March 25, 2010
Dear Parents,
This week I would like to devote my letter to the changes the state has made to our elementary State Assessment Exams. The social studies and science exams remain unchanged. However, in past years, the ELA exams were given in January and the math exams in March. Schools were given five full school days to administer each exam. This year, the ELA exams will be given in April. The State is requiring all schools to administer all the ELA exams in three days, rather than five. The testing dates are April 26-28. This is, unfortunately, the first week back after our spring vacation.
The math exams will be given beginning on May 5th and ending on May 7th. Administering the exams later in the school year will mean that a larger percentage of the material for each grade will be on the exams. This year the number of questions and format will remain the same as in past years, but the state is considering changes for next year.
Administering the exams later in the school year will mean that schools (and parents) will not receive the results back from the state until a much later date. This may cause some issues with preparing student schedules for the next school year. As always, I will keep you informed as changes and information come my way.
The March 31st date for handing in Tuition Agreement forms for the 2010-11 school year is fast approaching. Please send in your form if you haven’t done so already.
Good luck to both our Odyssey of the Mind Teams who compete in the State competition at Binghamton University this Saturday. We’re extremely proud of each member of the team and their advisors, Kate Conron and Melissa Lawrence. You can watch their performances and the award ceromony via a live video stream available via a link on the NYSOMA website: www.nysoma.org
Congratulations also go out to Michael Trevisani for finishing in 1st Place in the Knights of Columbus State competition for his poster on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Michael now moves on to the International competition, which is held in New Haven, Connecticut on March 30th. Congratulations go out to Michael and our other students who entered this contest, along with our art teacher, Sarah Mahan.
I will not be writing a letter next week since our last day of school is Wednesday, March 31st. Please remember that we have Thursday and Friday off for Holy Week. See everyone on the Monday after Easter. Have a great Easter.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
March 19, 2010
Dear Parents,
As you are probably aware, Maureen Wahlberg is battling cancer. She began her chemo treatments recently. Our staff is planning a fundraiser for Maureen to help her with the additional costs she is incurring. You will shortly be receiving specific information regarding this fundraiser, which will take place on Friday, April 30th. We ask that you consider helping us with this event in any way you can. All proceeds from the fundraiser will be given to Maureen. Don’t hesitate to contact Cassie Buckley or me if you have any questions. Please continue to keep Maureen and her entire family in your prayers.
Several incidents occurred at the end of last week that I would like to address at this time. I’m not trying to preach or make it sound as though I’m perfect - nothing could be farther from the truth. I’m sharing these events so that we can reflect on them and see if we need to make some changes in our lives. The first involves bullying, which occurs far too often in our society. Parents can try to make all kinds of excuses for their children to try to justify bullying, but the bottom line is that it is inexcusable and unacceptable. What also occurred last week was that several students witnessed bullying and did nothing to stop it, several actually were laughing as it occurred. Children, just like adults, are responsible for their actions. The worst thing that can happen is that parents try to rationalize or make excuses for their children when they bully or allow bullying to occur. This is not the type of parental role modeling we want or should accept. Fortunately, the parents I spoke with were disappointed in their child’s behavior - not standing up when they knew it was wrong and assured me they would deal with their child, regardless of the school consequences. If we want bullying to stop, this is what we need, parents being positive role models and students standing up for what they believe in. We also need to reinforce in our children that they are responsible for their behavior. There are consequences for our actions, and as parents, we can’t make excuses for our children’s inappropriate actions. My hope is that we’ve all learned a lesson from these incidents and if faced with a similar situation, our children will do the right thing.
The second issue I would like to discuss concerns how we, as adults, treat each other. Children are wiser and more observant then we give them credit for. I have previously addressed the concern I have that some adults can walk down our hallways and say hello to certain people, but not to others. It’s not difficult to say a friendly hello or good morning as we pass each other in the halls. If we do this, our children certainly will follow our example. The same holds true for families that no longer attend our school. During the past 1 ½ years, I’ve heard on several occasions that once their children leave Holy Family, some parents don’t say hello to them when they see each other in stores or other places. I hope this is due to not seeing them, rather than ignoring them. Remember, we all represent Holy Family School by our actions, but even more important, I would hope we’d want our children to treat all people with respect. Chances are this will only happen if we model this behavior for them.
Now that spring is only one day away, perhaps the remaining snow will melt and be replaced with green. One can only hope! Don’t forget that students will not have school on Friday, March 26th due to a teachers’ conference day. Kids Zone will be open for those parents needing it. Thursday, March 25th will be our non-uniform day for the month of March. Have a great week!
