1. Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy
Bayside Campus
th Street
Bayside, NY
Douglaston Campus
th Street
Douglaston, NY
Promoting Excellence in Catholic Education and
Preparing Students for High School and Beyond with 21st Century Skills!
Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy
State of the Academy
January 19, 2017

2. Agenda Mission Statement Provides Direction
Governance Model Facilitates Effective Management
Collaboration and Professional Development Foster Academic Excellence
Financial Stability and Investment Ensure Long Term Success
Results Attest to the Success of the Academy’s Mission
Long Range Planning Sustains Continued Growth
Family Participation Promotes the Academy’s Success

3. Mission Statement Provides Direction

4. Mission Statement
Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy maintains a climate of high expectations for success which challenges all students to achieve their full potential. A Divine Wisdom education develops 21st century skills essential to succeed as global citizens. The Academy strives to provide a high quality, well- rounded education in a nurturing, safe, and structured environment by promoting academic, social, and spiritual growth to students in Nursery through 8th grade. 

5. Core Values
Education grounded in Catholic values, morals, and traditions
Interdisciplinary approach fosters student achievement
Verbal, mathematical, and written communication skills promote analytical thinking as thoughtful, productive contributors to society
Rigorous academics, supported by innovative technology, exceed NYS Common Core Standards, including foreign language, accelerated math, science research, and STEM programs
Service and leadership opportunities abound through Aquinas, Student Government, Pope Francis Society, and Leo’s Club
Visual and performing arts enrich the learning experience and encourage students to flourish creatively
Multicultural curriculum develops global awareness, acceptance, tolerance, and respect

6. Governance Model Facilitates Effective Management

7. Academy Organization Members Board of Directors Administration
Msgr. Sherman – St. Anastasia
Fr. Kim – St. Paul Chong Ha-sang
Fr. Lee – St. Robert Bellarmine
Fr. Schwarz – American Martyrs
Bishop Massa- Vicar General Brooklyn Diocese
Thomas Chadzutko Ed.D. – Superintendent
Brother Ralph Darmento- Deputy Superintendent of Governance, Leadership & Strategic Planning
Board of Directors
Suzanne Karl, Chair
Board Committees
Administration
Michael LaForgia – Supervising Principal
Margaret McGlynn Ed.D. Principal Bayside Campus
Miriam Bonici – Associate Principal
Linda Keppel – Associate Principal
Faculty and Staff

8. Member Roles and Responsibilities
Members are appointed by the Bishop
Members function as the prime sponsors of the Academy
Meet at least annually to review the Academy results
Ensure that the Academies are maintaining their Catholic Identity
Members appoint the Board of Directors after they are nominated and voted on by the Board
Ratify the appointment of the Principal

9. Board of Directors Roles and Responsibilities
Directors are volunteers who function as the governing body of the Academy
Chairperson – Suzanne Karl – Lead representative of the Board of Directors responsible for the management of the Academy
Vice Chairperson – Peter Ermish – Assists the Chairperson in carrying out the management of the Academy
Treasurer – Robert Schirling – Responsible for the financial matters of the Academy and a true and accurate accounting of all financial transactions
Secretary – Kathleen Furlong – Official custodian of all records, reports, and minutes of the corporation, directors and committees
Other Directors – Robert Coccia, Edward D’Agostino, Carolyn Meenan, James Peveraro, Michael Tramonte

10. Committee Roles and Responsibilities 1/2
Committees facilitate the actions of the Directors and enable them to act more efficiently
Committees make recommendations only and do not have the authority to make decisions
Parents are welcome on all committees except finance, tuition assistance, and nominating

11. Committee Roles and Responsibilities 2/2
Current Committees:
Finance – Robert Schirling, Chair and James Peveraro
Tuition Assistance – Robert Schirling, Chair and Edward D’Agostino
Nominating – Suzanne Karl, Chair, Robert Schirling and James Peveraro
Marketing – Suzanne Karl, Chair, Robert Coccia, and Carolyn Meenan
Fundraising/Development – Suzanne Karl, Chair, Robert Coccia, Carolyn Meenan, and Michael Tramonte
Strategic Planning – Kathleen Furlong, Chair
Facilities – Peter Ermish, Chair

12. Administration Roles and Responsibilities
Supervising Principal – Michael A. LaForgia – The instructional, educational, and daily spiritual leader of the Academy, direct operational accountability to the Directors, and Chief Educational Operating Officer of the Academy
Principal – Margaret E. McGlynn Ed.D. – The instructional, educational, and daily spiritual leader of the Bayside Campus
Associate Principal – Miriam Bonici – Specific focus on Nursery, Pre-K and Kindergarten
Associate Principal – Linda Keppel – Supports the Supervising Principal in the daily operation of the Academy

13. Collaboration and Professional Development Foster Academic Excellence

14. Collaboration with Outside Educational Institutions 1/2
St. John’s University provides professional development to the Board, Administration, and Faculty, provides student teachers, and has assisted with grade level retreats, Pope Francis Society and our Anti-Bullying program
CW Post provides special education and regular education student teachers
Queensborough Community College students work with our students in Bayside on a number of academic projects in literacy and science
Cross Academy Teaming with 4 other Academies to work on collaborative projects. Trip to Harvard with NBA Hoops math competition in November and Trip to Washington D.C. in March 2017

