The school community witnessed the graduation of our littlest friends in Preschool and the graduation of our students in eighth grade! We share a special thanks to the teachers who helped the students to grow in faith and academics! The love they have for the children shines through in their results. Mrs. Annie, Mrs. Perreira, Miss Amano, Mrs. Cristobal, Miss JoAnn, Miss Rayette, Miss Alyce, Mrs. Daligcon, and Mrs. Weber have all worked closely with our littlest students. The faculty and staff thanks all the parents who have willingly given their time volunteering here, and who have raised such wonderful children! We are blessed by families who entrust their greatest treasures to us. On Thursday, May 24th, 2018 the community celebrated the growth of the eighth graders by participating in a Candle/ Rose Ceremony and final after-mass walk. Seventh graders offered a yellow rose to each of the eighth graders as a symbol of how they’ve bloomed through the nurturing of the OLGC ohana! Eighth graders offered a burning candle as a symbol of trust to be the new leaders, the shining lights for the school. We all enjoyed as the eighth-grade graduates made their final walk to the sound of “Pomp & Circumstance” through the tunnel of students and staff! Way to go Class of 2018! We are so proud of you! Congratulations to all graduates! We pray they will each take the Spirit of OLGC aloha wherever they may go.

Christian discipleship involves many elements, beginning with our response in faith to the Lord’s invitation. In Stewardship :A Disciple's Response; A Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, our Bishops remind us that stewardship is indeed part of thedisciple’s life.

April 26 and 27 were days full of celebratory activities for our blessed mother, Our Lady of Good Counsel. We started off the morning playing hymns of praise for Mary and sharing warm treats and coffee with our school parents as they drove through the car drop-off line. The school assembled in front of her statue to join in prayer and enjoy creative writing pieces about Mary. Various classes also shared in a potluck feast! The following day, the entire school community joined in a special procession from school to church. Students formed a line of prayer, and our young men followed with her beautiful statue, adorned with roses. Before Mass, children, teachers, and parents were excited to offer gifts of fragrant and colorful flowers to our mother. After Mass, we were delighted to witness the talent show! The two-day event closed with the evening’s Food Truck and Craft Fair. We thank Mrs. Tsuda, Miss Rayette, and Miss Daligcon who organized the activities and we are grateful for the wonderful opportunity to recognize and honor our blessed mother!

Summertime and the living is easy. That’s what the favorite old song says. The living may be easy, but often the giving is not. Summer collections often drop significantly in our parish because of vacation travel, sports schedules and other activities that cause parishioners to attend Mass in other parishes. If you would like to make your giving easy and consistent this summer, please consider our electronic giving option. Currently several parish families are using this simple and secure way to make and track their parish giving. If you would like to learn more, please contact the Parish Office at 455-3012 or check out our website at olgcchurch.org for the online giving link.

Sports Report The girls’ basketball teams have had a great season so far, currently positioned at two wins and two losses. The final two games are 23 and 24 April (St. Theresa’s and St.Elizabeth’s) and we wish our girls all the very best for the continuation of a successful season. They will be preparing for tournaments in May following this busy schedule. Go Mustangs!

The message was clear throughout sacred scripture. We are called to give to God first. Yet, how do we give “first fruits” in a society where we no longer bring our produce, our livestock or our fresh baked bread to the temple to be shared with the community? It is helpful to still think of our giving in terms of food. If God were coming to dinner at your house, would you serve Him the finest meat, your best recipes and your richest dessert? Or would you reheat leftover macaroni and cheese? If you wish to offer God “first fruits” or your very best, here is what you need to do. Make the check you write to God the first check you write every week or every month. Don’t wait to see what is leftover. Instead, give a planned and generous gift to God first and trust that what is left will be enough for your needs. When you put God first in your life in this very simple way, you will be serving Him as an honored guest in your heart. (excerpts reprinted with permission of Archdiocese of St. Louis)

Our Lady of Good Counsel School's May Day performance and luau are right around the corner! In Hawaii, May Day is known as Lei Day, and it is normally an event to celebrate Hawaiian culture. As a Catholic school, we are delighted to extend this event by recognizing May as the month to honor all mothers. The school will continue its annual tradition of honoring the patron saint of mothers, Mary, Mother of God!

