Mercy Messenger
Issue 16~ Sunday December 8th, 2024
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.
Beginning Prayer (Immaculate Conception)
O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, didst prepare a worthy dwelling place for thy Son, we beseech thee that, as by the foreseen death of this, thy Son, thou didst preserve her from all stain, so too thou wouldst permit us, purified through her intercession, to come unto thee".
Principal Update
Sunday December 8th, 2024
Good morning,
I hope everyone is having a blessed and holy advent. As we celebrate the Holy Day of the Immaculate Conception, it is a time to reflect on the profound mystery of God's grace and the unique role of the Virgin Mary in salvation history. This solemnity honors Mary's purity and her being chosen as the vessel through which Jesus Christ would enter the world.
This past Friday we went to 9am Mass to celebrate as a school community. The peacemakers for the month of November (thankfulness) were awarded. The list of the winners are below. The virtue of the month for December is positivity. During this month the students will be reminded by their teachers to keep a positive and optimistic attitude in all ways during school, including their school work and their attitudes with their classmates. We have a couple of events this week that will hopefully get all of us in the Christmas spirit. Please join us on Monday December 9th for our Christmas Tree lighting and choir singing Christmas Carols. This week in school the students will also get to shop at our secret Santa shop. It should be a festive week here at OLM. I hope everyone has a great week ahead and as always please reach out with any questions or concerns.
In Mercy,
Bill Delaney
Neumann Scholarship
Breaking News from OLM…. Please join us in Congratulating Grace Womelsdorf who was 1 of the 52 awarded Neumann Scholarships from the Connelly Foundation this morning. Grace has attended OLM since 6th grade. The Neumann Scholarship provides a four-year full scholarship to one of fifteen (15) Archdiocesan High Schools. Since OLM opened a total of 13 students have received this prestigious academic award. OLM is proud of their many accomplishments!
Christmas Tableau
Our Tableau is scheduled for Thursday, December 19, 2024, at 7:00 PM in Church. The arrival times are as follows:
Grade 8: arrive at 6:15 PM~ Attire Costumes
Grade 1: arrive at 6:30 PM~ Attire Angel Costumes
Kindergarten: arrive at 6:30 PM~ Attire “Sunday Best.”
All other grades: arrive at 6:30 PM~ Attire is winter uniforms, no shorts, no gym uniforms.
Students will not be allowed into their classrooms until 6:30 (other than 8th grade at 6:15).
Additional chairs will be available to guests in the Chapel, where chairs will be turned.
The Choir loft will be open for seating.
Grades 1 and 8 will remain for pictures on the altar. All other grades will be dismissed from their classrooms. Parents will pick their children up in homerooms.
Please know that the expectation is that all students participate in this annual school tradition.
Peacemakers for the month of November- Thankfulness
Pre-K
Louisa Schenk
Kindergarten
Margret Norman
Emily Erb
James Powers
Grade 1
Shay Flynn
Jane Pollock
Grade 2
A.J Kulp
Connor Thompson
Noelle McAllister
Grade 3
Cael Thompson
Patrick Barnes
Tyler Baker
Grade 4
Lola Wilson
Garrett Luskin
Grade 5
Lucille Connelly
Paul Geppert
Mason Juliani
Grade 6
Ellie Hastings
Juliette Moll
Grade 7
Cheyenne Jordan
Charlotte McFadden
Grade 8
Brynn Hamersky
Sophia Ackermann
OLM Christmas Tree Lighting RSVP December 9th
OLM Annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Christmas Carols
Family & friends are invited to join us at OLM for the annual Christmas Tree lighting and enjoy the OLM Singers performing your favorite Christmas carols. Following the tree lighting, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies with us in the OLM cafeteria . Please RSVP so we can prepare for refreshments!
Re-Registration for the 25-26 School Year
As we have done in past years, we will continue with automatic re-registration for all current students in grades K to 7th grade for the 2025-2026 school year. Any family that does not plan to return next year must contact Julie Bebey at jbebey@olmrcs.com by Wednesday, December 18th, 2024. All returning families will have their FACTS accounts charged the $300/family re-registration fee in January. If you have any questions, please speak with Julie Bebey. Thank you in advance for your commitment to OLM and catholic education.
2025-2026 Financial Aid
2025-2026 financial aid is now open. Please log onto your FACTS account to apply. To be considered for financial aid you must fill out an application through your FACTS account. If you have any questions please send your questions to grants@olmrcs.com.
Reminders
- Please remember to fill out all the school forms that are on FACTS.
- 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.
From the Nurse's Office
Please remember that your child needs to be 24 hours fever free and vomit free without medicine before returning to school. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community healthy.
