- Apr 17
April 17, 2026
Dear Parents,
I hope you all had a great Easter break with your family. Confirmation this week was beautiful. Thank you to Fr. Waldemar, to Bishop Lombardo, and to all 8th grade parents.
In listing the PTO members in my last newsletter, I inadvertently left off the name of Ms. Chantel Bruno. Ms. Bruno is a long time and valued member of the PTO who assists us with book fair, special events, classroom activities, and more. Thank you to Ms. Bruno and to all the PTO members for all that they do for our school.
Art to Remember orders have arrived and will be sent home today! They look fantastic.
Our fundraiser at Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers held on March 19 netted us a profit of $419. Thank you to Mr. Ricardo Macias, father of 1st grader Alonzo, for his support with this endeavor. Next school year the PTO is planning a once a month restaurant fundraiser at Raising Cane’s, Portillo’s, McDonald’s, Culver’s, and more.
We’re bringing back our Snowball fundraiser next school year, but we will host the event in the newly redecorated gym at the St. Mary of Czestochowa Social Center. We hope all families will attend this OLC parent dinner dance.
Do you know someone who would be interested in teaching art, physical education, or Spanish one or two days a week in the 2026-2027 school year? If you do, please have him or her contact me by phone or by email (see contact information below). A bachelor’s degree is not required. English fluency would be nice, but is also not a requirement for these positions.
Please be advised that when a substitute teacher is here, you may need to pick up your child after school in the parking lot and not on the street. The sub needs to see you and verify that you are the correct person to pick up the student, and this can't be done when the parent is sitting in a vehicle parked on the street. Also, be sure to exercise extreme caution when driving in or out of the parking lot, as not all children look, as you know.
Do you want to earn 5-10 volunteer hours from the comfort and privacy of your living room? We need someone to organize a May Chess Club tournament with the chess club sponsors at the schools of St. Giles, Ascension, and St. Celestine. For details, call the school office at (708) 652-0262 ext. 201.
Monday, April 20: financial aid deadline to renew Archdiocese scholarships
Friday, April 24: fun lunch
Tuesday, April 28: Cybersafety/social media safety training with Officer Gaspar for students in grades 5-8
Thursday, April 30: progress reports sent home
Friday, May 1: May Crowning Mass at 9:00
Saturday, May 2: 1st holy Communion at 1:00; photos start at 11:00 in Halpin Hall
Monday, May 4: clinic here for free dental exams; you can still sign up (call the office for a form)
Wednesday, May 6: Early dismissal
Wednesday, May 6: author visit for grades 4-8. The author’s name is Duncan Tonatiuh, and he's the author of several children's books including Separate is Never Equal, which is based on true events in 1940s California, and The Princess and the Warrior, which retells an Aztec legend about two well known volcanoes outside Mexico City.
May 4-8: iReady testing for grades K-8; make sure your child is present and well rested every day this week. It’s also Teacher Appreciation Week.
Friday, May 15: Winter/Spring Sports Assembly (follows 9:00 Mass)
Remember to sign up for May Fest (May 30-31) to volunteer. You can earn hours in any category for this school year or for next year.
Yours truly,
Frank S. Zarate, Jr., Ed.D.
Principal(708) 652-0262