Catholic Schools Week

Dear St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy Community,

At St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy, we are proud to join in celebrating the national theme for Catholic Schools Week: “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.” This theme reflects the heart of our mission and the role we play in the Church’s call to evangelize. At our academy, we aim to nurture saints in the making, educating the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—so that each student can grow in faith, knowledge, and service.

What truly makes St. Francis de Sales unique is that we are more than a school; we are a faith-filled community bound together by the love of Christ. Christ is at the foundation of everything we do, uniting us in a shared vision that calls us to learn, grow, and serve as one. Every member of our academy family—students, teachers, administrators, staff, and parents—has a vital role in fueling the light of faith and integrating that faith into daily life.

At the same time, we honor the central role of parents as the first teachers of their children. In the spirit of St. Francis de Sales, our academy works hand in hand with families, fostering a partnership that extends beyond the classroom walls. Together, we create a vibrant community that connects faith with culture and faith with living, building a foundation that inspires our children to serve others and grow closer to God.

The Catholic Schools Week logo beautifully represents this unity—not as a structure or institution but as a people of faith coming together to serve God and one another. “United in Faith and Community” reminds us of our shared mission to bring the light of the gospel to the world, strengthening not only our school community but the larger human family.

As we celebrate this week, let us be inspired to embrace our role as a united, faith-filled community, continuing to live out the mission of Catholic education in all that we do.

Dr. Scharbach

Principal

• All students can wear their favorite sports jersey.

• All students are asked to bring in a canned good for the “SOUPer Bowl of Caring.” All donations are going to the St. Rose of Lima Food Pantry and the First Congregational Church.

• Draft for "Teacher Swap"

• ½ Day with a 12 noon dismissal

All are invited to join the parish, administration, faculty, students and families for the Opening of Catholic Schools Week Mass Sunday 2/9 at 10:30am at Blessed Trinity Parish (St. Edmund’s) and at 10am at St. Francis de Sales Parish.

All students are asked to wear their full dress uniform that day when they sit with their families. Any student who wears their school uniform to Mass will earn a Dress Down Pass to be used in March on a non-Mass day.

This is a great way to kick off Catholic Schools Week and be a part of our two aligned parishes. There will be a small reception with light refreshments after each mass.

All students in Nursery-Grade 8 are asked to dress in Country Western Swag. For this dress-down day, we’re embracing a Country theme! That means putting on your best “country swag” and showing off your rustic, Western-inspired style. Think along the lines of a laid-back, down-home look—classic jeans flannel shirts, cowboy boots, and straw or cowboy hats are great starting points. You can also incorporate bandanas, plaid patterns, denim jackets, or belt buckles to complete the country vibe. Whether you go all out or keep it simple, the idea is to have fun with a casual, country-inspired outfit that’s comfortable and easygoing.

Mismatch Day: For this dress-down day, we’re going all out with a Mismatch theme! The goal is to have fun and get creative by mixing and matching items that wouldn’t normally go together. Try wearing different patterns side by side, pairing bright and bold colors, or putting on socks that don’t match. Think stripes with polka dots, plaid with floral, or even shoes that are completely different from each other. It’s all about embracing the playful and unexpected. There’s no “wrong” way to mismatch—just throw together whatever wacky combinations you can dream up, and enjoy a fun, relaxed day of style that’s anything but ordinary!

Pretzel Twist Snack: We're excited to treat all our students to a special snack! Every student will receive a delicious twisted pretzel from the Philadelphia Pretzel Factory during lunch. It’s just one of the ways we’re celebrating the week and showing our appreciation for our wonderful students.

Teacher Swap: As part of our exciting Catholic Schools Week celebrations, we’re thrilled to have a Teacher Swap activity! On this special day, teachers across all grades—Nursery through Grade 8—will temporarily swap classrooms to lead a fun and engaging lesson for a different group of students.

This activity allows students to experience the unique teaching styles and talents of our wonderful faculty while fostering a sense of community and joy throughout the school. Whether it’s our middle school teacher engaging with our youngest learners or our Pre-K teachers sharing their energy with older students, Teacher Swap is sure to the highlight of the week!

We look forward to celebrating this fun activity and sharing the excitement that makes Catholic Schools Week so special.

• Full School Uniform for Grades 1-8

• School Mass at 10:00 am in St. Francis de Sales Church for Grades 1-8

• Nursery, Pre-K and Kindergarten can wear Pajamas to School

• Blue and Gold Day (Grades PK-4)

• 8:45am-9:15am Pre-Kindergarten

• 9:30am-10:30am- Kindergarten

• 10:45 am-12:15 pm- Grades 1 and 2

• 12:45 pm-2:15 pm- Grades 3 and 4

• Students in Grades 5-8 can wear flannel pajama pants

• Nursery students are asked to wear Blue and Gold

• NJHS Delivery of Carnations to the Beacon Nursing Home

• Class of 2025 Blue and Gold Night-8th Graders vs. Parents at 7pm

• Blue and Gold Day (Grades 5-8)

• 10am-11:45am- Grades 5-6

• 12:30 pm-2:15 pm- Grades 7 and 8

• 2:20 pm- Blue and Gold Winner (Grades K-8)

• Students in Grades N-4 can dress up for the 100th day of school. In celebration of the 100th day of school, we’re inviting everyone to dress down and get creative with a “100th Day” theme! Show off your school spirit by incorporating the number 100 into your outfit. This could mean wearing a shirt or hat with “100” on it, sticking 100 stickers or buttons onto your clothes, or using accessories to count up to 100 in fun and unique ways. You could even dress like you’re 100 years old—pull out those suspenders, glasses, and gray wigs! The idea is to make your outfit reflect the milestone of reaching 100 days of school in a playful and festive way.

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