A Swingin’ Education

Read it at The Tablet!

The seventh-grade class at Sacred Heart School, Bayside, visited the Alley Pond Adventure Course in Queens. The adventure course is designed to focus on team-building, problem-solving and communication skills through games and low- and high-element activities.

Prior to the field trip, the students had been working on an adventure education unit in their physical education classes culminating in the day at Alley Pond.

“I think adventure education is an important unit in physical education,” said Jackie Flynn, physical education teacher. “It steps away from traditional units such as soccer or basketball and focuses on teamwork and problem-solving, which are skills the students will use throughout their lives.” Read more »

Save the Date ~ Friday, September 27

Join us on September 27th to watch the NY Mets play the Milwaukee Brewers!  The New York Mets have established Friday, September 27th, 2013 as “Brooklyn/Queens Catholic Schools Night” for the Catholic schools and academies within the Diocese of Brooklyn.  The 7:10 pm game at Citi Field will be an opportunity for all schools and academies to build community, strengthen team spirit, and raise some funds for a project your school chooses. Read more »

I.C.S.: ‘Best Little School in the Heart of Astoria’

by Marie Elena Giossi       Read it on The Tablet website here.

School will be back in session soon, and while some will lament over the end of summer, Eileen Harnischfeger isn’t one of them.

The principal of Immaculate Conception School (I.C.S.) is excited to reunite with the students and teachers who, she says, make I.C.S. “the best little school in the heart of Astoria.”

ICS ScienceLocated on 29th Street and Ditmars Boulevard, I.C.S. is a neighborhood institution, where generations of local Catholics have sent their children since the doors first opened in 1924.

Twelve years ago, Harnischfeger became the first lay principal after having taught kindergarten and computer classes at the school for Read more »

August, 2013, School Changes

The following summary details the changes which have been implemented in Catholic elementary schools/academies within the Diocese of Brooklyn for the 2013-2014 academic year.

The Office of the Superintendent is pleased to announce that ten schools have made the transition to the academy model.  The new academies within Brooklyn are St. Anselm Catholic Academy, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy, St. Jerome Catholic Academy, and St. Patrick Catholic Academy.  The new academies within Queens are Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Academy, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy, Sacred Heart Catholic Academy (Cambria Heights), St. Clare Catholic Academy, St. Kevin Catholic Academy, and St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy. Read more »

August 21, 2013, A variety of Assessments for a Diverse Student Body

Posted by The Tablet on 21 August 2013.

by Diane Phelan

During the 2012-2013 academic year, teachers throughout the state implemented instructional shifts in their classrooms to meet the demands of the New York State Common Core Learning Standards, which provide a clear understanding of what students are expected to learn. These standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that students need for success in college and careers.

Over the course of a school year within the Diocese of Brooklyn, students are assessed both formally and informally in our schools to guide the instructional cycle. Teachers and students benefit from assessments, but no one test or assessment can tell the whole “story” regarding student achievement. To this end, schools and academies within the Diocese of Brooklyn use “multiple measures” of assessment to determine what students know and are able to do and to redirect the learner and lead students toward higher achievement. Read more »

July, 2013 Historic Fort Greene Building to Become Second Largest Green Roof in NYC

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School will have the second largest Green Roof in Brooklyn by the end of July 2013.  The NYC Department of Environmental Protection selected Bishop Loughlin, located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, as the site for an ambitious green roof project.   The project is funded through the Green Infrastructure Grant Program and will have a significant impact for both Bishop Loughlin and the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill community. Read more »