Our Lady of Guadalupe School – Mrs. Parini's Page

Dear Friends of OLG,

As we approach the 2^nd Sunday of Lent, we continue to pray for our spiritual renewal during this Holy Season. Lent is a very sacred time for us as Catholic Christians, and it is important to take some moments each day to stop our busy pace and listen to God’s voice. I would like to share a Lenten prayer with you this week:

God, Heavenly Father, look upon me and hear my prayer.

By the good works you inspire, help guide my body to be renewed in spirit.

Without You, I can do nothing and through You,

I can find new life and live by Your commandment of Love.

God of Goodness, bring me back to You.

Send Your Spirit to make me strong in faith and active in sharing love with Your people.

Nourish me with Your word of life and make me one with You in love and prayer.

Fill my heart and keep me faithful to the gospel of Christ.

I reach out with joy to grasp Your hand; let me walk more readily in

Your ways and guide me in Your gentle mercy.

Open my heart to your love and prepare me for the coming feast of the Resurrection.

I ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son.  Amen

To help guide us through our Lenten journey, our school community will be preparing Stations of the Cross on Friday mornings, when the whole school will come together to pray this ancient remembrance of Christ’s walk to Calvary. Every classroom also is focusing on Lenten activities that will help the children better understand this meaningful time in the Church year.  We hope to cultivate with you the habit of prayer in the lives of our students.

This season of Lent brings us many opportunities to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to the message of Christ.  May His loving touch enable us to be open to these opportunities and to use each of them to become closer to Him during this Holy Season.

Blessings on you and your families,

Linda Parini

Dear Families,

Welcome to Catholic Schools’ Week 2010 and Happy Parent Appreciation Day! I have always said that I believe parenting is one of the most difficult of “jobs,” yet one of the most rewarding.  Thank you for being such wonderful parents to our students, for being their primary teachers and instilling in them the Christian values that they will carry through life.

It is a busy time for OLG, as you know. This past Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, many generous and energetic parents and students arrived at school ready to work.  After hours of cleaning, sweeping, weeding, and scrubbing, our school looked wonderful and ready for Open House Sunday.  The 11:00 Liturgy was beautiful Sunday morning and the Open House was a great success. We had an enthusiastic, dedicated group of parents helping with hospitality, and besides providing delicious treats, they created a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, about which many new families commented positively.  I am very appreciative. Thank you, also, to our School, Finance, and PTSG Boards for being present to greet and talk with families interested in OLG.  Our Student Council members and Jr. Hi. representatives led families through the school with poise and grace, sharing the good news of OLG with visitors. Of course, finally, I want to thank our teachers and staff who worked very hard to prepare their classrooms and learning areas for parents and guests.  We are blessed at our school to have a parent and staff community who give so much to our kids.  Of course, it helps that we have the greatest kids in the world! J

Many people who have been calling with interest in OLG for the fall are asking about fees, so we decided this year to determine the 2010-2011 tuition earlier than we normally do.  Thanks to the hard work of our Finance Board, we were able to set our tuition for next year with a minimal increase of 3%, which keeps us on the lower end of our neighboring Catholic schools.

The following table reflects the 3% increase for 2010-2011.

As has been shared each year, tuition only covers a portion of what it costs to educate a child in any Catholic school.  Based on our present year’s budget, OLG’s tuition and fees (registration, etc.) account for approximately 75% of the cost of educating a child.  The other 25% comes from grants, gifts, tuition assistance and fundraising.  According to the Diocese, we are in a very healthy, reasonable place with that income breakdown. That is a good thing!

In this time of great concern over the economy nationally and our own financial situations on a personal level, Father and I are aware more than ever of the added responsibility paying tuition places on a family.  It involves sacrifice and determination, dedication and commitment.  I can assure you, however, that unlike many investments we hear about daily on the news that are not successfully growing, the investment you are making in your child’s education is a secure one that will have a lasting effect on his/her future. The gift of an OLG education you are giving to your child can never be diminished or taken away.  High academic expectations, core moral values, deep religious beliefs and traditions, emotional nurturing and support, provided in a physically safe and protected environment will prepare your child to embark on his/her journey of life well equipped to make the decisions necessary to be a productive, successful citizen of the 21^st century world.  We are grateful and honored that you have chosen Our Lady of Guadalupe School for your family and look forward to continuing to work together with you to provide the best possible educational experience for your child.

Blessings on you and your families,

Linda Parini

P.S.  Thank you very much for the beautiful flowers and well wishes your children showered on me yesterday for Principal’s Appreciation Day!

Dear Friends,

So much is happening at our school these days!  As you know, we have welcomed a new member to our OLG family, Brandon Michael Bellison.  Shannon is enjoying the wonders of motherhood and the gift that new life brings to a family.  We are anxiously awaiting the time when little Brandon will be able to visit us, however, with the type of weather we have been having, we may need to wait a little longer than usual.

Father John has returned from his pilgrimage to Guatemala and El Salvador and shared that his experience with the Maryknoll missioners and their ministry to the people of those two countries was enriching and very worthwhile.  We are glad to have Father back with us in time to celebrate Catholic Schools Week.

