Learn about Student Life at The Academy of Our Lady of Peace

Student Life

Student Life

The Academy of Our Lady of Peace offers a variety of sports, clubs and activities for the education and enrichment of its students. This would not be possible without the support and commitment of faculty, students and parents.

In addition, all Academy students, regardless of their town of residence, are eligible to participate in the New Providence Recreation Department programs, New Providence sports leagues and P.A.L. sports teams.

Some other student activities include:

School Sponsored – Field Day, Christmas and Spring Concerts, Class Field Trips, Youth Choir, Halloween Parade, science fair and L.E.A.D, Assembly Programs, Catholic Schools Week activities and Art Show.

H.S.A. Sponsored – Pot Luck Dinners and Family Activities, Children’s Christmas Luncheon and Santa Shop.

Parish Sponsored – Annual Country Fair, BOLD Youth Ministry (visit OLP Parish for more information), Catholic Challenge and CYO Girls and Boys Basketball.

Outreach – Christmas-in-a-Box, Nursing Home Visits, Horizon School Visits, Holy Childhood Mission and Student Council Charity Donations.

Alumni

Calling all Panthers!
Are you an OLP Alumnus? Are you curious about your classmates? Where they are? What they are doing? Would you like to re-connect with your friends?
The Academy of Our Lady of Peace is working to gather current contact information for all alumni including addresses, emails, and phone numbers. If you are a graduate of OLP, or know one, please take a moment to send us your contact information. Also “Like” us on Facebook where you can also reconnect with your classmates and view pictures from the past and present.

Email: secretary@theacademyolp.org

We will keep all address information confidential, and it will only be used for the purpose of the Academy of Our Lady of Peace communication only.
Our alumni are one of our most valuable resources and we are anxious to contact you and share with you all the great things going on at The Academy. Our goal is to keep our alumni engaged with the school and establish a greater sense of community for all.

Athletics

Go Panthers!

The Academy students are very active in the many sports programs we offer after school, particularly Volleyball, Cross Country, Basketball, and Track and Field.

Panther Volleyball is open to girls in Grades 4 to 8 and is one of our most popular sports at the Academy.

Practices are usually held once a week after school, from dismissal until 4:30 pm. Home games are exceptionally fun as our Panther mascot is there to cheer on our players and excite the large crowd of Panther supporters. We have a snack bar open during our games which is run by parent and alumni volunteers.

Our volleyball program also includes our annual Academy Girls Volleyball Tournament in October. It is a day long event with lots of fun, food, and great volleyball.

The team is managed and coached by Mr. Gargiulo.

Cross Country is open to all students in Grades 3 through 8. This Fall sport begins in mid-September and ends in very early November. Practices are held weekly on the nearby exercise track and school grounds after dismissal.

Cross Country requires stamina and perseverance as athletes run long distances on an outdoor course that could include hills, rough terrain, and wooded areas. It is a lot of fun and competing against upwards of 15 other Catholic elementary schools only adds to the excitement. Medals are usually earned by the top 15 runners and they are divided by gender and grade levels.

The team is coached by Mrs. Frith.

We could always use help from parent volunteers at the meets which are held either on weekdays after school dismisses, or on weekends in September and October. If you can help us out, please contact Mrs. Frith at efrith@theacademyolp.org.

CYO Basketball is open to boys and girls in Grades 3 to 8 who attend either The Academy or Our Lady of Peace Parish. Please visit the official CYO website to learn more about this program, the required fees and to download the current registration form.

Click here to go to the official OLP CYO Basketball website.

Please read the following important CYO documents:

Panther Track and Field is a Spring sport which is open to all students in Grades Kindergarten through 8th. Our students train for all competition distances found at the middle school level. These include sprints (like the 100m and 200m), middle distances (such as the 400m and 800) and long distance (1600m). We also train for the long jump, shot-put, turbo javelin, and relays.

We are fortunate to have our own long jump pit on our school grounds and a running path by the tennis courts that we use during practices which are held weekly starting in late March.

We usually compete in at least 4 invitational meets against anywhere from 15 to 20 Catholic elementary schools. The competitions are held on weekends in April and May.

Our athletes in Grades Kindergarten to Grade 2 compete in short distance sprints to give them some experience in a moderately competitive atmosphere. Grades 3 to 8 compete by grade and gender for the top 3 medals in each event. We always welcome parent volunteers to help at practices and track meets.

