October - Our Lady of Mercy School

www.olmrio.org/olmatters
FGHFGHFGHFGHFGHFGH
To educate the whole person for
global understanding!
Volume III Number 2
“To Educate the Whole Person for Global Understanding”
Rio de Janeiro, October 2007
A TIME TO REMEMBER…
Juana Martins
It is with deep affection that I remember my 32 years here at OLM, a time full of
happiness and a few rare moments of sadness.
When I arrived here, nuns ran the school, and the office of Superintendent was
held by a chaplain. There were only some 180 students, the great majority North
American and other foreign nationals.
Interestingly enough, although we talk nowadays about being an “inclusive”
school, I perceive that we have been an inclusive school for 32 years. We have
always had students of different faiths and nationalities and some with handicaps.
OLM has always been a safe harbor for all those coming to us. I am always
touched deeply when ex-students come in bringing their own children,
remembering about how we were important in their lives.
Nothing in my life relating to OLM has been an accident, I believe: our birthdays
are on the same day; my daughter bears in her name the school's initials, and,
ironically, was born the year we almost closed our doors.
The threatened closure of the school, in 1980, was perhaps the saddest moment,
but at the same time the time we were all the most united. We learned a lifelesson from that period: strength really is in coming together. Claire and Mrs.
Cornwell, you made all the difference. My eternal thanks to all those who
participated in the FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN.
The arrival of Dr. Lyndaker was the watershed year for OLM. The changes have
been significant, and nowadays I see clearly that all this was only possible thanks
to the great educator, visionary and mediator that he has always been.
Looking for Sponsors!
Would you, or someone youk know, be interested in sponsoring the
publishing of OLMATTERS by taking out an ad in it?
Call the Business Office – 22.66.82.84
Para você Zé, Adonias, aposentado após 40 anos de serviço, e o nosso
inesquecível Severino (Xique-Xique) meus bons amigos desta longa
jornada, dedico todo o meu respeito e admiração. Vocês sempre fizeram
“tudo” acontecer. To my forever bosses, Mr. Cahill and Mr. Hunter, thank you
for the OLM that you helped construct.
TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE OR WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF MY LIFE,
ALL MY LOVE. OLM YOU ARE SPECIAL!!!!!!
MIDDLE SCHOOL PARTY
Luciana Fortes (´08)
Can you pass me the water, please?! Wow! The roof was on fire on Friday
night, September 15, when middle schoolers brought the house down! Everybody
(okay, we admit it, basically just the girls) danced till they dropped and sweated as
if it were a hot summer’s day. Good thing that what was most in stock were
soothing refreshments and delicious snacks to refuel the guys and dolls. Oh, how
we love junk food…sodas, hot dogs, and the yummiest brownies on the planet!
Isn’t it great to be a kid? Fun was all around and everybody had a blast. Good
thing that StuCo was on hand to organize this event. I’m sure some people (hmm,
hmm) loved the presence of certain StuCo members at the party…um; I wonder
who they might be. These teen idols sure seemed like celebrities, taking pictures
with the girls and getting smiles and stares from everywhere. It was like a
Backstreet Boys and N’Sync reunion. Whatever it was, they were a smashing hit
and swam in middle school popularity. Oh, I must stop bragging about my fellow
classmates or else they will get extremely stuck-up! They have enough spotlights
on them as it is. But the real stars of the evening were the girls who moved to
every beat DJ Yuri and the guys played for them. Hurray! Let’s give a round of
applause for the dancing queens of the night! Well, fellow Lancers, see you at
the Pep rally and stay tuned for the next StuCo event. Hmm…, I wonder what
that might be …
"VINDE CÁ, MEU TÃO CERTO SECRETÁRIO,
PAPEL, COM QUE A PENA DESAFOGO"
Camões, Canção X
Quatro séculos se passararm após o desabafo do genial poeta. Secretário deixou
de ser o simples confidente, o meio guardador de segredos, para se transformar
na figura eficiente que ilumina as manhãs de trabalho. Que os homens me
perdoem, mas num mundo ainda muito manipulado por eles, só a mulher
conseguiria o milagre de identificar-se tanto com os atributos de uma carreira, a
ponto de torná-la quase que exclusivamente feminina. OLMatters presta
homenagem a todas as secretárias da escola, pede perdão por um ou outro
momento de impaciência, por uma palavra mal escrita nas minutas (agora
e-mails!) ou por uma ranzinzice qualquer dos respectivos chefes, através de uma
mensagem do nosso ´Big Boss´ para sua (e nossa também) querida e eficiente
secretária: Juana Martins! (Sandra Xavier)
It is not every administrator that can say that they have the ideal secretary.
