November 17th Newsletter

November 17, 2016

Dear OLG Families,
Advent
As we prepare to enter the Advent season later this month, we invite all OLG school families to join in a new experience with us – family reflections. Each week we will send out a short Advent prayer to do as a family. Ideally, these prayers would happen around an Advent wreath so you can light the candles (Christ’s light) each week. These prayers are very similar to the ones we will be doing in school each Monday morning. Every Monday, the school gathers together to light the Advent wreath and reflect on ways we can prepare our hearts for Christ to be born anew on Christmas. Each week you will be asked to think of one thing you can do, as a family, to “get your hearts ready” for Christmas. We hope you will join us by using these reflections in your own home this year.  We hope they will help your family prepare your hearts for Jesus’ birth, as well as provide a connection with our OLG community during this season of light.
Bake Sale for WestSide Baby
Come support the Preschool, Pre-K and 3rd grade service project at the Bake Sale for WestSide Baby this Sunday, Nov. 20th from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm in the Walmesley Center. You can shop at the CRS Fair Trade Sale at the same time!
Family Math Night
Many thanks to Lisa Booth and our wonderful middle school students, as well as the team of parent volunteers who made the evening a success! Not only did students learn some fun and challenging math games, they engaged in great cross-grade level and intergenerational conversations about math. If anyone is interested in helping to organize a school-wide Literacy Night, let me know!
Loop the Lupe
Please take this survey to help the planning team for our Loop the Lupe fun run on June 4th, 2017.
After-school Tutoring

We got started this week with our After-school Tutoring Program, with our newly trained and awesome 6th grade tutors working with 1st books-apple-sm.jpg graders. We’ll be growing the program over the next couple of weeks. If you’re interested in helping – either as an adult tutor or a classroom supervisor, please contact Heather Owens. Thanks, Heather, for getting this year’s program off to a great start!

Coffee and Donuts 
Thanks to Deirdre O’Day and the 7th grade class for Nov. Coffee and Donuts last weekend!
CYO Italian Dinner – Thank You!
Thank you from the CYO Board to everyone who made this year’s Ciao Down Italian Dinner a BIG success!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us! 

Fourth Grade 
Veteran’s Day 
In fourth grade we focus our service towards appreciating veterans and those who serve our country through the military and reserves.  I was so proud of our fourth grade leading OLG’s Veteran’s Day Assembly last Thursday. Special thanks to all our OLG families who are Veterans and who serve our country.  Thanks, also to Kristina Udall and Kristi Edwards for being our Service Project Parents and for inviting Dr. Trapp to be our guest speaker. Choir and Chorus sang beautifully.  Fourth graders read with confidence and shared their own personal reflections. Cub Scouts and Camp Fire participants treated the flag with reverence.  We prayed well.  There’s something about hearing hundreds of child

ren’s voices saying the Pledge of Allegiance together, with such fluency that you know it is part of their daily routine.  The entire assembly was a blessing.
In the months ahead small groups of fourth graders will head to the long-term care wing of our VA hospital to deliver cards and interact with Vets through BINGO.  These brief afternoon field trips are face-to-face opportunities to appreciate those who have served our nation. Fourth graders and I will discuss what I call the ministry of being present:  simply sitting with someone, hearing their words, offering conversation and sharing a task.
Last month fourth graders entered our local VFW essay contest and wrote on the theme:  “Why men and women who serve in the military are special.”  You can read excerpts from their entries on the OLG fourth grade homepage.

Parent Org Chair 
mini-pizza-spatula.jpg
 
Pizza Fridays!
Pizza Fridays will continue in December, on the 2nd and 9th. Order online here!

Contact Jennifer Dempsey with questions or to volunteer to help!

Volunteers Needed for Light Up the Night (December 2nd)!
Please contact Minerva Del Rosario  or  Yen Del Rosario if you’re able to volunteer for the following positions:

Stringing lights!

