Wolfhound Wednesday
February 22, 2017
In This Issue
Upcoming Events:

Wed, Feb 22
Interims Posted
Student-Led Conferences: Grades 3, 4, 7, 8

Thurs, Feb 23
Student-Led Conferences:
Grades K, 1, 2, 5, 6

Sat, Feb 25
Confirmation Retreat (9-5 pm)

Tues, Feb 28
Open Registration Deadline

Wed, Mar 1
Ash Wednesday Mass (9 am)

Sat, Mar 4
Corks for a Cause (7 pm)

Thurs, Mar 9
Confirmation Mtg (7 pm)

Sat, Mar 11
4th Grade Reconciliation Retreat (10 am)

 
Dear Parents,

Next Wednesday as a school and parish community we will be attending Ash Wednesday Mass.  On Ash Wednesday the Church enters into a great retreat time called Lent.  It is a time to reflect on our relationship with God, with our neighbors and with family.  It is a time to make some changes if we need in our attitudes, our words or our actions.  We should do this often throughout the year, but we do it more consciously in Lent to prepare for the celebration of Easter.  I will share with you next week how we will be observing Lent as a school and parish community.  Please feel free to join us for Ash Wednesday Mass at 9:00 am if your schedule allows.

Yesterday our 8th grade students received a wonderful gift.  They had the opportunity to participate in a day-long retreat-like experience called  "Challenge Day".  This day is an experiential social and emotional learning program for grades 7 - 12 that has reached 1.5 million youth and adults since 1987. This day is staffed by Challenge Day facilitators, our middle school team, Stacie Williams, our counselor and 12 volunteers.  During this powerful day through a series of presentations, small group discussions, and reflection time the students develop empathy and understanding towards their classmates.  They are challenged to find common ground, make peace, heal past hurts, make amends and learn how important it is to respect and value each person as a child of God.   Today more than ever it is important for our students to have a strong sense of belonging and connectedness and this program is a great building block to develop these feelings.  Due to a generous donor, we are very blessed to be able to offer this opportunity to our students.  

Blessings,

Kathy O'Reilly

Photo Newsletters: 2nd, 3rd, 4th Grades
Click the images below to view this week's photo newsletters and see what the classes have been up to.

Keep the conversation going is weekly feature designed to keep up the dialogue that began with Dr. Sax's presentation on The Collapse of Parenting. We'll share resources to help guide parents in today's socially and technologically complicated world. 



My Teenage Son is a Technology Addict
 
Read this mom's story on her struggles with her child's technology addiction, and the lesson in being a role model and setting an example that she learned for herself. 





If you have resources you'd like to share with other parents, please email them to Allie Wing at mrs.wing@stbrigid-school.org.

New Student Registration Open for 2017-2018

New student and kindergarten registration is now open for the 2017-2018 school year. The deadline for complete applications to be considered on-time is Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 3 PM.

If you have an incoming kindergartner, or know of a friend of family member interested in registering for the next school year, please have them complete the application instructions found here by February 28.

Student - Led  Conference Sign Ups

Student-led conferences are Wednesday, February 22 (for grades 3-4 and 7-8) and Thursday, February 23 (for grades K, 1-2 and 5-6). Teachers contacted parents with links to sign up for these conferences. If you have not yet signed up, please use the links below to sign up for your child's conferences.

Annual Fund, Did You Know?

The Annual Fund supports the cost of two class parties each year. The first is the Harvest Party in October. Most recently, the school celebrated St Brigid Feast Day. During the parties on February 1st, the 3rd grades hosted a variety of fun Minute To Win It games.  The 6th graders shared their artistic talents by making Valentine's Day placemats to be donated to the local Meals on Wheels program and enjoyed a game of religious pictionary. Finally, all classes enjoyed homemade ice cream snacks from Dell's.
Box Tops for Education Contest

Continue to collect those Box Tops! Home & School Association will start a school-wide contest beginning March 1st. More details to follow!
Our SPiCE Story: The Assaf Family

From the Assaf family:
 
Saint Brigid of Kildare has been a part of our life since our wedding day in 1993. We have been blessed with three beautiful children. The two oldest girls attended St. Brigid of Kildare School and are currently attending Bishop Watterson. Our son is a 7th grader at St. Brigid.
 
If you met our second child, Olivia, today, you would see a happy and well-adjusted sophomore. She exudes confidence, has a great sense of humor, and excels at school. But her journey began quite differently.
 
As early as pre-school, we began to notice that her speech was not developing properly. Other issues soon arose. Sadly, our experience with the diagnostic services offered by the Dublin public schools was surprisingly lacking. They dismissed her needs and challenges, and left us to fend for ourselves.
 
Fortunately, the SPICE program was just being implemented at St. Brigid. SPICE, or Special People In Catholic Education, is a unique program to help students with learning challenges. Olivia, and one other pioneering student, comprised the first students who were offered the service and it would become the most influential educational program we have experienced. The staff, OT's and speech therapist provided intense, personalized and sustained assistance.
 
After a lot of hard work, and personal perseverance, Olivia has developed critical life skills, including to self-advocate, which has served her well in high school.  She has exceeded all expectations, thanks to the dedicated professionals at St. Brigid and is preparing for the next chapter - college.  We have experienced many significant moments while being part of the St. Brigid of Kildare community, but SPICE has enriched our faith and belief in a Catholic Education for all those who seek the experience.
Corks for a Cause ticket prices increase on Friday
The annual Corks for a Cause is a night that brings awareness to our SPiCE program, and is the main fundraiser that provides the money to allow the program to help hundreds of children in our elementary school and religious education program.


