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Happy Mother's Day to all our moms, grandmoms, aunts, and special mother figures who have impacted our lives by their ever present love and support. We love you, we thank you, and we thank God for the gift of you in our lives. Today we also pray in thanksgiving for our Holy Mother Mary, who strengthens and blesses us with her love. We honored the Blessed Mother through our prayers and gifts of roses today at our May Crowning. The weather was cooperating and the students in the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th grades carried roses to the Grotto and placed them by our statue of Mary. Our May Queens, Lilly Sherman and Isabella Figueroa, laid a crown of blossoms upon her head to show Mary we honor, love, and thank her for her presence in our lives. "Mary we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May." I hope that all of our OLOL families take some time this weekend to be with, or talk to, or pray to the incredible mothers in our lives and thank them for their love. Believe it or not, the teachers told me there are only 23 days of school left! The 8th grade has only 13 days left! However it happened we are at the end of another fabulous OLOL school year. I'm not sure I thought that would be something I could say about this year back in August when we were busy trying to plan how to open our doors during a pandemic. All of our cooperation, collaboration, determination, hard work, and faith in God has paid off and we not only opened our doors, but had a successful and prosperous year of learning and growing. I am so proud of our teachers, staff, students, and our supportive families who have made this all possible. We still have some great days of learning ahead of us in the next few weeks and plenty of time for celebration as we end 2020-2021 school year and celebrate our graduates! Have a Happy Mother's Day and a blessed weekend, Ms. Moore UPCOMING: Important Confirmation Dates:
May 15 from 9am-12pm: The Virtual Catholic High School Fair Interested rising 7th & 8th grade families, please see the flyer below (and on our home page) and click to find out more and to attend this event. End of year standardized testing in reading & math (Science for 5th & 8th)= May 17-20 May 19, 11am to 8:30pm, California Tortilla Dinner Out Fundraiser (Bethesda location) Friday, May 21- Spelling Bee & Talent Show during the school day (more info to come soon)
NEWS & REMINDERS:
 Greetings OLOL families,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thursday evening and maybe had a chance to enjoy some Pizza from Potomac Pizza! These nights wouldn't be possible without the support of our families and we extend a special thank you to Mrs. Mead who has organized our dinner out fundraisers this year. We have one final dinner out still ahead, saving the best for last, it is California Tortilla on May 19! Today we celebrate all the students preparing for their First Communion tomorrow. We are so blessed to have the caring guidance and instruction of Ms. Hipp, Mrs. Prebula, Fr. Rob, and Fr. James at Our Lady of Lourdes. Our children are ready, understandably a bit nervous and excited, to make their First Communion and we thank God for the opportunity to partner with your families in preparing these boys and girls to participate more fully in their faith through the receiving of holy Eucharist. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1322, we learn: "The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist." This is an important step in our children's religious development as they become part of the community of the Church, brought together in unity, as children of God, in the celebration of the Eucharist. They have learned that going to Mass will now include taking part in the Eucharist, which means giving thanks and praise to our Father, remembering the bodily sacrifice of Jesus, and acknowledging the presence of Christ by the power of His word and His Spirit. Our prayers are with all the First Communicants, we are proud of you and pray that you will be blessed with God's love and grace on this special day. Best, Ms. Moore UPCOMING: May 1, 10:00am = First Communion May 2, 10:30am Mass & May Procession The 10:30am Mass on Sunday, May 2 will be particularly crowded due to the May Crowning. Please consider attending an alternative Mass unless you are attending with a First Communicant. Thank you for your understanding. Important Confirmation Dates: Rehearsal: Thursday, May 13, 6:00-7:00pm in the church. Candidates and sponsors must attend. If one cannot make it, a parent should stand in. Rehearsal will start right on time—please do not be late. Confirmation: Friday, May 14, 2021, 6:00pm Mass. Arrive no later than 5:30pm. Bishop Dorsonville will be the celebrant. May 15 from 9am-12pm: The Virtual Catholic High School Fair Interested rising 7th & 8th grade families, please see the flyer below (and on our home page) and click to find out more and to attend this event. May 19, 11am to 8:30pm, California Tortilla Dinner Out Fundraiser (Bethesda location) Friday, May 21-Talent Show during the school day (more info to come soon) Talent Show dates to remember:
