Mercy Messenger

Through the intercession of Our Lady of Mercy, we commit ourselves to living the Good News of Jesus through Works of Mercy. Our rigorous academic program unleashes creative energy for the pursuit of knowledge and nurtures a hope-filled vision for Catholic leadership. We live out our relationship with God by respecting the dignity of others and providing service to the global community that fosters unity, understanding, and compassion.

We give you praise, O God, for everything that is new and beautiful, for everything which holds promise and brings us joy. Bless us as we start this new year with our friends and teachers Help us to make the most of every chance we have to start afresh.

Sunday September 1st, 2024

Good morning,

Welcome back to another exciting school year at OLM! I hope you had a restful and joyful summer, filled with God’s blessings and time spent with loved ones. As we start this new academic year, we are reminded of our mission to grow not only in knowledge but also in faith, love, and service. OLM is a place where the teachings of Jesus Christ guide us in everything we do, and where each day presents new opportunities to live out the Gospel values. This year we will continue to follow our school theme "Mercy Begins With Me" inside and outside the classroom.

I am extremely excited for our first day of school on Wednesday. All the teachers have been working hard on their classrooms and the school is ready for the new school year. All faculty and staff will be in school at our orientation day on Tuesday. I can not wait to see all the smiling faces walk down the sidewalk and into the gym for our first morning prayer assembly of the year. Again, thank you so much for all the support that you give to OLM and for choosing to send your child to catholic school. Please know that I am always here to help and support in anyway as this new school year starts. Have a great Labor Day and I look forward to seeing all the students on Wednesday.

In Mercy,

Bill Delaney

Reminders

- Please remember to fill out all the school forms that are on FACTS before September 4th.

- If you are changing the way your child is going home please call the main office before 1pm.

- If your child is absent from school please email attendance@olmrcs.com.

- Make sure to have all your clearances up to date if you are planning on volunteering in the school or with any clubs.

9/3- Teacher Organizational Day- No Students

9/4- First Day of School for Students

9/6- 9 am School Mass.

9/6- Ice Cream Social 6:00-7:30pm.

9/11- Back to School Night- Grades 6-8. From 6:30-8pm.

9/11- Class of 2025 Meeting for Parents in Cafe- 8-8:30pm.

9/18- Back to School Night- Grades PreK to 5. From 6:30-8pm.

9/24- Mercy Day Prayer Service 10:00 am in Church. (Installation of Student Council and NJHS Officers)

9/27- Dress Down Day. More information to follow.

9/30- OLM Golf Outing.

The class of 2025 will take the AOP High School Placement/Scholarship Test on Wednesday September 25th in school. This test is only for Archdiocese of Philadelphia High Schools. More information on this test will be given at our back to school meeting on 9/11.

Below is the form for the 2024 High School Test Prep course that is taught by Mrs. DiCarne and Mrs. Maher. Please reach out to them with any questions.

OLM will begin to offer instrumental lessons from Band for Today beginning in the fall for grades 4-8th grade. In September there will be an assembly to demonstrate these instruments to the students. These lessons will take place during the school day. Piano lessons will continue to be offered by Mr. Ferraro. Partial scholarships may be available. In September more information about the program will be coming out. Please visit the bandfortoday.com website for more information.

Ms. Gawthrop and Mrs. Parkhill play many different roles as our school counselors. In general, their role is to support our students’ academic, social and emotional development. Their responsibilities include providing guidance and counseling to students who are facing personal challenges, academic difficulties or social issues. They provide these services through individual sessions, classroom lessons and, when appropriate, group or lunch bunch sessions.

The counselors collaborate with teachers and parents to create a positive and supportive learning environment. They are members of the Child Study Team and they oversee the evaluation process and develop learning plans when students qualify. In a crisis situation they are available to assist and also help connect families to community resources based on your student’s needs.

If you feel as though your child can benefit from any of these school counseling services feel free to reach out to Ms. Gawthrop (kgawthrip@mciu.org) or Mrs. Parkhill (kparkhill@olmrcs.com). During the day students can also request a meeting with the counselors if they are having difficulty in a situation.

On September 3rd come write your child a message on the walkway as you enter into the school for our annual Chalk the Walk. This has become a fun tradition that the kids enjoy. We will provide the chalk between 5pm - 7pm and you provide the message.

HSA invites you to the Back to School Ice Cream Social that will take place on Friday, September 6th from 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Our teachers scoop the ice cream while the kids play on the playground. It's a great way to see families that you haven't seen all summer. This event is open to the OLM families free of charge.

The 2024-2025 OLM Middle School Ski & Board Club will be selling soft pretzels again this year to raise money for bus transportation for the ski club! The pretzels will be distributed every monday for 18 weeks at morning snack. Please sign up via the link provided by September 23rd. This is open to all students and staff. https://tinyurl.com/skiclubpretzel24.