What exactly is that? It is not only that individual who consistently meets all the
administrative needs of one’s employer, but also one who thinks one step ahead
of those needs and solves some questions even before taken to their “boss”.
Juana has shown professional excellence as well as foresight and understanding of
the administration of an educational institution. She not only does her dally tasks;
she does them within the mission of the school. Juana is the deacon of the
institution, in that she has the longest work record of any other employee at Our
Lady of Mercy School. She has been an integral part of its history and makes that
history daily. Juana prepares reports, receives new parents, answers e-mails,
controls my daily agenda, prepares correspondences etc. etc. etc. and she also is
an ear and shoulder for many students and staff members. We celebrate
Secretary’s Day once a year but Juana is special every day of the year.
(Dr. Lyndaker)
PREMIO IBEROAMERICANO A LA
EXCELENCIA EDUCATIVA
In September of this year Our Lady of Mercy School
received the IV Premio Iberoamericano a la Excelencia
Educativa 2007 given by the Conselho Iberoamericano en
Honor A La Calidad Educativa in the City of Panama.
Over twenty-two countries were represented at the
event. Dr. Lyndaker was asked to attend, representing OLM. He received the title of Doutor Honoris
Causa em Gestão Educacional. Ms. Claire Collins was
also honored, receiving the title of Magistrado em
Administração Educacional. Congratulations to the Staff
of Our Lady of Mercy School for the recognition
given to the school by the Council.
ALUMNI INTERVIEW & PHOTOS!
Thiago Queiroz (´08)
M: Mário,T: Thiago, X: Xavier
T: Tell us some facts about yourself.
M: My name is Mario Francisco Servera and
I am son of puerto-rican inmigrants. I’ve
been married for 23 years and have two
daughters; one is 22, and the other one is 19.
They’re both away in college in Scotland and
in Miami, studying international marketing
and business, and engineering. I made my
dream of working with airplanes come true.
Today I am an aircraft maintenance engineer.
T: How many of the staff that is here now were at
OLM in your student days?
M: Only Juana.
T: And what are the differences that you noticed in the school today?
M: There are so many. The first one that is very obvious is that the court is covered. This
is the first thing that shocked me. The second one is that there is this big aquarium that
did not exist. And then you have several others, the absence of nuns, for example.
T: And staying in that line of religion, were there any specific rules regarding the nuns or anything strictly
religious?
M: Umm, yes, we observed prayers before recess, Masses, and before classes and at the
end of the day. But as far as behavior and discipline, compared to other non-religious
schools that I attended afterwards, it was basically the same: respect for elders, single-file,
things like that.
X: Was there detention at that time?
M: Umm, no and yes. In religious schools there is more spiritual punishment, like things
are sins. Now, I don’t know what’s good or bad as far as discipline goes.
T: And from what you saw today, how do you compare the number of students?
M: From what I saw today there are more students. We were maybe 360 students. The
one difference also I noticed physically was the villa, that did not exist in my days. It was
just open, but there were no classrooms. There was no playground either.
T: And were all the staff and teachers nuns?
