A Note From Our PrincipalDear OLV Family, He is risen, hallelujah! The celebratory Easter season is upon us, our Lenten fasts and sacrifices are behind us, and hopefully we have come out of those sacrifices as better versions of ourselves. The Easter season is that time of rebirth and renewal, a perfect connection to our school theme this year.
Just this morning I had the privilege...
The 18th annual OLV B.A.L.L. a Great Success! TOGETHER WE RAISED $71,274.40! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Our heartfelt thanks to all who played a role in running this awesome event! Organizing and executing a fundraiser of this magnitude takes countless hours of volunteerism from many gracious folks. These individuals have made many personal sacrifices for the benefit of our school. The money raised from this event not only helps to keep tuition costs down, but also provides activities and equipment for the school as well as much needed upgrades to the school facility itself. Please make sure you take a moment to thank these hard-working BALL committee members, especially our chairperson, Katie Ceasar when you see them.
BALL Chairperson: Katie Ceasar
PTO President: Paula Marino
Auction: Kersti O'Farrell
Check-in: Brandy Terrell, Vanessa Beeler, Jessica Watkins
Check-out: Lisa Hamilton
Class Baskets: Jennifer Shinick
Corporate Sponsorship & Social Media: Selena Harrison
Donor Appreciation: Susan Lewis
Drawing: Pamela Rohling
Graphic Design & Invitations: Lindsay Wright
Invitation Mailing: Lisa Brand
Mosaic Crosses: Mae Martin
School Communications: Colleen Sweeney
Set-up/Clean-up: Robbyn Lawson, Ryan McCarthy
T-Shirt Design: Michele Mickwee
Teacher Sponsorships: Lisa Bandura
Thank You To Our Sponsors The following families and businesses played a key role in the success of this year's BALL. Please remember to support to these business whenever possible and thank them for their faithful support of our school!
Sharing & Caring... OLV StyleOne of the many lessons taught here at OLV is the importance of service to others, especially to those in need. Second graders lead an important service project every year known as Sharing & Caring. Each month, a school-wide collection of non-perishable food items is gathered and donated to Oak Mountain Missions to support families in our local community. In addition to this, as part of a math unit, the second grade class held a rummage sale where they sold small toys and items they were no longer using, and donated a portion of their proceeds to the Mission. What a wonderful example of living our Gospel values! Thank you to
Mrs. Peters and all the 2nd grade students for running such an important service project for our community!
NEXT WEEK!OLV Book Fair
April 29 - May 3 7:30 - 4:30 (daily)
Click on the button above to visit the Book Fair Home Page...
Here you can see the book selection, set up eWallet for your child(ren), and make online purchases. (Online purchases available 4/21-5/7 only). COIN CHALLENGE RETURNS!Once again, there will be a COIN CHALLENGE fundraiser in tandem with the book fair. So, start checking under those couch cushions and gather your loose change together for some friendly competition! Not only does your donation help our school, but Scholastic will match monetary donations raised with a donation of up to one million books to two non-profit organizations dedicated to helping children, families, and teachers acquire
books and educational resources: Kids In Need Foundation and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. The winning grade of this challenge will get a pizza party and the teacher of the winning grade will win a bag of books for the classroom!
Monday, 4/29 - penny collection
Tuesday, 4/30 - nickel collection
Wednesday, 5/1 - dime collection
Thursday, 5/2 - quarter collection
Friday, 5/3 - any coin or bill collection
Yearbook Deadline Extended!Buy your yearbook before time runs out! Preserve those precious memories and order yours now. LAST CHANCE TO ORDER IS MAY 1st!
Continued TraditionFor over 25 years, OLV has held a Seder Meal during Holy Week to help students gain a better understanding of the Passover meal Jesus celebrated with His disciples. Many thanks to the many volunteers who helped to make this solemn service such a meaningful experience for all.
