Mercy Messenger
Issue 17 ~ Sunday, December 17th, 2023
Through the intercession of Our Lady of Mercy, we commit ourselves to living the Good News of Jesus through Works of Mercy. Our rigorous academic program unleashes creative energy for the pursuit of knowledge and nurtures a hope-filled vision for Catholic leadership. We live out our relationship with God by respecting the dignity of others and providing service to the global community that fosters unity, understanding, and compassion.
Beginning Prayer- Third Sunday of Advent
O God, As we faithfully await the birth of your son, Jesus, Let us be glad and rejoice. In our families and our schools and in our lives, Help us to share the joy of Christ's love with others. Amen.
Principal Update
Sunday, December 17th, 2023
Good Morning,
Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ is more than a Christian holiday or Christian festival. It is more than an occasion to decorate our houses. It is an opportunity to pause and give thanks for the love, hope and joy found in Jesus – our Savior and friend.
I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. This will be the last mercy messenger in 2023. The next messenger will come out on January 7th. There will still be a couple of mid week communications during the holiday break. This week is a short school week but a lot of fun events like class Christmas parties and our annual Christmas Tableau on Wednesday December 20th. Please see below in the parent section for more information regarding the Christmas Tableau.
I want to thank the entire school community for all of their support during the first part of this school year. As a first year principal I can not express my gratitude enough. I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas holiday. I hope you enjoy the time with family and friends. I look forward to seeing everyone in 2024. Merry Christmas and have a happy and healthy New Year.
In mercy,
Mr. Bill Delaney
Reminders
- Please do not get out of your car to get your child during car line. It is not safe to walk in the parking lot during dismissal. Thank you.
- Please do not drop your child off at school before 7:30.
- Please remember to fill out all the school forms that are on OptionC as soon as possible.
- If you are changing the way your child is going home please call the main office before 1pm.
- If your child is absent from school please email attendance@olmrcs.com.
- Make sure to have all your clearances up to date if you are planning on volunteering in the school or with any clubs. (See Wednesday communication for more information)
A Look Ahead
12/20- Christmas Tableau.
12/21-1/3- Christmas break.
1/3- Pastors Holiday- No School.
1/4- School resumes.
1/5- 9 am Mass.
1/12- Professional Development Day. No School for Students.
1/12- Ski Club #1.
1/15- MLK Day. No School.
Student Council Thank You
The Student Council would like to thank the OLM community for your very generous donations for our Pajama Day! We raised over $1,200! Student Council went Christmas shopping this past Monday and purchased toys, clothes, stocking stuffers, and gift cards to help three local families in need. Many students and staff wrapped the presents after school on Thursday. Thank you to our Student Council and our faculty moderators Ms. Timlin and Mrs. Womelsdorf for organizing this special project.
