News From the Head of School

By Lauren Lek, Head of School

Dear Parents, Guardians & Friends,

"When you work for the neighbor, do it with a very unselfish love, which expects no reward for its services, and aim at nothing other than helping her and being at the same time pleasing to God," – Sisters of St. Joseph, Maxim of Love 55

Happy New Year to everyone!

As we welcomed in the 2016 New Year, the first day back for faculty and staff was one of community and service. In the spirit of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, we came together to reach out to the "dear neighbor" in our San Diego area.

The eighty OLP faculty and staff were able to collectively serve at the following locations: St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities Emergency Services, Senior Wellness Center, Glenner Memory Care Center, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Elementary School, Nazareth House Nursing Home, San Diego Therapeutic Services, Ronald McDonald House, Noah Homes, Border Angels, and the Presidio Recreation Center. As Catholic CSJ educators, January 4th allowed us to live out the intentions of our founders, and as Maxim 55 above reminds us, that we serve the "dear neighbor" with love.

As always, January ends with Catholic Schools Week, January 31–February 6. The theme is "Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service." Investing in a Catholic education for our students is about the exemplary academics and rigorous college-preparatory training, combined with preparing them to be conscientious citizens, capable of putting their faith in action. Our students here at OLP are receiving an education grounded in academic, social and spiritual learning to form and transform them not only for life beyond high school, but also for life everlasting.

I would also like to remind all parents that Tuition Assistance Applications for the 2016-2017 school year are due on February 19, 2016. For those families who are continuing existing assistance, or families who are anticipating new hardships and will be applying for the first time, applications must be completed by February 19 to be considered. Click here to apply or visit www.aolp.org for more information.

Again, Happy New Year!

Thank you for all you do for OLP, and God bless!

Lauren Lek
Head of School


January Updates By Jessica Hooper, Assistant Head of School

Dear Parents & Students,

Happy New Year! I hope that your Christmas Break has been filled with joy and good tidings. As we begin 2016 I would like to share an incredible resource I have recently come across after attending a conference focused on the social and emotional intelligence of girls. This resource comes from the organization, Girls Leadership, which is dedicated to "teaching girls the skills to know who they are, what they believe, and how to express it, empowering them to create change in their world." A component of the organization is to offer parent education programs.

Girls Leadership co-founders, Rachel Simmons and Simone Marean offer practical and research-based insights into the lives of parents and their daughters. These insights serve as a valuable resource for learning how to encourage resilience in your daughter alongside teaching them how to advocate for themselves and participate in healthy friendships. I am sharing the link to this resource with you both as parents and students in hopes that you take the time to view some of the videos and discuss the insights that are being shared. The mission and philosophy of OLP are rooted in educating the "whole child." We feel so fortunate as an all girls' school to be able to focus exclusively on the social and emotional issues that are most predominantly found in the lives of girls. You can read more about this topic in the winter edition of our OLP Magazine, arriving in home in the coming weeks. In this new year we remain committed to our valued partnership with parents and offer this resource in that spirit.

Please click here to learn more: Girls Leadership: Parent Resource Videos Link

The first Coffee with Counselors of the year will take place Wednesday, February 3, 2016 in the Carondelet Library from 8 - 9 a.m., with a focus of Academic Planning. Save the Date! Also on the topic of Academic Planning, please save the date of Wednesday, January 20th for our annual Parent Course Advisement Night. The evening's presentation will take place in the Holy Family Event Center at 6:30 p.m. A formal presentation will be made regarding 2016 - 2017 academic course offerings and all Department Chairs will be available to discuss course options with you as parents. Students are also welcome to attend, however, they will hear a similar presentation in their class meetings prior to participating in the course registration process this February.

Last, but certainly not least, we are officially in full swing for Spring Sing! Rehearsals will take place after school throughout January and February. We look forward to seeing you at one or both of the annual performances on February 26th or 27th at the Balboa Theater in downtown San Diego. Should you want to support the Spring Sing effort as a parent volunteer please contact Mrs. Donna Allen at dallen@aolp.org. We appreciate any support you can offer whether it be as a supervisor, props assistant, vocal coach, etc. If you have gifts to share we would love to partner with you!

May your New Year be blessed and full of great cheer.

