244 Smith Street

Providence, RI 02908

421-9300 * fax 490-4511

www.stpatrickacademyri.com

PARENT NEWSLETTER: February 2016 Dear Parents & Guardians, Welcome to the second half of the school year! It has been an exciting first half of the year, with

many events and activities still ahead.

Report Cards: The 2nd Quarter ended on Friday, January

15th and the 1st Semester ended on January 22nd with the close

of semester exams. Report cards were distributed to students on Tuesday, January 26th. Report cards for students who failed a course for the 2nd Quarter or 1st Semester were mailed home on Tuesday, January 26th. Please call us at 421-9300 if you have not yet seen your child’s report card.

New Applications: We have already received 45

applications for next year’s freshman class, which is two months ahead of where we were at this time last year, so we expect to have between 90-100 applications for the 25 seats available in that class. If you know of someone who is interested in applying for admission, please have them call us at 401-421-9300 as soon as possible, or invite them to visit our website, which can be found at www.stpatrickacademyri.org. Applications for enrollment at St. Patrick Academy are considered individually based on academic merit and several other factors. Extra weight is given to siblings of current students, Catholic school students and St. Patrick parishioners. There is one class per grade and the maximum class size is 25. We have already begun processing these applications. Students who apply after a class is full will be placed on a waiting list. Applications are also being accepted for Grade 10 and in Grade 11 for applicants with special circumstances. Prospective students who wish to spend a ‘Shadow Day’ at St. Patrick’s must first complete an application.

Re-registration for Current Students: This is also the time to re-register your child for

next year. A re-registration form is enclosed. There is no re-registration fee. Although there is no set tuition at St. Patrick Academy, the cost-per-student for the 2016-17 school year will be about $12,000. We ask only that each family pay an amount that is affordable for you, but for the rest of the cost we must depend on financial contributions from our donors, the Diocese of

2nd

Quarter Honor Roll

Congratulations to those

students who achieved Honor

Roll status for the 2nd

Quarter,

2015-16:

Highest Honors (GPA, 4.0)

Shakira DaGraca, 9th

High Honors (GPA, 3.7-3.99)

Paola Uriona, 12th

Naleen Camara, 11th

Julissa Carrera, 10th

Camila Uriona, 10th

Tomas Fernandez, 9th

Angela Gonzalez, 9th

Anita Hazziez, 9th

Honors (GPA, 3.3 – 3.69)

Virgelica Cabral, 12th

Brooxana Pierre, 12th

Madeleine Zorrilla, 12th

Nelly Durand, 11th

Kimberly Avelar, 10th

David Bardales, 10th

Franklin Disla, 10th

Dylan Kelly, 9th

Nathalie Martinez, 9th

Dakarai Semedo, 9th

Engaged in the relentless pursuit of excellence!

Providence and St. Patrick Parish. The amount that we ask you to pay is determined primarily through the information we receive through your F.A.C.T.S. Grant and Aid financial assistance application. All current school families must complete the F.A.C.T.S. Grant and Aid form. The information from this form is used by the Diocese to determine your eligibility for financial assistance under the various financial assistance programs that it administers. St. Patrick Academy also uses this information to determine the level of your family’s financial need. One of the financial assistance programs administered by the diocese is the Accinno Scholarship

Fund. Students that qualify for an Accinno grant will receive an amount up to the full cost-per-student of the school based on your family’s determined need. In order to be considered for an

Accinno Fund grant, the diocese requires that the application be received at F.A.C.T.S. by

February 12, 2016. You must fill out a new form each year. Beginning this year, we will only be using the on-line F.A.C.T.S. application. As part of the F.A.C.T.S. application, you are required to submit your tax return for last year (2014) including all pertinent schedules and forms. You must also have your W-2 forms for 2014 and 2015(the ones you get from your employer stating your earnings). If you have completed your 2015 tax return, you need only submit it with your 2015 W-2. HELP SESSIONS: Also, Deacon Stephen Raymond will be available by appointment during the day at any time for help in filling out the form. You must bring your income tax return for 2014 (the one you filed last year) or your 2015 form if you have completed it. You must also have your W-2 forms for 2014 and 2015. If you have any questions, please feel free to call him at 401-421-9300.

Student of the Month: Kimberly Avelar, a sophomore at St.

Patrick Academy, has been unanimously selected as the Student of

the Month for January. The Student of the Month award is presented to a student who exhibits a positive attitude, Christian charity, consistent effort, respect for self and others, and successful or improving academic performance. Students are nominated and selected by a vote of the faculty.

In nominating her for this honor, Kim’s teachers wrote that “she has a positive attitude towards learning that is infectious,” that “she is young lady of high integrity,” and that “she has a great attitude and is always smiling.” Kim is new to St. Patrick Academy this year, but has already made her presence known in many positive ways. She has consistently been on the Honor Roll and is currently active in the Explore Club. Recipients of this award are honored at Morning Prayer and receive a $25 gift card to Barnes &

Noble Bookstore. Kim resides in North Providence with her mother.

