The O'Reilly Minute

Dear Parents,

Our 8th grade students left today for a school field trip and pilgrimage to Washington DC.  They are visiting many of our national museums and monuments.  Fr. Lynch is traveling with our students on the bus and will be leading different prayer opportunities and will also be saying a private Mass for our school group at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  Our students raised some funds for this trip by planning and organizing bake sales and a middle school dance. The class voted that a percentage of the funds raised would be donated to The Saint Peregrine Fund.   This fund is a Catholic cancer response initiative to provide resources for cancer screening, ethical research, and outreach to individuals and families dealing with all forms of cancer in the Catholic Diocese of Columbus.  To learn about this fund please click on this link.

St. Peregrine Fund - Catholic Diocese of Columbus

Please keep our students and chaperones in your prayers for a safe, educational, and spiritual trip to our nation’s capital and national Basilica.   

In honor of Autism Awareness month, we will be holding a Blue Dress Down Day on Friday, April 19. See the article below to learn more.

Spring blessings,

Kathy O'Reilly

Photo Newsletter: 7th Grade

Click the link below to view a photo album and learn what the students have been up to in class.

Congratulations Confirmation Class of 2024

On Friday, April 12, 158 students received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Brigid of Kildare.

Congratulations to these children for their dedication and commitment to their spiritual growth. We look forward to witnessing their continued journey of faith and service within our community.

Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month

April is Autism Awareness month. In honor of this, we will be celebrating diversity and inclusion and continue working to cultivate a deeper understanding of Autism.

Children will learn about Autism Spectrum Disorder in their classes this month. Click the slideshow link below to learn more about Autism and what children will learn in class. There are a variety of resources included to learn more.

In honor of Autism Awareness, we will be holding a Blue Dress Down Day on Friday, April 19.

Gifts of Gratitude: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Gifts

What is it?

Gifts of gratitude is a program established by the Home and School Association as a united effort to provide a generous monetary gift to every teacher and staff member at Christmas and the end of the year to thank them for all they do for our children. Gifts of Gratitude is different from The Annual Fund.  

Why participate?

This is a convenient way for families to make sure that each teacher, aide, and staff member who touches your child's life is recognized for all they do at St. Brigid. Instead of several small gifts from each student, each teacher and staff member will receive a monetary gift that they choose how to use.  

What if I already participated at Christmas?

If your family donated to the Gifts of Gratitude program previously this school year, there is no need to donate again. We only ask for each family to donate once per school year.

Will my family be recognized for participating?

Yes -- the teachers and staff will receive a list of families who participate in this

program. 

How much should I give?

The suggested annual gift amount is $25 per child, however any given amount is graciously accepted and appreciated!

Can't remember if you already contributed?

No worries -- just contact Sarah Graf (614-256-8422) or Sarahstarks77@hotmail.com and she will let you know!

You can find the link for Gifts of Gratitude at the button below. Choose your donation amount and that's it. It's that easy! It's such a simple way to show appreciation to your child/children's teachers and the staff at St Brigid of Kildare.  

Announcing St. Brigid's New Soccer Program!

Soccer is starting at St. Brigid to provide a fun environment for our students to play soccer together.   The intention of this program is to allow students to play soccer with St. Brigid children over the summer while playing on other soccer teams, summer sports, and fall sports. The St. Brigid soccer program will encourage summer vacation and other family summer activities as we stick to our mission.

• For incoming 4^th-8^th Graders, games will run July 22^nd through August 25^th.  Teams may choose to have practices starting July 1^st . 
• For little wolfhounds (incoming 1^st through 3^rd graders), we currently plan on hosting 2 weekend day 3v3 tournaments to get our youngest soccer players the opportunity to play with St. Brigid friends and classmates. 

Signup on gowolfhounds.com/register or refer to the Summer/Fall Sports sign up included in this Wolfhound Wednesday. 

We are currently looking for coaches and help with commissioner duties as we get this program up and running this summer. 

If you are interested in coaching, helping with commissioner duties or if you have any questions, please reach out to Allison Heacock at allison.heacock@gmail.com or 614-519-2138.   

Home & School Open Positions for 24-25

Home & School is looking to fill the following positions for the 2024-25 school year.

Vice Co-Chairs:

The vice co-chairs assist the co-chairs in overseeing the committees and special school events. The Co-Chairs are also responsible for overseeing the Gifts of Gratitude program in December and May and recognizing birthdays of office staff. They are also responsible for helping manage holiday and end of year gifts for the entire St. Brigid Staff. The position is a one year term before filling a one year term as Co-Chairs. Time commitment: moderate and consistent. The co-chairs should attend the monthly Home & School meetings.



Barn Bash:

This position coordinates the yearly barn bash at Leeds Farm which occurs every October. Time commitment for chairs: moderate from September-October and minimal through the rest of the year.. Volunteer opportunities within the committee: Volunteers on the committee are asked to assist for a few hours the night of the event. Opportunities include working check in, serving food, helping with set up, etc.

Recess:

This position works closely with and assists recess staff in coordinating and ordering supplies and equipment needed for recess, as well as manages inventory. Time commitment for chairs: moderate and consistent.

