OLQA Family,

We are just about there! Labor Day weekend is all that stands between us and the start of school and we are so excited to welcome everyone back to another great year at OLQA! The first day of school is Thursday and it will be a 12:00 dismissal day, while Friday is a 2:30 day.

We are excited to announce our teachers for this upcoming year. We are excited to welcome Mr. Cammallere to the team as our 5th Grade teacher! He joins us with 22 years of experience in Catholic and Charter schools. The teacher assignments are as follows:

• PreK 3 = Ms. Zarina
• PreK 4 = Ms. Burgos
• Kindergarten = Ms. Cuellar
• Grade 1 = Ms. Nieves
• Grade 2 = Ms. Sheehy
• Grade 3 = Ms. Pagane
• Grade 4 = Ms. Prevo
• Grade 5 = Mr. Cammallere
• Grade 6 + MS Social Studies / Science = Ms. Scott
• Grade 7 + MS ELA = Ms. Bonini
• Grade 8 + MS Math = Mrs. Christian
• Director of Religion = Mr. K

• Music = Mr. Jones
• PE = Coach Taylor

We also have one piece of bittersweet news. Mr. Nick will be moving from our OPS team to a new role at our sister school, Immaculate Conception in the Bronx. We are sad to see Mr. Nick leave, but are very happy for this great opportunity!

We look forward to seeing everyone at Morning Prayer on Thursday!

Best,

Mr. Sayer

We are so excited for the first week of school! Reminder that here is the dismissal schedule:

• Thursday 9/5 = 12:00 Dismissal Day
• Friday 9/6 = 2:30 Dismissal Day

Reminder to check the Year at a Glance or Monthly calendar for all Early Dismissal days.

We will not have school lunch on Thursday 9/5. We will have lunch starting hot lunch starting on 09/06.

There will be no official PE the first week of school in order to review expectations and teach routines. Therefore, students will be in regular uniform the first week of school, NO PE UNIFORM. GYM schedule will begin 09/09.

Reminders about the dismissal procedure :

• PreK (2:20) = Pick up will be on the PreK patio by the Third Avenue side of the building
• Kindergarten (2:30) = Pick up will be outside in front of the building
• Grades 1-5 (4:00) = Parents pick up students in the gym. Enter from the 2nd Ave door, pick up in the gym, then leave through the Third Ave door
• Grades 6-8 (4:00) = Students are self dismissed out the 3rd Ave door. Reminder to email communications@olqaeastharlem.org if you want you child to be held for pick up.

Please bring in supplies over the course of the week to drop off in classrooms. We understand there may be many materials so we ask that they are turned in by Friday.

Summer HW should be brought in for collection on the first day of school.

Reminder we highly suggest cell phones are kept at home. If they are brought to school, students will be asked to turn in cell phones at arrival. They CANNOT be kept in backpacks or lockers. They will then be returned at the end of the day. Please let your homeroom teacher know if your student is keeping their phone at home.

Reminder that beginning of year forms can now be accessed on SchoolAdmin. They need to be completed by 9/13, so please ensure they are signed as soon as possible.

These include all medical and immunization forms, which are crucial to the start of school.

At OLQA, we have an A and B day schedule to determine the days students wear gym uniform. The A / B Day schedule follows below:

• A-Days are Mondays and Wednesdays
• B days are Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Fridays will alternate between A & B days

Students will wear their gym uniform on EITHER A or B days. The gym uniform schedule is:

• Students who wear gym uniform on A-Days (Mon + Wed) are Grades PK4, Kindergarten, 2, 4, 6, 8
• Students who wear gym uniform on B-Days (Tues + Thurs) are Grades PK3, 1, 3, 5, 7

We are deeply thankful to the Parish of St. Francis De Sales on 96th Street for an incredibly generous donation of school supplies. If you are in financial need of school supplies and need support with materials for this school year, please reach out to Ms. Dobrina at dcarrara@olqaeastharlem.org. Donations will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

We will be have split Pre-K orientation on Thursday, September 5, and Friday, September 6. We are asking parents to be present for orientation on these days to help with the change. This will be for both PreK 3 and PreK 4 students. The purpose is to get acclimated to a new teacher, classroom, and, for some, routine of being away from home.

The first full day of Pre-K will be Monday, September 9th. Here is the breakdown of the orientation days, which are based by your child's last name:

• PreK Orientation, Group A (Last Name A-M): Wednesday, September 5th from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
• PreK Orientation, Group B (Last Name N-Z): Thursday, September 6th from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

First Full Day of PreK, Monday September 8th from 7:45 AM to 2:30 PM

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
• 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 have our High School Fair on Tuesday 9/17/24. Attendance is mandatory, as students will learn about schools in order to prepare for Open Houses.

Registration is open and deadline is October 16th at 11:59 PM. You CANNOT MISS THE DEADLINE. There is a $71 registration fee.

Please email Mr. Sayer at james.sayer@olqaeastharlem.org to confirm you've registered for the exam.

If your child receives IESP services, either through SETSS (Special Education Teacher Support Services) Speech, or Occupational Therapy, we will be using Knowledge Road to provide these services. Be on the lookout for an email from Connie Eugene at Knowledge Road for updates on getting services set up for the start of the year at connie@knowledgeroad.org.

Reminder that children will be required to turn in cell phones if they bring them to school. We believe that cell phones are a major distraction to the learning environment and can lead to situations in and outside of school. We highly suggest kids keep cell phones at home and we are not responsible for any phones.

If you choose to bring a phone, be aware that you will turn it into the box shown here. The boxes have tight slots, so we suggest you purchase a slim case to fit the phone into the slot. Here is a picture to show you how the larger cases do not fit. Be aware that in grades 4-8, students will receive a consequence if they do not turn in their phone.

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
• Ms. Dobrina, Operations Leader = Email: dcarrara@olqaeastharlem.org
  
• Ms. Nieves, Academic Dean = Email: mnieves@olqaeastharlem.org
• Ms. Jenniffer, Operations = Email: jengarcia@olqaeastharlem.org