News from the School

2/23/20

Principal’s Column

We are certainly enjoying the non-winter weather this week! We feel so fortunate that the weather has cooperated and the kids can get outside for recess and during the After School Program. It was a shortened week since we had off for President’s Day, which makes the rest of the week fly by. The students are working hard, and as I walk through the classrooms, I am always amazed at how enthusiastic children can be about learning. For example, I was in the 1^st grade classroom as they learned about the layers of the ocean, and what fun it was to watch them grasp the concept with a STEM experiment using a water bottle half filled with water, blue food coloring and vegetable oil. Our 6^th grade social studies class spent time discussing the Greek Olympics, correlated them to our modern day Olympics, and then created posters to represent them. The 5^th grade computer class is taking their research on the state of New Jersey and creating Powerpoint presentations using all the bells and whistles they can find to make them interesting! The 2^nd grade is immersed in learning about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which will be here the 2^nd week of March. Each day just proves again and again that the value of a Catholic education cannot be matched.

To support that concept, our 8^th grade teacher, Mrs. Ann-Margaret Emde, was a presenter at the Diocesan Science Curriculum Meeting this week. Faculty and administration from around the Diocese of Trenton gathered together to hear and see the changes to our science curriculum, which has been rewritten and updated to reflect the Next Generation Science Standards. Mrs. Emde has been an active contributor and participant in this Diocesan update, and everyone in attendance was impressed with the skills of each of the faculty members who gave up much time to make sure our science curriculum reflects the excellence we expect.

We ended the week with our 2^nd annual Spike to Serve Volleyball Tournament, sponsored by the PTA. I send out a huge thank you to the organizers, especially Mrs. McKee, for getting us together for such a fun night. Thank you also to the parents and faculty who proved their skills on the volleyball courts—we are definitely a competitive group of individuals! Ending the week as a school community makes me so happy, and the PTA has done a wonderful job of creating that family feeling.

As we begin our final week of February, I ask that you continue to pray for us as our enrollment process continues. I am excited to see new faces and families come through our doors to register, and encourage anyone to come see all the good we do!

Peace & Blessings,
                                                                Maureen Tuohy, Principal
www.olsschool.us