Week of December 16, 2013

Tuition Reminder
To request a late fee waiver Mr. Woods was informed this past Monday------- must be done before the fee is posted. Parents who need extensions must therefore see or contact Mr. Woods before the 20th of each month. Once it is posted Smart Tuition will not remove the fee. Mr. Woods suggests that parents who foresee that they may be late in order to pay off Christmas gifts etc. should ask Mr. Woods for a 2 or 3 month extension so that they will not incur late fees. Mr. Woods is directing this concern with the Regional Board and the Superintendent of Schools in the next week.

School Office-Christmas break
The school office will be closed December 24th, 25th, 31st and January 1st.
The office will be open from 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM in case parents wish to reach the office staff. Please call ahead before arriving as the staff may be out to lunch etc.

New York State Immunization Report
This last Wednesday the NYS Immunization Report was sent to the Health Department. In looking over the report generated by Cornerstone Mr. Woods noticed that a number of students are missing an immunization here and there. This needs to be taken care of ASAP and the paperwork given to Alba so it can be registered in Cornerstone. A few years ago a number of students were not permitted to return to school until the child was fully immunized as per New York State Law.


Monday - December 16, 2013
Unit Two Exams --Writing in the Content Area & Social Studies

Tuesday - December 17, 2013 - Full Moon
Unit Two Exams - Science & Religion

Wednesday - December 18, 2013
Unit Two exams - Reading & ELA

Thursday - December 19, 2013
Jesse Tree Contest - Fr. Antonio will judge which class has the best tree.
Santa Claus visits with PreK and Kindergarten at 9:00 AM
Unit Two Math Exam


Friday - December 20, 2013
Tuition is due to Smart Tuition
OLQM Science Fair 9:00 AM ---Parents invited

Sunday - December 22, 2013
Reconciliation Class 12:00 noon
Mass at 1:00 PM

Monday - December 23, 2013
Lessons and Carols 8:30 AM Parents invited
Classroom parties following Lessons & Carols
Dismissal at 1:00 PM
NO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM TODAY
Christmas recess begins at Dismissal - School resumes Monday January 6, 2014

Week of December 9, 2013 - Second Week of Advent

Interim Assessments
The Interim Assessments will be administered to students in grades K-8 this week on Thursday 12/12 and Friday 12/13. Students who are absent will be administered the makeup exams during the following week.
The material on the interim assessments will cover material in both units one and two. Students in Grades Kindergarten, one and two will be administered the tests using pencil and paper. Students in grades 3-8 will be administered the test on either an iPad or in the computer room. This method of assessment will be the methodology that will be used by PARCC for the Common Core assessments that will be administered in 2015.
Parents may want to read an excellent editorial published in the New York Times entitled -- Are Kids Too Coddled? by Frank Bruni. Google it--it is worthy read for all parents. Again parents are urged to browse the New York State Education website of Engage New York

Oral Health Screening
Students who returned the permission slips will receive instruction on proper brushing and flossing along with a variety of free supplies on Monday December 9th.

Picture Day
Individual picture day will be Wednesday, December 11th. Parents should have returned the picture envelope to Mrs. Resto in the tuition office by
Friday, December 6th as mentioned on last week's blog. If you forgot please give the picture envelope to Mrs. Resto ASAP so that we may inform the photographer. Students may wear dress up clothes----no jeans if they are having their picture taken.

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
In honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe the 4th grade will lead Mass at 9:00 AM on Thursday December 12th - Parents are invited to join us.

Monday - December 9, 2013 - Feast of St. Juan Diego
Advent Confessions grades 3-8 begins at 9:00 AM
Oral Health Screening Grades PreK-8
Morning Prayer 7:30 AM

Tuesday- December 10, 2013
Anti-bullying curriculum will be covered by teachers.
Morning Prayer 7:30 AM

Wednesday- December 11, 2013
Individual Picture Day - students who are having their picture taken may wear dress up clothes.
Math coach will be working with students and teachers.
Morning Prayer 7:30 AM



Thursday- December 12, 2013 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Mass at 9:00 AM led by the 4th grade.
Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Interim Assessment # 2 - Mathematics Grades K-8

Friday - December 13, 2013 Feast of St. Lucy
Interim Assessment # 2 in ELA --English Language Arts

Sunday - December 15,2013
Communion Class 12:00 noon
Mass at 1:00 PM for all students in sacramental program.

Letter from Dr. McNiff- Superintendent of Schools

OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK
1011 First Avenue,
NewYork, NewYork 10022
Phone: (212) 371-1000 Fax: (2)2) 758-3018

December 2, 2013

Dear Catholic School Parents,

I would like to address the recent media attention that has been given to the issue of Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS). Unfortunately, this coverage has created a certain level of consternation for parents across the country. I appreciate that many of you may also be experiencing some confusion regarding the CCLS.

As a brief summary, the CCLS initiative began as a bipartisan effort by the governors of our country to collectively establish common curriculum guidelines for all schools in the nation. To date, 46 states have adopted CCLS and over 100 (Arch) d ioceses have also chosen to teach CCLS in Mathematics and English/Language Arts. During the 2012-13 academic year, New York State began the implementation of the CCLS and the realignment of their year-end state tests to reflect the CCLS.

The CCLS test scores of students in all school districts last spring were disappointingly low and this sparked considerable media attention. Opponents of this initiative have called into question the academic merits of the CCLS. Others have raised concern about the diminishment of our Catholic identity. Please allow me to articulate some relevant information to counter the concerns being voiced on television and in our newspapers. It is important that you are presented with the facts involving CCLS.

In his book, The Holy See 's Teachings on Catholic Schools (2006), Archbishop J. Michael Miller highlighted the main responsibility of Catholic schools is to integrate our faith into classroom instruction. Archbishop Miller also stated the need to recognize that our schools have an additional responsibility of preparing students for their professional life. The CCLS curriculum guidelines are designed specifically for that purpose. It should be noted, Catholic schools have been using state and national standards for decades. The claim of opponents that the CCLS are Jess rigorous is mistaken. Our classroom teachers will tell you, the CCLS are more rigorous and require more reading, writing, listening, higher order thinking, and a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts to support problem solving. To say this transition in our teaching methodologies and testing procedures is challenging is an understatement. It is hard work and it is
time-consuming work.

There is also the misperception CCLS will dictate what Catholic school teachers must teach. This claim confuses the significant difference between the 'standards' and the 'curriculum' a school district chooses to adopt. Standards descri be what students should know and be able to do at the end of a course. Standards are too broad to define what teachers will teach on a daily basis -that is the purpose of a local curriculum, and specifically our Archdiocesan curriculum.

As an example, one of the 4th grade CCLS for reading literature states, "Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says and when drawing inferences from the text." It does not however, specify which text or how the teacher will guide students to accomplish this instructional task. The concern that Archdiocesan schools will not have the freedom to select their own texts is a misread of the CCLS.

Regarding the allegation that the CCLS will undermine our ability to infuse Church teachings into classroom instruction, please know our teachers are not encumbered with this responsibility and they continue to have the ability to preserve our Catholic identity in their instruction. To that
point, we also subscribe to the Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative: a national collaborative formed by a partnership of Catholic universities and Pre K-12 Catholic educators that was created for the express purpose of modeling how Catholic identity elements can be captured in classroom instruction while still implementing CCLS. More information about the Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative can be found at: http://www.cccii-onli ne.org/about.

For parents who have q uestions based on what they hear from opponents of CCLS, I suggest they talk directly to our principals and teachers -the educators in Catholic schools who are actively engaged in the implementation of excellent and authentic Catholic curriculum. Such conversations will expose that the allegations offered by the opponents of the CCLS are factually incorrect.

While completely supportive of the CCLS initiative, I should note there have been concerns raised regarding the strategy used to implement CCLS -the timeline and the pace by which the standards are being delivered and assessed. On this issue, many of us are in agreement with that observation and are currently working with the State to address that complaint. That reality has
put noticeable pressure on our classroom teachers and certainly more support needs to be given to them. However, the need for those adjustments is not an excuse to forgo the benefits of an initiative that has challenged our educational institutions to strive for greater and continued excellence.

The Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York will continue to implement CCLS. In the near future it will be demonstrated that because of the work of our teachers, test scores will improve, our Catholic identity will remain as strong as ever, and our Archdiocesan school system will be completely transparent about our instructional methodologies to parents and all of our stakeholders .

