1

F E B R U A R Y 2 6 , 2 0 1 6 P A N T H E R P R I D E

Mission

Statement

To inspire spiritual

and academic growth

through worship,

service, education,

Contents A Note from

Mrs. Briggs 1

Message from

Father Tom 2

Masses & Events 3

Announcements 4 - 9

PTO News 10

SAB Report 11

Links Page 12

Church News 13

Panther Prints

MARCH 2016

Dear Parents,

It is that time of the year! Registration packets were distributed last week and

must be returned by 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 4, to ensure a spot for your

child(ren). We are in the beginning stages of planning for the 2016-2017 school

year and accurate student count is very important when creating the schedule

for the new year. Open enrollment begins Monday, March 7. Thank you to the

many families who completed the registration process this past week. Please

call the school office if you have any questions.

The tentative calendar for the upcoming school year will be available as soon as

the necessary information is received from the Catholic Schools Office.

Although we are planning for the new school year, there is still time to be in-

volved in this year’s activities. There are many upcoming auction parties,

Inaugural Pops Tournament and the annual school auction, to name a

few. Please mark your

calendars and join the

other OLP families for

some fun.

God’s Peace,

Mrs. Jodi Briggs

Principal

Our Lady of the

Presentation

Catholic School

"Inspiring spiritual

and academic growth" Phone 816.251.1150

Fax 816.251.1155

2

MESSAGE FROM

FATHER TOM We are a couple of weeks into our Lenten journey. At School Mass

this week, I asked the students: How are you different or how have

you been changed since we began Lent? That is a good question for all of us to reflect on. Lent is

a time for us to change our ways and focus on what is important. Are we becoming better people,

better Christians, more loving, more forgiving, more prayerful, less critical, and less angry because of

Lent? There are still several weeks to go, so if we haven’t seen the change or progress we would

like, there is no time like today to make the appropriate adjustments. Blessings on your journey!

Pope Francis has asked all parishes around the world to participate in an initiative during this Jubilee

Year of Mercy called, 24 Hours for the Lord. This will take place on March 4 - 5. Beginning at 9:00

a.m. on Friday, March 4, we will have Eucharistic Adoration that continues until 9:00 a.m. on Satur-

day, March 5. There will also be several times when the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered.

Many of our students will participate in Adoration during the day on Friday. I also encourage you to

participate as a family. You can find out more information about this worldwide event in our parish

bulletin or on our parish website.

In connection with the Year of Mercy and as a special focus during Lent, all Catholics are encouraged

to share in the beauty of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If it has been awhile since you celebrated

this sacrament of God’s forgiveness and mercy, now is an opportune time. As mentioned above, we

will be offering several hours for Reconciliation during the March 4 - 5 event. We will also have our

Lenten Reconciliation service on Sunday, March 13, at 7:00 p.m. There will be several priests here

for individual Confession. In addition, we offer weekly Reconciliation from 3:30 - 4:15 p.m. on Satur-

days, and 4:15 - 4:45 p.m. on Sundays. Sharing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a great way to

prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection at Easter.

Many Blessings!

Fr. Tom Holder

3

Tue, Mar 1 - PTO Meeting,

6:30 p.m., Etue Room

Wed, Mar 2 - All School Mass; 2nd - 5th Gr Reconciliation

Fri, Mar 4 - End of 3rd Quarter; 7th Grade Stations of the

Cross, 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Wed, Mar 9 - All School Mass; 6th - 8th Gr Reconciliation;

Report Cards; Teacher Luncheon by 3rd & 4th Grades

Thurs, Mar 10 - SAB Meeting, 6:00 p.m., Mulligan Room

Fri, Mar 11 - NO SCHOOL, Teacher Meetings

Sun, Mar 13 - DAYLIGHT SAVINGS -

SPRING FORWARD!

Wed, Mar 16 - All School Mass

Thurs, Mar 17 - STUCO 50¢ Dress Down Day

Fri, Mar 18 - Kindergarten Stations of the Cross, 2:30 p.m.

