Weekly Update to Families
November 10th
Message From Dr. Scharbach
Dear Academy Families,
Please keep our 8th grade students in your prayers this weekend as they are all set to take their TACHS exam on Saturday morning. Best of luck, 8th Grade! We know you will do your very best.
To honor all those brave men and women who served in our armed forces, we will be closed on Veterans Day Monday, November 11th. In a special way, we honor all those brave men and women who served in our armed forces this Veterans Day. A very special thank you to the parents who helped organize the special Veterans Appreciation Prayer Service on Thursday 11/7.
We hope our students and families enjoy the three-day weekend!
When we return from the three day weekend our school will be undertaking the Cognia Accreditation process. This rigorous accreditation, which is similar to the well-known Middle States Accreditation, is designed to provide an in-depth review of our school’s practices, strengths, and areas for growth. The purpose of this process is to help us maximize our talents, resources, and educational effectiveness, ensuring we continue to provide an excellent and enriching environment for our students.
On November 12th and 13th, we will welcome a team of evaluators from Cognia who will be visiting our school to carry out this comprehensive assessment. The team will engage in a series of interviews with a diverse group of participants, including students, teachers, Board members, administrators, and other stakeholders. This approach allows them to gather a well-rounded perspective on our school community and its unique strengths and opportunities. Additionally, they will be conducting classroom observations to witness firsthand the quality of teaching, student engagement, and overall learning environment we foster each day.
We have been preparing extensively for this visit, collaborating with faculty, staff, and the broader school community to ensure we present our programs, achievements, and commitment to excellence accurately and effectively. We are confident that these two days will be a rewarding experience that will ultimately support our goal of continuous improvement.
Please note that on both November 12th and 13th, the administrative team will be fully dedicated to this important accreditation process. Therefore, we will not be available for any meetings and will have limited access to email and phone communications on these dates. We appreciate your understanding and support as we work through this significant milestone for our school community.
Now onto some important reminders, news, and events at the academy in the upcoming days….
Dr. Scharbach
Next week on Thursday, 11/14 our 4th through 7th graders have their individual picture day. All those students who are getting pictures may remain in their school uniform or dress up for their picture. Please remind your child that dressing up for pictures is very different than dressing down. All those students who are not getting pictures taken are to be in their full school uniform. If your child has gym on picture day please have them wear sneakers if they are dressing up or bring a change of shoes so they can participate in gym. To order pictures please use the link below.
For any student in Grades Nursery-Grade 3 who missed taking pictures this week there will be makeup pictures on Thursday November 21st 2024.
We will be having our annual Spelling Bee on Thursday November 21st at 1pm. Congrats to our classroom winners.
5th Grade: Thomas Anderson, Thomas Brunton, Emma Layden, Patrick Murray, Michael Hernandez, Jack Keenan, and Enzo Pincay
6th Grade: Anthony Capek, Patrick Carey, Mairead Henning, William Hayden, Saoirse Kash, Honora Sullivan, Emma Vuono, Lily Donohue, Brenna Farrell, and Emma Keenan
7th Grade: Ryan Tubridy, Timmy McDonagh, Sophia Bello, Dylan Henley, Colin Mundy, Therese Carlin, Bobby Wagner, and Dylan Nowak
The families of the participants are invited to join us on Thursday November 21st at 1pm.
We are beginning to prepare for the 2025-2026 school year. In the next few days we will issue a Google Form of intent for any current Nursery and Pre-K student here at St. Francis who plans on attending St. Francis in 2025 as a Pre-K or Kindergarten student. Those forms are due by Monday, December 2nd. As always, we thank you for your dedication and support of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy. If you have any concerns that we may address, please do not hesitate to call or email us.
After Thanksgiving, an email will be sent home to families of current students to see if any siblings will be joining our academy next year if space allows. Please fill out all letters of intent as soon as possible, as we will begin open registration in the winter of 2025. This is especially important to do with our current enrollment numbers.
Today marks the start of our 2024-2025 Yearbook Sale! The yearbook is a great way to remember special events throughout the year! All students will be featured in the yearbook on their class page!
If you would like to order a school yearbook, (delivery in June) please fill out the following form.
After you submit your order you will be charged on your FACTS account during the month of January.
Payment is expected within 20 days of posting.
The completed form(s) is due by Thursday, December 5th. Since we have to send in our yearly order soon after there will be no orders accepted after this date.
**Class of 2025 Families, any graduate that has $130 (cost of a full page age) worth of ads in the yearbook will receive a free yearbook, up to two free yearbooks. Please keep this in mind when placing your order.
With the Christmas season approaching, as we look forward to the birth of our Lord, we should remember those less fortunate than us. In the spirit of giving, we are asking that students donate a gift for other children. Please bring in an unwrapped toy or game after the Thanksgiving Holiday. All donations will go to children in need. Thank you for your generosity. All donations need to be made by Friday, December 13th.
Please note that all report cards are digitally distributed on Wednesday, 12/4 at about 3pm via the FACTS Parent Portal. This year conferences will take place on Thursday, December 5th from 12:45pm-2:45pm and from 6pm-7:30pm. On Monday, November 25th we will send out information on signing up for time slots for conferences. All families in Nursery-Grade 4 will have until Sunday, December 1st to sign up for the conferences on Thursday, December 5th.
Contact Info
St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy
Principal: Dr. Christopher ScharbachAsst. 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