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News From the Head of School By Lauren Lek, Head of School
Dear Parents, Students and Friends:
I hope this email finds all of our OLP families in good spirits as we welcome in the spring season bringing with it growth, excitement and promise. We recently welcomed members of the Class of 2019 to OLP on registration day. All incoming 9th grade students and parents are invited to Spring Welcome Night on Thursday, April 30th to connect with current students, faculty, and staff and to mingle with their future classmates.
The month of March has also been filled with many opportunities for our students to connect with our larger San Diego and beyond community. At the end of March, OLP Students were hosted for a second year, by current parents Lowell and Claire Handy, at the annual Women in Blue Foundation Luncheon.
Student Leaders, of our newly created Interact Club, also joined with their moderator, Mrs. Alma Kim and me at the downtown Rotary Club 33 meeting, to be officially welcomed and introduced to the club. The leadership team consists of Haley Antoine '15, Laura Handy '15, Gabrielle Ripa '16, Karime Laborin '17, and Lauren Anastas '18.
On March 19th, a group of 15 OLP students attended the fourth annual Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California presented by Mount St. Mary's University, one of our CSJ sister schools in Los Angeles. The day provided our young women the chance to hear prominent women in leadership share their insights and passion for changes in the status of women's issues, including a keynote address by internationally renowned author, Sheryl WuDunn.
All students received a copy of the report to consider how they could take this information and use it to make a difference today in their local OLP and San Diego community. They also met with Ann McElaney-Johnson, current President of Mount St. Mary's University, and were joined by Mary Sloper '58, Board Chair Emeritus. Following the presentation, students then had the opportunity to visit our CSJ Carondelet Center in Los Angeles and Mount St. Mary's University campus.
In our spirit of partnership I would just like to end by extending my thanks and appreciation to all of our students, parents, grandparents and alumnae who joined us for the Vive La France gala on March 14th. We were so very blessed with not only a sold out event on campus, but also the largest net revenue we have yet to see at an OLP event: more than $120,000. The monies brought in will directly go to supporting our young women, their programs, and needed instructional supplies.
Thank you for all you do for the OLP community!
Lauren Lek
Head of School
April Updates By Jessica Hooper, Assistant Head of School
Dear Parents, Students & Friends of OLP,
As we enter into Holy Week this week I find myself inspired by the wisdom of Pope Francis and his call to live a life of humility and joy. As a follower of Pope Francis' Twitter page (yes, the Pope has a Twitter account, @Pontifex, should you too want to follow him) I was struck by his recent statement, "The world tells us to seek success,power and money; God tells us to seek humility, service and love." This so embodies the CSJ tradition and all that we challenge our students with on a daily basis as they strive to become all of which they are capable. Recently three seniors were recognized with the Mother St. John Fontbonne Awards at our annual liturgical celebration of St. Joseph's Day. These three seniors were nominated and selected by our faculty for authentically representing the CSJ charisms of gentleness, peace and joy. Congratulations to the recipients: Abbey Sarnowski '19 (joy), Claire Westermeyer '19 (gentleness) and Gabriela Ashenafi '19(peace). Thank you for living the example of the CSJ sisters on our campus each day.
As we look towards April, I invite everyone to check the OLP Athletics calendar at www.aolp.org for upcoming game dates & times for our Spring sports teams. This season we have teams represented in the sports of lacrosse, gymnastics, swim & dive, softball, track & field and sand volleyball. We are very proud of our OLP athletes and excited to debut our first lacrosse teams in the history of OLP. Also of note, tryouts for the OLP/Saints cheer team will take place Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - Friday, April 17, 2015 from 3:30 - 5:00 PM. Tryouts are for new and current cheerleaders. There is an optional informational meeting for parents on Monday, April 6, 2015 from 6:00 - 7:00 PM in the library. Email [email protected] with any questions.
Parents, I hope that you can join us for our monthly Coffee with Counselors on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at 8:00 AM. Ms. Gretchen Veihl, the Assistant Director of the University of San Diego's Test Preparation program will be presenting on the upcoming changes in the SAT/ACT as it relates to the implementation of the Common Core. This month's event will take place in the OLP library.
Be sure to read below for information regarding our Spring Theatrical production of Legally Blonde Jr., the Musical. Our theatrical program students have been working hard and the performances promise to be entertaining.
