Here is the December calendar:

 

December 2021

Christmas Tree Lighting

Please join us for our Annual Tree Lighting ceremony on Saturday, December 4th after the 5 P.M. Mass. Join in the Blessing and sing a few carols around the tree.

Save the Date: Sixth Grade Family Mass

Sunday, December 5^th at 10:30am

Our Lady of Mercy will hold family masses on the first Sunday of each month to celebrate our faith in community. Hospitality will follow in the parish hall after mass for the grade level. Each month will be hosted by a different grade of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy and our Religious Education Program. All faiths are welcome.

Our next Family Mass will be on Sunday, December 5^th at 10:30am. Our 6^th Grade students will be our hosts.

The St. Vincent de Paul donation truck will be parked in front of our church Sunday, December 5th, from 8:30am to 1:30pm, to accept new or gently used clothing in good, wearable condition. Please do not give stained, ripped, worn-out clothes, and do not bring clothing to the Church or Rectory prior to the truck being here. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Parent Teacher Conferences

The First Trimester will conclude on Friday, December 3^rd. Report Cards will be distributed on Tuesday, December 7^th in a sealed envelope to students in Grades K-8.

As with all things in 2021, Parent Teacher Conferences (Grades N-8) will once again look quite differently this year. Parent Teacher Conferences will be conducted remotely on Thursday, December 9^th from 1-3pm and 6-8pm. Your child’s teacher will send out notices in advance about scheduling conferences. We will send more information about this shortly.

Please note that accounts must be fully up to date for you to receive your child’s report card. We will be giving courtesy letters to families that are not fully up to date. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Alleva at dalleva@olmercyca.com or 718-793-2086.

Thursday, December 9th will be a 12:30PM dismissal for all students. Hot lunch will be served at 11:30 for all students. There will be Extended Care from 12:30PM-5:30PM.

Wall of Fame (Grades K-8)

Please be advised that starting this month, there will no longer be a designated day for Wall of Fame. Students may use their Wall of Fame dress down ticket one day during the month. For example, if students earned Wall of Fame in November, they may choose to dress down any day in December. For any questions on Wall of Fame, kindly contact your child’s teacher.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

From the Desk of Fr. Frank

Thanks to the generosity of so very many of you, we now have the replacement statues of Our Blessed Mother and Saint Therese for the front of our Church. On December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the statues will be back in place and we will dedicate them after the 9:00am Mass. We hope that as many of you who are able will join us. In Christ Father Frank.

Please be advised that school will be closed on Wednesday, December 8^th.

 

Christmas Toy Drive

 

Help make a child smile this holiday season! Donate a new, unwrapped toy by Wednesday, December 15^th.  Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy will collect the toys and deliver them to Catholic Charities and Bridge to Life. Your donations will directly benefit the less fortunate and bring the Christmas spirit to children across the city.

 

Flying Classroom Family Engagement

We are looking forward to hosting a Parent & Family Engagement Night with your school communities tomorrow, December 2nd at 6:30pm. Please remember that we shifted the start time to 6:30pm to allow for more families to join. Get a chance to meet Captain Barrington Irving, national geographic explorer and Guinness world record holder. Experience the expeditions of a lifetime! We will send a reminder as we get closer to the date.

 

 

Thanksgiving Updates

This week as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, a day of giving thanks, showing gratitude, and celebrating family, we wanted to update you on our Thanksgiving fundraising efforts.

 

Our Thanksgiving raffle generated $3890. The winners:

(2) JetBlue Airline Tickets: Grandparent of OLMCA Class of 2020 Alum

Thanksgiving Dinner: Kieran S. in Grade 1

Vera Bradly Backpack: Sara M. in Grade 4

Thank you to all that purchased tickets and supported our raffle! All proceeds are to offset our Covid-19 related expenses.

Our pie sale was a tremendous success. 344 pies were ordered with 75 being donated to the Our Lady of Mercy food pantry. Many families in our community will now have a delicious Thanksgiving Day dessert.

