SAINT IGNATIUS LOYOLA WEEKLY Saint Ignatius Loyola School 48 East 84 th Street New York, NY 10028-0806 212.861.3820 Fax 212.879.8248 Website: saintignatiusloyolaschool.com March 16, 2016 Dear Parents, As we continue to advocate for Saint Ignatius Loyola School with respect to moving the proposed bike lanes away from 84 th Street and 85 th Street, I feel it is important to keep you up to date on the status. Last Thursday, Ms. Savarese and I met with Councilman Daniel Garodnick to share our concerns regarding the bike lanes on 84 th Street and 85 th Street. Our meeting with the councilman was not hopeful. He did not share our concern of bike lanes on our block. He was quite frank in stating there are much bigger issues than bike lanes. As we move forward, I cannot stress enough the importance of signing the hardcopy petition that is in the main office, writing the named individuals below and, if your schedule allows, attending any and all open community board meetings when proposed bike lanes are on the agenda. Link and Email Addresses to representatives to contact regarding the proposed bike lanes on 84 th Street and 85 th Street: The link for the petition is www.84thstreetcitizensalliance.com. I would also encourage you to write or email the following individuals: Councilman Dan Garodnick: dgarodnick@council.nyc.gov Department of Transportation Polly Trottenberg: ptrottenberg@dot.nyc.gov Margaret Forgione: mforgione@dot.nyc.gov Ryan Russo: rrusso@dot.nyc.gov Community Board 8 James Clynes, A. Scott Falk and Charles Warren: info@cb8m.com Thank you for signing the petitions and your continued support. Have a good week! Sincerely, Mary E. Larkin Principal Attached to the Weekly is the following: Confirmation Gowns Grade 8 *Important to Note: Thursday, March 17 th St. Patrick s Day No School. Sunday, March 20 th Palm Sunday. Wednesday, March 23 rd - Lenten Prayer Service Grades 4-8. 1
Thursday, March 24 th Holy Thursday- Holy Week of Prayer Service Grades K-8 at 9:30 a.m. in the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. All are welcome to attend. Thursday, March 24 th Holy Thursday- 12:00 p.m. Dismissal. No After School Care. Easter Recess begins. Friday, March 25 th Good Friday No School. Sunday, March 27 th - Easter Sunday. Monday, March 28 th through Friday, April 1 st Easter Vacation - No School Monday, April 4 th School Resumes. Spring Uniform Begins. Tuesday, April 5 th Easter Liturgy Grades K-8 at 1:15 p.m. in the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. All are welcome to attend. Tuesday, April 5 th through Friday, April 8 th NYS ELA Grades 3-8. Friday, April 8 th Faculty Meeting 12:00 p.m. Dismissal - No After School Care. *Eighth Grade Information Confirmation Information Confirmation Data Sheets were due on in the Principal s office on Tuesday, March 15 th. It is crucial that the sheets are submitted directly to the Principal s Office. They should not be submitted to your child s homeroom teacher. *Parent Information: Exciting News to Share Modern Woodsmen of America Speech Bee On Tuesday, March 8 th, three of our students, Rafael Foncillas, Daniel Math and Keryn Math, represented Saint Ignatius Loyola School at the Modern Woodsmen of America Speech Contest. I am happy to share that Rafael Foncillas won first place in the contest. Rafael will represent Saint Ignatius Loyola School in May in the Manhattan Speech Bee. 2016 Science Olympiad On Saturday, March 12 th, 15 of our seventh grade and eighth grade students competed in the New York City Regional Competition of the Science Olympiad. This is Saint Ignatius Loyola School s eighth year participating in this nationally held competition. Over 400 students from twenty-eight private schools and public schools throughout the five boroughs took part in the New York City Regional Competition that was held at Grover Cleveland High School in Queens. Seventh Grade Nicholas Casey Thomas Clarke Sarah Dudley Patrick Jennings Carolina Lopez Valentina Marini-Fichera Elena Oehler Collette Sumberac Eighth Grade Matias Benitez Marc Foley Rafael Foncillas Adrian Franzoi Anna Monaco Timothy Schachner John Shin 2
Awards were given to the top six teams in each science event. Saint Ignatius Loyola School won a total of 28 medals and finished fifth in the competition. This is the most medals that Saint Ignatius has won at Regionals. The following students won awards for their projects: Bridge Building Fourth Place - Marc Foley & John Shin Crave the Wave Sixth Place - Matias Benitez & Nicholas Casey Crime Busters Sixth Place - Sarah Dudley & Rafael Foncillas Disease Detectives Fifth Place - Thomas Clarke & Carolina Lopez Dynamic Planet First Place - Thomas Clarke & Timothy Schachner Food Science Sixth Place - Sarah Dudley & Carolina Lopez Fossils Third Place - Adrian Franzoi & Anna Monaco Meteorology Sixth Place - Elena Oehler & Anna Monaco Microbe Mission Third Place - Marc Foley & Rafael Foncillas Optics First Place - Matias Benitez & Nicholas Casey Reach For the Stars Third Place - Marc Foley & Patrick Jennings Road Scholar Sixth Place- Thomas Clarke & Timothy Schachner Wind Power Fourth Place - Rafael Foncillas & John Shin Write It, Do It Second Place - Sarah Dudley & Collette Sumberac Health News As noted in last week s Weekly, effective September 1, 2016, the New York State Department of Health has mandated that all students entering the seventh grade are required to get the meningococcal vaccine. Incoming seventh grade students who do not receive the vaccine will be excluded from school. It is recommended that you speak to your pediatrician, since children who have already had the vaccination may need a booster prior to starting school in September. Fever Free A gentle reminder; your child must be free fever, Tylenol free for 24 hours before sending him/her back to school. We understand child care however, a sick child cannot perform to his/her ability and also puts others at risk of getting sick. Field Trips It is important to note that, in order for your child to attend a school field trip, the permission slip must be submitted prior to the day of the trip. 3
