Olgschoolconnect

06/10/2023

: June 11, 2023

Dear friends of Our Lady of Grace School,

It seems amazing that we are finishing off a school year! It has been one filled with ups and downs, but I am pleased to report that we sent off our 22 eighth grade graduates to several area High Schools including Bishop O’Dowd, Moreau and St. Joseph in Alameda along with Castro Valley High among others.

We also promoted 23 Kindergartners the majority of whom will be joining Miss Castaign for their first year in the “big building”. Our “Star scores” were outstanding and the fact that we differentiate our instruction to include a variety of learning styles is a source of personal pride.

Due to staffing issues which forced me into the 5th grade classroom for a great part of this past year, we are not as far as I had hoped in our transition to a dual-language immersion model. However, with God’s help, we shall continue to press forward. We have been told by families that all of the currently enrolled transitional Kinder students (age four) have come to OLG precisely because we offer instruction in both English and Spanish. I know that we are competing with Castro Valley public schools who are also adopting this model, but it is my hope that our smaller classes along with our additional focus on religion as well as math in two languages will prove to be an incentive.

Lastly, to continue promoting kindness and harmony, our school is adopting a model of student peer mediation that has proven to be a success in the United States and in many other countries. The entire faculty and staff were trained in this model of “Community Based mediation” on June fifth and the plan is to train student leaders the first week of August so that the program is ready to roll a few weeks after school begins.

In closing, I give thanks to God for a successful first year. I continue to enjoin you to spread the word about Castro Valley’s only Catholic School and please pray for our students, faculty, and staff as we begin a month-long summer program and then move on to our summer break.

In Our Lady’s Name and Love,

Gena McGowan, Principal
Our Lady of Grace Catholic School

05/04/2023

: 5/7/2023

Happy beginning of the last month of school! Here at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School we are doing many things to brighten the Easter season.

First, we are celebrating a new playground structure to be blessed and dedicated after Mass on May 3. We are proud that it was paid in its entirety through the fundraising efforts of the school scholars. The cost of just under $40,000 was the result of a combination of Fun Run and some donations.

Second, we are celebrating this year’s successful Fun Run. The net profit was also close to $40,000 and will result in new technology for all Junior High as well as some “smart boards” and other technological advances in our classrooms. I shall keep you posted.

Third, we are really focusing on increasing our school enrollment. Thanks to the pastor of Transfiguration, we shall begin to aggressively advertise there as well as place a sign on Castro Valley Boulevard in order to raise awareness in the larger community. Anything that you can do as individual parishioners is also much appreciated.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our Havana Night school and parish dinner-auction on May 6th . It should be a night to remember!

In Our Lady’s Name and Love,

Dr. McGowan

04/05/2023

: April 2, 2023

Dear friends of Our Lady of Grace School,

Blessed remains of Lent to all of you. I write in full anticipation of Easter joy, and sincerely hope that your Triduum observances are filled with much peace and celebration. May the risen Christ bring you much happiness.

Here at OLG school our Lent has been marked with weekly celebrations of The Stations of the Cross, with different grades taking a turn at bringing our thoughts and prayers into sharing the Passion and Death of Our Lord. It was also punctuated by Adoration and Benediction as well as individual celebrations of the Sacrament of Reconciliation for Grades three and above. We keep our second graders in our prayers as they near the time when they will receive Our Lord for the First time in May.

This focus on the richness of our faith is the principal reason that all Catholic (as well as non- Catholic) parents should consider a Catholic education for their sons and daughters. I ask that you assist me in spreading the word that we have open seats to fill and that deadlines for financial aid are coming closer.

Lastly, I hope to see many of you at our school-sponsored Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday following the 9:00 a.m. Mass. We shall have plenty of treat-filled eggs for kids in second grade and below as well as lots of opportunities for photos.

Until then, continue having a prayerful Lent and Holy Week ahead.

