Our Lady of the Mountains School - Paintsville at 405 Third Street, Paintsville, KY 41240 US - News

Citrus Sales
The OLM annual Citrus -- and More sale kicked off last week.  Items available for purchase include oranges, grapefruits, apples, pear, cheese, beefstick, pecans, peanuts, and spiral sliced turkey and ham.  All items are high quality, at prices that can't be beat!  Please contact any school family or the office at 789-3661 to place an order.  The sale ends November 16th.  Delivery will be on December 3rd, just in time for the holiday season!  Remember, for a healthy lifestyle -- EAT MORE FRUIT!

Halloween

Children from grades K-7 participated in Trick-or-Treating in downtown Paintsville on Friday, October 30th.  Everyone enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather and the children were creative (as always) with
their costumes.  Older students (also known as "Big Buddies") helped look after their "Little Buddies" under the watchful eyes of teachers and parents.  This is truly one of the best things about being a part of the OLM family -- come and watch the way our older students interact with their younger schoolmates -- guaranteed to warm your heart!  We would also like to thank all the businesses in downtown Paintsville for their generosity during the annual Halloween activities.  We appreciate all you do for our children! 

Save the Date!
This year, in conjunction with the Annual Book Fair, the school will host a Chili Supper in the cafeteria on Thursday, November 12th.  Stay tuned for details!

Art and Chess Clubs
The first meeting of the Art Club will be on Thursday, November 12th at 3:00.  Thank you to school parent and local artist Angelia D., who once again will be providing her expertise to our students in the area of art.  The Chess Club, headed by school parent Phil G., will continue to meet each Thursday afternoon after dismissal. 

Honoring St. Francis -- Animal Blessing

The annual St. Francis Animal Blessing took place on October 9th after school was dismissed.  Families were encouraged to bring their pets and participate in our traditional ceremony.   This year, dogs were the pet most frequently spotted at the blessing, although one family did bring their bearded lizard!  Thanks to all who participated in this special blessing with Father Terence Hoppenjans.

Artist in Residence Program

Through a grant funded by the Kentucky Arts Council, Our Lady of the Mountains completed a week long Artist in Residence Program during the week of October 12-16.  The program topic this year was "Connecting the Classroom to the World:  The Power of Theatre!"  We were thrilled to welcome drama instructor Katharine Mapother,  who worked with our students and teachers on drama, theatre, and the performance arts.  This is the third consecutive year OLM has offered an outstanding Artist in Residency Program for students at all grade levels.  Students showcased their new skills in a Drama Performance on Friday, October 16th.  The Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade class acted out a traditional African folk tale entitled "Mabella the Clever".  The 3rd and 4th grader performed "Maballa the Clever -- the Sequel".  The 5th and 6th grade class wrote their own script for characters from the novel "A Wrinkle in Time", which they then performed to the delight of the crowd.  The 7th graders memorized, interpreted, and acted out the poem "Paul Revere's Ride".   It was an impressive showcase indeed!  Thanks to school parent, Miriam S., who secured the grant and made the arrangements for the program.  At Our Lady of the Mountains School, we will continue to pursue additional programs in the Arts and Humanities to ensure our students receive the multiple benefits of a well-rounded curriculum.

Apple Day!

Our Lady of the Mountains School, like the entire town of Paintsville,  celebrated the 47^th annual Apple Day Festival during the first week of October. This year’s big event took place on Friday, October 2rd and Saturday, October 3th.  Our students participated in the academic contests sponsored by the Kentucky Apple Festival Committee, which were held Friday morning in front of the Bandstand.  OLM was well represented in the art, penmanship, adding match, and spelling bee competitions.  All our students were self-assured and confident as they approached the microphone on the big stage!  We congratulate Ariella D. and Adaline D. who were winners in the art competition for the second year in a row!  Special thanks to 1st/2nd grade teacher Lorie Wiley, who coordinated the Academic Contests for OLM.

OLM’s 27th annual Apple Day Turtle Trots took place on Friday, October 2nd, in the pre-school playground. Over 400 local businesses and individuals support this event  by sponsoring a turtle in the race. The popularity of this Apple Day tradition was evidenced by the yellow turtle posters hanging in storefronts across the county. Monetary prizes and trophies were awarded to the top 3 finishers, and every sponsor received a hand-decorated turtle poster. A special thanks to school parent Jean R. for coordinating this huge fundraiser to benefit the OLM scholarship fund. Winners this year were: 1st place:  "Mother Goose", sponsored by The Learning Tree Preschool; 2nd place:  "Rossi", sponsored by Cafe on Main; and 3rd place, "Bumble Bee", sponsored by Braden Ramey.  

