Weekly Update to Families

Dear Academy Families,

Christmas invites us to pause and cherish the blessings that surround us—the steadfastness of our faith, the love of family, and the deep connections within our school community. Each day, we are reminded of how these gifts shape our lives and strengthen our mission as a Catholic academy.

The message of Christmas is one of profound hope and love. The birth of Christ was a moment that changed the world forever, illuminating the path of compassion, peace, and unity. Here at St. Francis de Sales, we are privileged to nurture these values in the hearts of our students, helping them grow as people of faith and service.

I am deeply grateful to each member of our school family—our students, teachers, staff, and parents—for your unwavering dedication and partnership. As we celebrate Christmas and look toward the promise of a new year, may we continue to grow together in faith, hope, and love, creating a community where every child is cherished and inspired to shine.

Wishing you a blessed and joyful Christmas. May the peace of Christ fill your hearts and homes, and may the new year bring abundant blessings to you and your families.

Dr. Scharbach

PS: Your children got some great gifts for you at this year's Christmas Boutique. A very special thank you to Mrs. Willert ands Mrs. Larsen for chairing this event and the countless parent volunteers who helped coordinate two fun days of shopping.

Our next update will be sent out around December 28th!

This email serves as a last-minute reminder about Monday and Tuesday’s Christmas Show.

• The A classes along with KC and 4C will perform on Monday December 16th at 6:30pm

• The B classes along with 6C will perform on Tuesday December 17th at 6:30pm

Dress Rehearsal: All students should be ready in costume on Monday 12/16 for our dress rehearsal.

Some students just need to dress up while others have a costume. Children may wear their gym uniform or dress down clothes under their costume on the day of their dress rehearsal.

Any questions please feel free to get in touch.

The dress rehearsals serve as a chance for elderly relatives who are unable to come out at night or handle large crowds to see the show. These dress rehearsals do not serve as a way to get a sneak peek or another viewing of the show. The rehearsals will begin at 10am for A classes along with KC and 4C and will begin at 12:45pm for the B Classes along with 6C. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Ticket Orders: We are sold out of tickets for Monday and Tuesday. We are asking that anyone who is not using all of their tickets to please drop them off at the main office. If there is any issue with tickets at this point please let us know first thing in the morning on Thursday so that we may try and handle them.

Absent on Day of Christmas Show: Please understand that if your child is ill and absent during the day of their Christmas Show, he or she should not be sent into school at night for the show. With Christmas and break around the corner, we would like to try our best for students to not spread more germs than necessary. It's okay to miss the show if they are sick.

Dress Attire

Kindergarten should dress in their Christmas best. (Red and Green)

1st Grade- Please wear anything brown, tan or beige. They will be portraying Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer. We will supply nose and antlers!

2nd Grade- Please wear anything white, silver and/or blue. They will be portraying Frosty the Snowman/Jack Frost. Think icy, winter wonderland!

3rd Grade will be dressed as the Nativity. Teachers have been in communication with families about details.

4th Grade- Please wear anything red and white with black boots/shoes. They will be portraying Mr. & Mrs. Claus. Feel free to wear a Santa hat or get festive.

5th Grade- Please wear green and yellow. They will be portraying elves / Buddy the Elf.

6th Grade- Please wear all green with a coat on top. They will first be carolers and then take off their coats to reveal that they are The Grinch!

7th Grade- Please wear blue pants or a skirt, a red shirt and black boots/shoes. They will be representing “Toy Soldiers/Nutcrackers.”

8th Grade has a few different roles. They have been told individually what to wear.

Coming and Going on Show Nights: The children have been practicing for many weeks and they are expected to be present for the show on the night their class is performing. Students who are in the play should arrive no earlier than 6:00pm and should enter the CYO entrance. They will be directed to their rooms from there. Members of the audience will enter through the main door.

For safety reasons, every child in Grade 1-8 in the show must remain in school with his/her class until the play is over. Please do not ask for your child to be dismissed early. Thanks in advance for your cooperation with this matter.

Following are instructions for the children to follow at the end of the show. When the show is over, the older children in each family should get their coats and go to the classroom of the youngest sibling. We will ask that one parent go to the youngest child’s classroom to pick up the children. Further instructions will be explained at the end of each show.

Special Kindergarten Instructions

1. The shows will begin at 6:30pm. Children are asked to be at school at 6:00pm. You may drop your child off at the small hall. Parents should then proceed to the main entrance. The doors will not open before 6:00pm, so please do not come early.

2. After the performance, you are asked to pick up your child in the small hall. Please wait until instructed to pick up your child. You may either leave at that time or return to the gym to watch the other classes perform using the main entrance. You must have already purchased a ticket to the show in order to enter the auditorium.

3. Please be aware that you may not be able to exit the parking lot if you wish to leave after the Kindergarten performs in the show. The parking lot gets very crowded on the nights of the Christmas show so, if you cannot stay until the show is over, you should try to find parking on the street in the area of the school.

