Mercy Messenger
Issue 19 ~ Sunday January 14th, 2024
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- Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Breathe into me Holy Spirit, that all my thoughts may be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.
Principal Update
Sunday January 14th, 2024
Good Morning,
I hope everyone is enjoying their long MLK weekend. If you are planning on spending the day doing a service project or just relaxing I hope you enjoy the time off from school and work together with your family and friends. On Friday the faculty and staff had a professional development day in which we were trained in adult/infant CPR and AED. It was a very informational and hands on experience that trained all of our faculty and staff on how to respond to an emergency if one should ever occur here at school or out in the community. The safety and well being of our students is top priority here at OLM. I hope our ski club had a terrific time on Friday as they went up for their first trip to Bear Creek Ski Resort. Thank you again to all the volunteers that make this wonderful club possible for our students. As always if there is anything I can do please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a great week ahead and go Eagles on Monday night.
In Mercy,
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
1/15- MLK Day. No School.
1/17- Ski Club #2.
1/19- Dress Down Day. $2 for Thon.
1/19- Designer Bag Bingo. 6-10pm.
1/24- Ski Club #3.
1/28- Catholic School Weeks begin. Open house 11-1pm.
Test Prep Course
We are excited to announce that OLM will be offering a Test Prep course for our 6th and 7th-grade students as they prepare for the practice tests at our local high schools in the Spring and the Terra Nova tests in March. We have attached the two-page information flyer. Our first class will begin on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Please return the registration form with your payment even if you are paying via Venmo. This will ensure we order the correct number of books as well as have an emergency contact number.
Thank you,
Mrs. Rita DiCarne (ELA)- rdicarne@olmrcs.com
Mrs. Caroline Maher (Math)- cmaher@olmrcs.com
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
Safe2Say is an easy way to let someone know there is a problem and get help from an adult to handle it. During the Middle School Safe2Say lessons students will learn the three steps that would help keep your friends and classmates safe:
Recognize the warning signs
Act Immediately, take it seriously
Say Something
A warning sign is when someone says or does something that shows a plan to harm themselves or others. Warning signs can be verbal or over social media. Examples of warning signs include obsession with weapons, talking about hurting/attacking others, talking about wanting to die or making threats.
After warning signs, students should act immediately and take the threat seriously.
Finally, a student can “say something” to a trusted adult (at school or home), make a Safe2Say report or call 911. There are options depending on the severity of the concern and comfort level.
If warranted, submitting a tip to Safe2Say is easy. There is an app, you can text, call or submit on-line. Below is the information to help guide you:
Download Safe2Say app
Text S2SS to 738477
Call 1-844-SAF2SAY or 1-844-723-2729
We encourage our students to identify trusted adults and act immediately when warning signs appear. Teachers, counselors and the principal are always available to talk and guide your student through this process.
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
Please remember that your child needs to be 24 hours fever free and vomit free without medicine before returning to school. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community healthy.
Ski & Board Club
Ski & Snowboard Club
- Pray for snow! The first trip of the season is scheduled for Friday, January 12th. If your child is part of the ski & board club please consider volunteering for the trips. If you have any questions, please contact Bea Lemanowicz at bml@lemanowiczlaw.com
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 extended! LESS THAN 50 SPOTS LEFT!
Back for another year, Designer Bag Bingo will take place on Friday, January 19, 2024, 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! New this year, dabbers are included in the price of admission — so, gather your friends for your table and register now! Limited seats are available so sign up quickly. If you have any questions or would like to donate a basket for this event please reach out to Katie Sacchetta at katie.sacchetta@gmail.com. Registration is almost full and will close on January 17th.
Catholic School Week – January 28th – February 2nd
Catholic School Week is a great week for everyone. Kicking off with masses at each parish Sunday January 28th. Tuesday (last name A-L) and Wednesday (last name M-Z) will be bagels with buddies. Family Fun Night will take place on Friday, February 2rd in the OLM gym. See the “go to” flyer for everything you need to know about this amazing week. RSVP for Bagels with Buddies and Family Fun Night along with volunteering for the teacher luncheon sign ups will be available in the January 17th Wednesday’s communication.
February Dine & Donate
HSA will host their next dine and donate on Thursday, February 22nd from 11:00am to 9:00pm at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza in Horsham. Mention you are there for the OLM dine and donate. 20% of your bill (excluding alcohol) will be donated back to the school.
Father/Daughter Dance - SAVE THE DATE!
Mark your calendars for the annual Father Daughter Dance. The event will take place on Friday, March 8th at Our Lady of Mercy. So get ready to parTAY on the dance floor! More details to follow soon.
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.
MLK Day of Service
Visit Saint Alphonsus Parish Monday, January 15th, in celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and dedication to charity by participating in one of our service opportunities! Stop in anytime between 10AM-12PM to help make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or breakfast bags for Saint Francis Inn, help assemble craft bags for Dresher Hill, or fill a casserole dish for Saint John’s Hospice. See more details by clicking this link!
January 28 Open House Lawn Sign
Help us kick off Catholic Schools Week with the best Open House event yet! We are looking for families that live on highly visible roads or neighborhoods or have a business to help promote the Open House on Sunday, January 28, 2024. You can pick up your sign at the main office or during morning car line drop off. If you need your sign delivered or need other arrangements to get your sign, please contact Julie Bebey. Signs will be ready to be displayed by January 10th. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Bebey@ jbebey@OLMrcs.com.
Please click here to sign up. https://forms.gle/zjwC2aKQPjMhMLY46
If your sign is in good shape after the open house, you can return it to OLM or contact Julie Bebey and she will arrange pick up. Thank you!
St. Alphonsus Blood Drive
Saint Alphonsus Parish is hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Friday, February 2nd in the Parish Hall! Each pint of blood we collect can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more. Click this link to schedule a donation time.
Schedule a Blood, Platelet or Plasma Donation | American Red Cross
Find the nearest Red Cross blood, platelet or plasma donation center. Make a difference in someone's life, give the gift of life.
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
All returning families will have their FACTS accounts charged the $300/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 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. The deadline to apply is February 29th. 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
1/15
Vincent Vacchiano
Craig Csenteri
1/16
Grace Womelsdorf
Cassidy Carroll
Eleanor Garbacz
Isabella Contreras
1/17
Lily Schaefer
1/18
Jaxson Carroll
Ella Pensabene
Altar Servers
Tuesday 1/16
Declan Doherty
Jack Powers
Wednesday 1/17
James McGeehan
Andrew McGeehan
Thursday 1/18
John Contorno
Mikey Contorno
Friday 1/19
Sean McErlean
Michael Puleo