"Our Lady of Guadalupe School fosters Gospel values, inspires academic excellence, and develops service and leadership. We face this as a sacramental community united and empowered by the Holy Spirit."
October 8th Newsletter
October 8, 2015
Dear OLG Families,
Last Friday evening, I had the opportunity to attend a concert that was part of a weekend conference put on by the Church Council of Greater Seattle. The performer was Carrie Newcomer, a Quaker folk singer. Her music was lovely and wise, and she also shared some of her poetry. One poem seemed particularly apropos at this time of the year, which always seems so full of new and exciting opportunities. Without discernment and intentionality about creating a sense of balance, we can get caught up in what Fr. Jack and the parish staff accurately call “velocity creep.” The poem is from her book, A Permeable Life: Poems and Essays:
Because There Is Not Enough Time
I used to think
That because life is short
I should do more
Be more
Squeeze more
Into each and every day.
I’d walk around with a stick ruler
With increasing numbers
As the measure of fullness.
But lately
I’ve sensed
A different response
To a lack of time.
Felt in my bones
The singular worth
Of each passing moment.
Perhaps the goal
Is not to spend this day
Power skiing atop an ocean of multitasking.
Maybe the idea is to swim slower
Surer
Dive deeper
And really look around.
There is a difference between
A life of width
And a life depth.
Welcome, Lauren Thorp, to our OLG staff!
Lauren will be starting as kindergarten instructional assistant on Monday, with a week of overlap with Kathleen Dedon, our wonderful substitute teacher who has helped to make it a great start to the year for our K class. We are so grateful!
We’re also eager to welcome Lauren Thorp to the staff. She has visited the school a couple of times and spent a day in the classroom. We look forward to the educational skills and love of children that she will bring!
From our new Kindergarten Instructional Assistant…
Hi! My name is Lauren Thorp, and I am happy to say I am the new Instructional Assistant for the Kindergarten class at OLG. I grew up attending Catholic School in Annapolis, MD, and I received my Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Salisbury University in 2011. After working at a news station as a video editor, I realized that sitting in a dark room staring at a computer screen all day was not how I wanted to live my life. I knew I needed to reevaluate my priorities and find what made me happy, while continuing to trust in God and grow stronger in my faith. I began to continue my education by taking teaching classes in Annapolis, where I had teaching internships at two different elementary schools, with 2nd and 3rd graders. I had the opportunity to assist the general education teachers with classroom duties, work one on one with the students, and create and implement lesson plans to the class. I finally felt like I was making a difference in the world, and knew that teaching was where I belonged.
I completed my first cross country road trip this summer by driving to Tacoma from Annapolis, MD. My Dad joined me, and we made a detour to Stamford, CT, to watch eight sisters from the Sisters of Life profess their vows. It was the most breathtaking and joyous events I have ever experienced.
What brought me out here was my niece and nephew who were born this past August. I currently live with my sister and have been helping her out with the double blessings of twins.
In my spare time I enjoy reading, running, Crossfit, photography, hiking, and cooking. My favorite sports team is the Baltimore Ravens!
School Fund Drive: “Windows of Opportunity”
This year’s benefit dinner will take place this Saturday. Thank you to everyone who has registered to attend and those who are working hard to make it a successful and enjoyable evening in support of our school.
Special thanks to Kathleen Sullivan for her wonderful talk this weekend about the important role the School Fund Drive has played in providing tuition assistance, school improvements, and staff professional development and enrichment. We are so grateful to have a parish community that supports our school so strongly.
If you aren’t able to make it to the dinner and haven’t yet pledged or donated, you can do so through the Donate Now link on the homepage of our website. Every contribution matters!
Questions? Contact Carrie Morrissey, OLG School Director of Development and Marketing, (206) 935-0651 ext. 124.
What do you find under and around a tree? The Kindergarten class explored the trees in the park. They measured the trunks, made bark rubbings, compared branch sizes, gathered leaves and fruit, noticed the shapes of the trees from a distance, and used a magnifying glass to examine the tree’s details up close. Finally, they rested under the tree and looked up to see the wonderful creation God had made.
Regional Catholic High School Information Night at OLG
On Monday, October 12th, OLG School will host an informational evening featuring representatives from all of the Catholic high schools
in the Seattle area. This will be open to all middle school students and their parents/guardians. The evening will begin at 7:00 pm with an overview presentation in the School Hall, followed by three sessions by individual schools upstairs in the classrooms, concluding at 9:00 pm.
Pricing is $13 for 1 wristband & $11 for each additional wristband. Tickets are $.50 each or buy 10 and get 2 free. Wristbands include even more activities this year! With Wristband: Unlimited Bouncy Houses, Games, Prizes, Speed Pitch, Mini-Golf, Vomitron & The Amazing Zoltar. The wristband is a value purchase with activities for any age group.
This year’s Special Attractions include: Haunted Hall, CakeWalk, Zoo, Treasure Panning, Photos, Beauty Parlor, iScream, & more. These attractions require 1-4 tickets for participation. Single game & single bounce are available for 1 ticket.
Volunteers – Calling all classes and all volunteers: there are still various shifts, set-up and clean-up spots available for volunteering at the carnival. Sign up early to reserve the best shift or job that works for your family. You will not need to register for an account or keep a password.
Haunted Hall & The 6th Grade Scream for your help!
