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…September 16, 2025
Dear OLA Families,
It was such a joy to see so many of you at Back-to-School Night last week! The evening was a wonderful opportunity to connect with teachers, hear about classroom curriculum, and learn more about the exciting plans for the year ahead. Our OLA community is truly blessed by the partnership between parents, teachers, and students as we begin another year of learning and growth together.
This week also brings some exciting events! Our Welcome Wagon, sponsored by Student Council, is underway as we extend a warm welcome to all families. In addition, our Fall Raffle tickets will be sent home on Tuesday. We encourage you to take part by selling tickets and supporting the many wonderful things happening at OLA—your efforts directly enrich our school community.
Week 24th in Ordinary Time
Ss Cornelius & Cyprian. 1 Timothy 3:1-13. I will walk with blameless heart – Ps 100(101):1-3, 5, 6. Luke 7:11-17.
Hope for change
I read today’s First Reading and thought, ‘Oh, if only all leaders were like that. What a wonderful world we would have. If we had leaders like that, no one would be left out. There would be a place for everyone, and people would understand each other better.’ Now, I’ve just got back from a retreat with the theme of ‘Hope’, and I am naturally a hopeful person. I believe that most people are inherently good and caring. But I do feel despair when I see the powerful prosper at the expense of the vulnerable. The thing is, we have allowed this to happen to our world. We have not spoken up enough. It is time to call out injustice every time. To show a world that is hurting that there is hope for change. Then we will be the leaders that Paul calls us to be.
Calendar Highlights
September 17th | Panda Express Fundraiser-Victoria Ave. |
September 23rd | School Picture Day |
September 25th | Skating Plus Fundraiser |
October 3rd | All School Mass-Feast of St. Francis 9:30am |
October 8th | Art Trek Training 8:15 am-10:45am-Mulcahy |
October 13th | No School-Indigenous People's Day |
October 24th | Halloween Event |
October 31st | Halloween-Noon Dismissal |
Extended Day Care registration packets are available in the school office.
Contents of Weekly Brown Envelope
Please remove contents, complete and return any forms in the signed Brown Envelope every Wednesday.
Fall Raffle Tickets and Information Flyers
Reminder-Please turn in your Emergency cards and packets of paperwork from the beginning of school if you have not already. These documents contain important information for the school office.
Virtue of the Month
Hope is a gift from God by which we trust in Jesus Christ—that He will keep His promises and help us through the difficulties of our journey to Heaven.
Hope responds to the deep desire for happiness which God has placed in every human heart. It is not just optimism, but something much greater. As Scripture reminds us: “Hope does not disappoint.” (Romans 5:5)
🍜 First Restaurant Fundraiser of the Year – Panda Express! 🍜
Mark your calendars! Our first restaurant fundraiser is happening at Panda Express, and OLA will earn 20% of event sales.
📅 When: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00 am – 10:30 pm
📍 Where: Panda Express, 1722 Victoria Ave., Space C, Ventura
👉 To participate:
Order online or through the Panda Express App using the fundraising code found on the flyer.
Or, bring the paper flyer / show it on your smartphone when ordering in person.
Every meal helps support OLA—thank you for joining in and making this fundraiser a success!
Panda Express Fundraiser Flyer
Raffle-It’s Raffle Time!
Check those brown envelopes because raffle tickets are coming home today! This is our biggest fundraiser (and only raffle) of the year, and we need everyone’s help to make it a success.
Each family is required to sell at least 10 tickets, but the more you sell, the better your chances to win some Spook-Tacular prizes- including a chance at a Free-Mester tuition voucher at our Halloween “Boo”-gie event on Friday October 24th!
BONUS WEEK- if you sell 20 tickets by Thursday, September 25th, you’ll earn 5 BONUS entries into the raffle. Let’s work together to make this year’s raffle a big hit for OLA! Check the flyer in your brown envelope for incentives and details.
📸School picture day📸
Monarch ~ Photography
Pre order your 2025 - 2026 School Portraits!
This is the Order Link:
Click Here to Order
ALMS
ALMS (pronounced /ä(l)mz/) is always looking for parent and student volunteers to help us build a stronger presence at community and Parish events. ALMS is OLA school’s “do good” committee dedicated to getting our school involved in community programs that teach your kids the value of service to others. For more information, check out our FAQ or volunteer now
Happy New Season of Giving!!
