The O'Reilly Minute

Dear Parents,

As Memorial Day approaches we are grateful for the many blessings and opportunities to Come To the Table to Serve God and our Community during the 2023 - 24 school year! 

Super Games field day is truly a blessing coming our way this Friday!  Details for the event and an opt out permission slip was emailed to you last Friday, or click here to view.  Our Home and School Annual Fund has provided the funds that allow us to have this day of fun and games. We are also blessed by the many volunteers being generous with their time to help make this day fun and safe for all our students. Students will also enjoy an outdoor picnic, complete with hot dogs grilled by Mr. Rich, side dishes served by our amazing cafeteria staff, and snow cones! 

Next week we will proudly graduate our 25th class of 8th grade students on Thursday, May 30 at 5:00 pm. Our 8th grade leaders have truly been a blessing to us this year as faith-filled role models for our younger students.

Please mark your calendar for our last day of school, May 31, which will include our Leadership Mass at 9 am. Parents, grandparents, and alums are all invited to attend. There will be early dismissal at 1:00 pm.

I would like to highlight a few stories that you will find below:

• Please pay special attention to the updated PE uniform policy.  
• We have been blessed by our SPICE committee providing us many educational materials to raise awareness in our community.  Please check out the May Mental Health Month slideshow. 
•  Please also review the Summer Slide Show prepared by our teachers to offer some fun and helpful learning opportunities for our students.

We welcome this week our newest member of the St. Brigid family. Congratulations and blessings to Mr. and Mrs. Chris and Erin Mazon on the birth of Nolan John on May 19th.   

Have a great Memorial Day weekend and remember to honor our men and women who have served and continue to serve in the U.S. armed forces.  

Blessings,

Kathy O’Reilly 

P.S. School lunch update:  

• No salad bar the week of May 27th.  
•  Thursday 5/30 we will be serving an egg scramble, potato rounds, and fruit.
•  Friday 5/31 we will be serving a bag lunch - turkey sandwich, chips, apples, juice box.

Photo Newsletter: 3rd Grade

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

School Supply Kit Ordering

Go to this link by June 18, 2024 to order your school supplies kit and receive FREE shipping!

Saint Brigid of Kildare is offering the EduKit program for our families to order school supplies for the 2024-2025 school year. EduKit has put together specific grade level kits approved by your student’s teacher. Some supplies can be reused next year (Earbuds, Spanish-English Dictionary, etc.).

Order by June 18, 2024 and your kit will be shipped directly to Saint Brigid of Kildare and delivered to your student’s classroom.

For questions, please contact Jennifer Musser, jmusserfamily@aol.com

Supply lists for each grade can also be accessed at the order link below.

May Crowning Mass

May is the month of Mary. For centuries, the Catholic Church has set aside the entire month of May to honor Mary, Mother of God and the Church. On Thursday we continued our celebration of Mary with our traditional May Crowning, where our second grade First Communicants processed into Mass with an eighth grade Confirmandi. The tradition of the May Crowning reenacts Mary's coronation in heaven. It is also a reminder to strive to imitate our Blessed Mother’s virtue in our own lives. Mary, more than anyone, can show us Jesus, lead us to him, and teach us to know and love him.

Job Openings

Please spread the word to anyone interested that St. Brigid of Kildare School is hiring for the following teaching positions to begin this fall:

• 7th/8th Grade Instructional Support Teacher (Possibility to Teach Religion)
• 5th/6th Grade Science/Religion Teacher

To Apply:

• Review the full job description and requirements on the Diocese of Columbus website here.
• Candidate must complete an online teaching application with the Diocese of Columbus
• Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest, resume, and references to Jill Carfagna, Assistant Principal, at mrs.carfagna@stbrigid-school.org.  

Spectrum News Story on 8th Grade Twins & Triplets at St. Brigid

Spectrum News ran a story on Monday, May 20th about the uniquely large number of twins and triplets in Saint Brigid of Kildare School's 8th grade class. The class of 2024 has five sets of twins and one set of triplets, totaling 13 students -- or 20% of the entire class.

To view the story, click the link below.

Summer Learning Packet

Summer reading and activities are an important way to ensure children are ready for the next school year and don't experience the "summer slide" loss of learning. Teachers have prepared one Slide Deck that includes activities for each grade level to work on over the summer months. These activities are all strongly encouraged to ensure readiness for the next school year. Check the Slide Deck Index for any required components.

Click the link below for the Summer Learning Deck

Summer Learning Information

This is also posted on our school website on the "Current Families" page.