HAUNTED HALL & The 6th Grade SCREEAM FOR YOUR HELP. Are you a fan of scary movies? Do you want to tap into your inner ghoul? Help is needed to set-up the Haunted Hall the night before the carnival, October 23rd. Builders are needed from 5-8 pm and decorators from 6-8 pm (kids welcome to help). Our masters of fright, aka The Sutton family, summon all the school for 32 adult ghouls & 24 middle school goblins. There 3 different shifts of frighteningly good work as characters & guides the night of the event. Kids younger than middle school may participate with prior approval from Mrs. Sutton. Come all and haunt the hall! Contact Josh Sutton for more Haunted Hall information.
Cake Walk – Lastly, cakes, cakes, cakes are still needed. Did you know $5 cakes are on sale at Safeway on Friday nights? A cake = 1 commitment hour. It’s the OLG Cake Walk – everybody wins!
(Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten you, 8th grade!! More Taqueria details are coming soon.)
ASK-Shopping/Borrow List – The Halloween Carnival also needs a few treats and miscellaneous items to make this event a success. During your next shopping trip, please think of OLG and purchase one item for the carnival. In particular, we need:
Bags of Halloween Candy
Goldfish crackers in large quantities, bulk or giant bag.
Reimbursed or tax deduction is available for your purchases with receipt. Any items on loan need family name & contact information for prompt return.
Thank you! All your support makes this OLG Halloween Carnival what it is-the OLG Parent Organization premiere fall evening of family fun. Looking forward to another great year and hoping you’ll bless us with your big-hearted participation once again. Contact Chloe Nichols with Carnival questions.
Next Parent Org Meeting: Tuesday, October 13th @ 6:30 pm. All are welcome!
Logging Volunteer/Commitment Hours
Commitment hours accrue from May 1st through April 30th. To log your volunteer hours, click HERE! Questions? Email Laura Campbell for answers.
Art classes at OLG are once again in full swing. It brings so much joy to see the excitement in our students as I roll my cart into their classroom at the beginning of each class. The students here are full of creativity just waiting to be unleashed. Read more…
Are you a Catholic who has been away from the Church or just come to Mass occasionally? Has Pope Francis piqued your interest in the Church again? Is it time to “take another look?” You are invited to join other adults who are also interested in the Catholic faith and preparing for confirmation. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your experiences, ask questions about the Catholic faith, and/or begin to discern where God is in your life, and whether or not you might wish to become a more active part of the Church once again. Classes begin on Tuesday, October 20th from 6:30-8:00 pm in the Pastoral Center. Information, Helen Oesterle, 206-935-0358, x108 or find more information at our website.
Training for Altar Servers and Youth Readers
Informational meetings for those interested in becoming altar servers or youth readers are coming up on October 15th and October 19th. See the flyer for details. These ministries are open to students in 4th – 8th grades. Contact Helen Oesterle for more information.
Catholic Relief Services is on the ground working to provide humanitarian relief to refugees coming into Europe. Visit their website to learn more about their response or to make a donation towards their work. CRS’ Catholics Confront Global Poverty advocacy network is also asking Congress to do more to help refugees from Syria and Iraq. Click here to take action using their easy, pre-written and editable alert.
Who will Speak for you when you Cannot?
During Respect Life Month, OLG’s Life, Justice and Peace Commission is co-sponsoring a special event with Holy Rosary’s Voices for Life group called “Who Will Speak for you when you Cannot?”. The evening will address what the Catholic faith says about end-of-life care, what a Health Care Directive is and why you need one, and other general, common questions. Sr. Sharon Park, the Executive Director of the Washington State Catholic Conference will be the presenter. The event is on Tuesday, October 20th from 7:00 – 8:30 pm in Holy Rosary’s School Hall: 4142 42nd Ave SW, Seattle 98116. Sr. Sharon is willing to stay until 9pm to answer questions after her presentation.
Please pray for Mrs. Kristin Dixon and her family. Mrs. Dixon’s much-loved sister, Mary, passed away last week.
Please pray for Michelle Carlson, cousin of Lauren Hobbs. Michelle passed away last Friday. Pray for her husband, Andy, and her four children: Andrew, Chloe, Grace and Sam.
For the Joe family, EDC staff. Mrs. Joe’s mother passed away earlier this fall.
Our Lady of Guadalupe School & Parish acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe.
Hi! My name is Lauren Thorp, and I am happy to say I am the new Instructional Assistant for the Kindergarten class at OLG. I grew up attending Catholic School in Annapolis, MD, and I received my Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Salisbury University in 2011. After working at a news station as a video editor, I realized that sitting in a dark room staring at a computer screen all day was not how I wanted to live my life. I knew I needed to reevaluate my priorities and find what made me happy, while continuing to trust in God and grow stronger in my faith. I began to continue my education by taking teaching classes in Annapolis, where I had teaching internships at two different elementary schools, with 2nd and 3rd graders. I had the opportunity to assist the general education teachers with classroom duties, work one on one with the students, and create and implement lesson plans to the class. I finally felt like I was making a difference in the world, and knew that teaching was where I belonged.
in the Seattle area. This will be open to all middle school students and their parents/guardians. The evening will begin at 7:00 pm with an overview presentation in the School Hall, followed by three sessions by individual schools upstairs in the classrooms, concluding at 9:00 pm.
