Mission Statement: Our Lady of the Assumption School Commits itself to provide an education based on catholic values and academic excellence in a caring and safe atmosphere in partnership with the family and parish community.
From the Desk of the Principal…November 19, 2024
Happy Thanksgiving:
The Faculty, Staff and I would like to take this time to wish you all a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. As we count our blessings let us look forward to making room in our hearts for Jesus this Advent season. May God Bless you, your families, and friends. Thank you!
Week 33 in Ordinary Time
Apocalypse 3:1-6, 14-22.
The one who is victorious I will sit beside me on my throne – Psalm 14(15):2-5. Luke 19:1-10.
Through Jesus we know God
Zaccheus wants to see ‘what kind of man Jesus was’, and to do so he wants to physically see him. He gets up a sycamore tree, so keen is he to check out Jesus. It’s a small thing, but suggestive. When we want to know about a person, we may seek out information from others; we might have a look at an online profile. But it will be in our physical encounter with the other person that we will get the best sense of who they are. We are bodily beings, after all.
This is the extraordinary thing about the Incarnation: that God imparts the Second Person of the Trinity into human form that we come to know what kind of God we have. In the very act we find something of who God is – one who comes to ‘seek out and save what was lost’. We can savour that.
OLA Virtues Program
Each month we introduce a different virtue to our students along with Saints to pray with and learn about. This is the Year of Faith and our theme for the year is Service.
The virtue for November is Stewardship ~ Returning to God the first fruits of your time, talent, & treasure.
Saints for the Month of November
PK - 2: Saint Elizabeth
In her short life, Elizabeth manifested such great love for the poor and suffering that she has become the patroness of Catholic charities. The daughter of the King of Hungary, Elizabeth chose a life of penance and asceticism when a life of leisure and luxury could easily have been hers. This choice endeared her in the hearts of the common people throughout Europe.
Elizabeth understood that the Christian must be one who serves the humblest needs of others, even if one serves from an exalted position. Of royal blood, Elizabeth could have lorded it over her subjects. Yet she served them with such a loving heart that her brief life won for her a special place in the hearts of many. Elizabeth is also an example to us in her following the guidance of a spiritual director. Growth in spiritual life is a difficult process but with a focus on formation, prayer, and hospitality we can grow!
Gr 3 - 5: Blessed John of Fiesole (or Fra Angelico as he was nicknamed) was a very talented artist in the Dominicans (the order of preachers). He painted beautiful images of Jesus, Mary, and many of the saints. His paintings have become so famous that copies of them can be found all over the world.
Blessed John Believed that to paint a true image of Jesus Christ, the painter had to be Christ-like, and so he began all his paintings with prayer. The beauty and the prayerfulness of his paintings earned him the nickname b which he is known today, “Brother Angel or Fr Angelico”
Grades 6, 7, & 8 St. Giuseppe Moscati
As a Doctor he took a very holistic approach, "Remember," he once wrote to a young doctor, one of his former students, "that you must treat not only bodies, but also souls, with counsel that appeals to their minds and hearts rather than with cold prescriptions to be sent in to the pharmacist." Giuseppe Moscati regarded his medical practice as a lay apostolate, a ministry to his suffering fellowmen. Before examining a patient or engaging in research he would place himself in the presence of God. He encouraged his patients, especially those who were about to undergo surgery, to receive the sacraments.
Calendar Highlights
November 2o | 1st Parent Hour Turn In Day |
November 21 | Make Up Picture Day |
November 20-22 | Parent Conferences-Noon Dismissal |
November 25-29 | No School-Thanksgiving Break |
December 9 | All School Mass 9:30 am-Hosted by 7th Grade |
December 10 | APA Board Meeting 6pm |
December 13 | Barnes & Noble Bookfair |
December 18 | Christmas Program 7pm in the Church |
December 20 | Noon Dismissal |
December 23-January 3 | Christmas Break |
January 6 | School Resumes |
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.
No Contents Today
ALMS (pronounced /ä(l)mz/) is a new OLA committee/club for both parents and students that was created to support the school’s mission to provide its students with a caring and safe learning community that imparts and promotes our Catholic faith to future generations. Through volunteer work and a stronger presence at community and Parish events, ALMS is OLA school’s “do good” committee. As an added benefit, certain programs can earn parent hours! This means you can get involved in the community, teach your kids the value of service to others, and earn parent hours all at the same time. For more information, check out our FAQ or volunteer now.
Questions? Suggestions? Email us at alms@olaventura.org
ALMS: Extra Halloween Candy Drive
Students and parents came together last week to sort and package over 100 lbs. of extra Halloween candy that was donated to Operation Shoebox. We even had extra candy to donate to local food banks. One of the kids said, “It feels good to help!” Be sure to report student participation to activate your child’s ALMS student membership. Email us at alms@olaventura.org with any questions.
