Principal’s Corner – February 26, 2017
Dear OLMC Community,
Preparations for our annual Parish Festival are in full swing. The festival this year will take place on April 1st. We will have a half day on March 30th and no school on March 31st in preparation for the festival. The sign-up genius for family volunteering was sent to you in a RenWeb alert on Friday. Please be reminded that each family is required to volunteer six hours to the festival. We are grateful for your support of this event which serves to directly benefit our students and school. Festival t-shirts are now available to buy before and after school. We will have two separate jeans days coming up for those students who have purchased this year’s festival shirt.
There will be half days this week on Thursday and Friday for conferences. There will be no learning labs on Thursday. Any student who remaining on campus after 12:45 p.m. will report to Kid’s Club on both of those days.
I know all of our families make every effort to be on time for school. However, if your student is arriving to school late, after checking them into the office, please send them into their classrooms on their own to minimize any disruption to the start of the school day. It is imperative that teachers start their daily routines at 8:15 a.m. when school begins. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Bruce Hermie
Principal
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic School
Happening this Week:
Don’t forget to put the following dates on your calendar:
- E–L Registration Packets Accepted
February 27, 2017 - Deadline for Yearbook Pictures
February 27, 2017 - Garden Club Meeting
February 27, 2017 - Cub Scout Meeting
February 27, 2017 - Festival T-Shirt Sales
Every Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday until Festival - A–D Registration Packets Accepted
February 28, 2017 - M–Q Registration Packets Accepted
March 1, 2017 - Ash Wednesday Mass
March 1, 2017 @ 2:00 p.m. - Catholic Education Arizona Scholarship Application Opens
March 1, 2017 - Box Tops for Education Collection
March 1, 2017 - R–Z Registration Packets Accepted
March 2, 2017 - No Learning Labs
March 2, 2017 - Parent/Teacher Conferences & Half Days
March 2-3, 2017 - Festival Kickoff Coffree
March 3, 2017
Before School - A–Z Registration Packets Accepted
March 3, 2017 - Re-Registration Fee Deadline
March 3, 2017 - School Skate Party @ Skateland
March 3, 2017 - Junior High Pizza Sale
Every Friday (All Lunchtimes) - School Lunch Ordering Deadline
Every Saturday (by 5:00 p.m.) - Falcon Winter Sports Schedule
Check out our game day schedules.
You can access our full, interactive calendar on our website or print off our 2016-17 PDF calendar.
Festival Signup Genius Now Open
The 2017 “Unity in Community” Parish Festival is fast approaching, and in order for the festival to run smoothly and efficiently, each family is required* to work the festival a minimum of 6 hours.
- 2 hours may be completed prior to Festival Week
- 4 hours must be completed during Festival Week
Each family has been assigned a Family ID, included in the festival packets. This family ID is required to sign up for all volunteers. When registering for volunteer hours for the festival, be mindful that there are separate tabs at the top of the sign-up page for all volunteer opportunities available. On mobile devices this appears as a drop down menu. Please review all five tabs for the volunteer opportunities, and sign up for what will work best for your family. You may make changes to your volunteer hours via the signup genius up until March 26th at midnight.
Other important reminders:
- High school students who wish to receive service hours should sign up on our student signup only.
- The Signup Genius will officially close on March 26th at midnight to prepare for the festival. Any modifications after this deadline will have to be made with our volunteer coordinator, Ashley Hall.
- While volunteers may complete 2 hours prior to the festival, all 6 hours may be completed during Festival Week (Monday, March 27th through Sunday, April 2nd).
For additional questions or concerns, please contact Ashley Hall. Thank you for supporting the OLMC festival.
*OLMC students may not fulfill the family volunteer requirement. Per the school contract, if you do not fulfill your required hours you will be charged $100.00 per uncompleted hour.
This Week on Campus
This week we’re gearing up for our parish festival, and the students are fine examples of what our festival benefits. Read More>>
Re-Registration for 2017-18
Administration sent home re-registration packets with your oldest child. Please see the flyer for the tuition rates, fees, financial aid information, and additional registration information for the 2017-18 school year. Tables will be set up on the following days from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. to accept your completed registration forms and to assist you with any questions you may have. Read More>>
Important Festival Information
The 2017 “Unity in Community” Parish Festival is right around the corner! The festival date is Saturday, April 1, 2017 from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and there’s a lot we’re doing to prepare. Make sure you’re up-to-date on the latest:
- Festival Kick-off Coffree
- Family IDs for volunteer hours
- Food Handlers Card Required for Festival Food Booths
- Safe Environment Training Required to Volunteer @ OLMC
- Festival Baskets Donations Needed
New to the school this year? Learn about our annual parish festival on our Festival page.