We are still (and always!) collecting items for the Food Pantry. The food pantry is most in need of: Toothpaste and toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, soap, ketchup, mayo, mustard, oil, spices, peanut butter, canned fruit, tuna, chicken soup, and oatmeal.

 

Thanksgiving Masses this year will be celebrated on Wednesday, November 24th at 7:30pm, and on Thursday, November 25th at 9:00am

 

Save the Date: Sixth Grade Family Mass

Sunday, December 5^th at 10:30am

Our Lady of Mercy will hold family masses on the first Sunday of each month to celebrate our faith in community. Hospitality will follow in the parish hall after mass for the grade level. Each month will be hosted by a different grade of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy and our Religious Education Program. All faiths are welcome.

Our next Family Mass will be on Sunday, December 5^th at 10:30am. Our 6^th Grade students will be our hosts.

The St. Vincent de Paul donation truck will be parked in front of our church Sunday, December 5th, from 8:30am to 1:30pm, to accept new or gently used clothing in good, wearable condition. Please do not give stained, ripped, worn-out clothes, and do not bring clothing to the Church or Rectory prior to the truck being here. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Parent Teacher Conferences

The First Trimester will conclude on Friday, December 3^rd. Report Cards will be distributed on Tuesday, December 7^th in a sealed envelope to students in Grades K-8.

As with all things in 2021, Parent Teacher Conferences (Grades N-8) will once again look quite differently this year. Parent Teacher Conferences will be conducted remotely on Thursday, December 9^th from 1-3pm and 6-8pm. Your child’s teacher will send out notices in advance about scheduling conferences. We will send more information about this shortly.

Please note that accounts must be fully up to date for you to receive your child’s report card. We will be giving courtesy letters to families that are not fully up to date. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Alleva at dalleva@olmercyca.com or 718-793-2086.

Thursday, December 9th^th will be a 12:30PM dismissal for all students. Hot lunch will be served at 11:30 for all students. There will be Extended Care from 12:30PM-5:30PM.

 

OLMCA Picture Make-up Day

Thursday, December 2^nd

If you would like Lifetouch to retake your picture or were absent, simply return your original package on Picture Retake Day on Thursday, December 2nd. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Hinkson at rhinkson@olmercyca.com or call 718-793-2086.

 

Save the Date

 

Wednesday, November 24^th…12:30PM Dismissal with no Extended Care

Thursday, November 25^th, and November 26^th…School Closed for Thanksgiving

Thursday, December 2^nd…Picture Re-take Day

Thursday, December 2^nd…Flying Classroom Family Engagement

Wednesday, December 8^th…No School for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

Parent Teacher Conferences

 

The First Trimester will conclude on Friday, December 3^rd. Report Cards will be distributed on Tuesday, December 7^th in a sealed envelope to students in Grades K-8.

 

As with all things in 2021, Parent Teacher Conferences (Grades N-8) will once again look quite differently this year. Parent Teacher Conferences will be conducted remotely on Thursday, December 9^th from 1-3pm and 6-8pm. Your child’s teacher will send out notices in advance about scheduling conferences. We will send more information about this shortly.

 

Please note that accounts must be fully up to date for you to receive your child’s report card. We will be giving courtesy letters to families that are not fully up to date. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Alleva at dalleva@olmercyca.com or 718-793-2086.

 

Thursday, December 9th^th will be a 12:30PM dismissal for all students. Hot lunch will be served at 11:30 for all students. There will be Extended Care from 12:30PM-5:30PM.

 

Welcome to the Ms. Astra Bagdziunas

 

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Astra Bagdzinuas to the OLMCA faculty. Ms. Bagdzinuas will be our new art teacher. As an experienced art teacher, Ms. Bagdzinuas works with the junior high students of Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy. She even hosts online drawing club on the weekends. I am excited to welcome her to the staff and see how she will continue to build upon the wonderful work of Mrs. T.