Sincerely

Dr. Timothy McNiff


Superintendent of Schools

Cc: Cardinal Timothy Dolan

Week of December 2, 2013

Picture Day - December 11th
Individual Picture Day will be Wednesday, December 11th. Picture money envelopes are due to Mrs. Resto in the Tuition office by Friday December 6th.

Morning & Evening Prayer
The Confirmation Class will be reciting Morning & Evening Prayers during the Season of Advent.
Morning Prayer begins at 7:30 AM and all parents are welcome to attend.
Evening prayer will begin at 2:30 PM each day during Advent.

Tuition Suspension Day
There will be a Tuition Suspension Day on Monday, December 9, 2013.
Letters will be sent home on Thursday December 5th.
Parents may see Mr. Woods regarding their outstanding balance on Saturday December 7th or Sunday December 8th.
Mr. Woods must prepare reports regarding the status of tuition for the end of the year and it is imperative that parents see Mr. Woods regarding their tuition.

Interim Assessment # 2
Interim Assessments will be administered to students in grades K-8 on Thursday December 12th and Friday December 13th.
Students in grades K, 1 and 2 will be administered their test using paper and pencil.
Grades 3-8 students will either use an iPad or a computer.
As explained previously these are diagnostic tests administered by the Archdiocese of New York to access areas of strengths and weaknesses that students are experiencing in the areas of Mathematics and English Language Arts.

Monday December 2, 2013
Unit III Week I
December calendars will be sent home today.
Morning Prayer 7:30 AM; Evening Prayer 2:30 PM- Confirmation Class

Tuesday - December 3, 2013 Feast of St. Francis Xavier
Dental Screening slips due.

Wednesday - December 4, 2013
Math Coach will work with students today.

Thursday- December 5, 2013
Tuition Suspension letters will be sent home today.

Friday- December 6, 2013 Feast of St. Nicholas - Blessing of Candy Canes
DISMISSAL AT 11:00 AM -- Faculty Meeting

Saturday - December 7, 2013
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
Parent Meetings regarding tuition 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Sunday- December 8, 2013 - Second Sunday of Advent
Confirmation Class 12:00 noon
Mass for all students in sacramental program 1:00 PM
Biology Class 3:00 PM
Meetings with parents regarding tuition 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Week of November 25, 2013 Announcements

Cornerstone Students Information System (SIS)
The Cornerstone Information System has been turned on for parent review. As with any new computer system adoption there were a number of flaws the last few weeks that have been resolved. Parents are reminded that in looking at marks we are now in Quarter 2. After Thanksgiving staff will be available to assist parents with passwords and logins.

Thanksgiving Turkey and Canned Food Drive
The Confirmation Class has spearheaded a canned food and Turkey drive to assist the Little Sisters of the Poor.
The last day for canned food is Tuesday November 26th as they will be delivering the turkeys and food to the Sisters on that day.
The last two weeks of dress down day enabled the class to purchase 32 turkeys for the Sisters outreach program planned for Thanksgiving. The Confirmation Class is grateful for the outpouring of generosity of all students and parents in assisting them with their service project to the poor.

Dental Screening
A form will be sent home to those parents who did not fill out a form during Parent Teacher Conference. The dental screening is FREE and will be part of a Health class given to students on proper brushing and flossing along with testing for oral pH levels for cavity prevention. The screening will place in school on December 9th or 11th based on the number of responses received. Students will receive a free NUT (No Uniform Today) card for remembering to give their parent the form and returning it back to school.

Picture Day
Individual Picture Day will be December 11th. Envelopes were sent home with your child last week and should be returned to Mrs. Resto in the tuition office.
Again please return the envelopes early so that we may contact the company as to how many photographers should come for the day.

Candy Bars
Candy Bars are available in the school office to assist parents in their fund raising requirements. As a reminder the money for the sale must be returned to the school office - NOT Smart Tuition.

Smart Tuition
As a reminder parents who need an extension for payment of tuition must see Mr. Woods to have their late fee removed. Parents who are having problems with Smart Tuition should see Mrs. Resto in the office she will inform Mr. Woods of the problem which will hopefully be resolved in a timely manner. Parents who never saw Mr. Woods prior to report cards and have an outstanding balance must have either have conversation with Mr. Woods or pay the balance before December 16th for their child to attend class. December 16th will be a Tuition Suspension Day wherein your child will need to remain home until a plan of action is made with Mr. Woods concerning the outstanding balance.

Morning and Evening Prayer - Advent 2013
The Confirmation Class will be leading morning prayer at 7:30 AM each school day during Advent. Evening Prayer will be led at 2:45 PM.
Parents are welcome to join the class in their preparation for the celebration of the Birth of Jesus at Christmas. The students will be using Give Us This Day which supports the students desire to establish prayer as a part of their life. We are grateful to Liturgical Press for their donation of the booklets for the Confirmation Class. Advent begins Sunday December 1, 2013.

Interim Assessment # 2
The second Interim Assessment will be administered to students in grades Kindergarten through grade 8 during the week of December 9th.
Students in grades K, 1 and 2 will have the assessment administered with paper and pencil. Students in grades 3-8 will be administered the assessment online in the computer room or using the school iPads.
The interim assessment will cover materials covered in Unit 2 of the Common Core Curriculum. Parents in grades 3-8 would be of assistance if they practice drilling their child with the multiplication tables. Yes, memorization is a good thing for many skills that have a wide variety of application and multiplication is one of them.

Monday - November 25, 2013 Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria
Dental permission slips will be sent home today.

Tuesday- November 26, 2013 - Last day for canned foods.
Confirmation Class will deliver turkeys and canned foods to the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Touring Tuesday.

Wednesday- November 27, 2013
Thanksgiving Mass 9:00 AM led by the Confirmation Class - Parents Welcome
Honors Assembly for the First Quarter following Mass
Mathematics Coach will work with students.

Thursday - November 28, 2013
Thanksgiving Day School closed

Friday - November 29, 2013
School Closed

Saturday - November 30, 2013 - Feast of St. Andrew, the apostle

December 1st- First Sunday of Advent
Mass at 1:00 PM for all students - NO CLASSES.

Saturday-

Week of November 18, 2013

Catholic New York Article regarding Notre Dame Visit
Catholic New York reported in their weekly newspaper the visit by Notre Dame University. You may read the article by clicking the link above and looking on the school web site.

Report Card Day - November 21st
Report Card Day will be Thursday, November 21st. Fr. Antonio will distribute report cards to students in the classrooms.
Students who are experiencing academic difficulty will need to have their parents pick up their report cards during Parent Teacher Conferences from 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM.
Parents are reminded that teachers will only be able to speak to them for approximately 5 minutes so that all parents may have time to meet with their child's teacher. Teacher's will be able to make an appointment if here are more concerns that can be addressed at a later time.
Honors Assembly will be held after Mass on Wednesday November 27th - Parents invited.

Cornerstone SIS System
As some parents know the Cornerstone SIS was turned off this past week. There were a number of issues that needed to be fixed both on the school side and the Archdiocese's side. The report cards will be ready for distribution on Thursday, November 21st as planned. The system will not be turned back on for parents until November 22nd. I was surprised to see that last week when we sent the message through the Cornerstone system that 29 e-mails were returned due to an incorrect e-mail address. Parents who still have not received a password may see Alan on Thursday in the library to receive one. This will be the last opportunity for parents to obtain their password until Christmas break. We will be focusing on giving students in grades 4-8 their own logins and passwords during the month of December.

Thanksgiving and the Little Sisters of the Poor--Dress Down Day November 22nd.
This year the Confirmation class from both the 7th and 8th grade will be delivering turkeys and canned foods to the Little Sisters of the Poor for their outreach program with the elderly.
The class is collecting money on Friday November 22nd for dress down day to purchase turkeys - last week they gathered enough money to purchase 32 turkeys. They are hoping to do the same on Friday November 22nd.
The food and turkeys will be delivered on Tuesday November 26th.

Monday - November 18th -
Reading coach will work with students.

Tuesday- November 19th
Touring Tuesday - if you know a parent that is interested in turing the school please have them contact Alba in the office.

Wednesday - November 20th
Math coach will work with students in classroom.

Thursday - November 21st - EARLY DISMISSAL DAY 12:00 NOON
Report Card Day
Parent Teacher Conferences 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Friday- November 22nd
Ms. Kaplan will work with students in grades 1, 3, and 6.

