Mission Statement: Our Lady of the Assumption School Commits itself to provide an education based on catholic values and academic excellence in a caring and safe atmosphere in partnership with the family and parish community.
From the Desk of the Principal…February 27, 2024
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
Saint of the Day: St Gregory of Narek
Isaiah 1:10, 16–20.
To the upright I will show the saving power of God – Psalm 49(50):8–9, 16–17, 21, 23.
Matthew 23:1–12.
They do not practice what they preach
The readings from the Prophet Isaiah and Matthew’s Gospel neatly dovetail today. Isaiah is lamenting the leaders of Jerusalem who reek of hypocrisy. He likens them to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah for they do as they want, not as God desires. Matthew recounts how Jesus describes the scribes and the Pharisees. In both cases the leaders think that they are doing the correct thing according to their own perceptions and rules. They follow the rule of man, not the heart of God. Jesus tells his disciples to do what they say but not what they do. Our Church is confronted with the deeply distressing behaviour of some in leadership who certainly do not follow the heart of God. Many have deserted the Church and some of those have been deeply hurt. Let us follow the two commandments of love of God and neighbour, and be part of the heart of God.
Virtue: Prudence
Prudence is “the very salt of life, and a light to show us the way out of its difficulties.”
-St. Francis de Sales
A c q u i r i n g P r u d e n c e
1. Learn from your mistakes: Many times in life, we make painful or humiliating choices. When this happens, we can either feel sorry for ourselves, or we can learn from our mistakes and gain wisdom. If we choose to learn from our mistakes, our deposit of knowledge builds up over time, providing us with a reservoir of experience that we can use to make prudent choices. | 2. Learn from others: If there’s one lesson the wisdom books of Scripture (Wisdom, Sirach, Proverbs, etc.) seek to drive home, it is the importance of learning from those who are older than wiser than we are. This takes humility, but if we can borrow the experience of others to fill our prudential reservoir, it will save us from many painful lessons. | 3. Consider carefully: Some people tend to be rash and hasty in judgment, whereas others tend to be more careful and cautious. Sometimes this impulsiveness can be a good thing, but most of the time it is not. When faced with a choice, we need to control our desire to leap into action, and instead carefully consider the ramifications of our choices. As St. Augustine said, “Patience is the companion of wisdom.” |
Prudence is a virtue that takes time to acquire, but because it governs the other virtues, it is one of the most important virtues we can possess. Choose to learn from your mistakes, learn from others, and patiently consider your choices, and before your know it, you will be well on your way to being prudent and wise.
The Saints we are walking with this month in our classes are:
PK - 2: St. Junipero Serra
Gr. 3 - 5 : St. John Neumann
Gr. 6 - 8 : St. John XXIII
Calendar Highlights
March 6 | Beginning of 3rd Trimester |
March 6 | Art Trek Training 8:15 am-10:45 am Mulcahy |
March 6 | Parent Hours Due |
March 6 | Wednesday Lenten Soup Super - OLA School |
March 8 | No School-Deanery Meeting |
March 12 | APA Board Meeting 6pm-OLA School |
March 15 | All School Mass-8am St. Patrick’s Day Mass |
March 21 | Skating Plus Fundraiser 6pm-8pm |
March 22 | OLA Works of Mercy-Non Uniform Dress $1 |
March 27 | Noon Dismissal-Start of Easter Break-Non-Uniform Dress Day |
March 28-April 7 | Easter Break |
April 8 | School Resumes |
Extended Day Care registration packets are available in the school office.
Contents of Weekly Brown Envelope
CSUCI STEAM Carnival Flyer
“How Can You Help” flyer with auction/sponsorship information
Please remove contents, complete and return any forms in the signed Brown Envelope every Wednesday.
