Godspell Jr. is a child-friendly rendition of the Broadway classic, sharing many of the scenes and songs from the adult show but making the content accessible for family audiences.  The show boasts a musical rendition of the parables of Christ as depicted in the Gospels.  Interwoven between music and choreography are messages of faith, Catholicity, and humor – reaching audiences on a humorous and spiritual level.

Father Gary explains that, “the Gospel parables portrayed through “Godspell Jr” prove to us that Christ’s message is as alive and relevant today as it was over two-thousand years ago; an eternal message that transforms human hearts and relationships.”

Students described working on the show as a faith-building experience that affirmed the Gospel message they have heard their entire lives.  One student said, “All of the bible stories make sense in Godspell, and it is actually really funny.  It makes our (Catholic) faith more meaningful for kids our age.”

The show encompassed students from Kindergarten through grade 8, and featured many students with solos, duets, and special choreography.  Seventh grader John-Michael Van Vulpen starred as Jesus, and Kendall Tracz, an eighth grader, played the role of Judas.  Sixth grader Alex Groth wowed the audience with multiple solos while the gymnastics skills of Sierra Noe, a third grader, left audiences absolutely giddy.

The production was directed and produced by Kirsten Stiff-Walker who teaches the Theatre Humanities class to all middle school students at Our Lady of Lourdes.  “It has been exciting to watch the students work scenes during rehearsals and then realize they have just performed a familiar Bible story they have known since birth!” Stiff Walker said.  “I see the light bulbs turn on and students glow with a new understanding of the Gospel.”

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School extends a special thanks to Mrs. Stiff-Walker, as well as Carolyn Wong-Stark, Music instructor and choir director at OLL.  We are so blessed to have such talented, loving teachers who go above and beyond for our students!

The real purpose of the presentation, however, involved a more serious topic: Internet Safety.  The school partnered with Step Up for Students, AT&T, and the State Attorney General’s Office to create a dynamic lesson about the importance of Cyber Safety and making smart choices when using technology.  During the interactive presentation, the Attorney General’s Office taught the sixth grade class how to protect their personal information on the Internet and how to recognize and avoid online predators. The group also discussed the increasingly prevalent cyber bullying problem that many adolescents and teens now face.

“Today’s youth have more access to the Internet than ever before, which is a good thing,” said  Attorney General Pam Bondi. “However, we need to make sure we are taking every measure possible to educate our young people on the best ways to protect themselves from online danger. Through education, we are equipping children with the tools they need to safely navigate the Internet.”

During the event, AT&T announced their most recent contribution of $3.5 million to Step Up For Students, a scholarship program that enables low-income families in Florida to send their children to a school of choice, all thanks to contributions from corporations like AT&T. Approximately 32 students attend Our Lady of Lourdes on a Step Up scholarship, and event guests had the opportunity to hear from one family that benefits from the program.

This contribution of $3.5 million brings the total amount of AT&T’s contribution to the scholarship program to $15.7 million since joining as a corporate partner 2003. In total, AT&T’s contributions have funded scholarships for more than 3,900 low-income children.

“As a part of our continuing support of Step Up For Students, we are proud to provide an educational event for students that promotes online safety,” said Marshall Criser III, AT&T Florida President. “Through our involvement with the program since 2003, AT&T has helped more than 3,900 children across the state to find the right school environment for their unique learning needs. We believe our contribution is an investment in the futures of  these students.”

“It is amazing to see what these students can do when they have the opportunity to shine in the learning environment that fits the way they learn,” Step Up For Students President Doug Tuthill said. “Thanks to our generous partners like AT&T, we see more and more success stories every school year. AT&T’s commitment to these children is commendable, and we are grateful for their support.”

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School is blessed to participate in the Step Up for Students program, furthering our mission of providing affordable education to all students who wish to attend our great school.

Mr. Rabuck, the father of Jonah in EC-4, came to the school to perform a private concert for our EC-4 and Kindergarten classes.  The students were giddy with excitement as Mr. Rabuck entered the classroom with guitar in hand.  When he began to play, students immediately jumped to their feet, bouncing and dancing to the beat.

Mr. Rabuck performed many childhood favorites, but put special spins on many songs.  Students sang along to a Florida-version of “Old McDonald had a Farm,” featuring manatees, black panthers, eagles, and black racer snakes.  After lively discussion about the types of frogs each student has around their home, the crew sang “Green Speckled Frogs” with commentary and special frog sounds.  A fan favorite was the “Alligator” song with gator chomping hand motions accompanied by surprised squeals and giggles.

After the concert, Mr. Rabuck stuck around after the performance for a question-and-answer session from the students and to help everyone “shake they’re sillies out.”  Students asked great questions about Mr. Rabuck’s guitar as he explained where the instrument gets its sound and how to use finger positions to creatively change the sound.  He told students about how he learned to play the guitar and the importance of music in school.

