Dear Academy Community, 

This weekend our second graders begin to receive their special sacrament at St. Francis Parish. They’ve worked and prayed all year in preparation for their First Holy Communion. These students will be followed on May 11th by students receiving the sacrament at St. Francis de Sales Parish and Blessed Trinity Parish. We know that whatever day it is it will be a wonderful day for all our second grade families. We will keep them in our prayers for this very special and important moment in their life. A very special thank you to Mrs. O’Malley, Mrs. Fahy and Mrs. Warnock for preparing the children for this special day.  

We also look forward to the May Crowning when our community will come together to honor our Blessed Mother.

During these spring days, St. Francis de Sales students are working hard in their studies, are enjoying Spring activities and are preparing for the Art Show and concerts, and so much more! It is a busy time, filled with blessings.

Onto to some important updates for our school for the Week of May 5th 2024.  

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. 

$1 Mismatched Sock Day: As Monday 5/6 is the first day of summer uniform students have the option to bring in a $1 to wear mismatched socks. All the proceeds raised on that day will go to the National Down Syndrome Society. Thanks in advance for your generosity and for participating in this event that helps raise awareness and celebrate the beauty found in all of God's creations. 

Date Change State of the Academy: Due to a schedule change this year’s State of the Academy originally planned for Tuesday May 7th will now take place on Tuesday May 21st. Please join us on Tuesday, May 21st at 7pm for the annual Board of Trustees 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. 

Ascension Thursday: Forty Days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Acts of the Apostles records Jesus’ ascension into heaven.  In the Roman Catholic Church, it is one of the universally celebrated feasts, ranking with the feasts of the Passion, of Easter, and Pentecost.  The Academy community will gather at 10am on Thursday 5/9  to celebrate mass at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy. 

½ Day Dismissal/AFA Pancake Day: Please note that Friday May 10th is a ½ day with a 12pm dismissal. On this day the Academy Family Association will be treating all students in Pre-K-Grade 8 to a Pancake Brunch. This was a rescheduled event that was postponed due to a snow day earlier this school year. 

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!

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 that ends this weekend. 

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.:

All three shows of Shrek Jr. are SOLD OUT! We look forward to seeing everyone during the weekend of May 18th (@3pm and @7pm) and 19th (@2pm).

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

Franny Fun Run: Don’t forget, the rescheduled date for the Franny Fun Run is Saturday, May 18th.  Registration will begin at 9:00AM and the races/walks will begin with our early childhood classes at 10:00AM.  All students who met their goal this Fall will get their T-Shirts during the week of May 13th. Stay tuned for further details.  

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. 

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.

Early Childhood Information Nights: On Wednesday, June 5th at 6pm, we will invite our incoming Nursery parents to join us for the Nursery Information Night. On Monday, June 10 at 6pm, we will be hosting a Pre-K information night followed at 7pm by a Kindergarten Information Night.   On both evenings, the early childhood teachers will be sharing all the details of what is in store for children who are entering their early childhood years. Parents will be receiving supply lists and summer ideas during this meeting as well. We hope to see everyone there. 

Art Show: 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!