Winter Weather
As we are moving towards the winter months of the year here are a couple of reminders if we have a delayed school day or closure.
- OLM follows Upper Dublin school district. If Upper Dublin closes school for weather or is delayed, OLM is closed or delayed. A text, call and email will be sent out.
- If another school district closes and Upper Dublin is open, OLM is open. Those school district's that are closed will not provide busing. You will be notified if that occurs.
- If OLM is closed for a weather related reason we will be running on an asynchronous learning day. Your child's teacher will send work that will have to be completed through google classroom or via email.
Important December Dates
12/9- Christmas Tree lighting (6:30pm).
12/10-12/11- Secret Santa Shop.
12/13- Dress Down Day (Ski Club).
12/18- Report Cards Issued.
12/19- Christmas Tableau (7pm).
12/20- Noon Dismissal.
Class of 2025 Scholarships
We proudly report that the Class of 2025 students were awarded the following scholarships. We congratulate these students and their families! We will continue to update this list in the weekly Sunday Mercy Messenger. Please continue emailing or providing scholarship documentation to Mrs. Maher. (cmaher@olmrcs.com)
Sophia Ackermann- Art Scholarship -Mount St. Joseph High School
Drew Barton- David T. Diehl ‘55 Leadership Scholarship- LaSalle College High School
Charlotte Chiappa - Fontbonne Academic Scholarship- Mount St. Joseph High School
Charlotte Chiappa - Founder’s Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Mikey Contorno - St. Therese Academic Scholarship - Lansdale Catholic High School
Mikey Contorno- Principal’s Academic Scholarship- LaSalle College High School
Izzy Eliason - St. Therese Academic Scholarship - Lansdale Catholic High School
Avery Chase Felipe- Brother John D’Alfonso, FSC ’55 Academic Scholarship- LaSalle College High School
Will McMullen- Principal Academic Scholarship - LaSalle College High School
Will McMullen- Founder’s Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic High School
Grace Womelsdorf - Music Scholarship -Gwynedd Mercy High School
Grace Womelsdorf - Presidential Academic Scholarship - Lansdale Catholic High School
Grace Womelsdorf - Academic Scholarship - Archbishop Wood Catholic High School
Grace Womelsdorf- Neumann Academic Scholarship- Full Scholarship/4 years to any Archdiocesan High School.
Total Scholarships
As of 11/23/24 - $364,000
Test Prep 6th and 7th grade
Test Prep Program for 6th & 7th Grade Students
Facilitators
● Mrs. Caroline Maher - Math
● Mrs. Rita DiCarne - ELA
Goals
● Prepare students for the high school entrance exams as well as Terra Nova Testing
● Complete a multitude of practice questions/problems
● Learn test-taking strategies
Sessions
● Sessions will run on Mondays and Thursdays from January 9th - February 20th.
● Please note - Sessions 5, 6, 7, & 8 are once per week
● Sessions will be completed before the high school practice exams
Fee
● $250 for 10 sessions
Due Date
● December 20, 2024
Payment Options
● Check: Please make it out to “Rita DiCarne”
● Venmo: @Rita-DiCarne
Required Text: Peterson’s Master theTM Catholic High Schools Entrance Exams 26th Edition
ISBN: 978-076894586 Amazon Link
● Must be purchased before the start of class
● If you took the class last year, this is the same text we used last year.
Questions - Contact
● Mrs. Maher - cmaher@olmrcs.com
● Mrs. DiCarne - rdicarne@olmrcs.com
Session Date Time
1 Thursday, January 9 3:15 - 4:45
2 Monday, January 13 3:15 - 4:45
3 Thursday, January 16 3:15 - 4:45
4 Thursday, January 23 3:15 - 4:45
5 Monday, January 27 3:15 - 4:45
6 Thursday, January 30 3:15 - 4:45
7 Thursday, February 6 3:15 - 4:45
8 Monday, February 10 3:15 - 4:45
9 Thursday, February 13 3:15 - 4:45
10 Thursday, February 20 3:15 - 4:45
Snow days if needed - Monday, February 3rd, Monday February 24th, Thursday, February 27th
Test Prep Program for 6th & 7th Grade Students
Registration
Please print
Student’s Name _____________________________________ Grade_____________
Emergency Contact
Name ______________________________ Phone #_____________________
Payment Method
______Check payable to “Rita DiCarne”
______Venmo @Rita-DiCarne
Parent/Guardian Signature __________________________________Date______________
Yearbook Orders
Believe it or not, it is already time to place your order for the 2024-2025 OLM yearbook!
