Spirit Saturday #10

Members of the OLS Band play the National Anthem before the championship game of this year's Mark Sarich Memorial Black & Gold Tournament.

The Doors of OLS

Last week saw a flurry of activity at OLS as our students and faculty prepared for our Catholic Schools Week open house.  They displayed projects, tidied desks, and decorated their classrooms.  Their efforts produced top-notch results: the school looked fabulous on the day of the open house, and many families - both current and future - enjoyed the fruits of their labors.

In case you weren't able to join us for the open house, we brought a piece of it here to you.  Each teacher worked with his or her students to decorate their classroom door.  The door themes varied from popular characters and winter scenes to patriotic and inspirational.  Take a look for yourself to see the doors of OLS:

The Ron Kremer Memorial Scholarship

Last Friday, the Kremer Family introduced to the OLS community the Ron Kremer Memorial Scholarship during the championship game of the Matt Sarich Black & Gold Tournament.  This honor will be awarded annually to one boy and one girl from the OLS 8th grade class.  Chosen by the OLS Athletic Association, award recipients are to attend a Catholic or private high school after graduating from OLS.  They are students who have shown exceptional leadership qualities in and out of the classroom as well as on and off the court/field and are active in OLS community. They have demonstrated good sportsmanship by treating others with dignity and respect in sporting events, winning with grace and losing with honor. They impart spiritual and moral values and display ethical standards of conduct as well as encourage cooperation and team spirit.

 
This inaugural honor for 2015 was awarded to Sam S. and Izella L.  Congratulations to you both! 

The Science of Ice Cream

Wearing gloves, these sixth graders shake up their ice cream.

In science, the sixth graders completed a unit on energy and its many forms.  They studied the transfer of energy by making ice cream in a ziploc bag.  After combining the liquid ice cream ingredients, they made an ice bath to surround the liquid.  They noted that adding salt to the ice lowered the freezing point and, after a great deal of shaking, eventually allowed their ice cream to freeze.  The experiment was a great way to connect their studies of energy - and a tasty one, too!

Musical Math

Mrs. McGrath's primary math groups were recently treated to a visit from her daughter, Caitlin, a music therapy major at the University of Missouri Kansas City.  Caitlin taught the students several math songs, and they loved putting math to music.  Their songs included a skip counting song and one that helped them practice basic math facts.

The third graders practice multiplication facts in song.

Rite of Enrollment

This past Wednesday, our 7th graders celebrated the Rite of Enrollment for the sacrament of Confirmation.  Each student was enrolled as someone who would like to complete their initiation into the Catholic faith by this third sacrament of initiation.  Having been baptized as infants and nourished for the past five years with the gift of the Holy Eucharist, these young men and women are now ready to 'confirm' the promises of baptism and receive an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to help them be bold disciples of Christ.

The 7th graders and their sponsors commit to the sacrament of Confirmation.

We received word last week that Monsignor Mark Rivituso, Vicar General for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, will be with us on Friday, April 10th to confer this sacrament on behalf of Archbishop Carlson.  The Confirmation Mass at 7:00pm is open to all parishioners and is an opportunity for all members of our community to be renewed in their own commitment to Christ.  Please join us!

Chess Club

Time for a pop quiz:

1.  Where is the World Chess Hall of Fame located?

2.  What city does the #1 ranked US chess player, Hikaru Nakamura, call home?

3.  Where might you find an enthusiastic bunch of young chess players?

Studying the chess board and plotting his next move.

If you answered St. Louis, St. Louis, and OLS, go to the head of the class!  We live in an area steeped with chess lore, and our students, like many others in the area, enjoy learning the ins and outs of this game of strategy.  Students in grades 3 through 8 are welcome to join the OLS Chess Club.  In their after-school club meetings, members practice chess and improve upon their playing skills.  The club meets every other week, giving students a chance to discuss strategies, practice game techniques, and become better players.

Does your child want to join in the fun?  Contact Mrs. Siekerman for more information.

Terrarium Ecosystems

In science, the fourth graders are learning about ecosystems, or communities of living and nonliving things which interact with each other.  To put the lesson into action, the students made a terrarium as a model of an ecosystem.  They will be observing their terrariums for the next few weeks, noting how the various parts interact with each other and change over time.

Collaboration Makes it Happen

Collaboration and teamwork are a way of life for our fifth graders.  Mrs. Siekerman's students know that teamwork builds success and that working as a group makes each of them stronger.  From test preparations to writing assignments, you'll find the OLS fifth graders working together to get the task done.

These fifth grade girls find a quiet piece of hallway to prepare for an upcoming test.

Such cooperative work is not limited to our fifth graders.  Throughout our classrooms, you'll find students helping each other to achieve success.  From third grade reading pods and second grade math groups to our school-wide buddy system, OLS students know how to work together.

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

As our students and faculty are easing back into classes, we will slowly resume our posting schedule.  We have many good things in store at OLS this semester:  Catholic Schools Week, Lenten preparations, Easter, the Archdiocesan Music Festival, our annual Walkathon, First Communion, Grandparents' Day, graduation, and more.  We look forward to sharing all of these - and more - with you in the coming months!

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