Sunday- November 24th - Feast of Christ the King
Communion Class 12:00 noon
Mass at 1:00 PM for all students.

Week of November 11, 2013

Notre Dame University Visit - November 6, 2013
This past Wednesday we were privileged to welcome Notre Dame University ACE (Alliance for Catholic Education).
ACE is responsible for 64 Madrinas scholarships at OLQM and we were very proud to show our gratitude on their 20th anniversary tour in celebration of their work with inner-city Catholic Schools.
If you go to the school web site by clicking the tab at the top of this page and then clicking videos you will be able to see the warm welcome that the students gave to Notre Dame.
Thank you to all parents who came and offered support. Thank you to Michelle Eusebio and Arelis Suarez our Madrinas who have coordinated the program. Thank you to Ms. Wong and Ms. Serewko for their work in organizing the rally outside the school and a big thank you to Angel Vasquez of the 8th grade, the grand MC.

Canned Food Drive
The annual Thanksgiving canned food drive begins this week. The class with the largest amount of cans collected will be awarded a pizza party from an anonymous donor.

Report Cards and Tuition
A reminder that Report Card Day is Thursday November 21st.
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held from 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM.
At the parent conferences teachers in grades 5 and 7 will be giving parents the New York State Test Results from the Spring 2013 ELA and Mathematics Testing.
The Superintendent of School Office made a decision this week that the Benchmark Test results would not be distributed to parents at this time. They are processing the data from those tests and are using it for the time being as a diagnostic tool.
Tuition must be up to date for students to receive their report cards. Mr. Woods will meet with parents who would like an extension on their tuition on Thursday November 14th from 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM and/or 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM.
Letters will be sent home on Tuesday and Wednesday alerting parents to the fact that their child's report card will be held because of an outstanding balance.

Cornerstone Student Information System (SIS)
Alan will be in the school library from 7:00 AM - 8:30 each day this week to assist parents with either their SIS login or password.
This will be the last week that Alan will be in the library to assist parents in the morning.
The SIS will be turned off for parents for the week of November 18th so that Mr. Woods may process the report cards. It will be turned on after report card distribution.
A reminder that we are in Quarter 2 - please make sure that you are scrolling down to see quarter 2 marks.

Monday - November 11, 2013 Veteran's Day
School Closed

Tuesday- November 12, 2013
PWC - Price Waterhouse Cooper will be in school auditorium to work with students on a course entitled Income and careers.
Parents are welcome to attend.

Wednesday- November 13, 2013
Grades one and two will be administered on-line testing for Rowland Reading Program.

Thursday- November 14, 2013 Feast of St. Lawrence O'Toole
Ms. Kaplan will be in classrooms to work with students

Friday- November 15, 2013 - Early Dismissal Day at 12:00 noon.
Ms. Sampson - the instructional specialist for the Board of Directors will be visiting classrooms today.
Faculty Meeting.

Sunday- November 17, 2013
No Classes.
Ms. Larios will be taking attendance at the 1:00 PM Mass.
All students are to be in the same seats as usual to be counted present.

Letter from Dr. Timothy McNiff, Superintendent of Schools

November 4, 2013

OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK
1011 First Avenue,
New York, New York 10022
Phone: (212) 371-1000 Fax: (212) 758-3018

Dear Parents,

November 8, 2013 will be our Fourth Annual Data Day. This is an important date in our academic calendar when teachers and schools administrators meet for a full day of student data analysis. This review and analysis results in action plans and the development of modified and improved approaches to instruction to meet assessed student needs.

In the past, our teachers analyzed ITBS results on Data Day. For the 2013-14 school year, we discontinued ITBS testing in favor of the implementation of a diagnostic tool that better reflects and supports our new curriculum. Interim Assessments are better indicators of student growth (three ELA and three Math will be administered for grades 3-8 during the 2013-14 school year). The makeup of the assessments, i.e. the phrasing of questions and curriculum topics addressed, coupled with the frequency of delivery of these assessments, provides teachers with more opportunities to enhance instruction based on student results.

As stated in my September 3rd letter, the new State tests designed to assess student performances with this new curriculum is challenging. The decision to administer Interim Assessments was a direct response to those State assessments. Interim Assessments are a diagnostic tool that will familiarize students with the types of questions they will see on the state exams in the spring and will also support and inform instruction for teachers. Interim Assessments are not and should not be viewed as a ''test." It is not to be factored into the students' report cards and will not be made accessible to the public (i.e. city/state reporting).

Our new learning standards are rigorous and hold students accountable for college and career readiness. They focus on literacy, active problem solving, and 21st century skills necessary for success in life. We will continue to provide the resources and tools necessary to ensure your child achieves under these new challenges. Please know that the Interim Assessments are one of many ways we are responding to the demands of our new curriculum.

I hope you have a better understanding of Data Day 2013. Please contact your principal should you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

Timothy J. McNiff, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Week of November 4, 2013 Announcements

Common Core Mathematics Vocabulary
At the top of this blog there is link that contains the vocabulary that is part of the Common Core in Mathematics.
The PARCC Assessment that will be administered to students beginning in the 2014-2015 will expect that all students know this vocabulary fluently in order to do the word problems on the test.
What does fluent mean? Fluency means that a child or adult does not merely know the definition but that they can apply that definition. So a KINDERGARTEN student when asked is able to point at a series of figures and say this one is a hexagon because it has six vertices.
Parents are urged to look over the vocabulary posted and review the vocabulary with your child as the teacher moves through the Common Core Units.

Cornerstone SIS (Student Information System)
In order to assist parents with the NEW Cornerstone Student Information System ---Alan will be in the school library from 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM each morning this week.
A number of parents are not logging into the correct website. It is a new system not the same as last year. The new system REQUIRES that you change your password immediately following their specific directions. Please see Alan this week.

Class Picture Day
Class picture day is Tuesday November 5th. All students are to be in full dress uniform. There will be no gym classes on Tuesday.

Regional Board of Directors
The regional Board of Directors will make their initial visit to OLQM on Tuesday, Novemner 5th. They will be visiting classrooms and looking at the overall setup of the school.
In the future the Board of Directors will be meeting with parents.

Notre Dame University Visit - Madrinas Scholarship Program -- Wednesday November 6th -----10:30 AM
On Wednesday November 6th ACE - Alliance for Catholic Education will be visiting OLQM with their tour bus in honor of their 20 years of service to Catholic Education.
ACE is responsible for the Madrinas Scholarship Program. Parents, especially those who have received a Madrinas Scholarship, should come that day to meet with the sponsors of this program and thank them.
The assembly will be from 10:30 AM -12:00 noon.

Monday - November 4th - Feast of St. Charles Borromeo
Unit II Week 3

Tuesday- November 5th - Election Day
Class Picture Day - NO GYM CLOTHES -- FULL DRESS UNIFORM
Board of Directors visit at 11:00 AM

Wednesday November 6th - Alliance for Catholic Education visit 10:30 AM
FULL DRESS UNIFORM DAY

Thursday - November 7th
Reading Coach will work with students.
Dress Down Day - No NUT card needed.

Friday - November 8th
SCHOOL CLOSED - Data Day.
TACHS Exam for 8th grade students.

Saturday - November 9th- Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Sunday - November 10th
Confirmation Class 12:00 NOON
Mass at 1:00 PM for all students.

Week of October 28, 2013 Announcements

Cornerstone Student Information System (SIS)
The parent login and passwords were sent sent out Friday afternoon to those parents that had e-mailed the school early. Mr. Guzman was in the office on Sunday from 12:30 PM - 7:00 PM on Sunday to assist parents in their understanding of the new SIS.Those who sent their e-mails late will be sent the information this week. Mr. Woods will be in the school office on Saturday, November 2nd from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM to assist parents if there are problems. Further information will be sent through the IRIS system.
Students in grades 5-8 will also receive their own logins and passwords for the Cornerstone SIS -- since they are older they should accept the responsibilty of their marks and parents would assit their children by making them responsible for their work. It is too late when a child hits high school!

Anti-bullying Curriculum
A letter from Dr. McNiff the Superintendent of Schools has been posted below this blog posting for parent review.

