This Week at Our Lady of the Lake!

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Our Lady of the Lake School is committed to the Word of God through living out the Good News of Jesus Christ. A supportive educational team of students, staff, parents, and community aims at providing a creative, Christian learning environment. An emphasis is placed on developing students’ individual abilities, promoting social awareness, and encouraging them to become responsible, contributing members of church and society.

The September and October monthly calendars are available to download at the bottom of this newsletter!

Dear Our Lady of the Lake Families,

Another great week here at Our Lady of the Lake! Thank you to everyone who attended Back to School Night. It was wonderful to see so many families come together to learn more about the year ahead.

Thank you as well to the HSA for sharing prayer and important information with us that evening. Your presence and partnership mean so much to our school community.

We are looking forward to our first First Friday Feast next week, a lovely way to come together in fellowship as we continue this school year.

We are also still looking for students to join our choir. If your child enjoys singing and would like to be part of this wonderful ministry, please reach out to the office for more information.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and dedication to our school and parish family.

We invite you in, we live our mission together, and we walk this journey as one OLL family.

Have a beautifully blessed week,

Mr. Conroy

WOW, OLL! Look what we did in ONE week!

Thanks to one incredibly generous family, we purchased two new basketball hoops, and another amazing family picked them up and installed them. The kids are already enjoying them!

And the good news keeps coming! Thanks to two more generous OLL families, we can purchase lockers for our eighth graders to use this year, and every eighth grade class after them will get to enjoy them, too!

To every family who gave their time, talents, or support: thank you! When our OLL community comes together, amazing things happen!

Due to the forecast for inclement weather, the Food Truck Fest scheduled for this Saturday, September 26, has been canceled. We’re sorry to miss a fun day together and thank you for understanding!

A huge THANK YOU to all of our OLL families and teachers for making Back to School Night such a wonderful evening! It was great to welcome everyone into our classrooms, connect with one another, and share all of the exciting things ahead for our students.

We are so grateful for the incredible partnership between our families, faculty, and staff that makes the OLL community so special. We’re looking forward to a fantastic school year filled with learning, growth, faith, fun, and plenty of Laker spirit!

Here’s to an amazing year ahead, The OLL Way!

We urgently need lunch volunteers for next week!

Right now, we have very few people signed up, and we need your help to make lunchtime run smoothly for our students!

If you can spare even one lunch period, please sign up. We would be so grateful, thank you for showing up for our Lakers!

Dear OLL Families,

At our recent HSA meeting, we shared a new lunch duty commitment for this school year: each family will be required to complete at least 10 lunch duty shifts. A parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle may volunteer on your family’s behalf, provided they have completed the Protecting God’s Children class. The HSA is forming a volunteer committee to keep track of each family’s completed shifts.

We hope you will consider joining us at lunchtime. Your help makes a difference in our students’ day, and volunteering offers a chance to see your child at school and connect with other OLL students and families!

We understand that lunch duty may not be possible for every family. If your family is unable to complete the 10 shifts, you may choose a $100 buyout option. Please send cash or a check payable to Our Lady of the Lake School to your class parents. These contributions will help fund a full-time lunch helper to support our students.

Thank you for the many ways you give your time and support to OLL. We are grateful for your partnership in making lunchtime a positive experience for our Lakers.

Questions? Email president@myoll.org

For the safety of our students and staff, all visitors must enter through the main entrance, be buzzed in, and sign the visitor book in the hallway outside the Main Office. Lunch duty volunteers must sign in before heading to the cafeteria.

If you are picking up your child before dismissal because they are sick, have a doctor’s appointment, or need to leave for any other reason, please sign them out in the Early Dismissal Log located outside the Main Office. Thank you for helping us keep OLL safe!

As a reminder, lunch deliveries from outside vendors, including DoorDash, Uber Eats, and local businesses, are not permitted.

Students who are not in homeroom by 8:10 a.m. are considered late. If attendance has already been submitted to the Main Office, the student must stop at the office for a late slip before going to class to be marked as present.

If tardiness becomes frequent, a teacher or the principal will contact the family to discuss a solution. Repeated tardiness may also result in detention. Excessive tardiness may affect an upper-grade student’s eligibility for Honor Roll.

Get ready for a Friday filled with food, fun, and OLL school spirit! Students can dress down by purchasing a $2 Dress-Down Pass—limit one per child. Families may also preorder delicious pretzels, which will be sent home with students at dismissal.

Then, keep the fun going at our Chuck E. Cheese Fundraiser in East Hanover from 12:00–9:00 p.m.! Mention Our Lady of the Lake School, and up to 25% of your purchase will be donated back to OLL!

All order forms have been sent home with students, but you can also download and print a copy below if needed. Don’t miss this F(UN)east Friday packed with treats, games, and school spirit!

Our first Lake Serves initiative is coming up on Friday, October 2! OLL students will make sandwiches for St. John’s Soup Kitchen to help provide meals for neighbors experiencing food insecurity. It’s a meaningful way for our students to put their faith into action and serve our community!

We are still looking for donations of the requested supplies. If your family is able to help, please send donations to school by Thursday, October 1. Thank you for supporting our students as they serve others!

Flip, Tumble, and Have Fun with KinderGym!

