PRESTON PARENT BULLETIN February 2020

It seems that we have to take a peek outside each morning to see what season we

are in!

Surely nature is encouraging us to “hang in” for another month as we hopefully watch winter wind down to

usher in softer sounds and colors. In that same spirit of anticipation, we look forward to the start of the Lenten

season on, February 26th, Ash Wednesday. Preparing for Easter, the highlight of the liturgical year, we likewise

confront our own winter seasons, asking God to convert the good desires in our hearts into actions that proclaim

our faith, our own interior Spring.

Parent Association News Springtime will be here soon enough and there are lots

of great events planned for the upcoming months!

The Mother/Daughter Brunch is March 7th! Please be

sure to make a reservation for you and your daughter(s)

to attend. Grandmothers, Aunts and Alumnae Sisters are

also welcome. The Mother/Daughter Brunch will take

place at the Marina Del Rey from 11:00a.m. – 3p.m.

Reservations and payment of $75 per person is due no

later than Friday, February 24th or online

via https://payit.nelnet.net/form/3ReVTG5k . (Please

keep in mind that no refunds will be issued after the

deadline). Please remind your Prestonite that table sign-

up requests are to be e-mailed

to gfragale@prestonhs.org.

The Preston Luau Card Party takes place on Saturday,

March 21st at Preston High School from 6pm – 10pm!

We are asking each homeroom to bring in certain items

for our baskets category. Please make sure to check

your emails for your daughter's homeroom theme.

Tickets for the event are available for purchase either by

filling out a form found in the Main Office, or online

via https://payit.nelnet.net/form/kk5spfFB. Please

consider joining us for a fun night of friends, games and

great prizes! Tickets are $25 per person or $200 for a

table of 10. Please also consider volunteering to help

wrap, solicit, set-up and/or work the event. Prize and

cash donations of any size are very much appreciated!

Saturday, March 28th – The Annual Alumnae

Reunion for classes ending in 5’s and 0’s. Contact the

Advancement Office for more information.

Tuesday, May 5th – 12th Annual Golf Classic at Split

Rock Golf Course. Please consider volunteering for this

event or even better… playing a round of golf!

If you have any questions, please contact Grace Fragale

in the Recruitment and Development Office at any time

at ext. 143.

Recent Events

Junior Advisement Day was held on Monday, January

27th to give rising seniors the opportunity to learn about

their senior course choices. The day began with an

overview of the many elective courses available to

Seniors in 2020-21, and time for Juniors to hear

Department Chairpersons & senior teachers elaborate on

course descriptions and answer students’ questions. All

students had the opportunity to be interviewed by

FINANCIAL AID

(Current 9th, 10th & 11th graders) Deadline for 2020-21 Financial Aid application is April 30, 2020.

Our application may be located on our Website: www.Prestonhs.org ADMISSIONS Financial Aid and in the 2020-21 tuition cover email that was sent out by Mr. Fava to all returning families on January 17th. At the end of these notes is the same information provided on the email. Please read it carefully.

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science teachers to ensure that those hoping to major in

science would choose appropriate electives for their

Senior year. A Junior Parents meeting was held that

evening. Remember, your daughter will need you to

sign off on her course choices, so please discuss these

important decisions with her. The last date for all

students to return their registration forms for

academic year 2020-2021 is February 28th.

Our Annual Lock-In, on January 24th, was a huge

success. The giant slumber party, organized by our

Student Council, allowed our students to unwind after

mid-term exams. They ate, danced, sang, ate some

more, played games, watched movies, etc., all night

long. The one thing they didn’t do, was get much rest.

Parents/Guardians, you’re welcome for a relaxing Friday

and much quieter Saturday. We want to thank our

faculty and staff Mrs. Chambers, Mrs. Murphy, Ms.