What a wonderful show by our many talented students here at OLV! Many thanks to Mr. Bridges and the small village of volunteers who made this production possible! We appreciate what you do to help our student's God-given gifts shine for all to see!
Click on the video below to enjoy some highlights from the play!
They've Done It Again... AGAIN!
The Our Lady of the Valley School award-winning Science Olympiad team continued its rich tradition of excellence by shining at the State Competition held at Auburn University on Saturday, March 30, coming in 3rd place. OLV teams medaled in 11 of the 23 events they competed in. Award medals were given for each event for first through fourth places. OLV students placed in the following events: Boomilever rd place: Elizabeth Bandura, Maggie O’Farrell; Dynamic Planet 4th place: Lily-Ann Neumann, Grayson Norman; Elastic Launch Glider 3rd place: Isaac Ford , Maggie O’Farrell; Experimental Design 2nd place: Alexandra Deichmann, Lilly Maloney, Catherine Scheiring; Fossils 3rd Place: Lilly Maloney, Grayson Norman; Meteorology 4th Place: Javier Nava, Isaac Ford
; Potions and Poisons 2nd Place: Sankeerthana Kalva, Fields Hopkins; Roller Coaster 4th Place: Salena Marino, Maggie O’Farrell; Solar System 4th Place: Javier Nava, Helen Macher; Thermodynamics 4th Place: Helen Macher, Catherine Scheiring; Write It Do It 3rd Place: Catherine Scheiring, Wells Connell. A special thank you goes out to the team's coaches, Ann Stevens and Lorrie Steele, and to the mentors who graciously and generously give of their time and expertise to help the students: Bruce Fogel, Kylie Howell, Gina Hagelskamp, Ham Nguyen, Laura Deichmann, Lisa Bandura, Anthony Bandura, Madison Nguyen, Sydney Nguyen, Roger Gilchrist, Dustin Molay, and Todd Garzarek. You all make us very, very proud!
Next P.E. Challenge - SoccerMonday, May 6
Volunteers are needed for this event. Sign up by clicking on the button below.
Leave Your Mark On OLV!Leave your child’s, family, or business name FOREVER displayed on OLV's school grounds! In timing with the 35th anniversary of our school, we are now taking orders for engraved bricks which will be placed on the front walkway of the school. This is a wonderful way to leave a lasting legacy for your children that they can visit for years to come. For more information please contact Mr. Rothery at arothery@olvsch.com 8 x 8 paver - $200, 4 x 8 paver - $100
OLV Debate TeamAfter a five-year hiatus, OLV has an active debate team once again. Open to all middle school students, the debate team provides an opportunity for students to hone their skills in areas such as analytical thinking, research, and public speaking, as well as build confidence as an individual. The debate team, led by Mr. Bridges has participated in two area debates this year. Students are welcome to join at any time throughout the year. For more information on this year's debate team, click on the button below.
Memories To Last a LifetimeEach year, the 7th grade attends a three-day retreat at the 4-H Center in Columbiana. This year, the 7th grade attended the retreat March 18-20 and a great time was had by all. Upon returning from a successful trip, Mrs. Dascher reflected on some of the aspects of this OLV tradition that make it such a meaningful excursion... The kids participated in LOTS of hands-on, collaborative problem-solving--a most important
educational objective that is not always easy to execute in the classroom setting. The kids played extensively--inside, outside, structured, and unstructured. It was refreshing to see them play games and act silly without the distraction of technology. The kids took risks doing really challenging things--activities they may never have the opportunity to do again. And many pushed themselves beyond their comfort zones with the support and encouragement of their classmates. The kids often referenced things they'd learned at school and applied that knowledge
to situations at camp. This was particularly evident as the children reasoned their way through the many riddles posed to them by their counselors. For me, this reinforced two things: (1) our school educates them well, and (2) they really are listening and learning even when we think they're not. The kids worked together. It wasn't always perfect or pretty, but they were constantly reminded of their dependence on each other, and that the differing gifts and talents of everyone have value to the group. They cleaned their plates at mealtimes because they grew in their awareness of how to be better stewards of God's creation.