Dear Parents,
As you are probably aware, Maureen Wahlberg is battling cancer. She began her chemo treatments recently. Our staff is planning a fundraiser for Maureen to help her with the additional costs she is incurring. You will shortly be receiving specific information regarding this fundraiser, which will take place on Friday, April 30th. We ask that you consider helping us with this event in any way you can. All proceeds from the fundraiser will be given to Maureen. Don’t hesitate to contact Cassie Buckley or me if you have any questions. Please continue to keep Maureen and her entire family in your prayers.
Several incidents occurred at the end of last week that I would like to address at this time. I’m not trying to preach or make it sound as though I’m perfect - nothing could be farther from the truth. I’m sharing these events so that we can reflect on them and see if we need to make some changes in our lives. The first involves bullying, which occurs far too often in our society. Parents can try to make all kinds of excuses for their children to try to justify bullying, but the bottom line is that it is inexcusable and unacceptable. What also occurred last week was that several students witnessed bullying and did nothing to stop it, several actually were laughing as it occurred. Children, just like adults, are responsible for their actions. The worst thing that can happen is that parents try to rationalize or make excuses for their children when they bully or allow bullying to occur. This is not the type of parental role modeling we want or should accept. Fortunately, the parents I spoke with were disappointed in their child’s behavior - not standing up when they knew it was wrong and assured me they would deal with their child, regardless of the school consequences. If we want bullying to stop, this is what we need, parents being positive role models and students standing up for what they believe in. We also need to reinforce in our children that they are responsible for their behavior. There are consequences for our actions, and as parents, we can’t make excuses for our children’s inappropriate actions. My hope is that we’ve all learned a lesson from these incidents and if faced with a similar situation, our children will do the right thing.
The second issue I would like to discuss concerns how we, as adults, treat each other. Children are wiser and more observant then we give them credit for. I have previously addressed the concern I have that some adults can walk down our hallways and say hello to certain people, but not to others. It’s not difficult to say a friendly hello or good morning as we pass each other in the halls. If we do this, our children certainly will follow our example. The same holds true for families that no longer attend our school. During the past 1 ½ years, I’ve heard on several occasions that once their children leave Holy Family, some parents don’t say hello to them when they see each other in stores or other places. I hope this is due to not seeing them, rather than ignoring them. Remember, we all represent Holy Family School by our actions, but even more important, I would hope we’d want our children to treat all people with respect. Chances are this will only happen if we model this behavior for them.
Now that spring is only one day away, perhaps the remaining snow will melt and be replaced with green. One can only hope! Don’t forget that students will not have school on Friday, March 26th due to a teachers’ conference day. Kids Zone will be open for those parents needing it. Thursday, March 25th will be our non-uniform day for the month of March. Have a great week!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
March 12, 2010
Dear Parents,
The enrollment period for the 2010/11 school year began on February 1st. If you have not already returned your Tuition Agreement form, please hand it in as soon as possible. I am trying to prepare the budget for next year and of course, enrollment dictates a large portion of the budget. If you are applying for Diocesan Tuition Assistance, the deadline to mail your forms in is March 15th. If you have any questions, please stop in and see me.
This past week our Odyssey of the Mind students were fortunate to meet with Bud Kelleher, a SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry professor who spoke to them about the properties and efficient use of balsam wood for building strong structures. The students found the presentation enlightening and useful to assist them in preparing for the State OM competition on March 27th at Binghamton University.
If you haven’t had the good fortune to savor one of our delicious fish fry dinners, please join us. You only have three opportunities left, counting today. Sit down dinners are available from 5-7 pm. Take out dinners begin at 4:30 pm. You can call 337-2208 for take out ahead of time so that your dinner is waiting for you when you arrive.
We have two special days this week. Students will not be required to wear their school uniform if they wear traditional colors for these days. Don’t forget to wear your “green” on Wednesday, March 17th for St. Patrick’s Day. Weather permitting, our students in Pre-K through 4th grade will be walking down to Courthouse Park for a short St. Patrick’s Day tribute. Our middle school chorus will be singing the National Anthem to begin the ceremony. Please join us if you can. Friday is St. Joseph’s Day and as is our tradition at Holy Family School, we encourage everyone to wear red.
Lastly, Mrs. Hose’s count-down to spring is almost at “zero!” Unfortunately, that means it’s that time of year when we need to set our clocks ahead one hour and “spring forward.” So, on Sunday at 2:00 am, we will set our clocks ahead one hour (and lose one hour of sleep). Have a great weekend!
