Th ank - Our Lady of Grace School

March 2015
O
L
G
Published by Our Lady of Grace Home & School Association
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The year is moving so quickly and I am sure we will all be ready for
Spring to arrive! On March 12th, the students will receive their report
cards online. Please let us know through [email protected] if you are
experiencing any problems. We will be more than happy to help!
An in-service day was scheduled on March 16th. Due to the snow
day in January, the students will be in school that day to make up for the
snow day. I will let you know when we will make up the February 17th snow
day in my next month’s letter.
Terra Nova tests will be administered to 1st through 7th Grades from
Monday, March 23rd until Friday, March 27th. The In-View portion of
the test will be given to 3rd through 7th Grade students on Friday, March
20th. During these days, we ask that the children get a good night sleep,
eat a healthy breakfast, and be prepared for the test with #2 sharpened
pencils.
Each month, various safety drills are conducted at OLG so the
children are familiar with them. Since we practice these tests, we are
hoping it would reduce the anxiety and fear for the children. We also
have had cameras installed in both parking lots and in the halls of the
school to help increase security in our building. I would like to thank the
Home & School Association for providing the funds for this request to
happen.
In closing, I hope you have a wonderful month as we welcome Spring.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
God Bless You,
Mrs. Denise Lewis
Important Dates
Monday, March 2nd
reconciliation - Room 2
Church - 7:00pm
Friday, march 6th
First Friday Mass - 9:00am
Student Council Dance
7:00 - 9:30pm - OLG GYM
thursday, march 12th
Report cards
friday, march 13th
Wacky day - dress down
friday, march 20th
In-View Testing
Grades 3 - 7
march 23rd - 27th
Terra Nova Testing
GRades 1 - 7
thursday, march 26th
box tops due
friday, march 27th
School Play
7:30pm
saturday, march 28th
School Play
11:00am & 7:30pm
Thank
You
Just a quick note of thanks to all those who came out to support our most recent OLG fundraisers.
The Adult Bowling Night in February was a great success and good fun. Congrats to Tom & Maria Miller for
winning the Tuition Raffle, and to Brian & Sue Smiley for winning the 50/50 raffle. A special Thank You to
the Smiley Family for their generous donation.
We would also like to thank those of you who participated in our Family Bingo Night. Congrats to
Tom & Karen Seger for winning the 50/50 raffle, and for their generous donation. Your support of OLG is
greatly appreciated.
Also, congrats to the following children for winning the Grand Prize at Bingo of lunch with Father Bob
or Mrs. Lewis. Lunch with Father Bob: Tyler Stewart and Lucy Denaro (Rm. 3), Gabby Andujar and Molly
Seger (Rm. 6), and Daniel Selnick (Rm. 15). Lunch with Mrs. Lewis: Ava Herrman, Sarah Ganzel, and Juliana
Carragher (Rm. 13), Angelina Andujar (Rm. 4), and Shannon Fountain (Rm. 5).
Students of
Grace
Month of january
Virtue is reliable
Caitlyn Breece
Clare Conaway
Evelina Schaaf
Ryan Seger
Alyson Beck
Nicole Wiser
Ryan McDonough
Gina Stewart
Liam Decapio
Olivia Headley
Zachary Gutherman
Michael Quaglia
congratulations
keep up the good work!
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
You may have heard Mrs. Lewis, teachers, or even your own children
discussing Middle States. The discussion may have been lively and upbeat,
or it may have been focused around the tremendous amount of work that
is put forth for this project. What is Middle States? Below are a few of the
most commonly asked questions (and answers) for this process that Our
Lady of Grace is undertaking.
Who are Middle States and what do they do?
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a
voluntary, peer-based association which is dedicated to excellence and
improvement of public and private schools in the elementary through
collegiate/university systems in the United States. It is one of the six
regional accrediting organizations that are recognized by the United
States Department of Education. Its purpose is to provide educational
accreditation to public and private schools in the Mid-Atlantic region
including Delaware, the District of Colombia, Maryland, New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What is “accreditation”?