NEWS & REMINDERS: We have a published poet in our 3rd Grade! Congratulations to Sammy Iadarola, grade 3, who was one of ten children selected out of 600 to have a poem published in the Washington Post. Sammy entered a poetry contest offered through the Washington Post newspaper. Nearly 600 kids from 23 states and the District of Columbia shared their “Poetry of the Pandemic” with KidsPost. The submissions were kids' reflections on their lives shaped by the pandemic. Sammy's poem "Homeschool at Grandma & Grandad's" was one of only ten poems selected from 600 submissions. We are so proud of Sammy and her outstanding poem. You can read Sammy's poem, and all the incredible poems selected, here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/kidspost/2021/04/27/kidspost-selects-10-poems-poetry-pandemic-contest/?itid=sf_lifestyle-kidspost Our school is proud to participate in the Maryland BOOST Scholarship Program!- Deadline to apply is May 17, 2021 Do you struggle now to pay your child’s tuition? Your child may be eligible for a scholarship as part of BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today), a Maryland state program providing scholarships for low-income elementary and high school students. To be eligible for the scholarship, your family must meet the household income guidelines listed here. For more information, please visit www.marylandpublicschools.org/BOOST BOOST is empowering families with limited incomes to give their children the best education for them! Learn more and apply by May 17, 2021. Parents,
The saying is that "April showers bring May flowers", but I wonder what these cold April weeks will bring us? It looks like we are about to turn a corner and have some much warmer weather next week. It seems that all too often in the DMV, beautiful spring days all too quickly become hot and humid days before we have had our chance to enjoy them. All that aside, we are lucky to live in such a beautiful region of the country. We get to experience all the glory and splendor of each of the seasons. This time of year is so lovely and full of color in all the budding trees, bright azaleas, dogwoods, cherry blossoms, and so many more. (Although, allergy sufferers may have a very different perspective.) I know the students and teachers are excited to have more opportunities to use our outdoor learning spaces in the warmer weather, and we all have cicadas to look forward to in the coming weeks. What wonders and new learning we have in store for us all as we continue into the end of April! Please take a few moments to look over the list of upcoming events and reminders below. Make sure you are getting hungry for some pizza next Thursday when we will have our last Potomac Pizza Night Fundraiser of this year! Don't forget to sign your tuition agreement through TADS, they are due today. Have a blessed weekend, Ms. Moore UPCOMING: Saturday, April 24 from 9-11am we will be having our Confirmation Penance Service for all of our students preparing for Confirmation. It will take place in the main church, and masks are required. There will be a short talk, some time for prayer, and an opportunity for your child to go to Confession. Please be sure to save the date! April 29 = Potomac Pizza Dinner Out Fundraiser! See the flyer below and on our main page. May 1, 10:00am = First Communion May 15 from 9am-12pm: The Virtual Catholic High School Fair Interested rising 7th & 8th grade families, please see the flyer below (and on our home page) and click to find out more and to attend this event. REMINDERS: Tuition agreements for the 2021-2022 school year must be signed by TODAY, Fri., April 23. Thank you to everyone who has completed their tuition agreements. If you have forgotten to do so, please respond today through TADS to complete your tuition agreement and finalize your child's enrollment for next year. We have much interest in OLOL and several full classrooms, so it is crucial that all re-enrolled families make sure to complete this step as soon as possible. Agreements that are not finalized by today, April 23, will be removed from our list of enrolled students, and the spaces will be made available for new applicants. Our school is proud to participate in the Maryland BOOST Scholarship Program!- Deadline to apply is May 17, 2021 Do you struggle now to pay your child’s tuition? Your child may be eligible for a scholarship as part of BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today), a Maryland state program providing scholarships for low-income elementary and high school students. To be eligible for the scholarship, your family must meet the household income guidelines listed here. For more information, please visit www.marylandpublicschools.org/BOOST BOOST is empowering families with limited incomes to give their children the best education for them! Learn more and apply by May 17, 2021. Parents, It is hard to believe we are in the 4th quarter and planning for the end of the school year! We are looking forward to a full quarter of learning, growing, and fun at OLOL! We will be celebrating Confirmation, First Holy Communion, and Graduation in the coming weeks and we are thankful to God for an outstanding year in such unusual and trying times. Please look through the reminders and announcements below. We have one week left for returning families to complete their tuition agreements in TADS. Your prompt attention to this matter helps us to continue to work and plan for our future. We are excited about our current enrollment of 203 students for the 2021-2022 school year, including 90% re-enrollment and over 20 new families (and growing)! We are excitedly making plans for next school year and we have great news to share over the next months, including plans and construction on a new creative arts space with newly renovated classrooms for art and music, a new look for OLOL uniforms, celebrating our 80th anniversary this fall, and more. We are so happy to be partnering with all our families at OLOL and look forward to the future. #OLOLstrong! Have a blessed weekend, Ms. Moore UPCOMING: Next week the third through eighth graders take the Faith Knowledge Assessment. This is an ADW religion test that is taken once a year each spring. The results from this test help us to instruct our students in the Catholic faith and to identify strengths and weaknesses in our instruction and delivery of material. Students do not have to do anything special to prepare besides getting a good night's sleep, have a healthy breakfast, and arrive at school on time. Grades 3 & 8 test Monday, grades 4 & 7 test Tuesday, and grades 5 & 6 test Wednesday. Tests are scheduled in the morning and average about 45 minutes to complete. Saturday, April 17 at 10am we will be having a special Holy Hour for our First Communicants. The children must be accompanied by at least one parent. It will take place in the main church, and masks are required. The Holy "Hour" (which will be about 45 minutes long) will include music, a short talk by Fr. James, and individual Eucharistic blessings for each person. Please be sure to save the date! Saturday, April 24 from 9-11am we will be having our Confirmation Penance Service for all of our students preparing for Confirmation. It will take place in the main church, and masks are required. There will be a short talk, some time for prayer, and an opportunity for your child to go to Confession. Please be sure to save the date! April 29 = Potomac Pizza Dinner Out Fundraiser! See the flyer below. May 15 from 9am-12pm: The Virtual Catholic High School Fair Interested rising 7th & 8th grade families, please see the flyer below (and on our home page) and click to find out more and to attend this event. REMINDERS: Tuition agreements for the 2021-2022 school year must be signed by Fri., April 23. Please respond through TADS to complete your tuition agreement and finalize your enrollment for next year. We have much interest in OLOL and several full classrooms, so it is crucial that all re-enrolled families make sure to complete this step as soon as possible. Agreements that are not finalized by April 23 will be removed from our list of enrolled students, and the spaces will be made available for new applicants. Thank you for supporting the OFF THE HOOK DINNER DELIVERY: Thanks so much for all your support of this fundraiser. OLOL was the big winner and had the most orders for 5 out of 7 Fridays. We raised $500! Our school is proud to participate in the Maryland BOOST Scholarship Program!- Deadline to apply is May 17, 2021 Do you struggle now to pay your child’s tuition? Your child may be eligible for a scholarship as part of BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today), a Maryland state program providing scholarships for low-income elementary and high school students. To be eligible for the scholarship, your family must meet the household income guidelines listed here. For more information, please visit www.marylandpublicschools.org/BOOST BOOST is empowering families with limited incomes to give their children the best education for them! Learn more and apply by May 17, 2021.   Parents,
As we approach approach these last important days of Lent and look forward to the joy of Easter Sunday, I pray in a special way for all the students, parents, families, friends, alumni, teachers, and staff of the Our Lady of Lourdes community. We end our third quarter of school with proud feelings of accomplishment in what we have been able to endure and achieve together this past year. I look forward to a fourth quarter filled with the promise of completion - a journey fulfilled, a job well done. I thank you for partnering with us and being part of this incredible community. I pray that you and your families enjoy some time together to celebrate the gifts that God has placed in your lives. At OLOL we pray in thanksgiving for all of you and look forward to rejoining one another on April 12! Blessings for a safe, joyous, and restful Easter week, Ms. Moore NEW INFORMATION:
REMINDERS: LAST WEEK FOR OFF THE HOOK DINNER DELIVERY: Thanks so much for all your support of this fundraiser. Hopefully you have enjoyed some delicious dinners delivered right to your door! This is the LAST week. OLOL has won the contest for most orders received for 4 out of 6 weeks. We have raised over $450! If you can support us this week please consider ordering early (Thursday morning gets very busy at OTH!). Remember, orders are due Thursday by NOON. There are new items on the menu! Place your order now and have your Friday dinner ready to be delivered! https://www.othfundraisers.com/ ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK BY APRIL 1: If you would like to have a yearbook for this incredible year, you must place your orders online by April 1. Don't delay, order your yearbook today! You can choose hard or soft back covers. Orders are made through Freed at: (code=OLOL2021YB). SEE FLYER BELOW freedphotography.simplephoto.com/prepay/42686881?code=OLOL2021YB A special reminder for 8th grade parents: ONE copy of the yearbook is purchased for each graduate as part of the Graduation Fee. If you want additional copies you can order those as you wish. Greetings OLOL families, As we head into a long weekend for our families and some professional time for our teachers and staff, I wanted to take the time to recognize the outstanding efforts of our eighth grade students who applied to high schools this year and have been anxiously awaiting the results. At OLOL we are proud of our 8th grade students for so many reasons. Our students are kind, compassionate, and faith-filled young ladies and gentlemen. They take on the challenges of schoolwork, set an example for others as leaders in our school community, and traverse the challenges of preparing for high school. By the 8th grade, Our Lady of Lourdes students understand their responsibilities as members of their family, school, church, and community. They learn how to handle new challenges and look ahead to the next step in their development, moving on to high school. Whether our students are looking for a Catholic or public high school to continue their education we know that they will leave OLOL ready for whatever lies ahead. The application and acceptance process puts many demands on our students and their families. Our students prepared for and took the HSPT, interviewed with high school administrators, wrote essays, and more, all while maintaining a high level of performance on their 8th grade coursework. Our students were awarded various scholarships for excellence in academics, dance, theater, band, and leadership. The total amount awarded for four years of high school surpasses $150,000 in merit based scholarships. Our students highlighted their strengths and were recognized for their accomplishments across many areas. We applaud our students for their hard work and know that they will proudly represent Our Lady of Lourdes in the high school of their choice. Congratulations OLOL Class of 2021 and the future Class of 2025! Here are some of the schools hoping to see our graduates on their campus this fall: Academy of the Holy Cross Bishop McNamara Connelly School of the Holy Child Georgetown Visitation Gonzaga College High School DeMatha Catholic High School Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart Georgetown Day School Sandy Spring Friends School St. John’s College High School Our Lady of Good Counsel Have a blessed and restful weekend, Ms. Moore NEW INFORMATION: PLACE YOUR YEARBOOK ADS BY MARCH 17: It is the time of year to purchase and place your yearbook ads. The information in on our website and orders can be placed in the school store. (see flyer below) It is a great way to celebrate your graduate, send a message of pride in a year well done to your child, thank a teacher, and more. All orders must be received by Wednesday, March 17. Place your order for your half or full page ad online here and then send all images in jpeg format and messages for the text in your ad to Ms. Norton at rnorton@bethesda-lourdes.org. ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK BY APRIL 1: If you would like to have a yearbook for this incredible year, you must place your orders online by April 1. Don't delay, order your yearbook today! You can choose hard or soft back covers. Orders are made through Freed at: (code=OLOL2021YB). SEE FLYER BELOW freedphotography.simplephoto.com/prepay/42686881?code=OLOL2021YB A special reminder for 8th grade parents: ONE copy of the yearbook is purchased for each graduate as part of the Graduation Fee. If you want additional copies you can order those as you wish. REMINDERS: School is closed Friday, March 12 and Monday, March 15 for teacher professional days. Keep up to date with our Google calendar on the home page & our Monthly Calendar & To Do List: http://bit.ly/OLOLCalendar Picture Day - Thursday, March 18 Individual student pictures will be taken at school on March 18. Students will NOT wear uniforms for this year's pictures, instead they should wear appropriate picture day attire (your nicest church clothes; no jeans, sweatshirts, sportswear). See the flyer below. Friday Dinner Deliveries Continues