M: Through high school we had non-religious people. All American teachers except the
ones that taught Portuguese classes and gym. But I think the grammar years were mostly
the sisters and nuns, even though my 3rd grade teacher was a regular teacher, Ms. Mancel,
I’ll never forget her.
X: Why not?
M: I don’t know, she was just a person that was important in my life. I mean she was my
3rd grade teacher, but I don’t know why, because she was nice maybe.
X: Social service is also something that we have today, that for the student to graduate he needs 100
hours, which is something unique.
M: Yeah, that’s something really important. Here you learn how to deal with differences.
And also that we are in an American school in a Brazilian environment, we think that’s
just the way it is. And when I went to university in the US, forgetting the academics, I felt
I had something else, a lot more—things that books don’t teach. So, for an 18-year-old
kid, I felt I had all this experience in dealing with differences and I felt for the first time
very reassured, because even though the US is an amazing country, it lacks compassion
sometimes.
T: And it also follows the school objective to educate the whole person for global understanding.
M: That now is the school objective, but in our days it was an unwritten way of being, just
because it’s the correct way: not discriminating a person who’s handicapped, or because
of religious beliefs or color.
X: What he’s saying is very important, because our school has been following that line of thought since its
beginnings. I teach sign language, so they are learning with me now that information regarding senses, how
it works that when we lose one ability we accentuate the others, but only when we lose one we actually
notice the difficulty that the others have. I try to talk to them a lot regarding this but it’s something that
the school has been doing for years, as you were saying that there were employees with deficiencies. That was
so natural in our daily lives that there was no reason for us to think differently. That is the true sense of
understanding and knowing how to deal with differences—looking to the other as an equal being.
M: In fact there was a boy in my class that had polio, something that we don’t have
nowadays, but he was completely paralyzed. Human beings, especially teenagers, are very
cruel. It’s not that someone wanted to make fun of someone else’s deficiency; they would
just do that in order to show off: not in anger towards that person, but make a joke of
someone’s religion or race just to be funny. Coming from a multicultural environment
such as OLM, you learn how to respect other people’s feelings, which is very important.
And I believe that was something that I took from here.
Some final thoughts in a follow-up e-mail:
O prazer foi todo meu ... Uma viagem (boa) ao passado faz um bem danado !!!!!
Obrigado a você e aos seus
alunos por me
proporcionarem essa
alegria .....
Please wish your students
the best of luck in their
future.... Tell them not to
worry too much about it,
for as long as they keep
searching for their
happiness, everything all
works out for the best....
Espero que daqui uns trinta
anos eles também possam
desfrutar desse prazer de voltar ao OLM para visitar ....
FROM STUDENT TEACHING AT OLM TO BAHRAIN
ALUMNI COCKTAIL
Richard C. Gundlach II
Paula Pacheco ’83 - Alumni Affairs
The school I am at in Bahrain is
privately owned and American licensed.
One of my best friends from college
recruited me out here to teach with
him. (When I was still in Brazil he
started exposing me to the idea.) I live
right next to a Shia Mosque and I have
met the Imam. There are seven
teachers that live in the same apartment
complex as I and we all get along. For
the most part it has been a good
experience so far, and that is what I like about traveling abroad: experiencing
something new and expanding my knowledge.
The Alumni Cocktail, held on Sept. 20, 2007 here at OLM, was a huge
success. Catered by OLM staff, everything was delicious. So wonderful, that the
cocktail (scheduled from 6-9 pm) only ended at 10:30 pm. After OLM's 50th
Anniversary Celebration no other event had been scheduled to reunite OLM
Alumni. So after 4 years this was the first one. The Alumni Department was able
to bring together 130 people, alumni from the class of 1971 all the way through to
the class of 2007.
