Mustang Memo

Dear Mustangs,

Sunday, January 26, marked the beginning of National Catholic Schools Week, our annual celebration of Catholic schools. This year’s theme, “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community,” truly encompasses the heart of the MOQ School mission…forming students of faith to pursue academic excellence and live in Christian service. We have many fun and faith-filled activities planned this week and we hope that you will join us!

As we begin this fun and busy week, our hearts are filled with gratitude! Thank you to our Jr. High students, Jagger H., Benjamin K., Michael W., Molly F., Taylor F., Adylin S. and Frankie G. for speaking about MOQ School at the MOQ and SJV weekend masses. Thank you to our Youth Choir for the beautiful music and to Paul G., Leo L., Ellie W. and Kayla V. for their work as student ambassadors at the 9:00 Mass. Special thanks to our Home and School volunteers for the delicious donuts enjoyed after Mass! Finally, thank you for choosing MOQ School and for your supportive partnership. Happy Catholic Schools Week!

God Bless MOQ!

Maureen Hoy

Our classrooms are buzzing with creativity as we decorate doors for Catholic Schools Week! The halls will be ready for the Showcase of Knowledge on Tuesday, where you’ll get to see the amazing work and activities our students have been preparing. We can’t wait to welcome you

and celebrate their efforts!

Monday, Jan. 27: Journalism Club 3:15 PM

Tuesday, Jan. 28: Showcase of Knowledge

Tuesday, Jan. 28: Robotics Practice 3:15 PM

Tuesday, Jan. 28: Jr. Legion of Mary 3:15 PM

Wednesday, Jan. 29: Comfy, Cozy Dress Day

Wednesday, Jan. 29: Choir Practice 3:15 PM

Thursday, Jan. 30: Gr. 8 Mass at Cathedral, 10:30 AM

Thursday, Jan. 30: MOQ Spelling Bee 1:45 PM

Thursday, Jan. 30: Gr. 2-3 Math Night 6:30 PM

Friday, Jan. 31: Favorite Team Dress Day (Non-uniform Dress Day)

Friday, Jan. 31: Noon Dismissal K-8; 11:45 Dismissal PS/PK; NO PM PK; No Lunch

Starting January 27th, the Family Portal login screen will be updated to enhance the login experience. Here’s what’s changing:

• The login process will be divided into two steps. First, you’ll enter your District Code, then on the next screen you’ll provide your Username and Password.

• MOQ's District Code is MOQ-NE

• There will be no impact on the ability to log in, and existing credentials will remain the same.

This update only changes the steps you see during the login process. If you have any questions, please contact FACTS Support or call the school office.

Welcome to Catholic Schools Week. This week is filled with many fun events for students and their families.

• Click HERE for an overview of the week.
• Showcase of Knowledge is on Tuesday, Jan. 28th. Click HERE for a complete list of times and activities.

It’s time to celebrate Catholic education and show your support for Mary Our Queen Catholic School in the Spirit Catholic Radio Superstar Catholic Schools Contest!

For 13 years, this contest has highlighted the incredible Catholic schools in our area, showcasing the dedication of students, teachers, and administrators who make Catholic education so impactful. Now it’s our turn to shine!

How It Works:

• Voting kicks off during Catholic Schools Week on January 27th and runs through February 7th.
• The top 10 schools will be announced the week of February 10th.
• Winners will receive awesome prizes and the recognition they deserve!

This contest is a fantastic way to spread the word about the value of Catholic education and to recognize the passion and commitment of our MOQ teachers, staff, and students.

How You Can Help:

• Vote for Mary Our Queen Catholic School starting January 27th.
• Encourage friends, family, and our community to join in and vote!
• Share on social media to get the word out.

Visit spiritcatholicradio.com/superstar2025

Let’s come together as a community and make MOQ one of this year’s Superstar Catholic Schools! Every vote counts!

Re-enrollment Process: Re-enrollment for the 2025-26 school year began last week and 65% of our families have already completed the process! If you have not already done so, please log into your FACTS Family Portal and select "Apply/Enroll" on the left side menu. Then select "Enrollment/Reenrollment." Next select the student you want to re-enroll. You will need to complete this process for each student re-enrolling for the 2025-26 school year. If the re-enrollment grade for your student is not correct, please call the school office.