Posting flyers throughout West Seattle and beyond at various locations (libraries, cafes, grocery stores, community centers, other schools, etc)
Passing out candy canes after Mass – November 26 & 27
Need families after the following masses to pass out candy canes.
·         Saturday Nov 26th after 5:30 mass
·         Sunday Nov 27th after 8:30 mass
·         Sunday, Nov 27th after 11:00 mass
Cookie Donations
Please donate 2 dozen or more cookies for the night of the event. No nuts, please. 2 dozen cookies or more earns 1 hour of commitment hours. Drop cookies at the school office on Friday, December 2nd.
Night of the Event Friday December 2nd:
Gym set up (6:10-7:00 pm)
Need 10 volunteers to organize cookie donations, set up arts and crafts area and assist Knights of Columbus to set up tables and chairs at the gym. Bring wooden sleigh to the gym.
Arts and Crafts (7:45-9:45 pm)
Need 15 volunteers to assist children with crafts
Must be up to date on Safe Environment training and background check
Recycling Managers (7:45- 9:45 pm)
2 Recycling Managers the night of the event. This is to ensure everyone is putting things where they’re supposed to go (i.e. recycling, trash and compost).
Clean up (9:30-10:30 pm)
Need 10 volunteers to:

Put up away chairs and tables

Dry sweep and spot clean gym floor
Help the Knights of Columbus put away left over cookies if any
May need to help St. Vincent de Paul people to load up canned goods donations onto their vehicle.
Help put away sleigh and other boxes/containers
February 25, 2017
Brockey Center, South Seattle College
 
AUCTION DONATION FORMS ARE DUE IN 2 WEEKS!
DUE DATE – DECEMBER 2nd!
  • The first class with 100% family donation participation wins the ice cream sundae party! Don’t delay; fill out your auction donation form today.
  • We need volunteers at drop-off and pick-up on 11/30, 12/1 & 12/2 to collect forms and auction items in the parking lots.
  • Questions? Need ideas? Contact Fabiola or Laura.
Apparel and Gear and Uniform Sale Update
OLG Apparel and Gear and Uniform Sweatshirts and Vests from the Oct. 21st order are currently scheduled to arrive next week. Orders are now being accepted for the Dec. 2nd deadline for delivery before Christmas break! Order OLG Gear here! (paper copies only this time)
Scrip
Information about Scrip went home in today’s FCE. This is a great way to support OLG School through purchases that you are already making.


Upcoming Parent Org Events:

Light Up the Night – Dec. 2nd 7:00 pm
Parent Org Meeting – Dec. 13th 6:30 pm

Auction Committee Meeting – Dec. 14th 6:30 pm

Parent Org Meeting – Jan. 10th 6:30 pm
Auction Committee Meeting – Jan. 11th 6:30 pm
Trivia Night – Jan. 14th 5:00 pm

Physical Education

PE News

Basketball continues in Pre-K through 2nd grade. Pre-K and K have been working on bouncing the ball and dribbling, standing in one place and dribbling for 8 to 10 times without moving or missing, alternating hands while bouncing the ball, and trying bounce passes with partners. They also get some free time to practice their tricks and to shoot baskets. We also throw the ball overhead down the gym to throw as far as we can and we get our kicks rolling it as far as we can too.
Grades 2 through 8 have done the Pacer test at least twice. This is an easier fitness test than the mile and students seem to try to keep running as long as they can. It is good measure of cardiovascular endurance. The test involves running between two lines 20 m apart. The run is done with an audio recording, using beeps to determine a lap. The test structured into 21 levels, each level decreasing in length of time between laps making each level more challenging. Test ends when the student doesn’t keep in time with the sync of the audio. Beginning speed is 8.5km/h (~5.5mph) and increases by 0.5km/h by each level. Every class has groaned upon hearing that they would be doing the Pacer, but at the end they wanted to know if they could do it again. We have great runners at this school!
We have started some flexibility/agility activities in most classes. Students are learning a tri-pod, the beginning of a headstand. Headstands require body awareness, strength of arms and core, balance and endurance. I give the reminder to make sure they ask permission to practice at home, not on a bare floor, with padding for the head and plenty of room. They are also working on bridge-ups, the beginning of a backbend, and cartwheels. Again I give safety rules to practicing outside of P.E. classes. They will also be working on several other balance strength exercises. A few challenges to the body!
As we move through the last few weeks of 2016, we will do our fun holiday themed games and work off that excitement that invades us at this time.
Wishing you a HappyThanksgiving!

 
Pastoral Associate
Shoeboxes of Joy are Due Next Weekend!  
It is that time of year when we create “Shoeboxes of Joy” for the variety of people served by CCS Volunteer Chore Services.  You can find the complete list on our parish website or in the pamphlet rack in the back of church.  There are also empty wrapped shoeboxes available for adoption in our vestibule.  Bring your donations in a shoebox that is wrapped with Christmas paper to Mass next weekend!   They will be blessed by Fr. Jack at the 11:00 Mass. CCS tells us that OLG donates the most shoe boxes; let’s keep that going again this year!
For information, contact Helen Oesterle, (206) 935-0358.

