ACADEMY OF OUR LADY’S
Building the Kingdom . . . one child at a time
Issue #3 2012/2013
January 2013
www.academyofourlady.org
201-445-0622
180 Rodney Street
Glen Rock, NJ 07452
Academy of Our Lady Celebrates Catholic Schools Week!
“Raise the Standards”
Please join us for Catholic Schools Week January 27th through February 2nd, 2013
Sunday, January 27: Catholic Schools Raise the Standards in Our Parishes
 Student Council Officers speak at Masses at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and
St. Catharine; all students are welcome to wear uniforms to Mass and greet parishioners.
 10:00 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. Open House with student guided tours featuring clubs too!
Refreshments provided by the Home School Association’s Hospitality Committee
First Grade: Animal Habitat exhibit
Second Grade: Penguins on Parade exhibit
Monday, January 28: Catholic Schools Raise the Standards in Our Community
 Prayer Partner & Teddy Bear Day -Students wear pajamas/sweats, reading to prayer partners.
 The Brain Show
10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. for Grades K – 3 in the Gym.
11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. for Grades 4-8 in the Gym.
Tuesday, January 29: Catholic Schools Raise the Standards in Our Students
 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Open House: Classroom visitations and displays.
 11:00 a.m., Grades 1st, 2nd and 3rd Spelling Bee in Community Hall.
 1:30 p.m. Grades 4th and 5th Spelling Bee in Community Hall.
Wednesday, January 30th Catholic Schools Raise the Standards in Our Nation and Volunteers
 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Open House Classroom visitations and displays;
 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Biography Day ~ Grade 3
 11:00 a.m. Student Appreciation Treat ~ Gym
 1:15 p.m. Grades 6th, 7th and 8th Catholic Challenge ~ Gym
 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Thank You Reception for Volunteers ~ Faculty Room
Thursday, January 31: Catholic Schools Raise the Standards in Our Vocations
 Gym Extravaganza: Grades Kindergarten – 8th
 Priest Luncheon
 1:30 p.m. Grade 7th and 8th Crab Soccer Game
 2:00 p.m. Faculty Student Volleyball Game
Friday, February 1: Catholic Schools Raise the Standards in Our Faculty & Staff
 10:00 a.m. Catholic Schools Week Liturgy led by Grade 7
 Teacher Appreciation Day and HSA Luncheon
 Ski Club and Movie Day ~ pre-registered students with an adult
Saturday, February 2: Catholic Schools Raise the Standards in Our Family and Our Friends
 6:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Fathers’ Guild Beefsteak Dinner:
DJ, Silent Auction, Great Food and a good time for all adults!
-Patricia Keenaghan, Principal
From the classroom of Miss Folco
Dear Parents,
It seems impossible that we are already in the
second half of our school year! We send our blessings
to all for a happy and healthy 2013.
As the children hunker down to books and
projects, your HSA is busy planning fundraisers,
family fun days and book fairs. We have Catholic
Schools Week at the end of January, the annual Book
Fair in March, and Fun Fair in May to look forward to.
We have Easter Candy sales launching in late
February, a Clothing Drive in May and our much
beloved Ladies Night Out in April. All activities and
fundraisers are planned to enhance our children’s
educational experience and to help us grow as a
community. It is our hope that you can find a few hours
to enjoy these events with us.
Please come visit 1F’s diorama
display during Catholic School’s Week.
The students have been working hard and
have finished studying their science units
on animals. As a culminating project they
will be making a diorama on their favorite
animal. Students will then be researching
their animal in computer class and can
take out a book during library. They are
looking forward to sharing the projects
with their friends and wit h you! We hope
you can stop by and see all the special
exhibits!
Please feel free to e-mail us with any HSA
questions you may have. We encourage you to log
onto our school website, www.academyofourlady.org,
to stay informed about school and HSA our HSA
meetings, where you can get additional information
regarding events.
