Mrs. Minor’s June 2025 Letter

July 10, 2025

June 25, 2025

Dear Our Lady’s Academy Parents,

“The joyful chaos has suddenly become silent.” school is very lonely without its star attractions, the students. I say this each year I write this June Memo to all of you.

Some faculty members are coming in to clean up the loose ends in their classrooms before they start to enjoy their well-deserved break. Besides working on enrollments, I have begun to plan on getting the school ready for the students’ return in September. All the classrooms and common areas will be cleaned from top to bottom. Classroom rugs will be cleaned and, in some areas, a fresh coat of paint will be applied

You should receive your children’s class placements around the first of August. The faculty does their best to create the best learning environment taking into consideration relationships between and among students, gender, talents and personalities. Copies of the summer work and supply lists for each grade are on the website at www.ourladysacademy.org.

I want to welcome all our families especially our new families. For our new families, this document will introduce you to some of the necessary information that is needed to make your first experience at Our Lady’s a positive one. For our more seasoned families, much of what is said here is redundant. Normally, you would get this letter and much of the information it contains, sometime in August. However, I am sure you are wondering about some of the things that I am going to mention, I feel that I should get as much of the information out to everyone sooner than later as long as I have the information to give. So here I go!

Class assignments and a complete faculty list will follow in August. Please understand that in most cases the children in any one grade are serviced by all teachers of that grade. Our classes are not self-contained since in some classes the teachers of the grade work with all the children in that grade on different subjects. This allows them to better tailor the instruction to the child’s needs.

Curriculum Initiatives

In Kindergarten through third grade, we will be using Haggerty Phonics as part of the Reading program.
Amplify ELA, will be used for grades 6-8. This is a high interest, blended curriculum. Students learn to tackle any complex text, make observations and grapple with ideas.
This year, as we do each year, our book room will be updated by adding books that are used for individualized reading instruction. These books are available for all grades.
Math Expressions curriculum will continue in grades K-5.
The middle school will continue to use the same social studies curriculum that focuses on traditional, world and American history.
Our science program, Generation Genius, will continue to be used in grades Kindergarten through grade eight. This program features hands-on and research-based learning with an on-line component for students in grades three through eight. This program supports project-based learning and assessments.
We plan on bring back the Student Council

The Student Leadership Council will be a sub group of the Student Council. More information will follow on this topic.

We will continue our STEM program in all grades. More information about this very important program will be shared in the August letter.
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program will continue to be instituted in grades five through eight. Please find enclosed the rational and chart of suggestions for devices that each Grades 5 through 8) student will need.
BYOD in the fourth grade is subject to the teacher’s discretion following the guidelines set forth in the document enclosed. Chrome books are available through the school for grades three and four. Each year we try to purchase additional Chrome books as the need is recognized.
We will continue with the Greek and Latin Roots in the Upper School. Patrick O’Brien will be teaching this class to grades seven and eight. This class will help our students with their vocabulary since English words are based on Greek and Latin. This is a class that will also help to prepare the students for their entrance exams for competitive high schools.
We will continue the Advanced Math program.
We will continue to enhance learning using technology throughout the academy. We will continue with virtual books in social studies and science in the middle school. Hardcover books are available as well.
IXL Learning was purchased for the Primary, Lower and Upper Schools for math and in English Language Arts. IXL Spanish will be used in the middle school. IXL Learning is an on-line tutorial program that provides students with individualized practice in math, English Language arts and now Spanish.

Forms

The following form is attached to this email:

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
Child Safety Requirements
CORI Form
Virtus Training
Mandatory Reporter Training
Authorization For Administering Prescription Medication in School Form
Calendar

Please print and fill out all forms and send them to the school office CORI forms must be witnessed in the school office with documentation of an identification card or driver’s license. If you plan on spending time in the school or on school related activities etc. you must attend Virtus and Mandatory Reporter training. Please refer to the information attached

Important Dates

Our first official day for the faculty is Thursday, August 28 when the faculty returns for their opening meeting.
The students in Kindergarten through grade eight are expected to return on Tuesday, September 2^ndwith an 11:30 A.M. dismissal on this day. There will be bus transportation on this day and all subsequent days that school is in session.
There will be a full day of school on Wednesday, September 3rd for Kindergarten through grade 8.
The first day for the pre-kindergarten students is on Thursday, September 4^th. Pre-kindergarten families will follow the scheduled days and times for which they registered.
There will be no busses on Tuesday, September 23rd and on Thursday, October 2^nd due to the Jewish holidays. Parents have to transport their children to and from school on these days.

Staffing

Matilda Daoudian will be the paraprofessional for the first-grade teachers. As you may know, this past year Matilda was the aid in the PreK 3 classroom.

Dr. Emir Roach will be taking Kate O’Brien’s place as the middle school science teacher. Dr. Roach is a medical doctor who up until this year was involved in research at a local scientific company. Dr. Roach developed an interest in teaching for the past year when he set up a science program in the Lexington Schools. We are blessed to have him join Our Lady’s Academy. By the way, Dr. Roach has two children who are students of Our Lady’s Academy.

Ryan Donahue will be taking Patricia Fothergill’s place as one of the middle school math teachers. Ryan is a graduate of Assumption College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in mathematics. He then went on to Merrimack College where he received his Masters Degree in Education.