During the cocktail, the official formation of the Our Lady of Mercy
Alumni Association and first Administrative Council were announced to those
present. The first members of the Administrative Council are: Mr. Dennys Zsolt
(class of 1987) President; Ms. Paula Pacheco (class of 1983) 1st Vice-President;
Ms. Olga Martins (class of 1998) 2nd Vice-President; Ms. Flavia Malouk (class of
1984) Secretary; and Ms. Marcela Ceva (class of 2006) Treasurer.
The mission of the OLM Alumni Association is to enrich and perpetuate the bond
between the school and those who have passed through her gates for their mutual support,
spiritual growth and benefit.
OLM's NFL players break for a
picture in November 2006.
I was teaching a class of upperclassmen and 9th graders, but two weeks ago a
fellow teacher with seniority that had been contemplating whether to move up to
the high school made his decision. So I am currently teaching middle school
Geography for 6th and 7th grade. I also am the assistant coach for the
intermediate age and grade school boys soccer team. I have also signed up to
coach other sports throughout the year.
Traveling out to the Middle East challenged me more than ever before. I am
dealing with a completely different culture. Brazil was a learning experience in so
many ways and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach there. I am
glad Mr. Majka and Mrs. Paes are proud of me—they were like my adopted
parents in Brazil. I always appreciated their advice, counsel and wisdom, as well
as that of other faculty at OLM, the priests, Dr. Lyndaker, and countless others.
There are lots of things about Brazil that I miss, but the mosquitoes, the
humidity, all the rain, and the traffic are things I'm glad to be without. I do plan
on visiting Brazil next school year sometime, but I haven't really decided when. I
am considering teaching in Rio de Janeiro professionally, if the chance occurs
and explore more of the city of Rio and parts of the country that I should have
seen but didn't. Here in Bahrain, at the MKSchool I work with a teacher from
Sao Paulo, Brazil. We constantly talk and she even helped me remember some
Portuguese that I actually learned!
I am proud to hear those seniors are doing what they need to do to finish up. I
miss them and the present 10th Graders and I wish them well. I would love to
hear from any of you at: [email protected] .
SEU JORGE – NOSSO MAIS FAMOSO JOCKEY!!!
Gabriela Freire (´08) & Sandra Xavier
Um pouco de história...
O Jockey Club Brasileiro foi fundado em 16 de julho de 1868 por um grupo de
cidadãos interessados em corridas de cavalos. Em 6 de março de 1885 surgiu o
“Derby Club” que foi instalado numa grande área onde, hoje, se situa o Estádio
Mário Filho, o Maracanã. O Derby Club funcionou 47 anos quando se fundiu
com o JC, para surgir o atual JOCKEY CLUB BRASILEIRO em 1932, tendo seu
prado localizado na Gávea. No dia 11 de julho de 1926 foi inaugurado o
Hipódromo Brasileiro, hoje conhecido como Hipódromo da Gávea. Em 1933, a
6 de agosto, foi realizado o primeiro Grande Prêmio Brasil, com dotação de 300
contos de réis, tendo sido vencedor o cavalo "Mossoró", que segundo se fala
quase foi levado no colo pela multidão presente ao hipódromo , que vibrava com
a vitória do Tordilho. Em dia de sua realização, o Hipódromo da Gávea recebe
mais de 50.000 pessoas. (http://www.jcb.com.br/Ojcb/ojcb.asp#turfe)
Um de seus membros mais ilustres encontra-se logo ali, na porta da escola, sendo
muito querido pelos alunos e funcionários da OLM. Sabe de quem estamos
falando? De Jorge Ramos, vencedor do páreo realizado em 12 de novembro de
1951 com a égua Mandriga. Pois é, é ele mesmo: Seu Jorge ´da barraquinha´!!!!
Com a palavra... Seu Jorge!
“Tudo começou com uma briancadeira... tinha um cara aqui na rua que alugava
cavalos. Resolveu fazer uma aposta com um amigo meu, duvidando que ele
montasse o cavalo. E... ele não montou!