Castignoli, Ms. Dekajlo, Ms. Connolly, Ms. Wolovich

and Ms. Labate, for their support and for chaperoning

the event. Thank you to Mr. Pipchinski, who with the

BIG 4 helped organize the event, and start off the night

and to Casey, our security specialist, who helped check

in students. A huge thank you to our parent volunteers,

Nadine Tirado, Lourdes Harkins, Amarilis Western,

Enid Corraliza, Chicklet Morales, Cindy Rexhaj and

Victoria Kalaj, all of whom helped throughout various

parts of the night. This event would not have been

successful without the support of those involved.

This year’s Scholarship Hospitality Evening Reception,

held on January 28th, celebrated the achievements of

those 8th grade students awarded merit scholarships to

attend Preston next fall. They were treated to dinner

and a panel discussion with students and faculty and

tours for those interested.

Approximately 60 undecided families attended our

Information Night on Thursday, January 30th. This

evening allowed prospective students and their families,

who may have missed our Open House in November, to

visit and speak with current students, faculty and staff.

On February 4th the PAS Auto School Driver

Education program conducted their orientation for the

Spring course which began on February 10th.

Report card grades were made available to parents /

guardians /students on February 4th. Parent/Teacher

Conferences were held on February 6th & provided

parents with the opportunity to speak with all of their

daughters’ teachers on the same day, with report card in

hand. Too often parents and teachers meet or speak

only when the student has a problem. How great it is, on

this day, to hear some of the wonderful things about

their daughters as well. If you missed this opportunity,

please do take the time to contact your daughter’s

teachers by phone or e-mail to discuss her academic

performance. Even if the report card is being held

because of financial issues, you can find out which

subjects she struggles with, if any, and contact those

teachers directly. The Italian Honor Society created Valentine’s Day gift

packages, filled with toiletries, for women in shelters.

These gift packages were delivered to Lamp Ministries

where they will be distributed to those in need.

Valentine candy bags were delivered to the faculty/staff mailboxes on February 12th by the Italian Club. It was their way to say thank you for all of the help they have been given throughout the year.

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Congratulations to…

All students named to the Honor Roll,

We are very proud of your diligence and achievement, BRAVA! BRAVA!

Complete list is available on our website www.Prestonhs.org, under Academics

Congratulations to our Cheer Team – 2nd in the Nation!!!

On February 2nd, the Preston High School cheerleaders took 1st place at the State Championships and on

February 9th, they came in 4th place, with a perfect score, at Nationals, in the Large Varsity Non-tumbling

Division at Disney World! They came in 3rd in the World Competition at Disney for their regular routine. The

team, coached by Ms. Lori Finelli (Head) & assistant coaches Marisa Caliendo, Alyssa Finelli, & Gabby Vitiello, include

Giana Angel, Briana Boiano, Daniella Caggiano, Kylie Ceballo, Angelica Chavez-Downes, Arianna DiNuovo, Samantha

DiTomasso, Ava Ferro, Elizabeth Kalaj, Analisa & Gianna Matranga, Dena Nally, Phoebe Oquendo, Sarah Quinn, Ava

Salvato, Elmarina Vucaj, Elizabeth Wickes, Chloe Zerbo and Gianna Zillito. Their successful season would not have

been possible without the dedication and hard work of their coaches, Lori Finelli, Alyssa Finelli, and Gabrielle

Vitiello, Athletic Director Jamie Skrapits, parents, and sponsors.

Other Sports New:

Our JV Basketball team enjoyed a spirited season. Our Varsity Basketball team is still playing in the hopes of making the

playoffs.

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FYI- Our Athletic Department is running a lottery fundraiser to support our sports program. For more information, please

contact Jamie Skrapits, our Athletic Director, at 718-710-8849.

GOOOO, PANTHERS!!

