Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Week of May 25, 2020 Announcements


Due Monday  June 1, 2020
A reminder that re-registration is due by June 1st.
After June 1st the re-registration fee doubles.
If you have question e-mail Mr. Woods at 
olqm1@aol.com

Alba will outreach to parents in the next few days. She has informed me that many times she cannot leave a message on parents cell phones because the mailbox is full.


Congratulations 
Ella Tejeda
Grade 7
Ella was accepted last week into the 
Oliver Scholars Program.
Ella represents the third student from OLQM to be accepted into an advanced educational program
 for students in grades 5, 6 and 7.  These programs prepare students for the high stakes High School entrance tests and it opens opportunities for scholarships to private high schools.


Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Week of May 20, 2020 Announcements


Zoom
On-line Teaching/Learning Platform
This message was posted on your child's Google Classroom on Tuesday:
Good morning.
In a Zoom meeting with teachers yesterday I am hearing that some students are playing games regarding Zoom.
A reminder that the teacher MUST see your face during Zoom on line teaching - if not I have instructed your teachers to delete you for the day and give you a zero for the day.
I have also instructed your teachers that they must see your full name before inviting you to their Zoom class -- no street names, no memes -- nothing but the name that appears on your report card.
I will start to call your parents myself if teachers give me names of students who are breaking the rules regarding the Zoom on-line platform.
I hope this is the last I have to say about this for the remainder of the year.

Basically the picture above is what should be happening when your child is on Zoom.

Friday - 12:00 noon
 May 22, 2020
Faculty Meeting

The faculty will be having a meeting on Friday May 22nd. 
All on-line classes will cease at 12:00 noon.
On-line classes will resume on Tuesday May 26, 2020.
We will be addressing students who may be required to attend 
virtual on-line Summer School due to poor performance.
The teachers will outreach to parents next week if your child will be REQUIRED to attend Summer School.
In this way there are 4 weeks wherein the parents may work with their child and the teacher to guarantee academic success by the end of June.


Due June 1, 2020
A reminder that re-registration is due by June 1st.
After June 1st the re-registration fee doubles.
If you have question e-mail Mr. Woods at 
olqm1@aol.com

Alba will outreach to parents in the next few days. She has informed me that many times she cannot leave a message on parents cell phones because the mailbox is full.


Mr. Woods is happy to announce that 
Mathias Dominguez of the 5th grade has been accepted to the 
Regis High School Reach Program. 
This is a 3 year intense education program to prepare students for the elite High School exams in 8th grade.









Monday, May 11, 2020

Week of May 11, 2020 Announcements


Friday May 15, 2020
Grades 1-8

As listed on the school calendar Progress Reports will be available on the Cornerstone Student Information System. Parents may access their child's progress by login on to the Cornerstone system.
If parents are in need of their Cornerstone login and password -- Mr. Guzman will be in the school office on 
Tuesday May 12, 2020 - 11:00 AM -1:00 PM 
Wednesday May 13, 2020 - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM 
Thursday May 14, 2020 - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Parents who wish their child's Progress Report e-mailed to them should e-mail Mr. Woods at olqm1@aol.com
They will not be e-mailed until next Wednesday May 20th.


Calendar Changes
The following changes have been made to the yearly calendar for the remainder of 
May and June
1. Friday May 22nd - school in sesssion
2. Friday May 29th - school in session
3. Friday June 5th - 12:00 noon dismissal 
3. Friday June 12th - school is session 
4. Friday - June 19th - 12 noon dismissal - parent teacher ZOOM call regarding end of year report card.
5. Monday June 22nd - Parent teacher ZOOM calls regarding end of year report card. This is the last day of school for the academic year.

8th Grade Graduation 
This date is still pending the guidelines that will be announced by the Governor Cuomo's office.
Should it be August - then so be it. Further information will be forthcoming.