Tue, Mar 22 - Spring Picture Day (Dress Down or Up)

Wed, Mar 23 - All School Mass

Thurs, Mar 24 - NOON DISMISSAL, Holy Thursday;

First Grade Retreat

Fri, Mar 25 - NO SCHOOL OR ACED, Good Friday

SCRIP is available Tuesdays, after school.

See the School Business section of Announcements, on

page 5, for the Watch DOGS schedule for the month of

March.

P A N T H E R P R I N T S

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

All School Mass

Schedule

Wednesday, March 2

Theme: Humility;

Lector: Garrett Scheier;

Coordinating Class: 4th Grade

Wednesday, March 9

Theme: St. Frances of Rome;

Lector: Grace Wheeler;

Coordinating Class: 3rd Grade

Wednesday, March 16

Theme: 5th Week of Lent;

Lector: Mary Ann Reddig;

Coordinating Class: Mr. Volk’s 1st Grade

Class

Wednesday, March 23

Theme: Holy Week;

Lector: Leah Campo;

Coordinating Class: 5th Grade

Peace and Blessings,

Jo Engert

Director of Religious Education

Our Lady of the Presentation

Liturgical Colors:

VIOLET - Advent & Lent

RED - Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Pentecost & certain feast days

WHITE - Christmas, Easter, & certain feast days

Fridge Notes…

4

Announcements

SCHOOL BUSINESS:

HOT LUNCH: The MARCH LUNCH MENU is available by clicking the link and is posted to the school website.

ARE YOU CURRENT ON TUITION? The end of the 3rd Quarter is quickly approaching! As a reminder, all tuition

payments must be current through January for your child to receive his or her grade card. Please make pay-

ments by submitting a check or cash to the school office, or pay online at: http://olplsschool.org/payments.

DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP REMINDERS: Please be mindful of the times listed below.

OLP appreciates your efforts to be prompt and respectful of staff schedules outside

of regular school hours.

MORNING DROP-OFF begins at 7:30 a.m.

AFTERNOON PICK-UP time is 3:15 p.m.

Please note that students who are dropped off before 7:30 a.m. or who are picked

up after 3:15 p.m. are on the school premises outside of regular school hours. Un-

less arrangements have been made with a staff member for additional school support, such as assistance with

school work, Success Center, or extracurricular activities, which require direct supervision, students will be moni-

tored by the ACED program and appropriate charges will apply. If your student(s) regularly need to attend the

ACED program, either before 7:30 a.m. or after 3:15 p.m., please register with the ACED program.

For details and registration, please visit the ACED Page on the school website.

REGISTRATION FOR 2016 - 2017 SCHOOL YEAR: Registration for next year is now in progress. Forms were

sent home last week in a bright pink envelope. If you have not seen it, please check your child’s backpack. Again

this year, a $50.00 per student registration fee discount will be available if the packet is received by 1:30 p.m. on

Friday, March 4.

Please call the school office if you have any questions, 816-251-1150.

REGISTRATION FEES AND TUITION PAYMENTS:

Registration Fees and/or Tuition payments can be made online with a credit card or bank account; or sub-mitted to the school or parish office by cash or check.

When Registering, families should select either a 10-month or 12-month payment plan.

Online payments may be made by clicking the following link: http://olplsschool.org/payments. The link is also accessible from the homepage of the school website. Just click the “Make Payments” button!

In efforts to increase security for your financial information, The office will NO LONGER PROCESS credit cards or bank accounts for families. Families wishing to pay with a credit card or checking account must go online and input the information yourself, even if the office has processed your credit card or checking account for this school year. Next school year payments must be keyed in by the families.