Looking Ahead

Monday, February 17: Presidents Holiday, NO CLASSES

PRESTON HIGH SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED FROM FEBRUARY 17-21

Monday, February 24: Classes resume

Tuesday, February 25: PA Meeting, 6:30 pm

Wednesday, February 26: Ash Wednesday

Thursday, February 27: NEHS Induction Ceremony, 6:30PM

Friday, February 28: 2020-2021 Registration Period Closes for grades 9-11

Tuesday, March 3: Final Herff Jones Jr. Ring Payment due (during lunches)

Friday, March 6: 1:16PM Dismissal for Faculty Conference

Saturday, March 7: Mother/Daughter Brunch @ Marina del Rey, 11AM-3PM

Placement Exam/Registration for the Class of 2024, 9am –

2pm

Tuesday, March 10: Annual Ceili, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Wednesday, March 11: 3rd Quarter Interim Grades available, end of day via Parent

Web

Sunday, March 15: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 9am Liturgy @ St. Benedicts, 11am

line up

Thursday, March 19: Junior Ring Night, 7pm – Juniors will be dismissed at 2pm

Friday, March 20: School Closed – No classes in session

Saturday, March 21: Preston High School’s Annual Card Party, 6pm – 11pm

Monday, March 23: Junior Retreat

Tuesday, March 24: PA Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, March 27: Princeton Review Practice PSAT for sophomores

Saturday, March 28: Preston’s Alumnae Mass/Reunion 5’s & 0’s

Tuesday, March 31: NHS Honor Society Induction Ceremony, a.m.

L.O.T.E Honor Society Induction Ceremony, 6:30pm

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Below is the email that was sent by Mr. Fava to all current families on January 17, 2021 along with the 2020-2021 tuition contracts. Dear Preston Families:

Happy New Year. We hope that 2020 is filled with good health and prosperity. As Mrs. Grendell indicated in her January 6, 2020 email to all families, we have finalized your 2020-21 tuition statements. Today you will notice the balances for next year directly above your current 2019-20 on your FACTS Tuition landing page. We are pleased to announce the following: 1. For the 2020-21 school year, we have raised tuition a very modest 1.7%, or $200, to $11,700 while the general fee

has remained at $1,000, for a total cost of $12,700. This does not include the cost of books, uniforms, re-

registration and some course- and grade-specific fees, which are additional.

2. Through Sallie Mae, you can finance a minimum of $1,000 and up to 100% of your Preston education at competitive

rates over 36 months. While there is no hard and fast rule about minimum FICO credit scores for approval, you

should have at least a 650. Salle Mae also allows you to apply with a co-signer with good credit. You can apply by

visiting https://www.salliemae.com/student-loans/private-school-loan/?lnkid=SM-HP-loanoptions-k12.

3. Continuation of the Super Early Payment Discount (SEPD). If you pay your 2020-21 tuition in full on or before

March 1, 2020, you will receive a 5% discount on the net tuition (tuition less all other discounts) portion of your bill.

If your tuition is $11,700, your early payment will guarantee you a $585 discount. Please contact Ms. Mooney

at cmooney@prestonhs.org or Mr. Fava at mfava@prestonhs.org in advance so we can calculate your net tuition

due before you make payment.

The bullets below highlight Preston’s tuition policy and applicable charges to your tuition statement. Please refer to our website at http://www.prestonhs.org/admissions/tuition-fees.cfm for comprehensive details.

The annual administrative fee to manage your online FACTS account is $75 per child for all payment plans. This

is itemized as the School Payment Plan Fee and is due in full on or before June 1, 2020.

For monthly payment plans, the first tuition installment is due on June 1, 2020 and the 1st business day for each

of the next eleven (11) months thereafter. There is no option to change the due date to another day. Please

plan your personal finances accordingly.

For paid-in-full plans, the due date is June 1, 2020 (3% discount), unless you elect to pay by March 2, 2020 for the super early payment discount of 5%. For semester plans, two equal installments are due June 1 and December 1, 2020 (2% discount). For quarterly plans, four equal installments are due June 1, September 1, December 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021, for a discount on tuition of 1%.

You must provide a valid US checking / savings bank account or major credit card (AMEX, MC, Visa, Discover) for

automatic payments of tuition. Otherwise, you will be assessed an annual Invoice Plan Surcharge of $100 due in

full on June 1, 2020.

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Payments of tuition or incidental expenses made after a 5-day courtesy period will incur a $50 Late Fee. FACTS

will charge an additional $30 NSF Fee for returned payments and you may also be assessed fees by your bank.