Mathematics Vocabulary
In the next week a list of Mathematics vocabulary that should be known with fluency by grade level will be posted. At last week's workshop on the Common Core Curriculum these words were given to the principals to be distributed to parents with the instruction that fluency means just that - a Kindergarten student should be able to point out a hexagon and be able to state that it is a hexagon because it has 6 sides. There must be visual coorelation along with a known definition. A child in Kindergarten is to know that 6 + ___ = 9 is an equation and that geometry is part of the curriculum beginning in Kindergarten and ending in 12th grade.
Your child's teacher will be reviewing these words as we move forward this year and you the parent are requested to affirm these words with your child at home when possible. Parents should keep abreat of the Common Core changes in education by signing up at Engage New York a New York State Education web site dedicated to the changes occuring becuase of Common Core.

Interim Assessments
Some of the scores for the Interim Assessments have become available. The total school should be available by November 4th. At that time it is hoped that a parent report will have been developed by the company. If not they will be available to parents on the night of report cards in November.

Monday - October 28, 2013 - Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude
Unit II Week II

Tuesday- October 29, 2013
Reminder there are candy bars to assist parents in their fund raising requirements. Please see Mrs. Resto in the tuition office.

Wednesday- October 30, 2013
Math coach will be here to work with students in grades 3, 5, 6 and 7.

Thursday - October 31, 2013 - Halloween
Halloween parade for students in PreK and Kindergarten begins around 8:30 AM - parents are welcome to join in the festivities.
Please check with your child's teacher regarding classroom activities - see blog post.

Friday - November 1, 2013 - Feast of All Saints
Mass at 9:00 AM led by the 7th grade students.
Calendars will be sent home with students today.

Saturday- November 2, 2013 Feast of All Souls
Daylight Savings Time ends - turn back the clock one hour - hooray for more sleep.

Sunday - November 3, 2013
Students are to attend Mass with their parents and hand in attendance card to Fr. Antonio on leaving Mass.
THERE IS NO 1:00 PM MASS; NO Sacramental CLASSES.
Biology Class 3:00 PM

Letter from Superintendent of Schools Office Regarding Anti-Bullying Curriculum

OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK
1011 First Avenue,
New York, New York 10022
Phone: (212) 371-1000 Fax: (212) 317-9236

Dear Parents,
I would like to share with you an enhancement to one of our Archdiocesan programs for the 2013-14 school year - a bullying prevention program. I trust you will agree the safety and well-being of our students is important and requires the assurance that your child feels safe, respected and valued, and that our schools are great places for students to learn.

"Working Together to Prevent Bullying" is a ten lesson, kindergarten through eighth grade, bullying prevention program. It was piloted in all schools at various points during the 2012-2013 school term and this year we will engage in the full roll-out of the program.

The overall goal of this initiative is to create safe school environments and improve relationships among students. The curriculum ensures that all students receive the same message about bullying and they understand that everyone, adults and children alike, must work together to prevent bullying.

This curriculum, which is based on one that originated in Canada as part of a public health initiative, was chosen because it reflects the goals of Catholic education. It emphasizes the development of virtues such as fairness, compassion, tolerance and respect while also teaching students skills needed to communicate effectively and resolve conflict in acceptable ways.

The lessons help teachers set a tone in the classroom that supports a culture of tolerance and caring, and gives them an opportunity to teach students concrete ways to help themselves and each other.

We believe that having a safe school experience is something that all students deserve . Through the implementation of the "Working Together to Prevent Bullying", we are taking a proactive step towards addressing the issue of bullying and ensuring a positive learning environment for all students.
If you have any questions about this program, please contact your principal.

Sincerely,
Timothy J. McNiff
Superintendent of Schools

Student Information System Logins and Passwords

The new Cornerstone Student Information System for the Regional schools requires that all parents must have an e-mail address in order to access the system.

The student information system will allow parents to keep a daily check on their child's progress throughout the school year on daily assessments, weekly quizzes, unit tests and Mid-year exams.
Homework, classwork along with projects if graded will also be placed on the Cornerstone student information system.

In looking over the sytem today we have noticed that only 99 parents have registered e-mail address for the system. The system will automatically send the login and passwords to the parent's e-mail when we are ready to launch the system.

Unfortunately, Mr. Woods will not launch the system until at least 250 parents register their e-mails. Please forward your e-mail address to Mr. Woods as soon possible so that it may be entered on the SIS (Student Information System) by this Friday. You may e-mail Mr. Woods at olqm1@aol.com or come into the office and give the information to Alba.
If it is not received parents will not be able to receive a login and password until after report cards in November.

Week of October 21, 2013 Announcements

Progress Reports
Progress Reports were sent home on Friday October 18th.
Mr. Woods highlighted areas on the Progress Report were the student was failing the subject and wrote that the parent should speak to the teacher.
Please make sure that you the parent follow up with your child's teacher by calling Alba and scheduling an appointment. Please understand that at this time there are usually a lot of appointments and Alba will schedule them as soon as she receives a phone call.

As a reminder due to Mr. Woods' teaching schedule he will only be able to see parents on Saturday evenings from 6:00 PM - 8:00PM; Sundays from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM;
Sundays from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM and any school day from 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM.

Parents wishing to speak to the guidance counselor Ms. Seda should call Alba to also set up an appointment.

SIS Logins and Passwords
The Cornerstone Parent Access was unable to be processed this last week.It is hoped that the problem will be resolved this coming week.
Mr. Woods will then be available next Saturday October 26th to give out parent passwords and logins from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. Parents may also e-mail
Mr. Woods at olqm1@aol.com and he will send the information as soon as possible. Anyone who has worked with a new technology tool knows that glitches occur with new programs. Parents will receive an IRIS alert when the Parent Access Tab opens.

Safe Environment Curriculum Week

Dear Parents,
Our Catholic tradition has always affirmed the
dignity of the human person as created in the image
and likeness of God. Every person with whom we come
in contact deserves to be seen by us with the eyes of
God. We know that ministry with children and youth,
in particular, is a sacred trust. We, at Our Lady
Queen of Martyrs School are committed to preserve,
at all times and in all places, this sacred trust
which is rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ.
In 2002, the United States Bishops approved
The Charter for the Protection of Children and
Young People in an effort to protect children
and youth from sexual abuse at ;all levels of
church life and to restore trust in a Church
scarred by the scandal of clergy and sexual
abuse. Article 12 of the charter directs all
dioceses to create programs and processes
to teach children and youth about sexual abuse
and prevention. In the Archdiocese of New York,
this training will be integrated this week.
October 22nd-October 25th into the religious
education program in our school.
We thank you for your support and interest
as we partner to give our children the safest
possible environment to grow in faith, in
our parish, school and in our homes.

Monday - October 21, 2013
Superintendent's Conference Day on Common Core for all teachers and principals in Manhattan.
School Closed

Tuesday - October 22, 2013
Unit I - Writing Exams Grades 1-8

Touring Tuesdays - 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
New parents wishing a tour should stop at the office during that time.

Safe Environment Curriculum covered

Wednesday - October 23, 2013
Unit I Exams in Social Studies and Reading Grades 1-8
Math Coach will work with teachers regarding the new Common Core Standards

Thursday - October 24, 2013 -- United Nations Day
Unit I Exams Science and Mathematics Grades 1-8
Differentiated Learning Coaching

Friday- October 25, 2013
Unit I Exams Religion & ELA - Grades 1-8
Title I Parent Workshop - Reading, Mathematics & Counseling
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM in Title I Reading Room

Saturday- October 26, 2013
SIS (Student Information System)Logins and Passwords
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Sunday - October 27, 2013
Reconciliation Class 12:00 noon
Mass at 1:00 PM

Announcements Week of October 14, 2013

OLQM Teachers e-mail
In addressing parents requests to e-mail teachers the procedure is as follows:
1. All e-mail is to be sent to Mr. Woods e-mail at olqm1@aol.com ---please indicate in that you are the parent of _______________
2. The e-mail will be saved as a PDF file and forwarded to the teacher as requested by parent.
3. The e-mail will also be saved in the teacher's file.
4. The teacher's response will be sent back to Mr. Woods in a PDF format. It should be expected that teachers will not respond for 2 or 3 days.
5. Mr. Woods will then forward the teacher's response to the parent.
This format is being adopted to avoid issues that have occurred between teachers and parents and e-mail at other schools. The PDF format will guarantee that the e-mail will not be changed or distorted.

