We welcome the families of St. Adalbert and Holy Rosary Schools to

the Father Vincent Capodanno Catholic Academy for the 2020-2021 School Year

We are very excited with the opportunity to grow and expand our school communities. The larger Holy Rosary campus will allow both the St. Adalbert and the Holy Rosary school communities to enhance existing programs and increase community partnerships. Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, we will be exploring the possibility of creating educational opportunities beyond elementary school which will welcome traditional learners as well as those with varying learning styles.

HERE ARE SOME EXCITING PROGRAMS FOR OUR STUDENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO:

  • National Junior Honor Society
  • Italian Immersion Program with language and culture components
  • Kiwanis Builders Club – community service activities
  • Young Ambassador Club – international outreach and cultural club
  • Trout in the Classroom – understanding ecosystems and stewardship of all God’s creatures
  • With a larger school population, we may be able to qualify for a school security guard to enhance the security systems already in place

IMPORTANT NOTE: Mrs. Diane Hesterhagen, Principal, and Mrs. Elizabeth Campbell, Assistant Principal, will conduct tours for the St. Adalbert families on Tuesday, March 3rd from 9-11 am. Families may also tour the building on Tuesday, March 24th from 9-11 am.

IN AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS MOST OF YOUR CONCERNS, WE HAVE COMPILED THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO ASSIST YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN WITH THE UPCOMING TRANSITION

Who can I contact for specific questions?

  • If you have specific questions for Mrs. Hesterhagen, please call (718) 442-0593
  • Our regional Director of Enrollment, Diana Gatto, will be reaching out to individual families in the next week to answer any questions and provide updates on how the process will unfold. You can also reach Mrs. Gatto by phone at (646) 995-9327 or by email at: Diana.Gatto@archny.org. You can also call our bi-lingual hotline at (646) 794-2885 between 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday-Friday.

Who will be the School Leaders?

“She believed she could, so she did.” This veteran educator has embraced this mantra throughout her thirty-four-year career with the Archdiocese of New York. Following eleven years as a classroom teacher at St. Ann School, she has served as principal of St. Adalbert School for the past twenty-three years. Her goal of inspiring students by cultivating patriotism and awareness of veterans issues in and out of the classroom earned the school a well-deserved reputation of “the most patriotic school in America.”

Mrs. Hesterhagen is a proud graduate of The College of Staten Island, earning a B.A. in English/Education, an M.S. in Secondary Education/English and a Sixth Year Certificate in Supervision and Administration. Her strong desire to assist students who learn differently led her to the Fairleigh Dickinson Center for Dyslexic Studies, where she received her Orton Gillingham Teacher Certificate. Mrs. Hesterhagen is also a Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist. This training has enabled her to share the acclaimed multi-sensory reading strategies and best practices with Catholic School Region of Staten Island teachers to benefit all learners.

Mrs. Hesterhagen supports inclusive classrooms with differentiated instruction, allowing all students to reach their personal best. She led St. Adalbert as the pilot school in the Archdiocese to offer a resource room for students who would benefit from extra academic supports. She supports Project-Based Learning, and has worked with students to create Hometown Heroes, a living history project documenting the military service of over 250 local veterans. All six volumes of this book are displayed in local Catholic and public school libraries. Using technology in positive ways has led Mrs. Hesterhagen and her students to produce award-winning documentaries on topics pertaining to veterans, including the life of Father Vincent Capodanno.

Promoting faith, patriotism, strong academics and community partnerships are critical components of her administrative style. She is also a staunch advocate of promoting positive partnerships between her students and members of the NYPD in order to encourage citizenship and appropriate decision-making skills.

Mrs.  Hesterhagen has been lauded by many local veterans and civic organizations including the Elizabeth Seton Compassionate Educator Award, the United Activities Unlimited Louis DeSario Educator of the Year Award, The Patriotic Leader Award from the Jewish War Veterans, and The American Legion Patriotic Leader Award; she was also the Valedictorian of the NYPD Citizens Police Academy. She serves her community as Vice President of the 121 Precinct Community Council Vice President, board member of United Activities Unlimited and is the Educational Chairperson of the Friends of the Plaza of the Battle of the Bulge.

“I am extremely proud and humbled to be leading this wonderful school, the Father Vincent Capodanno Catholic Academy into an exciting time. We will continue to offer a faith-based, patriotic, and academically rich school experience, and happily embrace this opportunity to grow into a 3K through grade 12 school, where our students will be afforded the opportunity to build relationships with skilled, caring and compassionate educators who will empower them to reach for the stars! Our students will enjoy learning experiences that prepare them for college and career. There is nothing that we, as a school family, cannot accomplish!  We welcome all students to be part of our family and will support you to be your personal best. May Servant of God, Father Vincent Capodanno, guide us on this exciting journey.