In Our Lady’s Name and Love

Gena McGowan, Principal
Our Lady of Grace Catholic School
Unity-Truth-Love

03/03/2023

: March 5, 2023

Dear Friends of Our Lady of Grace Catholic School,

Happy Lent

It does seem like this season is upon us faster and faster every year! As always, this is a very busy and yet prayerful time of year at Our Lady of Grace as we pause, take the pulse of our spirituality and hopefully give generously in order to reach Easter renewed and strengthened in faith.

We are very focused on the three pillars that hold up our Lenten observance.

At OLG prayer is part and parcel of what we do daily. On Ash Wednesday we were marked with ashes to remind us that we need to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. This will also be a reminder at every Wednesday liturgy at 8:15 a.m. In addition to prayer at morning assembly, we shall be praying the Stations of the Cross every Friday at 2:15 p.m. in the church. All are welcome to join us.

Fasting will be observed in the context of “giving up”. We have had a rash of unkindness from a limited number of students, and it is time for ALL of us to sit up and practice living out the Golden Rule. Lent is an ideal time for this.

Almsgiving will hopefully be observed at home as we focus on the fabulous opportunities provided by Catholic Relief Services in the form of the Rice Bowl program. Please make sure that your scholar’s Rice Bowl is in a place of prominence because they will be hearing a great deal about C.RS.’s work as part of our Lenten religious instruction.

Lastly, this is the time to encourage all that you meet to come check out our rigorous academic curriculum and our faith-filled instruction. We have openings in every classroom and details on applying and registering can be found on our website, www.olgschool.org. I am counting on all of you to spread the word about this treasure right here in Castro Valley.

In Our Lady’s Name and Love,

Gena McGowan, Principal
Our Lady of Grace Catholic School
Unity-Truth-Love

Our Lady of Grace Catholic School serves a diverse community, and models Christ through Unity, Truth, and Love to create a balance of spiritual, academic, and social growth. Our Lady of Grace Catholic School focuses on living Christ’s message as we work together to create “Gracious Space."

02/02/2023

: February 5, 2023

Dear Friends of Our Lady of Grace Catholic School,

Happy Catholic Schools Week!

Let us give thanks to God that we live in a country where school choice is a reality. Parents who wish to make God the center of their and their children’s lives will find in our environment a deep respect for God’s gifts of life from conception to natural death, as well as the daily reminder to love one another as Jesus loved us.

As I type I can hear the many visitors to our Open House for this Catholic Schools Week which will be followed by a week of fun and celebration. I invite you to visit our website www.olgschool.org for more information. Our Open House follows a filled-to-capacity 9:00 a.m. Mass, where the pastor reminded us of the importance of the school’s role in preserving the Catholic faith, even if at times we participants feel a bit like the “leima” (Romanized version of the Hebrew word for “remnant”), struggling to preserve what is left of the traditions of our faith.

Our school’s survival depends on the support and encouragement of our families and friends, those who believe, like we all do, in the power of a Catholic education, one based on the teachings of our Church as well as a strong emphasis on academics. Our Star test scores say it all. Most of our students score well above the state average in both language arts and math, and I know that it is due to the amount of attention and love that our teachers shower on their students. I am counting on all of you to spread the word about this treasure right here in Castro Valley.

In Our Lady’s Name and Love,

Gena McGowan, Principal
Our Lady of Grace Catholic School
Unity-Truth-Love

Our Lady of Grace Catholic School serves a diverse community, and models Christ through Unity, Truth, and Love to create a balance of spiritual, academic, and social growth. Our Lady of Grace Catholic School focuses on living Christ’s message as we work together to create “Gracious Space."

10/03/2022

: October 2. 2022

Dear OLG families and friends,

Fall is in the air, and I give thanks for the lovely Bay Area weather and the opportunity to enjoy it with this wonderful community. God is good!

By the time that you read this we shall be in our sixth week of instruction. Our students are busy in their classrooms, most well into their second or third curricular units and it is fun to walk the hallways and see the results of their labors.