The team is managed and coached by Mr. Gargiulo.

We also offer other intramural sports at the Academy. These sports are played between other Academy students after school. In the past we have offered Futsal (Grades 5-8), Dek Hockey (Grades 3-8), Golf, and Soccer (Grades K-2 and Pre-K).

Note to our Parents:
Please let the coaches know if your child cannot attend a game or meet so that we can plan accordingly. You can call the office, send in a note, or email our Athletic Director, Mr. Gargiulo, at jgargiulo@theacademyolp.org . Thank you for your cooperation.

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ATHLETIC FORMS & INFO

A completed Physical Form by a physician is needed in order to participate in a sport. The physical must take place within one year of participation. Click on the links below to download the forms.

General Forms for Sports Participation:

FLL Robotics

The Science and Technology/Robotics Club and Team
This academic club involves a lot of research and science experiments. We begin building our Lego mission units during the summer months so we can get a jump start on programming the robot before the school year begins.

All robotics students start as a club member and then earn their way onto the Robotics Team. In accordance with the First Lego League (FLL) guidelines, the Team can have no more than 10 student members. This is done by evaluation of all students with a rubric at each meeting. By October our 10 members are selected. We meet three days a week from September to mid-December.

The Team does the work. They know their coaches and mentors do not always have the answers and are there for guidance.

Students that did not make the Team are in the Robotics Club and are invited to come to designated meetings where we do experiments. When we have parent volunteers, we also plan meetings for the Club to learn how to program robots. Everyone is expected to come to the competitions to cheer on the Team. This is a fun afternoon for all and a learning experience for those hoping to make the Team in the future.

Every year, the FLL works with experts in the field to create a Challenge that relates to a significant real-world issue.

Our Club, following the FLL rules, challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. During the season, the team will build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game. They will also choose and solve a real-world question in the Project. Throughout their experience, the Team will operate under FLL’s signature set of Core Values.

The end result is a two-part Challenge that requires research to complete “The Project” and engineering to master the complex missions of “The Robot Game.” It’s a fun and exciting way to encourage kids’ minds.

What is involved?
In the Robot Game, teams design, build, program, and test autonomous robots that must perform a series of tasks or missions.

In the Project, teams research a real-world problem in the field of the Challenge theme, create an innovative solution, and share their research and solutions with their community.

For roughly eight fast-paced weeks, teams work as a group to overcome obstacles and meet challenges. The team/club practices ‘gracious professionalism’ which encourages teamwork while learning from and interacting with their peers, adult coaches, mentors and volunteers. Teams work to find creative solutions to the problems presented to them by the FLL. The FLL problems are referred to as “the Challenge’.

Once finalized, teams compete in optional local and regional tournaments. This is their chance to celebrate their accomplishments with other FLL teams, family, and friends.

After the hard work and a lot of fun, children come away with a sense of accomplishment, greater appreciation of science and technology and how they might use it to positively impact the world around them. In addition, they cultivate life skills such as planning, brainstorming, collaboration and teamwork, as well as research, presentation, and technical skills.

Parent involvement:
Parent involvement is required for our success. There are many ways for parents to get involved including: programming, guidance, research, general volunteers on weekdays, publicity, team apparel and PR items, web design, fund raising, spirit, and organizing snacks, field trips, etc.

Forensics

Forensics is the art of prepared public speaking, which enhances students’ skills in poise, self-esteem, presentation, leadership, memorization, as well as competition. The 6th, 7th and 8th grades of The Academy of Our Lady of Peace compete in the Archdiocese of Newark Forensics League. Each meet competes in a specific category: reading, declamation, drama and humor:

Reading is where the student prepares a 3-5 minute selection of prose or poetry, which gives the illusion of being read.
Declamation is a speech originally given in a public forum of the same duration, which is memorized.
Drama is an excerpt from a play, movie, TV production or literature in a memorized format of the same length.
Humor is an age-appropriate comedic selection, which is memorized in the 3-5 minute time.

The Regional Tournament allows the student to choose his or her own category from the above.

The students are judged on a 5-point scale on interpretation, use of voice, appropriate eye contact, poise and physical presentation, and memorization. Prior to the actual meet students perform for the 4th through 8th grade teachers and classes. They are given a number rating and from these evaluations 6 competitors and 2 alternates are chosen to represent The Academy at the Meet.