Parent Account Instructions:

Clever Access

Google Account Access

School Advisory Committee New Members

We are happy to announce our selections for the 2024-2025 School Advisory Committee:

Nichole Hartranft is a Nurse Practitioner and now stay at home mom. Nichole brings a unique expertise to SAC and can provide a perspective across a wide range of age and development given her medical background. Specifically, she has strong experience with mental and physical health and wellbeing, which are crucial in today's world and at St. Brigid. Nichole, along with her husband, Dr. Charles Hartranft, have 3 boys, two of which are a St. Brigid rising 3rd grader and 1st grader.

Kyle Stinehart is a critical care physician at The Ohio State University Medical Center. Outside of his clinical and educational roles at the health system and medical school, he is responsible for designing, building, and delivering multiple new clinical programs. This involves team building, stakeholder management, project management, process development, program evaluation, and quality improvement. Kyle and his wife, Ashley, have 4 children at St. Brigid - a rising 4th grader, 2nd grader, kindergartener, and preschooler.

Thank you Nichole and Kyle for taking this step in getting involved with helping our school's continued success!

We would also like to take a moment and thank all of those who applied to the St. Brigid School Advisory Committee this year. We had 9 applicants who all were outstanding in their own respective ways. Our charter allows for 12 members and we know how fortunate we are to have such a diverse committee with expertise in a variety of areas that will help shape our school now and in the future.

In addition, a big thank you to all of our current SAC members and specifically to Stacy Austin, Chair, and Jaime Schiavone, Co-Chair, who have completed their time on this committee. Your service and leadership to our school is valued and appreciated! 

With their departure, Lindsey Meadows will take over as the SAC Chair and Emily McCurdy will be the Co-Chair. Please contact Lindsey or Emily with any questions.

Summer Garden Volunteers Needed

Looking for something fun to do together while giving back over the summer? Consider signing up for the SBK family garden club! We are asking for a one hour commitment over the summer to help attend to our newly planted garden. Families who participate are welcome to take home whatever they harvest! No green thumb, no problem, this is all about getting out there and enjoying nature! Use the link below to grab a spot. Detailed instructions will be sent once you sign up. Please note, this is for families with children in grades Preschool- Grade 8. 

See you in the garden!

Congrats 6th Grade Boys Baseball

Congratulations to the 6th grade boys Wolfhounds who won the Senior Reserve Division 2 Tournament Championship on Monday night! All members of the team contributed to this hard fought victory over St Cecilia 4-3. It was an exciting end to a great season. Check out the championship trophy on display in the office. GO HOUNDS! 

Pastries for Parents

Home & School is hosting Pastries for Parents after the 9 AM school Mass on Thursday, May 23.

Join other parents in Hendricks Hall from 10-11:30 AM for coffee, pastries and conversation. Parents and young children welcome!

Lost & Found Items Donated after June 7

Please come and gather your missing items now through June 7. Unclaimed items will be donated to the Uniform Exchange and local charities.

Lunch Accounts

Please check your children's lunch account balance to see if there are enough funds in the account to last for the rest of the school year.

Starting on Monday May 20th, any student with a negative balance will be denied second entrees and al-a-carte items.

Please contact Joyce Brown (mrs.brown@stbrigid-school.org) if you have any questions.

A part-time position will be available in the cafeteria for next school year. Please contact Joyce (mrs.brown@stbrigi-school.org) if you are interested. 

New Family Welcome - Mentors Needed

Home and School is currently looking for parents to sign up to be on the New Family Welcome Committee.  This entails being a mentor to a new family for the next school year.  Mentor families will attend the New Family Welcome Breakfast (Sunday, August 18^th). They will need to be available to check in with their new family monthly and answer any questions to assist with their transition.   Mentors will be paired up with new families with children in the same grade. 

If you are interested in being a new family, please fill out the short survey below. Thank you!

Semi-Annual Uniform and Spirit Wear Exchange Aug 11, 2024 10am-1pm

Shoppers, sign up here: Summer 2024 Uniform and Spirit Wear Exchange. This sign-up contains more information about the exchange and signing up ensures you’ll receive a reminder to attend. Everything is FREE and you don’t need to donate to attend. If you need items, but can’t attend, let a friend shop for you!

Have items to donate? If you have gently used items for the uniform and spirit wear exchange you have a few options for drop-off:

1. At the school office June 3-7 or Aug 5-9 during school hours
2. At a bin outside Erin Heise’s home at 6588 Wynwright Dr Dublin OH Aug 3-9
3. Bring them with you to the exchange if the other options don't work for you.
4. If you have a ripped jumper or logoed item, please still donate it as we can use it for spare parts (buttons, crest, etc.)!
5. Leftovers will be donated to other schools and charities in need.