For tuition questions, please contact Julie Hyde at 816-251-1109 or jhyde@olpls.org

5

Announcements, continued…

ATTENTION ALL 7TH GRADE PARENTS: In early January, a letter was sent home to all 7th grade parents with a noti-

fication that all students are required to have a Tdap vaccine before entering 8th grade. If that information was

already on file, a letter was not sent. Many students have already had this immunization. In response to the

letter, some parents have brought in copies of the vaccination record from their doctor. Thank you to those who

have already done this. For the remaining students, parents need to check vaccination records, or call your doctor

to check on the Tdap vaccine.

Additionally, we were recently informed that the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has changed

the immunization requirements for the next school year. Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, in addition to

the Tdap immunization mentioned above, 8th grade students will also be required to have a dose of Meningococ-

cal vaccine. This vaccine has been required for years for all incoming college students; but, will now be required

at a younger age. One dose will be required for entry into 8th grade and an additional dose before 12th grade.

Some doctors have already started giving this immunization to younger students. Please check your records to see

if your student has received the Meningococcal vaccine.

If your current 7th grade student is missing either of the above mentioned

vaccines, please schedule an appointment with your doctor to receive the

vaccination(s). We suggest that you take care of this before the end of the

school year. Summers tend to get busy with vacations and activities; and

doctor’s offices can be hard to get into. Please avoid the rush and schedule

the necessary vaccination(s) now. All students need to be up to date on this BEFORE the start of 8th grade. No

student will be allowed in class in August without proof of these immunizations on file in the health room.

Please send a copy of the vaccination records, indicating completion of both required vaccines, to OLP,

Attention: Nurses.

If you have any questions about this please feel free to contact us at nurses@olpls.org, or call the health room at

816-251-1123 or 816-251-1130. Thank you, Mary Rupp RN and Kathy Chamberlin RN

SPRING PICTURE DAY: Spring Picture Day is scheduled for Tuesday, March 22, and will be a Dress Down (or

Dress Up) Day. Detailed guidelines for the day will be listed in an upcoming Weekly Update.

WATCH DOGS UPDATE: Thank you to those men who have volunteered time to the Watch DOGS Program. Your

participation in the program is very much appreciated!

This year, we have see a significant decrease in participation. If you have not volunteered as a Watch DOG this

year, please consider spending part of a day, or more, to help increase school security and work with students.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Visit the Watch DOGS page on the school website for more information and to view photo albums of our Watch

DOG heroes in action.

2/29 - 3/10: AM Watch Dog - Mr. Jim Gentner

Mon, 3/14: AM & PM Watch Dog - Mr. John Joyce

All other shifts in March are OPEN at this time.

6

Announcements, continued…

ACADEMICS:

JUMP ROPE FOR HEART: ALL MONEY ENVELOPES AND ONLINE DONATIONS ARE DUE BY TUESDAY, MARCH 1!

All Grades will begin their jump on Monday, February 29, during their regularly scheduled P.E. class. Healthy

snacks will be provided for all students who participate, as well as some small prizes for the winners of the jump

rope/hoop competition stations.

We are only $2000 away from reaching our goal of $9,000! Keep up the great work students, and save a life to-

day! Questions? Please contact Mr. Justin Coatney at jcoatney@olpls.org.

MUSIC ROOM REQUEST: Mrs. Palacios is in need of a few props for the 7th and 8th Grade Spring Performance,

which will be presented on Thursday, April 28. She would like to borrow the following items: 12 Metal buckets -

large enough to put a scrub brush in; 12 scrub brushes; and a metal trash can, which doesn’t have to

be pretty - just clean. She would also like to have the following items donated for the musical: 20 plas-

tic champagne glasses; and, 3 - 4 large pieces of cardboard that are not bent - the pieces need to be

about 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide. Thank you for your assistance with this. Please email Mrs. Palacios at

apalacios@olpls.org if you have any of the above-mentioned items and would be willing to lend/

donate them for the musical. Thank you!