each week in Lent: You still have many weeks to enjoy a delicious dinner from Off the Hook Catering. Orders must be placed by Thursday at 12pm each week. OLOL receives a $5 donation for each order and an extra dollar if our school has the most orders for the week! We won the first 2 weeks (and came in 2nd last week)! So far we've earned over $260! See this site for all the information you need & to place orders: www.othfundraisers.com/ The CCSE Celebrates Two OLOL Teachers - Sat., March 13 The CCSE (Catholic Coalition for Special Education) is honoring Mr. David Long and Mrs. Alison Interlandi as "Making IT Happen" award recipients. This special Virtual Gala will be held on Saturday, March 13. Online registration for the event is free and there are wonderful opportunities available to support the CCSE in their fundraising event. Visit their website to find out more about their wonderful works and how you can participate in this evening and support two of OLOL's finest teachers and show your appreciation for all they have done to support and promote inclusion at OLOL. See the homepage or private page for more information: Home / One MOORE thing.. Daily Edition Lenten Prayers Vocations Tree for ADW Seminarians During Lent the students, faculty and staff at OLOL are praying each day for 22 days for each of the 66 ADW seminarians. If you would like to pray along each day or select one of the seminarians to pray for at home during Lent, please use the links below: OLOL's Vocation Tree: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vT9fKCgOiMEdwjcfY4oscJ-gnY7KSvgM7z-ugG07lSi-fZihMHp8Jf2VORO51AXugNeTdZI9WIqfikB/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000 More Information: https://www.saintjohnneumann.org/vocations-tree Travel Requirements for Easter Break: If your family is traveling please consider the following requirements so that when we all rejoin at OLOL we do so safely for everyone:
Hello OLOL Families, I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the promise of Spring. It is rather cold today but the sun is shinning so brightly that it makes me think of warmer days ahead very soon. It is remarkable to think that it has been a year since we were affected so dramatically by COVID-19. Whenever I reflect on this last year I am overwhelmed by the constant changing, adjusting, and reinventing that we were forced to endure. Those thoughts always lead me to a place of thanksgiving and gratitude, blessed that we are all here, at this point today. Every day is a miracle, and the pandemic has only strengthened that belief within me. We still have much to do and far to go until we ever get back to what we remember as "normal". We may never get back to that "normal" exactly as it was before, but we will do wonderful things in the loving presence of God in our days ahead and we will find the joy in every moment and praise God for His infinite love. There is a particularly joyful day tomorrow for our 2nd grade students as they receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Please join me in keeping all the students receiving their First Penance in your prayers as they experience the healing love of our Father's forgiveness. Blessings, Ms. Moore NEW INFORMATION: Picture Day - Thursday, March 18 Individual student pictures will be taken at school on March 18. Students will NOT wear uniforms for this year's pictures, instead they should wear appropriate picture day attire (your nicest church clothes; no jeans, sweatshirts, sportswear). Yearbook Ads: It is the time of year to purchase and place your yearbook ads. The information in on our website and orders can be placed in the school store. (see flyer below) It is a great way to celebrate your graduate, send a message of pride in a year well done to your child, thank a teacher, and more. All orders must be received by Wednesday, March 17. Place your order for your half or full page ad online here and then send all images in jpeg format and messages for the text in your ad to Ms. Norton at rnorton@bethesda-lourdes.org. REMINDERS: School is closed Friday, March 12 and Monday, March 15 for teacher professional days. Keep up to date with our Google calendar on the home page & our Monthly Calendar & To Do List: http://bit.ly/OLOLCalendar Friday Dinner Deliveries Continues each week in Lent: You still have many weeks to enjoy a delicious dinner from Off the Hook Catering. Orders must be placed by Thursday at 12pm each week. OLOL receives a $5 donation for each order and an extra dollar if our school has the most orders for the week! We won the first 2 weeks! See this site for all the information you need & to place orders: www.othfundraisers.com/ The CCSE Celebrates Two OLOL Teachers - Sat., March 13 The CCSE (Catholic Coalition for Special Education) is honoring Mr. David Long and Mrs. Alison Interlandi as "Making IT Happen" award recipients. This special Virtual Gala will be held on Saturday, March 13. Online registration for the event is free and there are wonderful opportunities available to support the CCSE in their fundraising event. Visit their website to