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 pray for all those in need of your mercy: ~ Compassionate God, pour out your mercy upon them. My God, I am yours for time and eternity. Teach me to cast myself entirely into the arms of your loving Providence with the most lively, unlimited confidence in your compassionate, tender pity.

Sunday September 22nd, 2024

Good morning,

On Tuesday September 24th we will celebrate Mercy Day. Mercy Day is the anniversary of the opening of the first “House of Mercy” in 1827 in Dublin, Ireland. Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, devoted her life to the poor, sick and uneducated, and today we continue her legacy of caring and compassion in the name of Mercy. On Tuesday we will go to church and have a prayer service where we will install our newly elected student council members and our NJHS board members. I would like to thank Monsignor Hennessy who will be leading us in prayer and to Ms. Timlin, Mrs. DiCarne, Mrs. Weir, Mrs. Maher and Ms. Malachowski for preparing this special prayer service. During religion classes on Tuesday the students will be doing a special lesson that focuses on the works of mercy and Catherine McAuley's life. A special thanks in advance to home and school association for providing the faculty and staff with an amazing Mercy Day lunch. It will truly be a great day of modeling the message of Sister Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy.

It was great to see all of you at back to school night last Wednesday night. Thank you to all of our wonderful teachers for giving their presentations and answering any questions that you may have had. Thank you to our home and school association and our auction committee for being there to support OLM as well. Please consider helping out in the home and school association in any way that you can. It is a great organization that supports our students and teachers. Also please consider buying tickets, donating or volunteering with our auction. It is going to be a great night that you will not want to miss. I hope everyone has a great week ahead and if you need anything please do not hesitate to reach out.

In Mercy,

Bill Delaney

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.

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.

10/4- 9 am school Mass.

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. Please register your 8th grade student here by 9/23 https://stsusers.com/stsusers/registration/static/philadelphia.php. More information on this test will be given at our back to school meeting on 9/11.

Mr. Delaney and I would like the parents/guardians of our middle school students to be aware that there is a central location where you can access your child’s homework. Please determine your child’s team- A, B, C, D, E, or F, and click on the grade and the team. It will take you to the homework posted by your child’s teachers.

Thank you.

Mrs. Maher

https://sites.google.com/olmrcs.com/middleschoolhomework

OLM will begin to offer instrumental lessons from Band for Today beginning in the fall for grades 4-8th grade. These lessons will take place during the school day. Piano lessons will continue to be offered by Mr. Ferraro. Partial scholarships may be available. Lessons will start in October so please sign up as soon as possible. Please visit the bandfortoday.com website for more information.

This past week Mrs.Parkhill started classroom lessons with the 7th graders and will continue with all Middle School students. The first topic of this year is goal setting. Setting goals are important because they provide a clear direction and purpose, helping you stay focused and motivated to achieve.. The specific concept Mrs. Parkhill discussed was SMART goals. This is an effective method for clarifying your objectives and ensuring what you set is sensible. The acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable,Relevant and Measurable. After discussion, students were asked to pick one area of their life and write a SMART goal. Check-in with your Middle School student over the next week or two and talk to them about the goal they set.

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/pretzesale2024 - IF YOU SIGNED UP PRIOR TO 9/8 YOU NEED TO RE-REGISTER YOUR CHILD(REN) FOR PRETZELS

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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:
• All 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade OLM students and parents are invited to join us for some Halloween fun on our annual OLM Middle School Haunted Hayride and Corn Walk of Horror at Winding Brook Farm in Warrington, PA, on Friday, October 18, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. For $25 per person, the evening includes a haunted hayride through the deep, dark forest of the farm and an optional walk through a live villain Corn Walk. The fun continues with food and a bonfire. To register, visit: tinyurl.com/OLMHayride24

• All forms and payments are due no later than Monday, September 30th, as space is limited. More information about the events can be found on www.windingbrookfarm.com or by emailing OLM parent, Erin Ellis at ekathleenellis@gmail.com. Hope to see you there!

  
  

Everyone’s favorite fall event, Trunk or Treat, will take place on Friday, October 25th from 6-7:30 (setup 5:30PM). More detailed information and the link to register can be found below. Start brainstorming what your car will be! tinyurl.com/TrunkOLM24

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!

• Interested in joining the 2024-2025 HSA?

• 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.
• 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.

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

BEGINNING PIANO LESSONS AT OLM!!

Payment: Every 4 lessons in the amount of $100.

Lessons will be scheduled upon receipt of first payment.

Payments may be made through PayPal. FJFJR@comcast.net

Or Venmo at….. @Frank-Ferraro-12

Lesson details:

Private lessons, 30 minutes each, once per week, during school hours.

Teachers will be contacted regarding lesson times. Parents will be informed of their child’s lesson time.

We will begin lessons in October!!

Please purchase this piano book: Alfred's Basic Piano Library Lesson Book, Bk 1A: Book & CD

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0739024833/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_c_u6L.xbJENWRFZ

Many Blessings,

Frank Ferraro

Piano Instructor

band@olmrcs.com

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.

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.

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.

9/22

Jonathan Heinz

9/23

Evelyn Amoroso

9/24

James Feola

Autumn Bensinger

9/25

Maeve Murphy

9/26

Parker Launer

Everly Raie

Mila McGuire

9/28

Lauren Gerlach

Giulia Mazzitelli

Margret Norman

Tuesday 9/24

Nicolette Cervone

Will McMullen

Wednesday 9/25

Luke McDonald

Victoria Heath

Thursday 9/26

Bridget Proulx

Erin Proulx

Friday 9/27

Robert Wilkin

Paul Geppert

WWP Women’s Bible studies combine personal study with small group discussion, linking our everyday challenges to the solutions given to us through the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church. This year we will begin a new series, Fearless and Free. This study provides a firm foundation to stand on no matter what life throws our way. With an emphasis on healing and wholeness, Fearless and Free is the most personal and transformative study that Walking with Purpose has offered so far.

WWP will meet every Wednesday in the Saint Alphonsus Parish Hall at 7PM starting September 25th. We kindly ask that if you intend to participate, please register using the link below.

https://forms.office.com/r/FHmY9eZQH1

For more information or to purchase Fearless and Free, visit www.walkingwithpurpose.com or Amazon. For questions, please contact the Saint Alphonsus Rectory at 215-646-4600.

2024 OLM Golf Classic

Julie Bebey is looking for volunteers to help with registration on the morning of the golf outing. Please email her at jbebey@olmrcs.com if you can help.

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