"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."
OLG Newsletter – Sept 11th
September 11, 2014
Dear OLG Families,
Wow! Second week of school already…it’s amazing how quickly we get swept back into routines, traditions, and new initiatives! It was great to be at the Parent Org meeting on Tuesday and see such a wonderful turnout! Please remember that all of you make up this organization, and you are invited to attend meetings. It’s a fantastic group – already geared up to accomplish so much this year!
We are in the final transition to our newly updated website and are very excited about it. When you go to our school website, you should now be seeing the new version. If not, try refreshing or clearing your cache. We’re working with our web designer to make sure the transition goes smoothly and to clear out any last bugs over the next couple of days. We’re finding that it is easy to update and very user-friendly, so check back frequently for new information!
Many of you had the opportunity to get to know Renee Kreilkamp, mother of Kristin Dixon, and a wonderful woman. Renee recently died, and her funeral will be held this Saturday at 10:30 am. at OLG Church. Please join us in holding the whole family in your prayers.
See below for Heidi Ehrenberg’s reflections on the transition back to school, information about our School Fund Drive Benefit Dinner (I hope to see you there!), and much more.
Our fall fundraiser is in full swing! The Charleston Wrap fundraiser packets went home last week, and the online ordering option makes it easy for out-of-state family and friends to stock up on wrapping paper and other goodies for the upcoming holidays. We will continue our fundraiser through the 19th, but feel free to continue to shop all year with our school code (8666), and our school will continue to benefit from your purchases.
Simply order from the catalog that was sent home with your child, or visit the Charleston Wrap website to shop. If you order online, all items purchased will ship directly to the address you specify, with free shipping on all orders over $75. Orders from the catalog will be delivered to the school before the end of October, with no shipping charges.
If you decide a virtual sale is the best for you please, register your student and a six digit code will be automatically generated for your student to earn prizes during our fundraising campaign. After that is complete click on the “SHOP NOW” button that will take you to the “Choose how you would like to Assign Credit and Shop” section. If you wish to assign credit to your student, enter the six digit student code in to the “Student & School Credit” section. If you don’t want to assign credit to a particular student, simply enter your school’s four digit ID in the “School Credit Only” section, and the school will earn credit from your purchases.
Thank you to Susie Stanley-Jones and Mindy Ursino for organizing this fundraiser and bringing back our much sought after wrapping paper!
Save The Date:
BINGO – Join other families on September 27th at 6:30pm in the school hall for a fun evening of BINGO to benefit and support the school! Bingo games are $1.00 per card and food will available for purchase. This is a fun event for the entire family! We are still looking for volunteers to help with the event, so if you would like to get a jump start on those commitment hours, contact Rita Rich.
Halloween Carnival – Our annual Halloween Carnival will be held on October 25th this year, so mark those calendars and get ready for a spooktacular event! More information is headed your way in the coming weeks about how you can help and ticket options/prices.
Commitment Hours:
Will we no longer be using the Our Volts website to track family commitment hours. Instead, this year we have contracted with a new company, VolunteerSpot, to organize and track all the volunteer hours for our school families. We are in final stages of setting up and customizing the specifics our school account, and you will soon see detailed instructions online and in the newsletter about how to use the new site and log your hours.
It’s going to be an Xtra Fun, Xtra Xciting evening of food, community and learning about our Xtra Special Fund Drive Plans beginning 2014! Your donation made the night of this event will ensure that our bold vision of excellence for every child at OLG School becomes a reality! Ticket price: $45 per person
Families needed – September 20th and 21st
To help kick-off the School Fund Drive campaign, we will be handing out a “thank you” to fellow parishioners at the end of all of the Masses. Please contact Chantille Henry if your family is able to help show our appreciation for the many ways in which our parishioners support OLG School. Also, all students should be in full dress uniform at the Masses this weekend. Thank you!!
Fundraising FAQ
It’s the second week of school. How many fundraisers have you heard about so far? Already lost? Read on.
We’re just back to school and someone’s already asking for money.
Yes, fundraisers are part of being a Catholic school family. It means your tuition is lower than cost, and you get to choose how to contribute (within your means) to help close the gap. Contributions of families before you helped make the great school your child attends today, from music rooms to iPads to outstanding faculty.
How do I keep all of these fundraisers straight?
Start with the two really big fundraisers each year — the School Fund Drive in the fall, and the Auction near spring. The emphases are a little different, but they both provide critical resources and need every family’s support. These fundraisers are also the two times each year when we fund special improvements, like science labs or math coaches.
A variety of other efforts allow families to contribute in easy, fun ways – the Charleston Wrap sale going on now, Scrip, Halloween carnival, Jog-a-thon and so on. Some families are sellers, some are joggers, and some like the Cake Walk. We all buy groceries, so please sign up for Scrip. Experience shows that a steady stream of various giving opportunities results in wider participation and more money raised.
