Remembering the Saints

In November, the 2nd graders learned about the lives of the saints. Each student chose a saint then created a likeness of him or her out of a paper bag. Once finished, the second grade class traveled around the school sharing information about their saint puppets. They did a great job reading and memorizing information about their saints.

Christmas Concert

Last Thursday night, all OLS students came together to celebrate the season at our annual Christmas concert. With performances by the beginning and concert bands and student choirs, the evening showcased the outstanding musical talent of our student body. The audience tapped their toes to lively performances by all the groups and ended the evening with a sing-along of Christmas favorites. While all enjoyed the beautiful performance, the evening was a bit bittersweet as it marked the last Christmas concert for our school.

Special thanks to Mr. Litvin, our band director, and Mr. Vizer, our choir director, for the many hours spent preparing for the wonderful concert!

TBT: Scouting for Food

In late November, the OLS Cub Scouts patrolled the streets in our neighborhood to collect donations for Scouting for Food. Shown here, the 1st grade Tiger den encountered a house with a pyramid of food to donate! Thanks to generous neighbors like this one and the dedicated work of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts throughout the region, Scouting for Food collected 2.2 million items of food, the third highest total in the program's 32-year history.

First Reconciliation

Last week, our 2nd graders celebrated the sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. Together with their families, the students participated in a brief prayer service before receiving the sacrament. Many students were a bit nervous as they made their way to the priest for confession, but all left the confessional with broad smiles and happy hearts.

Special thanks to Fr. Pete and Fr. Sigmund for hearing confessions for the 2nd graders and their family members. Thanks also to Mrs. Huelsing for preparing the students so well for this special sacrament of forgiveness.

Community Building

Families from OLS, St. Joan of Arc, and St. James the Greater gathered over the weekend to get to know one another and begin building a welcoming community. Kids shot some hoops and played a bit of gaga ball while adults supervised the chaos excitement. Both kids and adults enjoyed a chance to develop new friendships.

Plans are underway to meet again at St. Joan of Arc in January. Stay tuned for more details!

Open Gym this Saturday!

This Saturday from 6:30-9:30, our school families are invited to join families from St. Joan of Arc and St. James the Greater for an open gym night at OLS. Kids and grownups alike will have a chance to meet and mingle in a relaxed environment.

We will provide popcorn and cookies, but you are welcome to bring a snack or a 2-liter to share, too. Feel free to bring an indoor game (Twister, anyone?) to add to the basketballs that will surely be bouncing. We hope to see you there!

Breakfast with Santa

Each year, OLS families celebrate Christmas by attending the Home & School Association's Breakfast with Santa. Children explore Santa's cottage, make crafts, and shop in Santa's gift shop while the adults enter raffles for terrific gift baskets. Of course, everyone enjoys pancakes and donut holes before visiting with the man of honor. This fun-filled morning is always a hit and gets everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Special thanks to Lisa Granadillo, Brighid Kappel, Charlene Corzine, the OLS Men's Club, and all who helped to make this event a success!

Growing a Pea Plant

During the first quarter, the 5th graders covered a science unit on plant life. As part of their studies, they planted a snap pea seed and have spent the past couple of months tending to it and watching it grow. The circled area in the picture below shows the first pea pod sprouting one of the plants:

If this sample is representative of the group, we have some future gardeners on our hands!

Speech Team

Earlier this month, OLS participated in our first Bellarmine Speec Meet of the year at St. Catherine Laboure. Our team did a fantastic job! In the serious category, Anna P. received a blue ribbon. The duet teams of Maggie M. & Grace C., John K. & Morgan R., and Anna B. & Audrey B. all received blue ribbons. In the humorous category, Matilda W. received a blue ribbon while Theresa D. received a perfect score gold ribbon. We are very proud of our team!

