OLQA Family,

Wishing you a wonderful start to the Christmas season! We are 1 week away from the Christmas Show, next Friday at 5:00 PM. Kids will need to get here at 4:15 and doors will open at 4:40. Make sure to get your tickets ASAP!

We have even more holiday festivities coming up! Our Nativity Pageant will be on Friday 12/20 at 11:00 PM. Parents are welcome to attend. We will also have dress downs starting on 12/18 through 12/20. The cost will be $5 to cover all 3 days of dress down.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mr. Sayer

Principal

Our Lady Queen of Angels School

This upcoming Friday will be a 2:30 dismissal day and an A-Day uniform. Students will need to return to school after dismissal in costume for the Christmas Concert.

We warmly invite you to join us for Mass this Monday, 12/09. We will be celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation. Let’s come together in prayer and fellowship as a community. We look forward to seeing you there!

We’re excited to welcome you to our Christmas Show on Wednesday, December 13th! Here’s what you need to know:

• Arrival: Children should arrive at 4:15 PM and go directly to their classrooms. Volunteers will assist children in PreK3-K.
• Doors Open: The auditorium doors will open at 4:40 PM. Seating is first-come, first-served, so please fill in all available seats. Let’s sit together as one big family!
• Performance Details: The show will last about one hour. Dismissal will take place in the cafeteria afterward.
• Important Notes: Please remain seated for the entire performance and avoid picking up your child early or taking pictures during the show. We’ll record the performances and share them on our OLQA YouTube page, so everyone can enjoy these special moments!

We can’t wait to celebrate the season with you and remember to purchase your 2 tickets ASAP!

We will continue theFood 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. If interested, come and join the teams (JV Boys, Varsity Boys, Girls) as they are a ton of fun and build character. The practice schedule on Saturdays is as follows:

• Boys: 11:30 - 1:30
• Girls: 2:00 - 3:30

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

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 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! New York State requires all immunizations to be up to date and your child can be excluded from school if they are not completed.

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