In “staff news,” welcome a young alumna to act as an instructional aid to Mrs. Moradi and Mr. Manifesto, Miss Laura Perino. She is currently taking a “gap” year before hopefully beginning her studies in the U.K. next fall. We are happy to have her with us. Her mom, Mrs. Adriana Perino will be joining the Kid Kare staff to continue to ensure that the students are safe and happy.

Many of you know of the real crisis that most schools are facing when it comes to finding certified teachers. OLG is extremely fortunate to count some very professional folk among its ranks but unfortunately, we have been unable to fill the 5th grade teacher slot. I am very happy to be filling in the gaps as we have not had any qualified applicants since the position posted in August. I hasten to add that could not do it without Mr. Stone, who has taken over 5th grade math, and Mrs. Barrera, who is very qualified to teach Religion. Meanwhile, if you know any qualified individuals who might be interested in joining our staff on a part time basis to teach a couple of subjects, please direct them my way.

It is not a secret that our school has experienced a slight decrease in enrolment. I need to reach out to you, the parishioners of Our Lady of Grace, to partner with us to spread the word about our fabulous programs and teachers. We are not the only school that has experienced reductions in enrollment due to families moving away in search of more affordable housing. In this post-Covid universe, many people no longer must go into an office daily and I have personally spoken to several families who have moved away from this area for precisely that reason. However, I see lots of children at Safeway, so that I know that with proper promotion, we shall once again fill our classrooms.

I am particularly interested in filling the open slots in our TK program. Mrs. Fajardo is making big strides in teaching our little ones how to speak Spanish. I met with the district official in charge of our Federal Title programs last week and he told me that Castro Valley’s TK dual language (English-Spanish) program is a huge hit.

There is no reason, other than lack of exposure, that O.L.G’s program should not be experiencing the same success. In addition to offering a solid education, Our Lady of Grace can proudly boast of a highly qualified staff as well as a solid basis in Catholic TRUTH. The fact is that loyalty to the Magisterium is a given for anyone teaching at our school, and I cannot think of a better place for a child to grow than surrounded by folk who live their lives grounded in every article of the Nicene Creed.

So, if you are looking for a demanding academic curriculum, solidly rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and under the patronage of Our Blessed Mother, as well as the spirituality of SS. Francis and Clare, then look no farther than your own parish school.

Thanks in advance for all that you do to support our school in the community.

In Our Lady’s Name and Love,

Gena McGowan, Principal
Our Lady of Grace Catholic School

09/02/2022

: 9/4/2022

Dear Our Lady of Grace Family,

I am writing to report that your parish Catholic school is up and running! It is good to see all the students back on campus, as well as to welcome many new colleagues to O.L.G. God’s grace could be felt all around, and Our Blessed Mother’s gentle smile was almost discernable!

I would like to extend a very special invitation to all parish members to join the school community at our weekly Eucharistic liturgy. It takes place on Wednesdays at 8:15 a.m. and features the students in the roles of lectors and servers, and faculty and staff serve as Eucharistic ministers. I know that we would all love to see parish members become more involved in the activities of the school and Mass is a great place to start.

I also wanted you to know that we are still looking for a part time classroom aide for our lower elementary grades. If you are a retired teacher or a person who loves being around children and helping out our busy teachers, please give me at call at the school office (510.581.3155).

Please save the date for our very first all school celebrations. They will take place on the weekend of September17 with a Mass celebrated at 5:00 p.m. by Bishop Barber. Our former pastor, Fr. Tom will join Father Ray in welcoming our bishop to this important celebration of the 75th anniversary of the parish and school.

On Sunday, September 25, our families are encouraged to attend the 9:00 a.m. Mass and then come onto the grounds for a celebration of our school and parish family. Food, games, and various student performances will be among the highlights of this important day. Let’s continue to spread the positive and loving spirit that has already marked this academic year as we “return full force” to in person instruction and celebrations.

Have a wonderful week and weekend ahead.

In Our Lady’s Name and Love,

Dr. McGowan, Principal

06/03/2022

: June 5, 2022

It has been a wonderful month of Our Blessed Mother. We honored Mary at the May Crowning liturgy with one of the eighth graders, Aline Doan, crowning Mary. The second graders formed an honor procession as they had just received their First Holy Communion the Saturday before. It was truly a special occasion and we thank all the parents and teachers who helped to prepare the students for both events.

