The administration has reversed its decision and Transfiguration Academy will remain open. Your commitment to this institution ensured that our school doors stay unlocked for the coming year. I will provide additional details regarding the transition period in a follow-up communication.
August 17, 2020
Final supporters
To: Cardinal Joseph William Tobin, C.Ss.R., D.D., Archbishop of Newark, Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. McDade, Ed.D, Vicar for Education/Interim Superintendent of Schools, Barbara Dolan, Assistant Superintendent of Schools
The parents, students, faculty, and alumni of Transfiguration Academy (formerly St. John's) of Bergenfield, NJ implore you to reconsider the decision to end our school operations August 31, 2020. We are asking for a joint discussion to cooperatively keep Transfiguration Academy from closing its doors for the 2020-2021 school year. This 99 year old institution's Mission Statement explains how students are developed into community contributors by strengthening faith, enlightening minds and transforming hearts...one student at a time.
The letter dated August 4, 2020 from Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. McDade and Barbara Dolan states that this decision was made due to declining enrollment, the need for financial support, and the obstacles due to Covid-19. This decision disregards the quality Catholic education offered and honored by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Furthermore, it would negatively affect students, parents, and faculty as illustrated below.
During this pandemic, students were forced to be educated through distance learning. This caused many social and emotional issues since March 13th. Students, parents, and faculty felt relief knowing that students would be returning to Transfiguration Academy (whether it be online or in person) to reunite with our faith-based family. With the closing of Transfiguration Academy, these students, ranging from 3 years old to 13 years old, will have unnecessary stress thrown on them as they adjust to a new school, new peers, and new teachers. Various Catholic schools closed in the area, unfortunately in similar low to middle income towns, which impacts parents ability to place their children in a Catholic school. Of the remaining Catholic schools, many are not even accepting 8th grade students so these students will have to adjust to public education curriculum versus Catholic. Students will be removed from their teachers and friends which will inevitably cause further grief and loss.
The notification given less than one month in advance of school starting, during a pandemic crisis, is insufficient notice for families to switch schools. The other local Catholic schools are at almost, if not complete, full enrollment. Transfiguration Academy has already received students that attended other Catholic schools that shut down and these parents are less likely to switch to yet another Catholic school in fear that another shut down would happen. The goal should be to make Catholic schools more sustainable. Parents have invested financially, spiritually, and emotionally and should at least be given the opportunity to be aware of dire needs so that actions can be taken. For schools to thrive and be sustainable, it is necessary for parents to have full transparency.
Our teachers have dedicated their careers to Transfiguration Academy. They do not pay into unemployment and therefore are unable to collect. They have agreed, in most cases, to make salaries below the level of public school teachers, because they believe in Catholic education. The twenty six day notice given to them to find a job would be an extremely hard task without a pandemic happening and almost impossible for them to find placement given the Covid-19 issues.
We find the committee that made this decision failed to have lucid conversations with parents, faculty and the administration of Transfiguration Academy and therefore we are asking to have the decision overturned and for the healthy, transparent discussions to begin. We implore you to reconsider closing our school.
Updates
August 6, 2020
The petition has now reached two hundred and fifty signatures. This level of engagement demonstrates the deep commitment our community maintains for the future of Transfiguration Academy.
Reached 250 supporters
August 6, 2020
Reached 100 supporters
August 5, 2020
August 4, 2020
We are approaching one hundred signatures which will provide a necessary demonstration of our community resolve. Please direct this page to members of your personal network to help us reach this total before we deliver our formal appeal.
119 Comments
With rising enrollment for this coming school year, this decision makes no sense. So many children have been displaced from the only school they have ever attended. It was a heartless decision to close this excellent academic institution.
Knowing some students from the first round of school closings enrolled in Transfiguration only to have it also close two months later is sickening. The Catholic Church is losing too many families because of these heartless closures.
Please reconsider. Both of my sons went to Transfiguration Academy/St. Johns school. You’re taking away catholic education from so many children. Wonderful teachers losing their jobs. Now more than ever these children need to be in this school. Please don’t close tgis school.
Transfiguration Academy has been my home for the past six years and I have recently graduated. I am indebted to the school for all it has done for me and my growth and an individual. I love Transfiguration Academy and I cannot bear to see it close.
during these unprecedented times famines need the security of knowing their children will have some sense of normalcy, if not in person education areas remotely with the teachers they know. Closing a school with less than a month to plan is irresponsible.
The male teachers were creeps and always mad me and my friends uncomfortable
HAHAHAH FINALLY I am so happy here's why: .A couple of examples of this mistreatment is when the art teacher (white) told me "this isn't how we do things here, this isn't the bronx" (I'm from Manhattan) when I finished a drawing to early.Teachers such as Mrs.Defranca and Mrs.facilli would constantly accuse me of graffiti because "graffiti is a New York thing".
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The administration has reversed its decision and Transfiguration Academy will remain open. Your commitment to this institution ensured that our school doors stay unlocked for the coming year. I will provide additional details regarding the transition period in a follow-up communication.
