(May 2020)
IS YOUR STUDENT EQUIPPED? How Saint Olaf Catholic School handles COVID-19
How are our local schools dealing with the present COVID-19 crisis? Are we meeting this challenge to our educational system? Is this destined to be the lost quarter for students globally? We toss these questions around endlessly at Saint Olaf Catholic School. This past fall, before there was COVID-19, we changed our logo and created a motto. While we spent much time evaluating our ethos and how to best capture that in two symbols, we had no idea how intensely significant these new symbols would become as we seek to save precious academic and social/emotional time for our school, our students, and families during a global pandemic.
We started with ideals that seem to register with all parents: college prep, solid academics, and leadership. We do offer and value these, however, we offer more. While students pre K-12 are technically only our responsibility through their senior year, we are not just a school-we are a community of faith, a responsibility we take very seriously. Our faith compels us to focus on the development of the complete student, not solely their K-12 career. We are attempting to prepare and equip our students for the entirety of life, far beyond the school years, while also equipping them for today. The hard truth is that not every child is going to be a leader, an A student, or even attend college, however, every child can be equipped to deal with life’s highs and lows while developing their own individual talents, and learning to live in a Christ-like manner.
In this strange and unusual time of social distancing, evaluations naturally take place. What is really important to me and my family. What have I lost that I deeply care about and miss? What loss has been “no big deal” or a “blessing in disguise?” We share our school process and evaluations as encouragement to others to intentionally lean into this time, process your evaluations, and prioritize maybe again what has value. Possibly ask, “who is my school, what do they say they offer vs what do they provide?” What do I ultimately want for my student?
At Saint Olaf we traded a solitary male Viking logo for a Viking ship on an ocean’s journey. The ship is a symbol that includes everyone. On a ship, we all have a job to do based on our individual skills and talents. We journey together going our separate ways when the final destination is reached. The voyage will be rough and exciting as we grow together. Our selected motto is Strength & Endurance. Our Principal, Mr. McFall, uses three key words to describe instruction. We develop learners who are endlessly curious about all things, resilient to face life’s ups and downs, and deeply faith-filled, kindly serving those around them. As the ideals of these 3 words are used to shape our students, they depart our ship equipped to face present trials and unknown futures.
So how are we at Saint Olaf Catholic School facing this turbulent moment? We face COVID-19 in the same way we have faced every day, with the Strength & Endurance we have built brick by brick, layer by layer. We honor our students’ academic year by seeing it through to its completion, even when we are weary, scared, and overwhelmed. We spend hours in early March prepping student work and moving to on-line platforms as we learn & adapt them. We plan creative ways to keep even our specials like Music, Spanish, and Art going. We use Zoom meetings and other platforms to connect and prepare staff and engage with our parents, equipping them for the coming storm. We remain in the ship, completing this portion of a very important journey for our children as they will never get this year back. The students at Saint Olaf finish the 2019-20 school year in its totality. They will return in the fall equipped to move forward in the next grade level. We will continue on together, stronger, having endured something unprecedented for our time. Our logo and motto have truly become our inspiration, urging us forward into new waters. Our hope and prayer is that each and every student’s academic year can somehow be honored and completed as the wave of COVID-19 washes over the entire globe.
(April 2020)
WHO REMEMBERS THIS?
A decade later we look forward to another celebration this fall as we begin our 60th Year of Saint Olaf Catholic School! Stay tuned for details...
(March 2020, News)
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME!
It can be said that the value of a school may be based upon the quality of its graduates. Great schools like MIT conjure up names like Benjamin Netanyahu, Buzz Aldrin or Kofi Annan. Harvard may bring to mind John F Kennedy, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. Stanford makes us think of Tiger Wood and Elon Musk. What about Saint Olaf Catholic School?
