OLC NEWSLETTER 1/13/26

January 13, 2026

Dear Parents,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break. December is always a happy month in schools.

Be sure you are signed up for text messaging to stay informed about current and upcoming news and events. 

Bernie’s Book Bank is a non-profit organization that sources and distributes free, high-quality books to children to increase book ownership and literacy. Bernie’s recently donated bags of books for all our students in grades PK-7, about 8 books in each bag. What a great end of the Christmas season gift!

Friday, January 16: Basketball Spirit Night at the St. Mary Social Center Gym. Any student who shows up for a game may come out of uniform on Tues., Jan. 20. Boys’ JV at 5:30; Girls’ JV at 6:30; Boys’ Varsity at 7:30

Monday, January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day / No School

Wednesday, January 21: Early release day

Friday, January 23: Kids Night Out from 6:00-9:00 PM in Halpin Hall. Dance party, karaoke, crafts, and fun!

Fun Lunch: Friday, January 30

January 25-31: Catholic Schools Week – 

Monday: Blue Out (wear blue to show school pride!) and Cross Picture Day (students will be photographed from the balcony in church while in a cross formation); 

Tuesday: Pajama Day; Academic Bowl; 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

I would like to remind parents of the importance of speaking with your children about the seriousness of any language related to school violence, whether on or off campus. Such language can deeply affect our school community and may have serious consequences for a student’s future. Please know that this reminder is purely proactive, and there has been no incident at the school.

We would like to extend a big Thank You to Mr. Ricardo Macias, father of 1st grader Alonzo, for organizing our fundraiser at Raising Cane’s on December 18. We made a profit of $345 toward the purchase of our Gaga Ball Pit, which we hope to install in early spring. We will have another fundraiser toward this purchase soon:

This is what our Gaga Ball Pit will look like. Have you seen one before?

Yours truly, 

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

Principal(708) 652-0262 

fzarate@olc-school.org 

OLC Newsletter 12/04/25

December 4, 2025

Dear Parents,

School calendar change! We are NOT having an early dismissal day on Wednesday, December 17; the early dismissal day has been moved to Thursday, December 18 instead. Students will be dismissed 30 minutes before the usual time on Dec. 18. Please make a note of this change.

Uniform reminders: The blue hooded sweatshirts may only be worn on gym days; black jeans are not allowed; boots must be exchanged for school shoes in the classroom. 

Parking lot reminders: Please be courteous of fellow parents while driving in the lot. If you want to watch your child enter the building, please park your car in one of the spaces; don’t block the cars behind you waiting for your student to enter. The speed limit in the lot is 5 mph when children are present.

Don’t forget Breakfast with Santa this Saturday at 10:00 here at OLC.

This coming Sun., Dec. 7, we will have an all school Mass at noon sponsored by the 4th grade. All students and their families should attend if at all possible. We’ll have refreshments after Mass in Halpin Hall. 

We need volunteers for our home basketball games. Get your volunteer hours completed and support our students. No Virtus training is needed. Here are the dates: https://forms.gle/4zCKP5pAqEYiZH6K8

Santa’s Secret Shop opens next week. This is an opportunity for children to experience the joy of choosing their own special holiday gifts for family and friends. The shop is here at school and is supervised by parent volunteers. Please contact the school office this week if you can assist. Proceeds benefit the Class of 2026. 

Roller Skating began yesterday. The skating unit is a lot of fun for students. Be sure to ask your child about it. If you would like to volunteer and help out, call the school office at (708) 652-0262 ext. 201.

Next 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 Ol’ St. Nick’s Auction is open, and we’re offering front row seats at the Christmas concert as well as a handcrafted olive wood crucifix from Bethlehem. The auction closes on Dec. 12 at 8pm. If you’re interested in bidding, follow this link: 

https://olcps.betterworld.org/auctions/ol-saint-nicks-auction

Our Piano Recital is at 5:00pm on Tues, Dec. 16, in Halpin Hall.

The last day of school before Christmas vacation is Fri., Dec. 19. There is no Chess Club meeting that day. OLC will be closed for Christmas break from Dec. 20-Jan. 4. School resumes on Mon., Jan. 5.

Though we are in the midst of basketball season, we are already looking ahead to springtime when we hope to have a second OLC soccer season. With the help of one of our dads, we are planning to join a local Catholic school league based in Forest Park. 

Our Christmas Concert is on Wed., Dec. 17, at 6:30pm in OLC church. All students in grades PK-8 will perform. Students please arrive by 6:15 so they’re ready to begin on time! Students should wear their Sunday best, preferably Christmas colors such as green or red; white and black are also acceptable. Please be mindful of the additional relatives you invite. Grandparents and some extended family members are welcome. While we have a large church we want to ensure that all families are seated comfortably. 

The Christmas car raffle drawing is scheduled for Christmas Day at 2:00pm at St. Mary of Czestochowa’s Makuch Hall.

Wishing you and your family a blessed and joyful Christmas season, filled with peace, hope, and the light of Christ. I hope to see you at the concert on the 17th.

Yours truly, 

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

Principal(708) 652-0262 

fzarate@olc-school.org 

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