find out more about their wonderful works and how you can participate in this evening and support two of OLOL's finest teachers and show your appreciation for all they have done to support and promote inclusion at OLOL. See the homepage or private page for more information: Home / One MOORE thing.. Daily Edition Lenten Prayers Vocations Tree for ADW Seminarians During Lent the students, faculty and staff at OLOL are praying each day for 22 days for each of the 66 ADW seminarians. If you would like to pray along each day or select one of the seminarians to pray for at home during Lent, please use the links below: OLOL's Vocation Tree: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vT9fKCgOiMEdwjcfY4oscJ-gnY7KSvgM7z-ugG07lSi-fZihMHp8Jf2VORO51AXugNeTdZI9WIqfikB/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000 More Information: https://www.saintjohnneumann.org/vocations-tree Travel Requirements for Easter Break: If your family is traveling please consider the following requirements so that when we all rejoin at OLOL we do so safely for everyone:
 Happy Friday & happy end to a full week of school! This has been a month full of weather interruptions, but OLOL students, faculty, and staff continue to work hard and do great things! Already, amazingly enough, we are headed into the month of March on Monday. We are happy to say that many of our teachers have been able to get their first dose of the COVID vaccine. This year has been so full of challenges and during this time of Lent we reflect on Christ's challenges and suffering for us and look forward to the joy of Easter and new beginnings. In God all things are possible and we will continue to keep God in all we do and say and have faith in better days and new beginnings ahead. God Bless, Ms. Moore Preliminary Calendar Dates for 2021-2022: We have a list of major holidays, half days, and school opening and closing dates for next school year. This is a preliminary list and subject to change depending on unforeseen circumstances relating to the pandemic. See the list below and on our family web page: One MOORE thing.. Daily Edition Friday Dinner Deliveries Continues each week in Lent: You still have many weeks to enjoy a delicious dinner from Off the Hook Catering. Orders must be placed by Thursday at 3pm each week. OLOL receives a $5 donation for each order and an extra dollar if our school has the most orders for the week! We won the first week! See this site for all the information you need & to place orders: www.othfundraisers.com/ The CCSE Celebrates Two OLOL Teachers Making IT* Happen Teacher Awards *Inclusive Teaching The CCSE (Catholic Coalition for Special Education) opened their 15th anniversary year by celebrating their trailblazing partner schools at their 2019 Spring Benefit, of which OLOL was proud and honored to be recognized. The CCSE was to close their anniversary year last year by honoring a select group of exemplary teachers with their first Making IT* Happen Awards. So this year they carry on with their celebratory theme to finally honor four teachers! At OLOL we are once again thrilled and honored to have two of our own exemplary teachers recognized. We were told of this over a year ago and we are so happy to share with our community the recognition of Mr. David Long and Mrs. Alison Interlandi as "Making IT Happen" award recipients. This special Virtual Gala will be held on Saturday, March 13. Online registration for the event is free and there are wonderful opportunities available to support the CCSE in their fundraising event including dinner delivery, online auction bidding, sponsorships, and more. Visit their website to find out more about their wonderful works and how you can participate in this evening and support two of OLOL's finest teachers and show your appreciation for all they have done to support and promote inclusion at OLOL. See the homepage or private page for more information: Home / One MOORE thing.. Daily Edition Lenten Prayers Vocations Tree for ADW Seminarians During Lent the students, faculty and staff at OLOL are praying each day for 22 days for each of the 66 ADW seminarians. We have divided the 66 seminarians into groups of 3 and we will offer a special prayer each day during our morning prayers. If you would like to join us in this special Lenten prayer activity you can choose one or more of the seminarians and pray for him each day as a family. This "Vocations Tree" includes information on each of the 66 ADW seminarians and provides us with the opportunity to prayerfully support the men called to serve our Church. If you would like to pray along each day or select one of the seminarians to pray for at home during Lent, please use the links below: OLOL's Vocation Tree: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vT9fKCgOiMEdwjcfY4oscJ-gnY7KSvgM7z-ugG07lSi-fZihMHp8Jf2VORO51AXugNeTdZI9WIqfikB/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000 More Information: https://www.saintjohnneumann.org/vocations-tree  Hello OLOL Families, We end this week with a smile and a sigh... whew!, it has been busy and full of fun! We celebrated so many events this week: our successful Read-a-thon, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Valentine's Day & Tag Day Fundraiser for the American Heart Association/8th Grade Legacy Gift Fund, and now we celebrate the birth of a new baby. Mr. & Mrs. Helms have happily welcomed into the world Bernadette Marie Helms, born of Feb. 