. The school will be open again on Tuesday, October 10th, 2023.
The Tablet Fundraiser for Catholic Schools: The Tablet Fundraiser for Catholic Schools started last week and runs until Friday, October 6th. Please click on the link below.
Each family that purchases or sells one subscription will be entitled to a dress-down ticket to be used during the Month of October or November. We will have a list of all subscriptions at the end of the fundraiser.
Help us reach our goal of 375 subscriptions sold to help us continue to keep our 1:1 Ipad/Chromebook program up to date.
Franny Fun Run: We ask you to join us in supporting our 4th Annual Franny Fun Run/Walk Fundraiser . We hope you can support, volunteer, and enjoy this wonderful school event! Our challenge of $65,000 in donations is attainable if everyone does their part.
Any family that meets a goal of $60, regardless of the number of children they have in the Academy, will get a free dress-down day ticket to be used in (November/December) for every student in their family.
This year we have set the family goals as follows:
• Families with one child in the Academy: $60 per family
• Families with two children in the Academy: $120 per family
• Families with three or more children in the Academy: $150 per family
All families that meet their family fundraising goal will get a fun-run t-shirt for each child in their family.
Additionally, new this year, families that reach $250 in total donations will receive a complimentary course sign that will be displayed along the route the morning of the race and outside of the Academy for one week following the event.
Step 1: On September 26th, our families received an email providing a link to your family's web-based donation page. If you did not receive your link via email, please search your family's page here: https://independent.pledgebrite.org/fund/frannyrun23
Step 2: Share your donation page via Facebook, Twitter, and Social Media. Also, use the email and text link on the invite and reach out to as many family and St. Francis De Sales Catholic Academy friends requesting their support. Donations are made via a secure credit card site. We will continue to accept cash or checks, and send them to school in an envelope, Attn: Franny Fun Run. Please include the family's name with the donor’s name and if available email.
Step 3, check-in often and follow SFDS and your family's progress as we strive to reach and surpass our goal of $65,000!
We have already raised over $22,000 with just over 34% of families participating. If all participate we can easily reach our goal and help complete the payment of our “Cool the School” Project.
Writing Benchmarks: Students in grades 1-8 had their writing benchmark diagnostic posted in FACTS today. These scores are for diagnostic purposes only. They will not be counted towards your child’s weighted average. Over the last few weeks teachers met in teams to work together to assess the children’s writing pieces. The purpose of the benchmarks is to gather information about students' strengths and weaknesses, to help inform our instructional practices. In January we will administer our next set of benchmarks and are looking forward to sharing the growth we have made. Many parents question what they can do at home to help their child strengthen their literacy skills. As always, reading each night is a great way to expose children to quality writing, and encouraging your child to write for a variety of purposes will help them practice important writing skills.
Yearbook Order Form: Today marks 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 age) 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
Winter Uniform/1/4 Zip Sweatshirts: October 23rd is our first day of winter uniform. Students are expected to be in complete dress uniform. The only sweatshirt that will be permitted to be worn in school is the approved St. Francis de Sales ¼ zip or the navy SFDS sweater or sweater vest. Gym crewneck sweatshirts are only permitted on gym days. There are no hooded sweatshirts permitted to be worn in school.
Most of the quarter zip sweatshirts that have been ordered have been sent home. The only exception is those students who have ordered a Youth Small. We anticipate those coming in over the next two weeks.
Please be sure to write your child’s name in their new sweatshirt. Our Lost and Found added 10-12 new sweatshirt to its collection this week.
Uniform Shoes: Shoes for the winter uniform must be black leather dress shoes with black rubber soles. They can be tie or slip ons. Please see the following suggested shoe styles for boys and girls in grades 1-8. The links are only to serve as samples of approved styles. If you have questions regarding shoe styles, please email Mrs.Hayes at [email protected]. As always, the uniform is up to the discretion of the staff and administration of St. Francis de Sales. Black sneakers and/or black moccasins are not part of the school uniform. Families may be asked to purchase new uniforms and shoes, if they do not follow the uniform policy.