Housekeeping As the weather gets nicer, we feel it is necessary to remind you that there can be no running, scooter riding, throwing balls, playing tag, etc. at arrival and/or dismissal. Once you pick up your child, I ask that you keep him/her with you. If a babysitter picks up your child, please reiterate the message to him or her. Equally important if you park your car on 84 th Street, children should not be getting in and out of the car, cars should not be idling and you cannot move your car until the street has been cleared. We have asked this on numerous occasions. We are concerned that someone is going to get hurt. Looking ahead to the 2016 2017 School Year As we look ahead to the 2016 2017 School Year, a gentle reminder from the Office of Pupil Transportation (O.P.T.) in the Department of Education regarding the school bus policy that Saint Ignatius Loyola School is required to follow. Only students in the Kindergarten through the Sixth Grade are permitted to ride the yellow school bus. Students in the seventh grade and eighth grade are not permitted to ride the yellow school bus. Only students who are signed up to take the yellow school bus may take the bus. In the event your child has a scheduled play date with someone who does not normally take the bus, you will need to find a different mode of transportation for them on that particular day. Metro cards will be issued to students in the seventh grade and/or eighth grade depending on their distance from Saint Ignatius Loyola School. Contact Mrs. Danielle Smith if your child will need a metro card for the 2016 2017 school year. Financial Assistance On Monday, March 14 th, we launched our twelfth year of financial assistance via the School and Student Service for Financial Aid, known as SSS. This organization is recognized as the industry-leading tool for schools that desire to manage a financial aid program with professionalism and sensitivity. If a family chooses to apply, SSS will provide our school with an objective and confidential third party report that will guide us in appropriating funds for tuition assistance. The following principles are in effect for any family who wishes to be considered for financial assistance. 1. Saint Ignatius Loyola School is not in the position of funding full tuition or half tuition dollars via the SSS procedure. 2. Each family who is enrolled at Saint Ignatius Loyola School for the 2016 2017 school year and wishes to apply for financial assistance must be able to offset 60% of the given base tuition for the current school year. This amount does not include the Building Fund Fee of $1,400.00, which every family is responsible for paying. 3. Parents must submit a request for financial assistance in writing to the principal. The deadline for this request must be submitted no later than Monday, April 11, 2016. Because this is time sensitive, regretfully we will not honor any requests after the deadline. 4. The school will then provide a Parent Financial Statement Guide. The form must be completed and filed online with SSS. 5. A family requesting assistance is required to submit, to the Principal, a copy of their latest filed income tax return (2015) in order to complete the SSS/PFS process, which needs to be received before a determination of financial assistance can be made. All information will be held in the strictest confidence within the administration. 6. Saint Ignatius Loyola School continues to seek funding for scholarship via the Annual Fund by reaching out to various constituents of our school community, including parents, alumni and other organizations, in an effort to offset the Financial Assistance budget line. 7. For the 2016 2017 school year, $75,000 will be the budget line reserved to assist families within the above guidelines. For 2016 2017, 100% of this fund will be used for current families who have already proven their commitment to the mission of the school. Please know that I am available to meet with you to discuss any concerns that you may have, including financial obligations, for your child s continued education at Saint Ignatius Loyola School. 4
Tuition Policy for the 2015 2016 School Year 1. Enrollment in Smart Tuition is mandatory. 2. Tuition and fee payments must be up to date. 3. Report cards may be withheld by the Administration in any given quarter if there is an outstanding balance. 4. The Building Fund Fee should have been paid in full by Friday, February 19, 2016 in order to hold your child s seat for the 2016 2017 school year. 5. All tuition and fees for the 2015-2016 school year must be paid in full by Friday, June 10, 2016 or your child s seat will be forfeited for the coming school year. STARS Day Camp 2016 News! There is still time and space available to be a part of this year s STARS Camp! Do not miss out on the new trips, new program features and all the great aspects of the camp. This year, we are excited to offer a General Day Camp option, a daily rate and after care option. Please pick up your flyer at the main office for all the information regarding the STARS CAMP. Your $100 deposit should be submitted in by Friday, April 15 th in order to guarantee a spot. It is important to note the last date for the early sign up discount is May 16 th. After May 16 th, the discount will no longer be in effect and the opportunity to sign up for camp will be contingent on space availability. Payment in full for camp is due Monday, May 16 th.. You also have the option to be billed through Smart Tuition. We are excited to share that we have extended the Strings Camp to Week 3! If you have already signed up, all of the necessary camp forms will be sent to you in April. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Shannon Strochansky by phone at 212-861-3820x112 We hope to see you this summer! News from the Development Office Auction It is hard to believe the Auction is one month away! All are invited to celebrate the Night in Black and White with us on Saturday, April 16 th. The invitations are expected to be mailed this week. The auction committee is working hard on securing last minute donations. To date, we have secured theater tickets, restaurant certificates, hotel stays, just to name a few. Thank you to the committee and to all the parents for their continued hard work to help make this year s auction a success. All textual, graphical and other content appearing on the Saint Ignatius Loyola School website and in its directories, handbooks and Weekly publications are the sole property of Saint Ignatius Loyola School and shall not be copied, edited or reproduced without written permission from Saint Ignatius Loyola School. 5