The O'Reilly Minute

Dear Parents,

We are very excited to announce that we are sponsoring An Evening At The Arts next week on May 2nd and 3rd.  Join us either day from 6:00 - 7:00 pm to stroll through our halls and enjoy the beautiful artwork created by our students in preschool through grade 8.  At 7:00 pm, our middle school thespians and stage crew will present The Lion King Jr. Our students and their creative adult advisors have put together an amazing performance.  Please plan to join us for one or both of these events.  (See story below)

Thank you to the hundreds of families who have submitted their EdChoice renewal application for the 24-25 school year. If you have not done so yet (for both new and returning families), please complete this as soon as possible. You can find instructions here.

Today we celebrate National Administrative Assistants Day!  A special thank you to Mrs. Andrea O’Reilly, Mrs. Meredith Dorley and Mrs. Christy Pollina for sharing their organizational skills and cheerful dispositions with the students, parents, and staff of St. Brigid School!

Spring blessings,

Kathy O'Reilly

Photo Newsletter: 8th Grade

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

8th Grade Washington DC Trip

Last week our 8th grade took a three-day class trip to Washington DC. They had a great trip and learned so much from their many visits. The group proudly represented St. Brigid of Kildare School, as the chaperones received numerous compliments from different groups on their respect and behavior during their many tours.

On Wednesday the group toured Arlington Cemetery and saw the changing of the guard ceremony and visited the Martin Luther King, FDR, and Jefferson Memorials. Students encountered many Veterans on an Honor Flight trip, and thanked them for their service. Many of the students had the opportunity to give hand-written thank you notes to a veteran.

On Thursday, they started the day at the Basilica and had a private Mass by Father Lynch in one of the chapels. From there, they had lunch in the Capitol, toured the Capitol, and met with Congressman Troy Balderson on the front steps of the Capitol building. Later, students chose to visit the Holocaust Museum or the Museum of Natural History. They then had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, did a little souvenir shopping, and ended the day with a visit to the WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Lincoln Memorials.

On Friday they spent all day at Mount Vernon and had a nice lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn before departing for home. 

Prior to the trip, our 8th graders held a bake sale and a school dance to raise funds for the trip and donated a percentage of the funds to the Saint Peregrine Fund. The purpose of the fund is 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. The eighth grade class is now working on a scrapbook about the trip. Hopefully, this is something they will keep and cherish for years to come.  

Thank you to our chaperones for making this trip possible and to our students for demonstrating such respectful behavior.

Oak Society Scholarships - Deadline Today

Through the Oak Society and generous parishioners, we have many scholarships available for families in our parish. The deadline to apply for scholarships is Wednesday, April 24.

Winners will be notified in mid-May, and announced at the Leadership Mass on Friday, May 31.

All school families with children in grades K-8 for the 2024-25 school year are eligible to apply, regardless of whether you received or applied for tuition assistance or EdChoice. However each scholarship has criteria and qualifications, please be sure to review each scholarship's guidelines to ensure your student/family meets the qualifications before you apply.

2024-2025 scholarship opportunities are:

• Maria Theresa Jeric Memorial Scholarship (new this year)
• Karen and William Nomina Faith and Service Scholarship
• The Brendan Foley Spirit Scholarships
• The Joyce O'Reilly Family Scholarship
• The SPiCE Scholarship Program
• The Elizabeth Jane Zetzer Memorial Scholarship
• The Babs Pulsfort Memorial Gift of Giving Scholarship
• The Henry and Flora Bucci Scholarship  
• The Holthus Family Scholarship
• The St. Brigid Athletic Association Scholarship
• The St. Brigid Home & School Association Scholarship

To read the criteria, award amounts and to apply for any of these scholarships, click the link below:

https://stbrigidofkildare.com/admissions/scholarships/

Garden Dedication on Earth Day

On Earth Day (Monday, April 22), we held a dedication and blessing in our school garden to honor and thank John and Sheila Reiner of Oakland Park Nursery for their gracious contribution to our beautiful garden space. Sheila spent many years as a teacher at Saint Brigid of Kildare School and retired after decades of service. We held a short prayer service to dedicate the Mary statue in the garden to Anna Ruth Richison, Sheila's mother who inspired her to go into teaching.

