 |
News From the Head of School
Dear OLP Pilot Community,
Happy August, and welcome to the 2016-2017 school year!
As I am writing this letter, a team of professionals is rapidly preparing all of the classrooms for brand new desks and chairs. Last year's annual fund and special events helped to ensure that all students are able to learn in an environment that allows for adaptability, creativity, problem solving, and a bit more comfort! We are also finishing preparations to several renovated spaces such as our new robotics and project space, along with our choral and orchestra room.
The foundation that was built by our Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet continues to guide all that we do here at OLP. This past spring, OLP faculty, staff, Board of Directors, parents, alumnae and students partnered together to carefully evaluate and revise our Mission statement. Collectively, and in partnership with our Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, we developed a statement to highlight the essence of what it means to educate a young woman at OLP. We are so very proud of the work we do to ensure our graduates are representative of the CSJ charism, and are living examples of women of faith, women of heart, women of courage and women of excellence. You can see our newly approved Mission statement in this edition.
Though there is a perceived perception that the school sleeps during the summer months, I can assure you the campus has been alive with activity! From the bustling of summer school and new academic camps to the ongoing care of facilities, we have had a full team keeping watch and ensuring all will be ready for the first day of instruction on Monday, August 15, along with our 8:00 am morning Liturgy in the amphitheater celebrating the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.
This year we welcome several new members to the OLP Pilot faculty and staff. You can read more about these individuals in this newsletter.
Important academic dates to note:
- Frosh student and parent orientation on Wednesday, August 10 with a Frosh Family Lunch provided (RSVP here)
- Picture day and class meetings on Friday, August 12
- First day of classes begin Monday, August 15. Please note that the first week is early release at 12:45 pm, Monday through Friday.
- All School Back to School Night on Thursday, August 18 at 6:30 pm
I look forward to seeing all of you and welcoming you back to OLP for another tremendous school year.
God Bless,
Dr. Lauren Lek
Head of School
Back to School Updates
Dear Parents & Students,
You have been missed! Although the campus has been bustling with activity as we address school-wide projects to improve our campus and the day-to-day experience of OLP students, it has been way too quiet around here! With less than two weeks left of summer, please allow me to remind you of some important details pertaining to the beginning of the 2016-17 school year. As was communicated in the Summer Information Brochure (July 2016 mailing), class meetings, school pictures and day three of the Freshman Orientation program will take place on Friday, August 12, 2016. Attendance is mandatory and all students should attend the day in their formal school uniform and take their school photo prior to their class meeting. Sophomore, Junior and Senior class meetings will take place in the Event Center while Freshman Orientation will take place in the theater. All photos will be taken in either the Student Library or the Pilot Cafe.
Please reference the schedule listed below:
Frosh: Photos 7:30 am - 8:45 am | Orientation 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Sophomores: Photos 8:45 am - 10:00 am | Class Meeting 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Juniors: Photos 10:00 am - 11:15 am | Class Meeting 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Seniors: Photos 11:15 am - 12:30 pm | Class Meeting 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Once the school year begins our campus will be open from 6:15 am - 6:15 pm Monday through Thursday, and 7:00 am - 3:30 pm on Fridays (no Zero Block on Fridays). The OLP Library will be open, providing supervision from 7:00 am - 6:15 pm Monday through Thursday and 7:00 am - 3:30 pm on Fridays. The OLP Library is the only place that provides direct supervision outside of school hours and all students should be picked up from campus by the time the library closes each day. Also, please note the entire first week of school operates on the 12:45 pm early dismissal schedule (August 15 through 19), but the library will hold regular hours.
We will begin our school year with a Mass of the Assumption of Mary at 7:45 am. As always, parents and family members are welcome to join us for this liturgical celebration. Students should wear their formal uniforms for the first day of school on Monday, August 15, 2016.
Be sure to check the Athletics page for information regarding fall sports tryouts! Also, remember that the deadline for all elective schedule changes is August 19, 2016. Please make an appointment with your class counselor prior to school to begin discussing any needed schedule changes. Students will be receiving the Student/Parent Handbook at their class meetings. Please take time to review the handbook together as a family and return the first page, signed by both parents and the student, to the student's section teacher by Friday, August 19, 2016.
Save the Date! Back to School Night is on Thursday, August 18, 2016, with the program beginning promptly at 6:30 pm for all grade levels. We look forward to welcoming you to campus to meet your daughter's teachers and connect with our OLP community.
