parents newsletter: december, 2016...1st quarter, 2016-17: highest honors (gpa, 4.0) camila uriona,...

St. Patrick Academy provides a Catholic college-preparatory education to all students,

regardless of need, who aspire to spiritual, personal and academic excellence.

244 Smith Street

Providence, RI 02908

421-9300 * fax 490-4511

www.stpatrickacademyri.com

PARENTS NEWSLETTER: December, 2016 Dear Parents & Guardians, We wish you all a blessed Advent and a wonderful Christmas season! We encourage all parents to keep track of your child’s grades in all subjects through RenWeb’s ParentsWeb feature. Please call to let us know if you are having any difficulties accessing student grades on ParentsWeb. We are thankful for the parents and guardians of 33 of our students who attended our November 22nd Parent-Teacher Conferences! Parents and guardians who were not able to attend but would like to contact any of their child’s teachers, are asked to call the Main Office at 421-9300.

Important Dates: Please note the following dates and times for upcoming events and activities:

Thursday, December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception

This is a holy day of obligation in the Church in which we celebrate the conception of Mary, Mother of Jesus, without sin. Mass will be held at 12:05pm and Period E classes will be preempted for lunch. Friday, December 9: Field Trip for 1st Quarter Honor Roll Students The 25 students who achieved Honor Roll status in the 1st Quarter will be going to see a theatrical production of A Christmas Carol at The

Stadium Theater in Woonsocket. Tickets to the play were provided by a grant from The Stadium Theater through an anonymous donor. Another grant through The Big Yellow

School Bus program provided the funds for the cost of bus transportation.

Thursday, December 22 through Monday, January 2: Christmas Break We wish all of our school families a blessed Christmas, filled with family, friends and God’s peace. School will resume on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.

Monday, January 16: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day There is no school on this day as we honor the memory of this famed civil rights leader. Tuesday, January 17 through Friday, January 20: 1st Semester Exams Exams in all required and elective courses, except for Physical Education and Yearbook, will be given during the third week of January. Each exam period is 90 minutes, and there are two exam periods per day, from 8:30 to 10:00am and 10:30 to 12 noon. The school will open at the usual time and all students are required to be in the building by 7:35am. An exam schedule and study tips will be sent home with the January newsletter.

APPLICATIONS for 2017-18 Now Open: We are now accepting applications for grades 9-11 for

next year. To date, we have received 20 applications for next year. The maximum class size for each grade is 25 and we have rolling admissions – students are accepted on a first-come, first served basis. If you know of a student who might be interested in attending St. Patrick Academy, please have them call us as soon as possible at 421-9300 or go to our website at www.stpatrickacademyri.com.

Engaged in the relentless pursuit of excellence!



As January approaches, please be reminded that all families applying or re-applying for next year must complete the online FACTS Grant and

Aid form each year. We use the information gathered on these forms to determine your family’s need. The Diocese of Providence also uses this information in awarding grants that you may receive from the various scholarship funds the Diocese operates. As soon as you have received your 2016 W-2 wage statement from your employer, please fill out the FACTS form. If you have not completed your 2016 income tax return, you may use your 2015 income tax return and 2015 W-2 statement together with your 2016 W-2 statement to file the FACTS Grant and Aid form. If you complete your 2016 income tax return early, you can use that and your 2016 W-2 to complete the Grant

and Aid application; you will not need anything from 2015. We will only be accepting the on-line version of the FACTS form, which you can find at www.factstuitionaid.com. For those who need assistance, we will again set aside an evening and a Saturday morning to help you complete this form (dates will be announced in the January newsletter). You may also call the school and make an appointment with Mr. Raymond for one-on-one help. Our goal is to have all families’ FACTS forms completed by February 15th, 2017.

SPA Teacher Honored: We

congratulate Ms. Patricia Hart, art teacher, for being selected as a speaker at the National Art Educational

Association’s annual convention to be held next March in New York City. Ms. Hart has over 30 years of experience as an art teacher and has been at St. Patrick Academy for the past three years.

Campus Ministry News: We enjoyed a very active November,

especially within Club 3107. Fr. James and Mrs. Cipriano were accompanied by five club members who spent a Friday night serving food to the poor at Cathedral Square. Many of our Club 3107 members also finished their preparation for their Baptism in the Spirit. This was a five-week educational and prayer process and they were blessed to have Sarah Mulholland, a parish youth leader, as their leader. The teachings for the weeks were presented by Sarah, Ms. Barbara Wright, David Cuellar, Fr. James and Mrs. Cipriano. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to grow in one's faith.

