Dear Academy Families,

As we look towards the second week of November, it’s hard to believe that Halloween has already come and gone. We started this week with a beautiful mass led by our 2nd graders for All Saint’s Day and  accomplished great work, as well. We will be keeping 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. 

Please also keep in your prayers this weekend and in the coming weeks Mrs. Marianne Caruso. Mrs. Caruso will be undergoing surgery on Tuesday of next week and will be home recovering until we return in January of 2023. We will continue to send well wishes that the surgery goes well, and that she has a speedy recovery as she continues her fight.  

Now onto some important reminders, news, and events at the academy in the upcoming days….

AFA Meeting: The Academy Family Association Executive Board is having its first general meeting on Tuesday, November 8th  at 7pm in the gym. The executive board will be having a brief general meeting, followed by a presentation on Navigating Life in the Digital Age by Ben Tracy. Mr. Tracy will be speaking to our 6th-8th grade students earlier that day.   

Ben Tracy is a leading keynote speaker on digital citizenship, online safety and responsible social media use.The presentations are rooted in the experience of someone who learned the hard way how comments made online – even as a teen – can alter your life forever. Social media posts not only caused Ben to be fired from a high-profile government job, but landed his face on the cover of one of America’s largest newspapers. Needless to say, Mr. Tracy learned firsthand how important your online reputation is in the digital age. Since then, Ben has made it his mission to make sure young adults don’t repeat his mistakes by taking his message to high schools and colleges across the country. Ben has shared his story with more than 250,000 students, parents, and educators. In addition to his personal story, Mr. Tracy discusses cyberbullying, inappropriate photos, identifying and reporting online predators, and how social media impacts mental health. He challenges students to build a school culture that is respectful, kind, and inclusive for all students.

We really hope that every family has one representative join us on the 8th. 

State Exam Results: Over the last few days the results of the Spring 2022 New York State Test ELA and Math were sent home. Parent reports were sent to our current 5th, 7th, and 8th graders who took the test at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy last spring. Unfortunately, the state and Nassau BOCES are extremely slow in getting these results into the schools and families’ hands. If your child was in another school last year and took the state tests, please reach out to them directly to receive your child’s score. 

Class Picture Day: On Wednesday, November 9th, Class Picture day will be held for all grades and classes, Nursery through grade 8. Students should be in full winter uniform for this day. This past week students in Grades N-7 were photographed individually. Just a reminder that families with students in Grades N-7 should use the following order form to purchase photos: https://fs24.formsite.com/orderforms/gkpmrp8gkz/index.html

Any students who were absent on their individual picture day will have their pictures taken on the make up day of Tuesday, November 29th. 

Veterans Day Weekend: Please note that St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy is closed on Thursday, November 10th for a Faculty Professional Day.  Many times in the past a day like Thursday would be a day for our staff to look at and dig through school data (Terranova, state exams, classroom exams, etc.) This year we are going to deviate and have a focus on school safety. A few years back I had the chance to attend an active shooter training from a team of law enforcement individuals out of Boston. Our faculty in the Winter of 2020 had the opportunity to be trained by them, as well. Next Thursday this team will be coming to St. Francis to do a similar training/discussion with our teachers once again. 

To honor all those brave men and women who served in our armed forces, we will be closed  on Veterans Day Friday, November 11th. We hope our students and families  enjoy the four day weekend!

Thanksgiving Donation: Once again, St. Francis de Sales Parish is collecting money 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. 

Parking at dismissal: We are asking for your help during drop-off and pickup. Safety is our number one priority at St. Francis and we do not want to see any of our students hurt. Please make sure you are not blocking any of our neighbors' driveways. This includes the rectory and convent driveways on 130th street Thanks in advance for your cooperation with these safety guidelines.

School Yard: As discussed at a few different times last year, we are asking all parents to please watch your children in the school yard after they have been dismissed from school. Please remind them not to climb the fence. We also have had several instances about children on scooters riding into other children. There should be no bike riding or scooter riding in the schoolyard until after all classes have been dismissed. We need your help in making sure that our students stay safe on school property. 

AFA Mass of Thanksgiving: The Academy Family Association would like to invite all parents and guardians to attend a Mass of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 17th  at 7pm at St. Francis de Sales Church.  We hope that many parents and guardians will be able to attend. 

Little Sisters of the Poor Drive: St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy is sponsoring a Thanksgiving Drive for the Queen of Peace Residence for the elderly poor. Each year we ask classes to bring in assigned personal and food items, which are requested by the Little Sisters of the Poor who care for the residents. If you feel you can donate one or more of the requested items please send it to school no later than Friday, November 18th. For more information on what items to donate please see our social media channels. 

Join the St. Francis de Sales Parish Youth Choir: Open to all students in grades 3 through 8. The choir will meet every Monday afternoon in the church from 4:00-5:00 starting November 21. ALL ARE WELCOME. A Parent/Guardian must be present at the first practice to register their child. For more information, please contact the SFDS Parish Music Director, Michael Fontana at: [email protected]

SAVE THE DATE

8th Grade Graduation Dinner Dance Meeting: All parents who are interested in helping to fundraise and plan for the Class of 2023 are invited to join the administration on Tuesday, November 15th at 7pm to begin the process of creating committees for this special event. This meeting will be via Zoom. An invite will be in next week’s email update.  

Thanksgiving Holiday: Just a reminder that St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy has a half day on Wednesday, November 23rd with 12 noon dismissal. This is then followed by Thanksgiving Recess on November 25th and 26th. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Advent Prayer Service: Please save the date of Tuesday, December  6th at 6pm for a special Academy Family Advent Prayer Service. All Academy Parents and their children are invited to attend this special prayer service as we get ready for the coming of the Baby Jesus once again. 

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 16th.  

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 2nd. 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 Tuesday, 12/6 at about 3pm via the FACTS Parent Portal. This year all conferences will be done in person and will take place on Wednesday, December 7th from 12:45pm-2:45pm and from 6pm-7:30pm. On Monday, November 28th we will send out information on signing up for time slots for conferences. All families will have until Sunday, December 4th to sign up for the conferences on Wednesday, 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 14th- December 15th. More information to follow closer to the dates. 

Have a great weekend. Good luck Grade 8!