OLC Newsletter 11/18/25

November 18, 2025

Dear Parents,

Report cards for the 1st trimester go home this coming Thursday, so please ask your child for it. Join us for our 1st trimester Honor Roll Assembly (grades 4-8) on Mon., Dec. 1, at 2:00 in church. 

This coming Friday, Nov. 21, we will have our Fall Sports Assembly to recognize our cross country and soccer athletes. This event will take place in church immediately following the 9:00 Mass. You are welcome to be with us for Mass and for the ceremony.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from Our Lady of Charity School. The school will be closed on Wed., Thurs., and Fri., Nov. 26-28.

We are also inviting you and your child to participate in “Santa’s Secret Shop” the week of Dec. 8. This program allows children to experience the joy of choosing their own special holiday gifts for family and friends. The Shop is set up at school and supervised by parent volunteers. All proceeds benefit the OLC Class of 2026. 

Roller Skating also begins on Mon., Dec. 8 for seven consecutive school days for all students in grades K-8. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn to skate and have fun. Students show remarkable improvement over the course of the unit, you’d be surprised! If you would like to volunteer to help out (especially with the lower grades), call the school office: (708) 652-0262 ext. 201.

Friday, Dec. 12 is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We will have a reenactment of the apparition of the Virgin to St. Juan Diego as performed by our 3rd graders. This will take place at the 9:00 Mass and will include traditional songs sung by the 4th graders. This is also Grandparents Day at OLC for all students in grades PK-8. Students may invite up to two grandparents (or VIPs) to Mass. After the service, there will be tamales and beverages for the grandparents in the classrooms (grades K-5); middle schoolers will gather with their grandparents in the lunchroom. The gatherings will end at 10:30 so that we can prepare for the lunch periods.

Our last day of school before Christmas vacation is Fri., Dec. 19. There is no Chess Club meeting that day. School resumes on Mon., Jan. 5.

We are having a Talent Show in January during Catholic Schools Week. This will be for all grade levels, PK-8, and will take place at 9:00 on Tues., Jan 27, in church. I’m sure it will be entertaining, and you are invited to see the show. 

The next PTO meeting will be on Tues., Dec. 2, at 7:45 in the Extended Care room.

Please remember that each family is required to perform 30 hours of volunteer service or pay a fee of $600 in lieu of hours. The hours must be completed as follows:

• 5 hours supporting a parish event

• 15 hours through school fundraisers

• 10 hours during school activities

A family member may complete up to 15 of the 30 hours on your behalf. Virtus training may or may not be required depending on the activity. It is never “too late” to get Virtus training.

Don’t forget the Car Raffle for the brand new Chevy Trax LS. Each family is responsible for selling $400 of tickets. Money is due in the school office this coming Fri., Nov. 21, and the drawing will be held on Christmas Day.

Yours in Christ, 

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

Principal(708) 652-0262 

fzarate@olc-school.org 

OLC Newsletter 10/29/25

October 29, 2025

Dear Parents,

Don’t forget that this coming Friday we will have our Trunk or Treat activity (sponsored by the PTO) after school in the parking lot. All students will be dismissed to the lot at 2:40. There is no parking allowed in the lot that day. 

The PTO is hosting a delightful event called “Breakfast with Santa” on Saturday, December 6, from 10a-12p. All the proceeds will go towards our school deficit and fund other exciting events for our students. The Breakfast with Santa Committee will be selling tickets outside in the parking lot on Thursday, October 30, in the afternoon during pick up. Please note that tickets WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE DOOR the day of the event. We would also like to inform you that the Santa Bundle tickets are limited and only a few are left. Once sold out, we will not be offering any more. 

TICKET PRICES:

Adults (13 and above): $15

Kids (ages 3-12): $10

Children 2 and under: FREE

SANTA BUNDLE: 2 Adults and up to 3 kids (ages 3-12): $40

Veterans Day is on November 11. This year we have a veteran visiting our school to speak to our middle schoolers on Nov. 4. Mr. Tom Brown is a First Division Vietnam veteran who conducts many school programs. He focuses on his individual story, and tells the students about getting drafted, basic training, arriving in Vietnam, his equipment, and the mission. Mr. Brown was injured in the war and was medically evacuated. He wraps up by discussing his medical care, returning home, and his family and volunteering experience. Mr. Brown is a volunteer at the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. We are honored to have him visit our school.

