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.

"Lord God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen".

Sunday December 15th, 2024

Good morning,

Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ is more than a Christian holiday or Christian festival. It is more than an occasion to decorate our houses. It is an opportunity to pause and give thanks for the love, hope and joy found in Jesus – our Savior and friend.

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. This will be the last mercy messenger in 2024. The next messenger will come out on January 5th. This week we have a lot of fun events like class Christmas parties and our annual Christmas Tableau on Thursday December 19th. Please see below for more information regarding the Christmas Tableau. On Wednesday December 18th report cards will be issued and your student will bring them home. Please keep the copy of the report card and return the signed envelope to your homeroom teacher.

I want to thank the entire school community for all of their support during the first part of this school year. I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas holiday. I hope you enjoy the time with family and friends. I look forward to seeing everyone in 2025. Merry Christmas and have a happy and healthy New Year.

In Mercy,

Bill Delaney

Our Tableau is scheduled for Thursday, December 19, 2024, at 7:00 PM in Church. The arrival times are as follows:

Please know that the expectation is that all students participate in this annual school tradition.

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 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.

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.

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.

12/18- Report Cards Issued.

12/19- Christmas Tableau (7pm).

12/20- Noon Dismissal.

12/23-1/3- Christmas Break.

1/6- Return from Christmas Break.

1/10- 9am Mass.

1/10- Ski Club #1.

The Student Council would like to thank the OLM community for your very generous donations for our Pajama Day last week. We raised over $1,100! Student Council went Christmas shopping on Tuesday and purchased toys, clothes, stocking stuffers, and gift cards to help two local families in need. Thank you for helping us bring the joy of this Christmas season to these deserving families!

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)

Charlotte Chiappa - Founder’s Academic Scholarship- Lansdale Catholic 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- 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.

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______________

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

• 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.

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’ve got some great things in the works this year! Stay tuned for more information on this fun and event-filled week for all!

• Girls, get your dress picked out and ask your date! Friday, February 28th from 7pm - 9pm you will be enchanted as you walk into this Secret Garden-themed dance! Look for registration and more information in January.

If you purchased an item, we will be sending it home this week. If you have any questions please email hsa@olmrcs.com. Look for the next sale in January/February.

• Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's Santa Shop possible. We could not have done it without all those who helped the student shop. Special thank you to the chairs, Dana Pomeroy, Kristin Butler, and Maggie Insogna. We look forward to doing it again next year!

• Thank you to all the families who have supported the ski and board club fundraising. Good luck to the families who entered the raffles.

• We hope all those who came to coffee with Mr. Delaney enjoyed themselves. Look for a date in the spring when we will host another coffee with the principal.

• 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#/

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.

• Want to be more involved with events at school? Feel free to complete the interest form: tinyurl.com/2425OLMVolCalendar. As the event becomes closer we will pass your information to the chair of the event. We welcome you to follow and interact with us on social media, FB @olmhsa or Instagram @olmhsa.

Thank you to all the families who participated in the Ambler Christmas Parade last Saturday. A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE BAKER FAMILY FOR DESIGNING AND BUILDING AMAZING Float. And to the many friends who helped paint and assemble.

Thank you to all the families and friends who joined us Monday night for our annual Christmas Tree Lighting and refreshments. Thanks to the OLM Singers for the wonderful Christmas songs that filled the air! It was a perfect night together. We hope you enjoy the beautiful lights!

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.

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.

12/15

Josephine Moser

12/21

Declan Doherty

Victoria Heath

12/22

Colt Smith

Evelyn Corpuna

12/23

Mikey Contorno

Rylee Clark

12/24

Christopher Henry

Lucas Heenan

Ms. Malachowski

12/26

Georgette Cook

12/27

Bridget Bell

12/29

Nemesi Ladino Gutierrez

12/31

Evan Cordura

Colin Lynch

Mr. Stanton

1/2

Alyssa Malone

Mrs. Solano-DeGuerra

1/3

Mrs. Sowden

Tuesday 12/17

Michael Powers

Will McMullen

Wednesday 12/18

James McGeehan

Andrew McGeehan

Thursday 12/19

Patrick Carroll

Cassidy Carroll

Friday 12/20

Patrick Romano

John Romano