15. Collaboration with Outside Educational Institutions 2/2
St. Francis Preparatory School provides enrichment programs to our middle school students in science research, robotics, and digital drawing and the Academy has worked with their Campus Ministry Team on service projects
Mad-Science, Chess Nuts, Paul Effman Band, Bricks for Kidz, and Adventures in Acting provide enrichment opportunities in science and the arts
Latin after school enrichment program for grades 6-8 beginning February 2017
After school math enrichment programs beginning February 2017: Advanced Mathletics grades 3-8 and NBA Math Hoops grades 7-8

16. Safety Officer Team
Contracted Wisdom Protective Services to provide safety officers in each campus from 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Each campus will have one safety officer at all times
Funded by NYC under a provision to provide safety officers to non-public schools

17. Professional Development 1/2
Summer Institute Addressed:
Curriculum mapping and planning
Common Core – Literacy and Mathematics
Balanced Literacy
Collaboration and joint planning across grade levels at both campuses
Professional development seminars on the first Friday afternoon of each month and several full days during the school year

18. Professional Development 2/2
Literacy Coach, Matthew Buxton, working with faculty to promote literacy across the curriculum
STEM Director, Frank Signorello, working with science and math faculty to promote hands on science, technology, engineering, and math curriculum
Associate Principal, Miriam Bonici, working with Nursery through Kindergarten faculty to promote best practices in early childhood education

19. Unique Academic Programs
Enrichment programs in music, art, foreign language, STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math),high school integrated algebra, and physical education
Middle School elective programs in grades 7 and 8
Learning lab program to support students with specialized learning requirements.

20. Financial Stability and investment Ensure Long Term Success

21. Current Operating Budget

22. Tuition 2017/2018
Excited to announce the use of the ACH payments system to allow for electronic tuition payments in 2017/2018
Register for this program when you complete your 2017/2018 registration form
Eliminates the need to write manual checks, avoids lost or missing checks, enables tuition account to be updated quickly, ensures timely payments

23. Capital Investments
Approximately $2.3 million has been invested in the Academy facilities since 2009 to provide an environment that is conducive to learning including:
Lighting, painting, window shades, and new or refinished flooring
Energy efficient heating and air conditioning upgrades
New Classroom Furnishings
Technology including SMART Boards, SMART Tables, Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Printers, Wi-fi, and interactive website
STEM Lab, Science Lab, Art Studios, Gross Motor Skills Rooms, Early Childhood Facilities, School and Classroom Libraries, Administrative Offices
Kitchen, bathroom and water fountain upgrades
Gym, peaceful playground, school yard, and perimeter fence upgrades
Projected spending of approximately $750K for extension in Douglaston to be completed in 2017

24. Results attest to the success of the academy’s mission

25. Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy Enrollment Growth

26. Enrollment Highlights
Three classes on every grade level K-8
Six Pre-K for All classes
Full Day Nursery Program in addition to half day programs
Several grades currently close to capacity
Fifth consecutive year of over 100 new students at Douglaston Campus and third year of over 50 new students at Bayside Campus

27. High School Acceptances and Scholarships 1/2
All students receive acceptance into at least one Catholic School.
Students have earned over $1 million in scholarships to these Catholic/Private High Schools in recent years:
Archbishop Molloy
Bishop Loughlin
Christ the King
Holy Cross
Holy Trinity
Long Island Lutheran
Mary Louis
St. Agnes
St. Francis Prep
St. Mary’s
St. Vincent Ferrer
Xavier
Regis

28. High School Acceptances and Scholarships 2/2
Students have received acceptances to the these specialized Public High Schools in recent years:
Bronx High School of Science
Brooklyn Technical High School
Stuyvesant High School
Townsend Harris High School
Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
LaGuardia High School
Frank Sinatra School of the Arts
Cardozo High School DaVinci Math and Science Program
Francis Lewis High School Jacob Javits Humanities Program

29. Long range planning sustains continued growth

30. Strategic Plan 1/2 Three Year Strategic Plan Completed April 2014
Goals and objectives established in all of the following areas: Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, Enrollment, Finance, Governance, Leadership, Marketing
Updating goals and objectives in connection with the AdvancedEd accreditation process chosen by the Diocese for all schools and academies to obtain absolute charter
Joint effort by members of the Board, Administration, Faculty, Parish Staff, and Families

31. Strategic Plan 2/2
Expansion plan in Douglaston Campus to add music conservatory, technology, classroom, and faculty space to address space constraints
Update Science Lab to a STEM Lab in Bayside Campus
Updating technology to include more resources such as chrome books and iPads

32. Family Participation Promotes the academy’s success

33. Family Participation 1/2
Join a Board Committee
Volunteer your talents and services
Promote Divine Wisdom to your relatives, friends, and neighbors
Support Academy and Parish functions
Support the Academy Family Association
Utilize Sign-Up Genius to volunteer for fundraisers

34. Family Participation 2/2
Join with your student’s teachers and Academy administration in the joint mission of educating your child
Foster an atmosphere where religious values taught in school are reinforced at home such as Sunday Eucharist
The Administration and Board of Directors welcomes your questions, concerns and ideas