Dear Parents,
The enrollment period for the 2010/11 school year began on February 1st. If you have not already returned your Tuition Agreement form, please hand it in as soon as possible. I am trying to prepare the budget for next year and of course, enrollment dictates a large portion of the budget. If you are applying for Diocesan Tuition Assistance, the deadline to mail your forms in is March 15th. If you have any questions, please stop in and see me.
This past week our Odyssey of the Mind students were fortunate to meet with Bud Kelleher, a SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry professor who spoke to them about the properties and efficient use of balsam wood for building strong structures. The students found the presentation enlightening and useful to assist them in preparing for the State OM competition on March 27th at Binghamton University.
If you haven’t had the good fortune to savor one of our delicious fish fry dinners, please join us. You only have three opportunities left, counting today. Sit down dinners are available from 5-7 pm. Take out dinners begin at 4:30 pm. You can call 337-2208 for take out ahead of time so that your dinner is waiting for you when you arrive.
We have two special days this week. Students will not be required to wear their school uniform if they wear traditional colors for these days. Don’t forget to wear your “green” on Wednesday, March 17th for St. Patrick’s Day. Weather permitting, our students in Pre-K through 4th grade will be walking down to Courthouse Park for a short St. Patrick’s Day tribute. Our middle school chorus will be singing the National Anthem to begin the ceremony. Please join us if you can. Friday is St. Joseph’s Day and as is our tradition at Holy Family School, we encourage everyone to wear red.
Lastly, Mrs. Hose’s count-down to spring is almost at “zero!” Unfortunately, that means it’s that time of year when we need to set our clocks ahead one hour and “spring forward.” So, on Sunday at 2:00 am, we will set our clocks ahead one hour (and lose one hour of sleep). Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 5, 2010
March 5, 2010
Dear Parents,
If you haven’t worked at a Fish Fry, you’re missing out! It’s not just one night serving a dinner to 300 guests, it’s an event! It’s what Holy Family School is all about – parents, staff, students and former students working together for a common cause.
This type of event doesn’t happen overnight. The committee has been working for several months planning for this event. Several changes were made this year, including upgrading to haddock and adding potato wedges. But what didn’t change was the commitment of our extended family. Whether it is baking desserts, doing the prep work for the dinner, or working at the dinner, the cooperation and camaraderie is clearly evident. It is great to see how our parents work together and have lots of fun. Fish Fries are teachable moments as parents role model for their children what community service is and how important it is. It should be noted that parents took vacation days off, and took non-paid days off from their jobs to work on our team. This is truly amazing to me. The level of commitment to Holy Family School is extremely high. If you haven’t joined our team yet and would like to help us out, please contact Ann French at school.
We have begun the enrollment process for the 2010/11 school year. Please hand in your Tuition Agreement Form with your deposit as soon as possible. If you are applying for Diocesan Tuition Assistance, your forms must be mailed in the envelopes provided and received by the Diocese by March 15th. Likewise, if you are applying for local assistance, please fill out the Local Assistance Form and return it with your Tuition Agreement Form. Please see me if you have any questions regarding assistance.
Mrs. Hose has alerted me to an issue that arises at times when parents notify the school to inform us that their children are staying after school or someone else is picking up their child. It is fine to email Mrs. Hose, but please do this before noon, as sometimes emails do not get delivered immediately or Mrs. Hose doesn‘t have the time to check her emails in the afternoon. After noon, please call the office to notify us. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.
Below is a list of upcoming field trips/assemblies at Holy Family School. Please be on the lookout for the permission slips your child will be bringing home. We strongly encourage and invite you to join your child on these field trips when there is room. Please check the list below and let your child’s teacher know if you plan on attending.
Gene
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wed, Mar. 10th “Lookingglass Alice: Gr. 5 – 7 10:30-5:30
Syracuse Stage Theatre
Friday, Mar. 12th Popp Butterfly Conser. 3rd Grade 9 -11:30 am
Oneonta
Thursday, Mar. 18th Popp Butterfly Conser. 4th Grade 11:30-2 pm
Oneonta
Friday, Mar. 19th “Little Red Riding Hood” EC – 7th 9 – 10 am
TriCities Opera – In gym
Parents & Guests Invited to Attend
Dear Parents,
If you haven’t worked at a Fish Fry, you’re missing out! It’s not just one night serving a dinner to 300 guests, it’s an event! It’s what Holy Family School is all about – parents, staff, students and former students working together for a common cause.
