Help Wanted

Can you give an hour or two of your time to make the Waiting for Jesus Christ event a success? Waiting for Jesus Christ is an Advent program designed to ready us for Christmas. It will take place at Our Lady of Sorrows on Saturday, November 21st from 9:00am-12:00pm.

Volunteers are needed to help plan and implement this wonderful event for persons of all ages. There is work that can be done at home, the day before, and the day of the event. Please contact Christina Sanders at 314-351-1600 or comment on this post if you are able to help.

Diagramming Sentences

Diagramming sentences can be tricky business! But our 6th graders, like the student pictured here, make it look like a piece of cake. Compound subject? No problem for these diagramming pros.

Pink Out!

On Monday, the OLS community wore pink to help support cancer research. For a $1 donation, students could dress in their favorite pink shirt and enjoy a pink cupcake at lunch. The halls were filled with brightly-clad students and faculty as they joined together to make a difference in the countless lives affected by cancer.

Through the OLS Pink Out, we donated $139.75 to the American Cancer Society! Thank you for your generosity and your support of this important cause.

Faculty Development

On Friday, faculty from several south city schools participated in a workshop presented by Catholic Family Services. Our Lady of Sorrows hosted the event, which was attended by faculty from OLS, St. Joan of Arc, St. James the Greater, and St. Stephen Protomartyr. The presentation was titled "Effects of Trauma on a Child's Development" and included a discussion of different types of trauma and their consequences. When exploring techniques for dealing with traumatized students, the presenters emphasized empathy and fostering positive relationships between the student and teachers.

Preparing for Reconciliation

Last Thursday, the OLS 2nd graders had the privilege of participating in a reconciliation retreat. Run by two energetic Sacred Heart Sisters, the retreat included stories, crafts, games, and songs, all geared towards teaching the students about this special sacrament of forgiveness.

From a retelling of the Prodigal Son to a thorough description of the 10 Commandments, the sisters strove to explain sin and forgiveness in terms that made sense to the young students. Our 2nd graders enjoyed their special day and are looking forward to celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation in early December.

All About the Eye

The 7th and 8th grade science classes are learning about the eye. On Monday, Dr. Amy Garbo visited OLS and presented a hands-on lesson to our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. She taught the students about the anatomy of the eye, common diseases of the eye, and how to care for one's eyes.

Dr. Garbo began her lesson by assigning each student a partner. One member of each pair was blindfolded and the other was instructed to lead. The students then exchanged roles so each could experience what it would be like to perform basic tasks without the sense of sight.

Though Dr. Garbo's visit is over, the lesson on eyes continues! The junior high students will travel to Saint Louis University next week to dissect a pig eye.

Student Reporter News: 7th Grade Studies

Now that second quarter is underway, our students are firmly established in their classroom routines. Two of our 7th graders, Halie and Dylan, report on some of their recent studies:

"Well the school year is moving along pretty fast and it's been fun. We have already gone through one class book. In my opinion, I thought the book could drag you into the story and really make you feel like you were there. Elijah of Buxton was adventurous and very exciting. 7th grade is tough but fun."  -- Halie M.

"Seventh grade science is definitely a step up from sixth, but that was to be expected. We are learning about so many things, such as graphs, the scientific method, experiments, and many other things. Today we made what's called a box and whisker plot, which is a type of graph, but as complicated as rocket science. Still, science is very fun and one of my favorite classes. Even though it's hard, it still makes me want to learn more about it!"  -- Dylan W.

Learning to Welcome

In religion class, our kindergarten students have discussed welcomes. They learned that Jesus welcomed little children (like them!) by saying, "Let the children come to me." By welcoming others, they can live like Jesus and welcome Him into their lives.

As a reminder of the importance of being welcoming, Mrs. Kresyman and her class created a sun that hangs outside their classroom door:

Schoola Clothing Drive

The OLS Home & School Association is once again encouraging our community to clean out their closets to raise funds for our school. Through Schoola, our families can donate gently-used women's and children's clothing (as well as women's shoes and handbags), which are then sold online at schoola.com. Schoola donates 40% of the profits back to OLS.

We are holding a clothing drive this week, so bring your donations to the Faenger Hall lobby by Wednesday. We appreciate your support!

Preparing for Construction

Thanks to the generosity of parishioners, alumni, school families, and friends, OLS has reached our fundraising goal, and we can begin work on replacing the aged school roof! Construction crews begin next week with extensive tuckpointing, which will be followed by tearing off and replacing the roof. To prepare for the construction, the students and faculty in our 3rd floor classrooms need to be relocated. They will work out of temporary classroom space for the duration of the 4-week construction schedule.

The first of the construction equipment is delivered.

Join us in prayers of thanksgiving for the generous community that pulled together to meet this crucial need! And pray for good weather, timely construction, and patience for our faculty and students during this unusual time. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!

Student Reporter News: Family Group

Family groups are one of the unique elements of an OLS education. These groups are made up of students from all grades, and they meet throughout the year for various activities, such as shared lunch and recess, group board games, and field day. Today, two of our 6th graders report on the first family group meeting of this school year:

"We recently had our first family group meeting. This group is for getting to know other children in the school. At our first meeting, we decorated a poster and learned more about each other. I decided to interview Alex S., a kindergartner. I asked Alex what he has learned in kindergarten and how he has liked it so far. 'I like doing crafts," he said. 'We learned how to spell red, yellow, blue, and green.' The kindergartners also wore a few of these colors on special days. It sounds like this kindergartner is loving life in his new class." -- Anna S.

"This week at OLS, students were introduced to their family groups. Every family group is made up of a small group of students; this is the first year the preschool kids will be able to join us. In addition, every family group will have a teacher to act as a leader. All of the family groups also got to make a sign with their color and everyone's name on it. Every group was also assigned a color to wear during the school's annual field day. I don't know about everyone else, but I feel like it's going to be a great year with the family groups." -- Connor N.