It's the new school year, and ALMS is excited for a new year of giving back and building a stronger community! We will have opportunities to participate monthly in service projects, but we wanted to kick this year off with a really special event!
Love Ventura - Day of Giving - October 4th
Please join us Saturday (10/4) for a special day of giving back to our beloved Ventura! You will see in the link that there are many service projects that your family can be a part of.
Our group has specifically been tasked with helping with set-up for the kick-off event, so please check out our sign-up genius here. Givers of all ages are welcome to come and help! Our set-up kicks off a massive day of giving with a special rally for all givers involved.
While our set-up opportunities start at 5:30AM, the rally event starts at 8:00AM and offers free food, drinks, entertainment, and kids activities including free face painting, emergency vehicle tours and even Ventura's mobile library! Once you have set-up, stay and enjoy the fun...or if early mornings are not your thing, join for the rally and sign up for another service project.
🚗 Afternoon Dismissal Reminders 🚗
Thank you for helping our dismissal process flow smoothly in the afternoons!
Please have your name sign in your window during dismissal. If you need one, contact the school office.
Be mindful to leave openings for our neighbors’ driveways when waiting to move down Dunning Street—this is both for safety and to be courteous.
If your child is going home with another family, please email the office directly by 11:00 am at olaoffice@olaventura.org.
Parents walking up to pick up students: Please find a school staff member and give them your family name. This helps us ensure we call your students quickly and safely.
Thank you for your cooperation!
🍎 A Few Things to Know When Ordering with Choicelunch
Click Here to Order
⏰ Ordering Deadline: Full menu orders must be placed by 9:00 a.m. the day before lunch is served.
🥗 Late Orders: After the deadline, you can still order an entrée-only lunch until 9:00 a.m. on the day of service (or until lunches sell out).
❌ Cancellations: Lunches may be canceled up to 9:00 a.m. the day before for 100% credit. After that time, the lunch will be delivered to school and no credit is given.
💻 Questions? Visit the FAQ here: Choicelunch Help Center
Sports at OLA
🏃♀️ Cross Country is Off and Running! 🏃♂️
We had a great first league elementary race yesterday at DATA!
The team ran a one-mile race, and for some, it was their first. They did so well!
Our top three elementary girl runners were:
Leona Hipskind (grade 4) finished 3rd out of 122 runners, with a run time of 7:14
Evie Bart (grade 4) finished 5th overall and had a run time of 7:26
Caroline Barnard (grade 4) finished 9th overall and had a run time of 7:38
Our top three elementary boy runners were:
Calvin Ford (grade 3) finished 4th out of 133 runners, with a run time of 7:03
Andrew Navarro (grade 3) finished 21st overall and with a run time of 7:28
Kaden Busch (grade 5) finished 56th overall with a run time of 8:26
We had a great first middle school league race today at Kimball Park!
We also had the honor of hosting this meet, which would not be possible without all of our wonderful volunteers, parents, and coaches. A big THANK YOU to everyone who generously gave their time and effort to make today happen!!!
The team ran a 3 km (1.9 mi) race.
Our top three middle school girl runners were:
Naomi Isbell (Grade 7) finished 11th out of 88 runners, with a run time of 14:58
Sophia Owens (Grade 8) finished 38th overall, with a run time of 18:08
Kori DeLeon (Grade 7) finished 42nd overall, with a run time of 18:57
Our top three middle school boy runners were:
Caleb Isbell (Grade 8) finished FIRST place out of 99 runners, with a run time of 11:43
Evan Abbott (Grade 8) finished SECOND place, with a run time of 12:11
Jameson Dolan (Grade 6) finished 15th overall, with a run time of 14:38
All of our runners did an amazing job!!
Come out and support the runners!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our wonderful coaches:
Jim Montgomery | 805-368-6999 | jim@sureteq.com
Dominka Montgomery | 805-490-2957 | dominka@sureteq.com
🏈FLAG FOOTBALL!🏈
Practice is under way on Monday’s and Wednesday from 3:00pm-4:30pm. All interested players should come ready to play with PE clothes, cleats, water and a mouthpiece. Games will start next week.
