We are headed into the home stretch/week of the Race For Education. Thanks to all our wonderful families we have sprinted past our initial goal of $15,000.  Let’s keep up pace and momentum to finish even stronger! It’s not too late to qualify for 2 dress down passes if you bring in your sponsor donations ($25 minimum) by Monday, May 24th! 

Be sure to share the Giving Zone link with your family and friends! Here is the link: https://www.givingzone.com/z/ssdkyNyJ5a/ 

Please sign up here to volunteer or donate water: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0d4baca62da1fa7-race

The top 3 classes (in no particular order) that are currently in the lead for 100% participation and  the prize of Tossing Buckets of water on Teachers and staff are:  Grade 4, Grade, 3, and Grade 2.  Keep those sponsorships coming in and be the class to win the honor and the pizza party!!

 

Governor Cuomo’s Announcement

Governor Cuomo announced yesterday that NYS will adopt the new CDC guidelines for Masks and Social Distance for fully vaccinated individuals. Please Note: At this time, Schools are exempt from these new CDC guidelines so the Mask Policy and Social Distance Protocols remain in place for all schools.

Full information can be found at

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-new-york-state-adopt-new-cdc-guidance-mask-use-and-social-distancing

OLMCA’s Talent Show

OLMCA students sure have talent! Join us for a fun event on Thursday, May 20th at 7pm to see our students sing, dance, and more! This event is sure to inspire all to learn a new talent. Hosted by OLMCA’s 7th Grade, you are in for a wonderful night! 

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: New families: May 31, 2021

3K for All Registration

 

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy is excited to share that we will be offering the free 3K for All program through the Department of Education. We will have one (1) full day 3K classroom with a maximum of 15 students in September 2021. Ms. Alyssa Loscalzo will be our 3K for All teacher.

We will still have an OLMCA tuition-based Nursery classroom in September. Ms. Debbie Loscalzo will remain as our Nursery teacher.

You can apply for 3K for All at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy by visiting the website at: https://www.myschools.nyc/en/. Our school code is QADQ.

Race for Education

Many thanks to all those who have helped make a great start for our 14^th Annual Race for Education! Thanks to your generosity we are more than 95% of the way toward our goal of $15,000 to fund new purchases for our Parish Hall’s lighting and audio. Congratulations to Lucas Holloway, Oscar Espinosa, Noah Edmond, and Morgan Dougherty for leading the way with the most paid sponsorships so far! 

Just a few reminders: the next early return day is Monday, May 24th. Return your sponsorship form with a minimum paid donation of $25 and receive 2 NUT cards!!  Please remember to return sponsorships as soon as possible. If you returned a pledge sheet, please begin to collect payments and send in as well. Remember every little bit helps!  Our goal is to have every student return at least 1 sponsorship!

We have a new incentive!! 

The first class that has 100% fundraising participation will get to dump buckets of freezing cold ice water over teachers and staff of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy on the race day!

Be sure to share the Giving Zone link with your family and friends! Here is the link: https://www.givingzone.com/z/ssdkyNyJ5a/ 

Please sign up here to volunteer or donate water: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0d4baca62da1fa7-race

Thank you all for your continued generosity and support. Looking forward to fun race days!

Step-Up and Graduation Dates

The revised June calendar will be sent home next week. The last day of school is Friday, June 23^rd. Please be aware that the Diocese has mandated 12:30pm dismissals starting on Thursday, June 17^th. Please make a note of these important milestone events for Nursery, PreK, Kindergarten, and 8^th Grade.

Nursery

Thursday, June 17^th

Ms. Debbie at 9am

Ms. Alyssa at 10:15am

Pre-Kindergarten

Friday, June 18^th

Mrs. Keenan at 9am

Ms. Josephine at 10am

Ms. Alyssa at 11am

Mrs. Orlov at 12pm

*Mrs. Orlov’s PreK Remote on Thursday, June 17^th at 11:30am

Kindergarten

Tuesday, June 22

9am and 10:15am

8^th Grade

Friday, June 11^th at 6pm

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Many thanks to all those who have helped make a great start for our 14th Annual Race for Education! Thanks to your generosity we are more than 75% of the way toward our goal of $15,000 to fund new purchases for our Parish Hall’s lighting and audio. Congratulations to Lucas Holloway, Oscar Espinosa, Noah Edmond, and Morgan Dougherty for leading the way with the most paid sponsorships so far! 