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes! What a blessing for the Helms Family and for our OLOL family. We are so happy for them and can't wait to meet Bernadette! (scroll to the bottom to see a picture of Bernadette) This week was also the deadline for our current families to re-enroll. A sincere thanks goes out to all our families for completing re-enrollment by our due date. On behalf of the priests, faculty, and staff at OLOL, I want to express our gratitude to all the families who have hung in there with us this year. In the face of so many obstacles, you have been patient, caring, and flexible as we tried and largely succeeded to give your children the best education possible. There is no surer sign of your belief in us and our commitment to this task than the fact that slightly more than 90% of families have renewed for next year. We have not had a retention rate this high in recent memory! We have many classes that have or will soon have a waiting list for new applicants. Your commitment to OLOL ensures that our great work continues on and we can begin planning for another great year for 2021-2022. The best years for OLOL are in its future! Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the Presidents Day holiday! Ms. Moore Changes for receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday: Father Rob wants all of our community to understand the changes that are in store for Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17. The Archdiocese of Washington has asked parishes to distribute ashes by sprinkling them on top of heads instead of drawing crosses on the foreheads as we see in non-pandemic times. This will limit skin-to-skin contact during the tradition. This is how ashes will be distributed at all Masses at Our Lady of Lourdes this year. Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation. We will take our 3rd through 8th graders to Mass at 9am (move our weekly Friday Mass to Wednesday). The second grade will visit church with Fr. Rob at another point in the day. All our priests and teachers will all take time with our students to prepare them for the season of Lent and share with them the significance of our Lenten ashes. The CCSE Celebrates Two OLOL Teachers Making IT* Happen Teacher Awards *Inclusive Teaching The CCSE (Catholic Coalition for Special Education) opened their 15th anniversary year by celebrating their trailblazing partner schools at their 2019 Spring Benefit, of which OLOL was proud and honored to be recognized. The CCSE was to close their anniversary year last year by honoring a select group of exemplary teachers with their first Making IT* Happen Awards. So this year they carry on with their celebratory theme to finally honor four teachers! At OLOL we are once again thrilled and honored to have two of our own exemplary teachers recognized. We were told of this over a year ago and we are so happy to share with our community the recognition of Mr. David Long and Mrs. Alison Interlandi as "Making IT Happen" award recipients. This special Virtual Gala will be held on Saturday, March 13. Online registration for the event is free and there are wonderful opportunities available to support the CCSE in their fundraising event including dinner delivery, online auction bidding, sponsorships, and more. Visit their website to find out more about their wonderful works and how you can participate in this evening and support two of OLOL's finest teachers and show your appreciation for all they have done to support and promote inclusion at OLOL. See the homepage or private page for more information: Home / One MOORE thing.. Daily Edition Lenten Prayers Vocations Tree for ADW Seminarians During Lent the students, faculty and staff at OLOL will offer a prayer each day for 22 days for each of the 66 ADW seminarians. We have divided the 66 seminarians into groups of 3 and we will offer a special prayer each day during our morning prayers. If you would like to join us in this special Lenten prayer activity you can choose one or more of the seminarians and pray for him each day as a family. This "Vocations Tree" includes information on each of the 66 ADW seminarians and provides us with the opportunity to prayerfully support the men called to serve our Church. If you would like to pray along each day or select one of the seminarians to pray for at home during Lent, please use the links below: OLOL's Vocation Tree: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vT9fKCgOiMEdwjcfY4oscJ-gnY7KSvgM7z-ugG07lSi-fZihMHp8Jf2VORO51AXugNeTdZI9WIqfikB/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000 More Information: https://www.saintjohnneumann.org/vocations-tree Red & Pink Tag Day Our Tag Day was a huge success! The 8th grade was able to raise $965 that will be split between donations to the American Heart Association and the 8th Grade Legacy Gift Fund. What a fun and beautifully pink & red day we had at OLOL! A special way to end our week. Thanks to the 8th grade for their leadership. Success of Canned Food Drive Even though our Catholic Schools Week was interrupted by some snow, our 5th grade canned food drive was a success! Thanks to the generosity of our community we were able to collect over 700 cans of food to help stock the area Catholic Charities food banks. Thank you to the 5th grade for sponsoring this service project. CONGRATULATIONS MR. & MRS. HELMS!  