Weekly Update to Families

Dear Academy Families,

This Sunday, we celebrate Catechetical Sunday. This is the day that we recognize those who serve in the official role of catechist to children, youth, and adults. In our school, we have approximately 50 individuals who have said yes to the call to help young people encounter Christ and grow in their Catholic faith through religious education. There are many more who teach in Catholic schools, lead adult faith formation programs and preparation for marriage and baptism, and prepare adults for the Rite of Christian Initiation. We are grateful for their service and commitment to the people of God. We would love to see families at the 10am Mass at St. Francis de Sales Parish where all Catechists will have the opportunity to be blessed for the upcoming school year.

As the weather changes next week let me say Happy Fall! We are pleased to report that our students have joyfully embraced the rhythms of a productive and engaging school day. A special thank you to all who came out the past few nights for our Back to School Nights. For those who were not able to join us please click here for all the information that was shared by the teachers.

Have a great weekend. We hope to see you at mass this weekend!

We want to wish best wishes and congratulations to many of our 8th graders. On Wednesday, September 18th many members of St. Francis de Sales Grade 8 will be blessed by the Holy Spirit at Blessed Trinity Parish for the Sacrament of Confirmation. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit be with our 8th grade and lead them to be the future leaders of the church. God Bless!

For all special lunch forms please fill out a separate order form for each child. You will be billed via FACTS two times a year for the lunches.

Due Thursday September 12th

Bagel Monday Order Form (Grades K-8)

Pizza Day Form (Grades K-8)

Due Thursday September 19th

Chicken Finger Day Form (Grades 1-8)

Baya Bar/Panino Rustico Special Lunch Form (Grades 1-8)

Any questions please contact Lisa Hayden at lhayden@stfrancisschoolbh.net

In the FACTS Family Portal please make sure that you fill out (new families) or update (returning families) the Demographic, Medical, Custodial, Emergency Contact, and Transportation Forms ASAP.

We have assembled some websites, information, and digital forms for starting a new school year. These links, along with the Family-Student Handbook and our Acceptable Use Policy, keep everyone “in the loop.”

Please note that some forms are optional, and others must be filled out. They are stated next to the name of the form. If you have any questions, please call the main office. We encourage parent communication and involvement; please feel free to contact us with any concerns or questions.

• Handbook Agreement Form (Mandatory Form)- Due 9/13/24- Please note this form will be sent home to each family on Friday 9/6/24. Please be sure to read through the handbook before signing. If you need another copy, please print from the link.

• Parish Affiliation Form (Mandatory Form to qualify for affiliated tuition rate) – Due 9/20/24

• Class Captain Volunteer Form (Optional Form)- Due 9/20/24

• Absence Note Form (Please note that a written absent note still needs to be sent into your child’s homeroom teacher to record the absence correctly in FACTS and for our legal records).

Every morning our entire school prays together. One of the prayers we pray everyday is our daily Hail Mary. Each morning we bring our prayers to our Blessed Mother and ask her through her intercession to bring our prayers to her son Jesus. If you would like to add someone in your family to our prayer list for a particular day or for a week please feel free to email us admin@stfrancisschoolbh.net with that request. We will be sure to add that person to our prayer list right away.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Terry Quinlan for his ten years of dedicated service on the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy Board of Trustees. Prior to being appointed on the Board, Mr. Quinlan served on the Parish school advisory committee. As an inaugural Trustee and a committed leader, serving as Chair or Vice Chair throughout his tenure, Mr. Quinlan’s term has now come to an end. His leadership, guidance, and unwavering commitment to the mission of our academy have helped shape the strong foundation we stand on today. On behalf of the entire school community, we thank you, Mr. Quinlan, for your outstanding service and dedication.

We are happy to announce that we will be partnering with Visconti Garden Center in Brooklyn again this year for our Fall Flower Sale.

All forms are due by Monday, September 23rd.

We anticipate delivery of all products the first days of October. An email will go out to all families that place an order with details regarding when they can pick their items up from school.

All orders will be billed through your FACTS account.

https://forms.gle/646pRaumATv7EqQ5A

As many people know September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. On Friday 9/20 all students may dress down for $1 and Go Gold for Childhood Cancer. Students are asked to wear Gold or yellow shirts on this dress down day. All proceeds from the dress down day are going to annual Catch a Cure 5K Race. Catch a Cure is a community non-profit charitable organization that benefits local families dealing with cancer.

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. In the past we 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. In the past, we’ve also had issues with families parking their cars in the lot. Please understand that we use the school yard for recess and dismissal, so if you could please try to find street parking, that would be very much appreciated. Please also remind your children to not climb the schoolyard fence or the summer classic bleachers. Thanks for helping keep the kids safe.

Enrichment Programs: We are delighted to once again partner with our friends at, Abrakadoodle, and Paul Effman Band to offer various enrichment programs this upcoming school year. We are also very much looking forward to starting some new programs this year as well. Over the last week we have sent out information about some great STEM programs from i-Camp and a Chess program from Chess Nuts. Just a reminder that the 2nd-5th Grade STEM program and the 6th-8th Grade STEM program start this week on Thursday 9/21 from 2:30pm-3:45pm.

For more information about any of our enrichment programs please click here. If you have any questions, please send an email to Mrs. Endall at hendall@stfrancisschoolbh.net

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. What can you do to help?