May is filled with wonderful excursions for our students. They are heading off to Crab Cove, Great America, the California Academy of Sciences, and of course our very own PE Field Day. There always is excitement around any events and we are happy to pursue learning in various ways.

We want to say good-bye to Mrs. Debbie Russell. She has been with Our Lady of Grace Catholic School as a parent, teacher’s assistant, bookkeeper as well as office manager. She has served here for 28 years and is officially retiring. Please drop her a note of gratitude to the parish office before she leaves in June.

Also leaving the Our Lady of Grace Catholic School community is Mrs. Sanchez, who has been a parent volunteer, room mother, and secretary. Other teachers leaving are Mrs. Britt, Ms. Kirkland, Mrs. Norris, Mrs. Danek and Ms. Bedolla. They are going off to pursue other paths. We thank them for their service and dedication to Catholic education especially here at OLG.

I too am leaving. As an interim principal, this year has been filled with joy, unity, love and truth. The CORE values. Along the way, we have all survived more of the Covid issues, the restrictions with masks, etc. Our students have grown and are working to be loving Catholic/Christians. It has been a pleasure serving here at OLG and I thank the parishioners, School Board, parents, teachers and staff for all their support. Thank you.

Mrs. Kathy Gannon-Briggs
Principal

04/29/2022

: May 1, 2022

This has been a very spiritual Lent for our students. The Stations of the Cross have been held on Friday. Each class took one week and prepared the readings, etc. The Friday Prayer Services have also been a special part of this holy season. Transitional Kindergarten (TK) had a very special prayer service last Friday. They were well prepared by their teachers, Mrs. Britt and Mrs. Hernandez. They are the youngest in the school and showed us what they have learned from all the other grades. Each morning the Student Leadership group starts our day with prayer and the pledge to the flag. It is our custom in Catholic Schools to always begin with prayer. Also, on Wednesday, we have been attending Mass and celebrating the Eucharist. The students are happy to be back in church and doing the readings, etc.

Our second grader, Andrea Soulard along with her classmates, made blue and yellow bracelets to remember Ukraine. They raised $3100 and it is a good way to remember each day the plight of the Ukraine people.

All of the 8th graders who applied to Catholic high schools: Moreau, O’Dowd, St. Jos. and De La Salle were accepted and many were with highest honors. We congratulate these students and their teachers and parents for all the hard work it takes to get them to this point.

We pray for our parishioners during this Holy Season of Lent and wish everyone a blessed Easter.

Mrs. Kathy Gannon-Briggs
Principal

04/06/2022

With the easing of COVID restrictions, OPEN HOUSE this past Sunday!!! Children, parents, visitors, teachers, staff .. everyone was so excited.

03/30/2022

: 4/3/2022
This has been a very prayerful time for our students. We pray for the people of Ukraine, especially the children. We pray at the Stations of the Cross each Friday and we attend Mass on Wednesdays. Our special Prayer Service is on Fridays and each grade takes time to prepare either their class saint or something appropriate for that grade level. We infuse the values of Unity, Truth and Love into our daily lives here at OLG Catholic School.

We have some upcoming events that have had to be postponed due to restrictions of Covid. But now we are opening the doors for an Open House for all to come and visit the classrooms to see what is happening inside these great classrooms. It will be on April 3rd after the 9:00 Mass and we hope you will join us and bring your friends and neighbors. This is our way of sharing the Good News of Catholic Education.

The sixth grade class recently went to the Catholic Youth Camp up in Occidental for a week of outdoor education and a chance to reflect on the beauty of nature and God’s gifts all around.

The 8th graders that applied to Catholic High Schools- Moreau, O’Dowd, and St. Joseph’s all were accepted and some with high honors. We are proud of the work they have done to achieve this success. Congratulations to them, their teachers and their parents.

Mrs. Kathy Gannon-Briggs
Principal