Class of 2024 Scholarships
We proudly report that the Class of 2024 students were awarded the following scholarships. We congratulate these students and their families! We will continue to update this list in the weekly Sunday Mercy Messenger. Please continue emailing or providing scholarship documentation to Mrs. Maher. (cmaher@olmrcs.com)
Benjamin Bell
Presidential Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Presidential Academic Scholarship- LaSalle College High School
Neumann Scholarship- Full scholarship for four years to any Archdiocesan High School
Megan Bell
ASP Academic Scholarship- Gwynedd Mercy High School
Misericordia Academic Scholarship- Gwynedd Mercy High School
Presidential Academic Scholarship- Mount St. Joseph Academy High School
Presidential Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Neumann Scholarship- Full scholarship for four years to any Archdiocesan High School
Max Bieak
St. Therese Merit Academic Scholarship - Lansdale Catholic High School
Kate Bruner
ASP Academic Scholarship- Gwynedd Mercy High School
Trocaire Academic Scholarship- Gwynedd Mercy High School
Presidential Academic Scholarship- Mount St. Joseph Academy High School
Founder’s Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Christopher Homa
Trustees’ Academic Scholarship- Roman Catholic High School
Viking Academic Scholarship - Archbishop Wood High School
Henry Lemanowicz
Presidential Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Brother E. Francis McLean, FSC Academic Scholarship-LaSalle College High School
Neumann Scholarship- Full scholarship for four years to any Archdiocesan High School
Emery Lewinski
St. Therese Merit Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Sean McErlean
St. Therese Merit Academic Scholarship - Lansdale Catholic High School
Viking Academic Scholarship- Archbishop Wood High School
Annabel Miller
Presidential Academic Scholarship- Mount St. Joseph Academy High School
Presidential Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Neumann Scholarship- Full scholarship for four years to any Archdiocesan High School
Finn O’Donovan
Founder’s Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Principal Academic Scholarship- LaSalle College High School
Nora Schmalbach
St. Therese Merit Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Caroline Sellers
ASP Academic Scholarship- Gwynedd Mercy High School
Founders Academic Scholarship- Mount St. Joseph Academy High School
Lulu Smith
Mercy Academic Scholarship- Merion Mercy High School
Alumnae Academic Scholarship- Merion Mercy High School
Makenzie Smith
Dance Scholarship- Academy of Notre Dame de Namur High School
Total as of 12/9/23: $917,000
Honor Band
Congratulations to Henry Lemanowicz for making the Archdiocese of Philadelphia middle school honor band. Henry plays the trumpet. The concert will take place on Friday, February 23, 2024 at Archbishop Wood High School.
Archdiocesan Honors Chorus
Congratulations to Grace Womelsdorf, Kylie Youngers, and Izzy Eliason for being named to the Archdiocesan Honors Choir. Over 85 students from the surrounding Catholic schools were selected to participate. The concert will be on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at Cardinal O'Hara High School.
Blossom in Stem Program (Spots still open.)
Gwynedd Mercy Academy is offering their Blossom in Stem Program to our 6th, 7th and 8th grade female students. This program is meant to enhance and expand their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Once a month, students from Gwynedd and their Stem teacher Mr. Berger will come to OLM to facilitate and aid them in performing Stem related activities and experiments. The club is free to our students and is open to 20 girls per session. There will be 9 sessions and it will be after school from 3-4pm. Below you will find a link for the sign up list. Thank you.
Counseling Corner
As December is coming to a close, we are finishing the mindfulness unit in 4th- 8th grades. Over the last few months students were exposed to different mindfulness practices during classroom lessons. Studies have suggested that regular mindfulness practice can have a positive impact on mental health, the benefits include stress reduction, improved focus and enhanced well-being. This exposure to mindfulness will hopefully allow students to have the tools in the future to cope during stressful or anxious periods. Some of the activities we tried were guided meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, grounding through the 5 senses, muscle relaxation and music. There are many resources on the web if your student wants to further explore these activities.
From the Nurse's Office
If your child test positive for Covid-19 please follow the CDC guidelines. If you have any questions please contact the nurse's office at nurse@olmrcs.com.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html
Optional Gift Giving - THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who donated toward the gift giving. If you happen to open your child’s backpack and find that envelope or you completely forgot and want to donate we appreciate it and you can still send it in. Because of your generosity we are able to give very nice Christmas gifts to the specials, front office, maintenance, Mr. Delaney, and more. We truly have an amazing community!
Classroom Parties – Wednesday, December 20th
Your homeroom parents should be reaching out to you regarding the classroom parties and homeroom teacher gifts. If you have not heard from them please email Angela Creed, leiss.angela@gmail.com, and she will get in touch with your homeroom parents. Every grade/classroom does their parties a little differently.
Calling all Middle School Students!