This type of event doesn’t happen overnight. The committee has been working for several months planning for this event. Several changes were made this year, including upgrading to haddock and adding potato wedges. But what didn’t change was the commitment of our extended family. Whether it is baking desserts, doing the prep work for the dinner, or working at the dinner, the cooperation and camaraderie is clearly evident. It is great to see how our parents work together and have lots of fun. Fish Fries are teachable moments as parents role model for their children what community service is and how important it is. It should be noted that parents took vacation days off, and took non-paid days off from their jobs to work on our team. This is truly amazing to me. The level of commitment to Holy Family School is extremely high. If you haven’t joined our team yet and would like to help us out, please contact Ann French at school.
We have begun the enrollment process for the 2010/11 school year. Please hand in your Tuition Agreement Form with your deposit as soon as possible. If you are applying for Diocesan Tuition Assistance, your forms must be mailed in the envelopes provided and received by the Diocese by March 15th. Likewise, if you are applying for local assistance, please fill out the Local Assistance Form and return it with your Tuition Agreement Form. Please see me if you have any questions regarding assistance.
Mrs. Hose has alerted me to an issue that arises at times when parents notify the school to inform us that their children are staying after school or someone else is picking up their child. It is fine to email Mrs. Hose, but please do this before noon, as sometimes emails do not get delivered immediately or Mrs. Hose doesn‘t have the time to check her emails in the afternoon. After noon, please call the office to notify us. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.
Below is a list of upcoming field trips/assemblies at Holy Family School. Please be on the lookout for the permission slips your child will be bringing home. We strongly encourage and invite you to join your child on these field trips when there is room. Please check the list below and let your child’s teacher know if you plan on attending.
Gene
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wed, Mar. 10th “Lookingglass Alice: Gr. 5 – 7 10:30-5:30
Syracuse Stage Theatre
Friday, Mar. 12th Popp Butterfly Conser. 3rd Grade 9 -11:30 am
Oneonta
Thursday, Mar. 18th Popp Butterfly Conser. 4th Grade 11:30-2 pm
Oneonta
Friday, Mar. 19th “Little Red Riding Hood” EC – 7th 9 – 10 am
TriCities Opera – In gym
Parents & Guests Invited to Attend
Friday, February 26, 2010
February 26, 2010
Dear Parents,
I was fortunate, along with about 40 other members of the Holy Family School community to witness this year’s OM competition in Masonville. This year, under the direction of Kate Conron and Melissa Lawrence, we entered two teams. In the elementary school division, fourth graders Adriana Fratini, Michael Hayes, Elijah Kwasnik, Garrison French, Michael Trevisani, Cole Olsen and Emma Blenis competed in the elementary school division, finishing first. In the middle school division, the team of Danika Tworkowsky, Anastasia Tenney, Josh Wilcox, Pablo Rojas, Ethan French and Bryan French also finished in first place. All team members should be congratulated on the amount of time, planning and effort they devoted to this event. They all represented Holy Family School well. Both teams now have one month to prepare for the State competition, which will be held on Saturday, March 27th at Binghamton University. Congratulations to all our students for a job well-done!
We have begun the enrollment process for the 2010/11 school year. Please hand in your Tuition Agreement Form with your deposit as soon as possible. If you are applying for Diocesan Tuition Assistance, your forms must be mailed in the envelopes provided and received by the Diocese by March 15th. Likewise, if you are applying for local assistance, please fill out the Local Assistance Form and return it with your Tuition Agreement Form. Please see me if you have any questions regarding assistance.
Don’t forget our Friday Fish Fries. If you haven’t savored the great food yet, please don’t miss out this Friday. Take out orders are taken from 4:30-7:00 pm and eat in hours are 5:00-7:00 pm. Also, if you have any bird feeder money that you haven’t turned in, please do so as soon as possible.
We continue to offer our students numerous field trips to extend their learning experiences. Please be on the lookout for the permission slips your child will be bringing home. We strongly encourage and invite you to join your child on these field trips when there is room. Please check the list
below and let your child’s teacher know if you plan on attending.