ART CLASS REQUEST: YES! Mrs. S. is still collecting caps - the more the better, so keep them coming! Mrs. Sher-

finski is continuing to collect plastic bottle/container caps of all sizes and all colors for a classroom art project later

in the year. Your trash is our treasure! This collection will continue throughout the school year. Learn more by

reading this MESSAGE FROM MRS. SHERFINSKI. Thanks to all who have sent in caps!

SERVICE/STUCO:

STUCO DRESS DOWN DAY: Student Council will sponsor a Dress Down Day on March 17, benefitting the Leuke-

mia and Lymphoma Society. Students are asked to bring a 50¢ donation in exchange for the privilege of

dressing down. Please remember to follow Dress Down Day Guidelines, as specified in the UNIFORM POLICY.

PTO:

PTO POSITIONS FOR 2016 - 2017 SCHOOL YEAR: Open Leadership and Chair Positions

Taking on a leadership position is an act of faith and strength. Remember, you are an OLP parent, you have what

it takes! We believe in you! And you won’t be alone. Please, feel free to contact Katie Reddig (PTO President) at

katiekeel@yahoo.com or (608) 695-3671 to talk over your questions and what might be holding you back!

Now is your time!

Executive Board:

President

Vice-President

Treasurer

Secretary

Chair Positions:

Field Day

Catholic Schools Week (co-chair needed)

Panther’s Pen Student Magazine

Special Person’s Day

Teachers’ Monthly Luncheon

Rebate Coordinator

7

Announcements, continued…

EVENTS:

POPS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: We are excited to announce the Inaugural Pop's Basketball Tournament,

open to ALL OLP DADS, on Saturday, March 19, in the gymnasium. Proceeds of the tournament will benefit the

OLP Annual School Auction and is sponsored by the Second Grade Gift Gathering Party. Please sign up by March

10, for this fun, family social activity, while watching the Dads of our school play some hoops! For details of the

event and registration, see the OLP POP’S TOURNAMENT FLYER.

GIFT GATHERING PARTIES THIS WEEKEND: Questions? Contact the party hosts listed below.

1st Grade: Saturday, February 27, 3:00 p.m., Konrad’s

Hosted by Kate Johnson and Nicole Ruiz

4th Grade: Saturday, February 27, 7:00 p.m., The Residences at New Longview Clubhouse

Hosted by Jeanne Flattery, Lori Meyer and Mindy Setser

8th Grade: Saturday, February 27, 7:00 p.m., Teetering Rocks Golf Club

Hosted by Mary Godfrey and Judy Mathews

EXTRACURRICULAR:

OLP TRACK REGISTRATION: All boys and girls in 4th through 8th grades are eligible to participate in Track through

the Parochial League of KC. To register, go to www.plkc.org and click on the “Registration” link.

REGISTER TODAY! The registration deadline is February 28. Practice and Meet information

will be communicated as it becomes available. Assistant coaches are also needed. Please con-

sider sharing your talent as an assistant coach. Questions? Please contact Coach Mary Bran-

son at todancewithhim@aol.com. See the TRACK REGISTRATION FLYER for more information.

OLP BOYS VOLLEYBALL REGISTRATION: All boys in 4th through 8th grades are eligible to

play Volleyball in the Parochial League of KC. Teams will be assembled based on number of

registrations. To register, go to www.plkc.org and click on the “Registration” link. REGIS-

TER TODAY! The registration deadline is February 28. Practice and Game information

will be communicated as it becomes available. Coaches are also needed. Please consider

sharing your talent as a coach or assistant coach. Questions? Please contact Robb Washeck, robb@washeck.com.

CHORISTERS OPENING FOR NEW MEMBERS IN APRIL: Choristers is a Parish Ministry which is open to children in the 3rd through 8th grades, who would like to improve their ability to sing and who are able to commit to being a Chorister. Beginning in April, 2nd Graders are invited to join. This link, http://olpls.org/olp-choristers, provides parents with an overview of the Parish-sponsored ministry. At the bottom of the web page are enrollment forms. Meeting times are divided between Elementary and Middle School. Middle School students meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings at

7:15 a.m.; Elementary students meet after school on Tuesdays from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. Contact David Armstrong with your questions or concerns at 816.251.1100 or darmstrong@olpls.org.

MISCELLANEOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS:

O'HARA CHIPOTLE NIGHT FUNDRAISER: Please join O'Hara High School families on Wednesday, March 2, from

4:00 - 8:00 p.m., at Chipotle’s Chipman Road location, in Lee’s Summit. Help support this fundraiser for our

school and enjoy some wonderful food and fellowship. O'Hara will receive 50% of all sales!

Looking for a great gift idea? Can't make it that night? Want to double your support? Gift card sales are included

as well. Thank you for helping make this event a success! O'Hara Parents Club

8

Announcements, continued…

EMERALD ISLE PARADE: Join the fun at Lee’s Summit’s Emerald Isle Parade on Saturday,

March 12. CLICK HERE to view the parade day flyer or visit www.downtownLS.org for details.

SUMMER ROBOTICS CAMP: Rockhurst High School is offering Summer Robotics Camps for

boys and girls, who will be entering grades 2 - 9 in August 2016. The camps are all co-ed and will be held at Rock-

hurst High School, on various dates in June and July. See the SUMMER ROBOTICS CAMP FLYER for details and reg-

istration. Questions? Contact Rockhurst Robotics Engineering teacher, Andy Wilcox, at awilcox@Rockhursths.edu.

EXCITING NEWS FOR OLP PARENTS! Several OLP families have collaborated to kick-start the OLP Family

Babysitting Exchange (FBE). This is an OLP-centered Date Night/Child Care Exchange co-op consisting of OLP

School and ECC families only. The exchange format is a closed group using the Facebook social networking site –

aimed at providing additional mental, spiritual, financial and child care benefits to OLP families as they enjoy in-

creased balance in their lives. There is no catch and no cost – just a cooperative group of “families helping fami-

lies.” Benefits of participating in the OLP FBE include: Ability for parents to get out more to nurture the marriage/

relationship without wearing out Grandma & Grandpa or other family supports; child care/babysitting cost saving;

networking/relationship-building amongst the school community; additional child(ren) influences of families with

similar value sets; and, more out-of-school play opportunities for OLP kids! Many families have joined, several

have published member profiles and one “kid swap” is already on the books! Join OLP’s FBE co-op and make plans

for that date night you’ve been putting off for weeks! For more information: Search FB’s “OLP Family Babysitting

Exchange” and request membership, or contact one of the group coordinators: Katie Bland, Amie Martin, or Mar-

garet Winkeler.

AUCTION NEWS

GRADE-LEVEL GIFT GATHERING PARTIES: 1st, 4th and 8th Grade families,

we hope you can join your parties this weekend. See listings on page 7.

Thank you to all Grade Party Hosts for planning these fun parties!

CLICK HERE for current Grade-Level Party Information

FAMILY BUSINESS PROCUREMENT: We need your help! We are asking each family to help procure silent auc-

tion items. Use the following link to the Procurement Sign-up Genius to select and sign up for 2-3 businesses to

procure from for the auction. Information about family donations and business procurement can be found on the

left-hand side of the Auction Webpage, under the Family Procurement Information section. Thank you to all who

have signed up!

AUCTION INVITATIONS: Look for your invitation in the mail in the next couple weeks. Registration to attend the

auction will be online this year. Please put any seating preferences (ex. “I would like to sit at a 1st grade table” or

list names of people at your table) in the comment field. Panther Partners, please contact Car-

lene Leardi & Angela Gabriel for auction registration at carleardi@gmail.com.

TEAM LAB AUCTION RAFFLE: Raffle tickets and contest information will be sent home the week

of March 14. Thank you in advance for supporting our OLP Team Lab!