Pedi o dinheiro de volta mas o cara não quis devolver e falou que eu tinha que
montar. Resolvi montar e meu pai viu... Levei uma sonora bronca do meu pai
pois estava gastando dinheiro com besteiras.
Após esse incidente ele resolveu me colocar para trabalhar na cocheira do Lineu
de Paula Machado para cuidar dos seus cavalos.
Um dia o Walter Cunha me viu montando um cavalo e me chamou para entrar na
escolinha do Jockey. Fui cavalariço. Meu treinador me orientava a andar a cavalo
e fui aprendiz, ganhando as 50 corridas necessárias para ser considerado Jóquei.
Antes de ser jóquei eu era Servidor Público.
Venci muitas corridas pelo AJ Peixoto de Castro, participei de muitas outras e fui
vitorioso em mais ou menos umas 200 corridas viajando pelo mundo.
Durante minha carreira sofri 5 acidentes sendo que um deles, ao cair do cavalo,
ele pisou no meu rosto, fraturando todos os ossos da face. Entrei em estado de
coma durante uma semana, fiquei internado no Hospital dos Acidentados.
Quando me recuperei do acidente, voltei a montar e a ganhar mais corridas. Parei
de montar em 1985 pela idade e pelo peso. O peso ideal para um jóquei é 50kg.
Como não gostava de ficar parado, resolvi montar ‘ A barraquinha do
Aposentado’ em 1985. A minha esposa, Mirtes, é quem prepara as comidas da
barraca. Hoje estou com 77 anos e adoro trabalhar aqui. Atendo as pessoas da
escola e muitas outras que passam pela rua. Não tenho do que reclamar.”
FAMÍLIA OLM
Nasceu mais um lindo membro da família
OLM!!! Filha de Vanice e Adriano, Letícia
Luna Silva nasceu no dia 17 de setembro,
pesando 2,910Kg e medindo 47cm! Seus
avós, Seu Zé e Dna. Maria, estão ´super
corujas´ !!! Parabéns!!
AP CONFERENCE
Beth Freire
A Conference on Advanced Placement Courses
was held in OLM on October 18. Teachers had
the opportunity to discuss specific topics in
Science and in English with American Professors
and Teachers from other American Schools in
South America. Thanks Ms. Barbosa Berthelsen
and Mr. Chris Kuczynski. (More will appear
about the AASSA Conference next edition.)
ANOTHER AWARD FOR OLM TEACHERS!
MARY'S CORNER
Monica Tinoco
Kátia Souza
Congratulations teachers and students
who participated in the SMART’s World
Teachers' Day Video Contest 2007.
OLM, as one of the five finalist of Brazil,
received the certificate of appreciation
from the SMART TECHNOLOGIES
INC. - Canada, for its outstanding
creativity and hard work. Our special
thanks to Ms. Monica Tinoco and Ms.
Tatiana Azevedo Carneiro who took part
in a group of selected 200 educators around the world and were finalists among
15 teachers in Latin America that embrace technology and have made a difference
by preparing students for the future. Here is a list of the five finalists in Brazil:
Notre Dame, Campinas; Our Lady of Mercy School, Rio de Janeiro; UNI
SUAM, Rio de Janeiro; Colégio Ranieri, São Paulo; Colégio Dante Alegh
This Year, in order to celebrate the 54th anniversary of OLM School, the Society
and Parish invited Auxiliary Bishop Dom Antonio Augusto Duarte to celebrate
Mass with us, first thing in the morning, pointing out Mary's protection towards
all of us. Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Mercy, is always there caring for her
children in the good and in the sad moments. May she give us the wisdom to
proclaim the joys of Our Lord wherever we may be.
Starting with this edition, OLMATTERS will offer its readers a summary of the
feasts and celebrations that are dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Christ, the
Mother of God. This will contribute to the growth of our devotion to and
understanding of who this woman who dedicated her entire life to do the will of
God was.