Father Black gave a blessing over the garden as eighth and second grade students joined in prayer. Students from all grades made thank you cards for John and Sheila for their gracious support and donation.

Thank you to the Reiners for their support of our school. Our children are very grateful to learn, play, and pray in such a beautiful outdoor space.

4 Alumni Sign at BWHS Signing Day

Four St. Brigid of Kildare School alumni and Bishop Watterson High School seniors committed to college athletic programs on April 17, 2024. Congrats to our alumni athletes!

• GG Beuselinck, volleyball, John Carroll University
• Liz Hohlefelder, softball, John Carroll University
• Lexi White, softball, Otterbein University
• John Baumel, baseball, Wittenberg University

An Evening of the Arts: May 2 & 3

The Lion King Jr. Musical

Our students have been hard at work preparing for the musical The Lion King Jr! This presentation includes students from 6th, 7th and 8th grades.

Performance Dates:

May 2nd & 3rd at 7:00 pm

Robert D. Walter Family Gymnasium

No admission fee

Free will donations will be accepted to help support Saint Brigid Performing Arts

Art Show

Mrs. Habel will have a showcase of artwork on exhibit for all grade levels featuring pottery, sketches and paintings.

Feel free to stop by and browse anytime from 6-7 PM on Thursday, May 2 or Friday, May 3.

Back to School Booster Camp

Calling all students entering 1st through 4th grade who would like a jump start into the upcoming 2024-2025 school year! The Academic Support Team is planning a week of enriching and enjoyable activities focusing on team work, problem solving, social skills, growth mindset, self-regulation and much, much more. Students will review and practice important skills to help them start the school year off confidently.  

The camp will be offered the week of August 5th-9th, 2024 from 9:00-11:00am or 12:00-2pm at St. Brigid of Kildare School. 

The sign up will be released in next week's Wolfhound Wednesday. Please consider your summer schedule and ability for your child to attend the entire week because sign ups are on a first come first serve basis.

8th Grade Dance Club

Some of our eighth grade students participated in Dance club this Spring. Students from feeder schools around the area learned some dance moves and etiquette while sharing lots of laughs and having more fun than they were expecting!

Thanks to the volunteers who made this possible and Niki Gianakopoulus and Cecilia Damilano-Valsecchi for chairing this event.

Build a Water Well with the 7th Grade Wax Museum

The annual 7th grade Wax Museum event is tomorrow (4/25) in the gym. The Wax Museum doubles as a charity fundraiser, and this year, the students are raising funds to build a water well in a third world country through Catholic Relief Services. We are practicing the Corporal Work of Mercy to give drink to the thirsty! Our goal is to raise $1,300 to build one well.

If you feel moved to donate to the 7th grade's cause, please click on the button below to access our online giving portal, hosted by the parish.

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.

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 - Deadline Tomorrow

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.

Altar Server Training - May 5th

All students in the fifth grade and older are invited to become Altar Servers for the Weekend and Holy Day Masses. 

Is the Lord calling upon you to serve? Answer the Lord’s call by becoming an Altar Server! St. Brigid of Kildare is encouraging all those rising fifth graders and above to consider becoming an Altar Server.  

Our next training session for Altar Servers is Sunday, May 5th in the Church from 12 :30 pm until 1:30 pm. Please register by May 3rd at the link below (or find the link at www.stbrigidofkildare.org click "Sign Ups").

For more information please contact Joe Feehan at

stbrigidaltarservers@stbrigidofkildare.org.

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.

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.

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: 

6/11/2024 St Brigid of Kildare, Hendricks Hall 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

St. Charles Drama

St. Charles Drama Department presenting The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

The St. Charles Preparatory School Drama Department is proud to announce its spring production, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, May 2 & 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 5 at 2:00 p.m. in the St. Charles Campus Theatre, 2010 E. Broad St. Adult tickets are $15, students, $10. Reservations may be placed by visiting the St. Charles website homepage at scprep.org – Buy Tickets button. Winner of seven Olivier Awards and five Tony Awards, including ‘Best Play,’ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time brings Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel to thrilling life on stage, adapted by two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens.