Our Lady of the Assumption School

✝️ Today's Readings – Keep Your Lamps Lit!

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Ephesians 2:12–22

Luke 12:35–38

Today's readings remind us of a beautiful message from Jesus: “Keep your lamps lit!” These words encourage us to remain faithful, hopeful, and ready to recognize God's presence in our everyday lives.

In the Gospel, Jesus reminds His followers to be prepared and attentive. Keeping our lamps lit means allowing the light of Christ to shine through our words, choices, and actions. We do this when we show kindness, offer forgiveness, help someone in need, or simply make another person feel welcomed and valued.

In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul reminds us that we are no longer strangers or outsiders, but members of God's family. Each of us belongs, and each of us has an important role in building a community rooted in faith, peace, and love.

What a wonderful message for our OLA school community! As we continue to embrace our schoolwide theme of Community and October's virtue of Friendship, we are reminded that true friendship helps others grow in goodness and brings the light of Christ into their lives.

Our students are learning that they do not have to wait until they are older to make a difference. Every act of kindness, every encouraging word, and every effort to include someone helps build God's kingdom right here at OLA.

A Thought for Our Families:

🙏 Lord, help us keep the light of Your love burning brightly in our hearts. Open our eyes to those who need our kindness, guide us to be faithful friends, and remind us that everyone belongs in Your family. May our words and actions reflect Your love each day. Amen.

Anchored in Faith, We Learn, Serve, and Shine!

💛 October Virtue of the Month: Friendship

Our virtue for the month of October is Friendship:

“Sharing a mutual love that seeks the good of the other.”

Friendship is such an important part of our students’ lives. At OLA, we want our children to understand that true friendship is rooted in virtue. A true friend wants what is good for us, encourages us to make good choices, supports us when things are difficult, and helps us become the best version of ourselves that God created us to be.

True friendship is more than simply having fun together or having things in common. A good friend helps another person grow in virtue, excellence, and happiness. This means being honest, loyal, forgiving, encouraging, and willing to stand up for what is right.

Friendship also connects beautifully with our schoolwide theme of Community. Strong communities are built when we care for one another, welcome others, celebrate each other's successes, and make sure everyone knows they belong.

🌿 Preschool–Grade 2: St. Benedict & St. Scholastica

Our younger students will learn about St. Benedict and St. Scholastica, a brother and sister who shared a deep love for God. Their relationship reminds us that some of our first and most important friendships can begin within our own families. They encouraged one another in faith and in their desire to grow closer to God.

For our youngest students, their example reminds us to listen, share, forgive, pray for one another, and be a good friend.

🤝 Grades 3–5: St. Basil the Great & St. Gregory Nazianzen

Our students in grades 3–5 will learn about St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, whose friendship was strengthened by their shared faith and desire to serve God.

Their friendship reminds us that a true friend does more than agree with us—a true friend encourages us to grow, make good choices, use our gifts, and become the person God calls us to be.

🏔️ Grades 6–8: Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati

Our middle school students will learn about Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, a joyful young man known for his deep faith, friendships, love of the outdoors, and generous service to people in need.

Pier Giorgio understood that friendship and faith belonged together. He enjoyed spending time with his friends, but he also encouraged them to pray, serve others, and grow closer to Christ. His life provides our middle school students with a wonderful example of how young people can positively influence their friends.

🏡 Family Connection

Families can help reinforce this virtue at home by talking about what makes someone a true friend. Encourage your children to think about whether their friendships help them grow in kindness, faith, honesty, and good choices—and how they can be that kind of friend to others.

💛 A Challenge for Our Students

Throughout October, we encourage our students to ask themselves:

“Am I the kind of friend who helps others become their best?”

May we help our children understand that the best friendships are those that lead one another toward kindness, goodness, joy, and ultimately toward Christ.

Anchored in Faith, We Learn, Serve, and Shine!

APA BOARD CORNER

OLA Fall Raffle Update 🎟️

This is the last week to work towards our schoolwide goal of $45,000! Free-Mester Tuition Raffle and cash prizes will be drawn at our Halloween BOO-Gie on October 30! 🎃

🌡️ Schoolwide Goal

We’re 68% of the way there!

🎉 $30,634 Raised

🎯 

Goal: $45,000

💰 

$14,366 to Go!

This is the last week to turn in raffle tickets. Keep selling to reach out goal for the entire school to earn a dessert party! We can do it Dolphins!

Reminder, each family is required to sell at least 10 tickets. 

🚎 Treat Trolley Update

The following classes have reached another goal and will earn their class incentive Friday, 10/23/2026🎉

Trolley visit, non uniform dress, dessert party and extended recess!

1st

3rd

4th

5th

Trolley visit and non-uniform dress!

6th

7th

8th

🏆 Top Sellers

1. Charles and John Duddy

2. Oliver and Rhett Meyers

3. David and Giselle Solis

Thank you for helping us work toward our $45,000 schoolwide goal! 

Every ticket sold gets us closer. Keep selling, OLA! 💙

🎃 Save the Date – Halloween BOO-Gie Bash!

