Principal's Announcements

~Second Sunday of Advent~ 

St. Luke shows a remarkable interest in tying together the Old Covenant and the New Covenant in Christ. St. Luke is believed to have been a Gentile, and it’s likely that the time he spent sharing the missionary travels of St. Paul gave him profound insight into the intimate connection between Judaism and its fulfillment in Christ.
 
In this week’s Gospel, John the Baptist’s ministry is introduced; he’s the last prophet of the Old Covenant and the first of the New. John is the great precursor of the Messiah that the prophet Isaiah had foretold. He is, in fact, the precursor of Christ in our souls this Advent season.
 
In a homily on St. Luke, the early Church theologian, Origen, says of the Baptist, “I think that the mystery of John is still being carried on in the world. If a man is to believe in Jesus Christ, the spirit and power of John must first come into his soul and prepare for the Lord a perfect people, make the rough ways of the heart plain, make the crooked straight. Even now the spirit and power of John precede the coming of our Lord and Savior.”

 The 1st Annual St. Agnes Rudolph Run took place yesterday, December 4th. It was a huge success. The weather was perfect, the decorations were spectacular, the hot chocolate was delicious, and children and parents had a great time. Thank you to Mrs. Mary Hope Friedermann and the Mothers' Club for the fantastic event. Your committee was fabulous. 
 
Wednesday, December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The school children will attend Mass. They will have an extended religion class to learn about the significance of this Holy Day of Obligation.
 
Thursday, December 9th is a 12-noon dismissal for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Conferences are from 1 - 4:30 P.M. and 6 - 8:30 PM. Aftercare will NOT be in effect.

 
Parent-Teacher Conferences will continue on Friday, December 10th from 1 - 3 P.M. School will be in session REMOTELY from 8:15-11:39 A.M. 
 

The app, Teacher Reacher ( www.teacherreacher.com ) is used to schedule conferences. Parents and Guardians will have the opportunity to schedule in-person conferences, or if you would rather, phone conferences. Both modes are available. Choose your preference when you schedule your conferences. If you prefer a phone call, select videoconference, however, please note that it is an audio-only (phone call) conference.

Please schedule a conference with only the teachers that you need to see. Click on the links below for information and directions for creating an account. Select Diocese of Rockville Centre, and then from the drop-down menu select St. Agnes.
 
Parent-Teacher Conference Parent Letter
Creating a Teacher Reacher Account and Scheduling an Appointment
 
 
Tuition accounts must be up to date in order for your child to receive his/her report card. Report cards will not be released to those who have outstanding balances. December’s tuition was due on Wednesday, December 1st.
 
Supporting Parish Offertory Contribution of $550 for this calendar year is due by December 31, 2021. Please make sure you complete your contribution before December 31st, especially for those who use Faith Direct.
 
As we approach the winter months, please note that two snow/emergency days have been included in the school calendar. If it is necessary to take more than the two days that were included, St. Agnes Cathedral School will utilize remote instruction.
 
In order to prepare for that possibility, this Friday, December 10th will be a remote day of instruction. This will allow the teachers and students to practice joining and working with Google Meet. The students will follow their regular academic schedule. Friday, December 10th, is an “A” Day and a half-day of instruction. Remote instruction will end at 11:39, due to parent-teacher conferences. HOWEVER, all snow/emergency days will be half days of instruction, ending at 12:09 P.M. This will allow for the following schedule to be conducted:
Grades K-4: Periods: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 A and B
Grades 5-8: Periods: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 A and B

Remote Day of Instruction Protocols: The teachers will show their students how to join their Google Meet. All students in grades 1-8 must be in their gym uniforms. Cameras must be on and every student must face his/her camera.   Attendance will be taken at 8:15 A.M. Morning prayers and announcements will be at 8:20 A.M. Please be on time as the Students of the Month for the month of November will be announced. 
 
Middle School Sports
 
All sports fees and Fall Uniforms are past due to the office.
 