Should you have any questions or concerns pertaining to life at OLP, I encourage you to contact your daughter's assigned Assistant Principal directly. We are honored to be your partners in the education of your daughter(s) and look forward to welcoming the Class of 2020 and their families to life at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace.
God Bless,
Mrs. Jessica Hooper
Assistant Head of School
We are thrilled to introduce the new members of our OLP community!
Our five new educators are Sara Bradley (Math), Krystle Cabrera (English), Molly Cunningham (Math), Christian Malecot (Entrepreneurial) and Tamara Paige (Music & Orchestra).
In addition, Jorge Carillo (Maintenance), Kari Hooker (Registrar), Steve La Marca (Campus Supervisor), Shannon Morrison (Donor Relations Manager) and Alexis Rodriguez (Associate Director of Advancement) will be joining our talented staff.
Read More
Summer Projects: Campus Improvements
It has been a busy summer here at OLP. Our Facilities team, along with some great vendor partners, have worked diligently to complete enhancement projects on campus.
We recently completed the repair and restriping of our gym floor. Our student athletes will be welcomed back to a gym that shouts "Home of the Pilots!" We are working to renovate Vill Inn to create a multi-use space that will support our Robotics and Engineering programs. Further, and thanks to our donors' support, all classrooms have new sit/stand furniture, which cultivates a more collaborative classroom model.
Our most extensive project has been enhancements to Carondelet, which included installing 3-phase power, HVAC, a four-stall ADA Ladies restroom and a single-stall unisex ADA bathroom. We re-poured the entrance ramp and replaced the front door in order to become ADA compliant. The first floor of Carondelet will be completely ADA accessible at the completion of this project. Completion of the Carondelet project is expected by mid-August 2016.
CSJ High Schools Together
By Jeanette Handelsman '64, Assistant Principal & Director of Campus Life
The Doheny Campus of Mount St. Mary's University (MSMU) in Los Angeles was a beautiful setting for the 2016 CSJ High Schools Leadership Conference. This Conference was first proposed and organized in 1998 by Sister Joyce Hampel and reinvented this year by faculty from our four California CSJ schools: Carondelet High School in Concord, Saint Joseph's High School in Lakewood, Saint Mary's Academy in Los Angeles and our very own Academy of Our Lady of Peace.
The Conference took place June 7-10 and was attended by nine students and faculty from each of the CSJ high schools. The purpose of the conference was not only to acquaint the students with CSJ history and traditions but also to provide an opportunity for the students to share common experiences at their own high schools that are in alignment with these same traditions. Presentations by Juliette Marsh-Williams, Dr. Rosalyn Kempf (MSMU Women's Leadership Development) and Shannon Green (CSJ Institute) were highlights of the Conference, as well as visits to the Alexandria House and St. Joseph Center, both CSJ ministry sites, for conversation and service opportunities. A particularly memorable and touching experience for the students was the afternoon spent at Carondelet Center at MSMU to spend time and share an ice cream sundae with retired members of the CSJ community.
The 36 young women who attended the Conference developed strong bonds with each other and spent time developing ideas of how to share what they had experienced with their own school communities. The girls described the overall experience as "life-changing, inspiring, empowering and eye-opening." Their only recommendation for next year was to make the Conference longer so they can spend more time with their "sisters"!
We look forward to next year's Conference to be held June 6-9, 2017, once again on the Doheny Campus of MSMU. We are excited to announce that we have invited the students and faculty from our CSJ sister school in Japan, St. Joseph Joshi Yakuan, to join us at our 2017 Conference. Information and applications for this Conference will be available in April 2017.
Students: How Did You Spend Your Summer?
Lauren Amaral '18
I am currently participating in the Rady Children's Hospital Summer Medical Academy, where we're learning about genetics, medical history, career options and skills clinics. I have learned so much from taking vitals, inserting IV's, casting practice and even suturing a pig's foot! This enrichment program has inspired me to pursue my dreams of becoming a pediatric surgeon.
Isabella Oredain '18
This summer I hosted a German foreign exchange student named Hanna for six weeks, and am currently living with her family in Frankfurt, Germany for another six weeks. I knew an exchange program would really broaden my perspective of the world even though I am stepping out of my comfort zone and learning an entirely new language. I have been in Frankfurt for about two weeks and have already learned a great amount of the German language and culture. My host family also brought me to France for their summer vacation. Once I return to Frankfurt, I will be helping the refugees learn English.