Festival T-Shrits Now on Sale
Come pick up your 2017 “Unity in Community” Parish Festival t-shirt! Sales are every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from now until the festival. T-shirts are $10.00 each. Adult and child sizes available. Festival t-shirts are acceptable wear for school spirit days and for P.E.
OLMC Silent Auction Needs You!
The OLMC Parish Festival Auction Committee is looking for donations to the silent auctions. We will take any new item, large or small!
- Christmas or birthday gifts you would like to regift
- Clean out your gift stash or birthday closet
- Things you meant to return and now its too late
- Season tickets you are not going to be able to use (ASU Gammage, Symphony, Ballet, Sporting Events)
You can drop off your donations in the school office. Not sure if we can use it? We probably can! Feel free to email auction@olmcschool.info to ask about what you’d like to donate. For more information see our blog or our auction flyer.
March Lunch Menu Available
The lunch menu for March is available on the Falcon Catering website. Please note that lunch is not offered on school holidays or half days.
*New Feature: Everyday favorite macaroni & cheese!
Note: Please ensure checks are payable to Casey Productions LLC. You may write one check for all students ordering lunch.
Also, the deadline to order lunches is Saturday at 5:00 p.m. for the following week. In addition, you have the option to order for the entire month at a time. Please visit the website for ordering information.
Festival Book Sale
Do you have old books, games, or movies taking up space in your cabinets and shelves? The festival book sale is looking for the following new or gently used items:
- Books
- Games
- Software
- Technology Items
- Music
- DVDs/Blu-Rays
Please drop off your donations at the storage unit at the south end of the basketball court by Thursday, March 30th. Thanks for your support!
Jeans Day for 2-Liter Donations
Each student is asked to bring in three 2-liter bottles of soda for this year’s festival ring toss. This is one of the most popular events at the festival so we need everyone to pitch in. Each class with 100% participation will earn a jeans day April 7th. Please bring in your bottles of soda between March 17th and March 30th. Thank you for your support!
Yearbook Deadline for Pictures
The last day to submit pictures for this year’s yearbook is February 27, 2017. Do you have snap shots of the happenings on campus–like spirit days, family skates, or classroom events?
Why not preserve life-long memories and contribute your photos for consideration in the yearbook? Here’s what we’re looking for>>
Note: we will continue to accept pictures after the deadline for NEXT year’s yearbook.
Garden Club Meeting – Feb. 27th
The OLMC Garden Club is meeting:
Monday, February 27, 2017
from 3:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
in the 4B Classroom
This club is open to students in 4th through 8th grade. Come help us plant for the season! Read More>>
Donating Box Tops Pays Off!
OLMC would like to thank all those who have donated Big ‘G’ Box tops for Education. Our last submission yielded almost 3,000 box tops for a total of $295.60 for Mt. Carmel! Keep bringing them in! You can submit them in our collection bin in the school office. Our next submission date is in May. Many box tops expire June 1st so please bring them in as soon as possible so we include them in our submission. Every little bit helps! Thanks, Mt. Carmel!
For a list of participating products, please visit the Box Tops for Education website.
Join the Cub Scouts
Pack 71 is up and running! We’re always looking for new members. Come join us for our next meeting:
February 27, 2017
At 6:30 p.m.
in the North Hall
For a list of our upcoming events, please see the flyer. For questions, please contact Kathleen Polowski.
School Skate Party – Mar. 3rd
Skateland will donate $1.00 per paying party back to OLMC. If we have at least 50 people attend, Skateland will donate $5.00 per paying party back to OLMC. Wristbands are free!
Ash Wednesday Mass
Ash Wednesday mass is scheduled for March 1, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. and marks the beginning of our Lenten season. This Mass will be open to the community, and parents are encouraged to come.
Spring Sports Schedule
Our girls basketball teams are raring to go for our spring season. We invite the community to come out to the games to support OLMC athletics. Games are free of charge, and all are welcome. Please visit our blog for a list of game times. Go Falcons!
Learn more about the OLMC athletic department on our website.
Box Tops for Education Collection
There’s a Box Tops for Education collection date coming up on March 1, 2017. Please turn all the box tops you’ve collected in to the office so we can submit them by this date.
We will also continue to collect box tops after this date for future collection dates. For a list of participating products, please visit the Box Tops for Education website. Thank you for your contributions!