🏐Girls Volleyball🏐
Practice on Tuesday from 3:00 to 4:30 and Thursday from 12:00 - 2:00pm. Coming Soon Game Schedule
Come out and support the girls and GOOOO Dolphins!!
💙 Thank you for supporting OLA Athletics—and as always…
GOOOOO DOLPHINS! 🐬
🏀 Elks Hoop Shoot – Free Throw Contest
Registration forms are available in the school office!
This free contest is open to all kids ages 8–13 (as of April 1, 2026). Winners have the chance to advance all the way to the national competition in Chicago, where their names will be inscribed in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame!
📍 Location: Boys & Girls Club, 1929 Johnson Dr., Ventura
📅 Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025
🕓 Time: 4:00 PM
🎯 Hosted by: Ventura Elks Lodge No. 1430
📞 Director Contact: Susan West – 805-340-1941
Contest winners are determined by free throw shooting percentage. Beginning at the regional level, the Elks cover expenses for both the contestant and one family member.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity!
OLA APP
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/3JwS
📋 Absent Reporting Reminder
If your child will be absent from school, please complete the Absent Reporting Form.
You can find the form:
On our OLA School App (tap the menu button)
On our school website under Quick Links
Submitting this form ensures that a daily report is generated and shared with teachers so they are aware of your child’s absence.
✅ Thank you for helping us keep our records accurate and our communication smooth!
APA BOARD CORNER
Room Parents Needed for All Classes!
We are looking for enthusiastic parents to step into the role of Room Parent for their child’s class. Room Parents help organize classroom holiday parties, teacher birthdays, communicate with other parents, and support the APA Board with one Live Auction project.
If you’re interested in becoming a Room Parent and contributing to your child’s classroom experience, please sign up. It’s a wonderful way to get involved, and we provide training to help you succeed! Being a Room Parent fulfills your entire parent hour obligation for the school year!
To volunteer or for more information, contact us at Apaboard@olaventura.org.
💌 Want to Get More Involved?
If you’d like to learn more about how you can support our school and be part of the Assumption Parent Association Board (APA), please reach out to us at apaboard@olaventura.org. We’d love to hear from you!
✨ Thank you for helping us kick off the year with joy and community spirit—we’re looking forward to a fantastic school year together!
🥳Happy Birthday
The digital marquee birthday flier is available in the school office. Announce your child's next birthday on the OLA marquee! Announcement cost is $15
🕒 School Office Hours
To best serve you, please note the times when the office is available for school business:
Morning Hours: 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Afternoon Hours: 12:50 pm – 2:30 pm
After Dismissal: 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
⏸️ Closed for Lunch: 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm
For safety and efficiency, we kindly ask that you do not come into the office during dismissal (2:30–3:00 pm), as staff are focused on student pick-up.
If your child needs to leave early, please arrange pick-up before 12:00 pm or after 12:50 pm to avoid the office lunch closure.
Thank you for helping us keep the school day running smoothly!
Safeguard Training
Protecting God’s Children
Keeping the Promise Alive (Recertification)
OLA Dates-
Saturday Sept. 20th 9 - 12 in Mulcahy
Friday October 17th from 9 - 12 in Santa Cruz.
Call the church to register 805-642-7966
Local Locations for August/September/October 2025:
Protecting God’s Children: 3 hours. Please arrive on time.
St. Raphael Catholic School (Santa Barbara). Saturday, October 4, 2025, 11:30 am. Email: office@srs805.org with last name, first name, address, city, zip phone #, email address and the date you would like to attend.
Keeping the Promise Alive: 1 hour 30 minutes. Please arrive on time.
St. Raphael Catholic School (Santa Barbara). Saturday, October 4, 2025, 9 am. Email: office@srs805.org with last name, first name, address, city, zip phone #, email address and the date you would like to attend.
There is an online option. If interested, please email olasafeguard@ola-vta.org.
Finger Printing
October 14, 2025 St. Maximilian Kolbe Church Westlake Village 5801 Kanan Rd.
(Room 1) Please call for an appointment 818.991.3915 x100.
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