Tuition Assistance:

• Children’s Scholarship Fund: Applications will be available on Feb. 10

• Parish Tuition Assistance: Families can apply for tuition assistance through their FACTS Family Portal under the "Financial Link." (Tuition assistance applications through FACTS opened January 1st to coincide with the high school application dates.)

• Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska (OSN): Information is pending and will be shared as soon as we receive it.

Families applying for financial assistance, either through Children’s Scholarship Fund, OSN or the Parish Tuition Assistance Program, will see the assistance awards applied to their tuition account in July. Again, the tuition plan can be modified at any time.

Please note, if you are enrolling a NEW student (Preschool through 8th grade), FACTS will assess a New Student Processing Fee of $22 per new student. We have waived the Returning Student Processing Fee of $11 per student for our current families.

We are receiving many requests for preschool/pre-k enrollment. We want our current families to have time to secure a spot in any of our Early Childhood programs. If you plan to enroll a child in a preschool or pre-k program, please complete this enrollment process as soon as possible. We will opened up enrollment to new families.

Bridge the Gap (BTG): Please note that the full cost to educate one (in-parish) student is $6,175.00. The tuition charged for one (in-parish) student is $4,200.00. This leaves a “gap” of $1,975.00 that is provided by parish tithing and donations.

You will have an opportunity to make a one-time or recurring donation to the BTG program when you complete the re-enrollment process. All donations to BTG are tax deductible and 100% of the donation will remain at MOQ.

2025-26 Family Volunteer Program: Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, Mary Our Queen School will institute a Volunteer Policy in order to engage families more fully in the school and parish community. Families with students in K - 8 will be required to volunteer a minimum of 15 hours per year (5 hours for single-parent families) between June 1 and May 31 at MOQ School or Family of Parishes (MOQ and St. John Vianney) and record the hours in their FACTS Family Portal. Families who do not complete volunteer hours will be assessed a $250 non-engagement fee. (There is no volunteer requirement for PS/PK.)

You will be asked to sign an acknowledgment of this new policy in the 2025-26 enrollment packets.

We’re thrilled to welcome the next generation of learners to Mary Our Queen Catholic School! 🎉

💡 Don’t Wait! We anticipate a waiting list and want to ensure that our current families secure their spot. If you have a child eligible for Kindergarten in the 2025-26 school year, click HERE to complete the quick survey and reserve their spot for Kindergarten Roundup on February 21, 2025.

✅ Reserve Today and take the first step in your child’s journey of faith, knowledge, and community.

🌟 Spread the Word! Share this message with other families who would love to be part of our MOQ community!

Mary Our Queen is more connected than ever! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, our Class Facebook pages, and now on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date with all the exciting things happening in our community.

💬 Be part of the conversation! Invite your friends and family to follow us, and don’t forget to like, comment, and share our posts. Let’s keep the connection strong and spread the news.

Math Club: Math Club is once again hosting a Math Night for 2nd and 3rd graders during Catholic Schools week. This will be Thursday, January 30th, 6:30 - 7:30! Math Night is a time for students and their parent(s) to participate in math games and win prizes. Look for flyers coming home soon!

Choir: Students in grades 5-8 are invited to check out the Orsola Choir. Applications will be available for those interested. If you have questions, please ask Miss Mattern, Miss Finger or Mrs. Kramer. Hope to see you Wednesday!

Journalism Club: Click HERE to read the Mustang Monthly.

Jr. Legion of Mary: Our group is open to any student in second grade and up. We meet after school on Tuesdays until 4:15 in the Queen of Peace Room. Any questions, email ellieroza@yahoo.com.

- Please take a moment to review your lunch account. Negative balances should be taken care of as soon as possible. If you have any questions in regard to your lunch account, please do not hesitate to contact me

- The days are getting colder and the chances of snow are going up. When school is cancelled, the lunch menu can be impacted. Any changes to the menu will be emailed to you as soon as I receive this information from Westside.

- Each MOQ family should review and consider filling out the Free & Reduced Price School Meals application. This free, one-page application is accepted throughout the school year. Click HERE for the application.

- The time you donate to the lunch program is truly appreciated. Here is the SignUp Genius link for January 2025 to May 2025:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040E48A4A92AAAF85-50276153-jan2025#/

Michelle Zaleski

Please fill out your Calendars as soon as possible. We will host Early Dismissal Care on Friday, January 31st.