Mr. Woods' Sunday hours - change
Mr. Woods will only be able to see parents on Sunday from 10:00-11:30 AM and from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM beginning this Sunday October 13th.
Mr. Woods teaches Sacramental classes from 12:00 (noon) till 2:00 PM and then a Regents Biology Class from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM.
Sundays--parents do not need an appointment - Parents may just show up and
parents are free to see Mr. Woods from 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM each morning - please schedule an appointment with Alba.
Parental concerns can be also sent to Mr. Woods by e-mail at olqm1@aol.com

Tuition concerns
Parents with concerns about tuition should see Mrs. Resto in the tuition office on Tuesdays-Fridays from 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM.
Parents may also e-mail Mr. Woods with their concerns - please understand it may take a day or two for Mr. Woods to respond.

Interim Assessment # 1
As mentioned last week the Interim Assessment in Mathematics will be administered on Wednesday, October 16th.
The results will not be available until November.

Progress Reports
Progress Reports will be sent home with ALL students on Friday, October 18th. Progress Reports are an indication of how your child is doing since September.
These are informal reports to parents. Report cards will be distributed on November 21st along with AIS (Academic Intervention Services) reports as required by New York State Education Law.
Parents should make an appointment to see their child's teacher if the child has received less than a 70 in any subject area.

Cornerstone Student Information System logins and passwords
The new regional student information system will be opened to parents on Saturday October 19th from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
Parents wishing to access their child's grades should come and see Mr. Woods during those hours.
Parents may also e-mail Mr. Woods with their request and he will e-mail them the information along with instructions.
Mr. Woods will also be in office on Saturday October 26th during the same hours for logins and passwords.

Book Fair - Week of October 28th
The PreK classes will sponsor a Book Fair to assist in raising funds for their graduation ceremonies.
The Book Fair will be in the office area and parents are welcome to browse the area when dropping off their children.

Halloween 2013
As a reminder there will be a Halloween parade from 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM for students in PreK and Kindergarten.
Parents are welcome to join in the days activities.
Parents should check with their child's teacher regarding each specific class.
Students in the upper grades will not be permitted to go to a party in the PreK or Kindergarten.

Monday October 14th - Columbus Day School Closed
CCSS - Common Core State Standards Unit I Week 6

Tuesday October 15th - Feast of St. Teresa of the Jesus
Anti-Bullying curriculum will be covered today.
After School Math Grade 5

Wednesday October 16th-
Interim Assessment # 1 - Mathematics Grades K-8
After School Math Grade 6

Thursday October 17th
Reading Coach will be working with students.
After School Math Grade 8

Friday October 18th - Feast of St. Luke, evangelist
Progress Reports will be sent home with all students today.
Tuition is due to SMART Tuition by October 20th.
After School Math Grade 7

Saturday October 19th - Feast of Sts. John deBrebeuf and Isaac Jogues
Parent Access for Cornerstone Student Information System
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Sunday October 20th
Communion Class 12:00 noon
Mass at 1:00 PM for all students in sacramental program.
Biology Regents Class 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Monday - October 21st - SCHOOL CLOSED Superintendent's Conference Day for Teachers

Week of October 7, 2013 Announcements

Early Dismissal Day
Friday, October 11th
12:00 noon
Parents in need of child care for the afternoon should see
Mr. Marcial in the After School Program.

Fire Safety Week
Fireman Jose Rubio and Fireman Ivan Moreau both graduates of OLQM will speak to students in grades PreK-8 on Tuesday October 8th regarding Fire Safety habits at home.
Parents are welcome to attend.
Grades 5-8 - 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Grades 1-4 - 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Grades PreK, Kindergarten and HeadStart - 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Archdiocesan Interim Assessments #1
In order to address academic concerns regarding the New York State Test results on the Common Core Standards - the Archdiocese of New York along with Catapult Learning will administer three interim tests to determine how students are performing before the 2014 tests are administered in the Spring.
These tests will be in ELA (English Language Arts) and Mathematics. Students in grades Kindergarten, First and second will take the test by paper and pencil. Students therefore should have 3 or 4 number 2 pencils.
Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 will take the test online using either an I-pad or a desktop computer in the computer room.
The ELA will be administered on Thursday, October 10th.
This is a change from the monthly calendar.
The Mathematics test will be administered Wednesday October 16th.
Students who may be absent for the test will be administered the test upon their return to school.
There will be no weekly quiz on Friday or next Tuesday so that students may concentrate on the Interim Assessment.

Hispanic Heritage Presentations
In commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month which ends on October 15th all classes will display work completed by the class regarding Hispanic Heritage on its impact on American Society.
The projects will be displayed in the auditorium on
Friday October 11th from 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM.
Parents are welcome to come and browse through the exhibits.

Monday October 7, 2013 Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Tuesday October 8, 2013 - Fire Safety Week Presentation
see notes above.

Thursday October 19, 2013
Interim Assessment #1
Grades K-8
ELA - English Language Arts

Friday October 11, 2013----Dismissal at 12:00 noon
Hispanic Heritage Presentations in auditorium
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Map a Month due from September

Sunday - October 13, 2013
Confirmation Class 12:00 noon in Library
1:00 PM - Mass for all students in sacramental program
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Regents Biology Class

Announcements Week of September 29, 2013

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi - Friday October 4, 2013
On Friday at the 9:00 AM Mass animals will be blessed during Mass.
Students may bring any or all the animals they have from home to be blessed at this Mass.
Dogs and cats must be returned home after Mass, therefore, an adult must bring
them to Mass to be blessed. Virgil and Big Bird will be welcoming back all their
friends that they have met over the years and welcoming new friends at this yearly Mass.

Students may dress up in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. No jeans, sneakers etc.

Tuition 2013-2014
A reminder that parents who need an extension on their tuition must see Mr. Woods for the extension. Mr. Woods is here each Sunday as listed on the calendar/blog and there is
no appointment necessary.

Monday September 30, 2013
Feast of St. Jerome

Tuesday October 1, 2013
Feast of St. Therese of the the Child Jesus.
October calendars will be sent home today.

Wednesday October 2, 2013
Feast of the Guardian Angels
No Biology Class today.

Thursday October 3, 2013
Reminder that candy bars are available in the tuition office to assit you in fund raising.

Friday October 4, 2013
Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
Mass at 9:00 AM led by students of the 5th grade.
Dress up Day in honor of St. Francis of Assisi
Students may bring their animals to the 9:00 AM Mass to have them blessed.
Parents are welcome.
New Moon

Sunday October 5, 2013
Mass for all students in sacramental program
1:00 PM - students must sit as a group with Mr. Woods.
Schedules will be distributed after Mass.
Registration for sacramental program 10:00 AM -12:00 noon
Mr. Woods in office 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM.

Announcements Week of September 22, 2013

Engage New York
Parents should look at resources at the New York State Education web site http://www.engageny.org/parent-and-family-resources
for information to assist them in addressing the shift in education that has occured
with the implementtation of the Common Core Standards.

Monday September 23, 2013 -
Extended Day Math Program Grade 5 from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Tuesday September 24, 2013
National Punctuation Day

Wednesday September 25, 2013
Reminder Candy Bars are available in the tuition office to assist you in your
fund raising efforts. If you have questions please see Mrs. Resto.

Thursday September 26, 2013
Feast of Sts. Cosmos and Damien
Extended Day Math Grade 8 from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Friday September 27, 2013
Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

Saturday September 28, 2013
Cardinal Dolan will be main celebrant at the
6:30 PM Mass (Spanish)
8th grade will attend Mass

Sunday September 29, 2013
Parents may see Mr. Woods in school office with concerns
10:00 AM -2:00 PM --no appointment necessary.
Registration for Sacramental Programs
Baptism, Reconciliatio, First Holy Communion and Condirmation
10:00 AM- 2:00 PM - Baptisimal Certificate needed for registration
Biology Class 3:00 PM -5:00 PM

Week of September 15, 2013 Announcements

World's Finest Candy Bars
On Tuesday candy bars will be available in the tuition office to assist
all parents in their fund raising.
You should have received a Tuition card from Mrs. Resto at the opening meeting
on September 5th. If you did not please see Mrs. Resto in the tuition office.
The money for candy sales is to be returned to Mrs. Resto in the envelope
provided in the box of candy and the money will be noted on the Tuition card.
Only parents may pick up candy boxes as they must be signed for by the parent.
If you have any questions please see either Mrs. Resto or Alba in the office area.

Required Paperwork
As a reminder Parent signature pages along with emergency cards should have been returned
last Friday. If you have not done so please do so as soon as possible.
A reminder that if phone numbers change during the school year please contact Alba in the
school office.