In order for the United States Department of Education to ensure
quality instruction and accountability for all of the students within its
jurisdiction, approved accrediting agencies, such as Middle States,
have been designated to ensure that schools are in compliance. During
the fall of 2015, a visiting team of educators will visit Our Lady of Grace
School. They will observe and evaluate if Our Lady of Grace School
utilizes its mission, beliefs, and goals to drive daily and long-term decision
making. If their findings render that we are in compliance with the goals
and philosophy of the Middle States Association, and that we seek
excellence in our educational practices, the visiting team will make a positive
recommendation to the Middle States Association to reaccredit Our Lady
of Grace School. This distinction is looked on quite favorably and reflects
a distinction of which not every elementary school can boast.
How will it impact the students and Parents?
Prior to the visit, Mrs. Lewis and the Steering Committee will submit
lengthy documentation to provide evidence of our mission, beliefs and
goals, and how our daily and long-term goals are consistent with that
philosophy. During the visit, the team will observe in every classroom, meet
with randomly selected students and parents, as well as, Father Dooner,
Mrs. Lewis, and the teachers to discuss the mission and philosophy of
the school. You may be asked about the Mission of Our Lady of Grace
School, or about why you choose to send your child here. The visiting
team is just seeking to ensure that we are following the mission and
philosophy to which we attest. If you are approached by a visiting team
member, just answer the questions that they may ask you thoughtfully
and honestly. We all know that OLG is a great school, and once we attain
the reaccreditation status, we can proudly proclaim it to everyone!
March 2015
"Teaching God’s Gift of Forgiveness"
“Dumbledore says people find it far easier to
forgive others for being wrong than being right.”
- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Home & School Board Members
2014/2015 School Year
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Special Events
Faculty Assistant
Fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising
Membership
Programs
Gracevine
Mary Jo Holden
Dianna McDonough
Diane Lisowski
Kelly Goodwin
Sandra Saletnik
Susan Gesualdi
Krista Andujar
Bernadette Davis
Stacy Hofmann
Alicia Carolan
Maren Winkis
Jessica Phinn
Congratulations to Layla
Bowman and Allison Kowalchik
(Grade 5) for representing
our school as members of
the Archdiocese Elementary
Festival Chorus. The concert
will be held Wednesday, March
4th, at Archbishop Ryan High
School at 7:00pm, and will
be conducted by Dr. Brad
Olesen from West Chester University. We know you will
represent our school with pride.
On Sunday, March 22nd, Angela Gesualdi, Stephanie
McBeth (Grade 7), and Madison Buchinski (Grade 8) will
participate in the Archdiocese Honors Chorus. This group
is only 7th and 8th Grade students who auditioned to be
part of this group. Mrs. Judy Shapanski, who retired from
Archbishop Carroll High School, will direct the group, and
our very own, Mrs. Catherine Galie will be the accompanist.
The concert is at 4:30pm at Archbishop Ryan High
School.
Friday, March 27th
@7:30pm
Saturday March 28th
@11:00am & 7:30pm
OLG is getting ready to present
“The Wizard of Oz” on March 27th
and 28th in Our Lady of Grace School
Gymnasium. Please look for a ticket
order form in the March communication
envelope.
Just a reminder, please visit the
OLG Web Site prior to calling
the school office. Most of your
questions can be answered there.
Thank you!
TRENTON THUNDER game for OLG will be on
Friday, May 29th at 7:00pm. Many of our choir
members will sing the “National Anthem” and “Take
Me Out to the Ballgame.” It is always a great, fun,
family evening. Ticket forms will be in the March
communication envelope, and need to be returned
by the end of April. At this time, fireworks are
scheduled for that evening.
January 22, 2015 marked the forty-second anniversary of
the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized
abortion. Every year, thousands of Catholics from the
Philadelphia archdiocese participate in the March for Life
in Washington, D.C. This march consists of a rally near the
Washington Monument which then continues past Capitol
Hill and ends near the Supreme Court building. We had a
representation of eighth grade students participate in this
march this year, along with parents, teachers, and OLG
parishioners.
“The March was an experience I will never forget. I want to
join this March every year to fight this horrible event from
happening every day. The March was filled with many people
that are passionate to end this tragedy.”
