From the Desk of the Principal…May 28, 2024

Tuesday  the 8th  week of Ordinary Time

1 Peter 1:10-16. The Lord has made known his salvation – Psalm 97(98):1-4. Mark 10:28-31.

Grace is a free gift

The relationship between grace and holiness is emphasized in today’s readings. We have been left with a legacy from medieval theology that grace is a commodity and that we can earn it and be ‘topped up’ by receiving sacraments. This is not the grace that Peter talks about, or the psalmist. Grace is God’s heartbeat in the world. It is there for us to tap into – we have not had to earn it as it is a free gift. Accepting this gift can bring us to holiness. ‘Be holy, for I am holy’. God has already worked wonders and through Jesus we know the path to take. As Cardinal Newman said, ‘To be human is to change; to be perfect is to have changed often’. By tapping into the grace that surrounds us and is freely available, we will be able to reverse our lives and become one of those who are first.

Virtue for the month of May~   Responsibility

Pardoning those who have offended you.

Responsibility

Being reliable in your duties and accountable for your actions~

When looking at responsibility we must remember we have free will. Freedom is the poser, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility.  By free will one shapes one’s own life.  Human freedom is like a superpower that helps us grow and become better people by choosing what is true and good.  When we use our freedom to follow God and seek happiness, that’s when it’s at its best. 

The Saints we are walking with this month in our classes are:

Pre-K - Grade 2: St. Peter

Saint peter, you asked Jesus to forgive you for denying Him, and He made you the first pope !  Help me to be responsible.   Amen 

Saint Peter Pray for us!

Grades 3 - 5: St. Henry II

Saint Henry, you fulfilled the duties God entrusted to you and faithfully served the people of your kingdom,  Above all,, you tried always to be faithful to Jesus, the tru King of the world.  Help me to be responsible for all my duties , and to grow in holiness by serving God and others.  Amen 

Saint Henry II, Pray for us!

Grades 6 - 8:  Blessed Bartolo Longo

Blessed Bartolo Longo, although you had offended God severely, you turned back to him in confession, and dedicated your life to reparation.  Help us to be honest with ourselves, to take responsibility for our actions and sins, and to be determined to change them for the glory of God.  Intercede for us that we may have strength to repent, as you did. Amen

Blessed Bartolo Longo, Pray for us!

Calendar Highlights  

     Extended Day Care registration packets are available in the school office. 

Contents of Weekly Brown Envelope

• Works of Mercy Flyer

Please remove contents, complete and return any forms in the signed Brown Envelope every Wednesday. 

Used Uniform Sale-Volunteers needed to supervise the used uniform sale. Wednesday June 5th and Thursday June 6th. Click on the Sign Up Genius link for available times. Hours can be applied to this year or saved for next year. 

Used Uniform Sale Volunteer Sign Up

Hot Lunch Helpers-Looking for a way to earn parent hours? 

We are always in need of parents to help sort and deliver hot lunches on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. 

Please arrive between 11:30 and 11:40. Lunch sorting is done by 12:10. Helpers will receive 1 parent hour for helping. Remember if you stay for lunch duty until 12:40 you receive 2 parent hours. That sounds like a win-win!! Lunch volunteers must be Virtus certified and fingerprinted through the Archdiocese. 

Lunch cancellation due to absence-Reminder-If you placed an order for hot lunch and your child will be absent please notify the caterer at 805-754-6220 before 9:00 am to cancel and receive a refund. Thank you!

Lost and Found

Please check the lost and found located outside the school office. With the weather changing students are going to need their sweatshirts and jackets. The basket is very full and growing daily! We also have a jar of small items found in the parking lot and around the school. If you are missing an earring, necklace, etc. please stop in and take a look. 

New OLA Long Sleeve PE Shirts-

We have added a long sleeve dri-fit PE shirt to our uniform options for PE days. Shirts are available in the school office all year long along with our standard PE t shirt, shorts and crew neck sweatshirts. The new long sleeve shirts are $16.00. Contact the school office to purchase or with questions. 

The digital marquee birthday flier is available in the office.  Enjoy announcing your child's next birthday on the OLA marquee! Announcement cost is $15

The APA Board would like to thank all the wonderful  families of OLA for volunteering and participating in the many fundraising efforts this year. If you are interested in joining for the 2023-2024 school year  please contact Jennifer Bamieh jenniferbamieh@yahoo.com

Reporting an absence:

If your child will be absent from school, please complete the Absent Reporting form. This form can be found on our app, tap the menu button or on our website under quick links. This will generate a report that is given to teachers daily. Thank you!

Stay up-to-date with access to events, documents, news from administrators, student stories, and even emergency notifications.

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

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.  On regular dismissal days the time is from 2:35-3:05 and noon dismissal days the time is from 11:50-12:15. 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. 

At Home Rapid Covid Test kits:

Test kits are available in the office.  Please contact Jennifer Colitti at jennifer@olaventura.org.  You are also welcome to come into the office and pick up tests for your family. 

Office of Safeguard the Children 

Zoom Protecting God’s Children and 

Keeping the Promise Alive 

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles mandates all clergy, staff, whether paid or volunteer, and all volunteers who work in any capacity with or around children, the elderly, or people with special needs to complete the initial three-hour VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children for Adults™ program. The program helps clergy, staff, volunteers, and parents to understand the facts and myths about child sexual abuse, how perpetrators groom children and young people, and how they, as caring adults, can learn and implement the important “Five Step Plan” to Protect God’s Children in helping to prevent child sexual abuse.

More than 150,000 clergy, staff and volunteers have participated in these training sessions throughout the five Pastoral Regions of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Please know you are welcome to attend a training at any  parish in our diocese.  To learn where the training is taking place visit lacatholics.org  and under the pull down menu titled PROTECT/REPORT move your cursor to Safe SafeGuard the Children then to Education and Training. In that section you will be able to navigate to all the training sessions.  Our region is the Santa Barbara Region. 

Protecting God’s Children (Initial Course 3 hours). 

St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church ( Simi Valley) Tuesday, June 11, 2024 6 pm. This Session will be conducted in Spanish, is open to other parishes and school members, plase call 805-279-5735 to make a reservation. 

Keeping the Promise Alive (Re-Certification Course 1 hour 30 minutes):

Upcoming Santa Barbara Region Fingerprinting Sessions

• June 18, 2024 - Notre Dame School Santa Barbara.  Please call 805-965-1033