Regional Superintendent
Mr. Tweed, the regional superintendent for Manhattan, has taken a new position effective June 30th. 
Mr. Tweed has visited OLQM a number of times and has met with a number of parents and students during those visits. 
He is wished many blessings in his new endeavor.









Saturday, May 9, 2020

Letter From Superintendent of Schools Office





Alba will be reaching out to every family in the next couple of weeks regarding re-registration and any concerns.
If you have other concerns please e-mail 
Mr. Woods --- olqm1@aol.com 
The following letter is from the 
Superintendent of Schools office. Please read it carefully.

Dear Parent,

We are living through a truly unprecedented crisis.

Each day, as I work through its unprecedented challenges, I am reminded, in a myriad of ways, of the sacrifices you are making to provide a Catholic education for your children.  I am so grateful to you – and to our students – for the energy, faithfulness, determination, and love that you are bringing to this enterprise.

Our teachers have responded to your commitment by developing online education that has exceeded our initial hopes.  The ingenuity they have displayed, and our students’ embrace of their creativity is demonstrated on our school website, in social media, and, most importantly, in the high participation rates logged in our educational systems.

None of this would be possible without you.  I hear daily from our teachers; “This school is our family!”  It is your spirit that makes this statement true; your partnership that makes each school a community. 

 I turn to you now with a request of my own.  The pandemic has had a tremendous effect on our finances.  As we adjust our plans to meet the new educational needs of our schools and students, it is more critical than ever that we know for which students we are planning.  If you have not already done so, please register your children for the upcoming 2020-21 school year.  Take advantage of our registration incentive rate, which allows you to save $100 on the registration fee for each child if you complete your registration by June 1.  Your registration signals your continuing commitment to your school and to Catholic education.  The survival of our school community depends on your commitment now.
   
I know that all of us have been forever changed by this pandemic.  In some cases, that change may be very hard to bear.  So, once again, I ask that if your family is suffering financially from job loss or shortened work hours and are struggling to meet your household’s needs; if your children cannot access or complete work due to lack of technology in your home; if you are not certain where to turn, please do not hesitate to make those needs known to me.  Tuition assistance is available.  Generous donors have stepped up to make it possible for us to meet technology needs by providing the means to loan Chromebooks to students who have been working without home computers.  We may also be able to direct you to other resources available through the Archdiocese.  But, we cannot know your need unless you turn to us. 

Lastly, I am more grateful than I can say for your continued tuition payments.  You know that we cannot teach the children without the work of the instructional specialists, our school administrators, and most importantly, our teachers.  Your tuition makes all of that possible.  It is the fuel that powers the engine of education. 

In these difficult days, I have been more heartened than I can say by your actions, your spirit, your commitment, and your partnership.  In all of it, I see the tremendous love you have for your children.  Know that we love them, too.  I thank you again for gift of partnering with you in shaping their future.
Sincerely,

Andrew G. Woods
Principal



Estimada familia (padre o madre),

Estamos atravesando por una crisis verdaderamente sin precedentes.
Cada día, mientras trabajo para superar estos desafíos sin precedentes, me vienen a la mente, de innumerables maneras, los sacrificios que usted está haciendo para proporcionar una educación católica a sus hijos.  Les agradezco enormemente a usted, y a sus hijos, por la energía, la lealtad, la determinación y el amor que están trayendo a esta empresa.

Nuestros maestros han respondido al compromiso de su familia desarrollando una educación en línea que ha excedido nuestras expectativas iniciales.  El ingenio que han desplegado y el abrazo de nuestros alumnos a su creatividad quedan demostrados en el sitio web de nuestra escuela, en los medios sociales y, principalmente, en la altos porcentajes de participación registrados en nuestros sistemas educativos.

Nada de esto sería posible sin usted.  Todos los días escucho a nuestros maestros decir: "¡Esta escuela es nuestra familia!"  Es su espíritu (y el de los suyos) lo que hace de esta declaración una realidad; es su alianza con nosotros lo que hace de cada escuela una comunidad.  

