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St. Margaret of Cortona School
A School You Can Believe In!
Dear Parents and Guardians,
On behalf of Father McCarthy, the parish family, faculty, staff and myself I would like to welcome you back to St. Margaret of Cortona as we begin another school year. A special warm welcome to all our new parents and students! We are happy that you have chosen to be a part of our St. Margaret of Cortona School community, and we wish you many years of graces and blessings with us.
We also warmly welcome to our school community Mrs. Abby Benedetti, who will be teaching First Grade and Mrs. Raquel DeMarco, who will be teaching Spanish in Grades K-8.
Theme: “Catholic Schools Dividends for Life”
This year’s theme for Catholic School’s Week, “Catholic Schools: Dividends for Life,” is a significant one for us. Though we realize that a Catholic education in our country is not without cost, we also know that there is no better investment in the future and education of our children. The Catholic Education we offer at St. Margaret’s provides good things for both you and your children - high expectations and the daily experience of faith. In these challenging times, this theme reminds us that the dividends of a Catholic School Education - students prepared in faith, knowledge, morals and discipline - last a lifetime! What better way to invest in your children’s future – and in the future of our world!
As parents and educators we have the awesome responsibility of providing our children with the faith and life experiences they need to grow and mature into good Catholic leaders. We only get one chance to prepare our children for a future that none of us can possibly predict. What are we going to do with this one chance? What “life-skills” do our children need to be better prepared to meet the future challenges of our ever-changing world? As educators and parents we are “leaders” in our children’s lives – not just dispensers of knowledge and faith. How can we help each of our children know that their worth exceeds anything that is ever placed on any grade report or any score on a test? How can we inspire them to reach their potential – to be more responsible, creative, and tolerant of differences - to be better critical thinkers and decision-makers - to be true leaders?
As we begin this new school year we are challenged not only to share our life and faith with our children, but also to help them develop good Catholic Christian leadership skills. I pray that we may work together to make this experience alive and real for our children as we provide them with the quality Catholic Education they deserve.
Opening of School and Orientation Days
You will find enclosed with this letter a copy of the yearly school calendar. Please keep it handy and refer to it for upcoming school events and openings and closings. As you probably know, school begins this year on Wednesday, September 9th for the students in Grades K-8. The schedule for the first week of school is:
Wednesday, September 9th
Grades K-8 8:10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 10th
Grades K-8 8:10 a.m. - 2:40 (45) p.m.
Pre-Kindergarten Orientation 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Friday, September 11th
Half Day for Pre- Kindergarten 8:10 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Monday, September 14th
Full Day for Pre-Kindergarten 8:10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Our Back to School Orientation Night will take place on Thursday, September 10th at 7:00 p.m. for all families of students in Grades PK-8. We will begin with a general meeting in the gym. We will introduce the entire faculty and staff at this time and share some of the important dates and events that have been planned for the year. Afterwards, you will have an opportunity to meet your children’s teachers and to hear "first hand" each teacher’s expectations for the year. I look forward to seeing each of you on September 10th. We ask that if you bring your children with you for the Back to School Orientation Night that you keep them with you at all times. We will not be able to provide babysitting this year.
After School Program
An After School Program registration form is available online. If you are interested in having your child(ren) attend our After School Program, please complete the registration form, and send it back to the school with the $25 registration for each child by Monday, August 24th.
Hot Lunch Program
A form regarding our Hot Lunch/Milk Program is attached below. The hot lunch program will begin on Thursday, September 10th. Please return the form to school with payment by Monday, August 24th.
Review of Policies on Arrival and Dismissal
Once again in order to fulfill the NYS and the Archdiocesan Instructional time requirements, the arrival and dismissal schedule will be as follows for this school year:
Arrival
Students arrive at school between 7:55 a.m. and 8:10 a.m. The students in Grade 7-8 enter the school building at 8:00 a.m. and go promptly to their homeroom classes. When the bell rings at about 8:06 a.m., the students in Grades K-6 enter the building using the 260th Street entrance. The doors for the Pre-K on Riverdale Avenue open at 8:10 a.m., and parents may bring their children directly into the Pre-K classroom.
Dismissal
Parents are asked to meet their children outside the main school building at the following times:
Pre-Kindergarten - Riverdale Avenue yard gate at 2:30 p.m.
Grades K-4 - main school entrance on West 260th Street at 2:40 p.m.
Grades 5-8 - main school entrance on West 260th Street at 2:45 p.m.
Dismissal for all students on Half Days this year will be at 12:00 p.m. not 11:30 a.m. as in the past.
Summer Projects
Back in the Spring I mentioned that we had applied for a Project Yess Capital Grant through the Archdiocese of New York. This grant could only be used for school building capital repairs. We submitted three project proposals and a visiting team came for a site visit to review the urgency of our needs. We were very fortunate to receive a grant for plastering and painting our Middle School in the amount of $14,400. After all the roof repair work was completed last summer and fall, we were finally “leak-free” and could consider plastering and painting the Middle School classrooms and bathrooms. This YESS grant allowed us to repair the walls and ceilings damaged by old leaks in our 83-year old Middle School building. Over the years the damaged walls had been patched and covered with bookcases and bulletin boards. Not only were the ceilings and walls cracked, the paint was peeling and deteriorating. This was work that needed to be done not only for aesthetic purposes, but more importantly, for the health and well being of our students. We are grateful for this Project YESS Grant and can now say that we have no potentially harmful peeling paint and plaster in any of our classrooms, bathrooms, and hallways.
The Athletic Committee, too, has been very busy this summer with many projects. They purchased a new stove for our lunchroom kitchen, had the gym ceiling and main entrance re-painted, the gym floor refinished, new closets built and installed in the gym for sports equipment, and I understand that they also will be installing new trophy cases in the front lobby. We at St. Margaret’s are so blessed to have such dedicated people who continue to maintain and ensure that our school is the best for the benefit of our children.
Custodial Staff
All the above projects have been taking place in the midst of the routine summer cleaning and disinfecting of the school building. John and Willy have worked very hard this summer to prepare the school for opening in September. They have done a fabulous job and continue to work to ensure that everything is in good working order. I personally thank them for a job well done and for their commitment to St. Margaret’s School!
Enjoy these remaining days of summer. Once again, I look forward to working with each of you this year. I anticipate a year of many new graces and challenges. Let us celebrate the many gifts God so graciously bestows upon us each day! May God bless you for all you are and do! May you know and experience the loving embrace of your God. Thank you for entrusting your children to our care! Blessings for a wonderful year!
In Jesus Risen,
Sr. Kathleen Marie, CR
Principal
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