Gene
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Feb. 26th “The Lightening Thief” Gr. 5-7 Noon
Hamilton Theatre
Tuesday, Mar. 2nd “Step Into Seuss” Gr. K & 1 9 am-Noon
St. Mary’s – Oneonta
Parents & Guests Invited to Attend
Friday, Mar. 5th 1st Friday Mass 4th Grade 9 am
Wed, Mar. 10th “Lookingglass Alice” Gr. 5 – 7 10:30-5:30
Syracuse Stage Theatre
Friday, Mar. 12th Popp Butterfly Conser. 3rd Grade 9 -11:30 am
Oneonta
Thursday, Mar. 18th Popp Butterfly Conser. 4th Grade 9 - 11:30 am
Oneonta
Friday, Mar. 19th “Little Red Riding Hood” EC – 7th 9 – 10 am
TriCities Opera – In gym
Parents & Guests Invited to Attend
Dear Parents,
I was fortunate, along with about 40 other members of the Holy Family School community to witness this year’s OM competition in Masonville. This year, under the direction of Kate Conron and Melissa Lawrence, we entered two teams. In the elementary school division, fourth graders Adriana Fratini, Michael Hayes, Elijah Kwasnik, Garrison French, Michael Trevisani, Cole Olsen and Emma Blenis competed in the elementary school division, finishing first. In the middle school division, the team of Danika Tworkowsky, Anastasia Tenney, Josh Wilcox, Pablo Rojas, Ethan French and Bryan French also finished in first place. All team members should be congratulated on the amount of time, planning and effort they devoted to this event. They all represented Holy Family School well. Both teams now have one month to prepare for the State competition, which will be held on Saturday, March 27th at Binghamton University. Congratulations to all our students for a job well-done!
We have begun the enrollment process for the 2010/11 school year. Please hand in your Tuition Agreement Form with your deposit as soon as possible. If you are applying for Diocesan Tuition Assistance, your forms must be mailed in the envelopes provided and received by the Diocese by March 15th. Likewise, if you are applying for local assistance, please fill out the Local Assistance Form and return it with your Tuition Agreement Form. Please see me if you have any questions regarding assistance.
Don’t forget our Friday Fish Fries. If you haven’t savored the great food yet, please don’t miss out this Friday. Take out orders are taken from 4:30-7:00 pm and eat in hours are 5:00-7:00 pm. Also, if you have any bird feeder money that you haven’t turned in, please do so as soon as possible.
We continue to offer our students numerous field trips to extend their learning experiences. Please be on the lookout for the permission slips your child will be bringing home. We strongly encourage and invite you to join your child on these field trips when there is room. Please check the list
below and let your child’s teacher know if you plan on attending.
Gene
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Feb. 26th “The Lightening Thief” Gr. 5-7 Noon
Hamilton Theatre
Tuesday, Mar. 2nd “Step Into Seuss” Gr. K & 1 9 am-Noon
St. Mary’s – Oneonta
Parents & Guests Invited to Attend
Friday, Mar. 5th 1st Friday Mass 4th Grade 9 am
Wed, Mar. 10th “Lookingglass Alice” Gr. 5 – 7 10:30-5:30
Syracuse Stage Theatre
Friday, Mar. 12th Popp Butterfly Conser. 3rd Grade 9 -11:30 am
Oneonta
Thursday, Mar. 18th Popp Butterfly Conser. 4th Grade 9 - 11:30 am
Oneonta
Friday, Mar. 19th “Little Red Riding Hood” EC – 7th 9 – 10 am
TriCities Opera – In gym
Parents & Guests Invited to Attend
Thursday, February 11, 2010
February 12, 2010
Dear Parents,
Well, the second half of the school year has begun. As a type of midyear review, I thought it would be a good time to look at the changes we have undertaken at Holy Family School this year. Too often life gets so busy and complicated that we forget to reflect on our successes and just take them for granted. So, here goes!
• We began by hiring three new staff members, Suzanne Scafidi for the Early Childhood Program, Lisa Halsteter for first grade and Sarah Mahan for art.
• We focused on expanding our Early Childhood Program to a full time program, but still allowing parents the flexibility of half days and 3 day a week options. We worked on creating a curriculum that would academically challenge our students and still create an environment where they could refine their social skills.
• We purchased a new ELA series for our students in kindergarten through 5th grade, including textbooks, workbooks and leveled readers. This is allowing us to coordinate our curriculum from one grade level to the next.
• We purchased a new reading assessment tool and tested all our students in October, sharing the results with our parents. We are just concluding retesting those students that scored below grade level to see if the supports we put in place for them are effective. We will retest all of our students at the end of the school year.
• We remodeled the kindergarten and first grade rooms, adding cubbies and more useable storage areas.
• We added reading lofts in the first and third grade rooms.