Mark your calendars for Friday, October 30 for OLA’s Annual Halloween BOO-Gie Bash!

If you would like to help plan this fun community event, please contact the APA Board.

🤝 APA Volunteers Needed

Our APA is also looking for parent volunteers to assist with:

• Co-Treasurer – Support the Treasurer with duties and attend monthly meetings in person or virtually.

• Communications – Assist with creating and updating flyers and emails for APA events and activities.

Please contact apaboard@olaventura.org or text APA President

Susan Cazares at 925-963-1697 if you are interested in helping.

✨ Thank you for supporting OLA and helping make this year's raffle a success. When our families work together, we strengthen the wonderful sense of community that makes OLA so special.

Anchored in Faith, We Learn, Serve, and Shine! 🐬

Calendar Highlights  

         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. 

Sports at OLA

🏈 OLA Flag Football – Dolphins Fight to the Finish!

Our OLA Dolphins played a hard-fought game against Santa Clara on Monday, October 19, showing great determination and teamwork!

The game ended in a 6–6 tie, with Mark Avila (#20) scoring OLA's touchdown! To break the tie, both teams were given one final opportunity to score. Santa Clara successfully converted its attempt, while OLA came up just short, resulting in a final score of Santa Clara 12, OLA 6.

We are proud of our Dolphins for their perseverance, sportsmanship, and effort until the very last play!

🐬 Upcoming HOME Games – Come Cheer on Our Dolphins!

🏈 Monday, October 26

• OLA vs. Ventura Christian

• Time: 3:30 PM

• Location: OLA – Home Game

🏈 Wednesday, October 28

• OLA vs. St. Augustine

• Time: 3:30 PM

• Location: OLA – Home Game

We invite our OLA families to come out, wear their school colors, and cheer on our team! Your encouragement means so much to our student-athletes.

Let's fill the sidelines with Dolphin spirit! 🐬💙

Go Dolphins!

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ OLA Elementary Cross Country – A Fantastic Season!

What an incredible season for our OLA Elementary Cross Country team! Our Dolphins wrapped up their season with an outstanding performance at the Championship Meet, and we couldn't be prouder of their accomplishments!

🏆 Congratulations to our Girls Team for placing 3rd overall out of 16 teams and our Boys Team for finishing 8th out of 16 teams!

Throughout the season, our runners demonstrated determination, perseverance, teamwork, and wonderful sportsmanship. They challenged themselves, encouraged their teammates, and grew stronger with every race. Most importantly, they had fun, built friendships, and created lasting memories!

🏅 Championship Meet Highlights

JV Girls

• 🥉 Ruthie Barnard (3rd) — 3rd out of 148 runners, 7:54.43

• Gemma Greaney (5th) — 11th, 8:27.49

• Raffaella (5th) — 23rd, 8:41.89

JV Boys

• Hayden Heiser (5th) — 70th out of 154 runners, 8:43.33

• Crosby Nobel (4th) — 79th, 8:53.09

• Lucas Mendoza (5th) — 99th, 9:17.02

Varsity Girls

• 🥇 Evie Bart (5th) — 1st out of 102 runners, 6:25

• Caroline Barnard (5th) — 10th, 7:00

• Everly Cazares (4th) — 22nd, 7:13

Varsity Boys

• Jensen Fink (4th) — 18th out of 105 runners, 6:30

• Andrew Navarro (4th) — 30th, 6:46

• Leonardo Calderone (5th) — 45th, 7:03

🏆 A special congratulations to Evie Bart for her first-place Varsity finish and Ruthie Barnard for her third-place JV finish! What wonderful accomplishments!

View the complete Championship Meet results here.

💙 Thank You to Our OLA Community!

One of the greatest highlights of this season has been watching our school community come together to support our young athletes.

A heartfelt thank you to our coaches, parent volunteers, and families who generously gave their time, cheered from the sidelines, and encouraged our runners throughout the season. Your support helped make this such a memorable experience for our students.

As we celebrate October's virtue of Friendship and our schoolwide theme of Community, our Cross Country team has given us a wonderful example of both. They have learned that being a great teammate means encouraging others, celebrating their successes, and supporting one another through challenges.

The greatest victories are not always measured by a stopwatch or a finishing place, but by the friendships formed, confidence gained, and character developed along the way.

Congratulations to every one of our runners on a fantastic season! You have represented OLA with pride, determination, and true Dolphin spirit!

Go Dolphins! 🐬💙

Anchored in Faith, We Learn, Serve, and Shine!

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OLA School App Video

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

📋 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!

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

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. 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. 

 Safeguard Training

Protecting God’s Children

Keeping the Promise Alive (Recertification)

Local Locations for August/September/October 2026:

Protecting God’s Children: 3 hours.     Please arrive on time.

Initial Certification Requirement

New Dates Coming Soon!

There is an online option. If interested, please email olasafeguard@ola-vta.org.

Finger Printing

Fingerprinting Requirement

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