From the desk of Mr. Garcia...

OLG campus to undergo a few transformations!

Hello Parents,

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter holiday with your families

I will begin by officially informing you that we will not offer summer school this year. There are a couple of reasons for this decision, the most important being that there will be some activity on our campus this summer. Just before the break we welcomed Brother Hilarion O'Connor on our campus. Brother Hilarion is responsible for the construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown. He has secured the services of the John and Dorothy Shea Foundation to assist our school on a couple of projects.

The first confirmed project is the transformation of our Kindergarten building. We made our own transformation last summer, replacing the existing carpet with hardwood floor on half the floor, and new carpet on the other. This summer, thanks to the Shea Foundation, the classroom will undergo exterior renovations. The building will be freshly painted, some of the shrubs and trees on the Mercury Ave. side will be removed to clear the way for a visible sign or mural, a new heater and lighting fixtures will also be included.

Upon survey of the area around the kinder classroom, Brother Hilarion asked “is that building next to the classroom school property.” He was surprised that this was our church building. He has offered to throw in a paint job for the church as well.

The second phase of the work this summer, is some concrete work on the safety rails just outside the classrooms and by the flag pole. The actual rails may be replaced as well.

The third phase of the project is not confirmed but a possibility. A renovation of the playground equipment on our upper playground. This has been a goal that we have not been able to reach. They will take this project into consideration.

A fourth phase would most likely take place in the fall as we return to school. This project includes the replacement of our wall heaters and lighting fixtures in the classrooms, with the possibility of new flooring.

This will be a very exciting summer at OLG, as we receive these gifts from the John and Dorothy Shea Foundation.

As for our gift from the Richard Riordan, it is now up and running. Ms. Dixon did not waste anytime in putting our new SMART board to good use. The sixth graders received a high-tech lesson on Ancient Greece. It was a sight to see! We are currently running power to our board and projector via extension cords. If any there are any electricians out there who can assist us in placing two convenient wall outlets for us, we would greatly appreciate it.

Mr. Garcia

Extra Note:

On Saturday, March 15 our teachers attended an all day conference on Inclusion. Inclusion is the concept of including all learners in the learning experience. The received tools and tips on working with students that may have learning disabilities or that simply struggle grasp concepts.