OLQA Family,

What a wonderful week and the holiday spirit is in full swing! It was great to see such a wonderful turn out at the Christmas Concert. The children's performance was absolutely beautiful (we'll share Youtube videos of the performance this week). We are so proud of them and thank you to Mr. Jones and you as parents for all the hard work that made it possible. It was also great to see our first CYO basketball games of the season in the gym less than 12 hours later!

This week, we will have the Sisters Nativity Show on Friday at 11:00. Parents are welcome to join us for the show. We also will have the Holiday Spirit Week dress downs, with Grinchmas (Green and Red) on Wednesday, Polar Express (Christmas Pajamas) on Thursday, and Tacky Christmas Sweater Day on Friday. Also Friday is a 12:00 dismissal, but there WILL be afterschool.

We are blessed to have such a wonderful and eventful end to 2024. Reminder that school will end on 12/20 and we'll have 2 weeks off, returning on Monday 1/6. Also we'll have NWEA MAP testing and progress report conference starting up soon when we get back.

Have a great weekend and a wonderful holiday season to you and your family!

Mr. Sayer

Principal

Our Lady Queen of Angels School

This upcoming Friday will be a 12pm day. There WILL be after school and if you need, you can pay $20 for students to stay after school.

As we prepare to go off on holiday break, we will have a series of 3 dress down days to get the festive spirit going before break. It will be $5 total to participate in all 3 dress down days. The themes are:

• Wednesday 12/18, Grinchmas = Wear Green and Red or dress like the Grinch
• Thursday 12/19, Polar Express Day = Wear Your Christmas PJs
• Friday 12/20, Tacky Sweater Day = Wear Your Tackiest Christmas Sweater

We will continue the Food and Clothes Drive for the Sisters of the Franciscan Renewal next door through the holiday season. To help their ministries helping the neediest in the community, we are going to ask you to donate the following items between now and Friday 12/20, the day we leave for Thanksgiving Break:

• Boxed Macaroni & Cheese
• Dish Soap
• Ramen Noodles
• Winter Gloves
• Winter Coats (new or gently used)

Basketball continues weekly with games and practices. If interested, come and join the teams (JV Boys, Varsity Boys, Girls) as they are a ton of fun and build character. Games will continue this week and can be found on the SE Tourney App and the link below.

Additionally the game schedule will be beginning. Below is the link to access the team schedules:

We want to encourage students to regularly attend Mass. As a way to encourage this, we will have a pizza party for students who attend Mass 10 times outside of school. These trackers are due Friday 12/20 to the homeroom teacher (Grades PK-3) or to Mr. K (Grades 4-8). They can track their Mass attendance using the tracker below.

Also, we encourage students to attend our local Parish, St. Cecilia's (106th Street between Park and Lex). On Sundays, they have Mass at:

• 9:00 (English)
• 11:00 (Spanish)
• 12:30 (Spanish)

Help your children grow in their faith by taking them to Mass! The children DO NOT have to go to st. Cecila's Parish, as long as they are attending a church it does not matter!

Reminder that the winter uniform has started. This means that students:

• Must wear a white dress shirt / blouse. They cannot wear the polo shirt.
• Boys will need to start wearing the tie with their white dress shirts.
• Students must wear the sweat pants with the gym uniform, no shorts.
• Students cannot wear winter boots, they must change into proper shoes at school

Make sure boys wear a tie with their regular uniform. Not doing this will lead to a uniform slip.

Please remember to bring in your Medical Forms. The flue shot is required for students in prek3 and 4! Students will need to be restricted from school if they do not bring proof of flu shot before 1/6. New York State requires all immunizations to be up to date and your child can be excluded from school if they are not completed.

Please ensure to bring the documentation to the main office this week if you need to bring proof of immunization.

All 8th grade families should apply to Inner City Scholarship Funds high school aid program. It does not cover all tuition, but is a major help in making HS affordable. We will be sending home INDIVIDUALIZED scholarship applications with an INDIVIDUALIZED code for each student to apply.

