Dear Academy Families,

We hope this correspondence finds you well and ready to tackle the second half of the school year. We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and want to wish all a Happy New Year! We look forward to 2023 and all that it brings us. 

A special thanks to all who reached out with well wishes on the birth of my family’s new baby girl Chloe. I remember when I first became  principal back in 2013 I was sent the following Elizabeth Stone quote:  “The decision to have a child… it’s momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body…”  Of course this quote has new meaning to me once again, yet over the years,  I always had this quote on my mind as it reminds me how important parents are in the education of a child and that all of our students’ parents have a meaningful responsibility of working together to foster a bright future for their children. 

A few items as we begin the first week of the new year on Tuesday, January 3rd 2023. 

Chocolate Bar Sale: Our school will be conducting a fund-raising candy sale during the month of January. We will be selling World's Finest Chocolate Products - truly delicious chocolates that have been sold for years by schools and organizations.

This year we are hoping for All Families to assist with this sale in order to make it as successful as possible. If all 380 Families sell 1 box of chocolate, we will earn a profit of over $11,000.00. 

On Wednesday January 4th,  your oldest child will be given a box of chocolate to take home. If you cannot support us in the sale, please fill out the google form that can be found by clicking here on or before January 3rd.

If you would like to request more than one box please also use the goggle form  that can be found by clicking here. 

All Students of families selling a box of Chocolate will receive a dress down ticket to use on a day of their choice in February or March. 

PK-Grade 2 Art Project: Students in Pre-K through Grade 2 will be starting an art project on Dale Chilhuy in the new year. For this project we will focus on the importance of recycling and reusing plastics. We are asking that every child in Grades PK-Grade 2 bring in 5 empty, washed and label removed 16 oz water bottles with cap and a pack of solid or rainbow tissue paper. Thank you in advance for your participation in making our project a success. 

Christmas Card Collection: When we return from Christmas break St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy  will be collecting old Christmas Cards for Saint Judes Children’s Hospital. There will be a box outside the main office for children to drop off any front of the cards which are then sent to Saint Judes Children’s Hospital  and they use them for their own arts and crafts projects.  (No Picture Cards).  Please note it is not only for Christmas cards but for all occasion cards.  We will be taking cards until Tuesday January 10th 2023. 

Yearbook Ads: We are now selling ads for this year's yearbook. On Wednesday (1/25) all yearbook ads/dedications are due. For more information including instructions and an order form please click here. Please note there is a $10 late fee charged for any order handed in on 1/26 or 1/27. No orders can be taken after 1/27/23.    

Christmas Boutique Thank You: The week before Christmas recess was a busy one in the school especially with our Christmas Boutique. Thanks again to Mrs. Christina Tammaro for coordinating the event this year.   A very special thank you to our volunteers Lauren McCormack, Jennifer Burke, Meghan Anderson, Jessica Farrell, Dena Calemine, Linda Lomanto, Susan Natale, Aileen Warnock, Jackie Cozza, Jackie Scollo, Alicia Johnson, Jennifer Sullivan, Catherine Yeager Mcquaid, Katie Campos, Katie Daly, Jamie Hearn, Jean Marie Corvi, Adriana Farrell, Michelle DiBenedetto, Kelley D'Antonio, Lisa Hayden,  Chris O'Sullivan, Caitlin Brunton, Maria Ferrante, Erin Hernandez, and Robin Hoffman  for their hard work in setting up and running the event this year, the kids had a great time shopping for Christmas presents. 

Parking at Dismissal: Just a reminder to please be respectful of everyone. Please do not double park or block our neighbors driveways at dismissal time. It causes issues for thru traffic as well as can create a dangerous situation for our children.

Thank you for your consideration.

Faculty Professional Day: Just a reminder that in two weeks our students have a 4 day weekend that gets kicked off on Friday 1/13 as the faculty participates in a Diocesan-wide professional development day that is then followed by Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday 1/16.  

Illness and Absent Notes: The cold and Flu season is in full swing and many parents ask, “When is my child sick enough to stay home from school?” This is not always an easy question to answer!  We hope that these tips can help.

 A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and is likely to spread the illness to other children and staff.  We suggest making a plan for childcare ahead of time so you will not be caught without a comforting place for your child to stay if he/she is ill.

 Our school policy states that you should not send your child to school if he/she has:

•  Fever in the past 24 hours

•  Vomiting in the past 24 hours

•  Diarrhea in the past 24 hours

•  Chills

• Sore throat

• Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school)

• Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if it has kept the child awake at night

• Head lice – until your child has been treated according to the nurse or doctor’s instructions

If your child becomes ill at school and the teacher or school nurse feel the child is too sick to benefit from school or is contagious to other children, you will be called to come and take him/her home from school. Please be sure that arrangements can be made to transport your child home from school and that childcare is available in case of illness.  If your daytime or emergency phone number changes during the year, please update that information on your FACTS account as soon as possible. 

Please call the school’s nurse or main office if you have any questions or concerns.

If your child is absent due to illness please send your child in when they return with an absent note. A sample note can be found by clicking here. 

If your child returns without a note, they are then marked illegally absent until a note is received by the classroom teacher. 

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 2023-2024 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 2022 as a new Nursery, Pre-K, Kindergarten or Grade 1-7 student please complete the form below by Friday January 6th. After that, we will be opening registration to the public in the Winter of 2023 (If space allows)

https://forms.gle/PZ5k5NZZRz1JtuCZA

Please note we anticipate having waiting lists in some grades for next year. (Grades 1, 4, 6, and 7 especially) This intent form is for planning purposes only and does not guarantee your registration for the 2023-2024 school year.  

 SAVE THE DATE

1/9/23: Class of 2023 Dinner Dance Meeting  at 7pm

1/11/23:  Catholic High Schools Mail Acceptance Notifications

1/17/23: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (School Closed)

Week of 1/24/23: I Ready Mid Year Diagnostic Test (Grades K-8)

Have a great New Year’s and weekend!  We will see everyone fully rested when we return on January 3rd.