August 17, 2020
Final supporters
To: Cardinal Joseph William Tobin, C.Ss.R., D.D., Archbishop of Newark, Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. McDade, Ed.D, Vicar for Education/Interim Superintendent of Schools, Barbara Dolan, Assistant Superintendent of Schools
The parents, students, faculty, and alumni of Transfiguration Academy (formerly St. John's) of Bergenfield, NJ implore you to reconsider the decision to end our school operations August 31, 2020. We are asking for a joint discussion to cooperatively keep Transfiguration Academy from closing its doors for the 2020-2021 school year. This 99 year old institution's Mission Statement explains how students are developed into community contributors by strengthening faith, enlightening minds and transforming hearts...one student at a time.
The letter dated August 4, 2020 from Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. McDade and Barbara Dolan states that this decision was made due to declining enrollment, the need for financial support, and the obstacles due to Covid-19. This decision disregards the quality Catholic education offered and honored by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Furthermore, it would negatively affect students, parents, and faculty as illustrated below.
During this pandemic, students were forced to be educated through distance learning. This caused many social and emotional issues since March 13th. Students, parents, and faculty felt relief knowing that students would be returning to Transfiguration Academy (whether it be online or in person) to reunite with our faith-based family. With the closing of Transfiguration Academy, these students, ranging from 3 years old to 13 years old, will have unnecessary stress thrown on them as they adjust to a new school, new peers, and new teachers. Various Catholic schools closed in the area, unfortunately in similar low to middle income towns, which impacts parents ability to place their children in a Catholic school. Of the remaining Catholic schools, many are not even accepting 8th grade students so these students will have to adjust to public education curriculum versus Catholic. Students will be removed from their teachers and friends which will inevitably cause further grief and loss.
The notification given less than one month in advance of school starting, during a pandemic crisis, is insufficient notice for families to switch schools. The other local Catholic schools are at almost, if not complete, full enrollment. Transfiguration Academy has already received students that attended other Catholic schools that shut down and these parents are less likely to switch to yet another Catholic school in fear that another shut down would happen. The goal should be to make Catholic schools more sustainable. Parents have invested financially, spiritually, and emotionally and should at least be given the opportunity to be aware of dire needs so that actions can be taken. For schools to thrive and be sustainable, it is necessary for parents to have full transparency.
Our teachers have dedicated their careers to Transfiguration Academy. They do not pay into unemployment and therefore are unable to collect. They have agreed, in most cases, to make salaries below the level of public school teachers, because they believe in Catholic education. The twenty six day notice given to them to find a job would be an extremely hard task without a pandemic happening and almost impossible for them to find placement given the Covid-19 issues.
We find the committee that made this decision failed to have lucid conversations with parents, faculty and the administration of Transfiguration Academy and therefore we are asking to have the decision overturned and for the healthy, transparent discussions to begin. We implore you to reconsider closing our school.
Updates
August 6, 2020
The petition has now reached two hundred and fifty signatures. This level of engagement demonstrates the deep commitment our community maintains for the future of Transfiguration Academy.
Reached 250 supporters
August 6, 2020
Reached 100 supporters
August 5, 2020
August 4, 2020
We are approaching one hundred signatures which will provide a necessary demonstration of our community resolve. Please direct this page to members of your personal network to help us reach this total before we deliver our formal appeal.
119 Comments
Please reconsider your decision. Let us work something out. Let’s merge some schools you’re closing. Let’s have a dialogue you owe us that. We are from a modest families who worked hard to send our children to catholic school. You are failing us badly.
With rising enrollment for this coming school year, this decision makes no sense. So many children have been displaced from the only school they have ever attended. It was a heartless decision to close this excellent academic institution.
Knowing some students from the first round of school closings enrolled in Transfiguration only to have it also close two months later is sickening. The Catholic Church is losing too many families because of these heartless closures.
Please reconsider. Both of my sons went to Transfiguration Academy/St. Johns school. You’re taking away catholic education from so many children. Wonderful teachers losing their jobs. Now more than ever these children need to be in this school. Please don’t close tgis school.
Transfiguration Academy has been my home for the past six years and I have recently graduated. I am indebted to the school for all it has done for me and my growth and an individual. I love Transfiguration Academy and I cannot bear to see it close.
during these unprecedented times famines need the security of knowing their children will have some sense of normalcy, if not in person education areas remotely with the teachers they know. Closing a school with less than a month to plan is irresponsible.
The male teachers were creeps and always mad me and my friends uncomfortable
HAHAHAH FINALLY I am so happy here's why: .A couple of examples of this mistreatment is when the art teacher (white) told me "this isn't how we do things here, this isn't the bronx" (I'm from Manhattan) when I finished a drawing to early.Teachers such as Mrs.Defranca and Mrs.facilli would constantly accuse me of graffiti because "graffiti is a New York thing".
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Please reconsider your decision. Let us work something out. Let’s merge some schools you’re closing. Let’s have a dialogue you owe us that. We are from a modest families who worked hard to send our children to catholic school. You are failing us badly.