 

 

Student Vaccine Information

 

Please be advised that the Covid-19 vaccine for children is not mandated. However, to follow the NYS DOH Screen Testing and to assist in situations of identifying those individuals who may need to quarantine, schools are being asked to collect the vaccination status of their students who are aged 5 years or older.

 

We kindly request that you complete the attached form and return it in a sealed envelope to Ms. McCann’s attention by Wednesday, November 24th. This information is confidential and will not be shared with anyone. If your child’s vaccination status changes throughout the school year, we ask that you update the office with this information.

 

 

NYC Run Vaccine Sites:

• City-run vaccine sites will offer vaccines for children aged 5+ starting, 11/4.
• Refer families to gov/vaccinefinderand search “Pfizer 5-11” under vaccine type for a site that administers to this age group.
• Families can also call 877-VAX4-NYC to find sites across the city offering appointments or walk-up vaccines at no cost.
• New York City is working to ensure that health care providers, including pediatricians and pharmacies, across the City have access to vaccine supply for children. These providers will likely start coming online over the course of this week, families can check with their doctor, local pharmacy or nyc.gov/vaccinefinder.

 

NYC DOE Vaccine Sites:

• There will be over 1,000 pop up vaccination sites at DOE schools starting on Monday, November 8^th, some of which will be inside the school building and some of which will be outside of the school building, for example, on a mobile bus.
• Sites that are set up inside the school building will be limited to DOE students at that school, while sites that are outside of the school building may be able to accommodate children ages 5-11 who do not attend the school.
• Families can call the school to verify. A list of schools can be found on the DOE website. 

 

 

Operation Christmas Child

 

By: Isabella Alleva, Grade 8

 

Operation Christmas Child was super successful with around 130 boxes, currently! I have extended my goal to 150 shoeboxes because of all the donations received. Due to the success of “Boos” fundraiser, we were able to raise $1570.98 for additional toys and supplies. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this wonderful and exciting service project. It brings tears to my eyes every time I look at the mountain of shoeboxes in the office. Thank you again for all your generosity and support, it truly will be a blessed Christmas for all!

 

Thanksgiving Raffle

 

THANKSGIVING RAFFLE -BLOCKBUSTER ITEMS

Please see Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy’s Thanksgiving Raffle! $10 per chance/ $50 for 8 chances.

 

Prizes:

Two Free Round Trip Jet Blue tickets; Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey and trimmings for 8-10 people; and sleek Vera Bradley backpack. Fill out your tickets and return to school or rectory with cash OR check payable to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy by Tuesday, Nov. 16. Live Facebook Drawing 1 PM, Wednesday, Nov. 17. See flyer for details. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENEROSITY!

Our Lady of Mercy’s Thanksgiving Food Drive

Please help us feed the hungry by bringing in the following items. All donations are welcome.

We will accept monetary donations as well!

 

The Food Pantry is most in need of:

 

Toothpaste and toothbrushes

Shampoo

Deodorant

Soap

Ketchup, Mayo, Mustard

Oil

Salt, Pepper, and Spices

Peanut butter

Canned Fruit

Tuna

Chicken soup

Oatmeal

 

Please bring all donations by November 24, 2021

Thank you for your kindness and generosity!

NYC Run Vaccine Sites:

• City-run vaccine sites will offer vaccines for children aged 5+ starting, 11/4.
• Refer families to gov/vaccinefinderand search “Pfizer 5-11” under vaccine type for a site that administers to this age group.
• Families can also call 877-VAX4-NYC to find sites across the city offering appointments or walk-up vaccines at no cost.
• New York City is working to ensure that health care providers, including pediatricians and pharmacies, across the City have access to vaccine supply for children. These providers will likely start coming online over the course of this week, families can check with their doctor, local pharmacy or nyc.gov/vaccinefinder.