Preston financial aid awards are not yet reflected on your tuition statement. The deadline to file a financial aid

application (by clicking the Apply for Grant & Aid link at the bottom right of your FACTS landing page) is April 30,

2020. You will be notified of our award determination and the amount, if any, will be credited against your

tuition in time for your first monthly installment on June 1, 2020. If you owe tuition as of April 30, 2020, your

application will be rejected automatically and you will not be eligible to reapply until the following year. If you

have other Preston-funded tuition assistance (academic scholarships, grants, and legacy or ADNY employee

discounts), you will not qualify for financial aid.

SSP awards have been reflected in your tuition statements.

Academic scholarships have been tentatively posted to your tuition accounts. However, we may rescind the

scholarship if your daughter(s) fail to meet the School’s minimum academic requirements at the end of 2019-20.

Columbus Citizens Foundation (CCF) awards have been tentatively posted to your tuition accounts. However,

the award can be rescinded if you fail to meet the Foundation’s minimum academic requirements at the end of

2019-20. Canceled awards can only be reinstated by the Foundation upon its determination of a satisfactory

remediation.

The Inner-City Scholarship Fund typically does not finalize awards until early September. Therefore, these

awards will be reflected in your tuition statements only when Preston is notified directly by the Inner City.

When confirmed, the full award amount will be credited against your remaining tuition balance. In the interim,

it remains your responsibility to pay your full monthly tuition as it is due.

Any other outside awards, such as, but not limited to, Community Connections and Bronx Charter School for

Excellence awards, will be posted to your tuition account upon official written communication from the

foundation. When confirmed, the full award amount will be credited against your remaining tuition balance. In

the interim, it remains your responsibility to pay your full monthly tuition as it is due.

A sibling discount of $750 is applied to the tuition of the eldest sibling. If a sibling in the Class of 2024 enrolls, a

discount will be applied to the tuition of the eldest sibling. For more than two siblings, a $750 discount will be

applied to the eldest sibling’s tuition for each additional sibling. For example, if three siblings attend Preston

simultaneously, a $1,500 credit will be applied to the tuition of the eldest sibling ($750 for each additional

sibling).

Students whose parent or legal guardian is employed by the New York Archdiocese are eligible to receive the

ADNY Employee Discount of $1,000. Proof of full-time employment in the ADNY for the 2020-21 school year

must be submitted. Proof is defined as an original letter on letterhead from the Principal, or the equivalent, and

a copy of the most recent employee pay stub for the 2020-21 work year and not before then. In the interim, it

remains your responsibility to pay your full monthly tuition as it is due. This cannot be combined with any other

Preston-awarded tuition discounts, except the Sibling.

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Students whose mother, grandmother, or legal guardian is a Preston graduate are eligible to receive a $1,000

Legacy Discount. This cannot be combined with any other Preston-awarded tuition discounts, except the

Sibling.

Your daughter will not be permitted to attend Preston in September until all outstanding tuition is paid. All

2019-20 tuition is due by no later than May 29, 2020; the June, July, and August installments of 2020-21 tuition

must also be paid before September.

We sincerely appreciate the major investment you’ve made in your daughter’s future by choosing Preston. If, however, you have decided that your daughter will not be returning in September, kindly let me know at mfava@prestonhs.org at your very earliest convenience so that you are not billed. You must schedule an exit interview with Mrs. Chambers, our Assistant Principal of Academics, at cchambers@prestonhs.org. In addition, all tuition and fees must be paid at time of withdrawal for the release of your daughter’s final transcripts to her new school. Our mutual contractual obligations compel us to provide your daughter(s) with a rigorous college preparatory education in exchange for your timely payment of tuition & fees. It is also my personal hope that in providing your 2020-21 tuition statements at this early juncture affords you sufficient time to evaluate and plan family finances for a Preston education. Best wishes to your daughter(s) on the mid-term examinations and for a successful conclusion to the 2019-20 school year,

Mario Fava, CPA Director of Finance