On Friday, November 25th, seven of the club members joined Fr. James and Mrs. Cipriano on a pilgrimage to New York City, including Giselle Martinez, Kim Avelar, David Bardales, Yugerny

Toribio, Angelica Castillo-Perin, Camila Uriona, and Nyree Sylvia. They visited the 9/11 Memorial and then went to the St. Patrick Cathedral, where they were able to attend Mass and witness a couple celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. They then went on to St. Rita's Church for adoration and their final destination, which was a visit with the Sisters of the Missionaries of

Charity, a religious order founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta. It was very enlightening for them, as they learned a great deal about the mission of St. Teresa.

1st Quarter Honor Roll

Congratulations to these

25 students who achieved

Honor Roll status for the

1st Quarter, 2016-17:

Highest Honors (GPA, 4.0)

Camila Uriona, 11th

Victoria Fuller, 9th

Angelica James, 9th

Moeisha Joseph, 9th

Matthew Keokhaw, 9th

High Honors (GPA, 3.70 - 3.99)

David Bardales, 11th

Leonel Caro, 11th

Julissa Carrera, 11th

Franklin Disla, 11th

Shakira DaGraca, 10th

Tomas Ferrnandez, 10th

Joanah Imarhiagbe, 10th

Isabel Arnaut, 9th

Dulce Flores, 9th

Cleia Monteiro, 9th

Honors (GPA, 3.30 – 3.69)

Naleen Camara, 12th

Corey Rebollo, 12th

Kimberly Avelar, 11th

Angela Gonzalez, 10th

Amy Hidalgo, 10th

Angel Benitez, 9th

Taelyce DePina, 9th

Abisola Oladipo, 9th

Sebastian Perez, 9th

Catherine Scholz, 9th



This month, Club 3107 will be preparing 350 bagged lunches for the needy and serving them at Cathedral Square on Friday, December 9th. The club is also planning a trip to the Shrine of

La Salette in Attleboro, MA, on Friday, December 16th. Fr. James has also been distributing the applications for next summer’s third mission trip to the Dominican Republic village of El Caliche to work with the poor (photo, left). In January, Fr. James and Mrs. Cipriano will be taking several of the Club 3107 and Students for Life Club members for a trip to Washington, D.C., for the annual Pro-Life Rally. The Students for Life Club has also been busy making Thanksgiving cards to go with the Thanksgiving meals delivered from Mary House. The SLC members are making preparations for Christmas caroling at Elmhurst Nursing Center, tentatively planned for Thursday, December 15th. The students will prepare Christmas cards along with candy canes for each of the Elmhurst residents.

Last but not least, several of our students are praying the rosary together before school each morning with Fr. James and Mrs. Cipriano. The main prayer intention is for world peace. Many of these students have also started preparing for this upcoming Marian year by consecrating themselves to Our Lady.

Student of the Month: Amy Hidalgo was selected by the faculty as

October’s Student of the Month. Amy is a sophomore and Honor Roll student, a member of the Student Council and has been a member of the Track & Field team. Teachers who nominated her called her a very diligent student, respectful of others, with a positive attitude and a gentle nature. She resides with her family in Providence. The faculty also chose Naleen Camara as the November Student of the

Month. Naleen is a senior and Honor Roll student who has been active in school activities throughout her high school career. Teachers who nominated her described her as a dedicated student and a great school leader who is unfailingly optimistic, kind and generous. Naleen has been a member of the Student Council for four years and is currently President after having served as Secretary last year. She has also been active in Track & Field, Cross-Country and Cheerleading, and has done volunteer work for several years at Mary House and Sojourner House. She is currently the Chapter President of the National Honor Society. Naleen resides with her family in Central Falls.

Guidance Department News: The Senior Class has completed the first round of early applications

for college and students are now preparing for the regular decision deadlines. Those students who applied early action should hear from their target college(s) in January, 2017. Many families took advantage of the services offered by the College Planning Center of Rhode Island to complete their FAFSA/CSS

Profile applications. As not all families were able to do this, we are grateful for the assistance of Mr.

Michael Speidel, a member of the St. Patrick Academy School Board, who volunteered his time to help those remaining families complete their financial aid applications. The next SAT test is Saturday, January 21st, 2017. The registration deadline is Wednesday, December 21st, 2016. Students are aware of the testing date and registration deadline. We encourage all students to take the test a second time if they have not already done so. Online PSAT/NMSQT scores for sophomores and juniors will be available on Monday, December 12th and PSAT 8/9 scores will be available online for freshmen on Wednesday, December 14th.



