This week, our faith focus has been on our Blessed Mother as we prepare to celebrate our parish feast day, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, on February 11.  We will observe this special feast tonight with a candle light procession around our church grounds, giving thanks while praying for healing and peace.

Yesterday, our beloved Father Tim, former associate pastor at OLL, returned to celebrate a special Mass for our school community.  More than 100 seniors from our parish homebound, assisted living, and nursing home ministries joined us for a beautiful liturgy that included the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

During Mass, Father Tim spoke about the healing and tender touch of mothers.  Our mothers have a great responsibility serving as teachers, catechists, nurses and caretakers to their children each and every day.  Father Tim recalled a story when his whole family came down with the flu, including his five brothers and sisters and both of his parents.  ”No matter how sick my mother was feeling, she made it her first priority to care for all of us” he explained.

What a great responsibility, then, that our Blessed Mother had as the teacher, catechist, nurse, and caretaker to Jesus Christ.  Her selflessness and humility serves as an inspiration to us every day, but especially this week as we reflect upon the witness of St Bernadette about her experience in Lourdes.  Our Lady miraculously healed St Bernadette and many others in the waters at Lourdes.  Still today, pilgrims from all over the world come before Our Lady of Lourdes to ask for healing and strength.

This weekend, as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, may we lay our troubles and ailments before our Blessed Mother, that she might carry them to her Son, and may we rest assured in His healing peace.

Charlie Brown had Lucy, Marty McFly had Biff Tannen, even Kelly Clarkson had Simon Cowell.  Unfortunately, bullying is something that has been and continues to be prevalent in our society.  Quite often, school-aged children are the silent victims of bullying, unsure of how to react and who to tell.

Recently, the faculty and staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School launched an anti-bullying initiative to ensure that no child is the victim of such unfair treatment.  The program carries to various aspects of school learning, including theatre, religion, guidance, and humanities.

Taking a Stand on Stage

Each quarter, the OLL Middle School Humanities theatre class performs a short play for the student body.  Past performances included hillarious renditions of common fairy tales, engaging both parents and students of all ages.

However, this quarter, faculty and students agreed that they wanted to try something more educational and impactful.  Theatre teacher Mrs. Stiff-Walker wrote and produced a unique show that echoed a central message: bullying is not acceptable any place, any time.

The witty show consisted of skits and theatrical shorts reinacting occurances of bullying in class, at recess, and on the sports field.

Actors engaged all of the students in the audience with call backs, conversation, and ideas.  At one point in the show, a number of students from the audience were chosen to come on stage and act out their own bullying scene.

Throughout the show, students echoed the mantra, “Tell Your Teacher!” in response to all instances of bullying.

Homeroom teachers followed up with class conversations after the play.  Mrs. Gross, our school counselor, then introduced a school-wide unit about bullying that will continue this quarter.

After a long bus journey along I-4, students filed off the buses and through the gates of LegoLand, most first time visitors to Florida’s newest theme park.  Students split up into groups of three or four, accompanied by some of the many generous community members who volunteered to chaperone this trip.  It truly was a community event that included our pastor, principal, and teachers, along with parents, older and younger siblings, and grandparents.

There was something for everyone, from roller coasters to educational presentations, waterski shows to lego play areas.  Students were amazed by the Lego architecture around the park, including miniature replicas of some of the country’s most famous cities.  From Washington DC to Las Vegas, students saw beautiful creations representing the history of our nation.

It was an excellent start to our Jubilee year!

Mrs. Bogataj and Ms. Schaibly served as the emcees for the event, leading spirited chants in support of fifty years of OLL Romans history.  The room buzzed with anticipation and enthusiasm as students, faculty, and parents shouted and cheered in honor of our school.

During the pep rally, each class created its own Jubilee themed cheer.  Kindergarten and EC4 teamed up with their buddies spelling out J-U-B-I-L-E-E and had the whole crowd on their feet.  The boys basketball team wowed the student body with a series of drills, showing off their passing, dribbling, and lay up skills.  Mrs. Schaibly took a moment to recognize all of our student athletes from fall to present.  Our OLL Show Choir performed one of their hit numbers, radiating “joyful noise” through the Conmy Center.

The Jubilee Pep Rally was an awesome kick-off to our celebratory year!  We look forward to continuing the festivities with all of you.

Catholic Schools Week is upon us once again!  As always, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School will observe this national celebration with a week of school-wide festivities honoring our community and our faith.  This year, as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary as a school, we will incorporate a Jubilee theme into all of our celebrations.