Please Do Not:

• Double park

• Block driveways of our neighbors

• Park in no parking zones

• Block crosswalks

• Block school entrances

• Honk your horn repeatedly

• Drive aggressively

• Drive fast

Thanks in advance for your cooperation with these safety guidelines.

Please remind your child that if he/she is riding their bike to and from school they need to lock it up on the bike racks near the small hall entrance of the school. The school cannot be responsible for bikes that go missing especially if they are not locked up each day. Thanks in advance for helping us out with this very simple safety measure. ​​

We are excited to share that our Kindergarten through 8th grade students are continuing to use a Mathematics and Reading program called i-Ready. Below you will find information about the program and how we will be using it in the classroom.

What is i-Ready?

i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.

The i-Ready Diagnostic that students in Grades 1-8 will begin to take next week is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.

We do anticipate that the majority of students' special education services have started or will start next week. If any IESP’s were updated over the summer, we do ask that an updated copy be sent to Mrs. Buckley as well. If you have any questions about the services your child receives please email Mrs. Buckley at mbuckley@stfrancisschoolbh.net

This Wednesday we will be having our first Lockdown Drill of the year. Our teachers have been and will be reviewing procedures and the purpose of these important drills with your children. You might consider setting aside a few moments this weekend to discuss the serious nature of these drill

We Are a NUT Aware School! Unfortunately, our school cannot guarantee a nut, milk, or “allergen-free” environment. The risk of exposure is always present. Instead, we have an “allergy aware” policy, which empowers everyone.

Children with allergies become aware of what they can and cannot eat, and school staff are alert and careful about each student’s allergies. As we have students with SEVERE LIFE THREATENING ALLERGIES, we ask all families to avoid bringing in items such as nut butters, Nutella, or any other nut based products.

We ask that you be very aware of any items brought into our school which: may contain nuts/may have been processed or manufactured in a facility which uses/contains nuts. Finally, please remind your children to never share snacks, food, or drinks with anyone.

8th Grade Parents you can now register your child for the TACHS exam. If your child will take the TACHS exam (entrance exam for Catholic High Schools) please register as soon as possible. For more information including how to register please click here. Any questions please contact Mr. Scharbach at admin@stfrancisschoolbh.net.

Starting September 16, 2024 the After School Program will begin. For more information about our after school program please click here. If you have any questions, please send an email to Mrs. Kenny at ckenny@stfrancisschoolbh.net

For the safety and well being of each and every child in our school, all volunteers must go through the following process:

1) Read and sign a code of conduct

2) Have a background check

3) Take part in the VIRTUS program. (Register at virtusonline.org)

Please note that St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy will be offering two sessions of the VIRTUS program on 9/30 and a second date TBD.

After completing the VIRTUS Program we ask that you please bring to the office a copy of your certificate for us to keep track of in our database. We hope that this is not an inconvenience for anyone, but we need to be sure that all adults who interact with students are in compliance.

Also a reminder that VIRTUS now requires anyone working with children to complete “re-certification” training every seven years.

If your VIRTUS certification was more than seven years ago (before December 2016), please log on to www.virtusonline.org and complete the self-paced module, Protecting God’s Children On-Line Awareness Session 4.0_Brooklyn and also complete an updated background check if indicated for your account.

If you need assistance with your account, such as user name and/or password, please contact the VIRTUS Help Desk at 1-888-847-8870. For further information or assistance, or if you are unsure if you were trained before 2016, please email Lisa Hayden at lhayden@stfrancisschoolbh.net.

St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy is excited to host an Open Gym Night for our 8th grade students.

https://forms.gle/12tWert7PgpyZ2j98

This will take place on Friday, September 27th from 7-9 pm in the Gym. Games, crafts, music, basketballs/volleyballs, snacks & pizza will be provided.
Pre-registration is required and forms are due by Wednesday, September 25th. Please remember to include your child's name and class.
Please note, there will be no charge for this Open Gym Night. Many thanks to The Owens Family for generously bidding on this silent auction prize at the Card Party. What a great way to start off the year for our 8th graders!

Looking forward to a fun night and hoping everyone can make it.
*Please note, Open Gym night is for students of St.Francis de Sales Catholic Academy only.*
*If your child is absent from school on the day of Open Gym, they are not permitted to attend that night. Thank you for your understanding.*

St. Francis de Sales Parish is thrilled to announce the 2024 Parish Fall Fest on Saturday September 28th. We’re taking the fun of our legendary Oktoberfest and amplifying it with a full day of family-friendly festivities. We are adding a family festival in the afternoon, including fun kiddie rides, exciting games, and fantastic vendors—all happening right in our schoolyard. Plus, we’re adding an outdoor Mass this year to bring our entire parish community together in a beautiful setting. As the sun sets, the fun doesn’t stop! The parking lot will transform into our renowned Oktoberfest extravaganza, where adults can indulge in mouthwatering food, sip on refreshing drinks, dance to live music, and enjoy unforgettable moments of camaraderie with hundreds of friends and neighbors.

St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy

Asst. Principal: Mrs. Maureen Hayes

Email: admin@stfrancisschoolbh.net
Website: https://stfrancisacademybh.org/
Location: 219 Beach 129 Street Belle Harbor, NY 11694
Phone: (718) 634-2775
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SFDSCA