Girls Basketball
Practice: Monday 12/6, Tuesday 12/7, & Wednesday 12/8 @ 3:00-4:30
Location: Stags Gym

Boys Basketball
Practice: Monday 12/6 , Tuesday 12/7 & Wednesday 12/8 @ 4:30-6:00 and Thursday 12/9 @ 1:00-2:15
Location Stags Gym
 
Girls Cheerleading
Practice: Monday 12/6 @ 3:00-4:00
Location: Carlin Cafeteria
 
Bowling
Practice: Tuesday 12/7 @ 3:00-4:30
Location: Maple Lanes, Rockville Centre
   Email the coaching staff or Mrs. Brower (mbrower5546@stagnes-school.org) with any questions
 
PSA
The Christmas Toy Drive to benefit the Hispanic Brotherhood has begun! Please send in unwrapped toys for families in need this holiday season. Let's fill up our beautiful Santa Sled! The 6th grade Service Club Members will meet on December 20th to bring the unwrapped toys collected from the toy drive over to the Hispanic Brotherhood. The meeting will last until 3:30. 


 
Mothers’ Club
Atlantic Nursery Shop for Our School: Our tenth annual "Shop for Our School" fundraising event at Atlantic Nursery ends today, Sunday, December 5th. 

Breakfast with Santa- December 11th Grades K & 1 Registration closes on Monday, 12/6. 
 
Fathers’ Club

Our Super Raffle’s now in full swing. Please access the flyer from the Tuesday Packet on the link to access the tear-off.

• GRAND PRIZE
  • $10,000
• SECOND PRIZE
  • $3,500
• THIRD PRIZE
  • $1,000

May faith dwell in your hearts this second week of Advent.

 
Mrs. Cecilia St. John, Principal
 

Uniforms: The winter uniform is in effect. Please ensure that your child is wearing the uniform correctly. Some uniform infractions that have been noticed include girls rolling their skirts, boys’ hair unruly and messy, and non-school sweatshirts being worn.  Uniform Infraction Notices will be utilized beginning this week. Please click on the link below to access the infraction notice. If your child receives one, the notice is to be returned to the teacher, signed, the next school day.

Uniform Infraction Notice
 

It’s Cold Outside: Please ensure that your child dresses appropriately for the colder weather. The students go outside for recess. Coats and warm outerwear should be worn. Please make sure you label your child’s outerwear with his/her name.

Lost and Found: The Lost and Found is overflowing. Please click on the link below to view the items in the Lost and Found. Hopefully, they will be found!

Lost and Found

Middle School Extra Help: The Middle School Teachers, Grades 6-8, will be offering Extra Help in the mornings from 7:30-8 AM. Students may start to arrive at 7:20. They should enter the school through the Main Entrance Doors. Please make sure your child makes arrangements with the teacher prior to attending.

• Mondays: Social Studies
• Tuesdays: Math
• Wednesdays: ELA
• Thursdays: Science

Bus Conduct: There have been a number of complaints regarding student behavior on the bus from bus drivers, district transportation offices, and parents. Behaviors such as not sitting in seats, loud screaming, inappropriate music being played, unkind remarks made, inappropriate language being used, and hitting.  The students were trained in the safety protocols and expected behavior while riding on a bus in September.  Consequences for non-compliance include assigned seating, parent-principal meeting, and suspension from the bus anywhere from 1 -3 days. If a child’s behavior does not improve, ultimately, he/she can be suspended from the bus for the year. The students will be re-trained in the safety protocols during the month of November and consequences will be enforced accordingly.

Student Behavior Code: Besides poor bus behavior, there have been numerous incidents of poor student conduct during lunchtime and during recess.  Students have been disrespectful to the lunch aides and playing rough on the playground. The students have also been unkind to each other. Mrs. Dowdell and I have scheduled a number of program presentations from various organizations to address these issues.

• Sexual Harassment Awareness & Prevention: Grades 6-8
• Steer Clear of Bullies: Grades 3-4
• Step Up & Speak Out- Grades 6-7
• Cybersmart: Grade 5

In addition to these programs, the Beautiful Me Program for the 6th Grade girls will be presented by Mrs. Dowdell, Mrs. Brower, and me on the following dates: 11/12, 11/19, and 12/3.

Ryan’s Story, conducted by Mr. John Halligan, will be presented to the students in grades 6-8 on December 14th.

Parking: Please be cognizant of parking etiquette at dismissal. Do not double park or block other cars parked in legal parking spaces, in particular, in the small lot between Clinton and N. Park. Many parents park in the driving lane behind the cars that are parked in legitimate spots blocking those in actual spots from getting out.