Our best wishes to all,
Denise O’Brien
Deb Nation
Jennifer Minicus
Judy Dickson
Amy Ficon
Band Notes
By Mrs. Boughner
After an outstanding performance for the Band Christmas Concert, our young musicians are hard at work learning new
music for our many spring events, including the Band Concert, High Note Festival and Graduation! Our third
grade Recorder class begins in January with many new recorder students signed up and off to a good
start and will perform at the Band Spring Concert on May 10th. The Advanced Band
will also present “Dona Nobis Pacem.” at the Catholic Schools Week Mass.
Technology Update
By Mrs. Lisa Palmeri
Technology Coordinator
Desktop computers:
Thanks to the efforts of our Father’s Guild 2 new desktop computers were installed in grades 5 to 8 this
past fall. We are hoping to do the same for Grades K-4 in the near future.
Wireless:
Over the Christmas break we started to install wireless access points in some locations of the building.
Since only a limited number of access points were installed there are still areas that do not have a
wireless signal. We hope to continue installation and have full coverage for the school as funds become
available. Thanks again to our Father’s Guild for their support of this important school-wide project!
iPads at AOOL:
The school has purchased 10 iPads and a 30 bay charging cart with our New Jersey Technology
Initiative Funds. Thank you to all who wrote Gov. Christie to continue this vital funding program. The
cart with the 10 iPads will be housed in the computer lab. Mrs. Mangin will introduce our students to
tablet technology during their weekly lab time exploring age appropriate educational apps. After
teachershave been trained they will be free to bring their students to the lab on Thursday or Friday to
utilize the iPads. Ms. Cuomo and Ms. Hrabovsky will start a pilot program this spring to utilize the
iPads from the computer lab and other technology resources for our grade 5-8 math students. This will
be done in conjunction with Mrs. Mangin in the computer lab. Last spring we purchased 3 iPads with
our New Jersey state funds. One iPad is in use in the library and available to any faculty member and
the other two iPads are in use in Ms. Folco’s first grade classroom. Ms. Folco uses them for enrichment
in all subject areas and as a learning center. This spring that program will be expanded to Mrs.
Coleman’s class and they will share the 2 iPads. An iPad is also in use by Mrs. Barbara Wagner for
ESL and re-enforcement for Bergen County supplemental instruction. That iPad was provided by
Bergen County to Mrs. Wagner. We are hoping to increase the number of iPads as funds become
available.
Technology is everywhere and we are helping our students learn to use technology to enhance their learning
experience. Every day we learn something new is a great day!
Academy of Our Lady’s Pre-K Program
By Mrs. Denise Trynowsky
Academy of Our Lady Preschool provides a wonderful opportunity for our youngest children to grow
and develop in a loving environment within a Catholic school setting that nourishes their soul, mind and
body. Our program is carefully designed with attention to the individual needs and differences of each child.
It serves as a bridge between the home and the school where parents have the opportunity upon arrival each
day to communicate with the teachers.
Our teachers are Early Childhood Specialists, advanced degreed and certified with many years of
experience. The teachers are facilitators, providing a vast variety of experiences in large, beautifully
decorated classrooms. In addition, each class is assisted by a full-time Para-professional.
We offer classes for two year olds which meet two mornings per week, and three year olds which
meet two, three, or five mornings per week. Both two and three year olds have the opportunity to be
enrolled in our “Adorable Angels” afternoon extended care program. Our littlest school friends are busy,
learning in active environments. They learn to work with others in small and large groups, developing
language and listening skills. There are many opportunities in a day to develop small and large motor skills,
as well as all areas of the child’s development: spiritual, physical, cognitive, social and emotional.
Our four year old program lays a solid foundation for successful entry into kindergarten. We foster
positive socialization and imaginative play, along with a fully integrated curriculum with emphasis on prereading, and pre-writing skills. Our days are filled with a creative and multi-intelligence approach to
learning, and for an added bonus, the children enjoy their “MY Weekly Reader.” PEP (Pre-K Enrichment
Program) enables our four year olds to experience a full day of school activities with additional exposure to
the following: specialized computer class, library, music class, and Spanish. Our entire Pre-K community
engages in outdoor play in a state of the art secured playground. We also provide a large variety of riding
toys for our little friends to enjoy!