Problem Solving with Cat Alarms

Working and reworking their designs.

 Mrs. Mongan's 1st graders recently worked on a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) project they called "Cat Alarms". After reading "Cat and Mouse", the students discussed the troubles of the mice in the story who were trying to avoid being eaten by a cat. The 1st graders pondered devices that might be put on the cat to warn the mice when he was near.

Gathering supplies from home and from Mrs. Mongan's cabinets, they set about designing their devices. They considered options, tried and retried their ideas, and finally implemented a design on a stuffed animal they brought from home. The students shared their designs with the rest of the class, explaining why they made the choices they did and answering their friends' questions.

Looking at their serious approaches and clever designs, we may have some future engineers in our midst!

Exploring Cell Structures

The 4th graders have been learning about animal and plant cells, including detailed study of the structures in those cells. They ended their unit by making their own model of a cell. The cells were made from modeling clay, and various items were used to show the elements in the cell's structure.

Celebrating Our Lady of the Rosary

At Wednesday's all-school Mass, our students celebrated the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The 3rd grade made a special presentation explaining why we should pray the rosary. Among other reasons, the 3rd graders told the OLS community that they pray the rosary:

• "to remember Mary."
• "to pray for someone we love."
• "because it makes me happy in my heart."
• "when I am sad or worried because I know Jesus is with me."
• "so that I can be kinder to others."
• "because it makes our faith grow stronger."

They repeated their presentation for us after Mass so that we could share it with you. (Editor's note: some of the students speak softly; you may need to turn up your speakers in order to hear.):

Studying Textures

After discussing textures, Mrs. McGrath and the 1st graders put their conversation into action. The students tried to create smooth candy corn by gluing yarn flat. Dropping yarn in bunches created a rough texture but flat placement yielded a smooth product.

The students got a little - or a lot! - sticky but had fun in the process!

Pan y Amor

Through the efforts of the ProLife club and the generosity of our student body, OLS helps to support an Archdiocesan program called Pan y Amor or Bread and Love. This mission program provides for the physical and spiritual needs of children in Bolivia, Kenya, Uganda, and Colombia. By donating to this program, our students learn compassion and practice living the way Jesus did.

Our donation this year is going to Madre de Dios (Mother of God), a home for girls age 6-17. Located in Cochabamba, Bolivia, this home provides education, health care, and counseling for approximately 45 young girls. Please join us in praying for the girls of Madre de Dios and for their caregivers!

Raising the Roof

On Saturday, OLS parishioners, school families, alumni, and friends joined together to help push the roof fund over the top. At the "Raise Our Roof" silent auction, an event spearheaded by Judy Broleman and Sue Dunn, OLS supporters had a chance to bid on gift baskets, tickets to big St. Louis attractions, and autographed Cardinals equipment, just to name a few. Guests also enjoyed raffles, music, dessert, and drinks.

The room buzzed with excitement as the closing time for each section drew near, and crowds formed around popular items as guests kept increasing their bids. Once the sections closed and the bids were reviewed, OLS Ambassadors delivered the good news to winning bidders.

 
To keep things running smoothly, countless volunteers worked behind the scenes. From the bank to the beer booth and from the section monitors to the raffle sellers, dedicated members of our community gave their time to ensure the event went off without a hitch.

Sincere thanks to all who made this event a success: organizers, attendees, donors, and volunteers. Together, we will raise our roof!

Ongoing Fundraisers

You may be surprised how many easy ways we have to support OLS! From shopping with a loyalty card to saving box tops, you can help raise funds for OLS without digging into your own pocket. Here are some of our ongoing fundraisers:

• Campbell’s soup labels
• Box Tops for Education
• TWB (Together We’re Better) gift cards
• Target Red Card
• Schnucks eScrip
• Amazon Smile
• Shoparoo
• ink cartridge recycling
• Schoola

Click on each title to learn more about the program. When combined, these opportunities can turn into serious funds for our school, directly benefiting our students.

Have an idea for another ongoing fundraiser we should consider implementing? We’re always happy to research new opportunities. Contact us or share your ideas in the comments below.

The Good Shepherd

At Wednesday's all-school Mass, Fr. Pete preached about the good shepherd and Jesus's parable that He is the Good Shepherd. Fr. Pete wanted to ensure that the students understood what Jesus meant. As a 21st century, urban-dwelling population, the idea of a shepherd might be lost on them.

To demonstrate a shepherd's care for his sheep, Fr. Pete lifted one of the 2nd graders onto his shoulders, explaining that this was the same way a shepherd would carry one of his flock. The move incited more than a few giggles - from students and adults alike - but it also drove home the point and taught a tangible lesson on Jesus's loving care for each of us.

Raise our Roof!

As you likely know, we are in the midst of a campaign to raise the funds needed to replace our aged school roof. The roof has been patched and repatched over the years, and we've now reached the point where patching will no longer fix the problems. After educating five generations of south city residents, the roof needs to be replaced.

Our generous community has come together to raise the majority of the funds needed to complete this work. Parishioners, school families, alumni, and friends have pitched in to help us reach our goal. To put us over the mark, we are holding a silent auction on Saturday. The "Raise our Roof" silent auction will give friends of OLS a chance to bid on some exciting and unique items while supporting the roof project. All funds raised at the auction will go to the roof fund.

We invite you (and your friends, family, and neighbors!) to join us on Saturday, October 3rd at 8:00 in Faenger Hall for an evening of music, dessert, drinks, and bidding. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased online or at the door.

If we all work together to reach our goal, the roof will be ready to educate the next five generations of OLS students!