Ski & Snowboard Club
We need parent volunteers with Ski & Board Club Monday Pretzels. One person is asked to pick up pretzels at 8am at the Philly Pretzel Factory Horsham, deliver to the school, and help sort/distribute. We need another parent to meet at the school at 8:15am and help sort/distribute them. Please use the sign up genius link to volunteer for a day or two. Our Lady of Mercy Home and School Association: 2024 OLM Ski & Board Club Pretzel Sale Volunteers (signupgenius.com)
Registration is now closed! If you have any questions, please contact Bea Lemanowicz at bml@lemanowiczlaw.com
Designer Bag Bingo – REGISTRATION OPENED EARLY!
Get your dabbers ready! Back for another year Designer Bag Bingo will take place on Friday, January 19, 2023, in the cafeteria. This event sells out every year. This year's bags include, MZ Wallace, Lululemon, Anthropologie, Mark & Graham, Kate Spade, Dooney & Bourke, & Vince Camuto just to name a few. So, Gather your friends for your table and register now! Limited seats available so be sure to sign up quickly. If you would like to donate a basket for this event please reach out to Katie Sacchetta at katie.sacchetta@gmail.com. Registration is now open until spaces will close on January 12th.
Catholic School Week – January 28th – February 2nd
Stay tuned for more information on this fun week for all!
Holiday Card Season – Minted Gives back 15%
This holiday season, we’ve partnered with Minted where you can save 20% and Minted donates back 15% to the school. Now through December, shop holiday cards and gifts on www.minted.com and use our promo code: FUNDRAISEMERCYREGIONAL.
Supporting Home & School
- Interested in Volunteering?
- We are always looking for new ideas, suggestions, and volunteers! If you have any interest in volunteering please feel free to fill out this interest form: tinyurl.com/OLMVolCalendar24.
- If you are interested in joining the board, we would love to hear from you! Please feel free to reach out via email at hsa@olmrcs.com. We welcome you to check out our website, www.olmhsa.wixsite.com/2021, or follow and interact with us on social media, FB @olmhsa or Instagram @olmhsa.
December 20th Christmas Party Day
On December 20th students are allowed to wear their OLM gym sweatpants with a Christmas shirt and Christmas accessories. Students should be wearing sneakers (no crocks please). Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Important Christmas Tableau Information
Dear OLM Families,
The OLM Tableau is Wednesday, 12/20/23, at 7:00 PM at St. Alphonsus Church for Grades K-8. The arrival time & attire are as follows:
Grade 8: Arrive at 6:15 PM. Attire: Costumes.
Grade 1: Arrive at 6:30 PM. Attire: Angel Costumes.
Kindergarten: Arrive at 6:30 PM. Attire: “Sunday Best”.
Grades 2-7: Arrive at 6:30 PM. Attire: Winter uniforms — no shorts, no gym uniforms.
All students should report to their homerooms.
Twelve pews will be reserved for our eighth-grade parents on the Saint Joseph side. Signs will be posted for our eighth-grade parents; they are first come, first served. These seats are only reserved for parents, not extended family members. These 12 pews will be the narrow section on the Church's side facing the school. There will be open seating available for all the guests. Additional chairs will be available to guests in the Chapel, where chairs will be turned.
Grades 1 and 8 will remain for pictures on the altar. All other grades will be dismissed from their classrooms. Please arrange to pick up your child/children in their homerooms.
The Tableau should be over between 7:45 and 8:00 PM.
Pastor Day Off
Monsignor Hennessy has granted OLM a Pastor’s holiday for all of the hardwork that we accomplished during Middle States. That holiday will be added onto CHRISTMAS BREAK! There will be NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, January 3rd! School will RESUME on Thursday, January 4th. Thank you Monsignor for this gift!!
Winter Weather
As we are moving towards the winter months of the year here are a couple of reminders if we have a delayed school day or closure.
- OLM follows Upper Dublin school district. If Upper Dublin closes school for weather or is delayed, OLM is closed or delayed. A text, call and email will be sent out.
- If another school district closes and Upper Dublin is open, OLM is open. Those school district's that are closed will not provide busing. You will be notified if that occurs.