Happy New Year,

Mrs. Jessica Hooper
Assistant Head of School



Announcing The French Gourmet as New Food Service Partner

OLP is happy to welcome to campus The French Gourmet as the new dining partner starting January 4, 2016. Not only is The French Gourmet a long standing establishment in San Diego, but the owners, Lesa and Michel Malecot, are current parents. The French Gourmet has served San Diego with what many consider this city's finest full-service catering since 1979. Besides its large catering and wholesale division, The French Gourmet is well known for its showcase French restaurant and bakery.

The French Gourmet will provide delicious, healthy food options at the Pilot Cafe and Bistro 1882. An additional food/beverage service cart will provide light fare such as small bite, grab and go items along with full-service coffee offerings on Upper Plaza. The "Common Grounds" coffee cart (pictured) will be a fixture on Upper Plaza and will operate on a cash, credit or debit card basis only. My MealTime accounts will remain compatible in Pilot Cafe and Bistro 1882, and funds can be accessed and added to beginning January 5, 2016.

Weekly specials and menu options will be announced in the bulletins and will be found online beginning the week of January 4th at aolp.org. OLP is blessed to continue this partnership with the Malecot family and to grow many culinary initiatives for our students moving forward.




Athena Pinnacle Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted

Athena San Diego supports the next generation of women leaders in science and technology through its annual Pinnacle Scholarships. These merit based scholarships are awarded to five (5) qualified graduating high school senior women and are presented at their annual Pinnacle Awards dinner in the spring. Pinnacle Scholarships are awarded to eligible high-school senior women planning to enter a four-year university with the goal of a career in the sciences, math, or engineering. Outstanding applicants are well-rounded women who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership in school organizations, and community involvement--so this scholarship makes particular sense for OLP women!

Students must fill out and mail the scholarship application, an official copy of their high school transcript, and a letter of recommendation from a counselor or teacher at their school.

Applications are accepted through February. Scholarship applications are reviewed and considered by a group of Athena San Diego members.

Applications for 2016 are now open. Click here to apply.




Interdisciplinary Learning Takes Flight

By Krystine Kruchten '04, English Department

Educational research shows that students learn best when connections are being made by students between different academic areas of study. Just one example of the interdisciplinary learning going on at OLP is a recent project developed by the Art, English and Speech departments.

Students from Art I, World Literature, and Speech classes will be participating in a unique creative writing project. Working with partners, students will write a short romance narrative appropriate for a younger audience of students at the primary and middle school level that will feature an original romantic hero and heroic quest filled with supernatural elements and symbolism.

From each of the participating World Literature classes, select stories will be accompanied by original artwork from Miss La Costa's Art class creating an anthology of short stories for middle schoolers. Finally, each of the stories will be interpreted orally and dramatized by Mrs. Kruchten's Speech class for the students at St. Patrick's Catholic School in North Park. The book of short stories will be presented as a gift to the school to be read and shared with the younger students.

Stories such as Romeo and Juliet, Lay of the Werewolf, Percival and the Holy Grail, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are the springboards for the OLP girls' inspiration and creativity.

Exploring the question: "How can old literature lend influence to today's modern art culture?" will be a focus of discussion for the students in all three disciplines as they proceed through the project and see the reactions of the children to the books and the performances.



Prayer Grotto & CSJ Wall Bring Faith and Charism to Campus

Inspired by Philadelphia's prayer grotto, which was erected last year in honor of the Pope's visit, in early December OLP installed its own knotted prayer grotto. The frame of the grotto was constructed by artist and designer, Brian Bent, and the statue of Mary, which adorns the prayerful space, was generously donated by Martha McRoskey, an alumnae parent and current OLP Board Member. The grotto holds the prayer intentions of our community and, in homage to the favorite painting of Pope Francis, Mary Un-doer of Knots, allows us to offer up our intentions, tie them to the grotto, untie the intention of another to lift up in prayer, and then re-tie the intention. This symbiotic community prayer event serves as a tangible symbol of the flourishing unity here at OLP.

CSJ Wall: The storyboard of the history of the Sisters of Saint Joseph is now installed in the hallway in Aquinas leading to Upper Plaza. The installation is comprised of 16 panels, which act to collectively trace the work of the CSJ from their founding to present day. Please stop by to enjoy and learn more about the amazing women who sponsor our school.