NYC DOE Vaccine Sites:

• There will be over 1,000 pop up vaccination sites at DOE schools starting on Monday, November 8^th, some of which will be inside the school building and some of which will be outside of the school building, for example, on a mobile bus.
• Sites that are set up inside the school building will be limited to DOE students at that school, while sites that are outside of the school building may be able to accommodate children ages 5-11 who do not attend the school.
• Families can call the school to verify. A list of schools can be found on the DOE website. 

Professional Day & Veterans Day

 

A friendly reminder that on Thursday, November 11th for Veterans Day school is closed and a day off for students on Friday, November 12th for a Faculty Professional Day. Have a safe and enjoyable long weekend.

Yoga

Our first Yoga event at OLMCA was a huge success. Thank you to all of the incredible moms that organized a relaxing, peaceful, and fun event. Thank you to Mrs. Jennifer Pinna for being such an amazing teacher that really helped us stretch ourselves in the best possible way! Let’s make this a new tradition.

California Pizza Kitchen Fundraiser

On Tuesday, November 9^th, California Pizza Kitchen will donate 20% of all their sales, whether you dine-in, take-out, or order online, to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy’s 8^th Grade Class. Come and join us for some delicious pizza and salads. Be sure to bring the flyer with you! Thank you for the support.

Changes to After School Program

Effective Monday, November 8^th, the After School Program will be moved to the school building. Parents are to pick up their students from the Convent entrance. This is the entrance located closer to Juno Street where the Nursery students dismiss. See the picture below for the entrance:

Thanksgiving Raffle

THANKSGIVING RAFFLE -BLOCKBUSTER ITEMS

Please see Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy’s Thanksgiving Raffle! $10 per chance/ $50 for 8 chances.

Prizes:

Two Free Round Trip Jet Blue tickets; Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey and trimmings for 8-10 people; and sleek Vera Bradley backpack. Fill out your tickets and return to school or rectory with cash OR check payable to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy by Tuesday, Nov. 16. Live Facebook Drawing 1 PM, Wednesday, Nov. 17. See flyer for details. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENEROSITY!

Congratulations to the Eighth Grade Class of 2022! The students were blessed with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit during their Confirmation with Bishop Sanchez. The ceremony was moving and we are so proud of all of our 8th graders during this very special time in their lives. A special thank you to Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs. Beadle for helping to form the student’s faith in their preparation for this Sacrament. A tremendous thank you to Monsignor McGuirl for his spiritual leadership and Fr. Frank for meeting with our students for “Father Frank Fridays.” Thank you to our Director of Religious Education, Ms. Ana Tavares, for organizing the retreat and the beautiful ceremony.

Please see our school Facebook and Instagram for some photos from the day.

Mrs. Tizjana Fejzullaj

It is with a heavy heart that I share that Mrs. Tizjana Fejzullaj will be leaving Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy. Her last day will be Friday, November 12^th. We are thankful for the incredible work that she has done during her tenure at OLMCA. From working with the students to design yearbook covers to her creative projects, she created an outstanding art program at OLMCA. She has always collaborated with our teachers on incredible projects especially with religious art. We are sure to miss her. We wish Mrs. T the best of luck in the next chapter of her life.

 

We are in the process of identifying a new art teacher. Once this position is filled, we will update you.

Student Council

Congratulations to our newly elected student council representatives. All students did an outstanding job with their campaigns from witty slogans to inspiring speeches. We are so excited to see how they bring their ideas into fruition.

President: Ashley Johnson

Vice-President: J. Benjamin Louis

Treasurer: Angelina Pustovoytov

Secretary: Morgan Dougherty

 

Class Representatives: Joanna Berrios, Selina Singh, Catalina Keating, Adam McConville

 

Changes to After School Program

Effective Monday, November 8^th, the After School Program will be moved to the school building. Parents are to pick up their students from the Convent entrance. This is the entrance located closer to Juno Street where the Nursery students dismiss. See the picture below for the entrance:

 

Thanksgiving Raffle

THANKSGIVING RAFFLE -BLOCKBUSTER ITEMS

Please see Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy’s Thanksgiving Raffle! $10 per chance/ $50 for 8 chances.

