News From the Head of School
Dear OLP Community:
To say that the month of March was busy, would seem to be an understatement! It was a constant series of activities, celebrations, learnings, and even a handful of OLP firsts. It was the true buzz of a campus alive with energy and passion.
We hosted our 5th Annual Womens Symposium that saw the highest turn-out to date and celebrated personal conversations and stories of each womans journey. Once again, we started the day with a mentorship session and the day ended with a networking luncheon including students on the advisory committee. New this year was the addition of our Vendor Marketplace that lauded local female entrepreneurs even including our own parents and students. It was a huge hit and will definitely be returning next year. Click here to view photos from the day.
A highlight for me was also welcoming our alumnae from 1943 through 1968 for their Jewel Jubilee on the feast of St. Joseph along with the celebration of our senior St. Joseph Day awardees. We saw upwards of 50 alumnae join us for the day alongside our Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and CSJ associates. We also had an emotional recognition for this years Sister Claire Patrice Fitzgerald, OLP Alumna of the Year, Nina Sciuto-Morales 76. Nina was an ardent supporter of OLP, as a Board Member and an alumnae parent. Her recent passing, after a ferocious battle with cancer, reminded all of us of the love she had for her alma mater. At our liturgical celebration, Nina was represented by her daughter, Mia, an alumna of the class of 2008, her husband, son and other family and friends. It was a blessed day reminding all of us of the beauty of our CSJ charism, and the timeless power of sisterhood.
To round out the month, we also welcomed the Class of 2023, which in and of itself will be a group of amazing young women to watch! Whew! Let me just say again, what a month!
In closing, and turning our thoughts once again to the Easter season, Id like to impart an excerpt from the Maxims of Perfection, given to our CSJ Sisters in 1657 from Father Jean Pierre Medaille:
"Likewise, be very faithful to the grace of the Holy Spirit, listening attentively, obeying promptly and entirely, attributing to the Holy Spirit, as is indeed just, the honor resulting from the success of your good actions." Maxim 15
As I think of the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit at OLP, it is by Gods grace that these tremendous, hard-working young women have been able to accomplish robotics achievements, soccer championships, speech awards, and Mock Trial successes, just to name a few. They are women of heart, women of faith, women of courage and examples of excellence in all they do. I am so proud of all of them!
God Bless,
Lauren Lek, Ed.D.
Head of School
Looking Ahead to March
Dear Parents and Students,
As we enter the Easter season, we enter a season of hope and gratitude. Last Thursday night, I watched OLPs first annual Dance Showcase with about 400 other spectators. It was truly a magical night filled with so much talent. The efforts of so many members of our school community came together to make this a night to remember. I also garner so much hope from working alongside the OLP faculty and staff, who have so intentionally embraced the model of our CSJ sisters. The legacy of the sisters lives on in the faculty, staff, and students of OLP. What more could one hope for?
We welcome another phenomenal group of young women to the OLP Class of 2023! We look forward to welcoming them all back to campus for their Spring Welcome Night on Wednesday, May 8th at 6:30 pm. This will be the first time for the class of 2023 to get to know each other and to take their first class photo. Parents will participate in a conversation with Dr. Lek and other school team members, including representatives from our athletics department and the Parents in Prayer group.
All are invited to celebrate the Visual and Performing Arts at OLP by attending one of the multiple showings of A Midsummers Nights Dream. The opening preview show is Wednesday, April 3rd and it runs through Saturday, April 13th. This will mark the final production in our current theater. Please also save the date for the OLP/Saints Art Show, which will take place at Saint Augustine High School on Friday, April 12, 2019.
I invite everyone to check the OLP Athletics calendar on Blackbaud for upcoming game dates and times. This season we have over 190 student athletes across multiple teams represented in the sports of lacrosse, archery, swim & dive, softball, track & field and sand volleyball. Congratulations to our Varsity Basketball team for being named All-Academic with an overall team GPA of 3.87 and to Gabrielle Dixon '19 Section Scholar for the Metro region. We are very proud of our OLP athletes!