Special Band Instructions

1. The show will begin at 6:30pm on Tuesday 12/17. Band Children are asked to be at school at 6:00pm. You may drop your child off at the small hall. Parents should then proceed to the main entrance. The doors will not open before 6:00pm, so please do not come early.

2. After the Band and Kindergarten performance, those Band students who are in 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 6C, 7B or Grade 8 will join their class for the rest of the show.Those Band students in 3A, 4A,4C,5A, 6A, or 7A will either be dismissed from the small hall or join their parents in the gym for the rest of the show.

3. Please be aware that you may not be able to exit the parking lot if you wish to leave after the Band performs in the show. The parking lot gets very crowded on the nights of the Christmas show so, if you cannot stay until the show is over, you should try to find parking on the street in the area of the school.

50/50 and 8th Grade Raffle

Please note that on the night of the show there will be a 50/50 for each night, an opportunity to buy raffles for a 8th Grade Prize to help support the 8th Grade Dinner Dance. Water and chips will also be sold.

Our school year is rapidly moving along. We can hardly believe that Christmas is almost here. As we begin to prepare for the 2025-2026 school year, we want to ensure that our plans maximize the benefit to your child/children. We have just completed a period in which our current Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten families filled out a letter of intent for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes for next school year.

We ask that if you have any sibling (brother or sister) of a current student here at St. Francis who plans on attending St. Francis in 2025 as a new Nursery, Pre-K, Kindergarten or Grade 1-7 student please complete the form below by Friday December 20th. After that, we will be opening registration to the public in the Winter of 2025 (If space allows)

https://forms.gle/gho3LJmgiSB5pavx6

Please note we anticipate having waiting lists in many grades for next year. This intent form is for planning purposes only and does not guarantee your registration for the 2025-2026 school year.

We are so excited about our upcoming Annual Christmas Movie Night on 12/6, and we know how much our students look forward to this festive tradition each year. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we will need to postpone the event.

The new date for Christmas Movie Night will be Thursday, December 19th, with the same schedule and details:

1. Kindergarten

   • Time: 4:00 PM–5:45 PM
   • Location: Small Hall
   • Movie: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
   • Activity: Holiday Craft

2. 1st–2nd Grades

   • Time: 4:00 PM–5:45 PM
   • Location: Gym
   • Movie: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2018)

3. 3rd–5th Grades

   • Time: 6:30 PM–8:15 PM
   • Location: Small Hall
   • Movie: Elf

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause and appreciate your understanding. We are confident that the evening will still be special for our students.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing your children on December 19th for a night of Christmas magic and fun!

Tickets can be bought at the door for $10.

St. Francis de Sales is very excited to be offering a production of SpongeBob the musical this Spring. Below are the dates for the tryouts, callbacks, practices and show dates. We understand this is a big commitment, so please ensure the dates work for your child's schedule before signing up. Here's a link to the Spongebob the Musical Sign Up form. We ask that you complete the form by December 11th. We will send out preparation materials for the audition after that date.

St. Francis de Sales is very excited to partner with Inside Broadway to offer a production of Spongebob the Musical this Spring. A very special thank you to NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola for sponsoring this enrichment activity within our school. This enrichment activity is currently open to our current 5th-8th graders

If you have any questions, please let us know. Again, we are so excited to have our students have this amazing opportunity this spring.

Please save the date for Saturday December 14th as St. Francis de Sales Parish lights their Christmas Trees, Angels, and Nativity. The night kicks off with 4:30pm Mass followed by the lighting. We hope you join us for this great tradition.

Thursday December 19th is a $1 dress down day. All students are encouraged to wear Red and or Green, or wear an ugly holiday sweater. All money raised is going to a family in need.

Every year, students, 5th through 8th grade, prepare a craft activity to create, with students in Pre K-4th grades. This year the entire school will be partaking in this activity on Thursday, December 19th in the afternoon.

On Friday December 20th we have a ½ day 12 noon dismissal, this kicks off our Christmas Recess. Please note we do not reopen until Monday January 6th 2025. All are invited to join us for our Christmas Mass at 11am.

Come and see our brand new online school store. We have some great items with our school name and Franny, our Mascot.

Choose your own designs! These are great items to wear on dress-down days, weekends, Blue and Gold Day, or just around the house.

Great brands (Nike, North Face, Under Armor, Puma, and more) and great quality. All orders are shipped directly to your home.

We are excited to host an Open Gym Night for our 6th grade students.

This will take place on Friday, January 10th from 7-9 pm in the Gym. The Academy will provide games, crafts, music, basketballs/volleyballs, snacks & pizza.

Pre-registration is required, and forms are due by Wednesday, January 8th. The cost is $10 per child and should be pre-paid. Please send to the office in an envelope with your child's name and "Open Gym" on it.

We are looking forward to a great night and hope everyone can make it.

*Please note, Open Gym night is for students of St.Francis de Sales Catholic Academy only.*

**If your child is out sick on the day of Open Gym they will not be permitted to attend that night**

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