We at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School are  blessed by an actively engaged parent population who so willingly share their gifts and talents.  From athletics to music, technology to party planning, our parents always rise to the occasion to empower our school and further the education of our students.

The EC4 class has been learning about recycling, the process of transforming something old into something brand new and beautiful.  Students took old plastic milk jugs and recycled them into adorable Easter baskets which they will use for their Easter egg hunt next week!  As we continue into spring, students will be planting a window garden and observing new life and continual growth.  Both of these projects carry over into Religion class, where students have been learning about the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord.  Christ takes us as we are, and transforms us into something beautiful and brand new.

Students in both Kindergarten and Second Grade had special class pets the past few weeks: cuddly, crawling caterpillars!  They learned about the caterpillar’s habitat and watched them grow bigger and bigger as they prepared to rest in their cocoon for several days.  This week, the caterpillars emerged into beautiful Lady painted butterflies!
The classes not only learned about the Life Cycle of a butterfly, but they also learned that a butterfly is a symbol of Jesus and His transformation through the crucifixion to the Resurrection into Heaven.

As we observe these final days of Lent, may we prepare our hearts to be recycled and transformed into beautiful new creations in Christ Jesus.

Students on the OLL Robotics Team meet weekly to design, build, and test robotic instruments and creations.  The club aims to stimulate student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.  Robotics challenges students to think creatively in an innovative, collaborative fashion.  Working as a team, students spend the year preparing for the annual Robofest Competition, an event which requires groups to design, build, and program robots for competition.

This year, the group chose Pac-Man as their robot’s theme.  ”We actually got the idea from a game we were playing on an iPod Touch,” says 6th grader Adam Myerscough.  ”Everyone knows what Pac-Man is and knows how he operates, moving in straight lines and spinning around.”  This gave the group a starting point and gave coach Michael Cassano a vision for the team’s project.  Students had to build a robot that operated solely from a programmed board, without the use of controllers.

During the competition, the team took the stage and demonstrated the functions of their robot.  ”We were so nervous before we got onto stage, I was scared we wouldn’t be able to talk!” explains 5th grader Jacob Osypka, “But once we got up there we blew them away.  Our robot is pretty awesome.”

The team is currently working on filming a video presentation for the Regional competition next week.  If they place in the top two in their division, the team will travel to Michigan for the World RoboFest Competition this summer.

When asked why they joined the robotics team, all of the members said, in unison, “It’s the FUTURE!”  Joking that when the world turns into a Steven Speilberg movie, they will know how to program and build all of the robots.  In a real sense, these students know that this is giving them a foundation for their future and the future of our country, which undoubtedly involves constant advancements in science, math, engineering, and technology.  All of the students agreed that robotics will help their future career paths, from cardiovascular surgeons to graphic designers.

This year’s OLL Robotics Team is double the size of last years, and the team is hopeful that the trend will continue until robotics involves all students grades 5-8.  As the celebration closed, team member Alex Cassano noted that next year will not be the same without Tom Osypka, the team’s only 8th grader.  Tom promised that he would still be around to see the team compete next year, and that he intends to start a Robotics Team at Clearwater Central Catholic next year so that it is ready when the rest of the team reaches high school.

The most important element of this time of year is the liturgical season of Lent.  Each class has taken special efforts to study and embrace this season through prayer, fasting, and works of charity.  In first grade, Mrs. Wilson’s class studied the history of the pretzel which, believe it or not, is a product of Catholic monks during Lent!  They learned that a monk invented the pretzel and it is so similar to the way we fold our arms when we get our blessing from Father.  Students in first grade also learned that it reminds us of the love Jesus has for us and that he died so that we could live.  They wrote our Lenten promises on the pretzels and colored them, and will keep them in their classroom prayer space for Lent as a reminder of God’s promise to us.

The third graders have been tracking their recreational reading progress each month with special calendars they take home.  Each month, they feature a different genre of books.  Students recently read mysteries and filled paper bags with “clues’ that told about their books.  In February, they read biographies and wrote diaries from the point of view of a well-known person.  The students love sharing their projects each month.

Our fourth grade students have been practicing their competitive math skills!  Fourth grade students from around the diocese recently participated in MATH DAY by the Math Honor Society at Clearwater Catholic Central HS.   Students participated in hands-on math games including tangrams, fractions, division, and group math problem BINGO!  In the afternoon, students played math relay games on the football field. At the end of the day, there is a winner from each school with the highest overall points for each activity. Our school winner was Jade Christopher – congratulations, Jade!

So many wonderful things are happening at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School – help spread the word about how truly great our school is!

The festivities actually started more than a week before Leap Day, when students and teachers began their discussions about the parables and Catholic Social Teaching.  Through the parables, Christ tell us very clearly that we are called to feed the hungry, for “whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)  Catholic Social Teaching challenges Catholics with the Preferential Option for the Poor, ensuring that we always care for the most vulnerable of our society.