Our Lady of Good Counsel School’s Summer School is back by popular demand! This program is open to all children en- tering Kindergarten through eighth grade. Classes have limited openings and are being filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The basic program includes Language Arts & Math enrichment and is 7:30-11:30 a.m. and the extended afternoon program is 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Morning care and after are available options. Visit olgchawaii.org for more details and the registration form. All courses are appropriate for all ages (entering K-8)

Minutes! Minutes! Minutes! How many commercials do we hear every day advertising “free minutes” or “endless minutes?” While the cell phone companies are making us all aware of every minute that we spend talking or texting, do we keep track of the minutes that we spend with God?

the story is told of a wise pastor who went to get a hair cut. The barber, who also happened to be a parishioner, took the opportunity to tell the pastor all the reasons why the barber was not going to complete his stewardship pledge card.

Our school is celebrating this joyous season as we are reminded of God’s power to turn sadness into joy. We continue to feel the support of community as we journey with Christ. In the past few months, our ohana was blessed by new and outstanding events, and we frequently received great news about student academic & character achievements! We express our warm gratitude for your prayers and support for your parish school.

Do you know why Jesus died for our sins? He suffered, because He loves us so much. Jesus went through His passion and death out of love for us and obedience to His father. On the last day of the third quarter, Our Lady of Good Counsel School witnessed the Stations of the Cross in living form. The sixth and seventh graders read a description of each station, acted it out and the students reflected upon it.

“Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” – Colossians 3:2 On this day we thank God for His Son, Jesus, Who died and rose for us. We celebrate and sing “Alleluia.” Let’s try to keep the joy of this Easter season in our hearts throughout the year. Pray daily and listen for how He is calling each of us to joyfully use our gifts to fulfill His salvation plan. (reprinted with permission of Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO)

Our students have made many accomplishments this year; from academic to sports. I will elaborate more on the academic achievements. Some of the highlights of our efforts include the Patriot’s Pen, Science Fair, and Art Show. In the Patriot’s Pen, our participants were asked to write an essay about the theme of this year which was “America’s Gift to my Generation.” The students who received awards were Hayden Benedict with fourth place, Prescilla Pascua for third place, myself, Savanna Wilson with second place, and a fellow journalist, Kylie Canubida for first place. We have all been awarded a pendant, certificate, and check.

Our Parish Lenten Mission, “Living the Stewardship a Way of Life Through the Disciplines of Lent”, by Very Reverend AndrewKemberling, V.F., Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul in Denver, Colorado held March 12-14, 2018 was focused on stewardship – time, talent and treasure. Let’s focus on treasure for this article. “Tithe” is a biblical word meaning “first fruits”; it is personal income set apart as an offering to God. Tithing, centered on God and given freely and willingly is in thanksgiving for our blessings. It is not what is leftover. Tithing is what is taken outbefore anything else.

POSITION OPENING Our Lady of Good Counsel Church is looking for an experienced Maintenance Technician to work parttime at the Church. If you or someone you know is interested, please call the Parish Office at 455-3012. OLGC MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN Scope of Responsibilities: OLGC Church, Pastoral Center, Parish Hall, Associated Restroom Facilities and Church Grounds

My name is Maxwell Spencer. I attended Our Lady of Good Counsel School for 9 years and graduated in 2015. I am also a Junior Assistant Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop 326, which is sponsored by Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. My 2 brothers and I also serve in the Altar Server Ministry for the church.

At the School Catholic School’s Week opening Mass, Father Pascual reminded us of this year’s theme: Learn, Serve, Lead and Succeed. We saw each of these principles enacted this week as our community engaged in activities designed to develop these qualities in our students. The week began with Mass on Monday morning hosted by the Fifth Grade Students. After hearing the Word of God and participating in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, the students returned to their classrooms to earn their pledges for the Spell-a-thon

Lent is a time of reflection of our own brokenness, soul searching, introspection of our relationship with God, others and ourselves, self-denial and discipline. It is time away from the material world and quiet time with the Lord in observance of the three pillars of Lent which are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

By Alyce Dodge, Art Teacher THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS AT OLGC SCHOOL. All of our children are naturally creative. This is a God given gift. When we take time and energy to nurture this gift, it can continue to grow throughout our lifetime. Through the arts, a person’s Faith can be inspired, understanding of the gospel and Bible stories can be revealed, and an appreciation of beauty, a kind heart, clear thinking, skills and work ethic all can develop. These qualities are helpful in many areas of life and worship, study and work.