As a community of faith we will come together to celebrate mass on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 11:00 AM, all are welcome and encouraged to attend. Also, please keep our Seniors in prayer as they attend both the Senior Retreat and the CSJ Service Immersion trip April 29, 2015 - May 1, 2015.
Finally, as we look forward to the 2015-2016 school year, please note that we will begin the year on Thursday, August 13, 2015 with Frosh Orientation and a Frosh Family Luncheon, followed with Picture Day and Class Meetings for all returning students on Friday, August 14th. The first day of classes will be on Monday, August 17. Other dates of note include: Fall Final Exams, December 15, 2015 - December 17, 2015, Spring Final Exams May 23, 2016 - May 25, 2016. Attendance for final exams is mandatory, students are only allowed absences due to verifiable illness. Christmas Break starts on Friday, December 18, 2015 with students returning on Tuesday, January 5, 2016. Please note that due to the NCEA Conference being held in the Diocese of San Diego and a request from the San Diego Diocese Office of Schools, we will have an extended Easter Break. It will start on Monday, March 21, 2016 with students returning on Monday, April 4, 2016 (2 weeks) School ends on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 and Baccalaureate Mass will be on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 with Graduation on May 26, 2016.
I wish you all a Happy Easter season. Thank you for your partnership in making this incredible institution what it is today.
God Bless,
Mrs. Jessica Hooper
Assistant Head of School
Academic Assemblies
Dear Parents & Students,
I write to inform you about some changes that will take place in our student award system beginning this year. Instead of having four grade-level assemblies, we will instead come together twice as a student body to recognize student achievement. This initiative creates an opportunity for underclasswomen to recognize the achievement of their peers in addition to the achievements of older students.
A school-wide Academic Assembly will take place during the day on May 18, 2015 from 11:00 a.m.-12:05 p.m., in the Holy Family Event Center. A significant component of the daytime award ceremony is the distribution of awards for students who have achieved academic success in specific subject areas. Some awards include: subject area awards, scholar athlete awards, and leadership awards among others.
On May 13th at 6:30 p.m. students will be recognized for outstanding academic achievements at an evening assembly, "Evening of Excellence," in the Holy Family Event Center. Students will receive awards related to character recognition and the CSJ charism as well as awards recognizing achievements in academics and community sponsored scholarships. The traditional Senior Awards ceremony will be absorbed into this evening's gathering.
Parents are welcome to attend both gatherings and will receive prior notification if their daughter is to receive an award at either assembly. This year the list of awards has been scaled back to reflect true mastery and effort. This decision was made so that the awards more accurately reflect a level of prestige and accomplishment. This new model will provide a more concentrated level of audience engagement to honor students who have met a set of criteria for excellence during their time at OLP. Award criteria include a student's achievement, mastery of subject, work ethic, progression of learning, application of learning, course load selections and citizenship. The elimination of less prestigious awards raises the integrity of these award assemblies, while also providing the honorees with the attention and recognition they have worked so hard to achieve. We hope that you are able to join us in recognizing the incredible achievements of these students.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sheelah Keeter
Assistant Principal of Curriculum & Instruction
OLP Women's Symposium A Success!
OLP hosted its inaugural Women's Symposium recently. The symposium featured prominent women leaders on multigenerational panels as they shared insights with the future leaders and innovators of the world. Panel discussions covered a wide array of topics aimed at helping the next generation of women leaders manage the many aspects of being a woman in the work force.
The Women's Symposium was a first-of-its-kind event for OLP. School leaders imagined an event where students could interact with key female business leaders in the community, and make valuable connections with women who have found success in the working world.
Sponsors of this event included title sponsor I.E.-Pacific, Inc., MobiFuse, Neyenesch, Pep Creative, Silvergate Bank, Visual Antics, Urban Girl Accessories, RCP Block & Brick, Nerium International, Rachel Mollering, CPA, Green Dragon Tavern & Museum, Urban Plates, Menard Family Foundation and Lois Marriott.
Don't Miss the Production of Legally Blonde, Jr.