Because the month of October is called “ The month of the Rosary”, the feast of
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary is celebrated on October 7th. In Brazil on
October 8th, Mary is honored with the title Nossa Senhora do Bom Parto (Our
Lady of “Child Birth” ) to protect all those pregnant women about to give birth.
We Brazilians also rejoice about our patroness entitled “ Our Lady of Aparecida”
and we pray to her that our nation be blessed and protected.
CONSUMO DIÁRIO!
Lucas Mayall (´08) & Sandra Xavier
Estes são os dados de consumo diário em nossa
cantina:
Café da manhã: café 1 Kg - pão 100 und - leite 6
litros Almoço: - alface 4 Kg - tomate 12 Kg carne (as 2 opções) 110Kg - arroz (os 3 tipos) 18
Kg - feijão (os 2 tipos) 10 Kg - macarrão 24 Kg.
Fora os legumes das saladas!
Os funcionários têm horário variado, alguns chegam 5h30, outros 6h30 e outros às
7h00h. Muitos moram longe e a maioria pega no mínimo dois ônibus para chegar ao
trabalho. O almoço começa a ser sevido às 10h30.
On October 4th, the school decided to measure the amount of food we students throw
away. The results were shocking: 25kg of food were simply thrown out. Certainly, in
days like ours where global concerns with hunger and the environment are present in
conversations daily, we should be able to transform theory into practice, instead of
yelling that our group should be choked. The goal is to limit the waste of food by
promoting social awareness, not by threats of sanctions or other punishment. (L.M.)
De acordo com ´Os Médicos sem Fronteiras´ (http://www.msf.org.br)
“Um organismo enfraquecido pela falta de alimentos ou pela ingestão de alimentos inadequados
sofre uma debilidade imunológica que impede a pronta reação às doenças. A desnutrição causada
pela carência alimentar pode interferir no desenvolvimento físico e mental das crianças. A cada
ano, no mundo, aproximadamente 6 milhões de crianças morrem por causas direta ou
indiretamente ligadas à fome.” Vamos pensar sobre isto? :)
How To Pray The Rosary - The purpose of the Rosary is to help keep in
memory certain principal events or mysteries in the history of our salvation, and
to thank and praise God for them. There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in
the Rosary, and these are divided into the five JOYFUL MYSTERIES, the five
LUMINOUS MYSTERIES, the five SORROWFUL MYSTERIES, and the five
GLORIOUS MYSTERIES.
• Make the Sign of the Cross and say the "Apostles' Creed."
• Say the "Our Father."
• Say three "Hail Marys."
• Say the "Glory be to the Father."
• Announce the First Mystery; then say the "Our Father."
• Say ten "Hail Marys," while meditating on the Mystery.
• Say the "Glory be to the Father."
• Announce the Second Mystery; then say the "Our Father." Repeat 6 and
7 and continue with Third, Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same
manner.
After the Rosary:
HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our
hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up
our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious
advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the
blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EVENTS
(A newsletter that will appear once a semester.)
Dulce Silveira, Carmen Maia, and Luciana Jabulka
One of the activities has to do with the ability to think critically. There were some
meetings with the 4th and the 5th grade groups for brainstorming about ideas
related to respect, concern, and attitude about our peers. Four other group
meetings will happen with them until the month of December. The Socratic
method is applied so that the students are stimulated to thinking for themselves.
Some of the themes to be discussed are bullying, lies, fairness, responsibility,
authority, and many more like the hygiene and related issues of adolescence
already addressed to the 5th grade classes.
The Family Life Program for parents has already started with a lecture in the
month of September by Dr. Aramis, a representative of ABRAPIA, about
“Bullying”. Some parents attended and also participated in a question-answer
session that followed the lecture.
At the request of parents the next FLP lecture will be about “How to Talk to
Your Child About Sex”: November 13 at 8:15 a.m. in the school cafeteria.
During the month of November five Musical Meetings will occur during school
hours. Rehearsal music has been filling our halls!