Academy of Our Lady Pre-K is thoughtfully designed to foster self esteem, creativity, and a love of
learning in a Christ-centered environment!
A NOTE FROM YOUR SPEECH THERAPIST!!
Just like you do exercises to help your legs become stronger, you can do exercises to help the muscles in
your mouth become stronger! Below are just a few of the exercises that will help build up the speed and
strength of the movements of the face and mouth needed for proper speech articulation.
Look in a mirror to make sure you are doing them properly.
1. Blow bubbles. This works the muscles that make our lips round like for the /w/and /o/ sound. It also
improves breath control.
2. Lick peanut butter (as long as you are not allergic!) or yogurt with your tongue only (no fingers)
after a large amount has been placed on the roof of your mouth or behind the top front teeth. This
works on lifting your tongue and if you put it over to one side of your mouth, it works to help
lateralize the tongue (move it sideways).
3. Smile BIG. Try to get the corners of your mouth to move towards your ears. Hold for 5 seconds!
When you smile, your tongue automatically (right away) goes into the proper spot to make the /s/ or
/z/ sound!
4. Pucker your lips like your drinking from a straw. Hold tightly for 5 seconds.
5. Say "OOOOOO" by pursing your lips then "EEEEEEEEEEE" with a big smile. 5 times rapidly!
So while you are having fun making silly faces, just think that you are helping to make the muscles of your
face stronger which will help you to produce your sounds even better!
Miss Bennett, MS, CCC-SLP
New and Improved Accelerated Reader (AR) Program
Happy and Healthy New Year! Over Christmas break
we migrated to the new and improved AR system
known as Renaissance Place. This internet based
version provides access to more than 100,000 Reading
Practice tests! We no longer have to purchase each AR
test. There is a higher annual fee but it is certainly
worth it. The data is stored on the servers of the
vendor, Renaissance Learning. Each class in grades 1
through 8 was introduced to the new version during
their library period. The students are very excited that
the latest book in their favorite series now has a test.
Tests may still only be taken at school under teacher
supervision. Since there are so many more tests
not all are appropriate for every student. Students
should get their teacher’s approval that a book is
suitable for them. Mrs. Rogan has the ability to
inactivate tests that are too mature or violent for our
students. The Accelerated Reading list that was on the
Academy of Our Lady website is now obsolete.
Renaissance Learning has a website called AR
BookFinder. The address is www.arbookfind.com
This was also demonstrated to the students by Mrs.
Rogan. It can be accessed at home, with parents’
permission, or the public library. It displays the books
for which there are AR tests. The list can be searched
by title, author, or topic. The search results can be
narrowed by book level or topic. The display includes
Interest Level (IL) for Lower Grades (LG grades K-3),
Middle Grades (MG 4-8), Middle Grade Plus (MG+ 6
and up) and Upper Grades (UG grades 9-12). Book
level (BL) is still based more on vocabulary than
content. When students are looking for book
suggestions, they can use the Collections tab on AR
BookFinder to view Award winning books, librarians’
recommendations and popular books. A Parent’s
Guide to AR BookFinder was sent to parents
electronically. If you would like a hard copy, tell your
child to ask Mrs. Rogan and she will be happy to
provide it. Any questions, feel free to email Mrs.
Rogan at progan@academyofourlady.org
Tabouli (Traditional Lebanese Salad)….submitted by Shirley Mitri
Ingredients:




3 bunches of parsley rinsed very well and chopped fine.
3 tomatoes, diced.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 handful of cracked wheat (brown or white), rinsed (also known as bulgur)
Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing (lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper)
On Friday, December 7th, 30 students and parents hit the slopes at Mount Peter in Warwick, New York!
