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