Ahora yo acudo a usted con un pedido de mi parte.  La pandemia ha tenido un efecto tremendo en nuestras finanzas.  A medida que ajustamos nuestros planes para satisfacer las necesidades educativas de nuestras escuelas y de nuestros alumnos, es más importante que nunca que sepamos para cuáles alumnos estamos planificando.  Si aún no lo ha hecho, por favor, inscriba a sus hijos para el próximo año escolar 2020-21.  Aproveche nuestra tarifa promocional de inscripción, por la cual puede ahorrar $100 en la cuota de inscripción de cada niño si completa la inscripción no más tarde del 1 de junio.  Su inscripción señala su continuo compromiso con su escuela y con la educación católica.  La supervivencia de nuestra comunidad escolar depende de su compromiso aquí y ahora.


Sé que esta pandemia nos ha cambiado a todos para siempre.  En algunos casos, ese cambio puede ser muy difícil de soportar.  De modo que, una vez más, le pido que si su familia está atravesando dificultades financieras, por pérdida del trabajo o por reducción de horas de trabajo, y está luchando para cubrir las necesidades del hogar; si sus hijos no pueden acceder al trabajo o completarlo debido a la falta de tecnología en su casa; si no sabe adónde recurrir, no dude en hacerme saber acerca de esas necesidades.  Tenemos disponible asistencia económica para el pago de la matrícula.  Donantes generosos han dado un paso adelante para que podamos satisfacer las necesidades tecnológicas y lo han hecho brindando los medios necesarios para prestar Chromebooks a alumnos que trabajan en sus casas sin computadora.  También podemos acercarlo a otros recursos disponibles a través de la Arquidiócesis.  Pero no podemos saber cuáles son sus necesidades a menos que acuda a nosotros. 

Por último, no tengo palabras para expresar mi agradecimiento hacia usted por pagar de forma continua la matrícula.  Usted sabe que no podemos enseñarles a los niños sin el trabajo de los especialistas en educación, de nuestros administradores escolares y, sobre todo, de nuestros maestros.  La matrícula que usted paga hace que todo eso sea posible.  Es el combustible que impulsa el motor de la educación. 
En estos tiempos difíciles, no tengo palabras suficientes para describir el ánimo que me infunden sus acciones, su espíritu, su compromiso y su cooperación.  Y en todo esto, veo el gran amor que tiene por sus hijos.  Sepa que nosotros también lo tenemos.  Le agradezco nuevamente por este regalo de colaborar con usted, como socios, en forjar el futuro de sus hijos.

Atentamente,
Andrew G. Woods
Director

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

May 6, 2020 updates



Parent Access
Mr. Guzman is still in the process of checking all accounts on the Educate Student Information System.
Hopefully access will be opened up next week.
 As soon as all accounts have been checked the system will be opened.


Monday May 11, 2020
12:00 noon
Faculty Meeting

There will be a faculty meeting on Monday May 11th.
Classes will end at 12:00 noon for all grades.

After School Program Fees

After School Program fees have been removed for the remainder of the year from all accounts. Should it still be on your account please e-mail Mr. Woods at olqm1@aol.com so that he may forward the e-mail to Smart Tuition.


ZOOM Classes
Mr. Woods in his daily meetings with the faculty has listened to a number of issues that have arisen with Zoom on-line learning:

1. Students are to have their video on so that they can directly communicate with their teacher during Zoom instruction. They should be able to see their teacher and their teacher should be able to see them.

2. Students should not have background TV's, or other noise making machines on during the class. It is a distraction to the rest of the class and their teacher.

3. Students should have a polo shirt or a colored t-shirt on during class.  Undershirts or students with no shirts on is not acceptable.

4. Students for best focus should be sitting at a desk if possible or the kitchen table. Students learning while they are in bed or slouched on the couch is not conducive to learning.

5. All in all it must be remembered that the rules an regulations found in the Parent Student Handbook are applicable to the on-line learning platform of Zoom.