In Nursery, Pre-K and Kindergarten students wear sneakers all year long. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Black Leather Mary Janes (Girls Only)
Upcoming Confirmation Practices: For those students receiving the sacrament of Confirmation at St. Francis on October 19th there are mandatory practices later this month. For those students receiving at the 1pm ceremony their Confirmation practice is on Monday, October 16th at 6:30pm. For those students receiving at the 4pm ceremony their Confirmation practice is on Tuesday, October 17th at 6:30pm. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Greene.
Due to the ceremony on 10/19 being at 1pm and 4pm, the 8th Grade class is off on Thursday 10/19. The rest of the school has an early dismissal at 12pm.
Birthday Reminders: There are a variety of ways in which we celebrate birthdays at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy. Celebrations are at the discretion of the teacher but may include handmade cards, storytelling, the sharing of a book, etc. Please communicate with the homeroom teacher beforehand. Families/guardians may drop off party goods (cookies, cupcakes, small plates, napkins, etc.) with Security at the beginning of the school day. Diocesan policy is that all food items shared be store-bought. The reason for this rule is strictly to serve as a safety precaution, allowing the school to know the ingredients of any item. We ask that no toys, lollipops, goody bags, frozen treats, or drinks be brought into school.
Paul Effman Band: We are so happy that our school band program for 2nd-8th graders will be back up and running this Tuesday 10/10. It is always great to hear music in the halls after school.
Ms. Coon has emailed all families registered with their assigned lesson times each week.
Students have two options for their lessons.
1) Students may go home, get changed, work on HW and return to the school via the Small Hall five minutes before their lesson. (ie. Students with a 3:45 pm lesson would be dropped off at the Small Hall at 3:40 pm.)
2) Students may stay in the school in the Small Hall until their lesson time to work on HW. Students will be supervised by an SFDS staff member at this time. Please note there is no fee for this service yet we do ask that students who are using this service are picked up after their lesson or attend our after-school program if they cannot be picked up at that time.
If you would like to take advantage of this service, please email Mrs. Endall at [email protected] before Friday 10/6 morning so we can plan accordingly. Please note if your child is in the 2:45 pm lesson they must stay and report to the small hall at dismissal.
We will assume that all students in the 2:45 pm lesson and 3:15 pm lesson are going directly to the band unless we hear differently.
Unless we receive an email requesting that your child stays in the small hall before their lesson we will assume that all 3:45 pm, 4:15 pm, and 4:45 pm band students are to be dismissed at 2:30 pm.
Of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to be in touch.
SAVE THE DATES
Socktober: On Friday, October 20th, don't forget to bring in $1 and wear CRAZY socks as we celebrate the last day of summer uniform.
Just a reminder that Friday, October 20th 2023 is the last day that students are allowed to wear their summer uniforms. Starting on Monday, October 23rd students need to be in complete winter uniform. For the full uniform policy please click here. Please email Mrs. Hayes at [email protected] with any questions.
Fall Book Fair: Did you know? Reading just 20 minutes a day exposes your child to about 1.8 million words per year. Reading helps students develop a stronger vocabulary, and in addition, students who read for pleasure average higher grades in English, mathematics, science, and history! Encourage your child to read books for fun by attending our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. Allow your child to choose the books they want to read! It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Mark your calendar! Book Fair dates: Tuesday October 24th and Wednesday October 25th.
VIRTUS Training: St. Francis de Sales will be hosting another VIRTUS training session onsite on Monday, November 6th at 7pm. You can sign up for this session or any session in the Diocese of Brooklyn by clicking here.
After completing the VIRTUS Program, we ask that you please bring to the office a copy of your certificate for us to keep track of in our database. We hope that this is not an inconvenience for anyone, but we need to be sure that all adults who interact with students are in compliance.
AFA Meeting: The Academy Family Association Executive Board is having its first general meeting on Tuesday, November 8th at 7pm in the gym. More information to follow in the coming weeks.
Have a great 3 day weekend. We hope to see you at mass this weekend!