Donatella Carazo will be the new PreK 3 teacher. She is taking Danielle Walsh’s place who will be moving to the PreK 4 classroom. Donatella is a graduate of Salve Regina University where she majored in biology and a double minor in neuroscience and psychology. After doing research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Donatella developed a passion for working with young children. This passion led her to become a Lead Preschool Teacher at Arlington Heights Nursey School. I am also delighted to tell you that Donatella is a graduate of Our Lady’s Academy.

There will be a new STEM teacher for the middle school. We are in the process of posting this position. More information will follow about this position in August.

More Information

Renweb will continue to be host for our on-line report card system for grades three through eight. This system allows parents to log into the teacher’s grade book to monitor their child’s test results and grades. All new families will receive a personal log-in for this system so that they may check on your children’s progress in their classes. Seasoned families in grades three through eight will use their present log-in. Renweb will continue to host our all-call system for all grades. I do want to note that it is extremely important for you to register online through Ren Web/ FACTS even if you have decided to pay your tuition in full. The information entered through our registration system will migrate to email, all- call, attendance and report card systems. Unfortunately, Renweb system does not support report cards and progress reports for grades two and below. These reports will be created by the classroom teachers.

Extra-Curricular After School -School Initiatives

We will be continuing many of the after- school initiatives that were previously held at Our Lady’s Academy. Each activity begins at 2:30 and most are for the duration of one hour. If there is a change in these offerings, it will be stated on the flyer for the activity. I will tell you about the initiatives that have already been confirmed.

Chess-Friday
Karate – Monday
Band- Tuesday
Basketball TBA
Piano-Monday
Debate Class-Thursday
Drama Club TBA
Art Club TB
Armenian Culture and Language Class -Wednesday
ICROBOT- Thursday
Soccer TBA

Flyers for each of the above and additional activities will be sent home via email and with the children as soon as they become available and details are confirmed.

The day concludes at 2:30 P.M. for kindergarten through grade eight. Pre-school dismissal time varies depending on the selected schedules. Those Pre-Kindergarten parents who wish to have their children remain for the After School portion of the day will pick up their children at 4:30 P.M. from their classrooms making sure to follow the check- out procedures for the after-school program. The Pre-Kindergarten and all other parents of children in all other grades who choose to have their children stay until 6:00 P.M. may pick up their children from the After-School Program in the cafeteria again, being sure to follow the checkout procedures established by the After-School Director.

After School Program

The After-School Program will be in session for all early dismissal days beginning on the first early dismissal day on September 2nd (the first day of school) and on all First Wednesday of the month with the exception of Wednesday, September 4^th, which is a full day. Again, September 3^rd is a full day. Early dismissal days include all grades including pre-kindergarten classes. On early dismissal days, the After School Program is in session from 11:30 A.M. until 6:00 P.M. for a fee. Please remember to register for the after- school program. You never know when you may need it. Information for the program is located on the website at www.ourladysacademy.org. If you have any questions concerning the After School Program, please feel free to call the After-School Office at 781-899-0206

Transportation

Bus transportation to and from school is organized by the Waltham School Department and is available for Waltham residents only. Feel free to contact the Parent Information Center of the Waltham schools with any questions or comments that you may have.

Waltham Public Schools

Parent Information Center

617 Lexington Street

Waltham, MA 02452

Attn: Transportation Office

There is no transportation available for children who are not dismissed at the regular dismissal time at 2:30 P.M. There is no transportation for students in Pre- Kindergarten.

Bus stops/routes will be posted in the Waltham Schools website the week before school starts for every Our Lady’s student who lives in Waltham, again with the exception of Pre-Kindergarten students. There will be bus transportation on September 2nd, the first day of classes. On all other early and full day dismissals, there will be busses.

School Lunch

Lunch will be offered on the first full day of school, September 3rd, 2025 for all that want it. You will continue to order and pay for school lunches on-line through RenWeb. I will be sitting down with Nick’s Place II to come up with healthy and more appealing lunches for the children while keeping the cost down. You will get more information in August as soon as details are tied down.

Uniforms

The students are expected to be in full uniform starting on the first day of school. Some parents have reported finding alternate providers of comparable uniforms. Please note that the school has the right of refusal if a uniform does not conform to the academy’s style and standard. We will be adhering to the uniform specifications in the Handbook such as length of girls’ skirts/skorts and shorts on gym and free dress days. I have noticed this year that the girls have been coming in with non-uniform skirts/skorts that are much too short. This will not be allowed during the coming year. The uniform company is Donnelly’s. Their website is www.DonnellysClothing.com/LADYWALTMA.. Their phone number is 1.800.498.0045. Please visit Our Lady’s Academy website at www.ourladysacademy.org to review the uniform code in the handbook.

School Volunteers/ Staff

As directed by the Archdioceses of Boston, school personnel such as volunteers, administrators, teachers, support staff, cafeteria workers and coaches will be required to take part in the CORI (Criminal History Report) process along with Virtus and Mandatory Reporter Training mentioned above. Each person must renew CORI each academic year regardless of how recently the last CORI was completed. The Virtus and Mandatory Reporter training must only be done once.

New Parent Orientation

A new parent orientation will be held in September. The date and time will be announced shortly.

Class Assignments

Class assignment will follow in a subsequent letter in August.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Chandra Minor

PrincipalJune 25, 2025