Mercy Messenger
Issue 7~ Sunday, October 8 , 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
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Principal Update
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Good Morning,
As we move into the second week of October we remember that October is the month dedicated to the Holy Rosary. This past Tuesday the OLM community went to Church and prayed the Rosary together. Each class brought a special intention box with them and placed it on the altar. On Friday we went back to Church to celebrate first Friday Mass. At that time we awarded our peacemakers of the month. The virtue of the month for September was respect. Our commissioner of religious activities Emery Lewinski got up and spoke about our next virtue which is responsibility. Please do your best at home to talk about and model this important virtue throughout the month of October.
I would like to say a special thank you to all that came out and supported the OLM golf outing on Monday, October 2nd. It was a fantastic day for golfing and we had 107 golfers. Thank you so much for your support of OLM and its future. Thank you also to Mrs. Julie Bebey, Mrs. Lindsay Clark and Mr. Joe McNulty for all of their efforts in making this event such a huge success.
I will be out of the school building from 10/11-10/13 at an Archdiocese of Philadelphia principals conference. I will still be checking and answering emails, however if you have an immediate need or concern please contact our Assistant Principal Mrs. Caroline Maher. I hope everyone has a great upcoming week. Go Phillies and go Eagles.
In mercy,
Mr. Bill Delaney
Peacemaker for the month of September (Respect)
Pre K
Reagan Stumpf
Kindergarten
Nash Reinhart
Marie Muller
Quinn Kelly
1st Grade
Paisley Peterson
Emily Gabriel
Charleigh Jett
2nd Grade
Danny Butler
Leo Moser
Everly Raie
3rd Grade
Monica Root
Esme Majernik
4th Grade
Christopher Henry
Michael McGettigan
Paddy Carroll
5th Grade
Abby Klein
Thomas Hungerford
6th Grade
Conor Lane
Hadley Long
7th Grade
Christopher Miller
Sophia Ackerman
8th Grade
Caroline Sellers
Benjamin Bell
Prayer Request
On October 3rd Herbert Campbell, the father of Ms. Dorothy Hogan our second grade teacher passed away. Please keep Ms. Hogan and her family in your prayers.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
Middle State Accreditation
This November 27 - 30, 2023 Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools will visit OLM. The visit culminates 18 months of self study and reflection by the OLM school community.
The first task of the school was to reflect on the mission of the school. The mission of an institution should be a clear statement of why the institution exists now and in the ensuing years. This statement is organic and helps the school set goals for the future. Mr. Delaney begins each Mercy Messager with the Mission Statement of OLM. Take a moment to read this statement, reflect on it and affirm your commitment to it.
Update from Mrs. Caroline Maher- Assistant Principal
Mr. Delaney and I would like the parents/guardians of our middle school students to be aware that there is a central location where you can access your child’s homework. Please determine your child’s team- A, B, C, D, E, or F, and click on the grade and the team. It will take you to the homework posted by your child’s teachers.
Thank you.
Mrs. Maher
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
10/13- Tennis Club
10/17- Tennis Club
10/18- Bake sale (ski club fundraiser)
10/19- Bake sale (ski club fundraiser)
10/19- Conferences 3pm-6pm
10/20- No school for students- Conferences 8am-12pm.
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
Did you know that one out of five students experience bullying? Bullying is purposeful mean or aggressive behavior among children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. These are some simple tips on how to approach a bullying situation with your child.
• Encourage them to be calm
• Be supportive
• Listen to them without judgment
• Let them know that you are there for them and want to help
• Discuss their ideas on how they want to handle the situation, such as:
Tell the bully to stop
Say nothing or walk away…. Take the bully’s power away.
Tell an adult they trust
Delete social media apps where they have been bullied
Don’t respond to bullying messages online
Spend time with friends that make them feel good
• Make a plan for next steps
• Identify others who may be able to help, such as a teacher, counselor or principal
Bullying often takes place outside the view of adults. In order for students to feel equipped to take action, it is important to empower them as advocates for themselves and others. Together, we can make a difference.
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
High School Information
Bear Creek Season Pass Raffle - October 1st - October 13th
Enter to win a Bear Creek Season Pass (value $479.00), Buckmans Gift Card (value $100.00), and more. Chances are 1 for $10.00 or 6 for $50.00. All proceeds support the OLM Middle School Ski & Board Club to help with the cost of busing. Your support is greatly appreciated. Please see the attached flyer for more details and use the link provided to enter the raffle. https://forms.gle/dg6HB7Xy4e51g5u4A
October Dine & Donate - October 19th
Please consider taking part in the Home & School Dine and Donate. We will receive 20% of the proceeds when you say you are there for our Dine & Donate. The money raised helps support programs for the students and teachers.
General School Meeting & Guest Speaker - October 26th, 7pm OLM Cafeteria
HSA invites you as we have a guest speaker, Kristin McGarvey, who will be speaking on how to help your kids navigate the crazy world of social media and gaming safely. She will also help with gaining a roadmap, tools, and tips on how to protect your child(ren). Registration is not required but to Register for the event please complete the form: https://forms.gle/gbtiWbwisvM1HnP67xt.
Trunk or Treat - Sunday, October 29th
HSA’s annual Trunk or Treat will return to the OLM parking lot on Sunday, October 29th, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm! More details and registration will be published soon!
Calling all Middle School Students!
Ski & Snowboard Club Interest Survey: Responses are due TOMORROW!
Please review the Wednesday Communication regarding dates and additional information for the OLM MIDDLE SCHOOL 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)
Ski & Board Monday Pretzel Sales: CLOSED
The pretzel sales have closed. If you chose FACTS as the payment option you will see the charges shortly on your account. Please make sure you have the “incidental expense” on automatic in your FACTS account so that you may be charged. Your account will be charged on or around October 19th. Should you have any questions please reach out to Jen Penna via email: Jennypenna1029@gmail.com.
SAVE THE DATE - Adult Social
The Adult social will be held on Friday, November 17th. If you would like to help with this event please email HSA@olmrcs.com. More information to follow in the coming weeks.
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.
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 with 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
ALL uniform rules will be enforced starting this week. 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
October 8th
Liam Butler
Nicholas Ackerman
October 12th
Dr. Garcia
Mrs. Parkhill
Altar Servers
Tuesday 10/10
Lily Samson
Annaliese Amoroso
Wednesday 10/11
Ryan Duffy
Henry Lemanowicz
Thursday 10/12
Sean Morris
Thomas Hungerford
Friday10/13
Cassidy Carroll
Jaxson Carroll