- Michael Q.
Here are some reflections from these 8th Graders:
“At the March for Life, I realized that abortion should never
have become legal. Who would pass a law that doesn’t give
babies a chance at life?”
- Andrew B.
“The different stories I heard at the March made me realize
that we have to be the voice of those who can’t speak.
Women should give birth to the baby, and give it up for
adoption if they don’t feel they are ready to be a mother or
they simply do not want a child.”
- Patrick M.
“I heard stories of others experiences with abortion. Their
stories opened my eyes to how severe abortion really is.
This memory will stay with me forever and I will always be
fighting for pro-life because of this event.”
- Clayton M.
“While we marched, I felt the unity between me and other
Catholics. However, the most emotional part of the day
was when we listened to the speeches of people who had
previously aborted or were affected by abortion.....was left
with an experience that I will never forget.”
- Cole M.
“All these people, tens of thousands, were marching for one
thing. They wanted to stop abortion. The March for Life
was a truly humbling experience.”
- Alex B.
“Before the March for Life, I never really thought about
the aborting itself; I just knew that the baby was being
killed. Now, I see that abortion is much more vicious than I
thought.”
- Elizabeth E.
“We do not have any right to end someone’s life. Only God
decides when to end someone’s life, even if it is a baby.”
- Sophia S.
“The March was a thing all on its own. There were so many
people that all came together for the same cause. It was an
event that symbolized unity and how many people want a
change for the better.”
- Alexis V.
If you have any information/news
that you would like to be considered
for inclusion in this newsletter,
please submit the information to
Jessica Phinn at jsiesser27@hotmail.
com. Please reference “Grace Vine”
in the subject line. Items may be
lightly edited for grammatical errors
or spacing issues. Thank you!
Upcoming Fundraisers
March 2015
Our Lady of grace
Delivery will be on Friday, March
20th. Pick up your orders that day
until 6:00pm in the OLG Cafeteria.
Thanks for supporting our school!
sponsored by OLG
Home & School Association
instructors
Connie Mager, Eva cornish, Brenna Bajor & Jodie Kennedy
sunday, march 22, 2015
1:00pm until 2:30pm
OLG Gymnasium
$12 in advAnce ~ $15 at the door
Last month you should have received a flyer
regarding the Yankee Candle Fundraiser for OLG
sponsored by the Home & School Association.
All you need to do is go to http://www.
yankeecandlefundraising.com. Please use OLG
Group #99578803 so that our school will get credit
for the sale. Any questions, please contact Krista
Andujar at [email protected].
50/50 Raffle will also be sold
If interested, please send in your name, contact number,
number of tickets your are requesting, and oldest child’s
name and room number in an envelope marked “H&S Zumba
Event”, along with a check made payable to Our Lady of
Grace Home & School Association. Any questions, please
contact Krista Andujar at [email protected].
Lucky
Draw
Lottery
Please make sure that you have re-registered (or
register for the first time) for Giant’s A+ School Rewards
Program.
Just log on to the website http://www.
giantfoodstores.com/aplus. Once there you will register
using your BONUS CARD number and by choosing Our
Lady of Grace School. Through the A+ School Rewards
Program, parents and supporters who have registered can
help simply by shopping at any Giant store. This money can
be used to purchase various items for the school. Program
dates run from October 2014 through March 2015. Register
today!!! (School ID#03761)
The Lucky Draw Lottery resumed in September.
Envelopes have been included in the Church envelopes.
Please use a separate check made payable to “OLG Home
& School Association” for these tickets. Each ticket has
two separate three-digit numbers, so watch the evening
Daily Number drawing to see if you are a winner. Daily
winner prize is $50, and the last day of the month gives you
a chance to win $200. Winners are mailed a check at the end
of the month. Tickets are $10 each, and may be purchased
after the 5:15pm Mass on Saturday or the 10:00am Mass on
Sunday. You may also just use the envelope provided for
the Mass collection.