By Vanessa Rebeil '15 and Paulina Sierra '17
It's one more month until the opening night of Legally Blonde, Jr. Legally Blonde is the story of Elle Woods, a UCLA student. When dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to follow him to Harvard in an attempt to win him back. Through this, she finds more than a relationship; she finds herself. Elle finds that pursuing her new dream in being a lawyer does not mean she cannot be who she is, and that her unique personality gives her a different perspective on how to get the job done. The cast is being led by Mrs. Herb-Baker and the choreographers, Susana Alvarado '15 and Rachel Rougas '16, and their assistant director Vanessa Rebeil '16. Costumes are being created with the help of Erin Stumm, Mrs. Stumm, Hannah Teves, and Mrs. Newton. Tickets are on sale at showtix4u.com for $12 or $6 apiece with a group of 10 or more. (contact Mrs. Herb at [email protected] for group sales). You can now follow us on Twitter @LegallyB_OLP for daily updates on the show! Come support seniors Susana Alvarado, Andrea Cervantes, Stefany Chadkewicz, Keara Kirkpatrick, Matthew Martin, Vanessa Rebeil, Francis Sapien, Torrey Schenewerk, Jordan Stewart, Matthew Tolliver, and Lucia Ventura in their last high school performance. Hope to see you all there!
Students, Start Your (Brain) Engines
By Ilene Nagem '70, Social Studies Department
Essay contest season began in January in my history classes and we are now proud to present our first group of winners. Three Juniors from my AP History classes were honored for their entries in the Optimist International Essay Contest. The topic this year was, "Optimism Should Be a Priority." Pictured in the photo above are (from left to right): Allied Gardens Optimist Club President; Fernanda Gonzalez who placed first and won $75; Lauren Glevanik who placed second and won $50; Rachel Rougas who placed first and won $25; and Fred Gloyna who is the Essay Contest Chairperson for the club.
OLP is once again grateful to the Allied Gardens club, which continues to sponsor our school and which is always full of praise for our students. Fernanda's essay has been submitted to the next level and we wish her the best of luck. We are awaiting the results from two more contests so stay tuned for further details.
Poetry Contest a Success
By Siobhan DeVore '01, Librarian
On March 12th, the OLP Library hosted its annual Poetry Contest! Over 25 poems were submitted by students and faculty judged each one anonymously. After careful consideration and lengthy discusssions, the judges narrowed it down to the four winning poems, which were: "The Tinge" by Sophia Martin-Carloz '15 for 1st place; "Not Synonyms" by Sophia Martin-Carloz '15 for second place; "There Once Was an SAT Story Like So" by Olivia Palid '15 for 3rd place; and "The Matter That Makes Us" by Maddy Rauh '15 for fourth place. Each winner received a gift card to Barnes & Noble.
Throughout the poetry celebration, everyone was encouraged to create their own "jumble poetry." For the jumble poetry activity, each table had an envelope full of of random words. Gluesticks were used to arrange the words into a poem and stick them onto a piece of paper. As everyone worked on their jumble poetry, students that had submitted poetry to the contest read their poems aloud to the group.
We will continue to celebrate the beauty and power of poetry throughout April (National Poetry Month). So be sure to stop by the Library and check out the award winning poems and the jumble poetry on display!
Adventure Fitness: Fun Learning in Action
By Sally Boettger, Physical Education Department
Don't be bored with your workout routine, make it fun and try a new adventure with OLP's Adventure Fitness class. Not only are we a strength conditioning class, we also learn more about our nutrition and we spice up the routine by taking fitness field trips throughout San Diego. There are so many different ways to become fit. You don't need to get stuck in a rut at the gym! Adventure Fitness offers a variety of different field trips for students to try new ways to stay in shape.
How about using a trampoline? Jumping on a trampoline sounds like fun, and many parents probably take their kids to a trampoline park for birthday parties. But did you ever think to make the trampoline part of your regular workout routine? We did! We jumped our way to fitness in a Skyrobics class offered through Sky Zone Trampoline Park. Skyrobics gave us a cardio and strength workout all while having a little fun.
There are also many great hiking opportunities all over San Diego. No matter where you live, there is most likely a good hike within 20 minutes of your home or work. Our Adventure Fitness students headed to Torrey Pines and hiked up for the great views and a little cardio, and back down to finish the day with a walk on the beach. Not only did we get a good workout in, we were reminded why San Diego is such a great place to live. It was a fantastic day of fitness and friendship.
You are more likely to stay committed to a fitness regime if you make it a social event. Instead of meeting friends for coffee, meet them for a hike, walk or try out a Skyrobics class! Make it social, and you will stay committed and get better results.