AUCTION PARTY NIGHT COORDINATOR NEEDED! Halloween Party, Murder Mystery, Scavenger Hunts, Cigar Par-

ties, Ladies shopping lunch… the sky’s the limit! We are looking for someone to help define and coordinate the

2016 Auction parties. Everyone will have a chance to sign up to attend these parties at the auction. If you are in-

terested, please contact one of the auction chairs.

9

AUCTION DONATION DROP OFF: All donations, both procured and personal, can be

taken to your Grade Gift Gathering Party or dropped off at the school office. Please fill

out and attach a procurement form to ALL donations and sign them in on the procure-

ment log provided. For procured items, remember to leave the pink copy with the

business and turn in the white and yellow copies with the donation. If you print a pro-

curement form from the website, make a completed copy and leave one with the busi-

ness for their records. For personal donations, also retain a pink or printed copy for

your tax records.

Visit the Auction Webpage for all auction details and our Auction Facebook Page, “Our Lady of the Presentation

28th Annual Auction”, for reminders, discussions and more!

PANTHER PARTNERS NEWS: Many thanks to all our Panther Partners! OLP is truly blessed to have your support!

See the full list of our Panther Partners by clicking the link. The list is regularly updated

with all new additions and is posted on the school website under the Fundraising tab.

We will continue to accept donations at any time during the 2015-2016 school year.

Donations received will be reviewed by each event to determine if sponsor recognition

can be accommodated for the upcoming event(s). The annual School Auction is sched-

uled for April 23, 2016.

Anyone can be a Panther Partner! Please share this information with your family and

friends who you think would like the opportunity to be a Panther Partner and support our school.

2016-2017 PANTHER PARTNER COMMITTEE: If you are a person who is energetic, likes to learn new things, con-

veys information with ease, values flexibility and loves being involved in the community then this is the committee

for you! A background in marketing would be helpful but not necessary. This committee helps to maintain and

expand our OLP sponsorships for the upcoming school year. Duties include help with summer 2016 business mail-

ing, follow up with current and prospective sponsors for 2016-2017 donations and defining marketing event incen-

tives. Majority of this work is done remotely and on your own time. Remember to sign up on your Time and Tal-

ent registration form!

10

Dear OLP-PTO,

Here’s hoping this March newsletter finds your pace of life calm and enjoyable as we look forward to the final

three months of the school year. My goodness, the year is truly flying by!

Please let me thank each of you for the part that you play in helping, supporting, and maintaining our PTO. There

are all types of volunteers who take on a role in our group, from simply finding time to make it to the store to do-

nate to a class party to running a committee to plan a major event for our school. No part is too small. Thank you

to each and every one of you! From the past month, some special shout-outs go to the Catholic Schools Week

Committee and Teacher of the Year Committee. Catholic Schools Week was a great celebration brought on by

many hours of time from many volunteers. The announcement of Mrs. Oberkrom as the 2016 Teacher of the

Year was a strong reminder of how powerful the work of our PTO can be. Thank you too to our Welcome Com-

mittee chairs, Maribeth Joyce and Mary Beth Rybowicz. January marks the official start of school tour season

for OLP. It’s wonderful that you share your time to be ambassadors for our school and help interested families

make the choice to come to OLP. Thank you as well to the Hospitality Committee and Kristen Seelbrede for or-

ganizing and providing refreshments to welcome families to Kindergarten Round Up. February also saw the cele-

brations for the winning classes from last semester’s BoxTops contest. Thank you to Rebate Coordinator, Sabrina

Henry, for planning the Bring Your Own Device Party for 5th Grade and the Dance Party for 1st Grade. There was

much anticipation and excitement in my household for these days! Finally, thank you to Room Parents for the

amazing Valentine’s parties you planned and hosted. Your planning and attention to creating a fun afternoon for

our students is inspiring. Thank you!

PTO is at the point of the school year where things quiet down for a bit. As the Auction kicks into full gear, the

demands on your time shift. I hope that in some way you can find a way to support our Auction as it comes to life

and creates so much support for our school!

