Dear Parents and Friends,

I would like to welcome you to Our Lady Queen of Peace School. Funded by the Presentation Sisters, our school is a parish Catholic school fully accredited by the Archdiocese of New York and by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary Schools. In accordance with New York State academic guidelines, we provide an exceptional academic education to students from pre-k to eighth grade. In addition, the students’ moral development is fostered in and outside the classroom. We create an environment where Catholic values and principles are learned and applied daily.
Each child who attends Our Lady Queen of Peace is afforded an opportunity to acquire an excellent education, practice their faith, and build meaningful relationships with faculty and friends. Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. As you consider all the options, we invite you to explore OLQP today.

The foundations of our faith give us a unique opportunity and privilege to help each child reach his/her potential. We are proud of our school and its academic success such as recently finishing in first place out of all the Island Catholic Schools for grades 5 and 6 in the Staten Island Catholic Schools Science Olympics. One of our students’ entries into the Great American Smokeout Radio Commercial Contest was published in the American Cancer Society’s 2008 Journal. Four of our students were winners in the Disabilities Awareness Contest hosted by Assemblyman Michael Cusick and some even traveled to Albany to take part in the Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day Ceremony. The children were present to see a series of bills passed designed to improve the quality of life for those with disabilities. Two students received scholarships (over 200 applications were submitted for only a handful of awards) for their OLQP education from the Tri-State Italian American Congress for 2008-2009. Additionally, every member of last year’s eighth grade class was placed in the high schools of their choice, with numerous scholarships awarded to our deserving boys and girls.

Extracurricular activities also play a vital role in the development of our children. We are the only Catholic school on Staten Island that participates in the Pilates Initiative as well as the US Bowling Congress Foundation’s In-school Bowling Program. Besides participating in our thriving sports program, cheerleading (first in the small division) and performing in plays and pageants, our children have also volunteered to help various organizations, such as organizing collections for our soldiers through Staten Island Project Home front. Our children participate in the Breast Cancer Walk and Daffodil Project and were recently honored for their efforts by the American Cancer Society at their yearly tea.

Additionally, through our yearly Lenten Readathon, the children have raised money for Autism Speaks, restored the playground of Eden II, donated to the animal rescue group PLUTO, and even raised money to aid sick children in the town of Mary, India. Our junior Legion of Mary was featured recently on Telemundo for their charitable works. Our efforts are most certainly global! Most families find that through volunteerism the feeling of strong community is very reassuring.
We were featured recently in Catholic New York for our reenactment of Christ’s footsteps through our yearly Living Stations of the Cross- our eighth graders walk the way of the cross one station at a time. What a moving testimony to our faith! The students also participate in our special monthly family liturgy, whereby students contribute to the celebration of the Mass through readings and offerings. It is truly amazing to see our students actively involved.

We are especially proud of the way that we work together to support our children and our families. Teachers, parents, and children all come together to produce a fun-filled Fall Festival that is open to all in the community. The Halloween Event, Christmas Fair, Breakfasts with Santa, and various grade sponsored events such as the Mother-Daughter Brunch, Father-Son Picnic, and dances are yearly events that everyone looks forward to. These events are sponsored by our active and hardworking Family Association, Fathers’ Club/Holy Name Society, and Marketing Committee, all of which are tremendous assets to our school.

For the working parents, we offer early drop off and free breakfast. In addition, OLQP offers a vibrant affordable after school program where each child is engaged in an activity filled environment. The staff of the after school program consists of teachers and aides who offer a mixture of homework help, remediation, and fun. The children have so much fun that many do not want to go home at the end of the day!
Our rich history and a tradition of academic, social, and spiritual excellence have provided us a very solid foundation to prepare students for a promising future. At OLQP our staff is committed to educating our students for the future challenges that lie ahead of them using up to date technology such as the smart-board and school website where daily homework is posted. We have developed school wide learning expectations to live and learn by. Our hope is our graduates are faithful Christians, responsible citizens, life-long learners, self aware and globally aware, and effective communicators for the twenty-first century.

I invite you to browse and familiarize yourself with some of the things God is accomplishing through our work together. Please call or e-mail to arrange a visit.
Thank you,
Mrs. Theresa Signorile
Principal