November 02, 2023
SFDS Update #9 2023 (Week of November 5th 2023)
Dear Academy Community,
As we look towards the second week of November, it’s hard to believe that Halloween has already come and gone. This week we had a beautiful mass led by our 2nd graders for All Saint’s Day and accomplished lots of great work as well. We will keep the 8th grade in our prayers this weekend as they set off to take their TACHS exam on Saturday morning. Best of luck, 8th Grade! We know you will do your very best.
Now onto some important reminders, news, and events at the academy in the upcoming days….
Picture Day: The second half of Individual Picture Day will take place on Tuesday, November 7th for our 3rd through 7th graders. All those students who are getting pictures taken may remain in their school uniform or dress up for their pictures.
Please note that any student in Nursery-Grade 2 who was absent on Thursday 11/2, will have their makeup pictures on Tuesday, 11/7.
Please remind your child that dressing up for pictures is very different than dressing down. All those students who are not getting pictures taken must be in their full school uniform. If your child has gym class on picture day (Grade 5) please have them wear sneakers, if they are dressing up or bring a change of shoes, so they can participate in gym.
Families with students in Grades N-7 please use the following order form to purchase photos: https://fs24.formsite.com/orderforms/w7qgyoijeb/index
The deadline to order is Friday, November 10, 2023.
Just a reminder that class photos for all students will take place on Wednesday, November 29th. Please note that individual photos for the 8th grade will take place after Christmas on Tuesday, January 9th. A separate order form will be sent home closer to their picture day.
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 with the school being closed on Friday, November 10th, for Veterans Day. Enjoy the 4-day Fall weekend!
Veterans Appreciation Service: Last year the Academy Family Association created a video honoring Veterans that had ties to our Academy. This year, we are proud to expand on that initiative and will be hosting a Veterans appreciation service this Tuesday night, November 7th.
Please join us at 6:00PM in St. Francis de Sales Church. There will be a brief fellowship in the small hall afterwards, until 7:00PM.
This is a great opportunity to show our gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices our veterans have made for our country and for each of us. We encourage you to invite any family, friends and neighbors who are veterans. If you have not already done so, please RSVP to [email protected] prior to Monday. We sincerely hope you will join us for this worthy event!
SFDS Family Mass: On the heels of a successful CYO Family Mass, SFDS parish invites everyone to their next Family Mass on Sunday, November 5th at 10AM, followed by a brief fellowship & refreshments in the Small Hall.
Volunteer opportunities are available to children in all grades, as we look to fill the following roles: Greeters before Mass, Children to read the the First and Second readings (Lectors) as well as Children to read the Prayers of the Faithful Petitions, Children to bring up the Offertory Gifts and Distribute Bulletins after Mass.
Please note: All volunteers chosen to either read one of the readings and/or the petitions must participate in a brief rehearsal Friday, November 3rd at 4:30PM in the Church. All children must be accompanied by one parent or guardian to the rehearsal.
If your child would like to participate in the Family Mass in any role, please complete the form below. If you have any questions, email Meghan Courtney [email protected] or call/text 917-691-8346. If you are not selected for this Mass, your child will be included in another upcoming Family Mass (Sun 12/3, Sat 1/6, Sun 2/4, or Sun 3/24).
Here is the link: https://forms.gle/tvB1HcEZb3JjM6mJ9
VIRTUS Training: St. Francis de Sales will host another VIRTUS training session onsite on Monday, November 6th at 7 p.m. 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 a copy of your certificate to the office for us to enter 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.
Little Sisters of the Poor Drive
8th Grade Graduation Dinner Dance Meeting: All parents who are interested in helping to fundraise and plan for the Class of 2024 are invited to join the administration on Tuesday, November 7th at 7:30pm to begin the process of creating committees for this special event.
Saint Francis de Sales is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Dinner Dance Class of 2024
Time: Nov 7, 2023 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85183744956?pwd=WVZhenlaVmtZOWpOQ1RJbUhaMzBmQT09
Meeting ID: 851 8374 4956
Passcode: SFDS2024
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!
School Store: Come and see our brand new online school store. We have some great items with our school name and Franny, our Mascot. Right now we are having a Grand Opening Offer: 25% Off Everything. Please use the Code: SPIRIT
This offer is for a Limited Time Only!
Choose your own designs! These are great items to wear on dress-down days, weekends, Blue and Gold Day, or just around the house.
Great brands (Nike, North Face, Under Armor, Puma, and more) and great quality. All orders are shipped directly to your home.
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. 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
SAVE THE DATES
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 sessions 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. Hope to see you there.
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. Thanksgiving Recess then follows this on November 23rd and 24th. Happy Thanksgiving!
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 Night: 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, 12/6 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.
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. Good luck Grade 8!