Dear Parents, I hope this email finds you looking forward to another school year at Our Lady of Good Counsel School. The faculty, staff and I have been hard at work, preparing to welcome our new and returning families! I hope at this point, you have had the opportunity to read through the re-opening plan for the schools in the Archdiocese of NY. If not, I have attached it here for your perusal. All of what you read in the guide will be enacted in our school for the safety and well-being of students and teachers alike. In addition to what is put forth there, I wanted to share some particulars that apply to OLGC. Our first week of school begins on Wednesday, September 8th. We will dismiss at 12 noon on each of these days. Since the public schools are not in session, there will be NO bus service that week (9/8-9/10). NYC contracts with Pioneer Bus Company to provide bus service to non-public schools on Staten Island. We expect that bus service will be offered, and all children have been entered into the system. With that said, we have not received a schedule from Pioneer as of yet. I will keep you informed of the bus status as we get closer to the start of school. For this first week of school, we will use the ‘stop, drop and roll’ that we used last year, or feel free to park elsewhere on Austin and walk your child to the front of the school. No parents may enter the building during phase 1. Please have your child ready to go when you approach the school on Austin Place. We will admit students from 7:40-8:00 on these days. Our brand-new pre-k students should arrive at 8:00 am. Uniforms: Please make sure your child is in uniform on the first day. All students wearing the summer uniform must have WHITE sneakers. Students many NOT have dyed hair, and boys’ hair must be above the collar. Please refer to the handbook. Arrival: All students will enter through the front door at 42 Austin Place. Pioneer buses should be available in the morning and afternoon for students who are eligible for bus service. Although my concerns about the bus and potential exposure have not changed, I understand that many of you simply need bus service. Our buses usually arrive between 7:25 and 7:40. If you are planning to drive your child to school, please refrain from pulling into the bus lane during that time. After 7:40, you may pull over into the bus lane to let your children out, or park elsewhere and walk your child to the front. Both the front door and the food pantry doors will be used in the morning. Every child will have his/her temperature taken before entering the building. If a student presents with a fever over 100.0, the child will be taken to the Guardian Angel room until a parent can come. All students should be in school by 7:55am. Pre-k students will arrive at 8am. Masks: All students and teachers must be masked while in the building. Please send your children to school wearing a mask and include another in the schoolbag. We also have a supply of masks in the building. Books: Since students will be in every day and have dedicated desks, they may leave books in school. There is no need for them to carry everything back and forth as was necessary last year while in cohorts. Please make sure that everything is labeled. Lunch: Lunch will be held in both the cafeteria and auditorium to reduce the number of children eating at one time. Students in kindergarten to grade 3 will eat downstairs in two sessions, and students in grades 4-8 will eat in the auditorium in two sessions. Students will have recess either before or after they eat. Students in pre-k eat in the classroom. There is no hot lunch service this year. Dismissal: Students who take the bus will leave, by grade and by bus number, at 2:25. Students who will be dismissed for pickup in the school yard will be dismissed by grade after the bus at approximately 2:30. I would ask that you leave the grounds once your children come out so that aftercare may use the yard. Aftercare: Students attending the aftercare program will remain in their class cohorts. As much as possible, aftercare will be held outside, hence the need to clear the school yard after dismissal. Looking forward to seeing you all very soon, Mrs. Hynes

Be part of the SOLUTION to childhood cancers and other illnesses. Use the link to register your child/children for the event on Friday, February 5th.

Please click on the link and enjoy your tour of Our Lady of Good Counsel School. Contact secretary@goodcounselsch.org for admission information!

Please click on the link above to learn about our school and find information about applying!

The Archdiocese of NY has created a link for the most recent updates on the Corona virus.

Mr. Tim Gallagher of the FBI will present to our students in grades 5-8 about safely posting on social media.

Please send in any donations for the Babies in Bethlehem program by Wednesday, 12/18. Your support goes far in supporting mothers and children in the Holy Land. Thank you for you generosity.

Our monthly mass, led by the 7th grade, will be on Monday, December 9th, in observance of the Holy Day of Immaculate Conception.

We are all looking forward to a wonderful fair, prepared with love by our HSA moms. Thank you in advance to all crafters, donators and volunteers. Your children will always remember these moments!

Once again, our school will partner with the "Babes in Bethlehem" program to raise awareness and funds for the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem. This worthy cause supports mothers and infants in the Holy Land and seeks to provide state-of-the-art medical care at little or no cost to families. Your spare change can make a huge difference in the lives of these families who are literally steps away from where Jesus was born. Donation boxes will go home on Monday and must be returned by Wednesday, December 18th. Thank you in advance.

Report cards will be handed out at parent-teacher conferences on Thursday, November 14th. Conference times are 1-3pm and 6-8pm. Please be mindful of the 5-6 minute limit. Parents are always welcomed to make appointments to meet teachers privately. Please do not bring your children to the conference. Thank you.

Families were encouraged to send $5 to support 'Jeans for Troops' again this year. Students whose families make the contribution can dress down on Friday, November 8th. Since the 8th grade will be out of the building that day to take the Tachs test, only they may dress down on Thursday. Students should wear denim to show their support. They are welcomed to dress in red, white and blue as well.

Congratulations to seventh grader, Alyssa Bringslid, for receiving the CYO Shining Star award. Alyssa is always willing to help, and her cheerful personality brightens our school day!

Don't know what to do with your gently used costumes?? Please consider donating them to a worthy cause. Julia Arnone, class of 2019, is organizing a costume drive for children at the Seamen's Society for Children and Families. Bag the costumes and send to the main office, attention Julia.

Trunk or Treat will go on tomorrow as planned. If any family has a canopy that can be used tomorrow, please contact HSA or the main office.

As discussed at the HSA meeting, a child's struggles in school could be linked to vision. Visit www.covd.org for more information!

It is easy to meet your required $200 donation in Scrips. Register at: www.shopwithscrip.com Click on "register" and then "join a scrip program". Our enrollment code is 39E27D9615822 Thank you in advance! This program helps us keep tuition costs down.

Our annual 5K run takes off on Friday, October 18th, at 5pm.

Our furry friends need blessings too!! Bring your pet for a special blessing at 4pm in the OLGC Church parking lot.

Each family is asked to sell one box of chocolate. Money ($60) due by cash or check by February 20th. Thank you for your support!!