OLC Newsletter 3/31/26

March 31, 2026

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your support of our Student Council Lenten season food drive. We collected hundreds of items (thousands?). Special thank you to Ms. Ximena Velazquez and Mr. Isaac Chavez for their contributions to this successful Easter event.  

We are having a schoolwide dress down day this coming Thursday, April 2. Students may come out of uniform if they wear Easter (or springtime) colors – no charge. Thank you to the Student Council for this last minute suggestion.

Plan on attending our May Festival the weekend of May 30 and 31. We will have games, food, and lots of activities. If you can assist us with the activities that weekend, please contact Ms. Garcia in the school office. Volunteer hours can be applied in any category, for this school year OR for the 2026-2027 school year, whichever you prefer.

Do you know someone who would be interested in teaching art, physical education, or Spanish one or two days a week in the 2026-2027 school year? If you do, please have him or her contact me by phone or by email (see contact information below). A bachelor’s degree is not required. English fluency would be nice, but is also not a requirement for these positions.

Thank you to all the members of the PTO who have worked so hard on fundraising for our school this year:

Fr. Waldemar Latkowski 

Lily Cardoso 

Juan Delgado 

Maria Galvez

Karina Garcia 

Carmen Hernandez

Gabby Loya 

Rosamar Mallari 

Stephanie Martinez 

Sylvia Martinez 

Juliana Morini 

Gabriela Orozco 

Estefania Palafox 

Tania Reyna

Guadalupe Rodriguez

Phoebe Unzueta 

Ximena Velazquez

Erika Zambrano

Frank Zarate Jr.

Our PTO Officers for the 2026-2027 school year are as follows:

President: Stephanie Martinez

Vice President: Lily Cardoso

Treasurer: Sylvia Martinez

Secretary: Carmen Hernandez

• Early dismissal: 4/1 and 4/15

• Stations of the Cross: 4/1 at 8:30

• Easter Egg Hunt: 4/2 at 2:00

• Track & Field permission slips are due by 4/2; fee can be paid after break.

• Confirmation at 7:00 PM on 4/14 at St. Mary of Czestochowa Church

• FACTS Application deadline for financial aid is 4/20. If you are receiving Archdiocesan aid, you should have completed your application by 3/29.

• Dental exam group here on 5/4 (free check up)

• Please remember that the $300 fee on FACTS was for registration for the 2026-2027 school year.

Wishing you and your family a blessed and joyful Easter filled with peace and hope.

Yours truly,

Frank S. Zarate, Jr., Ed.D.

Principal(708) 652-0262 

fzarate@olc-school.org 

OLC NEWSLETTER 3/3/26

March 3, 2026

Dear Parents,

Our annual World’s Finest Chocolate sale begins this week. Chocolates will be sent home tomorrow. Each family will be responsible for selling 2-1/2 boxes of chocolate (100 bars at $2 each). Each box is $80, therefore each family will be responsible for selling $200 of chocolates. The money is due by April 2. Families will be billed for the fundraiser balance before each fundraising event ends to ensure participation. We appreciate your help with this important sale.

2nd trimester report cards will be sent home this coming Thursday. Be sure to ask your child for it.

There is no school on Friday, March 13.

We have purchased the new Gaga Ball Pit, but we still need the wood for the walls. We’ll have another Raising Cane’s fundraiser on March 19. Please plan to go to Raising Cane’s Riverside that evening and bring your entire family!

Don’t forget Family Bowling Night on Monday, March 23. This is the last week to purchase tickets. No tickets will be sold at the door.

We are in Lent, and Easter vacation will be here soon. We will be on break beginning Good Friday, April 3, and we return to school on Monday, April 13.

Finally, please support our Student Council Lenten season food drive running until Friday, March 20. Send your child with any of the following: pasta, oatmeal, cereal, canned foods, peanut butter or jelly. 

Thank you for all you do for our school.

Yours truly,

Frank S. Zarate, Jr., Ed.D.

Principal(708) 652-0262 

fzarate@olc-school.org 

OLC NEWSLETTER 1/26/26

January 26, 2026

Dear Parents,

Well today’s cancellation of classes was certainly unplanned. I’m not sure how you felt about it, but I imagine that many of your children didn’t mind. 

You may be wondering why we don’t have to add days to the school calendar in June or have e-learning when school is canceled for snow days, etc. This is because Illinois law sets 176 instructional days as the minimum for most schools, and most districts adhere to that number. However, for decades 180 was the traditional national norm, and that is the number of instructional days in our OLC calendar. This provides us with a built-in cushion for snow days and emergencies, so we do not have to add days at the end of the year or do e-learning (which is inconvenient for a lot of families).

January 25-31: Catholic Schools Week – 

Tuesday: Pajama Day for all grade levels; Dance Party (PK-4)

Wednesday: Senior Citizen Day; celebrate the 100th day of school by dressing up as a senior citizen

Thursday: Jersey Day; Mass at 9:00; 7th and 8th grade talk with Fr. Slawek on his work in Kenya and on exploring vocations

Friday: Character Day and Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee; dress up as your favorite character from a book movie, or TV show; Basketball Spirit Night at the St. Mary Social Center Gym. Any student who shows up for a game may come out of uniform on Mon., Feb. 2. Boys’ JV at 6:00; Boys’ Varsity at 7:00 and again at 8:00

The Academic Bowl planned for tomorrow has been postponed until Feb. 3.

Fun Lunch: Friday, January 30 (pizza)

We are excited to welcome prospective families to one of our Open Houses! This special event offers a wonderful opportunity to tour our school, meet our dedicated teachers, connect with other families, and experience firsthand what makes Charity such a welcoming and special community. 

Open House Dates: Jan. 28, Jan. 30, Feb. 11 and Feb. 25

Open House Hours: 8:30AM-12PM

No appointment is necessary. Please tell your friends and remember that you can earn up to $1000 in tuition credit if you refer a family that enrolls at OLC in the 2026-2027 school year.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are on Thursday, February 5, from 12:30-6PM. Students are dismissed at 11:30, and there is no after care and no SGA. Conferences are by parent or teacher request only, virtual or in person. More information will be sent to you this week.

Friday, February 6: No school; staff development day

As we begin the new year, we hope it has brought you a renewed sense of hope and purpose. We are grateful to all who support our school through prayer and action, allowing us to continue providing a faith-centered education for our students. God has richly blessed OLC. Thank you for being an important part of our community.

God bless you!

Frank S. Zarate, Jr., Ed.D.

Principal(708) 652-0262 

fzarate@olc-school.org