Monday September 16, 2013


Tuesday September 17, 2013
Feast of St. Robert Bellarmine
Anti- Bullying Curriculum will be covered today.
Parent Meeting regarding Regionalization with Dr. McNiff - Superintendent of Schools
Ayana Horsford's mom and Joel/Jailyn Castillo's mom will represent
OLQM at this meeting.

Wednesday September 18, 2013
Reminder candy bars are in office to assist you in your fund raising.

Thursday September 19, 2013
Feast of St. Januuarius
Full Moon

Friday September 20, 2013
Weekly Assessment - check teachers lesson plan.
Shorts Day for the last Friday of Summer.
Shorts must be knee length and loose fitting.
PBL(Project Based Learning)in religion class classes Friday afternoon.

Sunday - September 22, 2013 Autumn Begins
Registration for Sacramental Programs of
Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
10:00 AM - 2::00
Must bring Baptismal certificate.

Announcements Week of September 9, 2013

Back to School Prayer
We thank you for the fragrance of a new box of crayons, Lord,
The rainbow in each perfect row;
Thank you for each bundle of snowy white notebook paper,
Awaiting fresh possibilities.
May they remind us that you make all things new and bless us with abundance.
Thank you for this ruler; for every eraser that tops every pencil.
May they help us remember to measure our blessings ,
But never your boundless love for us;
To allow for the making of mistakes as a normal part of human learning.
As we lay out our new clothes for these first days of school,
Help us remember to put on Christ each day, too,
And to “clothe the naked” as He asked us.
But mostly, God, help us remember
that Jesus is always our best and most devoted teacher—
That we never outgrow all his lessons on how you want us to live and to love.
By Home Faith editor Mary Lynn Hendrickson

Yearly Calendar
Parents wishing to review the yearly calendar may click on
the link to the school website at the top of this page.
The yearly calendar was set up in
the summer of 2013 and periodically may have dates, times etc. changed.
It is important to read this blog weekly and check the announcement
board in the lunchroom if there are changes.

Extended Day Math Classes
Students in grades 5-8 will attend school until 5:00 PM once a week
to prepare them for the upcoming Interim Assessments in October along
with the New York State Test.
Grade 8 will be dismissed on Mondays at 5:00 PM
Grade 7 will be dismissed on Tuesdays at 5:00 PM
Grade 6 will be dismissed on Wednesdays at 5:00 PM
Grade 5 will be dismissed on Thursdays at 5:00 PM

The new Common Core Curriculum along with the three interim
assessments require extra preparation in Mathematics - a weakness
throughout the State of New York as explained by Commissioner King
on Engage New York.org


Monday September 9, 2013
First Day of School
Breakfast & Lunch Program begins today
September calendars will be distributed today.
Map A Month will be distributed today.
Line up in backyard for students in grades 1-8
Bell will ring at 7:45 AM
Parents may escort students to class with their book bags
and supplies for the first day.
Parents are requested to leave by 8:30 AM

After School Program will begin today at dismissal.
Parents who have not registered may do in the school
office. Any questions about the After School Program
should be directed to Mr. Marcial, the director of the
program.

Tuesday September 10, 2013
Board of Health will be in School to screen for
vision and hearing for students in grades
Kindergarten, First and Second.
All School supplies should be in school today.

Wednesday September 11, 2013
Patriot's Day

Thursday September 12, 2013
Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
Mass at 9:00 AM led by the students of the 8th grade
Parents invited to attend.

Friday September 13, 2013
All signature papers and emergency cards are due today.

Sunday September 15, 2013
Parish Feast
Registration for sacramental program for
Sacrament of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion,
Confirmation 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Mr. Woods will be in school office if parents wish to see him.
No appointment necessary.

Announcements Week of June 24, 25, 26th

PreK Summer Program
The PreK Summer Program with Mrs. Fundora begins Monday June 24th.
The hours are from 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM.
As a reminder all parents must have the full Summer Program paid for the child to begin on Monday, June 24th.

Summer School Title I
Parents should have received a letter indicating that their child was accepted to the program last week.
The program begins July 8th.
If you did not receive a letter please see Alba as she has a master list of students accepted in the program.

Summer Breakfast and Lunch Program
A free Summer Breakfast and Lunch Program is available at OLQM during the summer months.It is open for
all students and children under the age of 18. If you have questions please see Elsa or Teolinda in the kitchen.

Summer School Grades 1-8 Math and Reading/Social Studies/Science
Students in grades 1-8 who do not pass for the year are required to attend Summer School.
A letter will be attached to the report card indicating he dates of Summer School, fees etc.
Letters were sent out during the Easter break if a child was failing to indicate a need for further study.
Registration for Summer School will be Thursday June 27th and Friday June 28th - 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM.

Monday June 24, 2013
Shorts Day for cleanup of classrooms.
Sr. Valorie will be leaving June 30th for Haiti - $1300.00 of medicines were purchased by Mr. Woods for the orphange in Haiti.
They will be picked up at school by Sr. Valorie this week and she will be back in the fall to show students how their contribution assisted the children of Haiti.

Tuesday June 25, 2013
8th grade graduation Mass and Graduation exercises 11:00 AM
All students are to be in full dress uniform.
Parents are invited.
Classroom Party Day after Graduation exercises.
LAST DAY OF AFTER SCHOL PROGRAM


Wednesday June 26, 2013
Awards Day 9:00 AM ----this is a change from the calendar!!!
Report Cards will be distributed by Father Antonio.
Dismissal at 11:00 AM

Thursday and Friday June 27th and 28th
Registration for Summer School 9:00 AM -1:00 PM

Tuition - a final reminder that tuition for the 2012-2013 school year must be paid in full to return to OLQM in September, 2013.
As Mr. Woods has explained on this blog the goverance of the school comes under a regional board of directors during the Summer and financal decisions will now be made by the board.
Mr. Woods will explain at the opening meeting in September.

Announcements Week of June 16, 2013

Tuition- a reminder that tuition and fund raising must be paid and up to date for your child to receive their report card on June 26th.

Summer School - students who do not pass on the report card will be required to attend Summer School.
Letters regarding the possibility of Summer School were sent by mail during the Easter recess. Summer School registeration will be June 27th and June 28th in the school office. Classes for Summer School will begin July 1st and a schedule will be given at registration.

Title I Summer Program- this week Mr. Woods will be notified of acceptances to the Title I program. Parents will also receive notices by mail. Once the list has been sent to Mr. Woods, Alba will call parents to notify them.

PreK Summer Program - begins June 24th at 7:30 AM. Parents are reminded that all tuition for the program must be paid before the child may begin the program.

Monday - June 17, 2013
A reminder that End of Year Exams are cummulative exams that cover material from September 2012 until June 2013.

Tuesday- June 18, 2013
PreK-1 Graduation - Mrs. Fundora's class - 11:00 AM
Students should arrive at 10:30 AM - not before.
End of Year Exams Grades 1-8 Science and Math
Students in older grades will not be excused to attend graduation ceremony as exams are being administered.


Wednesday- June 19, 2013
PreK-2 Graduation - Ms. Rodriguez's class - 11:00 AM
Students should arrive at 10:30 AM - not before.
End of Year Exams Grades 1-8 Reading and ELA
Students in older grades will not be excused to attend graduation ceremony as exams are being administered.

Thursday - June 20, 2013
Kindergarten Graduation - Ms. Ocasio's class - 11:00 AM
Students should arrive at 10:30 AM - not before.
Sister Valorie will be here to speak to students regarding her work in Haiti.
End of Year Exams Grades 1-8 Social Studies and Religion
Students in older grades will not be excused to attend graduation ceremony as exams are being administered.

Friday - June 21, 2013
Early Dismissal Day -12:00 noon
Shorts Day for Haiti.
Scoring Day for End of Year Exams.

Reminder ------Awards Day June 26, 2013 11:00 AM
Report card Distribution
Academic and Service Awards distributed.
Dismissal at 12:00 noon following Assembly.

Week fo June 10, 2013 Announcements

Tuition Issues
As many parents read on the announcement board or received a Tution Suspension letter there is a great deal of money owed to the school.
As we approach the end of the school year salaries for the summer along with projected espenses need to be paid by the end of June.
As of Friday the total owed was over $110,000.00
The school has a right to require you to keep your child home until the financial obligations of the school are met along with not permitting them to be part of their graduation ceremony or to sit for End of Year Exams.
These policies are very clearly outlined in the Parents Handbook and stated on the contract that parents sign when they enroll their child.
It is never easy to say to a parent to keep a child home but Mr. Woods has always granted extensions in good faith. Those good will extensions have been taken advantage of as parents did not fulfill their agreements.
While it is never easy to remove a child from class ----at times it must be done to show that parental reponsibility caused the situation and the parent must solve it immediately.
Think ----would parents play the same scenario with the landlord of their apartment or Con Edison or their cell phone carrier?

