Sloshy the Rainman

He's back! Hooray for Christmas rain!

Prepare Ye the Way

Happy Second Week of Advent! How's your Advent going? Oliver and I have been busy here at OLR. The Spaghetti Dinner on Tuesday was fun and tasty, and the whole school attended First Friday Mass together on Friday. (Great job, 5th Grade!) There was also a basketball tournament at St. Joseph's on Wednesday and Thursday, and a basketball clinic in our gym on Saturday morning. This weekend there was also an awesome Christmas Boutique and this afternoon the OLR Moms were baking cookies for the Preschool Outreach Program (P.O.P.). Oliver and I could smell the yummy cookies from all the way over here in the Computer Lab. 

Gorilla showed me this fun online Advent Calendar that I thought I would share with you. It's a fun calendar marking the days in December leading to Christmas. Each day has a different surprise game. Check it out at:

http://www.santagames.net/calendar/index.htm

Happy Thanksgiving

(Click on panel for larger view.)

Gummy Bear

(Click on panel for larger view. Back Arrow to return)

Trick or Treat

(Click on panel for larger view. Back Arrow to return)

Blessing of the Animals

Today is the Blessing of the Animals at OLR, and I am soooo EXCITED! We're going to have a special  Mass and the whole school will be there. Gorilla is bringing his goldfish, Sloshy. Oliver is bringing a snail he found in the garden this morning. He named him Snail. I can't wait to meet all of the animal friends of my OLR Catholic School Family. They'll be mewing, and barking, and chirping, and slithering, and - well, who knows? I'm sure there will be some surprises.

The Blessing of the Animals is in honor of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, which was Tuesday, October 4. Saint Francis was a very holy man who loved Jesus so much that he gave up everything that he owned and went to live as a poor beggar, devoting all of his time to prayer and helping people in need. He saw God in the people around him, including the very poor and the lepers. He also saw God in God's creation, including animals. Saint Francis was very kind to animals, because he knew that God loved them. 

Saint Francis did so much good that many people began to join him, including his friend Saint Clare. Saint Francis founded the Franciscan Order. I found a web page created by some present day Franciscans at AmericanCatholic.org. They have posted some cool stories about Saint Francis and the animals, including Saint Francis and the wolf of Gubbio. Click HERE to vist!

First Day Check List

brand new backpack
brand new shoes and socks
good as new lunch pail
nearly new pencil box
brand new teacher
new desk (window view)
brand new school year
good old me and you
                                Reffie

Summer's End . . .

(Click on panel for larger view. Back Arrow to return)

Summer Vacation Update

Hi! How's your summer vacation going? MOST EXCELLENT I hope. Oliver and I are having a bear-ific vacation. Beaches. Pools. Parks. Libraries (gotta keep reading.)  Right now, we're both at Yellowstone National Park with the awesome Salvador family. WOW! A bear could really start to feel at home here.

Old Faithful is totally cool. Don't worry. Oliver is sitting on the sign, not the geyser. Gotta go. So much to see and do here. Thanks Salvador's! Hey - I think I just saw one of my second cousins heading over to our picnic basket! 

Be sure to let Oliver and me know what you're up to. I can post your vacation stories and photos right here. Bye for now. - Reffie

Click on panel for larger view. Back Arrow to return)

Almost Summer . . .

The Sun

The sun is rising early now.

He fades the stars with purple light

then quickly climbs the greening trees

and leaps in laughing yellow flight

to call the creatures out from sleep

on slapping wing and silent paw,

and calls me too with summer’s voice,

with buzz and bark and croak and caw.

                                                         Reffie

Take Us On Your Family Vacation!

Summer vacation is almost here, and as much as I love life & learning here at OLR, it's always nice to take a little time to relax. Summer vacation is a great time to read a book on a shady porch, build a treehouse or a lemonade stand,  follow a hummingbird home, go swimming in the ocean, or just take a long nap in the sun (but remember the sunscreen!)

Summer vacation is also a great time to go on a FAMILY ROAD TRIP, whether it's the highway, the skyway, or the rolling sea. Travelling with the family is always an exciting and memorable adventure. AND - Guess what?

THIS SUMMER YOU CAN TAKE ME OR OLIVER BEAR WITH YOU!

Yes. You read that correctly. This summer, Oliver and I want to go along with you on your family vacation. Are you heading out to the Grand Canyon? Take one of us with you! Taking a cruise to Mexico? We'll go, amigo. Flying to New York, London, or the Philippines? We don't get air sick. Camping in your backyard? We love smores!

Mrs. Napier has said that it's OK for Oliver or I to go with your family on an adventure this summer. You can find us in the Computer Lab. Take us along in the car, on the boat or plane, or even the basket of your bike. And while we're travelling, be sure to take plenty of photos. When we get back, I can post the photos right here on my blog. You can even write about our adventure, and we can post that here too. Stories, poems - you can even draw a picture. You decide. I can even handle video here. Doesn't it sound like fun?  Oliver & I sure think so.

SO - talk to your parents and Mrs. Napier, and then TAKE US ON VACATION WITH YOU!

Remember to check back here at this site to see just what kind of adventures Oliver and I get into. - Reffie

Voices in the Sea

Did you know that there are voices in the sea? Well, THERE ARE! Voices, and voices, and voices. And some of them are whales. Yes, WHALES! Isn't that pretty awesome? And you don't have to run down to the beach and stick your head in the waves to hear them. The Aquarium of the Pacific has a link on their website that will let you hear the whales talking (or singing?) AND - you can learn to hear how different types of whales have different types of voices. REALLY. It's called Voices in the Sea. Check it out HERE .

I've Looked at Clouds That Way

(Click on panel for larger view. Back Arrow to return)

Awesome-Ology!

Hey! Look at me! I'm conducting an Inca Investigation. How cool is that? And this is just one of hundreds of cool things to do and learn about at Ology, a website from the American Museum of Natural History. Anthropology, Archaeology, Astronomy, and more! Videos, games, crafts . . . Wow! Science is so COOL! Check it out! Click on the word Ology above. It's a hyperlink that will transport you right to the site. Have fun, and let me know how you like it.

Classrooms, and pancakes, and books - Oh my!

(Click on panel for larger view. Back Arrow to return)

OLR Bear Facebook\Blog Winner!

Cool! We have a winner in the "Friend OLR School on Facebook" or "Leave a Comment on This Blog" Contest. Britney, who's an OLR School Alumni, did BOTH and took home the grand prize - her own OLR Bear. Click HERE to watch Britney get her prize at the OLR Winter Carnival. Congratulations Britney!

Hoops There It Is

Real Bears pray. Everyday. OLR Bears are praying - and working really hard for a great OLR Bear Basketball Season. If you're not on the floor, then show your spirit from the stands. Come on out and support our Girls & Boys A, B, and C Division teams. GO BEARS!

Sloshy Again

(Click on panel for larger view. Back Arrow to return)