Re-Registration for the 24-25 School Year
As we have done in past years, we will continue with automatic re-registration for all current students in grades K to 7th grade for the 2024-2025 school year. Any family that does not plan to return next year must contact Julie Bebey at jbebey@olmrcs.com by Friday, December 15, 2023. All returning families will have their FACTS accounts charged the $310/family re-registration fee in January. If you have any questions, please speak with Julie Bebey. Thank you in advance for your commitment to OLM and catholic education.
8th Grade Scholarships
If your 8th grader has received a scholarship to any high school please send a copy of the letter to Mrs. Maher cmaher@olmrcs.com so we can recognize your students amazing accomplishments.
2024-2025 Kindergarten Commitment
If you have a younger child that you are considering enrolling in Kindergarten for the 24-25 school year, please complete this form. We need an idea of how many spots we need to save for kindergarten for our current families before the Sunday, Oct. 22 Open House.
This is NOT an official registration, more information will be sent at a later date. If you have any questions, please reach out to Julie Bebey at jbebey@olmrcs.com
2024-2025 Financial Aid
2024-2025 financial aid is now open. Please log onto your FACTS account to apply. To be considered for financial aid you must fill out an application through your FACTS account. If you have any questions please send your questions to grants@olmrcs.com.
Uniform Policy
Please remember that all students should be wearing our winter uniforms. ALL uniform rules will be enforced. Please review the general uniform rules that are listed below and are in the student handbook.
● Girls’ kilts must be no shorter than two inches above the knee. After a second warning, they must wear navy blue tights or school-issued pants until the skirt/kilt is at the appropriate length.
● All students must wear OLM uniform pieces with logos. They must be purchased from one of our two approved vendors: Flynn & O’Hara or Lands’ End.
● All formal and gym uniforms must be purchased from one of our two approved vendors: Flynn & O’Hara or Lands’ End.
● NO LOGOS, Nike Elite sports socks, or the like are permitted with the school uniform except on gym days.
● Sneakers must be worn on gym days, even on a dress-down day.
● Girls may wear post-earrings or small hoops.
● Belts must be worn with pants or shorts by both boys and girls.
● Only the neckline of a plain white undershirt may be visible under the shirt.
Car Line Procedures
To keep our students safe and the car line moving in the afternoon, please:
- Do not get out of your cars. A faculty member will help your child get into the car.
- DO NOT PASS cars in front of you as there may be children getting into their cars on the driver's side. Please be patient and stay in line as you exit the school property, following the car in front of you.
- Do not stop in front of your child. Pull up as far as you can (up to the gym doors) to allow the most cars to load at one time. Please pull right up to the car in front of you.
- Do not speed. The speed limit is 10 MPH while driving on any part of the school property. Please be mindful of your speed.
- Do not use your cell phone while driving in the parking lot.
- WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE PUT A SIGN IN YOUR PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW IDENTIFYING YOUR LAST NAME. This will help us find your child(ren) faster.
- If you need to buckle your child into their car seat, please do so in the circle near the exit of the property.
Birthdays this week
12/21
Declan Doherty
Victoria Heath
12/22
Colt Smith
12/23
Michael Contorno
Harrison Gabriel
12/24
Ms. Malachowski
Christopher Henry
Lucas Heenan
12/26
Georgette Cook
12/27
Bridget Bell
Evelyn Toth
12/29
Nemesi Ladino Gutierrez
12/31
Colin Stanton
Evan Cordura
1/2
Ms. Eugenia
Zachary Fox
1/3
Mrs. Sowden
1/5
Ryan McGinley
William Brennan
1/6
Lola Wilson
Altar Servers
Tuesday 12/19
Michael Pulo
Victoria Heath
Wednesday 12/20
Maeve Graham
Seamus Graham
Thursday 1/4
Lucas McDonald
Sean Morris
Friday 1/5
Sophie Samson
Will McMullen
Henry Lemanowicz