Sunday

Sunday, January 29 will be our official start to Catholic Schools Week, as well as the innaugural event of our Jubilee year!  Join us for a special 9:30 Mass commemorating our 50th Anniversary, followed by a Jubilee Open House.  This Open House will feature a “Living Time Line,” created and presented by the students of Our Lady of Lourdes depicting decade trends our school has seen since our opening in 1962.  Come tour our beautiful campus and see the work of our fabulous students, faculty, and staff!

Monday

On Monday, students at Our Lady of Lourdes will host our annual Walk-A-Thon benefiting the ministries of the Kimberly Home.  Spirit FM will join us to provide music and entertainment while students, faculty, and staff will walk laps around the soccer field to help this great cause.

Tuesday

Tuesday will be our annual Grandparents Day celebration!  Students invite their grandparents to join us for the 9:00 school Mass, then to a special reception to follow.  During the reception, grandparents will see a special performance by our choir as well as Jubilee themed treats.  Students will leave with their grandparents at noon as it is a half day of school.

Wednesday

Wednesday February 1 will be Science Day at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School.  Students in 7th and 8th grade will be presenting their experiments and projects in a Science Fair for their parents, friends, and the entire school.  All students will participate in special Science-themed activities this day.

Thursday

On Thursday, the eigth graders will take over the school!  They will be substitute teachers and staff all across campus, so do not be surprised if you see them teaching a class or sitting behind an adminstrator’s desk.  Following this morning tradition, students in each grade will pair up with their “Buddy Class” for a special activity.

Friday

Friday will conclude our Catholic Schools Week celebration.  All parents and families are invited to join us for a Family Picnic at noon on the soccer field.  After lunch, the students in 8th grade will take on the parents and teachers in a special kickball game.  The competition will be fierce – may the best team win!

For the past fifty years, we at OLL have strived to live as Jesus did while learning and experiencing new things each day.

Each year, we at Our Lady of Lourdes try our best to give hope to those who are less fortunate than we are.  For example, we do many service projects that help other children such as those at the Kimberly Home or the Migrant Community.  These are examples of charity, and they give us hope and faith that we hope spreads to the recipients of this kindness.

When you walk into our school, you are overwhelmed by the sense of love and family we show towards one another.  In the hallways of our school, you see a variety of things: students helping friends put books away, classmates chatting and laughing, and teachers helping students learn.

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School really reflects the cardinal virtues.  We are proud of our honest nature, both between students and between students and teachers.  Our teachers teach us to show this honesty in our words and our work and to hold other students accountable.  We are a family here at Our Lady of Lourdes School, and honesty is one of the most important things to have as a family.

Also, since we are a family, we have patience with one another and remember to love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

The students and staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School reflect the virtues of patience, kindness, faith, hope, charity, and honesty, as well as other virtues.

Without a doubt, OLL proves to be an amazing place to learn and grow with a foundation of faith.

For fifty years, Our Lady of Lourdes School has served as the premier provider of Catholic education in northern Pinellas County.  While our campus and classrooms have changed greatly since 1962, our mission and purpose have remained the same.

Teaching as Christ did, we are the living example of the Parable of the Lost Sheep.  We exist to educate every child individually and empower him or her with the knowledge and faith to go out and be Christ’s hands and feet in our world.

As we celebrate the blessing of our Golden Jubilee, we would like to extend an invitation to all parishioners, families, former students, and friends to join us in a year of jubilant festivities.

Inaugural Mass and Open House

Sunday January 29 at 9:30 am

Join us for this official event that will initiate both Catholic Schools Week and our fiftieth year.  We will gather as a parish community for Mass, then proceed to the school for an Open House and Living Time Line display recapping our 50 years of academic success.

Saints and Sinners Jubilee Ball

Saturday February 18 at 6:00 pm

Put on your best dress and dancing shoes for this year’s special Saints and Sinners Jubilee Ball featuring dinner, a silent and live auction, and music by the Black Honkies.

“The Enchanted Forest” Fairies Performance

Friday March 30 at 7:00 pm

Professional acrobats will awe families and friends as they swing from the ceilings of the Conmy Center in a one-of-a-kind performance that will amaze children and adults of all ages.

Family Picnic and Mass

Sunday April 29 at 9:30 am

Following a jubilant school-led liturgy, all families will gather on the front lawn of the school for a picnic lunch and a kickball tournament in which the teachers and Eighth Grade students will compete for the title of Jubilee Champion!

Jubilee Art Auction

Friday May 4 at 6:00 pm

Come admire the work of our student artists and taken home an original piece to hang in your home.  Artwork from students grades EC4 to 8 will be on display and available for purchase.

Eighth Grade Graduation

Sunday June 3 at 5:00 pm

The Our Lady of Lourdes Class of 2012 invites you to come witness their commencement ceremony which will feature a look back at graduations through the years.  The graduation will occur during the usual Life Teen liturgy on Sunday evening.