Thanksgiving Feast

Before diving into turkey with family and friends, our 5th graders and their kindergarten buddies celebrated their own Thanksgiving feast. Each student brought food to the feast and wore headgear of either Pilgrims or Native Americans. While the menu did not quite mimic the Pilgrims' celebration, the spirit of camaraderie and joy was the same.

The students enjoyed sharing a special day with their buddy. We hope your holiday was filled with as much excitement and joy as this one!

Breakfast with Santa

We hope you'll join us for Breakfast with Santa on December 3rd! This event is always a family favorite with delicious food, crafts, and gifts in Santa's workshop. And of course, photo opportunities with the man of the hour! Complete your reservation form and return it to school with payment in an envelope marked "Breakfast with Santa". Contact Brighid at 314-353-5785 with questions.

Rosaries at DuBourg House

 A few weeks ago, members of our ProLife club went to DuBourg House to pray the rosary. The students joined the retired residents in an afternoon of quiet prayer that both groups enjoyed immensely.

Reconciliation Retreat

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.

 

Cafeteria Art

 

 The 7th graders tried their hands at painting in art class. They experimented with bold colors and big designs to make a serious statement. Their colorful works of art are showcased in the cafeteria.

 

Mother/Son Dance

Last weekend, the Home & School Association invited all moms and sons to come dance the night away! Moms and boys enjoyed a fun, laid-back night of dancing to both oldies and current faves. One of our parents served as DJ for the night and kept the party-goers on their feet with the Electric Slide, a bit of line dancing, and even the Stroll.

Dads and daughters, don't fret! We'll have a special night for you next semester.

Spooky Stories

As part of their Halloween celebration, Ms. Schweiss and her third grade class penned some spooky stories. They worked independently to weave their creepy masterpieces then shared their works one-on-one with other students.

Service to Others

Sharing generously of their time and helping those in need, these 8th grade girls spent a recent day off volunteering at the Give Kids a Smile clinic. They truly embody the OLS spirit!

Pirate Scavenger Hunt

Ahoy, mateys!

 Earlier this month, the Ambassadors hosted a pirate scavenger hunt for some of the primary students. The students gathered after school and enjoyed an hour-long pirate soiree. They sported eye patches, hunted for treasure, and munched on a few snacks. While there were a few scallywags in the group, both the younger students and the Ambassadors had a blast with this pirate adventure!

Gearing up for fun: the Ambassadors help fit eye patches on the participants.

Blood Drive

 On Wednesday, November 9th, you can save a life and help OLS students by giving just one hour of your time. The Home & School Association is sponsoring a blood drive, and we're counting on you to help make it a success! The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, which provides blood for the entire SSM hospital system, will conduct our drive, and they will provide a grant to our school if we donate at least 20 units on the 9th.

First-time donors and seasoned veterans alike can make a difference by donating. We appreciate advance appointments, but walk-ins are welcome, too. Sign up for your donation appointment either online or by replying to this message.

YOU make a difference. Thank you for your generosity to OLS and to the St. Louis region.

Bringing Opera to OLS

Opera Theatre of St. Louis visited OLS recently and presented "The Pirates of Penzance." Our 4th and 5th graders participated in workshops on makeup, movement, and music, then joined the rest of the student body to enjoy the performance of "Pirates."

Happy Halloween!

The ghosts and goblins, princesses and superheroes came out in throngs to celebrate Halloween at OLS on Friday. During our annual trunk or treat event, OLS families gathered to tell jokes, share candy, and enjoy an unseasonably warm October evening.

The Halloween fun continues at school today with Halloween parties in each classroom, not to mention trick-or-treating tonight around the neighborhood. We wish you all a fun and safe celebration tonight!

OLS Spirit

Thanks to a donation from a generous member of our community, all OLS students are proudly sporting new spirit shirts! Each grade has a unique color, and students and faculty are invited to wear their new shirts each Monday. Look for these bright shirts around the neighborhood this year!