Margaret-sponsored a shoe drive sending hundreds of pairs of shoes to orphanages in the Caribbean
Diane-Software engineer for L3
Brian-Judge graduate with multiple top academic awards, currently an industrial engineer
Deanna-Pediatric Physician Assistant for the University of Utah
Patricia-VP of Public Relations and Business Development for a local car dealership
Shaun-steel fabrication business owner and EMT for local fire department
Anthony-design engineer for Orbit Lawn Supply
Ed-Licensed purchaser for Dominion Energy
Alexandra-Lab Assistant for the Chemistry Department at Boise State University
Adam-Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
Dain-Doctor of Dentistry for a Native American Reservation in New Mexico
Lindsey-Research Scientist for ARUP and a pharmacist
John Jr-Decorated US Army combat medic-Battle of Faluja 2004
B-fashion designer in New York
Megan-Chemical Engineer
Evan-Engineering Quality Technician for L3
Patrick-Machinist of precision parts
Joe-Financial Advisor
Tyson-General Manager for Salt Lake City Bar & Bistro
Warren-architect
John-Actor in LA
We often tend to look for the greatest gifts among those that hit home runs. These Saint Olaf graduates make up the community we call ours; singles, doubles, triples. Though some may not live close, the roots of their beginnings started with Saint Olaf Catholic School. It is the gifts given them by the teachers, nuns, clergy, and parents that formed the foundation of what they are today. Their education from Saint Olaf is a cornerstone of that foundation.
So, what does your Saint Olaf ball player do?
*Help us fill in our team by shooting us a line giving an update.
Our Thanks to Wayne Welninski for writing this!
(January/February Events)
CATHOLIC SCHOOL'S WEEK, SCIENCE FAIRS, AND MORE...
Catholic School's Week this year was January 26 through February 1. As these annual celebrations role around I find myself in the school basement once again combing through pictures and school history-years and years of steadfast commitment adding up to who and what we are today. In an article for the Davis County Clipper from February 1981, "According to a recent parent questionnaire, academic and religious excellence are the main reasons why parents send their children to St. Olafs." These are the very things Catholic Schools Week highlights and we hope are still important to current families. We also hope for more. The theme of wanting more runs through everything we do. You'll notice it in much of what is written in order that you might see, hear, and experience the more we are putting into your students and our school. The more that has always been a part of this community and makes our connection so strong.
We want excellence in our academics and religion, but even more than that, we want excellence built into the very heart and soul of each and every student we have the opportunity to serve and teach here at Saint Olaf Catholic School. We want it for our staff too. We want our students and families to feel loved, protected, served, and educated, while they pursue their own individual paths to excellence. We desire to know our students, deeply and personally, in order to help guide them to what gives them purpose and ignites their passions. We want them to understand their faith and to know how to use it as a compass through all life's adventures. So what does all this mean?
In seeking more, we push for the completion of a much needed building and renovation project. We are currently evaluating all curriculum, watching the data from our new reading and social studies programs (initial test scores went up all around) while seeking the best science and math programs for next year. We are looking at options to innovate our middle school program and add more "specials" for most students. Teachers and staff are constantly evaluating grading systems, projects, presentations, and extracurricular activities, including summer camp. After a 4 year hiatus from Science Fair projects, Mr. Sirstins re-introduced the projects and our students had amazing success under his guidance. We had 8 students compete at the Diocesan Fair at Juan Diego, with each of the 6 total projects winning a ribbon and 4 students earning the opportunity to compete at the State Science Fair in March. We pause to recognize and celebrate this successful "more moment" but it is only the beginning. More is coming, always...More is our unwavering commitment to you our families, and as you peek through our past, more has always been part of Saint Olaf.
(December 2019 News)
A SEASON OF HOPE
Each year as Advent season begins, hopefully you find a few quiet moments of reflection-for the coming Savior, for the past year, and for new beginnings ahead. In your evaluation, what were successes of last year and what were failures? Did these experiences provide growth, improvement, or connections? For the office staff at the school, we keep returning to our building project first, as we evaluate all we do, because it is such a critical step. It is one of many in a long line of steps needed to shepherd our school into a new and ever improving era for this community and we feel a tremendous weight and responsibility for this mission.