Mrs. Elizabeth A. Campbell is very familiar with the importance and impact of a Catholic education, having graduated from St. Ann School, St. Joseph Hill Academy, St. John’s University, and Fordham University. Mrs. Campbell possesses a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Pathology, a Master’s degree in Special Education and a Master’s degree in School Building Leadership. She began her career working as a Teacher of the Speech and Hearing Handicapped at the Eden II School in 1998, and for six years worked with children with varying levels of physical and learning disabilities.

Mrs. Campbell was hired in the Archdiocese of New York in 2004 at St. Paul School teaching Religion and Social Studies to the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, and also taught at Academy of St. Dorothy and St. Adalbert School. Named after St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Mrs. Campbell believes that every child can learn given the proper tools and skills that are specific to them, and a patient and nurturing educator to guide them. She was named VFW Social Studies Teacher of the Year both in 2016 at the Richmond County level and in 2017 at the New York State level. Mrs. Campbell began her position in leadership at Holy Rosary School in September 2018. The daughter of middle-class parentage, as well as a United States Army veteran, she appreciates not only the sacrifices that families endure in order to provide their children with a Catholic education, but also the importance of creating a school environment that is the family’s second home. Mrs. Campbell is both eager and excited to begin this new venture.


Who will my child’s teacher be?

  • In the next few days, we will be speaking with the teachers from both Holy Rosary and St. Adalbert Schools who, because of seniority, will be assigned as the faculty of the new Father Vincent Capodanno Catholic Academy. Once we have spoken with the teachers, we will inform you of the school’s faculty.

What can I do if I already applied for the UPK program at St. Adalbert through MySchools?

  • Your UPK application can be revised up until March 16th. Please call the Archdiocesan Office of Early Childhood at 646-794-2881, and someone will guide you through the process for revising your application.

Will transportation/busing be available to the new school?

  • We have been in contact with the Office of Pupil Transportation and are in the process of discussing appropriate bus routes for current St. Adalbert School students for the 2020-21 school year to the new campus located at 100 Jerome Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10305. This information has not yet been finalized, but we will share it with you upon receipt.

What will be the charges be for before and after school?

  • Before Care will be offered 6 am to 7:30 am
    • $ 7.00 per child/day
  • After Care will be offered from 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm
    • 2:30-4:00 pm $9.00 per child/day
    • 2:30-7:00 pm $15.00 per child/day

What “specials” will be available at the new school?

  • Yoga/Gym, Music, Spanish

What lunch menus/programs will be offered?

  • There will be no change in service for our students. We will still use the Child Nutrition Program as we have done in the past.

Which CYO sports programs will be offered? 

  • Basketball, Bowling, Soccer

What extracurricular activities will be offered? 

  • After school Band Program
  • Chef Celeste Cozy Kitchen Club (Nutrition, food prep, and Cooking with Monthly themes)
  • Chess
  • Drama
  • Mighty Milers – New York Road Runners Program
  • Student Council
  • Parish-based Boys and Girls Scouts

What uniform will the children wear? 

  • Boys and girls will wear navy blue pants and white Polo shirts with navy blue sweaters with the new school logo and the American Flag.

Will there be an opportunity to meet the families at the other school?

  • Both school’s HSA members will meet in April to collaborate on a Back to School Cupcake Social to be held in August.

Returning Parents: Will I need to enroll at the new school?

  • If you have already enrolled and paid your registration fee, your TADS Enrollment and SMART Tuition accounts will reflect your enrollment automatically. No further action is needed on your part.
  • If you have NOT enrolled yet, your child’s TADS Enrollment account will be transferred to the new school, and you will be able to enroll and pay your registration fee for your child at the new school.

Will my children be eligible for financial aid?

  • If your child received financial aid in the past, he/she will still be eligible.
  • If you have applied for aid for 2020-21, your application will be transferred automatically to the new school.
  • If you have NOT yet renewed your financial assistance application, please submit your application just as you have in the past.  Once your application is submitted, it will be transferred automatically to the new school.
  • Once your child has been awarded, you will receive a notification of your child’s financial aid directly from TADS, as you have in the past.

For New Parents who have already submitted an Admissions and Financial Assistance Application for 2020-21: Will I need to reapply to the new school?

  • No. The Archdiocese of New York Enrollment Office will ensure that your child’s Admissions application for 2020-21 is updated in our online TADS Admissions system. If you applied for financial assistance for 2020-21, that application will also be transferred to the new school. Your TADS user name and password will remain unchanged.

For New Parents who have NOT yet submitted an Admissions and Financial Assistance Application for 2020-21: Where do I send a New Admissions Application?

  • New Admissions and Financial Assistance applications for the 2020-21 school year will be made to the new school: click here to start your application.

What will my tuition be including family grant and fees per grade level?