The 2nd and 3rd grades have received games for the classroom and also for recess
time. These are used to enhance social skills. Storytelling is also an activity that
has been encouraged as an in class routine. The elementary field trips have
already occurred and much more is being planned for the second semester.
MORE FROM ABBY McCRATE
Well, let me tell you that I LOVE teaching this year. It's so awesome to be at a
private, all-girls school. Behavior problems are next to nothing, and I actually get
to spend most of my time teaching. Imagine that! Also, I can't remember if I told
you or not, but I traveled to Dublin for a week this summer and it was a
refreshingly nice, safe, and quaint little city.
I think of Rio often and my adventures in teaching there. I wonder what those
kids are up to...did anyone from last year's class ('07) venture to BGSU or
anywhere in the states? (Fernando Chan, Samantha Guimarães, Lucas Mutti,
Aaron) I really don't understand why more people don't come to California from
Brazil...we have a "Little Rio" and a lot of sun and sand!
THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
(Sermon notes from High School Mass, October 25)
Msgr. André Sampaio
When Pope John Paul II visited New Yor City in 1979, he gave a powerful
reflection on the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man—as we heard in today’s
Gospel—dressed in fashionable clothes and ate wonderful meals every day.
Meanwhile a destitute man named Lazarus looked on longingly. He would have
been happy with table scraps, but the rich man fed those to the dogs. When the
two men died, things were reversed: Lazarus found consolation and the rich man
found torment. After summarizing the parable, Pope John Paul asked why the
rich man was condemened. “Was the rich man condemned because he had
riches, becaused he abounded in earthly possessions, because he ‘dressed in
purple and linen and feasted sumptuously every day?´” The Holy Father
answered: “No.” It was not for wealth that the rich man was condemned. Here
is the reason. Listen carefully to the Holy Father’s words:
“The rich man was condemened because he did not pay attention to the
other man, because he failed to take notice of Lazarus, the person who sat
at his door and who longed to eat the scraps from his table. Nowhere does
Christ condemn the mere possession of earthly goods as such. Instead He
pronounces very harsh words against those who use their possessions in a
selfish way, without paying attention to the needs of others.”
This does not mean that we have to take the world’s problems on our shoulders.
You and I have enough problems on our own without trying to solve other
people’s. But we can lend a helping hand. That is the kind of thing the Holy
Father was talking about: not isolating ourselves, but finding effective means of
solidarity—of really paying attention to the other person. It is not just a matter of
contributing to a collection—although that is important. It means sharing our
gifts, above all sharing our love. The Pope warned parents about giving their
children all kinds of material things, but not giving them love. Those things, the
Holy Father said, will turn to “dust and ashes in their mouths if they do not
experience love.”
Jean Paul Sartre, a much-read , atheist philosopher of a few decades ago, in his
play No Exit gives us one of the most tragic images of what it means to live in a
world without hope and without joy. Three characters from his play, having been
condemned to hell, are led by a valet into a pleasant drawing room. Surprised by
the absence of fire and brimstone, they remark how nice a place hell has turned
out to be. Gradually, however, they begin to get on each other’s nerves and at
each other’s throats. They decide not to speak to each other, but they are stuck
with each other. There is nowhere else to go. Finally they realize that they
themselves are each other’s hell. “Real torture is having no escape, real hell is
having no hope.”
OLM: THEN AND NOW
TO BE A PRE-NURSERY TEACHER
Cristina Machado
I worked at OLM during the late 80´s, early 90´s. With two very small children, I
could not handle a full time job, and so I left. Most of the students at school
today were not even born at that time: the time of the first Rock in Rio, of
Cazuza and Baixo Leblon instead of Baixo Gávea. When I came back it felt as if
I had been gone for only a short while, especially because I met so many old
friends who had stayed on at OLM all those years.