Athletics Updates
Swim Starts Strong
By Coach Witt
The OLP 2015 Swim season is off to a great start! In our first swim meet of the season, the Western League Relay Meet, we tied for 4th place. In our first League meet against Coronado High School, we had some outstanding swims. Spencer McVeigh '16 placed 1st in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:02.34 and in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:06.02. Charlotte Adema '16 placed 1st in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:23.25. The 200 Medley Relay also won first place (Lizzie Lumanlan '15, Charlotte Adema '16, Spencer McVeigh '16, and Megan Baughman '15). Congratulations to our swimmers for an excellent performance and effort. Read More
Track & Field Kicks Off
By Coach Keays
OLP's 2015 track team has some promising new faces, especially in the sprints. Freshmen Samantha Carranza '18, Gaby Maxwell '18, and Ashley Northrup '18 along with sophomore Katelyn Heffler '17 have all shown promise in the early going, and all seem to have promising high school track and field careers ahead of them. They're fast, dedicated, and have shown themselves to be very coachable. They are also blessed with having two very accomplished and very helpful seniors to guide them, Jade Vidal '15 and Hannah Keohane '15. Read More
Read more about our other spring sports teams in the April OLP Magazine.
Two Months of CSJ Heritage Connections
By Lauren Lek, Head of School
On Wednesday, February 25th, I joined a small task force of educators and CSJ sisters at Mount St. Mary's University to discuss the CSJ Institute. This is one of the five pillars they are focused on as part of their Strategic Plan. The goal is to create an institute that will serve the internal Mount St. Mary's community as well as their external partners. It is an exciting time as we collectively helped to envision how this partnership could serve all CSJ sponsored ministries. At our next meeting on March 23rd we hope to have crafted a vision statement and finalize the particulars of the institute. President, Ann McElaney-Johnson, plans to open the Institute next fall on their Anniversary year!
On Thursday, February 26th, I returned to Mount St. Mary's University where the 5 Presidents form the CSJ sponsored schools in California gathered for one of our bi-annual meetings. This included Mount St. Mary's University, St. Joseph's Academy, St. Mary's Academy and Carondelet High School. It was a wonderful opportunity to discuss some of the challenges each of our schools are facing and look toward new/renewed ways to come together as Sister schools.
On Saturday, February 28th, we hosted at OLP our Jewel Jubilee reunion with members of the class of 1945, 1950, 1955 and 1960. The alumnae came from near and far to celebrate their alma mater and hear about all the incredible things going on. Many have been keeping up with the school through our OLP Magazine, which they all indicated was the piece of mail they most anxiously await! They also passed along their acknowledgement of all that the faculty/staff are collectively doing to prepare these young women for the competitive 21st century. To say they were speechless would be an understatement! I was also joined by three students who helped share their personal experiences at OLP: Jordan Stewart '15, Maria Morgan '17 and Susana Alvarado '15.
On Saturday, March 14, we hosted the Vive La France Gala on our OLP campus. Many of our CSJ Sisters attended the gala, some even travelling from Los Angeles. It was a wonderful way to connect directly with our CSJ Sisters and Associates back on the beautiful OLP campus as it was transformed for the evening. We especially thank the Sisters for sponsoring an 1882 VIP Table at the event as well.
On Thursday, March 19, we welcomed many of our CSJ Sisters back to campus again for the St. Joseph's Day Mass & luncheon.
At all of these events, the CSJ sisters commented on how clearly the CSJ charism comes through in the writings in our OLP Magazine, the things we highlight in our newsletters and most powerfully from the words of our own students.
Alumnae Profile: Michelle Drummy '07
After I graduated from OLP in 2007, I went on to major in Fine Art at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I took the opportunity to get involved in many activities at UCSB which made my experience very fulfilling.
OLP gave me the chance to be an active participant in a multitude of activities on campus and off. This pushed me to try out new things later on, like working for a gallery in San Diego and curating a gallery at UCSB. I graduated from UCSB in 2010 and began working for Little Artists, an art studio that gives art lessons to kids ages 4-18.
Last July, I was hired at St. Augustine High School as the art teacher for drawing and painting. The school year has been going very well so far. I am very proud to be a graduate of an all-girls Catholic high school. I credit OLP with giving me confidence, goals and life-long friends.
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