Candy Drive

During the month of October, students in Fourth and Fifth Grade work together to plan and advertise a school-wide candy drive.  They distributed posters and flyers to every classroom and spoke to groups of students to inform them of their special project.  The students of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School collected thousands – literally, thousands!- of pieces of candy left over from their Halloween endeavors and brought them to Mrs. Clasen and Mrs. Casalino’s classrooms.  Then, students in Fourth and Fifth Grade sacrificed their lunch and recess periods to sort the candy into piles and bags for individual children.

As part of the project, students were encouraged to not complain about giving up their Halloween loot, nor to ask to eat the candy themselves.  As a class, students discussed generosity, selflessness, and humility.

Good Deeds

In conjunction with their discussion of generosity, selflessness, and humility, students started a second project of raising money to purchase toys for the same children of the migrant community.  Rather than simply asking Mom and Dad for a few dollars, they made contracts with their parents about different jobs or projects they could do around the house to raise this money.  Mrs. Clasen and Mrs. Casalino even encouraged students to give up their allowance, contributing that money to this special cause as well.

The students raised over $100 and purchased a multitude of gifts for their “adopted” children.  On Monday, students brought all of the candy and toys into the cafeteria where they worked together to wrap gifts and tie bows, putting the finishing touches on the special presents before distribution.  Finally, the two classes walked to the Narthex with all of the gifts and left them under the Christmas tree.  The children of a local migrant community will receive their gifts on Christmas morning.

This Advent Season has been such a blessing for the community at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School.  With our weekly prayer services, classroom service projects, school-wide spiritual devotions, and over 100 handmade Advent wreaths, we were truly being intention about preparing our hearts for the birth of the Savior.

One of our favorite new Advent projects came through “This is the Day,” our student run television news show.  Led by our morning show hosts, our students came together to create and pray a Jesse Tree with each class contributing in its own special way.

About the Jesse Tree

The Jesse Tree is a special symbol in Christian history and art that depicts the lineage of Jesus.  It is similar to a family tree, beginning with Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David, and ending with the birth of Jesus Christ.

The genealogy of Christ is based upon the opening words in Matthew’s Gospel which provides us with a detailed history Jesus’ family tree.

In our school, the Jesse Tree took the form of a large paper pyramid, filled with student-made ornaments depicting the various persons in Jesus’ family.  It helps us to see the great anticipation of the birth of Christ throughout the entire Old Testament.

Ornaments and Prophets

We began our journey through the Jesse Tree during the first week of Advent.  Students from Seventh Grade prepared reflections on the symbols of Creation and the story of Adam and Eve.

EC4 taught us the story of Noah’s faithfulness and trust in the Lord, even when His plan involved the entire animal kingdom!  Students in Grade Six shared reflections about Father Abraham and his beloved son, Isaac, including their compliance with God’s unbelievable plans.

Second Grade taught us about Jacob and Joseph – and the many other boys that came along in their family.  Students in Grade Four took us through the wild stories of the burning bush, Passover, and the 10 Commandments with Moses and Aaron.

Kindergarten helped us learn about the walls of Jericho, while Fifth Grade encouraged us to reflect upon Samuel and Jesse’s son, King David.

Students from Eighth Grade filled us in on the prophets Elijah, Hezekiah, and Isaiah, while Third Grade taught us about Jeremiah where we learn that God had a plan for each of our lives before we were even in our mother’s womb!

The Morning Show crew filled in a few gaps, helping us learn more about Habakkuh and Nehemiah.

Finally, First Grade prepared us for the birth of Christ by sharing the proclamation of John the Baptist and the faithfulness of our Blessed Mother.

It was a wild ride through the Old Testament in just four weeks, but it made us more intentional about our prayer and helped us to fully understand the blessing of the Christmas holiday.

In our faith, we remember St Nicholas as a third century bishop who was known for his extreme generosity.  In the Gospels, Jesus tells a rich man to sell all of his belongings and fully devote himself to the mission of God.  St. Nicholas took this command seriously and lived his life with generosity, always giving to the poor.

Our students in EC4 and Kindergarten celebrated St. Nicholas Day on his feast day, December 6th.  In accordance with tradition, they all placed one shoe outside of their classroom in hopes that St. Nicholas would visit and fill their shoe with goodies.

While they were waiting, they learned the story of this notorious saint and why we remember him each year.  With one shoe in the hallway, students traced the other shoe and wrote their three Advent words, “Share, Care, and Help” inside of it.  They discussed how St. Nicholas lived those three words and how they, like him, can share, care, and help during the Advent season.