The luncheon will take place on Tuesday, September 24th.. Our chair, Jenny Contorno is working hard to make this lunch for the teachers a special one. Please use the sign up genius link https://tinyurl.com/MercyDayLuncheon to see how you can donate your time, skills, or monetary donations. Any help to make this lunch great is greatly appreciated.

Below is a list of fall events for you to get involved in. These events and clubs are open to 6th, 7th, & 8th grade.

• Ski & Snowboard Club Interest Survey
• We are excited to announce that the OLM MIDDLE SCHOOL SKI & SNOWBOARD CLUB is once again gearing up for more fun at Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Lehigh Valley, PA in 2024! Look for our new dates in the attached Save the Date flier. Ski Club is so popular year after year that we also need a preliminary headcount to provide to Bear Creek as they plan to open the 2024/2025 ski season. Your response to this survey will also help OLM determine how many buses we need for the ski club season, as well as determine our transportation costs and fundraising needs. Our full registration is coming in late October. All interested OLM 6 th , 7 th and 8 th grade families should complete the head count survey by October 2nd so you can be added to our email list for any updates from Bear Creek. . Winter is coming! We hope you can hit the slopes with us! Survey Link – Click here: https://tinyurl.com/2425skiclubsurvey
• Haunted Hayride:
• Save the date! Friday, October 18th the middle school will head back to Winding Brook Farm for the Haunted Hayride and Corn Maze. More information to follow in the coming weeks.

BTFE is digital! Visit www.boxtops4education.com today to get the app and start earning for OLM -- use the referral code XXJZ0B0U when you sign up to earn a minimum of 20 Bonus Box Tops when you scan your first receipt! September 18th kicks off National Box Tops Week so be on the lookout for additional info regarding opportunities to earn bonus box tops! More detailed instructions and special NBTW offers will be posted in our Instagram stories and highlights @olmhsa.

Mabel's Labels will donate 20% of all purchase totals made through our storefront! Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and select Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School (Maple Glen). All coupon codes and promos are valid through our storefront and shipping is always free!

We have been receiving emails about how to become your child’s homeroom parent. While we are so excited to have such amazing parents, your homeroom teachers will be reaching out about how to become a homeroom parent. Just a friendly reminder, in order to become a homeroom parent or volunteer in the school you must have all your clearances completed. If you have any questions about how to obtain your clearances or confirm your clearances are not expired please feel free to reach out to Grace Mullan in the front office. Email her at gmullan@olmrcs.com.

• Interested in joining the 2024-2025 HSA?

• The Home & School Association is a parent-led organization dedicated to supporting the OLM Community. We aim to engage students, parents, and teachers to foster the community spirit that makes OLM so special. HSA organizes events, fundraisers, and resources throughout the year. This includes Catholic School Week events, Biennial Adult Social, Trunk or Treat, Father/Daughter Dance, Tennis Club, Ski Club, Middle School Hayride, student assemblies, appreciation events, a variety of fundraisers, sponsoring the 7th Grade Nancy Reilly Memorial Scholarship, 8th Grade Scholarships, and much more.

  HSA is more than just a parent-teacher organization. It is an essential component of the success of our school, proving every day that we are a community, and we need you! We need parent engagement to continue our work. No matter what your family schedule is, whether you have younger or older children, or work in the home or outside, there are things you can do to participate in the school community.

  We have several board positions open and need your time and talent.If you have any interest in joining the HSA board next year, please feel free to complete the form linked below. It is a questionnaire so we may get to know what you are interested in. We meet every month either in the morning (8:15am) or in the afternoon (1:00pm). If you are interested please email HSA@olmrcs.com.

  
  We welcome you to check out our website, www.olmhsa.wixsite.com/2021, or follow and interact with us on social media, FB @olmhsa or Instagram @olmhsa.

Welcome back to OLM!!

At OLM the students are our top priority and we are excited to serve your child through our Lunch program. In this letter you will find some important information about the program, what it is included in every meal and payment options.

OLM Lunch Program and Meal Plan:

Full lunch: $5.00 and includes:

- Main Entree (two different options every day)

- Side Dish

- 2 fruits AND 2 veggies

- 1 drink (milk, small water bottle or 100% juice)

Menus are posted in the school website under the "Lunch Program" tab and are included in the school's communication that is sent home at the beginning of each month. In addition to the two main dishes daily options, we offer seven alternate lunch choices on a daily basis. Snacks, bottled drinks and A la Carte items are not included in the meal plan, but they are available to be purchased every day and can be bought with or without buying the meal.

As in past years, we will continue to offer Fireside (boneless wings) and Chick Fil A once a month. A Google form will be posted in the school communication so you can register for these lunches. Although payment is not necessary at the time of ordering, we kindly ask that you make sure that your account has enough balance to cover such lunches, otherwise your orders won't be processed.

