Written by: Tieressa Fiedtkou
"That school was a core part of my life; it helped shaped me into the person who I am today. Learning of its closure felt as if I was losing a piece of me; alas, the memories and experiences I made there still remain," - Romeo Fiedtkou, from Class of 2019
Our Lady’s Catholic Academy was a flourishing school located in South Ozone Park, Queens NY. It was a school well-known for its diverse student body and consistently coordinated principal, Kevin Coyne. Having initially starting off as a lone establishment in the district close to Rockaway Queens, it gradually began to undergo numerous changes that allowed two different bodies of students to meet and interact with each other all the while experiencing the same path to life. Students who attended Our Lady’s Catholic Academy knew of the many milestones it achieved with each year, proudly wearing the school’s navy and gold colors to express their pride to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, while the academy surpassed a decade of existence in teaching students’ optimal skills and lessons that would assist them in future years, it was unable to win the battle against the surging Covid-19 pandemic that began in the United States during the year of 2020. In July of the very same year, the Diocese of Brooklyn released an online statement in regard to a number of schools that were set to permanently shut down by the end of the annual term. Our Lady’s Catholic Academy was the fourth listed establishment among other cherished schools. The closing date, August 31st, arrived far too quickly. “From Many We Are One”, the school’s slogan that reigned for years, came to an end, along with the legacy it wrote down in many families’ books.
Students, both alumni and currently attending alike, received the news with heavy hearts and shed tears. One student in particular, Romeo Fiedtkou, who was the Class of 2019’s valedictorian, had been the first of many to express his thoughts about the ultimate fate for the school he grew up in. Since Pre-Kindergarten, Fiedtkou had a bright start into his academic career. He was surrounded by close friends and trustworthy teachers who not only attuned to the children’s needs but also praised them for their increasingly progressing cognitive skills. When he was made aware of Our Lady’s Catholic Academy being shut down, he had a lot to comment on. To the question of how he reacted upon discovering the news, Fiedtkou first expressed to have had plans on visiting the school to see how it has changed since he graduated. “I had a good relationship with the former principal, Kevin Coyne; I was quite interested in seeing the school flourish into the best it could be,” he states as he reminisces about the past. “When I learned about its shutdown and financial hardships, I felt a brief moment of shock, but quickly came to a period of acceptance.” Fiedtkou used the phrase “bleeding money” in reference to how the school gradually declined financially since the start of the pandemic. While he hadn’t approached the academy in years, he admitted to having a feeling it would eventually feel the effects of the surge. “The virus prevented parents from going to work, and that in turn led to a decrease in income. Children weren’t going to be able to continue attending school, so it doesn’t surprise me that the school fell bankrupt,” Fiedtkou proclaims. Despite this, however, he added that he never imagined the school to officially shut down. There were multiple fundraisers within the neighborhood accessible to all who had previous connections with the school. Fiedtkou was certain several families offered any payment they could, but it was deemed not enough in the end.
Fiedtkou was asked to explain his thoughts about the Diocese making the decision to permanently close down the school. He brought up the fact that Our Lady’s Catholic Academy was a private school, and that “the salaries of teachers are directly funded by the tuition of the students”. Since the academy was losing money at a rapid pace, although it “broke his heart” to admit it, Fiedtkou stated that he fully supported the Diocese’s choice on shutting the school down for good. Although the academy was well-loved and appreciated by many, if it was only advocating for funds and funds alone instead of the willingness from families and students, then it would’ve acted for a guilty cause.
The high point of Our Lady’s Catholic Academy, according to Fiedtkou, was the unbreakable bonds he created with his classmates over the years of attending. “With the way private schools are ran, you share the same group of students for every single class for every single year of school,” he starts off as he pulls out an old folder containing his class roster. “Throughout those years, I believe the school has a huge role in creating that feeling.” Fiedtkou confessed that the structure of Our Lady’s Catholic Academy allowed the students to spend all of their time together and make unforgettable memories. He shares that he was able to experience both instances multiple times. One picture he reveals from his photo gallery in his phone contains him and his friends holding up their honor awards during the end of the sixth-grade semester. “The school's facilities and physical condition may have been subpar; even so, our spirit was not.”
Another alumnus was able to give her own thoughts in regard to the shutting down of Our Lady’s Catholic Academy. Chan Bramty from the Class of 2014 was a transfer student who arrived at the school in 2012. Compared to the other students who had attended the academy longer than she has, Bramty admits that she didn’t have an attachment quite as strong as theirs. However, despite only spending two and a half years, she confesses she managed to make her time worthwhile. “In the short period I attended Our Lady’s Catholic Academy, I did enjoy myself a lot. I made respectable bonds with our teachers and learned a lot of information about different topics outside of classes from them,” she states proudly. Similarly to Fiedtkou, she goes on to explain that the school influenced and encouraged her to become the person she is today. “I became who I am because of those two and a half years there, so knowing it closed and isn’t accessible to anyone now is just heartbreaking.”