Pilot Talks Speaker Series Kicks Off

Our Campus Life Speaker Series, Pilot Talks, has had three amazing speakers this first semester of our school year. These talks are open to all students and members of the OLP community and take place during our CC Block. Sponsored by the Campus Life Office and/or other organizations on our campus, these talks cover a wide range of topics. This past semester we were honored to present three women speakers whose topics ranged from social justice issues to ocean exploration.

Threads of Hope, Sponsored by Council of 10
By Sienna Rohrer '16

At our first Pilot Talk of the school year our guest speaker was Cammie Miller, the founder and director of the nonprofit organization Threads of Hope. Threads of Hope works with the Children's Heritage Foundation to break the cycle of poverty in Haiti and Uganda by teaching adolescents useful skills, such as sewing. These young people sew bags, aprons, and headbands with beautiful Ugandan fabric, which Cammie Miller then brings back to sell in the United States. The profit made from each item sold goes directly back to the individual who made it. During her Pilot Talk, Mrs. Miller encouraged us to find the "sweet spot" in our lives – the place where our passions and talents meet God's plan for us. After her talk, OLP students were able to purchase bags, aprons, headbands, and jewelry from Threads of Hope. Collectively, the students bought $820 worth of goods. Mrs. Miller's mission is one close to the heart of OLP students – young women striving to make a difference in the world and live out their passion and faith as one. She undoubtedly inspired us that day with her powerful words and heart-warming story of finding God through service.

If you would like to purchase bags, aprons, or headbands, you can order them online on Etsy by clicking here. 100% of the proceeds go to the individuals who made the goods.

Katy Croff Bell, Ph.D , Sponsored by Women in Science
By Anitza Velazquez '18

This past November Katy Croff Bell, Ph.D., Class of 1996, visited the OLP campus. Katy introduced us to the work she does as Vice President for Exploration and Research at the Ocean Exploration Trust. The Ocean Exploration Trust is dedicated to ocean exploration, innovation, and education by conducting scientific research. Katy told students of their main source of research which is collected on their yearly expeditions aboard their Exploration Vessel (E/V), Nautilus. This expedition's main focus is to provide scientific research and discoveries for the public by live streaming what goes on in the vessel at all times on their website. This expedition is open to educators and students of all ages who are accepted into the Nautilus Exploration Program. She invited our very own students to apply to be able to receive a once in a lifetime experience to do hands-on research at sea. This program is open to juniors and is especially advised for students who are interested in scientific research, marine biology, and engineering.

Catholic Relief Services, Sponsored by Peace Commission
By Laura Alvarez-Hoyos '16 and Ana Maria Rubio '16

The topic of this Pilot Talk was carefully chosen due to the current conflict pertaining to the Syrian Refugees. Dawn Stary works with refugees and people who seek asylum in the United States. "I work with refugees because I believe everyone deserves a chance to start over again," she said. She lives out her passion by providing psychological help that will allow these refugees to begin again to live a dignified life. Dawn also provides legal assistances and accompanies them through every step of the process of finalizing their asylum. Dawn's sharing of her work inspired many girls who attended the Pilot Talk to use their knowledge and talents to help those need.

Coming This Month
Looking ahead, Ms. Katia Gomez, named one of Newsweek's Top 25 Women under 30 in the World to Watch and a 2005 graduate or Moreau Catholic High School (Mrs. Lek's Alma Mater) will be speaking at OLP on Tuesday, January 19 at 11:15 a.m. in the OLP Theater. She will share her work on behalf of Educate2Envision which empowers young women and men, many in developing regions of the world through education and entrepreneurship. We encourage members of our OLP community to attend our Pilot Talks and welcome their suggestions of future speakers for this series. Please contact the Campus Life Office (619-725-9154) or the Director of Campus Life, Mrs. Jeanette Handelsman (jhandelsman@aolp.org) for more information. .




2nd Annual BeYOUtiful Event a Success

By Susan Antolin '06, English Department

Nothing brings about more confidence than being surrounded by positivity. This was truly the case at OLP's 2nd Annual BeYOUtiful Conference. On Saturday, December 12th, OLP's campus was beaming with bright and "beYOUtiful" smiles as it welcomed hundreds of middle school girls throughout San Diego County to learn about the importance of building and maintaining self-confidence. Through group mentoring and activity workshops, the BeYOUtiful Project serves to empower young women, providing them with the tools and motivation necessary to live confidently through their own beauty.