• We purchased new tables and chairs for the Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and first and third grade classrooms for their learning centers. We also purchased new tables and chairs for our middle school social studies room.
• We purchased Smartboards for our kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Now all our classrooms on the main floor have Smartboards.
• We purchased 16 new computers to create computer centers in our elementary classrooms for student use, as well as additional computers for our computer lab.
• We changed our webpage and grading system to Edline and Grade Quick, providing our parents, staff and the entire school with a better system to communicate with each other.
• We painted the gym/stage area and the entrance way. We also installed new lighting and ceiling tiles in the entrance way and the hallway by the library.
• We instituted many energy efficient initiatives to conserve natural gas and electricity that we use to heat and provide lighting to our facility. Although there were upfront costs to these measures, the long-term savings should be significant.
• Additional outlets were installed in many of our classrooms.
• The main fire alarm system was inspected and a new alarm installed in the elementary wing.
• New lockers have just been installed for our middle school students.
• We are in the process of purchasing 12 new computers for our middle school classrooms for student use.
I’m sure I forgot to mention some additional changes we have instituted this year, but even I’m amazed with this list! We have accomplished a lot this year, but more improvements are on the horizon.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Feb. 12th Non-uniform Day – Box Tops Reward
Feb. 13th – 21st Winter Break – No School
Feb. 15th – 19th Kids Zone is Open
Dear Parents,
Well, the second half of the school year has begun. As a type of midyear review, I thought it would be a good time to look at the changes we have undertaken at Holy Family School this year. Too often life gets so busy and complicated that we forget to reflect on our successes and just take them for granted. So, here goes!
• We began by hiring three new staff members, Suzanne Scafidi for the Early Childhood Program, Lisa Halsteter for first grade and Sarah Mahan for art.
• We focused on expanding our Early Childhood Program to a full time program, but still allowing parents the flexibility of half days and 3 day a week options. We worked on creating a curriculum that would academically challenge our students and still create an environment where they could refine their social skills.
• We purchased a new ELA series for our students in kindergarten through 5th grade, including textbooks, workbooks and leveled readers. This is allowing us to coordinate our curriculum from one grade level to the next.
• We purchased a new reading assessment tool and tested all our students in October, sharing the results with our parents. We are just concluding retesting those students that scored below grade level to see if the supports we put in place for them are effective. We will retest all of our students at the end of the school year.
• We remodeled the kindergarten and first grade rooms, adding cubbies and more useable storage areas.
• We added reading lofts in the first and third grade rooms.
• We purchased new tables and chairs for the Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and first and third grade classrooms for their learning centers. We also purchased new tables and chairs for our middle school social studies room.
• We purchased Smartboards for our kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Now all our classrooms on the main floor have Smartboards.
• We purchased 16 new computers to create computer centers in our elementary classrooms for student use, as well as additional computers for our computer lab.
• We changed our webpage and grading system to Edline and Grade Quick, providing our parents, staff and the entire school with a better system to communicate with each other.
• We painted the gym/stage area and the entrance way. We also installed new lighting and ceiling tiles in the entrance way and the hallway by the library.
• We instituted many energy efficient initiatives to conserve natural gas and electricity that we use to heat and provide lighting to our facility. Although there were upfront costs to these measures, the long-term savings should be significant.
• Additional outlets were installed in many of our classrooms.
• The main fire alarm system was inspected and a new alarm installed in the elementary wing.
• New lockers have just been installed for our middle school students.
• We are in the process of purchasing 12 new computers for our middle school classrooms for student use.
I’m sure I forgot to mention some additional changes we have instituted this year, but even I’m amazed with this list! We have accomplished a lot this year, but more improvements are on the horizon.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Feb. 12th Non-uniform Day – Box Tops Reward
Feb. 13th – 21st Winter Break – No School
Feb. 15th – 19th Kids Zone is Open
Friday, February 5, 2010
February 5, 2010
Dear Parents,
Congratulations to all on a very successful Catholic Schools Week! Many people pitched in to make this a very memorable week, one celebrating Catholic education in the United States. It was great to see all the moms, dads and grandparents for donuts and muffins. Once again it reinforces my belief that parents really do care – they just want to be kept informed and feel welcome in their child’s school. I thought it would be appropriate, and possibly enlightening, if I shared a brief overview of the history of St. Paul’s/Holy Family School. Before I begin, please note that all the information I am sharing was found in the documents that I reorganized when I began working here. I make no claim substantiating the authenticity of this history only that it was in a file labeled “History of St. Paul’s School.” Here is that history exactly as it was written. After you read it, please let me know of any inaccuracies. Better yet, if you have any additional information I would appreciate you sharing it with me. I’d like to compile a more complete, accurate history of our school.
