Dear Academy Community, 

Next week, as we get ready to celebrate Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day, we will be reminded of Jesus as the Master Teacher. Jesus was the Master Teacher because of the overall purpose of His mission into the world. His basic mission was “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10; Matthew 1:21; 1 Timothy 1:15). He dealt with both earthly and eternal issues. He wanted women and men to come to know God (John 17:3) and to obey God's truth (John 8:32).

We have the privilege and honor to work with a team of faculty and staff that are committed to advancing the mission of Catholic education within St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy.   They work tirelessly to ensure that the mission is at the forefront of all that they do and are committed to help all of the students entrusted to their care. So, this week, as we call special attention to our faculty and staff as we are also reminded that we all learn from Jesus the Master Teacher.

See below some issues and topics that will help all be successful during the week of April 28th. 

NO NYC Yellow Bus Service: Please note due to the NYC public school calendar being different from our school calendar this school year we had to choose 5 days not to have NYC Yellow Bus Service. We choose the first three days of the school year and Monday April 29th and Tuesday April 30th. Please note there is no NYC Yellow bus service on 4/29 and 4/30. Families who use the bus are asked to make other arrangements for transportation to and from school. 

Golf and Tennis Outing: Our Annual Msgr. Martin T. Geraghty Golf and Tennis Outing honors the life and legacy of Msgr. Geraghty while raising funds for St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy that was so close to his heart. Please join in to make this day a great success for our Academy.

Our Golf and Tennis Outing will be held on Friday, May 31st 2024 will be held at the Marine Park Golf Course (Golf) and Belle Harbor Yacht Club (Tennis). To be a part of the day please click the link below.

https://ticketstripe.com/SFDSCA_Golf_Tennis_Outing

Please jump in on a great day at the Marine Park Golf course or at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club for some Tennis where we enjoy fellow neighbors & friends for a full day of golf and tennis followed up by great eats and drinks at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club. Put your foursomes or doubles teams together as soon as possible to help secure a successful fundraiser on this truly special day.

Please also consider taking a sponsorship with your family name displayed or a special cause or business you may wish to advertise. A beautiful sign will be displayed on a given golf hole or two displaying your support for our great school. This is truly appreciated.

The success of this day, May 31st, requires all of us even if you do not golf. As we rely on fundraisers such as the Annual Golf/Tennis Classic to help support the education and growth of our students here at St. Francis de Sales. If anyone has any questions, concerns or inquiries, please contact Mike Brenna our Golf/Tennis Chairman at 646-644-4513

Math State Exams: The New York State Math Test will be administered to students in Grades 4 , 6, and 7 on Tuesday May 7th and Wednesday May 8th. . All students will be taking these exams on their chromebooks. The computer-based test will have the same questions as the paper version. Please make sure that your child in those grade levels gets a good night sleep, eats a good breakfast, and comes to school ready for testing. 

Family Survey: In an effort to improve system practices, Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Academy will be conducting another survey over the next three weeks. Thanks to all who participated (20% of our families)  in our Catholic Identity Survey before Easter Recess. To see the results of this survey please click the link below. 

2024 Catholic Identity Defining Characteristics Parent and Community Survey

We value your opinion and ask that you take the time to complete this survey. 

The second survey we are opening up is the Parent Survey. We hope to have at least 30% participation. 

This survey asks parents their opinions about our school, including questions about teachers, administrators, and other aspects of your child's and own experiences with the school. We appreciate your time and your responses. Please note that the responses from these surveys are helpful for the academy to make decisions for the future. Thanks again.

In order to complete the survey, please go to: 

https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/251327/40084

This survey will be open until 5/4.  

Please be assured that your responses to this survey will be anonymous.  Your honest opinion is appreciated. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Shrek Jr.: 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Tickets are $5 and may be purchased by clicking below

https://ticketstripe.com/Shrek-Jr

Saturday May 18th @3pm 

Saturday May 18th @7pm (Less than 75 Tickets Remain)

Sunday May 19th @2pm (Less than 50 Tickets Remain)

For more information, please call the main office at 718-634-2775.

A very special thank you to NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola and the Diocese of Brooklyn Superintendent's Office for sponsoring this enrichment activity within our school.

Records for Next Year:  If any child is transferring from St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy for the 2024-2025 school year, most likely their records will need to be sent to their new school. Please request that as soon as possible yet no later than the end of May as many schools are closed for the summer and ask for that information before we break for summer.  

SAVE THE DATES

Summer Uniform:  Starting on Monday, May 6th students can begin to wear their summer uniforms. This is just a reminder if anyone needs to purchase summer uniforms you should think of ordering them soon. Please see the graphic below in regards to some reminders about our summer uniform. 

State of the Academy: Please join us on Tuesday, May 7th at 7pm for the annual Board of Directors’ State of the Academy. Our Board Members will be providing specific updates on various facets of the Academy including finances, facilities, academics and many more. 

½ Day Dismissal: Please note that Friday May 10th is a ½ day with a 12pm dismissal. 

Nursery Mother’s Day Tea: Just a reminder that our Nursery special ladies are invited to a Mother’s Day tea on Friday, May 10th. You should have already received the invitation and reminder from Mrs. Bodnar and Mrs. Caruso. The Nursery students are very excited to shower their moms with a special song and gifts!

May Crowning:  Tuesday, May 21st the 2nd Grade Class will be taking part in our school’s annual May Crowning. Our 2nd grade parents are invited to join their children and the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy Community for the May Crowning at 11am in St. Francis de Sales Church. We are asking that all 2nd grade students come to school dressed in their Communion attire. Please send in a large shirt to wear over their clothing. Please remember all students should wear dress shoes. May 21st  is also a ½ day for the second grade students. 

Junior High Science Fair: Wednesday, May 22nd, our students in grades 5-7 will be displaying their projects at our annual Science Fair. Information on when families will be invited to look at our students’ work will be shared closer to the date. 

PDHP Parent Workshop: Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Academy invites you to join us for a PDHP Parents as a Resource (PAR) Zoom workshop: See You Later, Alligator This workshop will discuss strategies and skills for the parents & care-givers of the early childhood student and is geared for parents/caregivers of three to seven-year-olds. 

The workshop will be on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024 and begins at 7pm and can be reached by clicking the link below and on our school calendar.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85316272708

Meeting ID: 853 1627 2708

Outdoor Movie Night: On Friday, May 24th, we will be hosting our annual Outdoor Movie Night. This year we will be showing the movie Migration. Admission is $5. Gates open at 7:45pm, Movie starts promptly at 8:15pm. Come celebrate the start of Memorial Day weekend with us! Snacks will be sold. Don’t forget to bring your own beach chair or towel!

Class of 2025 Ring/Pin Service: The Class of 2025 (7th graders) will receive their class rings and pins in St. Francis de Sales Church on Wednesday 5/29 at 7pm. A small reception will follow in the Small Hall. All 7th graders are asked to report to the Small Hall at 6:40pm.  

Spring Concert: Members of the Paul Effman Band, please save the date! Tuesday, June 4th at 7pm is our annual St Francis de Sales School Band Spring Concert.

Art Night: Please join us on June 12th at 5pm for our annual Art Show! Mrs. Troia and Mrs. Todd and our students have worked tirelessly in preparation for a truly superb art gallery display. We hope to see many of you there. To get a sneak peak of some of our students artwork please follow our artists on Instagram at (sfds_art)

Have a great weekend!