A Light Exists in Spring

03-28-2021Nurse's LetterShannon David, RN, NCSN

In her poem, A Light exists in Spring, Emily Dickinson speaks of the season of rebirth and light with such eloquence that the reader can virtually see the darkness being overtaken.

This past week, several announcements provided some light and hope for a “return to normal”. The first was the announcement on Monday, that vaccines will now be available to anyone aged 16 and up. Information regarding vaccines is available here: Eligibility-and-Prioritization.

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March 28

03-28-2021Principal's LetterDr. Kelly Shewbridge

Dear Parents,

Thank you to all of the Dads who came out to pull up the sport court for the Easter Masses. I really appreciate your time and strength! 

As for the change in the mask mandate, while it is good to see as more people are getting vaccinated that the numbers are going down, our mitigation strategies have been working, and therefore we are not making any changes. 

Holy Week is upon us! The last collection for the Sisters’ Biblioteca in Peru is tomorrow, March 29th. Please send in your donation with your student. You may also donate online here: Donations for the Sisters

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The Heart of the Matter

03-14-2021Nurse's LetterShannon David, RN, NCSN

This past week, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the sixth graders, who have been studying the cardiovascular system, and teach them how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). The presence of the two AEDs on our campus, for more than a decade, is evidence of the concern for the health, safety and well being of the OLMC community that preceded the current pandemic. In talking with the students about heart disease, heart attack and sudden cardiac death, I couldn’t help but see the similarities between helping a person manage their heart disease and understanding how we can continue to succeed in managing the possibility of infection during this pandemic.

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Auld Lang Syne

03-07-2021Nurse's LetterShannon David, RN, NCSN

On March 5, 2020, we left school for a Spring Break that never ended. This past Friday marked the one year “anniversary” of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As anniversaries go, this is one to remember more than celebrate. We all know, too well, the challenges of the past year. But, looking back at where we were in comparison to where we are does provide some reasons to celebrate and to be especially thankful. We know much more about the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and how to safely operate school in the midst of a pandemic than we did one year ago. Further, in March of 2020, a Phase 1 clinical trial of a potential vaccine (m-RNA) against COVID was begun with 45 people (NIH Clinical Trial Investigational COVID-19 Vaccine).

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March 7

03-07-2021Principal's LetterDr. Kelly Shewbridge

Dear OLMC Families,

There will be a change in the school calendar. Typically we have a day reserved to set up for the festival. We held off on identifying a date as we were unsure if a festival would take place. Since we are not having one, we will take that extra day at the end of the year. Therefore, the last day of school will now be Thursday, May 27. 

Monday morning we will have a fire drill at 8:30am. 

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Just Do It

02-28-2021Nurse's LetterShannon David, RN, NCSN

“Just Do It”, one of the world’s most recognizable slogans, meant to encourage everyone to abandon excuses and engage. With two of the three statewide benchmarks for COVID-19 spread now in the “moderate” category for Maricopa County and numbers trending down, there is reason for hope. This week, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, following the lead of the CDC, released updated guidance for K-12 schools in the setting of the pandemic (K-12-Schools-and-Childcare-Facilities).

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February 28

02-28-2021Principal's LetterDr. Kelly Shewbridge

Dear OLMC Families,

This Friday the 2nd graders and a few of the older students will be making their First Reconciliation. Please keep them in your prayers. This is a closed event, only parents will be allowed into the Church. 

Friday is also a half day, 12:35pm dismissal with spirit shirt and jeans. 

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Mask Up, Mask Up

02-21-2021Nurse's LetterShannon David, RN, NCSN

Over the past several weeks, the 7th & 8th graders have been busy conducting trials, gathering data and observing the outcomes of experiments to prepare for the upcoming Science and Engineering Fair. Having a basic understanding of the “Scientific Method”--how hypotheses are formed and tested--is important for all, not just those who seek a future occupation in the scientific disciplines. This is no more apparent than during the current Pandemic. From the onset, we have been inundated with reports and updates, research, studies, trials and experiments, often confusing, at times contradictory. Knowing how to return to, read and interpret, the source of a report is an invaluable skill.

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Feburary 14

02-14-2021Principal's LetterDr. Kelly Shewbridge

Dear Parents,

Happy Valentine’s Day! Thank you for all the kind words and treats for the staff! You are all too kind! I hope you have had a wonderful day with your loved ones. There is no school tomorrow in observance of President’s Day. Enjoy the extra time with your family!

This Wednesday begins Lent. Father John will have a Prayer Service at 2pm that he will Live Stream. He will then come over to the school and he will sprinkle ashes over the heads of all the students. He will do this outside of the classrooms. There will be no students going to the Church this week. 

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The Thing Speaks For Itself

02-14-2021Nurse's LetterShannon David, RN, NCSN

Res ipsa loquitur - a Latin phrase, most familiar to those practicing law or medicine, translates to “the thing speaks for itself”. It is commonly understood to apply to cases and circumstances where facts and evidence are so clear they need no further explanation. This past Friday, the Centers for Disease Control published an article titled Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 Schools. Following data analysis from numerous schools, with various models of instruction, nationally and internationally, it was found that “When a combination of effective mitigation strategies is implemented and strictly adhered to in the K-12 in-person learning environment, the risk of transmission in the school setting appears to be lower than or equivalent to the transmission risk in other community settings.”(CDC February 12, 2021)

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February 7

02-07-2021Principal's LetterDr. Kelly Shewbridge

Dear OLMC Community,

We had a wonderful Catholic Schools Week. I wanted to thank Home & School for the pizza lunch and the popsicles provided. 

This week the Dads’ Club is hosting a Chipotle fundraiser. This Tuesday, February 9 from 4:00-8:00pm at the Chipotle located at 815 E Baseline Suite 118. You need to give them the school code: LKQYFJF. We are selling scrip inn $10 and $25 dollar increments. Drop off your order in the drop off line or send your envelope with your student and we will have it back to you by Tuesday afternoon. The profit percentage is 10%. 

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Attendance Counts

02-07-2021Nurse's LetterShannon David, RN, NCSN

In January 2019, an article titled The Link Between School Attendance and Good Health was published in Pediatrics (Pediatrics 2019; 143). In this article, the authors Drs. Allison and Attisha provide evidence that chronic absenteeism, even in early grades, is related to “grade retention, poor academic achievement, particularly for social skills and reading” and that these markers of poor school performance are associated with poor health outcomes as adults. At OLMC, we have long recognized the importance of student attendance.

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