January Calendar

February Calendar

March Calendar

April Calendar

May Calendar

Summer Care: I will be sending Summer Care information Monday, February 3rd, 2025 to registered families.

Break Care: Below are the Break Care and registration dates for the second semester:

Break Care Date: - Registration Cut Off Date:

Friday, February 14th, 2025 - Friday, January 31st, 2025

Monday, February 17th, 2025 - Monday, February 3rd, 2025

Monday, March 10th, 2025 - Monday, February 24th, 2025

Tuesday, March 11th, 2025 - Tuesday, February 25th, 2025

Wednesday, March 12th, 2025 - Wednesday, February 26th, 2025

Thursday, March 13rd, 2025 - Thursday, February 27th, 2025

Friday, March 14th, 2025 - Friday, February 28th, 2025

Monday, March 31st, 2025 - Monday, March 17th, 2025

Break Care will NOT be offered on Thursday, April 17th, Friday, April 18th, Monday, April 21st, or Tuesday, April 22nd, when school is not in session.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Ashley Rosenthal

Extended Care Director

arosenthal@moqschool.org

We are blessed to have so many members of our community willing to lend a helping hand! So far this year, 87 families have reported a total of 1680 hours of service. Have you recorded your (and your family's) service hours on your FACTS family dashboard? Each family is encouraged to donate 15 hours of volunteer time at MOQ School. For more details, click HERE to read the MOQ Family Volunteer Program Handbook. Thank you!

Used Uniform: Help us keep the used uniform room tidy to allow families to find items easily AND to allow staff/teachers to use the room throughout the school day. Sign up HERE.

K-8 CAFETERIA: Click HERE to sign up, and THANKS for volunteering! Please enter the cafeteria through door #9.

PRESCHOOL/PRE-K CAFETERIA: Click HERE to volunteer for the Preschool/Pre-K lunch.

CGS PRESCHOOL ATRIUM: To volunteer in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium, please contact Mrs. Hannah Casey at hcasey@moqchurch.org.

Art Room: Contact Mrs. Robinson at jrobinson@moqschool.org for information and schedule.

All volunteers need to be Safe Environment certified.

The Marquee Raffle is back this year and you can get yours today!

By purchasing a ticket for $100.00 each you will have the chance to win your choice of $3,500 in cash OR tuition for one student at Mary Our Queen School for the 25-26 school year!

The winner will be announced at MARQUEE on Saturday, February 22, 2025, but you do not need to be present to win.

MOQ “The Greatest Show” is bringing the wine pull back for Marquee. In order to pull it off, we need your help by donating wine ($20 value or higher) or money. If you have extras from the holidays, we would love to take it off your hands and make it part of the show. We are collecting until Feb 1st. We are happy to pick up, meet you at MOQ or you can send a monetary donation and we will purchase on your behalf.

Venmo @Tamarae-Kock subject Wine Wall

Tami 402-680-1381

Courtney Wolf 402-651-3868

Registration for MOQ Spring Soccer is now open for students in grades K-8! We’re excited to welcome new and returning players. Registrations are due by February 1st. (Registrations submitted after February 1st will incur a $15 late fee.) Don’t miss out on the fun—register today!

Please use this link to register your son/daughter.

https://www.wesharegiving.org/App/Form/7b0299f4-1acc-4cd8-b4c2-9e3a2bd1c161

Micro Soccer registration will open in February.

Please reach out with any questions to Kara Soukup at soccermoq@gmail.com

Future Cardinal Fan Night - January 28th, Varsity Game at 7:00 PM

5th – 8th grade girls are invited to join us for a home Duchesne Varsity Game! Students will experience our energetic student section, enjoy snacks, and have chances to win fun raffles. Join us in cheering the Cardinals to victory!

Register at duchesneacademy.org/admissions

Questions? Contact Maggie Vazquez, Admissions Event Coordinator at mvazquez@duchesneacademy.org

We're less than a month out until our Mini Monarch Night with Mercy's Basketball team! Don't forget to sign up here: https://fs2.formsite.com/mercyhigh/fqwulgrjpo/index Open to 2nd-6th grade girls! See you there!