Lent menu for hot lunch-During the Lenten season which is now through March 28, our hot lunch provider, KB Catering, will not be preparing meals with meat on Fridays. If an order is placed in advance for a lunch on Friday containing meat, a substitution will be made with a vegetarian option. If a vegetarian option is not available, the meal will be substituted with cheese pizza. Please be mindful of this when placing orders for hot lunch from now until after Easter.
Please feel free to contact Kurt at KB Catering or the school office with questions.
Kurt-805-754-6220 School Office-805-642-7198/jennifer@olaventura.org
Parent Hour turn in Day-March 6th
Please submit your 2nd trimester parent hours by Wednesday March 6th. Hours will be recorded and a statement will be sent back the following week. There will be one more turn in day in May. After the May turn in invoices will be sent for those who did not complete the 30 required parent hours per family. Thank you for volunteering at our wonderful school. Your participation enhances our school community!
Please contact the school office with any questions. jennifer@olaventura.org/805-642-7198
APA BOARD CORNER
Looking for the perfect addition to your Easter basket or just a sweet treat for someone special this Easter?
Our See’s Candies fundraiser started, February 13th and goes through Tuesday March 12th.
Order forms and money are due no later than Tuesday March 12th. Please make checks payable to OLA. Orders will arrive and be distributed before Easter break.
Thank you for supporting our wonderful school!
Questions, call or email the school office. 805-642-7198/jennifer@olaventura.org
TK & Kindergarten Applications are now being accepted for the 2024-2025 school year. If you or someone you know is interested in our TK or Kindergarten program please have them complete an application on our website olaventura.org. Assessment will take place in March. Any questions please contact the school office 805-642-7198.
Amazon Wish Lists
“Fund the Classroom” Amazon Wish Lists-Thank you for all the wonderful items parents have been donating through the Amazon Wish Lists! The lists will remain active until the end of the school year. Share with out of town family and friends and check back often as new items will be added.
Each class has created a list of items that would be helpful in their classrooms. Please click on the class below if you would like to donate an item. Remember every $15 spent earns 1 parent hour. If you choose to have the item shipped directly to the school,Please complete the gift receipt when completing your purchase so we can get the item to the correct classroom and give you a little shout out.
Hot Lunch Helpers-Looking for a way to earn parent hours?
We are always in need of parents to help sort and deliver hot lunches on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Please arrive between 11:30 and 11:40. Lunch sorting is done by 12:10. Helpers will receive 1 parent hour for helping. Remember if you stay for lunch duty until 12:40 you receive 2 parent hours. That sounds like a win-win!! Lunch volunteers must be Virtus certified and fingerprinted through the Archdiocese.
Lunch cancellation due to absence-Reminder-If you placed an order for hot lunch and your child will be absent please notify the caterer at 805-754-6220 before 9:00 am to cancel and receive a refund. Thank you!
Lost and Found
Please check the lost and found located outside the school office. With the weather changing students are going to need their sweatshirts and jackets. The basket is very full and growing daily! We also have a jar of small items found in the parking lot and around the school. If you are missing an earring, necklace, etc. please stop in and take a look.
New OLA Long Sleeve PE Shirts-
We have added a long sleeve dri-fit PE shirt to our uniform options for PE days. Shirts are available in the school office all year long along with our standard PE t shirt, shorts and crew neck sweatshirts. The new long sleeve shirts are $16.00. Contact the school office to purchase or with questions.
Dolphin Nation
Boys Basketball
Dolphins win 51-27. OLA played cross town rivals St. Augustine on Wednesday 2/21. Our boys walked on the court with confidence. We had a clear height advantage, and we made use of it. It was a team win with all of the boys playing. The 8th Graders led the way with much improved play. Theo had some lovely baskets, and connected with Max on the fast break. Henry stole the ball several times and drove to the basket. Lukas and Jackson both had key offensive rebounds.
The 76’s were rotating regularly into the game and the crowd could feel the young Dolphins gaining confidence. Thomas had several defensive rebounds, and a few assists on the break. Leo had a few breakaway layups. Taylor scored a sweet shot. Jacob, Samiah, and Zedekiah played solid defense, trapping and forcing the other team to make errors.