Saint Paul’s School was established in 1922 with a staff of three Dominican Sisters. In 1925 a fourth Sister was assigned to the school and in 1926 another Sister. No further Sisters joined the school until 1954. The original site of the school was the Maydole (or Merritt Mansion) Mansion on the corner of North Broad Street and Mitchell Avenue. There were twelve first graders and approximately twenty-five primary students in all under the leadership of the Reverend Joseph S. Tiernan. It was a combination school and convent. The first graduating class consisted of three eighth grade students in 1927.
The Reverend Henry L. Contois was appointed pastor in October 1951 by Bishop Foery. By that time the post-war birth rate was being felt in all schools, and St. Paul’s was no exception. The building, which was adequate in the beginning, now proved to be unsuitable to the needs of the children and the Sisters. In 1952, it was decided that a new school building was needed for the increasing enrollment. Meanwhile, a convent on Prospect Street (were our new playground is) was purchased and renovated and was ready for the Sisters in September 1953. The new building was dedicated on September 19, 1954 with nine Dominican Sisters staffing the school.
Under the pastorate of Father Robert F. Coombs, $278,000 was raised for an addition to Saint Paul’s School. The addition consisted of the gymnasium/
auditorium, the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms, the carpeted Manley Memorial Library containing two thousand four hundred books, the present sixth grade classroom and the cafeteria with a seating capacity of 250 people. The new addition was dedicated in February of 1964.
In 1971, the Dominican Sisters were unable to continue their duties at Saint Paul’s School because of increased responsibilities in New York City. Father Thomas Kiernan searched for a year until he was able to announce that the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet would assume the teaching responsibilities at Saint Paul’s School.
In 1978, the Norwich City School District included the ninth grade in the high school for the first time. It was decided to drop the ninth grade from Saint Paul’s School at this time to allow an easier transition for the students into the high school. For similar reasons, in 1983, the seventh and eighth grades were dropped from Saint Paul’s School when the new Norwich City Middle School was built next to the high school.
For the 1988/89 school year St. Paul’s became a county school under the name of Holy Family. In January, 1990, Saint Paul’s School was rededicated as Chenango County Catholic School Holy Family by Bishop Joseph T. O’Keefe. The school was not to be a parish school of Saint Paul’s Church any longer, but a county-wide Catholic school for all children of Chenango County.
There were eight Chenango County parishes that took over the financial support of Saint Paul’s School. These parishes were St. Joseph’s in Oxford, St. Theresa’s in New Berlin, St. Malachy’s in Sherburne, St. Agnes in Afton, St. John’s in Bainbridge, Immaculate Conception in Greene, St. Bartholomew’s in Norwich and St. Paul’s in Norwich.
Here are some notes of interest that I found:
• For the 1983/84 school year, the average Diocesan subsidy to schools for parishes was 42 % of their regular collections.
• I was able to find student tuition for the following years:
1983/84 $450
1987/88 $650
1988/89 $700
2001/02 $1,800
2002/03 $1,895
2003/04 $2,150
2004/05 $2,400
2005/06 $2,500
2006/07 $2,600
2007/08 $2,850
2008/09 $3215
2009/10 $3,215
That’s the information I could find on our school’s history. Enjoy the weekend.
God Bless,
Gene
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mon-Wed, Feb. 8-10 Dinner Theatre Auditions
Wednesday, Feb. 10 Kopernick Observation Day Gr. 3 & 4
Perry Browne School 9 – 11:30 am
Wednesday, Feb. 10 Fish Fry Meeting 6:00 pm
Wednesday, Feb. 10 PTO Meeting 7:00 pm
Wed & Thurs, Feb. 9 & 10 St. Bart’s Spaghetti Dinner 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Thursday, Feb. 11 “Beauty & the Beast” K – 4th Gr.