Another alumnus was able to give her own thoughts in regard to the shutting down of Our Lady’s Catholic Academy. Chan Bramty from the Class of 2014 was a transfer student who arrived at the school in 2012. Compared to the other students who had attended the academy longer than she has, Bramty admits that she didn’t have an attachment quite as strong as theirs. However, despite only spending two and a half years, she confesses she managed to make her time worthwhile. “In the short period I attended Our Lady’s Catholic Academy, I did enjoy myself a lot. I made respectable bonds with our teachers and learned a lot of information about different topics outside of classes from them,” she states proudly. Similarly to Fiedtkou, she goes on to explain that the school influenced and encouraged her to become the person she is today. “I became who I am because of those two and a half years there, so knowing it closed and isn’t accessible to anyone now is just heartbreaking.”
On the topic of whether or not she agrees with the Diocese releasing an official statement in regards to the permanent closure, Bramty replies with a hint of defeat in her tone. "I believe there wasn’t really much of a choice once the diocese got involved." When it was revealed Our Lady's Catholic Academy had fallen into a financial crisis, Bramty states that she wasn't aware of that type of situation. She couldn't think of the school and that harsh of a casualty meshed together even though it was the reality of the matter. "There were plenty of fundraising events that took place long after I graduated. It was on a weekly to monthly basis if I’m remembering correctly," she starts, ultimately unable to continue as she trails off with the thought. It was clear to her at that moment that the fundraisers simply weren't enough. Regardless of how much money the school managed to raise, it most likely wouldn't have been enough to sustain it for another full year or so.
"The high point of the school in my opinion were definitely the strong relationships between the students and teachers," Bramty answers to the question of most admirable quality. According to her, students were able to use their voices loud and freely. "They were able to properly express themselves if they saw even the slightest flaw within the school's system," she says, further explaining the power and influence the students had on the community surrounding the academy. "We felt like we had a sense of belonging even though we barely scraped the teenager phase," Bramty jokes lightly, her voice full of fondness. Students had voices at this school, and each and every single one of them were heard by all of the staff. Even the principal stepped in each classroom to listen to any complaints or concerns and made changes rapidly and accordingly. It was very attuned to the students. The community depended on the students in a sense. We felt like we had a sense of belonging and power even though we were barely scraping the teenager phase."
Alumni weren’t the only ones who were vocal about the status of the school. Fiedtkou’s niece, Alicia Pronto, was still attending Our Lady’s Catholic Academy at the time the Diocese announced the official closure. Pronto was in the seventh grade, just one year away from her long-awaited graduation date. Unfortunately, as the academy would be off limits over the summer break, she was unable to experience any final lingering moments before her family received the news. “I cried for a long while,” Pronto quietly confesses as she turns to look at the school building. “I’ve been a student at Our Lady’s Catholic Academy since my nursery days. I basically grew up inside and with the school up until they said it was going to close.” In the many years she’s spent attending the academy, Pronto has made many good friends and still has close ones to this very day. She also adds that she is aware she will “never see the faces of the teachers who taught her again” and the classmates “she spent years growing to know and love” are lost to time.
Pronto views the high points of the school to be the opportunities students were given to interact with each other both inside and outside of lessons. Our Lady’s Catholic Academy had a rotational track team that she was a part of for four consecutive years. The students would take turns running for the school and swapping out to let others participate. “We got to go on many fieldtrips, too,” Pronto reveals, smiling at the memory. There were chances for students to visit aquariums and farms to spread their interests into environmental topics. They were also allowed to go to the beach to help with trash clean-up. “Students were able to bond with each other through those events. I got to know so many great people because I attended a lot of them,” she finishes, setting the recording phone down on the table.
As a student who attended Our Lady’s Catholic Academy and graduated in 2014, I was deeply saddened by the news. I considered the school to be a second home to me in the sense where I was able to express myself and my creativity as far as I could. The previous interviewees have already gone in detail about the wonderful student body and faculty presence, and I agree with their statements wholeheartedly. I will continue to fondly look back on my times during Our Lady’s Catholic Academy. Even though my middle school days are long behind me, I could never forget the school that gave students and myself the rawest chance at being who we wanted to be. “From Many We Are One” will remain as strongly as it did during the academy’s prime years. I am confident in saying that if the pandemic hadn’t taken place, the school and many others would still be open to all to this day. At the end of this, however, I’m aware that wishful thinking will only bring me so far.