Newsletter | Our Lady of Charity School | Cicero Illinois

OLC Newsletter 10/21/25

Oct 22

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

10/6/25 Newsletter

Oct 6

OLC NEWSLETTER

October 6, 2025

Dear Parents,

Book Fair is here! Stop in after school this week. All proceeds benefit our school.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are this coming Thursday from 1:00-7:00 and Friday from 12:30-3:00. Please make every effort to schedule an appointment. You can make an appointment here: https://pickatime.com/OurLadyofCharity

We have a new reading teacher at our school this year: Ms. Nicole Latino. Ms. Latino comes to us from Cicero School District 99 to work with readers who need some extra support on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday.

OLC is also fortunate to have two school social workers this year, Ms. Lydia Kelly and Ms. Alexis Jezierski. School social workers are here to help children grow both academically and emotionally, offering support with friendships, problem-solving, and confidence, while working with teachers and families, to ensure every student feels safe, supported, and ready to learn.

There is no school on Mon., Oct. 13.

Our OLC fundraiser at Raising Cane’s is from 4:00-9:00 PM on Thurs., Oct. 16. This will be at the Riverside location (2514 Harlem Ave.). Mention the fundraiser at the restaurant or apply code RCFUND96 to online or app orders at checkout and Cane’s will donate 15% of net sales to our school!

The Student Council is hosting an ice cream social in Halpin Hall at 6:00 PM on Fri., Oct 17. $5 per person.

There is a mandatory retreat for all students who will be receiving the sacrament of confirmation on Sat., Oct 18, from 8:00-2:00 PM, at the St. Mary of Czestochowa Social Center, 5000 W. 31st St.

Our next all school Mass is on Sun., Oct 19, at noon. This Mass will be sponsored by the 2nd grade, and all students who are planning to receive their 1st holy Communion on May 2 will be presented to the congregation.

Our OLC Movie Night is on Fri., Oct 24, at 7:00 PM; doors open at 6:30. We will be showing the film The Wild Robot. $2 to attend (free under three), and everyone is welcome.

Congratulations to our OLC Cross Country season for a fantastic season. We are very proud of each and every one of our runners – you did a wonderful job of representing our school. A special thank you to our two coaches: Ms. Gabby Loya and Ms. Alyssa Gomez de la Casa. We could not have done this without your time and effort – practices at 6:30 in the morning!

Yours in Christ,

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

Principal(708) 652-0262

fzarate@olc-school.org

10/3/25 Middle School Newsletter

Oct 3

This is the Middle School Newsletter