To order a yearbook, please follow the steps listed below:
1- Go to https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A07266900
2- Under the "Yearbook" heading, click "Buy Now" and continue following prompts to order the yearbook
3- Complete the remainder of the order by entering the following:
- Student First Name
- Student Last Name
- Grade
- Homeroom Teacher
4- Please continue following the prompts. All orders will be paid online via credit card. Please be sure to keep your receipt to verify that you did order a yearbook!
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL 8TH GRADE STUDENTS DO NOT NEED TO ORDER A YEARBOOK AS THIS IS ALREADY INCLUDED IN GRADUATION FEES!!
LAST DAY TO ORDER YEARBOOKS: March 23, 2025
Counselor's Corner
This week Mrs. Parkhill will be visiting the 2nd grade classrooms to discuss feelings and appropriate ways to cope when our feelings get “too big”. Feelings are not right or wrong, they just are. Students will read the book “Elf Has Feelings Too” and we will discuss a variety of feelings and what each one looks like. Students will then identify different coping strategies to help manage their feelings appropriately. These strategies consist of deep breathing, counting, taking a break, positive self-talk, talking it out and drawing.
Optional Gift Giving
This year we invite you to contribute to an optional gifting holiday fund. We are asking for a suggested $10.00-$20.00 donation per family. The collected amount will be used for the staff, specials, front office, lunch staff to have a nice holiday gift from the families. Checks can be made out to OLM. Please put in the memo “optional gift giving”. On the envelope, please put the attention of HSA – Optional Gift Giving. Please have all donations in by Friday, December 13th. For additional information, please see the attached flyer for more details. **Traditional teachers’ gifts will be coordinated by homeroom parents who will be reaching out to you.
SANTA’S SHOP- THIS TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY!
The Santa shop will be Tuesday, December 10th and Wednesday, December 11th. All grades will have the opportunity to shop at the Santa shop during school hours. More information will be sent home in the next few weeks. If you would like to volunteer at this event please sign up using the link provided https://tinyurl.com/SantaShopOLM24. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Kristin Butler at kmbutler333@gmail.com
MIDDLE SCHOOL SKI & BOARD CLUB: CALLING ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS:
CALLING ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS: We need parent volunteers to help with Ski & Board Club Monday Pretzels. One person is asked to pick up pretzels at 8 am at the Philly Pretzel Factory Horsham, deliver them to the school, and help sort and distribute them. We need another parent to meet at the school at 8:15 am and help sort/distribute them. Please use the SignUp Genius link to volunteer for a day or two. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4DA9A62CA2FD0-51172154-2024#/
SKI CLUB BAKE SALE - DECEMBER 10TH & 11TH:
Items will be sold during both lunch periods for $2.00 an item. All proceeds will help with the cost of their busing.
DESIGNER BAG BINGO – SAVE THE DATE!
MINTED
This holiday season, we’ve partnered with Minted where you can save 20% and Minted donates back 15% to the school. Shop holiday cards and gifts on minted.com/holiday and use our promo code: FUNDRAISEMERCYREGIONAL.
CLASSROOM CHRISTMAS PARTIES - FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2OTH
Your homeroom parents should be reaching out to you regarding the classroom parties and homeroom teacher gifts. If you have not heard from them please email Angela Creed, leiss.angela@gmail.com, and she will get in touch with your homeroom parents. Every grade/classroom does their parties a little differently.
WE HAVE SPIRIT, YES WE DO! WE HAVE SPIRIT, HOW ‘BOUT YOU? - OLM SPIRIT WEAR SALE -THANK YOU:
Thank you to everyone who purchased spirit wear. We will be in touch as soon as we receive it. Look for the next sale with apparel in the new year. Have an idea of something you would like with the OLM logo? Let us know. Email HSA@olmrcs.com and we will look into seeing if we can make it happen.
MABEL’S LABELS:
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!
Supporting Home & School
- Interested in joining the 2024-2025 HSA?
- 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.
Car Line Procedures
Morning Car Line: For everyone's safety please do not park your car and walk your child over in the morning. Please stay in the car line and drop your child off on the sidewalk. Thank you for your cooperation.
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.
Uniform Policy
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.
Birthdays this week
12/8
Mrs. Reilly
Patrick McNicholas
Makynleigh Madison
12/11
Jason Vo
12/12
Mrs. McGill
Altar Servers
Monday 12/9
9am
Mikey Contorno
John Contorno
12pm
James Norman
Luke Norman
Tuesday 12/10
Nathaniel Moffett
Ryan Romano
Wednesday 12/11
Steve Killinchi
Faith Vandiver
Thursday 12/12
Gavin Morris
Victoria Heath
Friday 12/13
Erin Proulx
Bridget Proulx