8th Grade High School Acceptances

Congratulations to our 8th grade on beginning to receive their high school decision letters! We are already very proud of all the accomplishments of our Class of 2024. We are still awaiting results from NYC public high schools. Please continue to keep our 8^th Graders in your prayers! We look forward to sharing their final high school selections in the Spring.

NYS Computer Based Testing

With the snowy weather ahead, we are counting down the days to warmer. With warmer weather comes, NYS testing. It is time for us to prepare for the administration of the Spring 2024 New York State Education Department (NYSED) grade 4-8 assessments. NYSED previously announced that school districts are required to transition to Computer-Based Testing for these NYS assessments beginning in Spring 2024.

Students in Grades 5-8 have successfully completed our Simulation rounds. This gives us a chance to ensure that our WiFi network can handle student testing while allowing our teachers to provide our students with testing conditions that will be similar to the actual exams. We will continue to work with our students to ensure that they are prepared for their upcoming exams. 

i-Ready Diagnostic Test (Starting Week of 1/22)

All students in Kindergarten-8th grade will be asked to take the second round of the diagnostic test beginning on January 22^nd.  Students will complete both the i-Ready Math Diagnostic and the Language Arts i-Ready Diagnostic. This will be the second time that the students are taking the diagnostic test and we look forward to sharing their results with you once we have completed the test for all students. 

For those who are not sure i-Ready is an online program for reading and mathematics that will help your student’s teacher determine your student’s needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows your child’s teacher to meet your student exactly where they are and provides data to increase your student’s learning gains. 

Learn more about i-Ready by watching this video! How can parents help their child prepare for an iReady assessment? Your child’s teacher administering the assessment uses pre-assessment instructions to explain the assessment to students. It is important for parents to encourage their children to try their best on the assessment. Since iReady is a general measure of student ability in mathematics, students perform best on the assessment in the same way they perform best in school—when they have had plenty of rest, attend school regularly, and have eaten breakfast.

Re-registration 

Priority registration for current students and their relatives began on Wednesday, January 17^th.  Families must be current on this year’s tuition to register for next year. It is imperative that you return the form with the fee as soon as possible to ensure that your child has a seat for the 2024-2025 school year. All re-registration documents must be submitted as soon as possible. If you need an additional form, please contact Ms. Hinkson at [email protected].

Financial Aid

Financial aid applications for students in Grades K-8, who attend a Brooklyn or Queens School or Academy has begun. Once you have registered for next year, you can apply online for a Diocesan scholarship. Families who apply during the first round are the only ones eligible for the maximum scholarship. For more information, please visit: www.futuresineducation.org.

Scholarship Deadlines

• March 31, 2024- Returning Families who received an award in the previous academic year
• April 30, 2024- New Families (students who did not receive an award in previous academic year)

Blood Drive: SAVE THE DATE

Our Lady of Mercy will be sponsoring a Blood Drive for the New York Blood Center in our Parish Hall on Sunday, February 25th, from 8:45am to 2:45pm.  More details about the blood drive will be provided shortly.  

World’s Finest Chocolate Sale (K-8)

OLMCA began our only mandatory fundraiser for 2023-2024 on Wednesday, January 17^th. We will be selling World’s Finest Chocolate Products – delicious chocolates that have been sold for years by schools and organizations. One taste will tell you where they got their name, and you are sure to find people in your neighborhood who have been World’s Finest fans for years.  If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Leone at [email protected]. 

HAA

Be sure to attend our next Home Academy Association on Thursday, January 18^th at 7pm in the school gym. All parents that attend will earn their child(ren) a dress down pass. Please enter through the side door. If you have any questions, please contact the HAA at [email protected].