The school looks a lot different, and yet it is the same in many ways. A
famous writer once wrote that “what is essential is invisible to the eye”, and the
essential here is the school spirit which remains the same and was actually what
brought me back. But the physical aspect—what a change!
The library was a dark place, cluttered with old books and not anywhere near
the comfortable, spacious and well-lit library we have today. Computers were
only available in the “Computer Department” located where the Religion
Department now is. Using six Apple II computers with 5,25”” disks, students
were initiated in the computer arts by learning how to play with a funny little
turtle ( LOGO). A training program was also available for teachers but, due to
my poor motor skills, I was never able to learn how to play with that little turtle.
I remember teaching 7th Grade English after lunch in the peak of summer,
with just one big fan in the classroom to relieve the heat. It is probably difficult
for students nowadays to picture themselves here for 8 hours without the
comfort of air-conditioning. Most of the time, I worked at the Resource Center,
then referred to as the English Lab, where we helped the students who entered
school without the level of English needed for regular classes at OLM. I enjoyed
my work very much, as we got to work with many of the international students
and got to know them really well. I remember once reading The Diary of Ann
Frank with a group of three 8th Graders: one was Japanese, one Polish and one
Iraqi. Reading the story of a Jewish girl who was killed in a concentration camp
during World War II when she was the same age as they were turned into a very
rich discussion.
Even though I really liked what I did here back in the 80´s, I like it better
now because working as a counselor I have the opportunity of helping more
students and doing many different things, and I can think of nothing more
gratifying than witnessing young people grow, assisting them in finding a career
path.
So you see, we are all really lucky to be in OLM in 2007!!!!!
Editorial Board
Teachers:
John Majka
Kátia Souza
Students:
Photographers: Mônica Tinoco &
Clara Freitas (‘11)
Erika de Simone
Maria Eduarda Azeredo (´11)
Sandra Xavier
Thiago Queiroz (´08)
Marcia Vidal
When I first got here in 1996, I worked in Nursery. Later, when I
started to work with two-year-olds (pre-Nursery) I thought to myself: “ It must be
the same thing.” But, it wasn´t: toddlers are completely different. I panicked!
At the beginning of every year, it looks like things are out of control.
First of all the parents are very anxious, as it is usually the first time they leave
their children with someone they don´t really know. (The “adaptation period” is more
for the parents than for the babies). Second, the children are excited about being at
school but they don´t realize what that means, and some of them are terrified
about leaving their parents… It takes about 3 weeks for them to get used to us.
Some of the children come to school and have to be potty trained.
Others don´t know how to eat yet, since they are used to bottles. Some don´t
even have the language skills to match their intense emotions. We have to
observe every detail carefully in order to match the children’s needs.
At this particular age and stage of development, each routine has to be
taught. We teach them how to sit in the “circle time”, how to make an
independent choice around the room, how to express affection appropriately. No
one can imagine how diffiult it is for them to take off their shoes, but they learn.
A great deal of time is spent teaching them school rules, limits, and boundaries.
By the end of the first quarter, they get used to much of the routine. From then
on, it is time to relax, observe their exciting development and enjoy them!
Working with kids and helping them become good students is very
exciting. To be firm, but at the same time affectionate, is one of the tools for a
Pre-school teacher to win over the children’s trust. It is wonderful to watch their
growth and grow together with them. The best part of this job is getting the
loving hugs and kisses that show we have become a part of each other’s lives.
Whispers in the Hallway
during the late 70´s!!
-
Thirty years ago, Paula double-dated with Hilda, the girl whom Mario
took to the prom with him
Ms. Paes’ boyfriend at the time was called Pops! (Sorry, Carnera…. She
was very young at the time!)
The boys went to the classrooms to smoke during their free periods.
Nuns hit the students on their open hands with a ruler for discipline.
Late people used to jump the wall between the 1st and 2nd floors so they
could get into class before getting caught.
The freshmen were sold as slaves during Spirit Week.
Last floor of the elementary building was the Nuns’ Quarters