Rachel Amaral '18
This summer I am working as a lifeguard/aquatics specialist at a nonprofit organization called Camp Able in Coronado. It is a summer camp for people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. The campers get to sail, canoe, play in the ocean, swim in the bay and do many other things. This experience has helped me realize that I shouldn't take anything for granted. Even though these people have disabilities, they don't let their disabilities define who they are. I have made many connections with campers and being part of this great place is so rewarding.
Sara Vargas '18
This summer I became the Vice President of a nonprofit organization called C3K, which stands for Cooking Chemistry Community for Kids. Our mission is to teach chemistry through the art of cooking while inspiring children to be active participants in their community. We are currently working with St. Rose of Lima Parish Food Pantry on a project called "Project Nutrition," where we are serving nutritional and easy-to-make foods that don't need to be cooked for those who do not have access to ovens, microwaves, etc. We have also taught "Chemistry in Cooking" seminars to children facing chronic illnesses with an organization called Empowered Teens for Teens.
Through C3K, I have made incredible friends and will continue to help the children I teach by tutoring them every week. It is remarkable how these bright young minds have flourished over these past months through the organization: they communicate more comfortably around their peers and are more self-confident, despite the struggles they are facing.
Denise Drachenberg '17
This summer I am participating in an internship at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. I am excited to be a part of an organization that is focused on something I am so passionate about. By the end of my internship I'll have gained not only work experience, but also the tools to effectively convey the importance of marine life to others. I know these experiences are a priceless opportunity to enhance my exposure to and understanding of the ocean so that I may apply my new knowledge to real world problem-solving and my future career.
OLP Will Be Giving It a Tri
By Sally Boettger, Physical Education Department
For the first time ever, the OLP community will participate in the San Diego Triathlon Classic on September 10, 2016. We will have about 10 relay teams and a few individuals representing OLP in the race. Our teams will consist of students, parents, teachers, staff, alumnae, board members and parents, along with spouses of alumnae and teachers. If you are interested in being a part of this opportunity, contact Sally Boettger at [email protected].
Read More
Alum Profile: How OLP Encouraged Me to Pursue My Writing Dreams
By Sylvia Mendoza '78
Being a Navy brat, I came to OLP late: my sophomore year. Patti Cook '78, Cloe McKay '78 and Diane McSweeney '78 became my friends and are still my best friends today, 40 years later. Between them and my parents, they made the transition from Guam to San Diego so much easier.
Back then, writing was already an anchor and a lifeline for me. Whenever we moved, reading and writing in diaries were my constants. So at OLP I took every writing class I could. My favorite teacher, Mrs. Melanie McPhee (now Silva), was instrumental in her soft-spoken and nurturing, yet analytical way, of guiding me through her 10th grade English and speech classes. She was the first adult outside my family to be supportive of my writing. In my yearbook she wrote, "...I want a signed copy of your first book..."
Some of my favorite memories of OLP were seeing girls thrive in opportunities: creatively, intellectually, athletically and socially. I loved the energy there. I grew into leadership roles - Senior Class President, National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society - and cultivated my passion by working at a small local newspaper during winter break, which really gave me Journalism-fever.
I truly believe all these factors helped get me to USC where I majored in Print Journalism. After graduating, I built a freelance writing career, writing hundreds of articles over the years and eventually books. I cried when Mrs. McPhee showed up at a Barnes & Noble book signing of my first nonfiction, The Book of Latina Women: 150 Vidas of Passion, Strength and Success. "You're the reason I'm here," I told her.
Since earning my Masters in Digital Journalism in 2013, I became a Journalism/Media Studies professor at several San Diego colleges. At UCSD-Extension this year I was thrilled to be featured as one of "50 Voices of the Future," a thought leader in Journalism. Currently, I am writing two biographical books for middle school children: one on Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the other on Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. My goal is to be the kind of caring, inspiring, visionary teacher Mrs. McPhee was to me.
The life lessons learned at OLP and through my parents, dear friends and mentors like Mrs. McPhee have seen me through the peaks and valleys. Be grateful, never lose hope, be joyful for the little things, practice the Golden rule, have a strong work ethic, be compassionate, love deeply, challenge yourself to keep learning, use your talents and be your best.
|
|
|
 |
|