Volunteer. Volunteers are needed to organize the exchange, help others find items, and to clean up and pack items for donation at the end of the exchange. If you are free, please sign up here:  Summer 2024 Uniform and Spirit Wear Exchange Volunteer Sign Up

Questions? Email Erin Heise at erinjolene@hotmail.com or Gracie Dziewiatkowski at marygracedzski@gmail.com.

Uniform Store Sales

Uniform store Educational Apparel is having a summer sale from May 24-31. View the image for more details.

Schoolbelles is having a sale May 25-27.  This will be the last opportunity to order jumpers/skirts/skorts at a discount, until after the back-to-school season has ended.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We have been celebrating by learning about different aspects of mental health each week. At the link below is a slideshow about social emotional awareness and mental health that we have shared with our students.

Week Three (5/20 - 5/24) God made YOU Unique!

There has never been someone just like you. Each person is wonderfully made, and unique in their own way. Every child is

special in their own way and has unique talents and abilities that make them stand out from the crowd. As parents, teachers, and caregivers, it is important for us to recognize and embrace these differences,

helping children to feel confident, valued, and proud of who they are.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. God uniquely created you. Resist the lie that says you have no purpose. You are ETERNALLY VALUABLE."

-Psalm 139:13-14

PE Uniform Reminders for 24-25 (Updated)

Please note uniform policies for the 2024-25 school year:

•  PE shirts and jackets will only be available for purchase through the uniform stores. No outside apparel will be accepted. 
• The PE jacket is optional.
• PE pants must be plain black wind pants with no additional color or logo, and with an open leg that is not elastic. We highly suggest purchasing these from Morganheimer, Educational Apparel or Schoolbelles. Outside stores are ok if the pants strictly follow the description listed above. Here are some examples of outside vendors that are acceptable: A, B, C and this is an example not acceptable due to the logo: A
• Please be aware that students will receive a dress code demerit and be asked to purchase the correct pants if they do not adhere to the policy. 
• The black gym uniform jackets will now be required to have the crest embroidered on them and will also be an accepted layering piece to wear with your school uniform. There will also be green layering pieces available that will have an embroidered crest as well. Any of these layering pieces (green or black) can be worn with both the gym uniform and the school uniform. There will be no need to have both a green and a black layering piece unless you choose to purchase both.  There will be several options available in green or black and both will be acceptable to wear everyday with either uniform.

As a reminder, gym uniforms are required for grades 5-8 only. All of the green and black layering pieces available can be worn for grades P-8.

The full dress code can be found in our handbook here, beginning on page 21.

Girls’ and boys’ uniforms are available online and in-store at the following locations: 

• Schoolbelles (online here)
• Educational Apparel, 3906 Brown Park Dr., Hilliard, OH 614-876-3030 
• Morganheimer, 473 Village Park Dr Powell, OH 43065, 614-505-7125 (carry PE pants only)

If you have any questions about the gym uniform, please feel free to contact Stacy Austin (317-694-6202) or Jaime Schiavone (614-595-5677) of the School Advisory Committee. 

All Bus Riders: Register for Bus Transportation

The transportation departments from Dublin, Hilliard and Olentangy schools require all new and returning families to register your students for busing this fall. If you are a new family moving to the area, and don’t know your new address yet, please contact them as soon as you have this information.

Olentangy Schools Requests:

All Non-Public parents (new or returning) must fill out this online form by June 20, 2024.

Dublin Schools Requests:

All Non-Public parents (new or returning) please complete this form by June 30, 2024.

Hilliard School Requests:

All Non-Public parents (new or returning) please complete this form by June 15, 2024.

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.

Men's Bible Study

Now Digging into the Acts of the Apostles

Our Men’s Bible Study Group is just beginning a study of the Acts of the Apostles, using a commentary by Schott Hahn, and would like to invite any man from the parish to join them. They meet weekly throughout the year to study scripture, reach a deeper relationship with God, and form community. By better understanding scripture, they hope to apply the lessons learned to improve their lives and the lives they touch. 



This group meets in the Deacon’s Room (upstairs in the Church building) on Wednesday mornings from 10-11:30 a.m. They also have an option to Zoom in to the meetings. New members are welcome and there is no ongoing commitment. Contact Wayne Booker at waynebooker@aol.com for more information. 

For more information about other Adult Faith Formation programs, contact Kim VanHuffel at kvanhuffel@stbrigidofkildare.org.

Family First Summer Fun

St. Brigid's Family First group is holding many activities for families this summer, including Mass meet ups, adoration, popsicles on the playground, service, playgroups and more. For all details, view the flyer below.

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. 

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.

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