Over seventy-five OLP students from all grade levels brought this conference to life as they planned for months and participated in the conference as activity leaders, group leaders, and production team leaders. The day's workshop stations included: assembling a magazine collage to raise awareness on defeating negativity, creating a bill of rights to acknowledge priorities, taking photos using positive hashtags, encouraging self-expression through "Just Dance", and making beaded keychains to highlight positive qualities. In addition to the stations, we had special guest speaker Jess Hopkins joining us from Los Angeles to coach our young participants about the importance of recognizing self-worth and using it as a tool to embrace the beauty each one of these young girls holds. With this important message being communicated to the hundreds of young girls joining us for the event, the conference was everything OLP students had hoped for and more. Special thanks to Jamie Flannery for initiating this project at OLP and to Jessica Hooper for her support every step of the way.




Alumnae Profile: Julia Covington'15

Julia Covington gradated in 2015, just one year ago. After applying and sorting through her financial options and career opportunities with different universities, she decided to pursue service with the United States Marines. Julia has long felt a passion for serving her country and government and was considerably inspired by the close-knit and supportive community she felt during her years at OLP. Her priority when choosing her next step was finding a similar community that "has each other's backs," and says she found that in the Marines.

Julia's resourcefulness opened her eyes to explore various paths to pursue passions in travel and service. She will be off to Boot Camp in May 2016 and is attending college in the meantime to accrue credit that will allow her to enter the service as a private, which will better prepare her for the Marine Corps program when she arrives. She says there are more opportunities opening up for women in the military, however there is still room for improvement. She hopes to find ways to create equal standards for men and women in the military and enjoys the challenge of physically working alongside men and women together. She hopes to use the GI Bill, a financial credit awarded to service members after two years, to potentially pursue a degree in nursing, although she knows she is about to be introduced to many options and is excited for the experience. Honors Chemistry with Mrs. Handelsman may have played a role in her scientific interest and says of Mrs. Handelsman that, "She was, and continued to be the most helpful and dedicated teacher/mentor I had in my OLP experience," as Julia spent many lunches getting academic support and quality time with her instructor.

Julia's advice to future OLP graduates: "Keep your options open. If things don't work out in your favor, it will just help you to find out other things that you can be excited for. Keep in mind that not all things that seem bad are necessarily bad."

We wish Julia the best and thank her for her dedication to serving our country.



Tuition Assistance News

Plan Ahead Now for Tuition Assistance for the 2016-2017 School Year

  • Tuition assistance applications for the 2016-17 school year will be accepted beginning January, 2016 through FAST only
  • The deadline for applications and 2015 tax returns (federal and state) to be submitted is Friday, February 19, 2016
  • All complete applications submitted by February 19, 2016 will be given first priority for consideration for tuition assistance awards. If there are funds remaining, late and/or incomplete applications will be considered once all required documentation is received.
  • Applications must be submitted with a complete 2015 tax package in order to be considered
  • A complete 2015 tax package includes: all W-2s and/or 1099s, K-1s if applicable, federal return, state return, and all schedules (ie. Schedule A, B, C, D, etc).
  • Taxes must be signed or documentation of e-file must be submitted with the taxes
  • OLP highly suggests scanning and uploading tax returns to FAST. Mailing your tax return to FAST will delay your application by 10-14 days while FAST reviews and uploads it to your application. This delay will hold up review of your application by the tuition aid committee.
  • Due to the early tuition assistance application deadline PLAN AHEAD – MAKE AN EARLY APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR TAX PREPARER OR CPA
  • More information regarding tuition assistance will be published in upcoming OLP enewsletters
FACTS IS NOW ACCEPTING VISA
FACTS is now accepting Visa for payment of tuition in addition to American Express, Discover, and Mastercard. The fee to use Visa is 2.75% - the same as the other credit cards. If you wish to change your financial account information with FACTS to Visa, please log in to your FACTS account to make the change. You may also call FACTS at 1-866-441-4637 and have them assist you. Please contact Mary Harris in the finance office at mharris@aolp.org or 619-725-9194 if you have any questions about this change.