October 2024

May 31 - Commencement

This year’s commencement will be held on O’Dowd’s Lower Field - Saturday, May 31. Each graduate will receive 10 tickets for their family and friends. More information about parking, photography, and graduation regalia will be communicated soon.

October 30, 7:15am - Senior Sunrise

Grab a warm sweater, and a sleeping bag or blanket and head to our Lower Field on Wednesday, October 30 for one of our special traditions: Senior Sunrise!

Parents and Guardians - We need your help! Please volunteer to make breakfast goodies for the seniors to enjoy while watching the sunrise. Sign up now!

November 6 - Senior Portrait Makeups/Retakes

Senior Portrait makeups/retakes will be on Wednesday, November 6 in the James T. Bill ’55 Theater lobby. You must sign up for an appointment to take your photo that day. Sign up here. This is your last chance to take your Senior Portrait to be able to make it into the yearbook. 

Photos Available - Senior-Parent/Guardian Mass

Thank you to all our seniors and families who attended the Senior-Parent/Guardian Mass. View photos from the special liturgy.

College Counseling Reminders

• If you haven't completed your Senior Questionnaire, please do so ASAP so your counselor can schedule your Senior College Meeting.
• Remember to sign up for college visits on Naviance.
• Drop-in application support during flex periods is happening!
• Make sure to have your UC and CSU applications checked by your counselor before submitting them. Make sure to submit well before the November 30/December 2 deadline.
• Keep an eye out for the FAFSA to be released on December 1.

Senior Class Gift

Join in honoring and celebrating O’Dowd teachers as we kick off the Senior Class Gift!

The Senior Class Gift supports the Fund for Faculty Excellence, which provides professional development and assists in continuing to recruit and retain talented teachers. Please join us in this meaningful way of showing appreciation and support for our faculty.

We have a fantastic head start, with a $50,000 match from a committed group of senior parents and grandparents. Your gift will be doubled - help us reach our goal of 100% participation from senior families and achieve the full match.

Senior Ads Now On Sale!

Celebrate your senior's graduation by purchasing a senior ad in the O'Dowd yearbook! Senior ads are an optional way to commemorate your child's high school experience in the yearbook and they help defray the cost of the publication so that everyone on campus can get a yearbook for free! The deadline to purchase and design a Senior Ad is January 10, 2025. Space is limited, so do not wait!

Many students are commemorated individually and some come together to purchase a page commemorating the members of their 8th-grade class who are also graduating from O'Dowd together! Some folks use software programs like Canva or Photoshop to design their ads, which can be uploaded to YearbookForever.com. Please review the size dimensions. (Note that we do not publish 1/8 of a page ads.)

Go to www.yearbookforever.com and search for “O’Dowd” to get started. Prices and sizes:

• Full-page ads (approximately 8.5 x 11 inches; ≤24 photos) - $450
• Half-page ads (approximately 8.5 x 5.5 inches; ≤12 photos) - $285
• Quarter-page ads (approximately 4.25 x 5.5 inches; ≤6 photos) - $190

Please note that there is limited space for ads and full page ads are limited to one per student and the ads are subject to a 3% credit card and website service charge. The YearbookForever.com website can also be used to purchase an additional yearbook if needed!Questions? Email Damian Barnes.

October

30 Senior Sunrise (7:15am)

November

1 Your Naviance college list locks - Contact your counselor to add additional schools

30 UC and CSU Application Deadline

December

1 FAFSA application release date

January

10 Yearbook Senior Ads Due

May

7 Senior Awards (6:30pm)

16 Senior Ball

30 Baccalaureate Mass

31 Commencement Ceremony