ALMS: Mountain Fire
Last week ALMS delivered gift cards to St. Mary Magdalen’s School in Camarillo for Mountain Fire victims at their school. Thanks to all the families that donated! As always, any help your family offers to an ALMS project will activate your child’s ALMS membership for the current trimester so be sure to report participation. Email us at alms@olaventura.org with any questions.
ALMS: Surfrider Beach Clean-up
Parents, alongside their kids (and their dogs) gathered last Saturday for Surfrider’s monthly beach-clean up at the Ventura Promenade - "C"-Street. Students and parents had a blast, while doing something good for our environment! One of the parents commented “What a great event!” ALMS and OLA also got a shout out from the Surfrider Foundation so the community is seeing the good work we are doing!
Parent Hours-1st turn in day-Wednesday November 20th. Please send any completed hour in the brown envelope. Hours will be recorded and forms will be returned after Thanksgiving break. Hours turned in after November 20th will be recorded in March.
The Parent Participation hours are SELF REPORTED. Tuition alone does not cover the cost of educating a child. The Parent Participation Program helps to achieve more parent involvement and at the same time helps to meet the rising costs of school operation. Each family is required to give 30 hours of service to the school according to the participation options on the Parent Agreement Form. Families have the option of donating the participation fee in lieu of working the hours, for a maximum of $450. A maximum of 10 hrs. is allowed for Scrip. (Every $200 script purchase = one hour.)
Please submit forms on or before the following dates: Wednesday November 20th, Wednesday March 12th and Wednesday May 21st (blank forms are available in the school office)
Barnes & Noble-Save the Date
Barnes & Noble Book Fair-Join us on Friday December 13th from 3:00 pm -7:00 pm for our annual book fair at Barnes & Noble-4820 Telephone Rd. Ventura, CA. We will have face painting, a scavenger hunt and a fun craft! With the purchase of an item your child will receive a non-uniform dress pass and a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of three gift cards for Barnes & Noble. The non-uniform dress day will be on Thursday December 19th.
Our Charleston Wrap Fundraiser Kicked off last week! With over 2,500 gift ideas there is something for everyone on your holiday gift! REGISTER online today at www.registercw.com and START SHARING with your family & friends via TEXT, email and social media. Our organization is Group # 24996
The school will earn 30-40% of all purchases (price varying on items), and all items are shipped directly to the purchasers. Please share with all your friends and family so OLA can earn as much holiday cheer as possible!
Fundraiser ends December 6th.
Hot Lunch
New! Choice Lunch
A few things to keep in mind when ordering with Choicelunch -
Our regular ordering deadline to order from the full menu is 9 am the day before lunch will be served. After 9 am the day before lunch has passed, you will be given the option to order an entree-only lunch, up until 9 am the day lunch will be served or until lunches sell out.
Lunch can be canceled as late as 9 am the day before it will be served for 100% credit. After this point in time, the lunch will be sent to the school and there is no credit given.
You can also find our FAQ here - https://help.choicelunch.com/hc/en-us
OLA Parish Events 
Click HERE to register
Sports at OLA
OL
A Flag Football
Our flag football team played against Sacred Heart on 11/13, We Won!!!!! Their next game will be Wednesday November 20th here at OLA vs Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Game time is 3:30. Come out and support the team!
OLA Girls Volleyball
We will have 2 girls volleyball teams.
Our 6th grade team is playing hard and really gaining momentum. Playoff will begin soon.
Our 7th/8th grade team will play three games last week. The team is playing well! Their next game will be Thursday, November 21st her at OLA vs Our Lady of Guadalupe.
All games start at 3:30. Come out and support the teams and GOOO DOLPHINS,
Stay up-to-date with access to events, documents, news from administrators, student stories, and even emergency notifications.
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
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!
APA BOARD
Have questions or are interested in joining us? The APA meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6pm. We’d love to see you! Email us at: APAboard@olaventura.org.
The Assumptions Parent Association (APA) Board is dedicated to supporting our school through event planning and fundraising efforts throughout the year. We invite you to join in on the fun by becoming a part of one of our committees:
Hospitality: Assist in organizing events and showing appreciation to our teachers and staff.
Communications: Help keep our school community informed about upcoming events.
Volunteer: Coordinate parent volunteers for various school activities and events.
Fundraising: Plan and support our fundraising efforts.
If you’re interested in joining a committee or learning more about what we do, please reach out to us at Apaboard@olaventura.org. We look forward to working together to make this year a great one for our students and school!
If you’d like to learn more about how you can support our school and get involved with the Assumptions Parent Association Board, please reach out to us at Apaboard@olaventura.org. We look forward to working together to make this year a great one for our kids!
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.
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
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.
Training at OLA: None at this time.
Protecting God’s Children (Initial Course) In the Santa Cruz Room. To register please call the OLA Church Office for more information at 805- 642-7966.
Keeping the Promise Alive (Re-Certification Course): To register please call the OLA Church office for more information at 805- 642-7796.
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
STUDY AND LEARN