Back-to-School 2016

The first month back-to-school is such an exciting time of year!

It is wonderful to see the bright and shining faces of our returning students and our new fifth graders on the first day of school.  

The halls and classrooms of Saint Martin De Porres Academy are once again filled with the energy and enthusiasm of our students.

On Science Friday, lead by Quinnipiac University Medical Student Volunteers, SMPA students got the opportunity to see and touch real brains!

It has been nice to have our students back, the school was too quiet while the children were off experiencing many summer adventures, including:

Working alongside the specialists at North Shore Animal League America, developing social-emotional skills while earning their “Mutt-i-Grees.” This is the sixth annual year SMPA has participated in the Mutt-i-Grees curriculum.

Students attended summer camps across the Northeast, including Camp Hazen.

Many students got the chance to learn survival stills at Farms for City Kids Camp.

Thanks to the tremendous generosity of an anonymous donor, our entire school family took a three day trip to Niagara Falls!

While the children were away the work didn’t stop.  Over the summer, the SMPA library got a massive donation of books from the community. Sorting through them has been quite the undertaking, but the student’s are loving what has already made its way onto the library’s shelves.

Many thanks to all the organizations and friends in the community who gave us this wonderful gift!

The start of the school year is always bittersweet.  While we love meeting the entering fifth graders and seeing their faces filled with hope and promise, we miss last year’s eight graders who are now Freshmen at high schools like: Sacred Heart Academy,  Notre Dame High School, Mercy High School, and Xavier High School.

It is hard to believe that our first class of fifth graders – the Class of 2017 – will graduate from college this year! 

It is an amazing feeling to see how our holistic approach to education and our 12-year commitment to each child has transformed the lives of our students and equipped them for success.

It is people like you, who believe in the power of education and opportunity who make it possible.  With your help we are breaking the cycle of generational poverty, one child at a time.

On behalf of our entire school family – from our seniors in college to our current fifth graders, we thank you!