Volunteers Needed for OLG Feast Day Fiesta  

Volunteers are needed to work with our Knights of Columbus in hosting our Feast Day Fiesta.  Set up is from 10:30 – 11:00 am.  Then everyone can go to the 11:00 Feast Day Mass celebration.  Volunteers will then help with serving people, restocking the tables, and clean-up.  The time commitment will be from 12:15 – 3:00 pm.  Students are also welcome to help, so it is a great way to get commitment hours and serve together as a family.  If interested, contact Helen, (206) 935-0358

Pastoral Care 
Living Well, Dying Well: Starting the Conversation
OLG is partnering with Providence Mount St. Vincent, hosting a workshop entitled: Living Well, Dying Well: Starting the Conversation.  We have a dynamic keynote speaker, Donna Oiland.  This topic is for all generations, as we begin to care for our aging parents, as well as having this conversation with our own families.
Saturday, November 19th
9:00 a.m. – Gathering & refreshments
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Program
Providence Mount St. Vincent
4831 35th Ave SW, West Seattle
Second Floor Assisted Living Lounge
All are Welcome!
* Refreshments
* $5 donation suggested
Through experiencing the death of friends and loved ones, many discover the deep reality that we only have the present to live in. We make changes and begin shifting priorities. Relationships are valued more than tangible things and an effort to put our affairs in order takes on a higher priority.
Join us to explore the questions of what is needed for each of us, to be fully open to the joys and fullness of life.

 
Pastoral Assistant for Outreach
Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Sale
OLG’s annual Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Sale is on Sunday, November 20th from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm in the Walmesley Center. Why shop Fair Trade? We live in an era of unprecedented economic interdependence. The decisions we make about what we buy affect the lives of people we may never meet. Fair Trade seeks to change the ways in which conventional trade often leaves behind the most vulnerable people. By buying Fair Trade, you support the efforts of skilled farmers and artisans who are working to break the cycle of poverty and build stronger communities.  Join us to intentionally use your purchasing power to support Fair Trade efforts around the globe. At the sale, you’ll find unique gift items, including chocolates, Advent calendars, nativities, crosses, jewelry, holiday and home décor, scarves, ornaments, baskets, and much more.  In addition to Fair Trade items, you’ll find: holiday cards from Noel House (a Catholic Community Services shelter for homeless women), knitted goods from the Young Ladies’ Institute, tasty treats sold by the Pre-K and 3rd grade classes to benefit Westside Baby, Tanzanian rosaries and batiks items from Maryknoll, and a new vendor…Catholic Balm (beard and lip balms, lotion bars)!  Our goods sell fast so be sure to come early for the best shopping!  While you browse, be sure to sample free Fair Trade coffee provided by Pura Vida.  Proceeds go to Catholic Relief Services and OLG’s efforts to bring Fair Trade coffee and tea to our events.  Information: Jennifer (206) 935-0358 ext. 120

Click here to learn more about CYO sports at OLG!
Thank you for helping to make our Ciao Down Italian Dinner a success!
CONTENTS

Important Info May 2012

 

Bake Sale for Westside Baby
Pre-K and 3rd grade
Sunday, Nov. 20th
Walmesley Center
9:30 am – 1:00 pm
Stock up on goodies while shopping at the OLG Parish Fair Trade Sale
Over 65 Dinner 
5th grade
Sunday, Nov. 20th
School Hall
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Vision & Hearing Screenings
Monday, Nov. 21st
Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 5 & 7
Noon Dismissal for Thanksgiving break
Wednesday, Nov. 23rd
NO School
Thanksgiving 
Thursday, Nov. 24th
Friday, Nov. 25th
All-School Mass
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration
Student Council & K
Wednesday, Dec. 14th
9:00 am
Auction Committee Meeting
Wednesday, Dec. 14th
6:30 – 7:30
Math Lab
NOON Dismissal for Christmas break
Friday, Dec. 16th
First Day back in 2017
Tuesday, Jan. 3rd
Auction Committee Meeting

Wednesday, Dec. 14th

6:30 – 7:30 pm
Math Lab
Auction Committee Meeting

Wednesday, Jan. 11th

6:30 – 7:30 pm
Math Lab
Trivia Night
Saturday, Jan. 14th
5:00 pm
Walmesley Center
Auction Committee Meeting

Wednesday, Feb. 8th

6:30 – 7:30 pm
Math Lab

For all of those in our hearts who are sick or have passed away; may they experience God’s great love