Please help the kindergarten class by sending in your old markers for recycling. Any kind of markers can be sent in, including non-crayola brands, dry erase markers, and highlighters. Drop-off boxes are located outside of the kindergarten room. Thank you for helping us with this service project and reducing the amount of plastics that go to our landfills!
Come Join The Team! On Saturday, May 18th, the Birmingham Zoo will have their 14th Annual Zoo Run. This fun run is perfect for families because it offers something for every age! The 5K course takes you through the zoo, before it is open to the public, which makes for an interesting and fun run or walk. All participants get a free day at zoo and there are discounted tickets for non runners. If you register for the run as a member of the OLV team, you will receive a $5 discount off of registration. Hopefully, we can get a huge team out there representing our wonderful school! Contact P.E. coach Wendy Hassinger at whassinger@olvsch.com for more information.
This is an income-based scholarship opportunity.
Please check the site to see if you qualify. For inquiries contact dlazenby@olvsch.com Deadline - May 6th
Last Day To Order ScripWednesday, May 8
Orders must be in by 9am.
For a list of participants, click below.
The New Car Magnets Are In! Show your pride in our school with a new car magnet. The updated magnet boasts our beautiful new school crest and is available for purchase in the office for just $5.
Summer is just around the corner... It's time to start planning for summer homes for the animals from our amazing Science Lab! All supplies and detailed instructions will be included. This is a great way to teach your children about caring for a pet without a lifetime commitment. The animals that need homes are listed below. Contact Mrs. Stevens at astevens@olvsch.com to claim your foster pet! Cosmo - Chinchilla Ms. Pearl - Lionshead Bunny Moses - Bearded Dragon Cookie & Pepper - Guinea Pigs Jose - Green Cheek Conure Jelly Bean - Dwarf Hamster Sam - African Grey Parrot (only to someone with experience.)
Needed for Student Council...
Student Council is collecting empty 2-liter bottles for a special project. Please drop off rinsed, empty bottles to the art room by Friday, May 10.
Eagle Bowl Lunch OrdersOur annual Eagle Bowl (field day) is scheduled for May 23. A hot dog lunch will be offered to students on this day and can be ordered now through May 14. You can also pre-pay for a frozen treat from the Kona Ice truck for your child. All proceeds from the lunch sales and 25% of the proceeds from the Kona Ice sales will go directly to the P.E. Department to purchase new equipment.
FAMILY FUN NIGHT!A new kind of Spirit Night is coming in May! There is something for the whole family to enjoy! No experience necessary! Make sure you mention that you are affiliated with OLV when you check in and our school will get 30% of the proceeds! Tuesday, 5/21 4 - 8 pm
4766 Hwy. 280
Application Deadline... April 30th...
Here we celebrate the accomplishments and news of our beloved OLV Alumni. When we receive updates from our distinguished alumni, we are reminded of the difference that a quality Catholic education can make in the formation of a young adult.
If you have any alumni news to share, please send it to alumninews@olvsch.com. Calling all alumni!... If you are an alumnus of OLV, please take a minute to complete the form below. Please help us to reach all of our alumni by forwarding this form to any OLV graduates that you know. Thank you!
Coach Woodman, (OLV P.E. coach 1996-2014), caught up with some former students, Kaylee Gilchrist (OLV '12) and Kelsi Hobbs (OLV '12, JCCHS '16) at a local volleyball scrimmage. When possible, Coach Woodman still loves seeing his past students in action at the collegiate level.
Join fellow OLV parish and school families on a tour of Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome in June 2020! Along with many memorable moments, this incredible trip will include a specially arranged tour of the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle and the Necropolis, and will end in Rome just in time for the start of the Euro 2020 Soccer tournament! Click on the button below to see a detailed itinerary and learn more about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Only 10 spots remaining!
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