Campus Ministry: In January, our Club 3107 was fortunate to help the hungry by serving

meals to the homeless at Cathedral Square near the Cathedral of Sts. Peter & Paul in Providence. All the participants truly received many graces through their generosity of mercy. It was an awesome experience which led to our future plans to make 350 sandwiches for the same group on March 11th. Club 3107 has also initiated the saying of a prayer of grace before meals prior to our lunch period. A club member leads the school in this short blessing. It is a great way to give thanks to God for our food. The members of this club have also started to take an added interest in making Morning Prayer more personal. They are actively encouraging their fellow students to present a prayer form once a week. On Thursday, February 24th, the junior class retreat will be held at the Jeanne Jugan Center in Pawtucket, RI. The juniors will be assisting the elderly through activities and accompanying them to Mass, as well as joining them for a meal. The students will also learn about the work of the Sisters of Charity who operate this center. Each student will be asked to submit a two page reflection on their personal experience of this retreat. Permission slips will be going out one week prior to this retreat, which is required for all juniors. This past Wednesday, January 27th, nine of our students attended the Pro-Life Rally at the RI State House. We are grateful to Rita and John Parquette for leading this event and instructing our students on the value of life. We were also privileged in having one of our students, Nelly Durand (photo, right), present one of the opening speeches at this rally, which was featured in a story by the diocesan newspaper, The R.I. Catholic. Congratulations!

Development News: We are blessed to announce that the Saint Patrick Academy

community has successfully met the $200,000 NACEPF Challenge! The generosity of our donors ensures that our school will receive the entire match amount of $200,000 from Mr. John Primeau and his lay entity, the North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation

(NACEPF). Thank you! Mr. Ethan Kehoe, Director of Development, reports that our upcoming Lenten fundraising appeal letter makes reference to this past summer's Dominican Republic mission trip and features Jenifer Maida, Class of 2016: Last summer, Jenifer Maida (photo, left) and three of her Saint

Patrick Academy classmates joined a parish group on a nine day

mission to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where they

worked with and ministered to residents from the poverty-

stricken barrio of el Caliche Villa Duarte. Jenifer served at the community meal kitchen, ministered to

children, and shared in the celebration of Holy Mass at Capilla

Santa Clara. Her experience was transformative. Moved by their encounters with the people

and humble friars of el Caliche, Jenifer has led a movement at the Academy among the entire

student body, faculty and staff to continue their missionary work by collecting basic supplies

sorely lacking in el Caliche and raising money to specifically fund the purchase of potable

drinking water for the thousands of children and families there who have none. Thanks to Jenifer and her classmates for their extraordinary commitment and for providing us with such a great story to tell!

Athletics: The boys’ basketball team is at the tail end of their season, with five games to go.

The team won its first game of the season in January, beating Davies Vocational & Technical Academy by a score of 52-50. The basketball team has cleared a space for a new locker room just behind the mezzanine above the gym. The space had been used for general storage, but our pastor, Fr. James Ruggieri, and Deacon Eduardo Birbuet were kind enough to find alternate space for the items that were stored there. The team worked for more than three hours clearing and organizing this space on Saturday, January 30th (photo, right). A big thank you to Fr. James and Deacon Eduardo for making this happen! The Padre Cheerleaders are making great progress. The girls are working on a new halftime routine for our next home game.

Guidance Department News: All college applications have been submitted and, to date, all

of our seniors have received college acceptance letters, including the following schools: College of Saint Rose Community College of Rhode Island Curry College Franklin Pierce University Johnson & Wales University New England Institute of Technology Nichols College Rhode Island College Rivier University Roger Williams University University of Hartford University of Rhode Island All seniors should have completed and submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

(FAFSA) and the CSS Profile, if required. If a student has not submitted financial aid forms yet, they must do so by the deadline set by the college or university to which they are applying. For the spring, we are planning a Financial Aid Award night to talk about the different types of financial aid packages including grants, scholarships, work study and loans. It is important for parents and guardians to understand their obligations with regard to each type of financial aid so

that you may make the best decision possible for you and your child. More information about this event will be sent out in the coming months.

Student Council: The Student Council hosted its annual Winter

Ball on Friday, January 29th, at the Portuguese

Club in Cranston. The theme was ‘Classic Hollywood.’ The hall was decorated by Ms. Ingrid Guzman, mother of St. Patrick students Rahelin and Willianes Guzman. The music for the evening was provided by DJ Jose, and the food was provided by Mr.

