Welcome Back Letter 2008-2009

Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe that August is here and the summer of 2008 is coming to a close.

Improvements have been completed in keeping with the retrofitting of the school building initiated by Fr. Antonio, the pastor for the 75^th anniversary. The auditorium floor has been replaced, six classrooms have been painted and by the time of your arrival in September the sidewalk in front of the building will be overhauled.

New teachers have also joined us this year and they will be introduced at the opening meeting in September. The roster of teachers for the 2008-2009 school year are:

PreK-1 –Mrs. Fundora; PreK-2 – Mrs. Payano

Kindergarten – Ms. Lagano

First Grade – Ms. Wong

Departmental Grades 2, 3, & 4
Second Grade – Ms. Saville; Third Grade – Mrs. Larios
Fourth Grade – Mr. Badia

Departmental Grades 5, 6, 7 & 8
Fifth Grade – Mr. Montero Sixth Grade – Mrs. Ramsey
Seventh Grade – Ms. Sturman Eighth Grade – Mr. Placido

Gym/Computer Class – Mr. Marcial

The label at the bottom of this letter indicates the classroom your child has been enrolled for beginning in September.

Another change that will occur in September is that the After School Program will become an extension of the academic program of the school directed by the school administration. The After School Program hours will run until 7:00 P.M. with an emphasis on homework assistance, tutoring and with the goal of improving academic achievement through the use of technology. The program will be staffed by teachers to assist your child with their homework and to offer academic assistance. Registration for the After School Program will be done in the office with Alba, the school secretary and Mr. Marcial.

I have enclosed am application so that you may review it and if you have questions please feel free to contact the school office.

The parent meetings for this year will be on

Tuesday September 2^nd
All PreK parents – 5:00 PM
Grades K-4 – 6:00 PM
Grades 5-8 – 7:00 PM

Parents are requested to make arrangements for child care for the meetings so that the teachers may talk adult to adult regarding the expectations for the 2008-2009 school year. The meetings will begin in the school auditorium.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Sincerely,

Andrew G. Woods

Mission Statement
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School bears witness to the Gospel Message of Jesus. As educators, and Ministers of the Good News, we believe that our vocation is to follow the directive to Teach As Jesus Did and nurture our students’ God-given talents in an atmosphere of hope, love and trust. As professionals from different backgrounds and experiences, we rely on one another for support and join in creating this family-like environment, to which parents, administrator, clergy and staff all contribute.Educational policies follow the guidelines set by the Superintendent of Schools of the Archdiocese of New York, as outlined in the Administrative Manual, and are influenced by state and national goals. Local school policies are developed and implemented by the Pastor, administrator and faculty and are illustrated in the Parents’ and Teachers’ Manuals, which are updated and published annually.We believe that our curriculum reflects the spiral structure of wisdom and skills, from the essential to the advanced and from the concrete to the abstract, and integrates all subjects and learning experiences. Christian values are maintained as academic excellence is achieved.Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School recognizes parents as our partners in instruction. They are expected to honor and support our philosophy and to reinforce it in the home. Parent-teacherOur Lady Queen of Martyrs School Parent/Student Handbookrelationships are strengthened by pre-season and mid-year Open House days, quarterly parent-teacher conferences, an annual science fair and informal encounters.Our school is a community of God’s people. We work to establish the relationship between God and the students through formal instruction. Daily prayer, Celebration of the Eucharist, Liturgical songs, study of the Bible, and other forms of spiritual experience such as Stations of the Cross, enhance students’ knowledge and appreciation of the Catholic faith; thus celebration of the Good News of Jesus Christ is established within the walls of our Church and classrooms.Through our actions and words, the staff model and emphasize respect of and appreciation for each individual’s self-worth. We provide opportunities for students to serve their families, other students, the school, the parish and the surrounding community. We strive to broaden the students’ understanding of global, national and local issues, so as to foster a commitment to the virtues of nonviolence, peace and service to others.Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School offers a program of instruction that stresses intellectual, social, personal, and physical development from grade to grade.