 

Prizes:

Two Free Round Trip Jet Blue tickets; Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey and trimmings for 8-10 people; and sleek Vera Bradley backpack. Fill out your tickets and return to school or rectory with cash OR check payable to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy by Tuesday, Nov. 16. Live Facebook Drawing 1 PM, Wednesday, Nov. 17. See flyer for details. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENEROSITY!

 

Parking Hazards

We are asking for your help during drop off and pickup. There has been an increase in illegal parking and many of our neighbors have called to complain. Safety is our number one priority at OLMCA, and we do not want to see any of our students hurt, or worse. Please Do Not: 

• Double park
• Block driveways of our neighbors on Kessel Street and Juno Street
• Park in no parking zones 
• Block crosswalks
• Block school entrances 
• Honk your horn repeatedly
• Drive aggressively 
• Drive fast

The Flying Classroom at OLMCA

 

I am so excited to share that we will be starting a new STEM program for Grades K-8 called the Flying Classroom next Friday.

 

Captain Barrington Irving is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the youngest pilot and first black man to fly solo around the world. He was born in Jamaica and raised in Miami where he was a stand-out football player until a pilot that was a mentor challenged Barrington to try flying.

Captain Irving started Flying Classroom to expand the STEM+ curriculum that was available to schools. With specialized expedition leaders zooming into the classrooms once a week for 14 weeks, OLMCA students get to work through engineering design projects that come in a special kit provided by the Flying Classroom. Each class will get an expedition lesson with embedded activities. Each expedition lesson also has a career connection component to help students learn about the STEM+ professional that is involved.

The Kindergarten through 2nd grade classes will be learning about aerobatic flight school, the Bionic Chef and animal conservation. The 3rd through 5th grade will have the chance to dive into honey bees, water hydrodynamics and regenerative medicine. The 6th through 8th grade will be tackling the world of sustainable cities, weather and flight plans and the Orbis Flying Hospital.

 

Check out this exciting video from Captain Irving: https://vimeo.com/617331913/0841f37607

 

Revised International and Domestic Travel Advisory Guidelines:

 

Out of precaution at this time the Elementary schools within the Diocese of Brooklyn will follow the CDC Travel guidelines for vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals for International Travel

This will apply to ALL International Travel.

 

Quarantine is not required following Domestic Travel.

 

Please Note: These guidelines are subject to change as the pandemic continues to evolve and information is shared by city and state agencies.

 

 

Virtual Rosary Rally

 

Tuesday, October 26^th at 1:30pm via Zoom

 

October is the month of the Rosary. OLMCA will host a virtual Rosary Rally led by our students in Kindergarten-Eighth Grade. For the month of October, our theme has been a “Call to Family, Community, and Participation.” Call to Family, Community, and Participation describes the belief that family are a central part of our human lives. The Church serves as our faith family likewise our school serves as a type of “family.”

 

A Zoom link will be sent on Monday morning. We hope that you can join us in an afternoon of prayer.

 

Hunt for the Golden Ticket with Aigners

What’s better than a school fundraiser that asks you to eat chocolate or drink a latte? Making sure the school funds go towards Covid expenses and supporting a local business! Starting Monday, October 18th up until Friday, October 22nd we have partnered with Aigners chocolate shop for an adventurous fundraiser called “The Hunt for the Golden Chocolate Bars!” 

Picture Day

Individual pictures will take place on Tuesday, October 19^th.  Students may dress up to have their picture taken.  Students may also wear their school uniform. Eighth Grade students will take their graduation photos on this day. At this time, Lifetouch is not offering any group photos.

