Dear Academy Families,

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week.  This holiest week reminds Catholics of the last week of Jesus' life. He was welcomed as a prophet and wise man into Jerusalem, but by the end of the week, He was forsaken by his followers, arrested, scourged, and crucified.

Please see below the Holy Week Schedules for both St. Francis de Sales Parish and Blessed Trinity Parish.

This year St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy breaks for Easter Recess starting on Wednesday, April 5th, and returns from break on Monday, April 17th. Have a Blessed Easter with your family and friends. 

This upcoming week is a short one although a busy one here at the Academy…..

Passion Play: We are looking forward to our Passion Play on Tuesday, April 4th at @1:30pm where many of our 7th-grade students will reenact the solemn events that occurred through Jesus’s journey towards death and resurrection. All parents of the 7th graders and 1st graders who are in this year’s Passion Play are invited to join us and watch their child’s performance please note there is limited seating available. A very special thank you to both Mrs. Maureen Hayes our assistant principal and Mrs. Ann McMahon one of our 7th-grade teachers for continuing this long-standing tradition. 

ELA and Math State Exams: When we return from Easter Recess, the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) (April 19th and 20th) and Mathematics Tests (May 2nd and 3rd) will be administered to students. We will continue Computer-Based Testing for grades 6 and 7 this year, while 4th grade will continue to take paper-based tests. The computer-based test will have the same questions as the paper version but students will take the test on their Chromebooks. Below you will find a summary of the changes that were made to the English Language Arts and Mathematics Tests over the past few years.

• Fewer testing sessions. Four years ago, the ELA and Math Tests were reduced from three test sessions per subject to only two sessions per subject, meaning each subject will have two days of testing instead of three. With fewer test sessions, each test will have fewer questions than in past years, lessening test fatigue for students and better enabling them to demonstrate what they know and are able to do.

• The tests continue to be untimed so students who are still working on their exams will be allowed to continue to work, within the confines of the regular school day. 

• Test questions are reviewed and written by New York State Teachers. Hundreds of New York State educators were involved in creating and reviewing questions for the 2023 ELA and Math Tests and selecting the questions for the test forms.

8th Grade Raffle: The 8th grade will be selling $1000 raffle tickets (Chance to win $1,000 - 1 chance for $5 and 3 for $10 - Drawing May 12th) after all masses here at St. Francis on Saturday 4/1 and Sunday 4/2  Please help support the 8th Grade Graduation Dinner Dance! 

Sweetheart Dance:Please save the date for Friday, April 21st (6:30 pm-8 pm) for this year’s Sweetheart Dance. This will be an opportunity for the girls of our school to have their Sweetheart (Dad, Uncle, Grandfather, etc) join them for a special night out.  Tickets will go on sale this Monday, April 3rd. 

Band Update: Just a reminder that there is no Band Afterschool this Tuesday 4/4 due to our Easter Recess beginning at dismissal.  Please save the date of Tuesday June 6th for this years annual Spring Concert. 

Golf and Tennis Outing: Our 18th Annual Golf and Tennis Outing will be held on Friday, May 19th, 2023 at the Marine Park Golf Course. More information was sent home this week and can be found by clicking the link below.

18th Annual Golf and Tennis Information 

Please consider taking a hole 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. More details are in the brochure that was sent home.  Your support is truly appreciated.

Lastly, please jump in on a great day on the golf course or at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club for some Tennis where we will enjoy fellow neighbors & friends for a full day of golf and tennis followed up by great eats and drinks. Put your foursomes together as soon as possible to help secure a successful fundraiser for our academy. Anyone may drop off monies at the rectory as well.  Thank You.

If anyone has any questions, concerns or inquiries, please contact Mike Brennan -Golf Chairman at 646-644-4513

Absence Notes: Just a reminder as we continue into the third trimester, please make sure that you are sending your child(ren) in with a written absence note/doctor’s note when they return to school after being out sick. If your child is on a Buddy Day, documentation from the school visited is required. Calling the main office to let us know is great, but a paper trail of sorts is also required by law. 

Haircuts: Just a reminder from our Family Handbook: 

Both boys and girls are to have moderate, neat hairstyles. Boys may not have hair covering their ears. Neither boys nor girls may dye their hair. Avoid extremes in hairstyles. A moderate crew cut is acceptable. Lines, designs engraved in hair, Mohawk styles, or dyed hair are not permitted. Extreme contrasts in the length of hair are not acceptable. If a student or parent has any questions about the hair code, they should speak to the school before getting a haircut/style. If there is a question concerning hairstyles, the decision will be up to the discretion of the administration.

SAVE THE DATE 

Blessed Trinity Confirmation: Congratulations and God Bless! On Tuesday, April 18th many members of St. Francis de Sales 8th Grade will be blessed by the Holy Spirit at Blessed Trinity Parish. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit be with our 8th grade and lead them to be the future leaders of the church.

Summer Uniform:  Starting on Monday, May 8th 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 regard to some reminders about our summer uniform. 

State of the Academy: Please join us on Tuesday, May 9th at 7 pm 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. 

Have a Happy Easter!

Our next update will be on Friday, April 14th.