Just a few reminders: the next early return day is Monday, May 24th. Return your sponsorship form with a minimum paid donation of $25 and receive 2 NUT cards!!  Please remember to return sponsorships as soon as possible. If you returned a pledge sheet, please begin to collect payments and send in as well. Remember every little bit helps!  Our goal is to have every student return at least 1 sponsorship!

We have a new incentive!! 

The first class that has 100% fundraising participation will get to dump buckets of freezing cold ice water over teachers and staff of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy on the race day!

We are also looking for volunteers to help organize both the morning of the Race as well as the days before.  We will be sending home more information the week of May 17th. 

Be sure to share the Giving Zone link with your family and friends! Here is the link: https://www.givingzone.com/z/ssdkyNyJ5a/

Thank you all for your continued generosity and support. Looking forward to fun race days!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

First Holy Communion

Congratulations to our Second-Grade class! Our students received the Sacrament of First Communion last Saturday. It was a beautiful and moving Mass as our students strengthened their bond with Jesus as they received communion for the first time. Our second graders have been hard at work preparing for First Holy Communion. From visits with Monsignor McGuirl to lessons and projects with Mrs. Starace, our students were so eager and prepared to receive the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. Thank you to Mrs. Starace and Ms. Tavares for organizing such a wonderful celebration of our Catholic faith. Thank you to our second grade parents for decorating our church with beautiful and flagrant flowers. As Father Frank mentioned in his powerful homily, it will be a day that the children will always remember.

Blood Drive

 

On Sunday May 16^th from 8:45am to 2:45pm Our Lady of Mercy will be sponsoring a Blood Drive for the New York Blood Center. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Metro area blood supply is at a critically low level.

 

A blood donor is a special kind of volunteer. One donation of blood can help save up to three patients’ lives. The Blood Center provides blood services to hospitals throughout the area. We are fortunate to live in a region where sophisticated medical facilities and transplant programs are available. These programs require many blood donations. When there is not enough blood, patients wait for hours for the blood they need, delaying their recovery. Patients who are weak from low iron wait for red cells; patients whose bodies have been assaulted by chemotherapy wait for platelets that will allow their blood to clot again. Patients who have been on an organ transplant list for months or years and finally get an opportunity for an organ will lose that opportunity if there is no blood.

 

The donation procedure is simple and safe. Masks are required to be worn by all workers and donors. Social distancing will be practiced and there will be sanitizer available.  This year, in order to keep everyone (donors and Blood Center workers) safe and maintain social distancing, it is requested that all donors have an appointment for the Blood Drive. Appointments can be made by going to the New York Blood Center web site (www.nybloodcenter.org) or calling 1-800-933-BLOOD (2566). Walk-ins will be accommodated only if safe practices can be maintained. You can donate if you are between the ages of 16 and 75 (16 year olds must have parental consent. Consent form is available at www.nybloodcenter.org).

 

Please bring your donor ID card or Donor ID number (if you have one) and a photo ID. Prior to donating, please eat a good meal and drink plenty of fluids.   

 

Progress Reports

 

Progress Reports will be distributed to students in Grades 1-8 on Thursday, May 6. We ask that you sign and return the reports by the following Monday. I would like to remind you that all grades are consistently posted on Option C!

 

OLMCA Talent Show

 

Come and see our amazingly talented OLMCA students at our annual talent show on Thursday, May 20^th at 7PM via Zoom. You will be in for a treat when you hear our incredible singers, dedicated dancers, and lots more. This is a fun event for the entire family! We hope to “see” you there!