VanGogh Retake Picture Day is coming up on Wednesday, November 5. If you would like to prepay for retake pictures, please visit the VanGogh website. This is only for those ordering the retake photo:

https://orders.vangoghphoto.com/prepay/

School Code- 20068602

If students are retaking their original picture, they must bring the photo package to school to return to the photographer. They will take a new photo and a new package will be printed.

No school on Friday, November 7: professional development day for teachers

The next PTO meeting will be on Tues., Nov. 11, at 7:45 in the Extended Care room.

Join us for Lotería Night here at OLC on Fri., Nov. 14. It’s fun and proceeds benefit the school! Doors open at 6PM; the first game is at 6:30.

We will have an all school Mass sponsored by the 8th grade class at noon on Sun., Nov. 16. Our 8th grade confirmation candidates will be presented to the congregation, so your 8th graders should definitely be there, and all school families are welcome to join us. There will be refreshments afterward in Halpin Hall.

Our girls’ basketball season has begun for girls in grades 4-8. The OLC Panthers have a JV and a Varsity team. Thank you to our coaches: Juliana and Isabella Morini, and Angelica and Olivia de los Reyes!

Yours in Christ, 

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

Principal(708) 652-0262 

fzarate@olc-school.org 

OLC Newsletter 10/21/25

October 21, 2025

Dear Parents,

Our Panthers JV and Varsity soccer teams had a winning season, and I would like to acknowledge our parent volunteer coaches, without whom we would be unable to have our soccer program: Mr. Tony Gutierrez, Mr. Jesus Ramirez, and Mr. Irving Soto. When you see them, please thank them for all they did for our athletes. I hope to join another local league for a spring soccer season this year, too.

On the topic of sports, in my last newsletter I was remiss in not mentioning Cross Country Coach Nolberto Villegas. Thank you, Mr. Villegas, for being here every morning at the crack of dawn to train our runners. We appreciate all three of our CC coaches, including Mr. Villegas as well as Ms. Gabby Loya and Ms. Alyssa Gomez de la Casa. 

I would also like to take a moment to recognize and thank the members of our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) for their commitment to supporting our school. The PTO plays an important role in strengthening the partnership between home and school, organizing events, and providing valuable fundraising that enriches the educational experience for all our students.We are grateful for the time, energy, and care that each member gives so generously. Our PTO members this year are:

Liliana Cardoso, Juan Delgado, Maria Galvez, Karina Garcia, Carmen Hernandez, Fr. Waldemar Latkowski, Gabby Loya, Rosamar Mallari, Stephanie Martinez, Sylvia Martínez, Juliana Morini, Gabriela Orozco, Estefania Palafox, Tania Reyna, Guadalupe Rodriguez, Phoebe Unzueta, Ximena Velazquez, Erika Zambrano, (and yours truly). We appreciate their time and dedication to making our school a vibrant place for students to learn and grow.

Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball starts next month!

Movie Night is this coming Friday, October 24: The Wild Robot! Doors open at 6:30. Students may bring a guest from outside the school. 

Friday, October 31, is Halloween. Students in grades PK-2 may wear costumes in lieu of their uniforms; students in grades 3-8 may not wear costumes; they may wear either the formal uniform or fall colors instead. We will have a parade (grades PK-2) around the block at around 2:15, and a Trunk or Treat activity (sponsored by the PTO) after school in the parking lot that day. All students will be dismissed to the parking lot at 2:40. There is no parking allowed in the lot that day. 

No school on Friday, November 7: professional development day for teachers

Parent Service Hours: As a reminder, parents’ mandatory service hours must be completed in a specific way – 

• 5 hours in parish events

• 15 hours school fundraising events

• 10 hours in other school activities

Yours in Christ, 

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

Principal(708) 652-0262 

fzarate@olc-school.org