Parent/Teacher Conferences – Mar. 2nd & 3rd
Teachers will dismiss their classes at 12:30 p.m Thursday, March 2, 2017 and Friday, March 3, 2017 to allow for parent/teacher conferences.
These conferences are optional; however, they are available for parents wishing to speak with teachers regarding their child’s progress.
Read More>>
Thank You From the Dad’s Club
The Dad’s Club would like to thank all those who attended the 2017 Father/Daughter Dance and contributed to its success. Thanks to all the dads, moms, students, faculty, friends, volunteers, and daughters, the evening was a huge success. Your hard work and dedication is always appreciated.
Join the Mary’s Hands Service Club
OLMC is starting a new hands-on service club on campus beginning:
March 6, 2017
3:15 p.m to 4:00 p.m.
in Room 8B
We love Jesus, and because we love Jesus as Mary did, we are called to serve one another. This club is open to students in grades 4 through 8 and will meet on Mondays. The club will sponsor and organize several service trips, as well as provide service to our school and church community. For more information please contact Mrs. Garcia, Mrs. Gabreski, or Mrs. Iwan.
Third Quarter Report Cards – Mar. 15th
The grading period ends March 9th, and report cards go out Wednesday, March 15th at the end of the day via e-mail. Please contact the school office if you do not receive your child’s report card by March 16th. To view the OLMC grading scale, please visit our website.
No School – Mar. 10th & 13th
There is no school Friday, March 10th and Monday, March 13th due to a school in-service and spring break. If you have questions, please contact our school office.
Summer Movie Fun
Read all about how to see 7 family-friendly movies for only $7.00>>
Visit the Summer Movie Fun website for the movie lineup and additional information. If we sell between 51 and 150 season tickets OLMC receives 20% back. If we sell more than 151 season tickets we’ll receive 30% back! Questions? Contact our FFT office for more details.
AAA Scholarship Foundation Applications Open March 15th
Paper and Online applications for new and transfer families will be available March 15, 2017. Application fees are $30.00 for online applications and $35.00 for paper applications. Funds are awarded for a 3-year period. To apply online please visit the AAA Scholarship Foundation’s website.
Questions? Contact Rita Villegas in our parish office.
Learn More About This Year’s Festival
Did you know that we have a festival page on our website? There you can find a wealth of information about this year’s parish festival.
You can also turn in your pre-sale form to our Festival Kickoff Coffree. New to our school/parish? Read all about the importance of our festival on our news site or check out our countdown or pictures from last year’s festival at the bottom of our festival page.
FFT Wants Your Used Ink and Toner Cartridges
Read our Recycle page for more information.
Use ShopwithScrip for Fuel Purchases
Going to the pump can be a big expense, but with ShopwithScrip fundraising you can help earn funds for our organization when you fill up your tank! Make those gallons of gas work for more than just your car by purchasing shopwithscrip gift cards to pay for all your fuel expenses.
Our ShopwithScrip program offers gift cards from many major gas retailers, and many of our gas brands are available in Reload! This means that with select brands you can add funds to gift cards you’ve already purchased and have them available by the next day* when you pay with PrestoPay™. See how much you can earn when you’re fueling up:
Imagine if 10 people were using ShopwithScrip to pay for their gas! How about 20, 30, 100 or more? Earn each time you fill your tank!
*For orders placed before 3:30 p.m. Eastern, Monday-Friday
Coming Up:
- Mary’s Hands Service Club Meeting
March 6, 2017 - Grading Period Ends
March 9, 2017 - Kids’ Raffle Turn in Days
Every Thursday until Festival (Additional dates also listed) - No School
March 10-13, 2017 - AAA Scholarship Foundation Applications Open
March 15, 2017 - Report Cards
March 15, 2017 - Deadline to Order Harkins Summer Movie Fun
March 16, 2017 - Kids’ Raffle Turn in Days
March 17, 2017 (Additional dates also listed) - Kids’ Raffle Turn in Days
March 24, 2017 (Additional dates also listed) - Deadline to Sign Up for Mandatory Festival Hours
March 26, 2017 (Midnight) - Kids’ Raffle Turn in Days
March 29, 2017 (Additional dates also listed) - Deadline for Festival 2-Liter Bottles Donations
March 30, 2017 - Deadline for Festival Book Sale Donations
March 30, 2017 - IBE Scholarship Application Deadline
March 31, 2017 - OLMC’s 2017 “Unity in Community” Parish Festival
April 1, 2017
You can access our full, interactive calendar on our website or print off our 2016-17 PDF calendar.
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