This time of year is also exciting because our OLP Endowed Scholarship application opens. This year, students will utilize one application form to apply to all of our scholarships. In total, we offer more than $70,000 in endowed scholarships for returning OLP students. You can find out more information about the scholarship application process on our website. The application window is from April 2nd to April 12th. Please make sure to apply on time as late applications will not be accepted. If you have any questions about this process, you are encouraged to come and speak with me directly.
Finally, as we look forward to the 2019- 2020 school year, please note that we will begin the year on Wednesday, August 7th, with Frosh Orientation and a Frosh Family Luncheon, followed by Picture Day and mandatory Class Meetings for all returning students on Thursday, August 8, 2019. The first day of classes will be on Monday, August 12, 2019. Mark your calendars now for a back to school social on Friday, August 16th - there will be games, jump houses, food and fun. We hope to see you there!
The 2019-2020 OLP calendar is now updated and available for your reference on the OLP website. I hope that you all enjoy a wonderful Easter Break and look forward to welcoming students back to school on Monday, April 29, 2019.
God Bless,
Mrs. Teri Heard on behalf of Mrs. Jessica Hooper
Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction
 In looking forward to the 2019-2020 school year, please note
the following important dates:
Frosh Orientation and Frosh Family Luncheon on Wednesday, August 7, 2019 followed with Frosh Tech Day and Pictures on Thursday, August 8, 2019 Class Meetings and Student Pictures are on Thursday, August 8, 2019 The first day of classes will be on Monday, August 12, 2019 Our first schoolwide liturgical celebration will be the Feast Day of the Assumption of Mary on Thursday, August 15, 2019 Back to School Night will be at 6:30 pm on Thursday, August 15, 2019 Grandparents Day will again be on Friday, November 22, 2019 preceding Thanksgiving Break November 25-29, 2019 Fall Final Exams will be December 17, 2019 - December 19, 2019; Spring Final Exams will be May 19, 2020 - May 21, 2020. These are mandatory. Students are only allowed absences due to illness. Christmas Break starts on Friday, December 20, 2019 Retreat Week begins on Monday, January 6, 2020 Thursday, January 9, 2020 with mandatory activities for all grade levels Easter Break will begin on Thursday, April 9, 2020 with students returning on Monday, April 20, 2020 School ends on Thursday, May 21, 2020 Baccalaureate Mass will be on Thursday, May 21, 2020 and Graduation for the Class of 2020 on Friday, May 22, 2020
The Academy of Our Lady of Peace invites you to join us for a Boundless: The Campaign for OLP Goodbye Blessing and Groundbreaking Ceremony on May 1, 2019.
Program Agenda:
9:00 am: Welcome and registration
9:15 am: May Crowning Ceremony and Blessing of the Buildings
9:45 am: Graffiti wall and demo wall
10:00 am: Tours offered by Boundless Ambassadors
 
Join Us for the BeYOUtiful Conference!
5th, 6th & 7th Grade Girls are Invited to Our 6th Annual BeYOUtiful Event on
Saturday, April 13, 2019!
Join current OLP students for an engaging morning of girl empowerment workshops and a presentation on how to create positive self-esteem. Hear from Troy Mullins, Long Drive Golf Phenom and A Rising Star in Womens Long-Drive Golf Competitions. Event Details
$28 per student. (includes t-shirt)
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Hosted by the Academy of Our Lady of Peace
Check In starts at 8 a.m. | Event runs from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Snacks & refreshments will be provided.
Fifth Annual OLP Women's Symposium a Success! Our Fifth Annual Women's Symposium was incredible! Thank you to all our panelists and attendess for joining us. On Friday, March 15, we celebrated our 5th annual Womens Symposium, appropriately themed, Piloting Your Life. Our keynotes, District Attorney Summer Stephan and owner of Nothing Bundt Cakes, Mara Fortin, joined our line-up of amazing panelists and Thought Leaders, to share with our students and community at large a message of purpose, passion, and grit.
View Photos!
