Dear Parent/Guardian;
Again I am amazed that the school year and my second year as principal of HCA have gone by so quickly! I feel blessed to be among the children every day and to have my excellent faculty and staff supporting all of our endeavors. I am overwhelmed with the level of support from HCA parents and guardians in our fundraising activities. All fundraisers, big and small, have yielded excellent results. The fundraisers have been fun for all and I am deeply grateful for the support you have given to HCA.
Faculty Update:
For many years HCA has been blessed with an exceptional faculty. They have dedicated themselves to providing a quality education to the students. Miss Diminich, Mrs. Amato, Mrs. Rosenblatt, Mrs. Donovan and Mrs. Leeds will be retiring effective June, 2010. These fine educators have for many years represented the best that HCA has to offer to its students. We are saddened to see them go and we wish them God’s blessings for a peaceful and happy retirement.
Update on Technology Initiative:
As you know, we now have a total of nine SmartBoards hanging in the classrooms, with four more ordered and to be hung in the classrooms at the end of June at a cost of approximately $65,000 thus far. In the near future, the wireless router system which we installed last summer will have to be upgraded to accommodate our modular classrooms to be installed in the courtyard this summer. We hope to acquire two mobile carts (one for each floor) to accommodate laptops for use in the classrooms by students. The true integration of technology into the curriculum could not be accomplished without the dismantling of the old computer lab and replacing it with these carts and laptops to enable the students to use the laptops in the classrooms where the learning is actually taking place. The cost of the carts and laptops is approximately $50,000. All of this was and will be accomplished thanks to the hard work and support of the PTA fundraisers. Income from tuition and registration covers less than 70% of the school’s expenses. Obviously, we must rely on the PTA fundraisers and donations to cover the gap between tuition income and normal operating expenses. The technology initiative we started this school year and the generosity of the PTA fundraisers has enabled us to reach some of our goals and we are still striving to do more for the students.
Keep Those Math Skills Sharp! Review, review, review! Practice, practice, practice!
Each student will be receiving a math skills workbook containing skills and concepts they have learned this year. It is important that they retain these skills during the summer months. This workbook will be included as part of your child’s math grades for the first trimester.
Summer Reading
The teachers have provided students with a list of books for summer reading. These lists will also be posted on the school website www.hobokencatholic.org. Each child entering Grades 2 through 8 is required to read 2-3 books during the summer. Reports on these books will be collected by your child’s teacher in September. The book reports will be included as part of your child’s Reading grade for the first trimester.
School Calendar for 2010-2011
The preliminary calendar for the 2010-2011 school year is being sent home along with this letter. The purpose of the preliminary calendar is to give you an overview of holidays and vacation periods for the upcoming school year. This is a preliminary calendar only, and subject to change.
Tuition Payments
We will continue to use SMART Tuition Management for the collection of tuition. The first tuition payment for the 2010-2011 school year is due in July. You will receive notification from SMART at the end of June.
Your tuition payments must be up to date in order for your child to begin school in September.
Relax and enjoy the slower pace of the summer months. God bless you and have a happy and safe summer.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Rose Perry
Principal