End of Year Exams
Tuesday, June 18th - Science and Mathematics
Wednesday, June 19th - Reading and English Language Arts
Thursday, June 20th - Social Studies and Religion (grades 1 and 2)


Monday, June 10th
Tuition Suspension Day

Tuesday, June 11th
Anti-Bullying Curriculum will be covered in all classes.

Wednesday, June 12th
Teachers will post material on blog regarding End of Year Exams

Thursday, June 13th
Shorts Day -- to raise money for Sr. Valorie's orphanage in Haiti.
Sr. Valorie will speak to students on June 20th and show pictures of how the medical supplies OLQM brought last year were used.

Friday, June 14th - Flag Day
SCHOOL CLOSED

Announcements Week of June 2, 2013

Tuition
A reminder that tuition must be paid and up to date for children to participate in graduation exercises in PreK, Kindergarten and 8th grade.
Also as we move into Regionalization children will not be able to return in September until all balances owed SMART tuition are fulfilled or there is plan that is being worked on during the Summer with Mr. Woods regarding any balances due.
For those who have forgotten----- the school as of September, 2013 will no longer be a parish based school but a regional school where a board of directors will govern the workings of the school. Mr. Woods will continue as the educational director of OLQM. The policies of finances etc. will be controlled by the board of directors. This will help to strengthen the Catholic schools that are remaining open. SMART Tuition informed Mr. Woods last Monday that late fees are no longer waived in May as per policy guidelines set up with the Archdiocese.
A reminder that there will be a Tuition Suspension day on June 10, 2013. All tuition for the 2012-2013 school year was due by May 20, 2013.

Title I Summer Program
Title I Summer School letters were sent home on Tuesday, May 28th. All letters are due to the office by Monday June 3rd.
Further information will be sent home regarding the program before the end of school.

End of Year Exams (EOY)
End of Year Exams will be administered June 18th, June 19th and June 20th for students in Grades 1-8.
The exams will cover the whole year's work.
Tuesday - June 18th Science and Math
Wednesday - June 19th - ELA (English Language Arts) and Reading
Thursday - June 20th - Social Studies and Religion grades 1 and 2.
The Archdiocesean Religion Exam in Grades 3-8 will be the final exam mark posted on the Report card as per the directives of the Archdiocese of New York.

Moving Up and Graduation Exercises
PreK-1 - Tuesday, June 18th - 11:00 AM - School Auditorium- children are to arrive at 10:30 AM
PreK-2 - Wednesday, June 19th - 11:00 AM - School Auditorium - children are to arrive at 10:30 AM
Kindergarten - Thursday, June 20th - 11:00 AM - School Auditorium - children are to arrive at 10:30 AM
8th grade - Tuesday, June 25th - 11:00 AM - Mass followed by graduation exercises.
Students in 8th grade who have not completed their academic requirements will not be permitted to march with their class in cap and gown until all academic requirements are fulfilled.

Monday, June 3rd
New York State Science Test - Written Section Grades 4 and 8

Tuesday, June 4th
Archdiocesean Religion Test Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8

Wednesday, June 5th
Students in Grades 5-8 along with Mrs. Ramsey will attend awards ceremony for the Columbia Presbyterian Neighborhood Grant.
This grant was award for the upkeep and care of the animals in the school along with the greenhouse.

Thursday, June 6th
Scoring of New York State Science Exam Written Section Grades 4 & 8.

Friday, June 7th
Early Dismissal Day.
Shorts Day - $2.00 nut card to raise money for Sr. Valorie and a health clinic in Haiti.
Last year we raised $1,000.00 for medicines to be shipped to a clinic that Sr. Valorie works in during the summer months.
Sr. Valorie presently is the school nurse at Preston High School in the Bronx and she along with a number of Sparkill Dominican Sisters have opened a clinic in Haiti for the care of children.Sr. Valorie will be here in the next week or two to speak to the students about her work and the clinic.

Sunday, June 9th
Mass at 1:00 PM for all students in the sacramental program.
Fr. Antonio will distribute certificates of completion at the end of Mass.

Announcements Week of May 27, 2013

Tuition
A reminder that tuition must be paid and up to date for children to participate in graduation exercises in PreK, Kindergarten and 8th grade.

Also as we move into Regionalization children will not be able to return in September until all balances owed SMART tuition are fulfilled or there is plan that is being worked on during the Summer with Mr. Woods regarding any balances due.
For those who have forgotten----- the school as of September, 2013 will no longer be a parish based school but a regional school where a board of directors will govern the workings of the school. Mr. Woods will continue as the educational director of OLQM. The policies of finances etc. will be controlled by the board of directors. This will help to strengthen the Catholic schools that are remaining open. SMART Tuition informed Mr. Woods last Monday that late fees are no longer waived in May as per policy guidelines set up with the Archdiocese.

Title I Summer Program
As mentioned on the May calendar the Title I summer program will be a free program open to all students who are eligible for Title I services. As of Friday May 3rd students will only be able to take one class either Reading or Mathematics - not both.
More information will be coming this week - Mr. Woods is attending meeting on Tuesday May 28th regarding the program.
The program will run from July 8th - August 1st.
If your child's report card in April indicated that Summer School was a possibility --this program will NOT be a substitute for OLQM summer school as no testing will be done in the Title I program.

End of Year Exams (EOY)
End of Year Exams will be administered June 18th, June 19th and June 20th for students in Grades 1-8.
The exams will cover the whole year's work.
Tuesday - June 18th Science and Math
Wednesday - June 19th - ELA (English Language Arts) and Reading
Thursday - June 20th - Social Studies and Religion grades 1 and 2.
The Archdiocesean Religion Exam in Grades 3-8 will be the final exam mark posted on the Report card as per the directives of the Archdiocese of New York.

Moving Up and Graduation Exercises
PreK-1 - Tuesday, June 18th - 11:00 AM - School Auditorium- children are to arrive at 10:30 AM
PreK-2 - Wednesday, June 19th - 11:00 AM - School Auditorium - children are to arrive at 10:30 AM
Kindergarten - Thursday, June 20th - 11:00 AM - School Auditorium - children are to arrive at 10:30 AM
8th grade - Tuesday, June 25th - 11:00 AM - Mass followed by graduation exercises.
Students in 8th grade who have not completed their academic requirements will not be permitted to march with their class in cap and gown until all academic requirements are fulfilled.

TEAK Fellowship Program

Congratulations to Alexander DeJesus Castillo of the 6th grade for acceptance to the TEAK Fellowship Program. We wish him well as he begins the program in the first week of June.

The outline of the program and its requirements are listed below.

The TEAK Fellowship helps talented New York City students from low-income families gain admission to and succeed at top high schools and colleges. Along with academic support, TEAK provides leadership training, exposure to the arts and outdoors, mentoring, career experience, and assistance with the high school and college application processes.

•Be enrolled in sixth grade at the time of their application
•Attend a public or parochial school in one of the five boroughs of NYC and be a NYC resident
•Earn a scaled score of 685 or above on the fifth grade NYS ELA exam and a scaled score of 700 or above on the fifth grade NYS math exam and/or score in the 90th percentile on other standardized tests
•Earn 90% or above in all classes
•Come from families with financial need
•Provide proof of academic merit and family income
•Be citizens or permanent residents of the United States

Unit V Week V

Monday - May 27th - Memorial Day

Tuesday- May 28th -
Readign Coach will work with students in K, 1 and 2

Wednesday - May 29th
Reading coach will work with students in grades K, 1, 2 and 3
Scoring of New York State Science Performance Test Grades 4 and 8 here at OLQM

Thursday - May 30th
Students should have a set of rosary beads for the May Proxcession on Friday.

Friday - May 31st - Feast of the Visitation
May Procession at 9:00 AM
All students should have a set of Rosary Beads with them.
Parents invited.
Students in Communion and Confirmation classes are to wear their
communion outfits and their gowns.