Mrs. Keltie has been receiving quite a few phone calls from parents who are interested in our school for the Fall. It is wonderful that the good word is spreading about the quality of education and the positive learning environment we provide at OLG.  I want to take this opportunity, too, to remind you of the referral program that was initiated three years ago, which offers a financial incentive to present school parents who recommend OLG to friends, family, or neighbors.  Last week’s and this week’s bulletin has more detailed information about this valuable program and the forms themselves are available from the office.

We hope that you will join us for our Catholic Schools’ Week 11:00 A.M. Mass this coming Sunday, January 31, at the Fremont Blvd. site.  Our school choir accompanied by Athena Pham on the piano will be providing the music for our liturgy. Following Mass, we will have our Open House until 2 P.M. All teachers will be present and your children’s work will be displayed.  Our band and orchestra will also be performing in our school lobby at 1:15 P.M.  This will be another great opportunity to bring family and friends to visit OLG.

The National theme of Catholic Schools Week for 2010 is Catholic Schools – Dividends for Life.  We are very proud of the fact that, with Christ in our Hearts, we at OLG are making a difference in our world and providing an education, academically, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially that will provide life-long dividends to our students.  Thank you for choosing OLG for your family.  We take very seriously our commitment to you and to the ministry of Catholic education.   We are blessed and we look forward to celebrating our blessings throughout next week, beginning with our opening Catholic Schools’ Week Liturgy Sunday.

In Christ’s peace,

Linda Parini

Dear Friends of OLG,

I want to start my letter to you this week with the prayer that we started our day with this morning at our school assembly.

Help me, Lord to live this day quietly and easily;
To lean upon Your great strength trustfully and restfully;
To wait for the unfolding of Your will patiently and serenely;
To meet others peacefully and joyously;
And to face tomorrow confidently and courageously.

This prayer has so many wonderful messages for me, and I am sure for all of us.  Especially during times when our days become hectic and stressful, living “quietly and easily” brings a sense of calm and peace.  When we think that we are in control, remembering to lean upon God’s strength “trustfully and restfully” brings us security.  As we want anxiously to know what will happen next in our lives, waiting for the unfolding of His will “patiently and serenely” can slow us down a little. In the midst of focusing on our own needs, meeting others “peacefully and joyously” will remind us that we are part of a wider world, particularly when we see and respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

I can honestly say that every day at OLG, there are people from this community who come into my life, sometimes children, sometimes adults, sometimes parents, sometimes fellow staff members, who model each line of this prayer for me and who help me see all that is good in the moment and the day.  As we model Christ’s love for each other, we bring the wonderful peaceful treasures mentioned in the prayer to the lives of those around us, sometimes not even knowing that we are doing so. With Christ in our hearts, we really can and do make a difference in our own lives and in the lives of others.

Thank you for all that you bring to my life,
Linda Parini

Dear Friends of OLG,

Winter blessings on you during these cold, overcast days!  Things are definitely not “cloudy” at OLG, however.  There are lots of sun-shiny things happening.  In my letter today, I would like to highlight just a few of the many activities our parents are involved in that make OLG such a special community in which to live and learn.

I am sure those of you who have been on site after dark have noticed our brand new OLG Saints lit sign on the backstop in the field.  It is absolutely beautiful and really eye-catching!  Thank you to Dan Fulks (sons Mateo in 2^nd and Jimmy in 6^th) who designed and built the sign.  HOURS of work went into his masterpiece and rigging it up for lighting on our field was no easy task.  Dan and Rudy Reyna tackled that job after they displayed it in the Niles Festival of Lights Parade in late November.  Along with them, Barry Magsanay and the OLG Cheerleading squad marched in the parade proudly behind the black and turquoise beauty.  Although CYO is truly a parish group, many of our school        parents take a leadership role in this important organization that provides so many of our students with the incredible opportunity to play in group sports, while learning sportsmanship and teamwork.

We have just brought another successful season of Aramark – Raider fund raising to a close.  Thanks to Rudy Reyna and a tremendously dedicated group of parents, we profited over $10,000 during the Raider season at our concession stand.  Rudy has been leading this endeavor for three years and continues to do a wonderful job organizing and        communicating with our parents and with the Aramark organization. In response to a “thank you” email I sent to two Aramark supervisors, I received the following comments about our OLG group.  “You work as a team within the stand.  Your group has done a FANTASTIC job for us this season and in prior years.  You represent your school in the best way possible.”  Thank you to Rudy and our faithful Aramark parents for your time and energy.  We are very appreciative!

There are so many areas in which parents contribute a great deal to make OLG the wonderful place it is.  CYO and Aramark fund raising are two of them.  Along with the staff, parents are a vital piece of our community’s picture.  In a small school such as ours, it takes many hands working together to create the learning and living environment we are privileged to have at OLG.  I am grateful to our parents and our staff for giving and giving and giving to our school community.  Our children receive the treasured benefit of being surrounded by adults who care so much!

Christ’s Blessings on all of you!

Linda Parini

P.S.  Mark your calendars for our OLG Crab Feed on February 27.  A fun evening filled with great food, conversation, and dancing is guaranteed!