Mercy Peek & Ponder by Mr. McGrath
Volume III Issue 22 Sunday, February 12, 2017
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
The fifth grade would like to thank the entire Our Lady of Mercy School community for all you did to make our annual Mini Thon a great success! With your help, we were able to raise $3,646.34 for the Four Diamonds Fund, which helps families facing the battle against pediatric cancer. Thank you to all of our parent volunteers and especially Mr. and Mrs. Mike Barrett for their help with our Mini Thon t-shirts. Thank you, OLM, for your amazing generosity and for helping to make a difference in the lives of those affected by pediatric cancer. Special thanks to Ms. Timlin, Mrs. DiNenno, and Ms. McGill.
Upcoming Events
February 14
Valentine's Day parties, 2PM
Merit Dress Down
February 15
Grade 1 Class Mass, 9AM
Merit Dress Down
Box Top Contest ends
Grade 2 Bake Sale during lunch to benefit Annual Giving Campaign
February 16
Grade 2 Bake Sale during lunch to benefit Annual Giving Campaign
February 17
Professional Development, No School for students
February 20
President's Day - No School
PEACEMAKERS FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2017
Our Peacemakers of the month help us to maintain and strengthen our OLM community. During the month of Janaury, students were asked to look to Saint Andre Bessette and work to be people who make prayer a habit.
Our Lady of Mercy School embraces the virtues of our faith and look to the saints for inspiration and guidance.
The following students have been chosen as Peacemakers of the month for January. They displayed a prayerful spirit each day at OLM. We offer them a big OLM CONGRATS!
Kindergarten
Billy Boland
Caroline Hunt
Charlotte Chiappa
1st Grade
Ben Bell
Nora Schmalbach
Christopher Gallo
2nd Grade
Faith Delaney
Jessica Fitzhenry
3rd Grade
Abby Rosenbaum
Meredith Bauer
4th Grade
Aurora Durkin
Emerson Selgrath
5th Grade
Mary Kate Rath
Mark Reilly
Joey Wisniewski
6th Grade
Edwin Garcia
Matthew Braccia
7th Grade
Ansley DiNicola
Patrick Fisher
8th Grade
Meg Waltrich
Melanie McGill
Gretchen Wolpert
Please help us congratulate the following students who won the Patriots' Pen Essay Contest: Paul J, Anna K., Celyn B., Amanda K., and Molly W. Great job!
Mission Collection for the Month of February
Our theme for this school year at OLM is “OLM is rooted in God and growing in Mercy”. Keeping this theme in mind our OLM community will be collecting donations throughout the school year. These donations will help to spread mercy on a larger scale. In this way we can help mercy to grow in the larger world community in addition to our own community at OLM. These mission collections will take place each Wednesday. Please encourage your child to bring donations regardless of how large or small the donations are. Every donation makes a positive difference in helping mercy to grow.
During the month of February we will be accepting donations for One Refugee Child. One Refugee Child raises funds to improve the day-to day lives of refugee children. They believe in pragmatism. They believe in simplicity. They believe in initiating specific projects that reflect changing needs and conditions on the ground. Most importantly, They believe in bringing comfort to children in crisis.
Small kindnesses. Targeted projects. Transparency in the donation process. Huge impact.
Collections Days: 02/15 & 02/22 and our DDD on 02/24.
BOX TOP NEWS
Box Tops Contest Ends on 2/15
Now is the time to send in any Box Tops that you may have been saving up. Our next contest ends on February 15th, and the winning class gets to choose cupcakes or donuts for their prize. All Box Tops submitted also count towards the year end class Pizza Party! You can find BoxTops on products such as Annie's, Hefty, Nature Valley, Mott's and General Mills cereal. A complete list can be found here: http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn Please email Eileen Wisniewski at edw1972@yahoo.com with any questions.
Reading Olympics 2017
There will be Reading Olympics meetings for elementary grades and middle school next Thursday, February 16 during lunch.
MERCY 5K - SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017
The 5th Annual Run is scheduled for Saturday March 25, 2017. Registration is now open. Register before February 6th for early bird pricing! The homeroom class with the highest percentage of participation will receive a prize. Post race food courtesy of Fireside Bar & Grill. Happy running!
Click here for all the information:
http://www.olmcatholicschool.com/runformercy.html
A Shout-Out to our Students Runners:
This year, the classroom with the highest percent participation in the 5K will win Rita’s Water Ice - date to be set with teacher of the winning classroom.
Also, 5K age groups have changed to give our younger runners an opportunity to win prizes. New age groups: 9 and under - top 3 boys and girls
10-14 year olds - top 3 boys and girls
Our Virtue of the Month of February is Generosity.
Pope Francis says, "Christians know how to give. Their lives are filled with generous acts - often hidden - towards their neighbor."
The highest gift we can give to another is the gift of ourselves. Giving ourselves in this way epitomizes the virtue of generosity. The perfect example of generosity is God the Creator. By means of His generosity, He generated man in His image. For Christians, God's gift of Himself through Christ represents the ultimate form of generosity, and serves as a model for all human generosity.
Because God creates -- or generates -- man in His image out of His own generosity, a dynamic impulse toward generosity is implanted in the depth of man's being. As a consequence, to live authentically means to give generously. Personality and generosity, therefore, are virtually synonymous. To live authentically is to give generously of oneself. The great Thomistic philosopher, Jacques Maritain, underscored this unification of personality with generosity when he wrote: "Do not heroes and saints impress us as men who have reached the heights of personality as well as generosity?"
What are the limits of generosity? Since virtue is rooted in love, this question is tantamount to asking, "What are the limits of love?"
St. Bakhita will be our model.
Prayer to St. Bakhita
Loving God, rewarder of the humble, you blessed St. Josephine Bakhita with charity and patience. May her prayers help us, and her example inspire us to carry our cross and to love you always. Pour upon us the spirit of wisdom and love with which you filled St. Josephine Bakhita.
By serving you as she did, may we please you by our faith and our actions. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Students will be recognized at the School Liturgy on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 10:30AM.
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. ALL applications are due on or before 03/31/2017.
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.
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-february1
Birthday Blessings this Week!
Sunday, 02/12
Cole Cubbin
Monday, 02/13
Tuesday, 02/14
Wednesday, 02/15
Thursday, 02/16
Maribeth Flanagan
Caitlin Hart
Adam Spera
Friday, 02/17
Alicia Torres
Aidan Peyton
Saturday, 02/18
ALTAR SERVICE THIS WEEK 9AM
Tuesday: Elena Franklin
Wednesday: Andrew Boles
Thursday: Tim Barrett
Friday: JP Romano