We are still on the lookout for parents to take on the leadership roles for PTO in the Executive Board and some

Chair positions. Please see the PTO section on page 6 of Panther Prints for that listing. In his book Rediscover

Jesus, Catholic author Matthew Kelly discusses how Jesus calls us to be radically gener-

ous in our giving, whether it be time, talent or treasure. As PTO president, one of the

occupational hazards is that thoughts of PTO often come into one’s prayer life as well.

My prayer for our school community is that you will consider if you can be “radically

generous” with your time to serve your school in a greater capacity next year.

With peace and blessings,

Katie Reddig, OLP-PTO President

OLP PTO NEWS

Upcoming and Ongoing PTO Events:

Scrip Sales: Every Tuesday after school (in the Etue Room during the colder months)

**Consider using Scrip for your Auction gift card donation **

March 1, 6:30 p.m.: PTO Meeting in the Etue Room. Update on budget to date and report of progress on

alternative revenue sources

March 9: Teacher Monthly Luncheon, hosted by 3rd and 4th Grades

11

School Advisory Board Update

As we welcome the Season of Lent, we reflect on our relationship with Christ.

What are the obstacles in our life that hinder our relationship with Christ? Lent

is a time to focus on repenting and rebuilding our relationship with Christ and

with one another.

In our meeting, we spoke about how our school community is working towards strengthening their re-

lationship with Christ through the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The children, teachers and staff will be tak-

ing the time to pray together the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every Wednesday during Lent. The children

were all given a special prayer bracelet to pray. I have accepted the offer extended by the school to

take a moment at 3:00 p.m. each Wednesday to say the Chaplet.

There are many opportunities in our school community that present themselves to us to strengthen

our relationship with Christ, not only throughout Lent, but all through the year by the many opportuni-

ties for service. As a Catholic School parent, grandparent, and/or friend, we are called to serve our

school and children through volunteering. Volunteering is the heart and soul of our school. It teaches

our children that they are important and shows them that, just as Christ was called to serve, so are we.

OLP has so many opportunities for us to serve, whether it is on a daily basis or a one-time event. Vol-

unteering can seem overwhelming. You don’t know what will be expected of you or how much time

will be asked of you. We ask that you turn your worries to God, and take the plunge. Say “Yes” to ser-

vice, to volunteer. Come to a PTO Meeting; assist a room parent with a snack for a party; call a couple

of businesses that you are familiar with and ask them to support our children with a donation, or as a

sponsor for the Annual School Auction.

My daughter is in first grade at OLP. When we joined the school, I didn’t know any of the other parents

and volunteering seemed overwhelming and very scary. These people all knew each other. And let’s

face it - I have a full time job, I am on numerous committees for work, I am planning conferences, and

let’s not forget the neighborhood HOA, plus dance and piano for my daughters. WHO HAS TIME FOR

MORE? What more could I give? So I started small and went to a couple of PTO meetings. That wasn’t

so bad, so I helped make some food for a classroom party. Then I helped at the Father/Daughter

Dance, since it was on the weekend and didn’t interfere with work.

The more I said “Yes” to Christ by volunteering, the more invested and connected my family felt to the

school. Even my husband needed a little push at volunteering; so I volunteered him to help with the

Buddy Bench. Our little commitments have provided us with the

opportunity to meet more parents, teachers and students. My

family has truly become part of the OLP School Family. All because

we accepted Christ’s calling to service.

Tamara A. Veit

School Advisory Board Member

12

Presentation “Links” Page

Find it Here!

www.olplsschool.org

OUR LADY OF THE PRESENTATION SCHOOL HOME PAGE - Includes large buttons to quickly connect you to the

things you need most: Weekly News, Volunteering, Registration, and Account Payments. Additional front

page information includes Quick Links, Events Calendar, recent special interest posts, and navigational tabs for

the entire website.

WEEKLY NEWS BUTTON - Includes an archive of all Weekly Updates and Panther Prints publications for the en-

tire school year. Flyers are linked below each publication for quick reference.