OLP Earns College Board's AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award
OLP has earned the College Board's AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for attaining female student representation in AP Computer Science Principles for 2018. Among the more than 18,000 secondary schools worldwide that offer AP courses, ours is one of only 685 that have achieved this important result.
Join Us for Summer Camps! The Academy of Our Lady of Peace is thrilled to offer exciting educational summer enrichment camps for young girls!
Girls entering 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th grade in the fall can experience the magic of an all-girls' school environment through a wide variety of STEAM-focused camps that are taught by our experienced OLP faculty, students, and alumnae.
Camps will take place from July 8th - July 19th, with each camp running one week long. These full-day camps will run Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm.
Athletics Update
Dance
Dance Team had quite the month in March! They traveled to Long Beach for the West Coast Elite Dance Nationals and came away with huge wins! Read more
Equestrian
Team captain Jocelyn Moore '21 finished the OCIEL League season winning first place champion in Dressage Training Level and Dressage Seat Equitation! Read more
Varsity Lacrosse
Varsity Lacrosse continues their non-conference part of their schedule after a strong showing against rival Ramona, single-handedly defeating the Bulldogs 18-5. Read more
Sand Volleyball
JV and Varsity Sand Volleyball continued their league play this past Tuesday with a 3-0 win over the Mission Bay Buccaneers. Read more
Softball
Softball is in the middle of their second tournament, we have faced competitive teams to better prepare for league. Read more
Varsity Swim & Dive
OLP Swim is off with a fast start! Already halfway through the season, several Pilots have qualified for City Conference Championships and CIF: Olivia Cowan '22, Kaitlyn Coon '20, Andrea Deinard '19, Gilly Folk '19, Andrea Morland-Tellez '20, and Pearl Simonelli '21! Read more
Surf
The OLP surf team has been having a very fun, if somewhat longer than usual season. Two contests were rained out so we just finished with two makeup contests this last weekend. Read more
Track & Field
Track and Field Pilot girls have been absorbing and applying what coaches are teaching, and it has shown in their performance on Thursday and Saturday Meets. Read more
Athletics Calendar | Athletics Instagram
Cribs Without Borders
By Isabella Chavez '21 My story began back in late 2016, I wanted to start making a difference in this world of ours. When I was 14 years old, I had the idea of helping less fortunate families by providing their newborns with a safe sleeping environment. With the support of my family and friends, I founded Cribs Without Borders, an organization that knows no limits on reaching out to the neediest recipients on either side of the US and Mexican border. As of now, we have been able to help over 250 families. By personally reaching out to some of the most well-known juvenile product manufacturers such as Million Dollar Baby, Graco, Storkcraft, Baby Appleseed and Lambs & Ivy I was able to schedule meetings with the CEOs of each company. After making my presentation, with perseverance I was able to acquire donations that include cribs, mattresses and bedding.
Read More
AOC Highlight: Christine Garde & the "Could You?" Campaign
By Katie Cota '20, Katya Cerny '19, and Maggie Brady '19 Christine Garde is the Founder and CEO of Could You? a non-profit group that combats poverty in Africa by providing opportunities for education, economic investment and healthcare. In 2016, Garde was recognized as one of Forbes Forty Women Over Forty who are impacting the world for the better. Garde is an alumna of Pace University, where she earned a degree in International Management. She has also earned a certificate in Community Economic Development from San Diego State University.
Read More
Alumna Spotlight: Jackie Mendoza '11
By Angelica Acevedo, Billboard Ukulele in one hand and laptop in the other, Jackie Mendoza invites you to explore realms you never knew existed.
Growing up in the picturesque border city of Chula Vista near San Diego, Calif., Mendoza had ample inspiration from her beachside hometown as well as her Mexican-American upbringing to create her debut EP, LuvHz (due April 26 on Luminelle Records).
She recalls taking to YouTube to find her sound while covering hip-hop songs on the ukulele, including tracks from Bronx rapper French Montana. "I would post videos on YouTube of me singing and playing the ukulele and doing covers of hip-hop songs," she tells Billboard. "But then I started producing and I just put the two together: electronic music with ukulele pop songs."
Read More |
