Principal’s Corner

Dear Parents: We live in the wide open state of Arizona. So it is ironic that this week I have to address an issue of space constraints. We received an e-mail this week from the property manager of the shopping center immediately north of the school.  She wrote that she is encountering problems with unauthorized parking on that property.

Specifically, she noted that some parents drop off and pick up students in the parking lot during the week.  Additionally, she pointed out that some parishioners use the parking lot on Sundays while attending Mass. Both of these interfere with businesses on the property. As a result, she wrote, “If unauthorized parking continues after March 26, 2012, we will begin blocking off the parking lot in areas needed and taking other measures to leave our parking lot open to customers…”

The school’s parking lot can accommodate the needs of the parents.  In the morning, there is ample space. I have surveyed the parking lot on different days at pickup time. There are available spaces in the southeast quadrant. Another way to use the parking lot expeditiously at dismissal is to arrive about 15 minutes after the end of school. The number of vehicles is significantly lessened at that time.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Let’s avoid any unpleasant experiences by adhering to the expectations of the owners of the shopping center.
Dr. Sheridan

Half Day Fri, No School Mon

Please note these schedule changes for today and Monday for the Festival:

Today – Friday, March 16 – Early Release 12:30pm Festival Set-up
Monday, March 19 – NO SCHOOL Festival Cleanup

As a safety precaution, the children should not be on the playground after 12:30pm during setup for the Festival, so please arrange for prompt pickup.

Remember: You can check our online calendar for upcoming events and special schedules anytime on the school website at www.olmcschool.info. 

No School and Half-Days

Please note that we have several no school or early release days next week:

Monday, March 12 – NO SCHOOL Diocesan In-Service
Friday, March 16 – Early Release 12:30pm Festival Set-up
Monday, March 19 – NO SCHOOL Festival Cleanup

Please note there will be no lunch and no Student Council Snack Sale on Friday, March 12 due to Festival preparations. As a safety precaution, the children should not be on the playground after 12:30pm during setup for the Festival, so please arrange for prompt pickup on that day.

Remember: You can check our online calendar for upcoming events and special schedules anytime on the school website at www.olmcschool.info. 

Calendar Reminder

Please note that we have several no school or early release days coming up:

Friday, March 9 – NO SCHOOL Spring Break
Monday, March 12 – NO SCHOOL Diocesan In-Service
Friday, March 16 – Early Release 12:30pm Festival Set-up
Monday, March 19 – NO SCHOOL Festival Cleanup

Please note there will be no lunch and no Student Council Snack Sale on Friday, March 12 due to Festival preparations. As a safety precaution, the children should not be on the playground after 12:30pm during setup for the Festival, so please arrange for prompt pickup on that day.

Remember: You can check our online calendar for upcoming events and special schedules anytime on the school website at www.olmcschool.info. 

OLMC Falcons Run

Congratulations to all the students that came out for our run at Tempe Beach Park on Saturday February 11. OLMC had the most kids from any school running. What a way to represent and show our school spirit. The next race will be in March, date TBA.

Thanks,
Kerry Camberg

First Aid Volunteers Needed

Calling all physicians, nurses, EMT/paramedics, first responders! We need your expertise to help provide first aid coverage for the upcoming festival. It takes just a couple hours of your time and is a great way to participate in festival activity! James Johnson, First Aid Chairman, may be contacted at heyjj2004@yahoo.com for more information or to sign up for a shift time.

For the latest Festival news, be sure to like us on Facebook and check out the Festival page on our OLMC School website.

Principal’s Corner

Parents: There are four parts to this week’s column. The first regards the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Results are back with the assurance that they have been scored correctly. We will send them home with your children the week of Feb. 6. We will have parent-teacher conferences at the beginning of March. That would be a good time to review the results with the teacher.

Secondly, the parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society thanked the children for all they did in 2011. The letter stated that “on a regular, students at OLMC contribute such items as food and hygiene products…” The letter commented on the “impressive amount of diapers that the students collected before Christmas.”  The Society expressed its gratitude for the $130.08 given in the mission jars. All of this is just one part of Student Council’s annual Works of Mercy Campaign.

Thirdly, two families received tuition help from funds raised at the annual Night of Hope evening. Each fall, the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Phoenix, holds this event to establish an endowment fund to assist families in the future. This year the event was so successful that money was awarded to current families. We thank the Diocese for this aid.

Lastly, I need to comment on a less pleasant occurrence. We had two traffic incidents last week. They occurred because of the use of the access lane along Rural Road on the west side of the school (see below). I have written in the past that parents should not use that area to drop off and pick up students. The parking lot has sufficient space to accommodate parental needs – see our Parking & Traffic Safety Map. Please do not use the access lane because next time, we might not be so lucky as to have only property damage.
Dr. Sheridan

Safe Environment Training

Attention Parents: To continue volunteering at our school, you MUST comply with Diocesan Policy that requires each volunteer to take the “Called to Protect for Ministries” class. To help us meet that requirement for the diocese, we need you to complete the training. Thank you to those who have already completed their training.

For any parent volunteer who has not taken the foundation class, the following “Called to Protect for Ministries” classes are taking place over the next month or so.

• Thursday, Jan. 12, 2-5pm – Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Scottsdale
• Tuesday, Jan. 31, 6-9pm – Blessed Sacrament, North Scottsdale
• Tuesday, Feb. 7, 6:30-9:30pm – St. Bernadette, North Scottsdale
• Saturday, Feb. 18, 9am-Noon – OLMC, McCready Hall, North Side

Volunteers can go to www.safeenvironmenttraining.org to register for any of these classes.

Why is training needed? “Education is one of the keys to abuse prevention. We must continue to be vigilant in our awareness through education and regular attendance at scheduled training sessions” –Catholic Diocese of Phoenix

If you have questions please feel free to contact Beth Jacobson, OLMC Safe Environment Coordinator at the Parish Office 480-967-8791 ext 206 or by email beth@olmctempe.com.

Police: Child Safety Alert

Tempe Police have communicated an important safety alert regarding an incident involving a child in a neighboring jurisdiction. While not in Tempe, the incident does highlight the need to be vigilant when it comes to our children’s safety. Parents, please take a moment to read the attached message and go over the enclosed safety tips with your children.
Dr. Sheridan 

Mandatory Volunteer Training Deadline

We love our volunteers at OLMC! However, to continue volunteering at our school, you MUST comply with Diocesan Policy that requires each volunteer to do an online annual renewal. To help us meet that requirement for the diocese, we need you to complete the online training by next Friday, Nov. 11. Thank you to those who have already completed their training.

Why is training needed? “Education is one of the keys to abuse prevention. We must continue to be vigilant in our awareness through education and regular attendance at scheduled training sessions” –Catholic Diocese of Phoenix

Please go online today to www.safeenvironmenttraining.org. Click on “My Obligations” and enter your name and street address at the bottom of the page. Confirm your information and go to “Online Renewal”. It will then prompt you to take any of the trainings listed.

If you have questions please feel free to contact me at the Parish Office 480-967-8791 ext 206 or by email beth@olmctempe.com.
Beth Jacobson, OLMC Safe Environment Coordinator