Mercy Peek & Ponder by Mr. McGrath
Volume III Issue 13 Sunday, December 4, 2016
Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School
Email: jmcgrath@olmcatholicschool.com
Website: www.olmcatholicschool.com
Location: 29 Conwell Drive, Maple Glen, PA, United States
Phone: 215-646-0150
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Our-Lady-of-Mercy-Regional-Catholic-School-1427959374084742/?ref=bookmarks
Upcoming Events
December 5
First Annual OLM Tree Lighting, 6:30PM (OUT FRONT OF SCHOOL)
December 6
Merit Award
Santa Secret Shop
NO CARES
December 7
Merit Award
Santa Secret Shop
December 8
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
School Liturgy (with Peacemakers), 9AM
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS ....
Bella Gentile, Timmy Jennings, Luke Topley, Ciara Peyton, Jenni Appleby
"Mary's Advent" will be presented by the school students on 12/20/2016 at 7PM in St. Alphonsus Church.
We also congratulate Tristan Helmick whose art work was chosen to be placed on our Christmas parade t-shirts.
WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS!
Advent Week #2
Very often in life we come across barriers of one kind or another that we have to negotiate. We set ourselves a worthwhile goal and problems stand in our way. When we head in a particular direction we discover the obstacles that can block our way. The temptation is often to lose heart, to give up or to turn back.
In today’s gospel, the friends of a paralysed man wanted to get their friend to Jesus but they found that other people were blocking their way; they encountered a significant obstacle or barrier. Rather than give up or turn back, they found a way around the barrier, climbing up onto a roof with their friend and letting him down through the tiles before Jesus. Jesus was very taken by their faith, their persistent faith. Here was a little community of faith, the paralytic and his friends, who kept their focus on the Lord and on journeying towards him, in spite of the obstacles and setbacks they encountered along the way.
In many ways this little community of faith can be an inspiration for us this Advent season when we are called to keep journeying towards the Lord, to keep our focus on him, in spite of whatever may be at work in our lives to keep us from the Lord. Jesus surprised them all by first saying to the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” The paralytic needed spiritual as well as physical healing and his spiritual healing took priority. As we keep our focus on the Lord this Advent, we look to him for our own spiritual healing.
BAKE SALE !
Virtue of the Month: Obedience
Our virtue of the month of December is Obedience
Pope Francis says, "Do not be afraid to cast yourselves into the arms of God; whatever he asks of you, he will repay a hundredfold."
Anyone who is serious about obtaining Everlasting Life in Heaven will do all he can to increase in the virtue of obedience. For without it, one will never please the Lord, Who is our benevolent Creator and MERCIFUL Master.
Yes, we are actually obliged to be obedient--it is our solemn duty. And in the future, God willing, we will see that it helped us to attain the crown of perfect beatitude--the unending face-to-face vision of the Most Blessed Trinity--in Paradise.
What do we mean by the virtue of obedience?
A very famous Jesuit priest, Father John Harden wrote the following about obedience - "The moral virtue that inclines the will to comply with the will of another who has the right to command."
Therefore, a person who is rooted in obedience submits his will to the one who possesses legitimate authority over him.
The virtue of obedience commits us to obey the will of God.
Students will be recognized at the School Liturgy on Friday, January 6, 2017.
Prayer to St. Juan Diego
Saint Juan Diego, you who were chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe as an instrument to show your people and the world that the way of Christianity is one of love, compassion, understanding, values, sacrifices, repentance of our sins, appreciation and respect for God's creation, and most of all one of HUMILITY and obedience ...
You who we know is now in the Kingdom of the Lord and close to our Mother ...
Be our angel and protect us, stay with us as we struggle in this modern life not knowing most of the time where to set our priorities.
Help us to pray to our God to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit and use them for the good of humanity and the good of our Church, through the Heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Heart of Jesus.
Amen.
Student Council Christmas Service Project
Collection Dates: 11/30, 12/07, 12/14, 12/21; Dress Down Day: 12/16
FIRST ANNUAL OLM CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
Monday, Dec 5, 2016, 06:30 PM
Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School, Conwell Drive, Maple Glen, PA, United States
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
ATTENTION CLASS OF 2017!
Parents of the Class of 2017. Please read about the Maguire application and the benefits of this program. All applicants must also complete the Smart Aid application at http://www.smartaidforparents.com
THE DEADLINE IS 12/16/2016.
The application is available at: http://www.aopcatholicschools.org/2017-2018-maguire-scholars-program-application-final/
OVER 200 students already! FIRST DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING!
REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR!!!
It's that time of year and we want to make sure our current families have the opportunity to re-register for the 2017-2018 school year before we open registration to new families.
- Register by 12/16/16 and the registration fee is discounted to $200 per family.
- Register by 3/31/17 and the registration fee is $250 per family.
- Anyone not registered by 3/31/17 will be automatically re-registered at $350 per family.
In order to opt out of re-registration, please contact Julie, our Advancement Director, at jbebey@olmcatholicschool.com.