As Christmas villages emerge from decoration bins and the soft lights begin to glow from the tiny windows, we can't help but think of our village here. How do people describe it, how has it changed over 60 years, and how does it need to change to remain a significant light here in Bountiful? Besides the badly needed building updates and addition, the next things identified as desperately needed this year were renewed and reinvigorated relationships with our parish and alumni, the people who have shared and experienced this place. We hope, that it isn't just a place that you experienced, however, but that you felt true community, a village, surrounding you with love and the light of Christ as you were shepherded toward your best self. That is still our goal and we continue to pray that you will actively join us again in helping this generation of children find their best selves. It is hard to say how successful our attempts have been in strengthening bonds with our parish and alumni. We have certainly reestablished many connections, but are eager for more-more relationships, more community, more shared vision. In this time of Advent, we wait with anxious anticipation for so much more...
At this moment, we sit on a precipice, with everything completed to begin our building project except final funding. Plans are complete, paperwork is in order, permits are in hand, and yet, we wait. We wait for responses from our school families, we wait for parishioners, for alumni, for grant boards, and for friends. The waiting is hard, but in the waiting we find time for prayer, reflection, and growth. In the waiting we keep telling our story, keep pushing our dreams and vision for our village, clinging to hope, and always keeping our light burning. We wish you all a blessed Advent with much time for reflection, prayer, and hope. We wish you a Very Merry Christmas as we welcome the light of the world once again into our hearts!
(October 2019 News)
TRADITIONS, FAREWELLS, AND HALLOWEEN CARNIVALS.
As we prepare for another fantastic Saint Olaf School Carnival, we also bid farewell to one of our own. Traveling through Saint Olaf's past, we've encountered through written materials, photos, stories, and even face to face conversations many incredible alumni and past families. People who improved the world around them by deeply caring and ministering to others. It is difficult to put into words what this has meant to those of us who currently steward the school. We are so sincerely grateful to all who have poured into our school throughout its 60 years and are so profoundly proud to hear that the mission and education received here lives and breathes inside each of you as you serve and care for your own communities. Please, keep sharing your (our) stories as we seek to usher forth a new generation of Saint Olaf Vikings. Thank you Marilyn Larrabee and family. While it seems so inadequate to simply say Thank You, your service, dedication, love and faith lives on in our hallways and in our students. We will carry your legacy forward as we continue the mission of Saint Olaf Catholic School to RISE.
As we continually seek to link past and present to cohesively build the future, it has become clear that we need more activities and traditions that bring us together as alumni, current families, and community. What better way to initiate a new tradition than to tie it to a long standing one, our Halloween Carnival. We happily invite the entire community to join us for our 1st Annual Family and Alumni Car Show with the Halloween Carnival to follow. We hope to see as many local alumni there as possible and to hear your stories and journeys since you left us. Please help make this an unforgettable evening of fellowship and sharing. Bring friends, family, and neighbors as we celebrate the love, joy, and community here at Saint Olaf.
(September 2019 News)
WE'RE LOOKING FOR SAINT OLAF ALUMNI!
Where you in third grade when Gov. Matheson and his wife visited Saint Olaf?
Were you doing jumping jacks in PE in 1980?
Were you on the leading edge of computer technology in the 1970s?
Saint Olaf Catholic School Alumni we are searching for you! We need your assistance with a project for Catholic Schools Week 2020! We are going to fill the halls with student accomplishments during Catholic Schools Week, January 27-31. We will be dedicating a special area for our Alumni. Please email Mrs. Moffat a picture of you. We would love to portray what you are currently doing, so send in your club, sport or activity photo. You may also submit your current school picture, we want to showcase the graduates of 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Call or email Mrs. Moffat in the office if you have any questions, 801-295-5341 or
jmoffat@stolafs.org. We can't wait to see your photos. Don't forget to register with our Alumni Directory.
