Bellerose, September 27, 2017 – With the 2017-18 academic year recently beginning, students in grades three through five at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy in Bellerose received their Chromebooks as a part of the “Greg’s Goes Google” 1:1 (one-to-one) initiative. Last year, grades six, seven and eight received their Chromebooks. A 1:1 program is critical for students because it allows for a differentiation of content delivery in the classroom, particularly through the educational resources to which St. Gregory subscribes. St. Gregory’s recognizes this and pursued this to ensure success of its students.

Students in these grades can now easily be networked with each other both in and outside of the classroom. The Chromebooks easily integrate with the Google platform that St. Gregory’s uses. With Google Classroom, the discussion continues outside of the classroom. The 1:1 initiative, also allows for students to go paperless in some aspects. St. Gregory’s principal still firmly believes textbooks are needed to ensure proper cognitive development.

“The brain interprets printed and digital text in different ways. According to technology writer Nicholas Carr, reading hyper-linked text may increase the brain’s “cognitive load,” lowering the ability to process, store, and retain information, or “translate the new material into conceptual knowledge.”

St. Gregory’s released its Five-Year Plan in 2014. Year One incorporated a major overhaul of the network infrastructure including the addition of wireless access points, and new wiring throughout the building. We also introduced the use of Google Classroom to select grades. Years two through five include devices for the students. The primary grades will receive Google Android based tablets. “Greg’s Goes Google” is not only a five-year device initiative, but also embraces the Google platform in various ways.

St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy is dedicated to providing a rigorous academic program, with extracurricular activities, to produce well-rounded students who are friendly, hardworking, enthusiastic, and high-achieving. Offering academic programs for Nursery through 8^th Grade, St. Gregory’s is committed to preparing students for success in high school, college, and beyond.

For more information, visit our website www.sgtgca.org

The 5th grade students at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy – Astoria (“ICCA”) researched, created and demonstrated their experiments in a successful science fair at the school. All ICCA grades, parents, and friends of the Academy who visited the fair were impressed by the creativity, the knowledge and the articulation of the experimental demonstrations.

The students celebrated Catholic Schools Week by various events and activites.

Students from the older grades and lower grades came together to do arts and crafts, along with special lessons during Buddy Day.

Catholic Schools Week Mass

Twin Day/Pajama Day

International/Olympic Day was celebrated where each class in the school was given a country to research. The students decorated their classes like the country and did research about the country to learn more about different people. The students then represented the country during their Olympics and Catholic Schools Week Mass. Some students came dressed in clothes from their assigned countries, some brought food, and authentic decorations. Several learned songs and part of the language.

The first grade continued with their STEM groups. This was their second time doing this project this year to make sure the same mistakes were not made and to see how their ideas have advanced.

The students of St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy celebrated Catholic Schools Week and drew the themed symbol this year with a statement of why they love their academy.

The faculty, staff, and students get ready for Valentine’s Day by writing what they love about their academy.

The 5^th grade created projects on the layers of Earth, 6^th grade created projects on animal and plant cells, and 8^th grade created projects about Astronomy.

The lower grades wrote Mass Reflections.

Students were celebrated and staff members were honored at Our Lady of Fatima School during Catholic Schools Week. Older students took a break and went ice skating at Flushing Meadow Park, 5^th graders show off their bowling skills at Bowl 360, and Staff members were honored for significant anniversaries at the school. Goldie Michelena, the Librarian, celebrated 25 years and Kathleen O’Brien, the Kindergarten teacher, celebrated 20 years.

The students of Incarnation Catholic Academy celebrated their diverse cultures during Catholic Schools Week’s Multicultural Day last Thursday. Students dressed up in their native outfits.

The students took place in fun activities during Catholic Schools Week such as Sports Day, Musical Chairs with grades 1-4, Buddy Day, and Principal Debora Hanna even flipped pancakes for the entire school!

Each year, to highlight the “serve” component of Catholic Schools’ Week, St. Gregory’s, junior high students create and organize the annual “Penny Carnival.” It is a team effort by the whole school. Children are entertained by the older kids with homemade games of skill, as well as a nail salon, tattoo parlor, an amusing fortune teller, guessing games, and so much more. The highlight of the afternoon is always the “pie in the face” station that brings in the most money. Teachers volunteer themselves for a whipped cream facial and are really good sports. When all is said and done a generous donation of over $1,300 was raised by our students and parents and will be sent to the Smile Train Foundation for children with cleft palate. Not only did we make some fun, but we helped those families with sick children, too. A special thanks to Ms. Mueller and her 7^th grade students for all the behind the scenes work that made this Catholic Schools’ Week activity a HUGE success!

Over the years we have donated over $10,000 dollars to various charities due to the generosity of our families and the creativity of our faculty and students. The children look forward to this every year and we will continue this tradition. It is a win-win for all involved.