 

Race for Education

 

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy is proud to announce its 14th Annual schoolwide Race for Education on May 27th & May 28th!

 

The Race for Education is a longstanding tradition at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy and while this year is a bit different than prior years, it is still a great way to get the kids outside and raise money for the school in a fun and healthy way!

 

Due to circumstances relating to the pandemic, we will not be able to hold the Race for Education in the usual manner. We will be using pedometers to track the number of steps each student takes. Each grade will participate in an alloted 30 minutes block of time and see how many steps each student can make!

 

GivingZone, our fundraising partner, has made it easy for you to collect donations from your network of family and friends.

PARENTS GET STARTED PLEASE CLICK BELOW –>> Simply click the following link and choose your student to get started:

https://www.givingzone.com/s/ssdkyNyJ5a

 Start SHARING TODAY and we will walk our steps on May 27th & 28th! Thank You!

 

Thank You

Thank you so very much for remembering me on Principal Appreciation Day. I was truly touched by the outpouring of love from the entire OLMCA community. I absolutely loved reading the cards and watching the videos from all the students! We all know how incredible our students are. Their positivity, resilience, and eagerness to grow and learn is the reason why we are all here. I am incredibly blessed to be part of the OLMCA community.

 

A tremendous thank you to the OLMCA faculty for organizing this special day and keeping it a surprise!

OLMCA’s May calendar:

 

May 2021

 

New York State Testing Update

As of right now, New York State Testing for Math, ELA, and Science remains scheduled. Grades 4,6, and 7 ELA and Math Exams will be one day of testing rather than the usual two. The ELA state exam is scheduled now the week of April 19^th. The Math state exam is scheduled now the week of May 3^rd. The Science Exam given in Grades 4 and 8 will only have a written part which will be given the week of June 7^th. The performance exam has been canceled for the Science Regents.  

In addition, the Earth Science Regents exam is scheduled for Thursday, June 24th at 8:30am. 

Once we receive further guidance from New York State and the Diocese, we will let you know right away.

Keeping OLMCA Safe

 

You can help keep your school community safe and healthy by following these important “Core Four” actions to prevent COVID-19 transmission: 

 

• Stay home if sick: Monitor your health and stay home if you are sick except for getting essential medical care (including COVID-19 testing) and other essential needs.

 

• Physical distancing: Stay at least 6 feet away from people who are not members of your household.

 

• Wear a face covering: Protect those around you. Wearing a face covering helps reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially if you are sick and don’t have symptoms. For more information about face coverings, visit nyc.gov/health/coronavirus and look for “FAQ About Face Coverings.”

 

• Practice healthy hand hygiene: Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available; clean frequently touched surfaces regularly; avoid touching your face with unwashed hands; and cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hands.

Hand Sanitizer

To prevent the spread of germs, including COVID-19, CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water whenever possible because it reduces the amount of many types of germs and chemicals on hands. But if soap and water are not readily available, using a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. I implore you to check your child’s hand sanitizer to ensure that they are using the safest possible option. Please use the following FDA article as a resource:

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/your-hand-sanitizer-fdas-list-products-you-should-not-use

Stations of the Cross- Our Lady of Mercy Church

 During the Season of Lent, we will be celebrating the Stations of the Cross at 3:00pm, instead of 7:30pm, in the hopes of accommodating a larger number of our parishioners. This is also a more traditional time to pray the Stations as it is the hour during which Jesus “handed over His Spirit” on the Cross.

OLMCA Picture Day

Class pictures and graduate photos have been rescheduled to Wednesday, April 14^th. Please be advised that Class Pictures will not be taken this year. You still have time to order individual photos. You may visit Lifetouch at: https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/#/. The school code is: EVTNV7837.

If you have any questions, please call the office at 718-793-2086.