2nd & 7th Grade Rosaries

All the students at OLS are learning about and praying the rosary.   The 2nd and 7th grade prayed the rosary together. 7th grade showed 2nd grade the correct way to say the rosary including specific intentions such as for Mrs. Ryan .7th and 2nd grade are buddies!

 

 

 

Pink Out

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, OLS students pulled out their favorite pink shirts. Each student was invited to donate $1, wear pink, and celebrate with pink cupcakes at lunch. Students raised $140 for breast cancer research! Thanks to all for your support of this important cause. 

3rd Grade Rosaries

During the month of October, the third graders are showing their devotion to Mary by saying the Rosary. They are learning about the mysteries, especially The Joyful Mysteries.

Schoola Clothing Drive

We are holding another Schoola clothing drive next week. Bring your donations to the Faenger Hall lobby October 24th through 28th. Schoola accepts baby, kids, teenager, women, and maternity sized clothing, shoes, and handbags. Freshly laundered. No scuffs, stains, or rips. No socks, underwear, or bedding, please. A good motto is "If you would give it to a friend, Schoola can sell it!" 

YOU make a difference! Thanks to all of you for your previous clothing, shoes, and handbag donations. They have been selling at bit.ly/OLSschoola and our school has earned 40% of the profit! Clean closets for you; funds for our students. That's win-win fundraising.

Volcanoes

The 7th and 8th grade science classes have been working on a unit in earth sciences. They studied volcanos, earthquakes, and plate tectonics. To apply their studies in a hands-on way, the students built model volcanoes. Once the models were complete, they made them erupt using the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar.

Earth science meets chemistry for an experiment that rocks!

1st Grade STEM Project

The first graders worked on their first STEM project. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. After listening to the fable "Belling the Cat", they designed a cat alarm that would warn the mice when the cat was coming. They were not allowed to hurt the cat!

Feeding the Poor

Last week, the members of our ProLife Club initiated a food drive for our parish's St. Vincent de Paul food pantry. Our families were generous, as always! The students collected 160 non-perishable food items on Tuesday, and other donations trickled in throughout the week.

The food they collected will be used to help provide assistance to families living within our parish boundaries. The spirit of St. Teresa of Calcutta is alive at OLS!

Sports

At OLS, many students love the opportunity to participate in sports. Wearing the black and gold uniforms is a long tradition at OLS, and today's students don their team colors with pride. 

Our 8th grade girls volleyball team shown here has played together for years. Their teamwork and cooperation is evident both on the court and off.

In the Hallway

 

 

OLS students continue to learn about Mother Teresa and strive to use her life as an example of how they, too, should live.  These signs were spotted in hallway. 

The students also had a simple lunch day last week and held a canned food drive for the poor this week!

Learning to Play the Recorder

The 3rd graders at OLS are learning to play the soprano recorder. In May of 2017, they will participate in a program at Powell Hall called Link Up. Stay tuned to hear more from these budding musicians!

Cub Scout Camping

Earlier this month, the Cub Scouts of Pack 51 and their families went camping at Beaumont. They hiked, played games, enjoyed a campfire, and slept just a bit. Both Scouts and their siblings had a blast and look forward to their next outing in the spring.

1st Grade Writing

Mrs. Mongan's first graders have written their first paragraph. They started with a main idea and wrote four supporting details. Their topic was ducks!

Subway Lunch

Members of the class of 2017 serve lunch to the primary students.

Continuing a tradition established a few years ago, the 8th grade class (and their parents) are organizing pizza lunches as a fundraiser. The class of 2017, however, has added a new twist: in addition to a monthly pizza lunch, they are also serving Subway sandwiches once per month. Students love the chance to eat new foods at lunch time, and parents love a break from packing sandwiches. It's a win-win!

Thumbs up for Subway lunch!

2nd Grade Writers

Mrs. Huelsing's 2nd graders are learning about animals. Each student recently wrote a paragraph about their favorite animal. They also had the opportunity to showcase their drawing talent!