“S”uper “T”otally, “A”wesome “R”emarkable “S”tudents, or STARS, shined brightly at Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional School (OLPR) this week as its new team name, motto and logo were officially announced to audiences of hundreds of students, faculty, staff members and parents.  The name, which encapsulates the school’s mission of educating students both academically and spiritually, recognizes the shining qualities of each child either athletically, intellectually or artistically.

“It was always our goal to choose a team name that truly communicates the best qualities of each of our students,” said Sr. Mary Ripp, S.C.C., principal of Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional School.  “We ran the gamut of options, reviewed the various suggestions, and ultimately picked the one that fit the best – the one that represents all of our children equally.  As I work with our students everyday, it is evident that there is a certain glow in each of them, one that shines brightly in every classroom; on every soccer field, basketball court and baseball field; in each piece of art, music or performance, and most certainly in their academics.”

Accompanying the announcement of the team name was the unveiling of the official logo, as well as the introduction of the new “Our Lady of Port Richmond Shining Star Award” which will be added to the school’s arsenal of student recognitions next year.

The logo which made its debut on a poster and on the school’s website, incorporates all three school colors – maroon/red, navy/blue and khaki/yellow – with one color representing each of the three Parishes that comprise the regional school: Nativity B.V.M, Our Lady Help of Christians and St. Adalbert.  The three-in-one star concept is a symbol of unity, as the communities are now bonded together as part of the larger OLPR family.  In addition, each of the five points on the traditional star represents one key phase of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Catholic Youth Organization (CYO)’s five-stage approach to youth ministry:  athletic, social, cultural, service and spiritual.  These areas of student development are consistent with OLPR’s overarching theme of educating students on various levels beyond classroom academics.

To commemorate the occasion, the school gym was decorated with hundreds of stars individually decorated by the students.  OLPR has even adopted a star (KIC 5201089) from the Pale Blue Dot project in support of the scientific research efforts of the Kepler Satellite which was launched in 2009 to discover Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars.  OLPR’s star can be viewed at http://palebluedot.whitedwarf.org/stars/5201089.  And thanks to the generosity of Port Richmond On Patrol and Civic (PROPAC) and Port Richmond Town Watch, everyone was treated to water ice from Aldo’s and several lucky winners won passes to see “stars” of their own at The Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Zoo and Regal Cinema Theaters.

“I am happy that we now have a team name,” said Liam Mason, a 6th grade student at OLPR.  “And it is a good name because we ARE super, totally, awesome, remarkable students!”

The OLPR sports teams will make their official appearance as the “OLPR Stars” on the soccer fields this upcoming Fall 2010-2011 season. 

All school teams (soccer, basketball, baseball and softball) are also actively fundraising for new team uniforms.   

“Now that we have the team name in place, we really hope that our school and parish families as well as local businesses will ‘step up to the plate’ and assist our athletes either by sponsorship, partnership or general fundraising support,” added Ripp.  “The children work tremendously hard and deserve the best uniforms and equipment without the burden of having to purchase them individually.  We are hard at work on this initiative and are beyond grateful for anyone who is willing to assist us on any level to accomplish this goal heading into next year.”

For more information about OLPR, or for details about how to sponsor or partner with an OLPR team, visit www.OurLadyofPortRichmond.webs.com, www.Facebook.com/OurLadyofPortRichmond or call 215-739-1920.

About Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School
Centrally located in the heart of the Port Richmond community, Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School services over 500 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Its degreed and dedicated staff provides students with a solid faith-filled education through a full academic course of study following the guidelines of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  With a low student-to-teacher ratio, each classroom is equipped with state of the art technology, and all students experience amenities ranging from a computer lab, art studio and college-level science lab to a full gymnasium, music studio and world language program.  In addition, students enjoy a variety of extra-curricular activities including dance, choral and sports programs; bible study; drama club; a school newspaper and a literary magazine. 

Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional School also recently announced that it will add Blueprint for Early Literacy® to its arsenal of academic offerings.  The program, which emphasizes literacy development and Kindergarten-readiness, will be available to all students enrolled in the school’s Pre-Kindergarten program beginning in the 2010-2011 school year.