Forum – Binghamton 8:30am-12:15pm
Friday, Feb. 12 Last day of school prior to Winter Break
School resumes on Monday, February 22nd
Dear Parents,
Congratulations to all on a very successful Catholic Schools Week! Many people pitched in to make this a very memorable week, one celebrating Catholic education in the United States. It was great to see all the moms, dads and grandparents for donuts and muffins. Once again it reinforces my belief that parents really do care – they just want to be kept informed and feel welcome in their child’s school. I thought it would be appropriate, and possibly enlightening, if I shared a brief overview of the history of St. Paul’s/Holy Family School. Before I begin, please note that all the information I am sharing was found in the documents that I reorganized when I began working here. I make no claim substantiating the authenticity of this history only that it was in a file labeled “History of St. Paul’s School.” Here is that history exactly as it was written. After you read it, please let me know of any inaccuracies. Better yet, if you have any additional information I would appreciate you sharing it with me. I’d like to compile a more complete, accurate history of our school.
Saint Paul’s School was established in 1922 with a staff of three Dominican Sisters. In 1925 a fourth Sister was assigned to the school and in 1926 another Sister. No further Sisters joined the school until 1954. The original site of the school was the Maydole (or Merritt Mansion) Mansion on the corner of North Broad Street and Mitchell Avenue. There were twelve first graders and approximately twenty-five primary students in all under the leadership of the Reverend Joseph S. Tiernan. It was a combination school and convent. The first graduating class consisted of three eighth grade students in 1927.
The Reverend Henry L. Contois was appointed pastor in October 1951 by Bishop Foery. By that time the post-war birth rate was being felt in all schools, and St. Paul’s was no exception. The building, which was adequate in the beginning, now proved to be unsuitable to the needs of the children and the Sisters. In 1952, it was decided that a new school building was needed for the increasing enrollment. Meanwhile, a convent on Prospect Street (were our new playground is) was purchased and renovated and was ready for the Sisters in September 1953. The new building was dedicated on September 19, 1954 with nine Dominican Sisters staffing the school.
Under the pastorate of Father Robert F. Coombs, $278,000 was raised for an addition to Saint Paul’s School. The addition consisted of the gymnasium/
auditorium, the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms, the carpeted Manley Memorial Library containing two thousand four hundred books, the present sixth grade classroom and the cafeteria with a seating capacity of 250 people. The new addition was dedicated in February of 1964.
In 1971, the Dominican Sisters were unable to continue their duties at Saint Paul’s School because of increased responsibilities in New York City. Father Thomas Kiernan searched for a year until he was able to announce that the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet would assume the teaching responsibilities at Saint Paul’s School.
In 1978, the Norwich City School District included the ninth grade in the high school for the first time. It was decided to drop the ninth grade from Saint Paul’s School at this time to allow an easier transition for the students into the high school. For similar reasons, in 1983, the seventh and eighth grades were dropped from Saint Paul’s School when the new Norwich City Middle School was built next to the high school.
For the 1988/89 school year St. Paul’s became a county school under the name of Holy Family. In January, 1990, Saint Paul’s School was rededicated as Chenango County Catholic School Holy Family by Bishop Joseph T. O’Keefe. The school was not to be a parish school of Saint Paul’s Church any longer, but a county-wide Catholic school for all children of Chenango County.
There were eight Chenango County parishes that took over the financial support of Saint Paul’s School. These parishes were St. Joseph’s in Oxford, St. Theresa’s in New Berlin, St. Malachy’s in Sherburne, St. Agnes in Afton, St. John’s in Bainbridge, Immaculate Conception in Greene, St. Bartholomew’s in Norwich and St. Paul’s in Norwich.
Here are some notes of interest that I found:
• For the 1983/84 school year, the average Diocesan subsidy to schools for parishes was 42 % of their regular collections.
• I was able to find student tuition for the following years:
1983/84 $450
1987/88 $650
1988/89 $700
2001/02 $1,800
2002/03 $1,895
2003/04 $2,150
2004/05 $2,400
2005/06 $2,500
2006/07 $2,600
2007/08 $2,850
2008/09 $3215
2009/10 $3,215
That’s the information I could find on our school’s history. Enjoy the weekend.
God Bless,
Gene
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mon-Wed, Feb. 8-10 Dinner Theatre Auditions
Wednesday, Feb. 10 Kopernick Observation Day Gr. 3 & 4
Perry Browne School 9 – 11:30 am
Wednesday, Feb. 10 Fish Fry Meeting 6:00 pm
Wednesday, Feb. 10 PTO Meeting 7:00 pm
Wed & Thurs, Feb. 9 & 10 St. Bart’s Spaghetti Dinner 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Thursday, Feb. 11 “Beauty & the Beast” K – 4th Gr.
Forum – Binghamton 8:30am-12:15pm
Friday, Feb. 12 Last day of school prior to Winter Break
School resumes on Monday, February 22nd
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