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The OLMA Overview -- May 4, 2017
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I want to begin this week's note by telling you how proud I am of the team of girls that competed in last Friday's annual Trading Day at Stevens Institute of Technology. To say that they were impressive is an understatement. Not only was our school accepted into the stock market competition (only 40% of the schools that apply are accepted), but our team was the one to beat all day long. We were the competition's first-ever all-girls team and some of only a dozen or so women on the entire trading floor. We took home second place out of 22 schools and had an absolute blast. We look forward to many more experiential learning opportunities like this one next year.
Speaking of next year, last Saturday, we hosted our incoming freshmen and their families for Accepted Students Saturday. Many of you volunteered your time to help make the event a success, so thank you! We really do have the best parents in all of South Jersey.
Finally, many thanks to Mrs. Szawlewicz for organizing an Outward Bound day for our sophomore class. As you will see from the photos below, it was a great and full of lessons in leadership, self-confidence, teamwork, and more.
We wish our juniors and seniors a spectacular time at Prom tonight. Take lots of pictures and feel free to send your favorites to Mrs. Kinkade to display here. We'll be there when they arrive at the Greenview Inn in just a few hours. Have a great weekend. -- Mrs. Coyle
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Student Spotlight
Meet Samantha McBurrows, Class of 2019
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When Samantha McBurrows walked into OLMA on the first day of freshmen year, she didn't know a soul. She was okay with that because she was ready for a fresh start with all new friends. Nearly two years later, she got both and couldn't be happier.
"Since I didn't know anyone, I was free to be myself," said Samantha. "My big sister was Sam Spurrier who was a big help early on. She also got me involved in volleyball, a sport that I had never tried before. Now I'm playing for OLMA and all year round as part of a club team. I love it."
Samantha is a natural leader and serves as Vice President of her class and is on Student Council.
She's in the French, Art, Green Girls, and Bake clubs and is an "A" student -- and a regular on the Principal's List. Looking ahead, Samantha wants to be a Forensic Pathologist. "I'll be at crime scenes, in the lab, and in court testifying on behalf of my patients," she said. "I think it's important for families of victims to have closure, which is what I hope to provide through my work."
Samantha has her sights set on Harvard, Stanford, Penn State or Princeton. For now, though, she's excited to spend time this summer in Boston where she will be participating in a program about medicine. "I'll have the chance to speak with current medical and forensic professionals, learn about the new technology and meet lots of other students whose interests are similar to mine." She's also pumped to attend both College Tours that OLMA is offering this summer.
When asked about advice for incoming freshmen, Samantha said to be ready to try new things and to not be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone. Speaking of trying new things, be ready to learn to hula hoop. As it turns out, Samantha can hula with 15 or 20 hoops at once!
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OLMA Students Make the Grade on Trading Day
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If ever there was an example of "girl power" at work, it was at the annual Trading Day Stock Market competition held at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. It was there on Friday, April 28, that the team from Our Lady of Mercy Academy was the one to beat amidst a nearly all-male playing field.
The competition provides students with an authentic, live trading experience that's located right across the river from the real thing. Each team began with $1 million and followed a set of rules with the goal of being as profitable as possible by the closing bell. Throughout the competition, teams used TD Ameritrade's Thinkorswim trading simulator program.
"We walked into the competition and quickly realized that our students were among the only women on the trading floor," said Brooke Coyle, Head of School. "While some young women may be intimidated by that, our girls jumped right in and quickly took the lead against 22 other high schools from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Rhode Island. We proudly accepted a 2nd place win and couldn't have had a better time."
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It's Time to Sign Up for Camp
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Summer is a great time to meet new friends, try a new sport and/or hone your skills for next season. This summer, OLMA is holding five different sports camps -- Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, Swim and Lacrosse. No experience is necessary and all camps are open to young women in middle and high school (see age range on individual registration forms). You can register online by clicking here. You can also call or stop by the office for a registration form. Join the OLMA Sisterhood this summer!
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OLMA athletes and coaches train and play hard on the field, court, pool, and track all year long -- giving their all for our school. We are both proud of and grateful for their efforts and will be honoring them on Tuesday, June 6 at the 2017 OLMA Athletic Banquet.
The event will take place in Carew Hall beginning at 6 PM and will feature dinner and awards. There is no cost for honored athletes to attend. Tickets for friends and family fans are available for $25 each.
We hope you will join us for this special evening in support of OLMA Athletics. Please RSVP and purchase your tickets via the button below by Tuesday, May, 2017. See you there!
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On Monday afternoon, OLMA Senior Madison Hagerty made history. Not only was it her birthday, but she also celebrated her 100th hit as an OLMA softball player -- the first ever to earn this honor. Congratulations Madison!
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Sophomores Go Outward Bound
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OLMA Sophomores went "Outward Bound" on Tuesday. The experience resulted in a combined lesson on sisterhood, teamwork, perseverance, and leadership. Along the way, they strengthened their bond as friends -- and had a blast. Here are some photo highlights from their day on campus.
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Now available for order is a whole catalog full of OLMA spirit wear. Moving forward, we will hold 3-4 sales per year. Our current sale begins now and wraps up on May 19. Items will come and go according to season and popularity! Students can get a printed copy of the catalog by visiting Mrs. Kinkade. You can access it online and begin ordering now by clicking here. Please contact Mrs. Kinkade with any questions. Thank you!
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It's Time to Have Some Fun!
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Invitations to OLMA's Alumnae "Happy Hours" Social are out! If we have your email address on file, it will be in your inbox. A link to the invitation is also posted on Facebook, Twitter and in the Alumnae section of the OLMA website.
Please take a look and RSVP by May 26. We are going to have a great time celebrating the "old days" and finding out about what's new. See you there.
P.S. -- We are holding our next planning meeting on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 PM at OLMA. PLEASE join us if you can. If you prefer to join us via Skype, just respond to this email and we'll make it happen. Thanks.
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First Drawing Quickly Approaching
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Want to show your support for the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy? It's easy. Just purchase a calendar raffle ticket for $20! You'll be doing a lot of good and getting 102 chances to win prizes over the course of 20 weeks. Tickets were sent home with your daughters. If you'd like more, please call the office and we'll send them your way.
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You can also get a preview of what's in store this winter in the calendar section of the new OLMA website. Click here to the revised "annual calendar" for Semester Two.
Past issues of The OLMA Overview are available on our website. Click here to check them out.
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Congratulations to our blushing bride -- Ms. Hop! We wish you all the happiness and blessings in the world! XOX
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We hope you enjoy the OLMA Overview. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Mrs. Kinkade at 856.697.2008, ext. 140, or email her at: mrs.kinkade@olmanj.org
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