Week of May 20, 2013 Announcements

Progress Reports
Progress Reports were sent home on Friday May 17th with ALL students. The report is on bright yellow paper. Please check your child's bookbag for the Progress Report. Parent should schedule an appointment with the child's teacher is any mark is below 60.
As a reminder there are only approximately 30 days of school remaining.

SIS - Student Information System
The SIS system will be turned off for parent review beginning June 1st. This will allow Mr. Woods time to upload grades for report cards etc.
Beginning in September there will be a new SIS system. There will be no parent access with the new system until December of 2013. This will allow Mr. Woods and the faculty time to work out the problems of working with a new system. Mr. Woods will keep parents informed on how the new system is working in September at the opening parent meeting.

Tuition
A reminder that tuition must be paid and up to date for children to participate in graduation exercises in PreK, Kindergarten and 8th grade.

Also as we move into Regionalization children will not be able to return in September until all balances owed SMART tuition are fulfilled or there is plan that is being worked on during the Summer with Mr. Woods regarding any balances due.
For those who have forgotten----- the school as of September, 2013 will no longer be a parish based school but a regional school where a board of directors will govern the workings of the school. Mr. Woods will continue as the educational director of OLQM. The policies of finances etc. will be controlled by the board of directors. This will help to strengthen the Catholic schools that are remaining open. Mrs. Resto will be calling parents this week to remind them of their outstanding balances and the policy regarding graduation.

Title I Summer Program
As mentioned on the May calendar the Title I summer program will be a free program open to all students who are eligible for Title I services. As of Friday May 3rd students will only be able to take one class either Reading or Mathematics - not both.
More information will be coming in the next few weeks.
The program will run from July 8th - August 1st.
If your child's report card in April indicated that Summer School was a possibility --this program will NOT be a substitute for OLQM summer school as no testing will be done in the Title I program.

Monday, May 20, 2013 Feast of St. Hilary
Reading Coach will work with students in grades K, 1, 2, & 3

Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Reading Coach will work with students in grades K, 1, 2, & 3
Anti-Bullying Curriculum will be covered today.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Feast of St. Rita
Reading Coach will work with students in grades K, 1, 2, & 3
Confirmation Students will be released at 12:00 noon.
Confirmation Ceremony 5:00 PM
All students in sacramental program are to attend the Confirmation ceremony.
Bishop Walsh, Vicar General for the Archdiocese of New York will be the main celebrant.

Thursday, May 23, 2013
Price Waterhouse will work with students in rades 3-8 regarding financial literacy.
Reading Coach will work with students in grades K, 1, 2, & 3

Friday, May 24, 2013
Early Dismissal Day ---12:00 noon
Scoring Day for NYSESLAT test.

Saturday, May 25, 2013 Feast of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

Sunday - May 26, 2013
Students in sacramental program may attend Mass with their parents.
They do not have to attend the 1:00 PM Mass.

Announcements for the Week of May 12, 2013

Progress reports Friday May 17th.
Progress Reports will be sent home with ALL students on Friday. Please be aware that this is the last parent report before the final report card in June. If your child is failing is is imperative that you meet with your child's teacher to correct the matter before the end of the year.

SIS - Student Information System
The SIS system will be turned off for parent review beginning June 1st. This will allow Mr. Woods time to upload grades for report cards etc.
Beginning in September there will be a new SIS system. There will be no parent access with the new system until December of 2013. This will allow Mr. Woods and the faculty time to work out the problems of working with a new system. Mr. Woods wuill keep parents informed on how the new system is working in September.

Tuition
A reminder that tuition must be paid and up to date for children to participate in graduation exercises in PreK, Kindergarten and 8th grade.

Also as we move into Regionalization children will not be able to return in September until all balances owed SMART tuition are fulfilled or there is plan that is being worked on during the Summer with Mr. Woods regarding any balances due.
For those who have forgotten----- the school as of September, 2013 will no longer be a parish based school but a regional school where a board of directors will govern the workings of the school.Mr. Woods will continue as the educational director of OLQM. The policies of finances etc. will be controlled by the board of directors. This will help to strengthen the Catholic schools that are remaining open.

Unit IV Exams
Monday - May 13th Mathematics and Religion
Tuesday - May 14th Science and Reading
Wednesday - May 15th Social Studies and ELA - English Language Arts

Monday - May 13th - Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
Unit IV Exams see schedule above

Tuesday - May 14th
Unit IV Exams see schedule above
8th grade graduation Mass at St. Patick's Cathedral
Reading Coach will work with students in grades K, 1 2, & 3

Wednesday - May 15th
Unit IV exams see schedule above.
Reading Coach will work with students in grades K, 1 2, & 3

Thursday- May 16th
Sacrament of Reconciliation 10:00 AM

Friday - May 17th
Early Dismissal Day 12:00 noon
Faculty Meeting
Progress reports will be sent home today with all students.

Some June 2013 Dates
Parents have requested dates of graduation and exam dates:

As a reminder all tuition, fees etc must be paid in full for child to participate in graduation exercises.

8th grade graduation - June 25th at 11:00 AM
Kindergarten graduation - June 20th at 11:00 AM
PreK-2 --Ms. Rodriguez's Class ---June 19th at 11:00 AM
PreK-1 ---Ms. Fundora's class - June 18th at 11:00 AM

End of Year Exams- June 17th, 18th and 19th

Report Card Day - June 26th at 11:00 AM

Title I Summer Program
As mentioned on the May calendar the Title I summer program will be a free program open to all students who are eligible for Title I services. As of Friday May 3rd students will only be able to take one class either Reading or Mathematics - not both.
More information will be coming in the next few weeks.
The program will run from July 8th - August 1st

Sacrament of Reconciliation
New Date - May 16th at 10:00 AM

Week of May 6, 2013 Announcements

Monday - May 6th
National Teacher's Day
Tuition Suspension Day

Tuesday - May 7th
NYSESLAT Grades K-8 Listening
Reading coach will work with students in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2 and 3.

Wednesday- May 8th
NYSESLAT Grades K-8 Writing
Reading Coach will work with students in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2 and 3
Math Coach will work with students in Grades 4, 6 & 8

Thursday - May 9th - Ascension Thursday
Mass at 9:00 AM led by the students of Kindergarten
North Manhattan Catholic Schools Science Fair @ 4:00 PM here.

Friday - May 10th
NYSESLAT Grades K-8 Reading

Sunday - Mother's Day - No Classes
Students may attend Mass with their families this day and not attend the 1:00 PM Mass.
Mother's Day Plant Sale

Unit IV Exams-
Monday 5/13- Math & Religion
Tuesday 5/12 - Science and Reading
Wednesday 5/13- Social Studies & ELA

OLQM 80th Anniversary Celebration
On Saturday, April 27th Alumni and donors are being invited back to relive memories of their education here at OLQM.
Students in the sacramental program - Reconciliation, Communion and Confirmation are to attend the
4:00 PM Mass on Saturday, April 27th. All students are to be in full dress uniform.
Sister June Clare Tracy, OP, the Manhattan Catholic School District Superintendent will speak to the students after Mass on Saturday.
This Saturday Mass fulfills the requirement for Sunday Mass attendance.
Should parents have questions please see Mr. Woods.
More information will be sent home this week with your child.

GYM Schedule for THIS WEEK ONLY
Due to New York State Testing Gym classes are being rearranged for this week only.

Monday 4/22 - Grades 1, 2, 5, 6 & 7

Tuesday 4/23 - Grades 5, 6 & 7

Wednesday - 4/24 - Grades Kindergarten, 2, 3 and 5

Thursday - 4/25 - Grades 4, 6 & 8



Announcements Week of April 21, 2013

Monday - April 22nd Earth Day Feast of St. Apollonius
Differentiated Learning Coach will work with students and teachers in grades 2, 3, 5 & 7

Tuesday - April 23rd Feast of St. George
Scoring of New York State ELA Exams
New York State Math Test Grades 4, 6 & 8

Wednesday - April 24th Feast of St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
Reading Coach will work with students in Kindergarten, Grades, 1, 2 & 3.
New York State Math Test Grades 4, 6 & 8

Thursday- April 25th Feast of St. Mark
Mass at 9:00 AM led by the students of the first grade.
New York State Math Test Grades 4, 6 & 8

Friday - SCHOOL CLOSED

Saturday - April 27th
80th anniversary celebration of OLQM School
4:00 PM Mass followed by reception
For more information see Nate in Library or check School website
www.olqmnyc.org