A letter and the re-registration form was sent home to students. To re-register, simply fill out the family name, your parish, child(ren) name(s), grades they are going into and any NEW family member joining OLM. Send in the formalong with your payment to OLM in an envelope labeled "Registration". The registration payment must accompany the form.
SMART AID FOR 2017-2017 IS NOW OPEN! Click the link above to apply.
Smart Aid Information
The new ONLINE application is available. Click the Smart Aid Button above to access the application. The Priority Deadline is 12/31/2016.
OLM SCHOOL CODE 91026
OLM families are encouraged to complete and submit and application. This application will handle all financial aid for OLM (and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia) - including BLOCS, Heritage of Faith Funds, and other scholarship opportunities - both system-wide and at OLM.
Those families who applied in 16-17 will only need to:
1. Login in ( using the username and password from 16-17) www.smartaidforparents.com
2. Update their information
3. Submit and pay the $25 application fee
4. Return to the site and upload their 2016 taxes when completed but no later than 3/31/2017.
OLM's online Art Museum
Yearbook Orders
Believe it or not, it is already time to place your order for the 2016-2017 OLM yearbook! To order, follow the steps below:
1. Go to http://www.schoolannual.com/
2. Click on "Buy your Student's Yearbook" which is above the School Annual / Joston's logo.
3. Enter in school name, city, state, and then click "Go"
4. Enter in number of yearbooks to purchase, as well as child's homeroom / teacher and pay via credit card.
Please note that all 8th grade students DO NOT need to purchase a yearbook since it is included in graduation fees.
- All orders are due by January 31st!
BOX TOP NEWS
Don't forget that we have two Box Tops contests running. The next contest ends on February 15th, and the class with the highest total will win a doughnut or cupcake party! The end of year contest is for a class Pizza Party! The class that turns in the most Box Tops over the entire school year will win this prize in June.
Keep sending in your Box Tops every month. All Box Tops submitted count toward both contests. The holidays are a great time to look for Box Tops on products such as: Land O' Lakes butter and cheese, Hefty disposable products, Green Giant veggies, Reynolds foil baking pans, Food Should Taste Good chips, and many more! Here is a complete list http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/participating-products
Finally, don't forget about the new Box Tops app. It's as easy as checking the app after you do your grocery shopping, looking for any items that you purchased, and snapping a picture of your receipt. This page explains it well: http://www.boxtops4education.com/bonusapp. Thanks to all who have already been using it. The earnings are added to our account every time you submit your receipts!
OLM’s 2nd Annual Designer Bag Bingo - Friday, January 27, 2017 (see attachment)
Doors open @ 6:15 • Bring your family, friends, your favorite snacks and drinks! • $30 per person…or $275 for tables of 10, $220 for tables of 8 • Additional “special” bingo cards will be available to purchase
Email olmbingo2017@gmail.com for questions/ticket requests or RSVP with payment to JP Romano, (6-Opdyke) by Thursday, 1/19/17
*limited to first 250 people so act fast
* **proceeds benefit OLM Home and School Association
** ***Checks made payable to Our Lady of Mercy
*** ****Interested in donating a raffle basket, please let us know****
A MESSAGE FROM THE HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION...
The HSA is organizing another Teacher's Wish List. Last year, the OLM community provided so many important items to help our teachers provide the best education to our students. Please take a moment to look at this year's requests. If you are able to provide new or gently used items, please sign up!
Consider joining together with other families and don't forget about our specials teachers!
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0F48A5AC2CA0F85-teaching
When you have something ready, please contact the teacher it is for to set up the best way to get it to them!
Please contact Alison Bell, alisonL24@yahoo.com, with any questions!
We Can’t Do It Without You!
The Home and School Association sponsors a full calendar of social events, fundraisers, meetings and programs each year. Lots of volunteers are needed to help make this happen. Contact Mirella Palme at mirellapalme@verizon.net our volunteer coordinator to lend a hand!
To view a list of current volunteers and chairs/co-chairs, or to sign up as a volunteer, please https://sites.google.com/site/olmhsaweb/volunteers
Volunteer for Lunch Duty at OLM!
Two parent volunteers must be on-duty in the school yard - before the playground is open. This ensures the safety of ALL. Our active volunteer program not only provides valuable hands-on assistance through the school, but also benefits the children by reinforcing ties between the children’s individual homes as well as the community at large, and the school. The Lunch/Recess Duty Volunteer program is a great way to volunteer and become involved at the school.
Sign up for Lunch Duty at: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d4daaa622a6f49-december
Birthday Blessings this Week!
Sunday, 12/04
Thomas McCook
Monday, 12/05
Gavin Moore
Alexis Makoid
Nicole Funk
Tuesday, 12/06
Wednesday, 12/07
Brendan Maguire
Ms. Timlin
Thursday, 12/08
Nicholas Wilkin
Mrs. Reilly
Friday, 12/09
Saturday, 12/10
Caroline McLaughlin
ALTAR SERVICE THIS WEEK 9AM
Tuesday: Tim Barrett
Wednesday: TBA
Thursday: Eddie Donovan
Friday: Connor Cunningham