As a response to our baptismal call, the students of Our Lady of Lourdes decided to take action and feed the hungry.  All of the students gathered in the cafeteria early Wednesday morning where they found tables lined with loaves of bread, stacks of paper bags, and cases of snacks.  After a blessing from Father Gary, the students disbursed to their stations and began work creating bag lunches for the residents of Pinellas Hope.

Students in seventh and eighth grade began work on over 200 ham and cheese sandwiches in assembly line fashion while sixth graders caught each creation in a ziplock bag.  They passed the sandwiches off to the fourth and fifth graders who were sorting pudding cups and apples while the third graders individually bagged handfuls of pretzels.  The primary students worked hard decorating bags with messages of love and hope.  Every student in Kindergarten came up with their own theme for the bag, such as “God is love” and “I am your friend.”  Within 30 minutes, everything was sorted and bagged.  Then all hands were on deck to fill the bags and pack them into large boxes to be placed in Mrs. Rehm’s car.

A few hours later, Mrs. Rehm, Mrs. Bogataj, Ms. Stoeckle, and some wonderful parent volunteers rode down to Pinellas Hope with a group of student representatives from COOLL Kids.  COOLL Kids is a new organization on our campus that promotes community service.  The name stands for “Catholic Outreach of Our Lady of Lourdes,” and that is exactly what they did on Leap Day.

The residents and employees of Pinellas Hope were thrilled with the donations.  Students from COOLL Kids took a tour of the facilities, learning about all of the various services they provide for the homeless of our community.  The students distributed lunches and were able to spend time getting to know many of the residents.

We at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School are blessed to be a part of a community so committed to the mission of Christ.  Inspired by the families we serve, we are honored to continue the work as Christ’s hands and feet both inside and outside of our school doors.

A Division II team coached by Theresa Guilfoile, with team members: Nick Guilfoile, Mikayla Whiteley, Autumn Mattox, Jolie Gracy, Matthew Gracy, and Lauren Sokolowski will advance to the state level in April. The students on that team solved a problem known as “Weird Science” and this problem was sponsored by NASA.  The students received 1^st place in their division and problem.

In addition, the Division II team coached by Karen Carter and Jeanne Pfiefer, with team members: Jillian Gracy, Jessica Dones, Gina Vercamen, Katiana Khouri, and Julia Pfiefer placed 4^th in their division/problem and received ribbons.  One of our primary teams coached by Mae Johnson and Alicia Gonzalez will also represent OLL at the state level as well. Those team members are Lillian Lozier, Sydney Abrams, Kalina Suminiski, and Caityln Dunphy.

Two team members from a Division II team also received a very special award, known as an OMER award.  This OMER went to Matthew Betzing and Sean Reilly who went to competition, despite not being able to perform a solution due to some unforeseen problems.  The judges recognized them for being able to think on the spot and improvise a solution without any props or materials.

We look forward to the results from the State Competition in Orlando this April!

On Wednesday afternoon, our school community joined hundreds of parishioners and millions of Catholics worldwide in attending Ash Wednesday Mass.  Humbly entering into the liturgical season of Lent, we as Catholics reflect upon the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and how to return to Him through prayer, fasting, and charitable works.

Ash Wednesday provides Catholics with a visible sign of our faith.  Ashes on our foreheads are an outward sign of something that happens in our hearts – a conscious decision to repent and be more intimately involved with Jesus Christ and His mission in our world.  Lent is not merely about giving something up, but rather bettering ourselves that we might further the kingdom on earth.

Father Gary explained that there are three components to Lent, which are beautifully displayed on our church altar as well as in an interactive prayer space in the narthex.  The first symbol, which sits in front of the ambo, includes three incense burners.  In our faith, incense is a symbol of prayers rising to God.  During Lent, we should make an additional commitment to prayer, deepening our relationship with the Lord through the Holy Spirit.  In front of the altar sits a red heart inside a cage.  This is a symbol of how God’s love can often exist – locked inside of us despite His desire that we share this love with others.  We must ask for healing and forgiveness from God so that we might spread His love more readily.  By fasting, we make a physical sacrifice that keeps us mindful of our vocation and purpose.  Finally, beside the baptismal font lays an open chest and a mirror.  These symbols remind us of our call to acts of charity, both during Lent and always.  By recognizing our own gifts and talents, we glorify God, as He blessed us with those special abilities.  We are called to utilize our God given gifts in service to others, bringing the presence of Jesus into the world.

The Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School community will be taking part in a number of efforts to ensure our prayer, fasting, and charitable works this Lent.  We invite you to join us in prayer, giving thanks for our 50 years of academic excellence as well as our future as an educational community.  We welcome you to join us in fasting, sacrificing things that may lead us away from Christ.  We encourage you to join us in charitable works, ensuring we cater to the most vulnerable in our society.  May it be a blessed Lent for all in our community!

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.