Calling all PreK 3 and PreK 4 families! KinderGym is coming to OLL this fall, giving our little Lakers a chance to move, play, and build confidence after school. Children will explore tumbling, floor gymnastics, balance beams, and obstacle courses in a fun, age-appropriate setting.

The eight-week program meets Mondays at 2:45 p.m., beginning October 19. There is no class on November 2. The cost is $240.

Ready to Kick It at OLL?

Calling all TK–2nd grade future soccer stars! Our fall soccer program is the perfect place to build skills, boost confidence, and have a ball with friends. Players will practice dribbling, passing, shooting, and teamwork through fun, energetic activities. Whether it’s their first kick or they’re already soccer obsessed, everyone is welcome!

Please note: There will be no class on November 11 or November 25.

Big feelings, busy days, and a chance to take a deep breath! Our new Mindfulness Club gives students in Grades 2–4 a fun place to slow down, get creative, and learn with Mrs. Marino. Through stories, guided meditation, breathing exercises, and group activities, they’ll discover ways to feel calm and confident in everyday life.

The club meets on five Tuesdays: October 13, 20, and 27, and November 3 and 10. The cost is $75.

Sign up using the link below! Please send cash or a check payable to Our Lady of the Lake School to the main office before the first meeting.

PreK families, please make sure your child has a current physical on file and receives their annual flu shot. New Jersey requires children ages 6 months through 59 months who attend preschool to receive a flu vaccine between September 1 and December 31. Children who have not received it by December 31 must be excluded from preschool until they receive the vaccine or until the flu season ends on March 31, unless they have a valid exemption.

Please send physical forms, proof of vaccination, and any other health documentation to Nurse Kim at nurse@myoll.org. Thank you for helping us keep our PreK records up to date!

Dear Families,

We're excited to share that Our Lady of the Lake will be offering a Parenting Workshop series this year, led by Tricia Marino, focused on building your own "Parenting Toolbox" using the GRACE framework.

The series includes four sessions covering topics like:

• Back to school routines and effective parenting strategies
• The GRACE approach (Gratitude, Role Playing, Always silver linings, Connection, and Empathy)
• Executive functioning and emotional regulation
• Hands on connection activities and screen time boundaries

Before we finalize scheduling, we'd like to know which sessions interest you most, whether you'd like to attend one, a few, or all four.

Please take a moment to complete this short form: https://forms.gle/aZE11HFzMynNQqdP9

Once we have a sense of interest, we will follow up with specific dates and times.

Thank you for helping us build a stronger community for our children and families.

From September 15 through October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. The celebration began as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and expanded to a month in 1988. September 15 was chosen because it marks the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Our students are joining the celebration in several ways! Ms. Castillo, our Spanish teacher, is assigning projects that will help our older students learn about different Hispanic and Latin American countries. Student Council is also creating a bulletin board celebrating Hispanic heritage.

Each day during morning announcements, we’re spotlighting a Hispanic figure. This week, students learned about:

• Shakira, the Colombian singer and songwriter who also supports children’s education.
• Roberto Clemente, the Puerto Rican baseball legend remembered for his talent and dedication to helping others.
• Mario Molina, the Mexican chemist whose Nobel Prize winning research helped the world understand how certain chemicals damage Earth’s ozone layer.

We look forward to sharing more of what our students discover and create in the weeks ahead!

With busy school days, sports, homework, and after-school activities, giving our bodies the right fuel can make a difference in how we feel throughout the day. Nutrient-dense foods can help support steady energy, while highly processed foods and foods high in refined carbohydrates may leave us feeling sluggish.

What Helps Give Our Bodies Energy?

Iron-rich foods: Iron helps the body make red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. Low iron levels can contribute to fatigue and weakness, so including foods such as meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and tofu can help support healthy iron levels.

Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, and other berries are rich in antioxidants and can be an easy, nutritious addition to breakfast, lunch, or snacks.

Bananas: Bananas provide potassium, healthy carbohydrates, and vitamin B6, making them a convenient option for sustained energy. Potassium also helps support nerve function, muscle contraction, and healthy fluid balance.

Leafy green vegetables: Kale, spinach, and chard contain vitamins A, C, and K. Vitamin C is well known for supporting the immune system and also plays a role in helping our cells produce energy.

Whole grains: Oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, and other whole grains provide iron, B vitamins, and fiber. Fiber can help balance energy levels while helping you feel fuller for longer.

Beans and legumes: Chickpeas, black beans, edamame, and other legumes contain plant-based protein, fiber, iron, antioxidants, and complex carbohydrates, which can provide steady energy and help keep you feeling full.

Fatty fish, nuts, and seeds: Fish such as salmon and tuna provide omega-3 fatty acids, which support many functions in the heart, brain, and eyes. Nuts and seeds also provide omega-3s, fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients such as magnesium, which is important for energy production.

Don’t Forget Water!

Hydration is just as important as what we eat. Even slight dehydration can cause energy levels to drop. In addition to drinking water, foods such as cucumbers, watermelon, strawberries, and cantaloupe are more than 90% water and can help with hydration.

Nurse Kim’s Tip: When planning meals and snacks, focus on a variety of nutrient-rich foods and plenty of water. Small, healthy choices throughout the day can help students stay fueled, focused, and ready to learn!

Email: tconroy@myoll.org
Website: https://myoll.org/
Location: 26 Lakeside Avenue, Verona, NJ, USA
Phone: 973-239-1160
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ollverona