Save the Date

 

• Monday, October 18^th…Aigner Chocolate Sale Begins
• Tuesday, October 19^th…Picture Day
• Wednesday, October 20^th …Unity Day (wear orange)
• Thursday, October 21^st…Progress Reports (Grades 1-8)
• Friday, October 29^th…12:30PM Dismissal (K-8) Regular Day for 3K, Nursery, PreK
• Friday, October 29^th…Confirmation for Grade 8 at 5:30PM
• Friday, October 29^th…Halloween Celebration (More information to follow)
• Monday, November 1^st…All Saints Day (School Open)
• Thursday, November 11^th…Veterans Day (No School)
• Friday, November 12^th….Professional Day (No School)

What’s better than a school fundraiser that asks you to eat chocolate or drink a latte? Making sure the school funds go towards Covid expenses, and also supporting a local business! 

Starting Monday, October 18th up until Friday, October 22nd we have partnered with our local chocolate shop for an adventurous fundraiser” The Hunt for the Golden Chocolate Bars!” 

See the attached flyer for details.  

Hope you can stop by!

OLMCA Golden Chocolate Bars

 

OLMCA Daily DOH Report Card

I would like to share “The COVID-19 Report Card”, an online dashboard that tracks real-time COVID-19 infections and testing operations of every New York school and school district. 

To access OLMCA’s report card please see the below link:  

https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/#/schoolData;schBedsCodeId=342800127163;dsBedsCodeId=undefined;schoolType=Private%20School;redirectToHome=true%20On%20Mo

The COVID-19 Report Card will provide parents, teachers, students, and all New Yorkers with comprehensive data updated daily, including:

• Positive infections by date of students & staff by school & school district
• Whether school/district (& student and staff) are remote, in-person, or hybrid
• Number of students and staff on-site
• Percentage of on-site students & staff who test positive
• Number of tests administered by the school, test type, lab used and lag time
• Date of last submission/update

Wall of Fame

 

Wall of Fame will begin on Friday, October 1^st. Students in Grades 1-8 have the opportunity participate each month. Students that receive Wall of Fame will earn a dress-down pass and free ice cream.

 

To earn Wall of Fame, students must:

• Be prepared for class
• No unexcused lateness
• No unexcused absences
• No missing homework assignments
• Classwork is complete
• No uniform violations
• No detention/disciplinary issues

 

Terra Nova Testing (Grades 3-8)

 

Terra Nova standardized testing for grades 3 through 8 begins this coming week of October 12^th through October 18^th. This standardized test is a national achievement that is an authentic measuring tool that asks students to construct their knowledge of Math, Reading, and Language in various ways. This assessment measures high-order thinking skills as well as basic and applied skills. Students have already begun taking their practice exams. We ask that all students make every effort to be at school daily and on time during this testing period. We also encourage all our students to do their very best!

 

During this time, expect lighter homework and classroom exams. Some helpful testing tips and strategies include: getting a good night’s sleep, having a healthy breakfast, bringing your sharpened pencils, and having a positive attitude! We expect to receive the results in early December. The teachers will share the reports with you at our first report card conference in December. Good luck to all our students!

 October Family Mass

We are happy to invite you to our first Family Mass of the 2021-2022 school year on Sunday, October 3^rd at 10:30am. The Eighth Grade will be hosting the event and partaking in the readings. All students are encouraged to attend!

In honor of the Feast Day of St. Francis Assisi, there will be a blessing of the animals on Juno Street at 1:15pm on Sunday, October 3^rd.

FACTS Student Information System

We’re excited to announce our new school management system – FACTS SIS (Student Information System). We have now set up the FACTS Family Portal – a private and secure online platform that will allow you to see academic information specific to your children while protecting their information from others. All you need is an internet-capable device to view information such as Attendance, Daily Grades, Transcripts, Discipline Issues, School calendar, and Tuition Accounts. This replaces OptionC. Please have patience with us as we learn the system.

Please note that the Family Portal is needed to see your child’s academic information in Grades K-8. For any questions, please contact Ms. Hinkson at rhinkson@olmercyca.com.