Athletics: The Boys’ Basketball team, under head coach Scott Allen, plays its first game this Friday,

December 9th, against Paul Cuffee School at 7:00pm, at the John Hope Settlement House. The team’s home opener is scheduled for Saturday, December 23rd, against Scituate High School, at UCAP (Providence). This year’s team includes: Matthew Keokhaw, Sebastian Perez, Ebenezer Falaye, Jireh

Falaye, Abdoulaye Sall, Cesar Caines, Isaac Parkes, Bensley Joseph, Momolu Akoiwala, Brandon

Lindo, Corey Rebollo, Alex Rodriguez, Marc Saldarriaga, Raymond Saldarriaga and Gorgui Sall. The Girls’ Basketball team (photo right), led by head coach Steve Bernard, plays its first game, which is also our home opener, on Saturday, December 17th, at 1:30pm against Mt. Pleasant High School, at St. Raphael Academy. The members of the team include: Tatyanna Boisseau-Witter, Kimberly Avelar, Nyree

Sylvia, Yugerny Toribio, Paola Perez-Hidalgo, Shakira

DaGraca, Chrismary Pinales, Moeisha Joseph, Brittany

Lucero, Victoria Fuller, Cleia Monteiro and Isabel Arnaut.

Team captains for the season are Tatyanna Boisseau-Witter,

Nyree Sylvia and Chrismary Pinales. The Girls’ Cheerleading team, under the direction of Coach Tynisha Lovett, will be on hand for all the Boys’ Basketball team’s home games. The team includes: Angelica James, Catherine Scholz, Yamile

Vasquez, Abisola Oladipo, DesJanny Diaz, Pariz Stallworth, Nathalie Martinez, Wilianies Guzman,

Tania Ortiz, Injania Berdugo, Max-veda Golafale, Mawen Duncan, Naleen Camara, Nelly Durand

and Angelica Castillo. This season’s team captains are Tania Ortiz and Pariz Stallworth. All three teams are working exceptionally hard at practices. Both basketball teams’ full schedules can be found at the R.I. Interscholastic League’s website at www.riil.org under the Sports tab. We are looking forward to a great season from all our teams.

Library News: The library has launched a new book club called Page

Turners. The club will meet twice a week during lunch and everyone is welcome to join. More details will follow soon. The library will be doing a Christmas exhibit in which the library will be decorated and books related to Christmas will be displayed. Everyone

is welcome to come and enjoy some Christmas reading.

Nurse’s Office: The next “Vaccinate Before You Graduate” immunization clinic will be scheduled

for late January. We will be sending out more detailed information with the January newsletter, including parent consent forms and care-plans that you will need to sign and return.

Student Council News: The Student Council has been busy planning an upcoming school-wide Pep

Rally, to be held just before the Christmas break to kick off the Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball seasons. The Winter Ball is also in the works, with a date and location soon to be announced. Meanwhile, the school store continues to operate during lunch twice a week, offering students a chance to purchase snacks which support Student Council activities.

Development News: The North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation

(NACEPF) Challenge to benefit St. Patrick Academy is currently underway, with NACEPF generously matching all gifts to the Academy through December 31. NACEPF will match a total of up to $200,000 to directly support Academy tuition assistance.



Embodied in our mission statement is the promise that a Saint Patrick

Academy education is available to all, regardless of their ability to pay the cost of a private, Catholic high school education. And the NACEPF

Challenge helps us to put our money where our mouth is—40% of our students qualify for the full $12,000 in annual tuition assistance, while the remaining student body contributes about $2,000 each (about 17%) towards that cost. Access to an education at St. Patrick Academy allows students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds with limited financial ability to flourish, lead, and address complex issues in a changing world. Thanks to the tremendous impact of the NACEPF Challenge, today’s St. Patrick Academy student is tomorrow’s community leader.

Technology News: We are offering several professional development workshops for our faculty

and staff this year on technology-related topics including: The Classroom

Use of RenWeb; Using Interactive Boards; Microsoft 365; and Audio-Visual

Modalities in the Classroom. These workshops are designed to offer our teachers the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and refine their skills in the use of technology as a teaching tool. Mark Luzzi, Information Technology Coordinator, and Brenda Hammerschmidt, Technology Consultant, will be presenting these

workshops.

Prayers We ask for your prayers for:

• The soul of Michael Vizzacco, 47, who died on August 30th, and for his family. He is the son of our Sodexo “lunch lady,” Mrs. Eileen Vizzacco.

• The soul of Joseph Toste, 84, who died on October 4th, and for his family. He is the grandfather of Charles Toste, our Dean of Student Life and Athletic Director.

• The soul of Ken Maguire, 77, who died on October 13th, and for his family. He is the brother of Mrs. Janice Johnston, our Development Assistant.

• The full recovery of Stephen Esau, our Geometry and Pre-Calculus teacher, who recently underwent eye surgery.

• The complete healing and recovery of Brenda Hammerschmidt, our technology consultant, who has been ill and recently underwent surgery.

Please feel free to call us with any questions or concerns at 421-9300.

God bless,

Bruce Daigle Bruce Daigle Principal

parents newsletter: december, 2016...1st quarter, 2016-17: highest honors (gpa, 4.0) camila uriona,...

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