Our upcoming events will typically be held on each winter first Friday after school. We will possibly hold a
weekend event as well. The purpose is to bring together all the students who ski or snowboard together for
an enjoyable afternoon on the mountain and the idea has been well received! There is no fee to join other
than the cost to ski and students are welcome to join at any time. We hope to have more students join us on
the next outing. Be on the look out for our cool AoOL Ski Club shirts, which will be ordered soon.
Questions? Comments? Contact:
Dan Adamek at adamekfam@gmail.com or Beth Toolen at toolen@verizon.net.
Dear Families of Academy of Our Lady,
I invite you to join me in celebrating National Catholic Schools Week from January 27th to February
2nd. The theme for this year is "Catholic Schools Raise the Standards." What a wonderful recognition of the
primary objective of all Catholic schools to implement programs with high academic standards and a Catholic
identity.
The logo designed for the week illustrates a chart of steady growth
culminating in the highest achievement of all, a Cross representing the faith that
underscores all Catholic education.
As we begin this week, I share with you my belief in Catholic education in the
format of "Questions and Answers" and I invite you to join me in being an
ambassador of the mission of Catholic education and the treasure we have at
Academy of Our Lady. School.
May God continue to bless you for all you do to share in this mission,
Patricia Keenaghan, Principal
Question: What do you see as the role of a Catholic education?
Mrs. Keenaghan: The role of Catholic education is to provide an academically rigorous and doctrinally sound
program of education and faith formation. In partnership with parents, Catholic schools provide a formal and
practical setting to learn and live the teachings of Christ. It is the work of the Church to continue to catechize,
evangelize and develop Catholic leaders. Academy of Our Lady is a leading example of this demonstrated by
service learning projects developed by the students.
Question: What is unique about a Catholic education?
Mrs. Keenaghan: From my 30 years experience in various Catholic dioceses, I have experienced the
universal role that Catholic education fosters forming and nurturing an involved, disciplined, goal driven citizen
prepared to take on tasks and recognize the importance of each individual’s contribution. It begins with early
faith experiences, knowing and believing that God loves you, God knows you, and God created you and to
serve Him in this world. As students mature they integrate that faith with knowledge of the world and their role
working toward success. A Catholic education teaches that success is even more deeply defined. It develops a
keen sense that success is how we conduct our lives and serve others. This concept is uniquely fostered in a
Catholic education.
Question: This is your fifteenth year at Academy of Our Lady, what have you found to differentiate it?
Mrs. Keenaghan: First, Gospel values are central to every Academy of Our Lady’s initiative - academic, cocurricular, and extracurricular. We don't simply teach doctrine, we live it in our classrooms and in our
programs. These values flow from the life and words of Jesus Christ, who came to reveal and proclaim the
Gospel message of human dignity, solidarity, justice, and peace. This is essential to Academy of Our Lady’s
commitment expressed by, “In God we trust, serving others as a reflection of Jesus’ love.” Second,
appreciating and recognizing the unique role of each student. By providing a diverse range of activities and
learning experiences Academy of Our Lady students develop their talents and widen their interests while
incorporating service to others.
Question: If there is a single message that you want the families of Academy of Our Lady students to
know about the school, what is it?
Mrs. Keenaghan: I would simply express what a blessing and a privilege it is to be a part of Academy of Our
Lady. It is in true partnership with the pastors, parents, faculty, and parishes that this school continues to fulfill
its mission. As we prepare to celebrate the schools’ 60th Anniversary next year, I am reminded of the
benevolence of this community, commitment to provide for a faith filled education, thirst for Gospel values to
grow and to enjoy this journey together to help with “Building the Kingdom, one child at a time.” I realize how
fortunate we are to be members of a community that has the school facilities, programs, and dedicated faculty
with which to deliver the message of Christ. It is truly a blessing to support and honor. In fact, it is a reason to
celebrate!