OLA vs Santa Clara 1-Monday 2/26 will be rescheduled due to rain.
Next game OLA vs St. Sebastian Wednesday 2/28 at OLA 3:30pm
Girls Basketball
Our girls played St. Sebastian on Thursday 2/22. It was an exciting low scoring game with our girls pulling out the win!! OLA 10-St. Sebastian 8. Way to go girls!!
Next game Thursday 2/29 OLA vs St. Mary Magdalen 1 at OLA 3:30pm
Check our app for complete schedules and scores.
Goooo Dolphins!!
The digital marquee birthday flier is available in the office. Enjoy announcing your child's next birthday on the OLA marquee! Announcement cost is $15
The APA Board would like to thank all the wonderful families of OLA for volunteering and participating in the many fundraising efforts this year. If you are interested in joining for the 2023-2024 school year please contact Jennifer Bamieh jenniferbamieh@yahoo.com
Reporting an absence:
If your child will be absent from school, please complete the Absent Reporting form. This form can be found on our app, tap the menu button or on our website under quick links. This will generate a report that is given to teachers daily. Thank you!
Stay up-to-date with access to events, documents, news from administrators, student stories, and even emergency notifications.
You can download the app for free on Google Play or Apple App Store.
Download for Android https://bit.ly/3HRxTwQ
Download for iPhone https://apple.co/3JwStCO
School Office Hours
The best times to conduct school business in the office are:
Mornings
8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Afternoon
12:50 pm - 2:30 pm
Closed for Lunch(12:00-12:50)
After Dismissal hours:
3:00pm-3:30pm
Please do not come in during dismissal. On regular dismissal days the time is from 2:35-3:05 and noon dismissal days the time is from 11:50-12:15. We are calling students for pick-up and are unable to give you uninterrupted attention.
The office is closed for lunch from 12:00pm-12:50pm, if your child needs to leave early from school Please pick them up before 12:00 pm or after 12:50pm.
At Home Rapid Covid Test kits:
Test kits are available in the office. Please contact Jennifer Colitti at jennifer@olaventura.org. You are also welcome to come into the office and pick up tests for your family.
Office of Safeguard the Children
Zoom Protecting God’s Children and
Keeping the Promise Alive
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles mandates all clergy, staff, whether paid or volunteer, and all volunteers who work in any capacity with or around children, the elderly, or people with special needs to complete the initial three-hour VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children for Adults™ program. The program helps clergy, staff, volunteers, and parents to understand the facts and myths about child sexual abuse, how perpetrators groom children and young people, and how they, as caring adults, can learn and implement the important “Five Step Plan” to Protect God’s Children in helping to prevent child sexual abuse.
More than 150,000 clergy, staff and volunteers have participated in these training sessions throughout the five Pastoral Regions of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Please know you are welcome to attend a training at any parish in our diocese. To learn where the training is taking place visit lacatholics.org and under the pull down menu titled PROTECT/REPORT move your cursor to Safe SafeGuard the Children then to Education and Training. In that section you will be able to navigate to all the training sessions. Our region is the Santa Barbara Region.
Training at OLA:
Protecting God’s Children (Initial Course). To register please call Dea Boheme for more information at 805- 390-1260.
Location: Santa Cruz Room
Keeping the Promise Alive (Re-Certification Course): To register please call Dea Boheme for more information at 805- 390-1260.
Location: Santa Cruz Room
Upcoming Santa Barbara Region Fingerprinting Sessions
Student Learning Expectations (SLE’S)
OLA Students aim for the S.T.A.R.S when they:
SHOW AND LIVE THEIR FAITH
THINK CRITICALLY AND WORK COOPERATIVELY
ACTIVELY MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
RESPECT OURSELVES AND OTHERS
STUDY AND LEARN