Be sure to purchase tickets now -- prices increase on Friday.



New to Corks for a Cause this year: Art Room
New to Corks for a Cause this year is the Art Room, located in the Kelty Library.  Browse and bid on over 40 pieces of one of a kind artwork, created by the  students of Saint Brigid of Kildare School. These framed prints and pillows will make great decor in a bathroom, kid's room or play room. Each grade level at Saint Brigid of Kildare School created several  beautiful items - browse the room to see them all!

Pictured to the right is a preview of just a few of the beautiful pieces. Thank you to Mrs. Habel for all her hard work, time and creativity to make this project possible.

All Hearts and Hands are touched by SPiCE
S t. Brigid Spirit Wear ONLINE store open until Feb 28
 
Don't forget that this is the last week to place an order for spirit wear via our online spirit store at  www.2horseapparel.com/wolfhounds. Now is a great time to stock up on apparel for the spring sports season or even Easter baskets! Place your order no later than  Tuesday, February 28, and items will be ready for shipping or pickup by mid-March. 

Thanks to all who have supported the spirit wear program thus far this year. Should you have any  ANY questions regarding ordering, please let us know!  You can reach us at karen.huttsell@siemens.com or  vivona1012@gmail.com. 

Karen Huttsell and Theresa Vivona
Yearbooks for Sale Now
 
Below is the link to go to and order your copy (or copies) of the Yearbook for 2016-2017 school year. It will also be on our website. ONLINE is the only way you can order!

The price is $17.00 plus $1.00 charge card fee, for a total of $18.00.

The deadline for ordering is April 1st



6th Grade STEM Take-Apart Event
 
6th Grade STEM Take-Apart Event!
Date: Sunday, March 5, 2017
Time: 3:00 - 5:00pm
Place: St. Brigid STREAM Lab

Students will:
* Take apart old technology
* Explore how things work
* Program Spheros
* Learn how to use tools properly

Members of the St. Charles Robotics Team will be working with the 6th graders and sharing their tech knowledge!

Permission slip can be printed from this link.


Confirmation Retreat Volunteers Needed
 
The Confirmation Retreat for all Confirmation Candidates will take place at St. Brigid of Kildare on Saturday, February 25th.

Volunteers are needed. Please consider volunteering. 

All interested  adults should click  here to volunteer. 

All interested  high school students should click  here to volunteer.

Students Enjoy Bosco Bash   

The middle school students had a great time at Bosco Bash this month, as speaker Paul J Kim truly made an impact on these children through his humor, beat box music, and stories. 

Attendees enjoyed diocesan house band, Station 14, and heard how important it is to invite Jesus into their lives through an analogy of a door whose single door knob is found on the inside while He stands outside. Although Jesus has the "power" to enter, He allows us to use free will to invite Him into our lives. 

One student commented what they learned during the six hour retreat  "...that praying a 'real' prayer is just talking to Jesus.....and it gives Him comfort like it gives us comfort." 

EPIC Middle School Youth Group
 
Our last EPIC meeting for this school year will be  March 5 , when we will take the Ash  Wednesday  food collection to the Dublin Food Pantry to weigh, sort and box the food there.  Our goal is to feed those in need and to teach our middle schoolers how the pantry works and how they can serve there.  

Please give generously to the Ash Wednesday food drive, as it will take a lot of food to keep our EPIC students busy - we usually get about 100 kids to attend and they work fast and love to serve!  As usual, we will begin with 12:15 p.m. Mass that day and end at 4:15 p.m. in Hendricks Hall.  Please RSVP to Kim at kvanhuff@alumni.nd.edu.

Intramural Volleyball Registration Open

SBAA is now accepting registrations for our LATE spring Intramural Volleyball offering for our 2nd and 3rd graders!

Here are some of the important program features:

* Who: 2nd and 3rd grade boys and girls (registered parishioners, St. Brigid school students, and St. Brigid Religious Education students)

* Cost: $ 75 per registered player (volleyball and program shirt included!)

* When: 7 Sundays in April and May (excluding Easter, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day!)

* Times: 2nd graders from 5 to 6 p.m., and 3rd graders from 6 to 7 p.m.

* Where: Safe and convenient St. Brigid Gymnasium !

* Questions: contact Mark Spagnuolo, St. Brigid Volleyball Commissioner at volleyball@gowolfhounds.com

* We need volunteers!! please contact Mark!

* How to register? go to https://sbaa.siplay.com/site/ 

GO HOUNDS!


Cheer on the 5th Grade Girls Basketball 

Come out and cheer on the 5th Grade Girls Basketball team this  Saturday February 25th at St Matthias at  11:10 AM.  They are playing St Agatha in the Championship game.  We would love to pack the gym with fellow wolfhounds wearing their Green and Gold.  GO HOUNDS!

Coach Alan and Stacey

BWHS Upcoming Events
 
Bishop Watterson High School has a variety of upcoming events this spring. 
  • February 19 - Softball clinic
  • February 22 - Evening of Reflection
  • March 11 - Luncheon and Style Show
  • March 12 - Baseball Hitting Clinic
  • March 18 - March Madness Table Tennis
  • April 23 - Msgr. Grimes Men's Night


Submit materials for Wolfhound Wednesday

If you have information you'd like included in the next Wolfhound Wednesday, email it to Allie Wing at awing@cdeducation.org
 
To view past issues of the Wolfhound Wednesday, find them archived on our website here.