Good Evening, Eagle Nation-
Before we get to today’s “three things” I wanted to extend a special thank you, to those of you who were contacted on behalf of the MNSAA Accreditation team this week. We are very proud of the way Our Lady of Peace was represented during this process and we look forward to seeing our final report in the coming weeks. In addition, I wanted to wish everyone a happy and healthy Easter weekend, and I hope everyone has an enjoyable spring break.
Finally, without further ado, here are the three things you need to know this week from Our Lady of Peace.
Paul Berry, Principal
1) Last Call to Support the OLP annual Lenten Generosity Appeal
What's New: This week is your last chance to join our Lenten Generosity Appeal to support Sharing & Caring Hands of Minneapolis. With the help of a very generous anonymous donor who has agreed to match the funds raised dollar-for-dollar, we are close to raising $20,000!
Why It's Important: On Ash Wednesday, Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church & School announced a combined effort to support Sharing & Caring Hands of Minneapolis, as a part of our annual Lenten Generosity Appeal. Understanding that the pandemic has had a particularly devastating impact on those members of our community who are food or shelter insecure, OLP decided to focus efforts on making a difference to those families right here in our community who need it most.
What's Next: Learn more about the great work Sharing & Caring Hands is doing in Minneapolis, and consider making your donation here. Any donations made by Sunday, 4/4 will be matched.
2) Kids say the darndest things
What's New: Please remember to notify the school office directly if your student(s) will not be returning for the 2021-22 school year.
Why It's Important: Waitlists have already started to form for our classrooms next year. While this is a good problem to have, we want to be able to accommodate as many students on campus next year, as safely as possible. Despite numerous requests, earlier this year, asking families to identify their intentions should they be deciding to leave Our Lady of Peace, we have reason to believe our official records may not be up to date. Conversations among students at the lunch table, or between student and teacher in the classroom, give us reason to believe that other Eagles may be flying away next fall.
What's Next: If your student will not be returning OLP next year, please take 30 seconds to complete this form. Thank you for your cooperation.
3) Smile, you’re on candid camera
What's New: Brandon Werth (professional photographer and proud OLP parent) will be back on campus tomorrow morning; please, be cool.
Why It's Important: As mentioned in yesterday’s issue of the Gala Gazette, this week we will have a photographer on campus, capturing candid action shots of the daily operations of OLP, with the intent of creating a video representation which will be debuted at the Spring Gala on Saturday, 4/24. In order to capture the most authentic representation of a day-in-the-life of OLP, please do your best to ignore the camera during drop-off and pick-up tomorrow.
What's Next: Just be cool.
Weekly Peek: Here's a few pics of what's been happening inside OLP...
We know it has been tough for parents this year, not being able to walk through campus and see what has been going on. We fully understand that most children aren't prone to share much about their day at the dinner table. Therefore, we have decided to add a new section to the Weekly 3, called the "Weekly Peek" where we will include a few quick photos with the hopes of capturing some of the action on campus. Enjoy!
1) Congratulations to 4th grade Mary A., who is the first member of the Eagle Nation to earn the Million Word Reader Platinum Award. Mary read over 2,0000,000 words since the first day of school. Word counts are generated by the Accelerated Reader quizzes students take after reading a book. Each quarter Mrs. Jameson reports which students earned one of the Million Word Reader award levels: 250,000 (Bronze), 500,000 (Silver), 1,000,000 (Gold), and 2,000,000+ (Platinum). Million Word Readers will be rewarded with gift certificates to the Scholastic Book Fair being held May 5-7.
2) Congratulations to 7th grader Colden S., who is a National History Day State Finalist for his project “Communication the key to Understanding: Computers”. Colden was nominated as a Regional Finalist by Mrs. Roth, Mr. Doyle and Mrs. Jameson, where he competed against middle school students from other Catholic and Private Schools. As a state finalist, Colden will have the opportunity to once again revise his website, based on judges’ feedback, before competing at the next level. Congratulations Colden!
3) Congratulations to Mrs. Bradburn and our 6th grade Math Masters Jane B., Scarlet C., Owen O. and Ella B., who competed both as a team and as individuals on Thursday, 3/25. Math Masters is a statewide competition that challenges 6th graders from both public and private schools by putting their mathematical skills to the test! Typically, the competition is held in one location for a fun-filled mathematical meeting of the problem-solving minds. Students work through 5 individual rounds and 3 team rounds, each one timed. This year, however, students competed virtually via an online platform. It still served as a fun way to help our mathematicians shine!