If interested, please reach out to Venessa Lookabaugh (vmlook04@gmail.com) and/or Ashley Jones (ashleypaigejones1@gmail.com) for more information.

School Advisory Committee Application Open

Take an active part in making our already amazing school even better. Apply for a position (3-year term) on St. Brigid's School Advisory Committee (SAC). The purpose of the School Advisory Committee is to provide the pastor of Saint Brigid of Kildare Parish and the principal of Saint Brigid of Kildare School with advice and to make recommendations regarding issues affecting the school.

The mission of the School Advisory Committee is to promote and support a distinctive religious learning environment that provides for the propagation of the Catholic faith and values, fosters academic excellence, and develops fully the intellectual, social, physical, and emotional capabilities unique to each student. SAC meets once a month during the school months on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 PM. Prior to applying, please consider if you can commit to this time commitment for a three-year period.

The deadline for applications is April 25, 2024 and they can be submitted via the link below.

Please contact Stacy Austin (stacyandrob2001@yahoo.com) with any questions.

Summer Tutoring

Summer tutoring is available from many Saint Brigid of Kildare staff members. Staff can be contacted via email or by calling the school office and leaving a message.

Click below for the list of teachers, subjects and contact information.

SBAA Fall Sports Registration - Now Open

St Brigid Athletic Association is happy to announce Fall Sports Registration is now open.  Please note strict deadlines for registration, there will be no extension of registration dates - so please register as soon as possible - some registration dates are sooner than normal due to new season start dates, new sports, and attempts to have teams formed on time and be able to have enough coaches. Please note - if you register by May 1, an Early Bird 10% discount will be applied on your registration fees.

New this year will be an attempt to have dedicated St. Brigid Soccer teams to participate in the diocese CYO program - notice the season starts in the summer so that it could be a sport that you also play while doing other fall sports very easily.  If you have specific questions about soccer, please reach out to Commissioner Allison Heacock or AD Bill Baumel asap.

Also new this year, the diocese CYO is offering Flag Football for grades 1-4, so please look into this option for those incoming 1st-4th graders for the fall.

We are also in search of a new Volleyball Commissioner - without finding one we may not be able to offer Volleyball in the fall.  We have been searching through existing coaches and parents, but we haven't found someone yet to take over this role.  Please reach out to info@gowolfhounds.com if you would be interested in giving back to the St. Brigid Volleyball program.  

If you have any questions about a specific sport, please reach out to each respective commissioner/ contact.  If you have any problems with registrations, please reach out to shawn.steinbrunner@gmail.com for any registration problems.

Sandwich Saturday - April 20

At Sandwich Saturday 1000 bologna sandwiches are made to support various food pantries in downtown Columbus. This is a great way to start off your weekend with an act of service and it only takes 30 minutes! It is perfect for all ages (including those in need of service hours) and no registration is needed.

The sandwich making starts promptly at 9:00 am in the school cafeteria so come a little early to get settled. We also accept donations of individually packaged snacks. Sandwich Saturday is a project of the Social Action committee.

If you can't make it in person, you can also sign up to contribute through Sandwich Saturday at Home at the link below.

Catholic Family Life Retreat

Attend a free virtual couples retreat to encounter practical ways to turn your house into a holy home.

April 29 & 30, 2024; 8 - 10 EST

Learn more or register here.

Make It A Date - April 20

All married and engaged couples are invited to St. Brigid's 29th Make It a Date!

Father Black will be the featured speaker.

There will be light appetizers and a chance to catch up with old and new friends.

At the conclusion of the event,couples leave on their own date at a venue of their choice to talk about the evening and how it relates to their own relationships.

Please RSVP to Jessica Freiburger at 4freixys@gmail.com or 614-282-5095 by April 18.

Requirements to Volunteer with our Children

If you are 18 years or older and interested in volunteering with youth activities at SBK, attending PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN is required before you can volunteer. Register under the Columbus Diocese at www.virtus.org

Upcoming Virtus Protecting God's Children (PGC) session: 

5/16/2024 Zoom Columbus 6pm



All volunteers with our children and youth must complete PGC, a St. Brigid volunteer application, submit the signed code of conduct, copy of photo ID, registration with Selection.com/Fastrax and complete a criminal background check prior to volunteering.

Full details and forms can be found at https://stbrigidofkildare.org/safe-environment/ 

BWHS & St. Charles Summer Camps

Registration is now open for summer camps! Bishop Watterson High School and St. Charles are hosting a variety of summer camps, including academics, athletics, art, theatre, robotics and more, ranging for children in incoming grades 2-9. Click the links below to learn more.

• BWHS Summer Camps
• St. Charles Summer Camps

BWHS Mothers' Club Luncheon

The Mothers' Club Luncheon and Style Show will be held on Sunday, April 21^st at Villa Milano with doors opening at noon. This event has been a Mothers' Club tradition for decades. It's a wonderful opportunity for past, present, and future moms and alum to gather, do a little shopping, bid on auction items, and of course enjoy our senior models on the runway. 

The BWHS Mother's Club is seeking donations to help make a successful event. If you would like to sign up to donate, view their sign up genius link here.