FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 18, 2018 • CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK • THE QUEENS COURIER 37
catholic school
Academies: the future of Catholic education in Brooklyn and Queens
Over the last decade, Catholic institutions
have moved away from the traditional parish
school structure and towards an academy governance
structure involving both the church
and community members.
Traditional Catholic schools are governed by
the parish and a pastor is directly in charge. A
Catholic academy, on the other hand, is governed
by a two-tiered board, comprised of a
Board of Members and a Board of Directors.
Th e Board of Members is composed of clergy
and maintains the Catholic identity of the academy
and its programs. Th ey serve as the primary
sponsors of the academy, appoint Directors,
and in some cases oversee multiple academies.
Th e Board of Directors is composed of lay
people who work closely with the principal,
acting as the governing body of the academy.
Th ey select the principal, serve as an immediate
supervising body, and share their expertise on
a variety of subjects from fi nance to marketing
and public relations.
Th is two-tiered model allows for greater
involvement from lay persons in the governance
of Catholic schooling institutions. In
addition to serving on the Board of Directors,
lay persons and parents can get involved in the
Home/Academy Association, which serves as a
connection from home to academy.
Th e change in governance model is a part of
the Preserving the Vision plan, a strategic planning
process initiated in 2008 to insure the
long-term future of Catholic education within
the Diocese of Brooklyn. Photo via Facebook/Futures in Education
Our Lady of the Snows
Catholic Academy
“Turning today’s learners into tomorrow’s leaders”
Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy has been providing a quality Catholic
education to its student for over 50 years. We provide a program that fosters the
spiritual, academic, social, and physical development of each individual student. Our
teachers strive to bring out the individuality in each student.
We believe in having a partnership with the parents/guardians, children, teachers, and
school staff. Together we meet a goal of educating the children, providing a safe
environment, and having an awareness of God’s presence in our lives.
We strive to instill the idea of an inclusive society. Our students will be the leaders of
tomorrow. We want them to be ready to face the trials that life may bring. To have them
grow to be compassionate and strong individuals is what we as a community
accomplish through an education as a Catholic academy.
Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy offers a high quality education, which
follows the NYS Common Core curriculum, at an affordable cost.
We have high academic standards that our students are able to meet every day because
they are encouraged to work their hardest and be the best person they can be.
Our classrooms always have Internet access and SMART Boards, allowing the teachers
and students to be engaged with the world without having to leave the classroom.
We offer a multitude of programs for the students, from an academic honors program
to a music program to an athletic program. This ensures that our children are
well-rounded individuals.
As one of our alumna have said, “Going to Our Lady of the Snows has shaped me to be
a strong individual. They allowed me to be who I am while also showing me different
paths I could take to grow and become a better person. It felt like a second home to me.
Every day that I walked through the school made me feel safe and cared for. The
education they provided led me to become full of knowledge that I know I will always
use. I will be forever grateful to Snows for fostering a genuinely wonderful childhood
for me, and providing for me strong roots for the rest of my life.”
•Regents Algebra and Biology
•Gilder Lehrman American History
•Performing Arts Residency Program
•Mathletics, Band and Choir
•High School Consortium Program
•CYO and Intramural Sports
•Smart Classrooms
•Math & ELA Learning Centers
•Apple Mac Computer Media Lab
718.343.1346
79-33 258th Street Floral Park, NY 11004 olscafp.org