Scott Parker and Fatbelly's Irish Pub. About 50 students attended the event. Thanks to Ms. Erin Parker, Student Council moderator, the Council officers, Ms. Guzman, DJ Jose, Mr. Parker, and the chaperones for the evening, Mr. & Mrs. Joe and Anne McGinn, Mrs. Jessica Hauk, Mrs. Mary Cipriano, Ms. Ellen Rogers, Fr. James Ruggieri and Mr. Bruce Daigle. In true St. Patrick Academy style, the remainder of the food and desserts were shuttled over to Crossroads, a Providence-based shelter for the homeless, thanks to Fr. James. This was a perfect ending to a wonderful event. This month, the Student Council is looking forward to selling St. Valentine’s Day carnations and chocolates. Items will be available to order during lunches on Monday, February 8th, and Wednesday, February 10th. Delivery of these items will be on Friday, February 12th. Lastly, a superhero-themed Movie Night is planned for Friday, February 26th, from 6-9 p.m.

Fine Arts News: The Art Department

held its second annual National Art

Honor Society induction ceremony on Friday, January 29th in the gym. Parents of inductees were invited and several of them attended. The guest speaker was Mr. Munir Deishinni Mohammed (photo, right), the artist who painted the portraits of 24 saints in the church as part of the recent

St. Patrick Academy

SCHOOL BOARD

The School Board is advisory to

the Pastor in all matters of

policy, program and finances.

Each member serves a three-

year renewable term.

Chair

Dr. Patricia Recupero

Members

Patricia Baumgartel

Dr. Albert Badre

James Donohue

Maurice Guernon

Michael Speidel

Barbara Wright

Ex Officio

Fr. James Ruggieri, Pastor

Bruce Daigle, Principal

Ethan Kehoe,

Development Director

Secretary

Loraine Cournoyer

renovations. Mr. Mohammed told the students of his childhood in Ghana when he first began drawing pictures in the dirt with his finger – the only art materials available to him. His story of perseverance and faith was truly inspiring to all.

Nurses’s Office: The Wellness Company will be at the Academy on Tuesday, March 1st at

9am to hold another vaccination clinic. If your child needs vaccinations, a consent form with your child’s needs has been enclosed in this mailing. Please sign the highlighted areas giving permission for your child to receive these vaccinations, free of charge, and return it to the

school by Monday, February 29th.

Library News: Congratulations to Alejandra Ruiz, Florence Fagbote and Nelly Durand

for completing the January Reading Incentive and earning gift cards to Subway. Further congratulations to all of the students who have increased their vocabularies through the Word of

the Day program. Girl Code continues to meet periodically at lunch on Mondays and is open to all the young ladies at the Academy. The library is currently hosting a Poetry-Writing Contest. Poems are due by Friday, February 12

th and will be judged by a panel of upperclassmen. In January, students enjoyed making bookmarks and creating poems with magnetic poetry at the Imagination Station. In February, the Imagination

Station will feature a variety of activities about St. Valentine’s Day.

Technology News: Mobile Beacon, a technology services company owned by Mr. John

Primeau, one of our top supporters, recently donated 15 new Lenovo ThinkPads to replace the laptops that the company donated five years ago for use by our faculty and staff. The new laptops have been loaded with the Microsoft Office Suite and Edline/GradeQuick, and have been distributed to the faculty. Our thanks and appreciation to Mr. Primeau and Mobile Beacon!

Prayers We ask for your prayers for:

• The complete recovery of Barbara Primeau, the wife of NACEPF director John Primeau, a long-time supporter of the Academy.

• The repose of the soul of Juan Carlos Uballe, the cousin of junior Nayeli Soriano.

• The repose of the soul of Yolanda de Jesus, the aunt of freshman Paola Perez-Hidalgo.

• The repose of the soul of Martha Albanese and William Letizia, the aunt and uncle of math teacher Ellen Rogers-Amoroso.

• The repose of the soul of Laura Trinidad, the mother of former students Angela and Pedro Rodriguez.

• The repose of the soul of Mrs. Marcia Duval, a relative of Campus Minister Mary Cipriano.

• The healing and recovery of Jack Delaney, the brother of math teacher George Delaney.

Winter Weather Warnings

In the event of winter storm warnings, please stay tuned to any of your local FM radio stations or TV stations WJAR-10, WLNE-6 or WPRI-12. If school is delayed or cancelled, a phone call will be sent out to all parents by 5:45am.

Calendar Dates to Remember: Wednesday, February 10: ASH WEDNESDAY (12:05pm Mass and Ashes in church) Friday, February 12: Deadline for filing FACTS application for the Accinno Scholarship Fund Friday, February 12: Deadline for Library Poetry-Writing Contest Sunday, February 14: St. Valentine’s Day Monday & Tuesday, February 15-16: Presidents’ Day – NO SCHOOL Wednesday, February 24: Junior Class Retreat at the Jeanne Jugan Center Friday, February 26: Student Council’s Movie Night, 6:00 to 9:00pm Monday, February 29: Deadline for consent form for Vaccination Clinic Tuesday, March 1: Vaccination Clinic, 9:00am Please feel free to call us with any questions or concerns at 421-9300. Enjoy God bless,

Bruce Daigle Bruce Daigle Principal

Enclosed: Re-registration form for 2016-17 [Only for students who have not re-registered] Vaccination consent form [Only for students in need of vaccinations]