The Tablet Fundraiser

On Monday, the school distributed information about “The Tablet’s Covid-19 Relief Fundraiser for Catholic Schools.” This program will directly benefit our school. Please help us offset the costs of making our school COVID-Safe this past year AND give our children the opportunity to earn incredible rewards by MAKING A NEW SUBSCRIPTION OR RENEWING A PRIOR SUBSCRIPTION to the Diocese of Brooklyn weekly newspaper, THE TABLET,  from  March 15 through April 16 . Get the latest Catholic News and Events in the Diocese, the USA, and the world  at up to 67% off the usual cover price.

You can access the link here:

https://thetablet.org/CovidReliefFundraiser/SchoolPage/?school=our-lady-of-mercy-catholic-academy

 

OLMCA’s Virtual Talent Show

Show off your Special Talent (dance, sing, magic tricks, play an instrument, poetry) at the

VIRTUAL TALENT SHOW FUNDRAISER. Create a 2 – 3-minute video of yourself.   Save it to a USB drive.  Label your envelope with your name, grade and USB containing the video by April 19^th.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Lillian Coca at lilly_moon20@yahoo.com

Save the Date

Wednesday, March 31^st…12:30pm Dismissal with No Extended Care

Spring Recess from Thursday, April 1- Friday, April 9^th

Monday, April 12…Classes Resume

Wednesday, April 14^th…. Picture Day

 

Easter Recess Travel:

As we look forward to the Easter Holiday Recess many of us are making plans for the Easter Holiday Recess. Whether you are visiting family members one state over or across the globe, travel makes up a huge part of the Easter Holiday Recess.  There is always a risk of getting sick while traveling because of the inherent stress of traveling, interacting with frequently touched surfaces in public places, and changes in climate and environment. But this year continues to bring different considerations because of the Coronavirus Pandemic and the New York State Travel Advisory.

Things to consider as we enjoy this time with Family.

 

NYS COVID-19 Travel Advisory

The NYS COVID-19 travel advisory requires individuals who have traveled out of New York State to non-contiguous states for more than 24 hours to either quarantine for 10 days upon return to New York State or “Test to Exit” quarantine.

 

For travelers who were out-of-state for more than 24 hours:

• Travelers must obtain a test within three days of departure, before arrival in New York.
• The traveler must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days.
• On day 4 of their quarantine, the traveler must obtain another COVID test. If both tests come back negative, the traveler may exit quarantine early upon receipt of the second negative diagnostic test.

Further, domestic travelers to New York may be exempt from quarantine if they satisfy the following criteria.

• Consistent with recent CDC guidance, asymptomatic individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to quarantine during the first 3 months after full vaccination if such travelers:
  • Are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine); AND
  • Are within 3 months following receipt of the last dose in the series; AND
  • Have remained asymptomatic since the last COVID-19 exposure.
• Consistent with CDC guidance from February 13, 2021, asymptomatic individuals who have previously been diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and have since recovered, are not required to retest and quarantine within 3 months after the date of symptom onset from the initial COVID-19 infection or date of the first positive diagnostic test if asymptomatic during illness.
• Travelers from a state that are contiguous with New York (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont) are exempt from the travel advisory.
• Travelers from Canada crossing at land borders subject to the agreement between the governments of the United States and Canada are permitted to travel in accordance with said agreement and do not need to quarantine.
• Exceptions to the travel advisory are permitted for essential workers traveling from non-contiguous U.S. states or territories and are limited based on the duration of time in New York and subject to more specific industry guidance for a particular industry.

 

The Office of the Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn has expanded the International Travel Advisory to include all International Travel.

 

Full Information on the NYS COVID-19 Travel Advisory can be found at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory

 

Please Note: As per the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) schools can implement safety and health protocols that go above the NYS DOHMH and NYC DOHMH required safety and health protocols.

 

World’s Finest Chocolate Sale Results

 

Our World’s Finest Chocolate Sale was a huge success! We are awaiting final collection of the boxes being sold. However, our projected profit is $12,000!  Our top 3 sellers sold a combined record breaking 64 boxes and we have a tie for 1st Place!