VOLUNTEER BUTTON - This is your one-stop-shop for all volunteering information. The page includes links to

current sign-ups and ongoing volunteer opportunities, as well as directions for completing volunteer require-

ments. There is a sub-page for Watch DOGS.

HOT LUNCH PROGRAM - Includes Monthly Lunch Menu, printable Lunch Payment Form, and lunch account

payment information. (Can be found from Home Page/Parents/Hot Lunch Program)

COUNSELOR’S CORNER - Includes regularly updated bullying information, service hour information and addi-

tional articles from our school counselor, Mrs. Vicki Mueller. (Can be found from Home Page/Staff Directory/

Mrs. Vicki Mueller)

NURSES PAGE - Includes seasonal Nurses Information, updated monthly, as well as printable Medication Con-

sent and Health History Forms. Can be found from Home Page/Staff Directory/Nurses)

ART CLASS PAGE - Includes a link to Mrs. Sherfinski’s Art Class Website, with all classroom and grading infor-

mation. (Can be found from Home Page/Staff Directory/Specials/Art)

MUSIC CLASS PAGE - Includes a link to Mrs. Palacios’s Music Class Website, with all classroom and grading in-

formation, as well as Band and Orchestra Information. (Can be found from Home Page/Staff Directory/

Specials/Music)

PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS PAGE - Includes a link to Mr. Coatney’s P.E. Class Website, with all classroom and

grading information. (Can be found from Home Page/Staff Directory/Specials/Physical Education)

ELEMENTARY COMPUTER CLASS PAGE - Includes Computer class information for grades K - 6, as well as grade-

appropriate computer activity links. (Can be found from Home Page/Staff Directory/Specials/Elementary Com-

puters)

LIBRARY PAGE - Includes monthly Library Newsletter, current Library event information, such as Scholastic

Book Fair and Turkey Trot, and important library and reading program links. (Can be found from Home Page/

Staff Directory/Specials/Library)

O L P

13

News from the Church...

FISH FRY FRIDAYS: Join parish friends and family for the annual Lenten Fish & Shrimp

Frys, on Friday evenings during Lent, in the OLP Auditorium. Dinner will be served

from 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. on the following dates: February 26, and March 4, 11 and 18.

In addition to fabulous food and fellowship, enjoy children’s Lenten activities each

evening. On March 11, enjoy a special performance of dinner music by the KC Symphony String Quartet! Pro-

ceeds benefit the youth service mission trip and the charitable organizations served by the youth group.

PRAYER VIGIL - All are invited to join in a 24-Hour Prayer Vigil, through Eucharistic Adoration and Confession,

on Friday - Saturday, March 4 - 5. Click the link for details: PRAYER VIGIL FLYER

WOMEN’S LENTEN RETREAT - Join us for an evening of reflection and song as we draw closer to God and explore ways to strengthen and sustain ourselves and each other on our faith journey. Thursday, March 10, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., in the Mulligan Room. Click the link for Registration information: RETREAT FLYER

ST. JOSEPH GUILD SHOEBOX DRIVE: The St. Joseph Guild will be collecting items for the Diocesan Council of

Catholic Women Shoebox Drive for Abused Women and Children, on March 12 - 13. Please see the SHOE-

BOX DRIVE FLYER for a list of items needed. The Guild will also be present in the Mulligan Room with a Year

of Mercy bookmark as a gift to parishioners and to speak with anyone who would like more information about

their ministry.

PARTNERS IN FAITH: Click the link to access the March issue of PARTNERS IN FAITH. This newsletter is pre-

sented by Jo Engert, Director of Children’s Faith Formation at Our Lady of the Presentation Parish, with help-

ful information to help children grow in their Catholic faith. The publication is presented in both English and

Spanish.

Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church

SAVE the DATE

Vacation Bible School 2016

June 20 - 24, 9:00 - Noon

Registration May 21 & 22

After all Masses