Our family already pays tuition. Do we really need to make donations, too?
Yes. Tuition only covers part of basic expenses, never mind improvements. In fact, tuition and fee revenue covers salary and benefits costs for our staff. So the school depends on every family to give, and every gift makes a difference.
Why can’t we raise funds from outside donors?
We do! Last year OLG parish contributed nearly $200,000 through a subsidy and parishioner gifts to the Fund Drive, Auction and other fundraisers. Although some of those parish donors were school alumni families, many — including some of the largest donors — had no personal connection to the school.
On top of that, local businesses donated thousands of dollars in goods to our auction. Safeway shoppers made us their beneficiary through Scrip. Our school also received thousands of dollars in support from foundations and corporate matching fund programs, as well as in-kind services and training provided for our students and teachers through federal government Title programs.
Because we have a unique stake in the school, current school families will always be the first source for donations. But we have others to walk with us.
Tune in next week for exciting tips on the School Fund Drive, running through Oct. 3rd!
Can it be, time to kick off flip-flops for shoes and uniforms? I think of this image every year, as summer begins to fade…
Summer break is a time of rest, play, reflection, travel, redirection…Your kids may have experienced a bit more independence, through a first sleep-over, or time at camp with friends. Perhaps you reunited with family far away. Maybe there was a goal or personal challege you met. Or maybe there were moments of quiet, sand, and staring at the water. Whatever was experienced, accomplished, or, left undone, we all miraculosly change gears and begin a new school year.
Along with the purchase of new shoes, backpacks and school supplies, schedules are mapped out as routine and rituals take hold. The first day is one of excitement for returning students, as they settle in with new classrooms, teachers, and one another. But I find myself most inspired and amazed by our youngest students. Some of them will be experiencing their first days at school! They are brave, as they let go of mom or dad’s hand, and step into a challenge that will change them profoundly. Their faces say it all, with nervous smiles, as they recognize the newness. Parents’ expressions are a mixture of joy in sharing their child’s excitement, and the realization that they are beginning a wonderous journey with their child.
As the weeks move along, students feel more relaxed in understanding the routine and the flow of each day. They meet challenges head on, and embrace their successes. Or, they may struggle, yet learn how to regroup and try again. It is truly a remarkable time of transition and growth. As William Bridges wrote in his book, Transitions – “Transition is the natural process of disorientation and reorientation that marks the turning points of the path of growth. Throughout nature, growth involves periodic accelerations and transformations: Things go slowly- until suddenly the eggshell cracks, the branch blossoms, the tadpole’s tail shrinks away, the leaf falls, the bird molts, the hibernation begins. With us it is the same. Although the signs are less clear than in the world of feather and leaf, the functions of transition times are the same. They are key times in the natural process of self-renewal.” This is a time of transition, of renewal, of stretching and challenging for each student, parent, and teacher.
I wish all school and parish families, and our staff and faculty – peace, calm, strength, and joy, as we move into a new school year!
Family Faith Sundays – All Families Welcome!
Parent Guardian Orientation meeting for the Family Faith Program required as part of the program participation, for grades K-8 on September 21st at 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM at The Walmesley Center. For more information contact Marion Kari @ 206 935-0358 ext. 113. You can also find more information on our website.
Children and Families’ Faith Formation Programs begins September 13th and 14th
Sign- ups begin this weekend for all of our Faith Formation programs and our Family Faith Sunday programs for 2014-2015. This includes our “Little Lambs” babysitting during the 11:00 a.m. Mass, weekly classes from Pre-k to 8th grade, preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion and classes for older children interested in becoming Catholic. You can also register on line by going to our parish website. If you would like to speak directly to someone please callMarion Kari@ 206 935-0358 ext. 113.
Click here to Find out the latest CYO News and more information about the CYO ANNUAL ITALIAN DINNER – November 15, 2014.
School HallBand Instrument Rental Meeting September 13, 2014
Saturday
9:00 am
School Hall
Funeral for Renee Kreilkamp, mother of Kristin Dixon
September 13, 2014
Saturday
10:30 am
OLG Church
Individual School Photos
PreK-8th Grade September 17, 2014 WednesdayIndividual School Photos
Preschool
September 18, 2014
Thursday
School Fund Drive
Lead Giver Dinner
September 20, 2014
Saturday
5:00 pm
Walmesley CenterBINGO September 27, 2014
Saturday
6:30 – 9:00 pm
School Hall
Please pray for Renee Kreilkamp, mother of Kristin Dixon, and for her family. Renee recently died. Her funeral Mass will be held at OLG this Saturday at 10:30 am.
Please continue to keep Brianna Nelson, 2014 OLG graduate, and her family, in your prayers. Brianna has been diagnosed with leukemia and is undergoing chemotherapy at Children’s Hospital. We pray for speedy healing for Brianna and strength and comfort for her family at this difficult time.
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.