On Saturday, October 3^rd, OLM sponsored our second annual Southern Barbeque on the school’s spacious front porch.  Patrons were invited to enjoy a delicious dinner, plus a nice spot to sit and rest after a busy day at the festival. The dinner featured a choice of entree -- pulled pork, beef brisket, or a full or half rack of ribs.  A choice of 2 made-from-scratch side dishes (baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, or macaroni and cheese), fresh rolls and a beverage were also included.  The feedback received from patrons  was very positive and included “Best Bargain in Town!”  “We hope this is an annual event!” and  “Delicious!”  Over 100 dinners were sold, and many disappointed customers missed out on the ribs, as they quickly sold out.  Next year, be sure to get to the Barbeque early and don’t miss out!   Thanks to school parent, Miriam S. for coordinating this event.

We would also like to thank all the patrons who utilized our spacious grounds for parking during the festivities.  Hats off to school parent, Patrick B, for coordinating this fundraiser.  Apple Day is certainly the busiest part of our fundraising year, and we could not come close to reaching our goals without the incredible support of our parents, friends, community, and Fundraising Chairs, Heather P. and Jenni G.  Thanks to all and God bless!

Cross country team

This fall, OLM once again fielded a super Cross Country team!   Our season recently wrapped up after competing in 4 meets, 2 road races, and the Regional Meet hosted by Harlan County.  Due to interest throughout the school, two teams participated in the 12-week program.  Students in grades 4-8  were actively involved in meets, races and practices designed to facilitate competitive running appropriate for the middle school level.  Students in grades 1-3 participated in activities and games designed for fun and to improve overall physical fitness and endurance.  Our younger team practiced on Mondays and Wednesdays immediately after school dismissed.  Favorite running games included Squirrels and Chipmunks, Stride and Jump, and Relay Races.  Because the "younger kids" have consistently put forth a good effort, they were invited to compete in 2 elementary level meets in October.   The older students practiced on Tuesdays and Thursdays, on the school grounds, at the Paintsville Recreation Center or at the Paintsville Lake Trail.  
Congratulations to all our runners who participated in competitions throughout the season.  We had many ribbon winners at each event.  A special congratulations to our first place winners including Gabe C., Helena C., Maura F., and Ben M.  The cross-country pizza party will be held during lunch on Friday, November 6th.

Magazine Sales

If you are interested in renewing a subscription for a magazine that you have purchased in the past through the school, fear not!  Magazines will be available to purchase on line at www.qsp.com.  Simply log onto QSP.com, click the "shop now" link (bottom right of page), enter our account number (425006344) and locate the magazines you wish to purchase.  OLM earns 40% of your purchase!

The Cookbooks are here!  The Cookbooks are here!

We are excited to report that the OLM Cookbook “A Tradition of Excellence” is now available for purchase!  More than just recipes, the OLM cookbook contains detailed sections outlining the history of the Mayo Mansion as well as the school itself.  The finished product contains over 330 recipes and is jam-packed with pictures (old and new), stories of the boarding school days, and funny anecdotes from alumni.  Full color student art work is also featured throughout the book.  The price of the cookbooks is $20.00.  Arrangements to purchase the cookbook can be made through the school office at 606-789-3661, or by e-mailing Sue M. at jeddison123@yahoo.com.  We can ship the cookbooks anywhere in the US for a flat shipping fee of $5.00, regardless of the number of cookbooks ordered!

Influenza

Our Lady of the Mountains School continues to receive updates from the Center for Disease Control an Prevention concerning the H1N1 virus.  Please know that most schools do not need to shut down to contain the disease as many did last spring.  The following guidelines have been issued by the CDC and are designed to decrease student and staff exposure to the H1N1 flu.  OLM has officially adopted these policies:

• Those with flu-like symptoms should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever reducing medications.  Students/Staff should remain at home even if they are taking antiviral medications.  No student who vomits during the night should be sent to school the following day.
• Students and staff who appear to have flu-like symptoms will be sent to a separate room until they can be sent home.
• Students and staff need to exercise the basic foundations of influenza protection:  remain home when sick, wash hands with soap and water frequently, and cover mouths and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.