Upcoming Fundraisers,
continued
news
Each month your child will be given a collection
sheet for Box Tops for Education. Please place 10
Box Tops on the sheet and send it back to school
by the designated due date. Every class that has
75% participation for three consecutive months will
be given a treat. The following classes have reached
75% participation for the month of January:
Rm 49 - Miss ackler
Rm. 29 - Miss Keller
Rm 39 - Mrs Barossi
Rm 11 - Mrs. Ramagli
Rm 2 - Mrs. Donlin
Rm 3 - Mrs. Murphy
Rm. 13 - Mrs. Konen
Rm 4 - Mrs. Alessi
Rm 5 - Miss McAnany
Rm 17 - Mrs. McGuckin
Rm 18 - Mrs Carver
Please make sure that the Box Tops you send in are
not expired. Also, please do not put any more than
10 Box Tops on a sheet. If you have less than 10 in a
month, please send them into school.
In order to participate in the “Labels for Education”
Program, all you need to do is save and send in the “Labels
for Education” UPC found on select products and bottle
caps. Some of the products are BIC, Campbells, Danimals,
Emerald, Pace, Pepperidge Farms, Pop Secret, Post, Prego,
Spaghettios, Swanson, and V8. Points will be accrued,
and Our Lady of Grace School will then be able to obtain
equipment, supplies, and other educational items.
Since these are brands that most of us have come to
love, we can all benefit from your participation. Please help
us and send those labels into school to the attention of Mrs.
Galie. Our NJHS members will be helping to organize the
labels for submission. This is in addition to the Box Tops
promotion that we are continuing, so please continue to
send those in as well.
This program is similar to the old Campbell Soup labels,
however it now includes more products. Let’s make this
another great way to help our students acquire those extra
educational items. Thank you for your continued support.
Catherine Galie
NJHS Moderator for
Our Lady of Grace School
Keep sending in your labels. Please remember to
include the points value as well as the UPC code.
OLG is now participating in Redner’s “Save-a-Tape”
Program. Please send your Redner’s receipts in to school,
and we will submit to Redner’s for cash back rewards.
Please only submit receipts for groceries purchased using
a “Redner’s Pump Perks/Save-a-Tape” card. If you do not
have a card, you can either request one at the Redner’s
customer service desk or email the OLG Home & School
Assn at [email protected] and we will send you one.
Redner’s does not require any paperwork for their store
card. We look forward to your participation!
Brown
Family
Shoprite Receipts
If you have been collecting receipts from ShopRite, please
consider sending them into school. Please keep in mind that
we can only submit receipts from Brown Family Shoprite
stores (locally in Bensalem and Fairless Hills), and all
receipts must be less than five months old. Thank you for
your participation!
Please consider bringing your recycled paper goods to OLG and placing them in the yellow and
green bins in the rear of the school parking lot. OLG earns extra funds per ton of paper waste.
Items to consider are newspapers and inserts, magazines/catalogs, office and school papers, mail,
and shredded paper documents. Please bag the shredded material prior to placing them in the
bin. Let’s earn money while helping the environment!
March 2015
Medical Tid Bits
From the Desk of Colleen McIlhenny, rn, bsn, M.Ed
School Nurse at Our Lady of Grace
ATTENTION OLG FAMILIES!
Swap Shop
Uniform/Swap Shop Information
can be found on the OLG website
(http://www.olgschoolpenndel.org).
Just click on the link on the left-hand
side of the home page. This Uniform/
Swap Shop page of the website
includes information on the OLG Fall,
Winter, and Spring uniforms for boys
and girls. At the top of the page
there is a link to the Swap Shop form.
Simply fill out the form and send it in
to school with your child. The items
you chose will be sent back to you via
your child, or you will be contacted to
pick them up if it is a large order.
The OLG Swap Shop has an
assortment of inventory, and we
will do our best to fill your orders.
Please consider checking us out for
free, gently-used uniforms before
purchasing new items. Unfortunately,
we are unable to allow parents to come
in and browse the Swap Shop. Please
use the form on the OLG website to
request items, and we will be happy
to fill your order. Orders are normally
filled and returned within one week.
Scrip
For your convenience, SCRIP orders
will once again be filled this year
through school. Click on the “OLG
SCRIP News” link on the OLG website
for more details about the program,
and which day orders will be filled this
year. Start today and save money on
tuition!