This year we are merging the lunch program with our FACTS system. As in the past EVERY STUDENT is provided with a NEW PIN number. This PIN number can be found in your FACTS Family Page: All you have to do is select your child from the middle drop down menu and find his/her 5 digit number -on the left hand of the screen- labeled ID Number, system. We kindly ask that you help your child memorize his/her number as this will help us speed up the check out process.

Lunch FAMILY accounts can be funded through your financial link in the FACTS family portal, or sending in to school cash or check (made out to OLM) in a marked envelope with your family name.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at esolanodeguerra@olmrcs.com

Looking forward to serving your kid!!

Mrs. Eugenia Solano-DeGuerra

OLM Cafe Food Service Director/CARES Director

September Lunch Volunteers

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0445AAAA29A4FF2-51019032-september

Car Line Procedures

To keep our students safe and the car line moving in the afternoon, please:

• Do not get out of your cars. A faculty member will help your child get into the car.
• DO NOT PASS cars in front of you as there may be children getting into their cars on the driver's side. Please be patient and stay in line as you exit the school property, following the car in front of you.
• Do not stop in front of your child. Pull up as far as you can (up to the gym doors) to allow the most cars to load at one time. Please pull right up to the car in front of you.
• Do not speed. The speed limit is 10 MPH while driving on any part of the school property. Please be mindful of your speed.
• Do not use your cell phone while driving in the parking lot.
• WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE PUT A SIGN IN YOUR PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW IDENTIFYING YOUR LAST NAME. This will help us find your child(ren) faster.
• If you need to buckle your child into their car seat, please do so in the circle near the exit of the property.

ALL uniform rules will be enforced. Please review the general uniform rules that are listed below and are in the student handbook.

● Girls’ kilts must be no shorter than two inches above the knee. After a second warning, they must wear navy blue tights or school-issued pants until the skirt/kilt is at the appropriate length.

● All students must wear OLM uniform pieces with logos. They must be purchased from one of our two approved vendors: Flynn & O’Hara or Lands’ End.

● All formal and gym uniforms must be purchased from one of our two approved vendors: Flynn & O’Hara or Lands’ End.

● NO LOGOS, Nike Elite sports socks, or the like are permitted with the school uniform except on gym days.

● Sneakers must be worn on gym days, even on a dress-down day.

● Girls may wear post-earrings or small hoops.

● Belts must be worn with pants or shorts by both boys and girls.

● Only the neckline of a plain white undershirt may be visible under the shirt.

9/3

Nathan Deal

Aria Bleakney

Gavin Raie

9/4

Gavin Mesquita

Tyler Caruso

Conor Murphy

Andikan Etotok

Sarah Kimzey

9/6

Nicolette Cervone

9/7

Ryan Romano

Clark Miller

Wednesday 9/4

Patrick Carroll

Cassidy Carroll

Thursday 9/5

Mikey Contorno

John Contorno

Friday 9/6

Drew Barton

Luke Norman

James Norman

2024 OLM Golf Classic

Spots are filling up quickly. Get your group together now and sign up today.

Are you ready to Tee it Up for the Kids?

The OLM Golf Classic is a great way to kick off the year.

Sign up as a foursome or as a single. Not a golfer, consider a sponsorship or join

us for the cocktail reception.

DATE: Monday, September 30, 2024

PLACE: Blue Bell Country Club

Time: 11 am Registration Opens

12:30 Shot Gun Start

Register Today at tinyurl.com/olmgolf2024

See the attached golf brochure for sponsorship and golf information.

For more information, contact Julie Bebey at jbebey@olmrcs.com

Attention: Financial Planners, Business Owners, and any person who pays PA Taxes:

As a PA income taxpayer, you can redirect your state tax dollars to support local schools through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. This initiative allows you to contribute to scholarships for students in need, helping to enhance educational opportunities and foster future success.

Here’s how it works:

1. Apply for the EITC Program: It’s a straightforward process, the foundation can assist you with the application.
2. Designate Your Contribution: You can choose the schools or scholarship programs you’d like to support.
3. Redirect Your Tax Dollars: Instead of paying the full amount in taxes, you allocate those funds to educational scholarships.

Participating in the EITC program not only supports educational excellence but also offers potential tax benefits for your business. Your contribution directly supports students and helps to strengthen our community.

The Foundation for Catholic Education is hosting an Information Reception to explain how it works. Please consider attending and bringing anyone who is interested in learning more about this important program.

• Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
• Time: 5:30-8:00 pm
• Place: The Union League Golf Club at Torresdale, 3801 Grant Ave., Philadelphia

If you’re interested in learning more or ready to take part in this impactful program, please reach out to Mrs. Julie Bebey at jbebey@olmrcs.com. She would be more than happy to answer your questions.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a positive difference. Together, we can help pave the way for building a foundation for future Catholic leaders.