Happy Catholic Schools Week! It has been a short but wonderful week at OLOL! We are so blessed at OLOL, and this year more than any other we reflect on all that our Catholic school means to each one of us. We thank our parents, students, staff, pastor, priests, administrators, and teachers! We do exceptional things at OLOL because we are all committed to providing our students a "home" where Faith, Excellence, and Service are part of every step of our journey. The students had a fun day of appreciation, pizza lunch, stuffed animals and more on Thursday! Today the teachers and staff have been treated like royalty! The HSA provided a fabulous breakfast from Panera and a special donated lunch from an anonymous donor. This has been a beautiful day of thank you notes and words of appreciation. The OLOL community of parents and students have made the teachers and staff feel truly loved and appreciated, and in this year with all its difficulties what a wonderful gift to give! Thank you very much, I am so proud of our faculty and staff, and your appreciation is what makes every teacher and staff member's heart burst with pride in recognition of a job well done. Have a happy weekend & enjoy the Super Bowl! (Go Tampa Bay?! Go Kansas City?!) Best, Ms. Moore Reminders & Updates: No School Monday, February 8: Teacher Professional Day Many Valentine's Day cards are often packaged with some kind of sweet treat. It is acceptable to bring in these pre-packaged card/treats to school on Friday, Feb. 12 (please consult homeroom teacher for specifics). Please see the letter below from our Superintendent of Schools/ Secretary for Catholic Schools, Kelly Branaman, concerning the ADW's efforts to help provide COVID vaccines for school staff. Re-enrollment These are the last days for re-enrollment for all current OLOL families. We are excited to welcome you back to OLOL for the 2021-2022 school year. We need all families to re-enroll and pay the non-refundable tuition deposit by February 8 in order to ensure their child's place in each classroom. We have many interested families and will be opening up registration to new applicants after the re-enrollment deadline on Feb. 8. Please help us by re-enrolling now and guaranteeing your child's place at OLOL next year! If you have any questions about TADS or the re-enrollment process, please email Ms. Winters at awinters@bethesda-lourdes.org. 8th Grade Legacy Gift Fund Thanks to everyone who supported the 8th grade fundraising efforts in our Super Bowl Squares Contest. We have sold 100 squares and raised $1500 for the Legacy Gift Fund. Good luck to all the participants who have a Super Bowl square! Mrs. Reilly will contact winners by Tuesday, Feb. 9. Read-a-thon ~ ends Sunday, February 7 We are doing an amazing job with this year's Read-a-thon. OLOL students have currently read over 100,000 minutes and raised nearly $29,000! It is wonderful to see our students of all ages asking for extra time to read during the school day and spending time at home (away from electronic devices) to read independently or with family. Please keep reaching out to friends and family through the Read-a-thon website. Every donation makes a huge impact on our efforts to raise even more money than last year. Keep up the great reading and recording minutes at home through Sunday! Thank you for all your support! Calendar: Make sure to keep up with our dates/events on our school calendar at the bottom of our homepage, our special planner pages, and our list of upcoming dates on our OLOL One MOORE thing... Daily Edition. Weather Advisory & Communication Parents will receive a text message and email when emergency closings or delays must be announced. I will also post the message at the top of our OLOL web page. Please be sure to join our text messaging group, it is a quick and efficient way to reach our families to share emergency messages, updates, and reminders. To join our school text messaging group, please text "OLOL" to this number: (833) 977-2912 Make sure to bookmark our OLOL Family Page: One MOORE thing... Daily Edition (email office@bethesda-lourdes.org if you do not have the password). This page has calendar information, updates, reminders and more! It is updated regularly to keep our parents informed about all that is happening at OLOL. https://www.bethesda-lourdes.org/one-moore-thing-daily-edition.html Superintendent's Letter 2/5/21
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