Each school supplies a judge for every 6 competitors. No props or costumes are permitted and students wear Sunday-best attire (with no uniform parts in order to ensure impartiality) to the Meet. Parents are welcome to attend meets.

Student Council

The Student Council provides an opportunity for students to develop leadership skills and promote school spirit. By becoming part of the Student Council, children are committing to work and participate in the corresponding activities. Since the Student Council exists for and by the students, children learn responsibilities and the idea that one person can make a big difference.

The Student Council meets at least once a month to work on school projects, fund-raisers, charity projects, etc.

OFFICE DESCRIPTIONS

President
The president of the student body has the responsibility of overseeing all Student Council activities. The president conducts the meeting of the council and plans the agendas for the meetings with the Student Council Moderator. At assemblies, the president is in charge of leading the pledge of allegiance.

Vice President
The vice president serves in the absence of the president. Duties include being in charge of the representatives from each class and running elections. The VP is also in charge of making any Student Council announcements to the student body in an informative manner.

Secretary
The secretary is to take roll call and record the minutes of the meeting. The minutes will be typed and passed out to all Representatives the day after the meeting. At the beginning of the next meeting, the minutes will be reviewed and if needed amended.

Commissioner of Religious Affairs
This Commissioner is responsible for prayer at Para-liturgical events throughout the school year. These prayers may consist of intentions that members of the student body or staff have requested. This person will also be in charge of writing and planning the 9/11 prayer service, the Thanksgiving Prayer service and organizing the Student Council sponsored mass.

Commissioner of School Spirit/Mascot
The Mascot will be present at all school sponsored events such as volleyball games, the OLP Country Fair, the Memorial Day Parade, book fair, Catholic Schools Week Sunday Open House, just to name a few. The person in this position may have to be available on weekends! If you go away frequently, this position is not for you.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES AND SPIRIT DAYS

Tag Day – It is a special day when students raise money for a cause. The children bring in money in order to wear their every day clothes. (Parents please make sure appropriate clothing is worn.) The students bring the money in the same day of the tag day and hand in to their homeroom teacher.

Pajama Day – This is very similar to a tag day, but instead of wearing everyday clothes the children wear their pajamas. This “tag day” donation is usually designated for the children’s Leukemia Foundation.

Crazy Hair Day – Children wear their hair in a crazy, wacky, and/or fun way to school. This is a spirit day.

Crazy Socks Day – Children wear different color socks to school. This is a spirit day.

Talent Show – Children can show off their talent in front of their fellow students during our Talent Show. They first present their act to the teacher in charge of organizing the show to get approval. And then it’s showtime!

Pennies for Patients – Students are encouraged to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There are many different events that take place for this cause. The most exciting event is the Pie-a-Teacher in the face event. Students who raise a designated amount of money will get to pick a teacher to pie in the face! All money raised goes directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Random Acts of Kindness Month – During this month the Student Council does not collect for a charity or for a specific event. We are simply trying to spread the warm feeling of making someone else feel great!

We ask that each student at The Academy commit to making at least ONE special act of kindness during each week of the month. The student should not tell anyone about what they are doing. The idea is for Academy students to perform acts of kindness without expecting any recognition, no rewards, not even a “thank you.”

Enrichment Programs

The Enrichment After School Programs at The Academy of Our Lady of Peace allow students to participate in various enrichment activities conducted by teachers, parents, and outside organizations on our own school campus. These special and unique programs stimulate students to explore new horizons, expand creativity, experience different cultures, broaden their base of knowledge, and increase their repertoire of learned skills.

In recent years we have provided the following opportunities for our students:

TGA Premier Junior Golf Lessons
TGA Premier Youth Tennis Lessons
Chess Wizards
Little Hearts Yoga Classes- Madison, NJ
Instrumental Music Lessons by Clef Notes
Academy Enrichment Classes in the Fall and Spring

Come join in the fun and learn something new with your friends!

Yearbook

The yearbook staff is made up of 8th grade students under the direction of one of our teachers. The staff spends countless hours taking photos of all school activities, clubs, and events, and then designs the layout for each full-color page using a web-based application. The 8th graders also prepare their own graduate page. Don’t miss out on this memory-packed yearbook.

Place your order early!