 

Congratulations to the following winners in the World’s Finest Chocolate Sale:

 

First Place:  Vincenza Castellano – Grade 6

                     Sana Hormi – Kindergarten

 

Second Place:  Madeline Sands – Grade 3

 

Thank you to all our families that sold chocolate and/or donated to the sale.  All prizes and incentives will be distributed over the next few weeks.

 

Stations of the Cross- Our Lady of Mercy Church

 

 During the Season of Lent, we will be celebrating the Stations of the Cross at 3:00pm, instead of 7:30pm, in the hopes of accommodating a larger number of our parishioners. This is also a more traditional time to pray the Stations as it is the hour during which Jesus “handed over His Spirit” on the Cross.

 

OLMCA’s Lenten Service Project

 

For this year’s Lenten Service Project, OLMCA has partnered with Our Lady of Lourdes School/Parish in Malverne to collect donations for Father Eugene’s Middle School and High School in Nigeria.  Fr. Eugene is a parish priest in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish as well as a Chaplain in LIJ.  His ministry includes spreading the Word of God in Nigeria as well as working with the Claret Group of Schools in Enugu and Owerri, Nigeria.  His school services about 300 students with an age range of 11 to 17.  Various supplies are needed for these students to help them achieve academic success.   He also wants to purchase a school bus for the students that live a distance from the school.  Therefore, monetary donations are graciously accepted as well.   

 

We are so humbled by all the generous donations! The last day to send in supplies is Tuesday, March 23, 2021. A tremendous thank you to our Catholic Identity Committee led by Mrs. Ray for organizing this incredible project.

 

The Tablet Fundraiser

 

On Monday, the school distributed information about “The Tablet’s Covid-19 Relief Fundraiser for Catholic Schools.” This program will directly benefit our school. Please help us offset the costs of making our school COVID-Safe this past year AND give our children the opportunity to earn incredible rewards by MAKING A NEW SUBSCRIPTION OR RENEWING A PRIOR SUBSCRIPTION to the Diocese of Brooklyn weekly newspaper, THE TABLET,  from  March 15 through April 16 . Get the latest Catholic News and Events in the Diocese, the USA, and the world  at up to 67% off the usual cover price.

 

You can access the link here:

 

https://thetablet.org/CovidReliefFundraiser/SchoolPage/?school=our-lady-of-mercy-catholic-academy

 

 

OLMCA’s Virtual Talent Show

 

Show off your Special Talent (dance, sing, magic tricks, play an instrument, poetry) at the

VIRTUAL TALENT SHOW FUNDRAISER. Create a 2 – 3 minute video of yourself.   Save it to a USB drive.  Label your envelope with your name, grade and USB containing the video by April 19^th.

If you have any questions please reach out to Lillian Coca at lilly_moon20@yahoo.com

 

 

Parent Teacher Conferences (Nursery-Grade 8)

The Second Trimester will conclude on Thursday, March 18th. Report Cards will be distributed on Wednesday, March 24^th for students in Grades K-8. Parent Teacher Conferences will take place on Thursday, March 25^th from 1-3 PM and again from 6-8 PM for all students (Grades Nursery-8) of OLMCA. Due to the continued current state of being socially distant, OLMCA’s Parent Teacher Conferences will be held securely via Zoom for the second trimester. As we get closer to the date, your child’s teacher will be emailing you a Calendly link to sign up for your child’s Report Card Conference time on Thursday, March 25^th.   This will give you the opportunity to sign up for whichever time slot works best for you. 

 

There is a 12:30PM dismissal for all students. Conferences will be conducted from 1-3PM and 6-8PM.

 

Please note that accounts must be fully up to date for you to receive your child’s report card and meet your child’s teacher. 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.

 

Hot lunch will be served at 11:30 for all students. There will be extended Care from 12:30PM-6PM.

 

Save the Date

 

Wednesday, March 24^th…Report Cards Distributed

Thursday, March 25^th…Parent Teacher Conferences

Monday, March 29^th….Picture Day

Wednesday, March 31^st…12:30pm Dismissal with No Extended Care

Spring Recess from Thursday, April 1- Friday, April 9^th