“Let us rise up, then, and set out as pilgrims of hope, so that, as Mary was for Elizabeth, we too can be
messengers of joy, and peace.”

Saint John Lateran

Important Dates:
Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024 – Stations of the Cross 11:00 am. Everyone Welcome.

• Noon Dismissal
• No YouthCat
• Hot Lunch to be delivered at 11:00 am

Good Friday, March 29, 2024 – School and Office closed for Good Friday
Monday, April 1, 2024 – School and Office closed for Easter Monday
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 – Pro-D Day – School and Office closed
Friday, April 19, 2024 – Grade 6 Immunization
Friday, May 3, 2024 – Crowning of Mary – Mass 9:30 am
May 8, 9 and 10, 2024 – Outdoor Education Grade 6 and 7
Friday, May 17, 2024 – Pro-D day – School and Office closed
Monday, June 3, 2024 – Pro-D day – School and Office closed

*Please refer to the OLM Calendar for any changes or important dates

Drop Off Reminder
This is a reminder that students are to be dropped off only in the designated area. Please do not drive to
the front of the school where the playground is at any time between 7:45 am – 4:00 pm. We are so
thankful that parents are willing to be traffic supervisors. We ask you to be respectful if a supervisor
approaches you to remind you of any safety rules.

Sneak Peak
Next week we will be launching a Special fundraiser for Mother’s Day. Look out for that notice!

We wish everyone a Blessed Easter.

Our Winter Food Drive was once again a huge success, due to the generous donations by our OLM Community. The food collected will help two food banks in our area:

• Don’t Go Hungry in New Westminster – feeding over 500 families weekly. 
• Help Us Belong  in Burnaby – Feeding over 500 families weekly.

Your donations, while they may seem insignificant, are impactful to those in need. We believe that a single action can make a difference in the community and that collective action can impact the world. Congratulations O.L.M.!!

In other Leadership Club News, we are excited to participate in the Shoebox Project. We will be donating 20 personally crafted gifts that contain a mix of essential everyday items and small luxuries that any woman would love! These boxes are meant to uplift and empower women who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Money raised from hot dog days, popcorn/chips and frozen treat sales have been used to fund this project. More community outreach projects will take place in the new year. 

Dates to remember:

• Thursday, February 15 and Friday, February 16 – Catholic Education Conference – No school
• Monday, February 19 – Family Day – No school
• Thursday, February 22 – Annual General Meeting and Registration Package pick up 7:00 pm
• Tuesday, March 5 – Student-led Conferences and 
                                – Registration packages review panel in the OLM Gym (See below)

A reminder that there is no school this Thursday and Friday (February 15 and 16) due to the Catholic Educators’ Conference, and no school on Monday (February 19) due to Family Day.

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 7:00 pm. At least one parent must attend this mandatory meeting. Please note that Registration packages will be available for pick up at the end of the event. 

Student-led conferences will be from 1:30 pm – 6:30 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The students will be dismissed at 12:00 pm. There will be no YouthCat on this day.

Due to the large number of incomplete registration packages returned last year, there will be a new registration format this year. Therefore:

• To register your child for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, a panel of individuals will be accepting completed packages in the gym between 1:30 pm – 7:00 pm on the Student-Led Conference Day (Tuesday, March 5, 2024). 
• We will review the package with you present and only accept complete packages. 
• Please ensure you have a VOID cheque for the debit authorization. We will NOT be accepting “same as last year” on the form. 
• Please also note that returning students will have a student verification form (White Re-Registration form) included in their package. Kindly review the information and update any changes with a colored pen (red preferably). 
• A reminder that if you are applying for an out-of-parish subsidy, to notify your parish as these forms need to be received in the package to be processed.

Happy November! Please see below for an update on some of the important things happening around our school in the next little while.

Remembrance Day
Please join us on Friday, November 10th for our Remembrance Day celebration. Families are welcome to attend mass with the school at 9:30, as well as the assembly to follow at 10:45, (please note the slight adjustment in timing from the online school calendar).

A big thank you to the teachers and students who have been working hard to prepare the assembly for us!

There will be no school on Monday, November 13th, as it is a provincial holiday.

Three-Way Conferences: Grades 1-7
Those families that have been with us for a while may remember three-way conferences. After a few years of communicating student learning in the first term through student-led conferences, we are once again giving this format a try!

Student-led conferences involve multiple students leading their family member(s) through their classroom and a portfolio of their work at the same time. Three-way conferences, on the other hand, are scheduled, private meetings between the classroom teacher, the student, and their parent(s). During this time each party is given a chance to share about the student’s
learning and discuss next steps for growth.

Please note that Kindergarten will still be using a student-led conference format this term.

Conferences will take place on November 30th, between 1pm and 6pm.

• there will be NO SCHOOL for students on Nov. 30, other than their scheduled conference time
• there will be no YouthCat
• families will soon be invited to schedule a 10 minute interview time for each of their children
• students are to wear their school uniform to their conference
• This is a mandatory event. All families are expected to attend.

Christmas Concert Costumes
It’s almost that time of year again! Please see the “Student Provides” column of the attached costume list to see what your child will need to bring for their costume. Costumes will be due into classrooms on December 4th.

Helpful Tips:

• label every part of your child’s costume-even socks!!
• send your child’s costume neatly folded in one clearly labeled bag, (paper works well!)
• if you have any questions about your child’s costume, please contact Miss Krenosky

Kindness Week
This week is Kindness Week at OLM! “Spots of Kindness” currently line our hallways, and many of oure doors are sporting signs advertising that “Kindness Starts Here.” Each day, students will be encouraged to engage in activities that help them to notice kindness in others, and promote kindness in themselves. We are looking forward to a great week!

Volleyball
Congratulations to all of our teams on a great season with lots of teamwork and improvement! Special congratulations, and best of luck to our Grade 5 team as they won their quarterfinal game, and will be continuing their play-off journey next week!

Important Upcoming Dates:

• November 13th: No School
• November 15th: Pro. D. Day. NO SCHOOL for students. The office will be open.
• November 16th: Skating for Grades 6 and 7
• November 30th: Student-Led Conferences. No school for students.
• December 1st: Student Learning Updates for Term One go home to families
• December 4th: Christmas concert costumes due