Be aware, this is DIFFERENT than the individual HS financial aid application. You will need to complete Inner City Scholarship Fund financial aid application AND the school financial aid application to maximize your financial aid to HS.

Student Sponsor Partners (or SSP) is an amazing program that gives students a generous scholarship (usually around $100 a month), a summer program, and a mentor to attend Catholic high school. There are financial stipulations that apply, so please reach out to Mr. Sayer if interested in applying. To learn more and start the application, check the link below:

We hope this newsletter finds you well and that your child is enjoying their summer. We are excited to share some updates and reminders with you as we continue to provide a nurturing and engaging environment for your children.

Program Highlights:

Fun and educational activities:

• Our dedicated staff has been working hard to plan a variety of activities that combine learning and fun. From arts and crafts to sports activities. We aim to keep your child engaged and entertained in a safe and inclusive environment.

Parent-Staff Communication:

• Open door policy: we value your input and encourage you to reach out to us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. We are available to discuss your child's progress, any specific needs, or to address any other matters you may have. To foster a strong partnership between parents and our program we will be posting on the OLQA newsletter where we will be sharing updates about the program.
• Update contact information: Please inform us immediately if there are any changes to your contact information. It is crucial that we have the most updated information to reach you in case of an emergency.

Important Dates and Reminders:

• We are excited to open registration back up for OLQA after-school program. To ensure your child’s spot by completing the enrollment form.

We appreciate your ongoing support and trust in our after-school program. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us. Together, we can create an enriching and enjoyable experience for your child.

We will be implementing Early Drop Off again this year. Early Drop off will now start at 7:15 and go to 7:45. Students will go down to the cafeteria and can have breakfast. The cost is as follows:

• First Child: $50 a month
• Additional children: $25 a month per child

Any questions, email Ms. Dobrina at dcarrara@olqaeastharlem.org

PK Parents, please be aware that we will be making an adjustment to our PK tardy procedure. TAs have been missing almost all of breakfast, a key time where they are needed to assist with safety, clean up, and bathrooms. Moving forward, students need to be on time to attend breakfast. If students are late, we will hold them by the main office and bring them up with the TA at 8:25. This will help ensure that TAs are able to be fully present at breakfast to start the day.

Metro cards were given to students. If you have not received a metro card please reach out to Ms. Jenniffer. jengarcia@olqaeastharlem.org. There will only be one replacement if the child loses it.

We’ve noticed a recent trend where lunches are being dropped off after the school day has started. Please understand that we cannot disturb the class or leave the front desk to deliver lunches, and we are not responsible if a child does not receive their lunch. To avoid any issues, please ensure your child has their lunch with them at drop-off. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Verification letters for students will be done on Wednesdays ONLY. Please note that creating verification letters takes time. Kindly allow sufficient processing time for your requests. Thank you for your understanding and patience!

Friendly reminder to ensure that you 1) enter from the 2nd Avenue door at dismissal and 2) leave from the 3rd Avenue door. This helps ensure a smooth traffic flow in and out of the gym.

Reminder that beginning of year forms can now be accessed on SchoolAdmin. They need to be completed by 9/8, so please ensure they are signed as soon as possible. The forms to complete are:

We are no longer accepting cash deposits. Please bring in a check or a money order. If you bring cash you will be turned away. Thank you families for understanding.

We suggest you pay online using FACTS. FACTS can also take payments in debit or credit card for your convenience.

Have any questions, feel free to reach out to us!

• Mr. Sayer, Principal = Email: james.sayer@olqaeastharlem.org; C: 929-390-1687
• Ms. Dobrina, Operations Leader = Email: dcarrara@olqaeastharlem.org
• Ms. Nieves, Academic Dean = Email: mnieves@olqaeastharlem.org
• Ms. Jenniffer, Operations = Email: jengarcia@olqaeastharlem.org