Bishop Watterson 
Wednesday News

Important Dates

August 26

Sophomore Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria

Junior Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m. in the theater

Meet the Teacher Night, 7:00 p.m. starting in homerooms

September 7

No School/Labor Day

September 13-19

Homecoming Week

Fall Festival: September 13, 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Homecoming Dance; September 19

Meet the Teacher Night TONIGHT

We hope you can join us for Meet the Teacher Night tonight!

Please plan enough time to park and get to your child's homeroom before the bell rings to get started at 7:00 p.m. You will walk through your child's schedule with an opportunity for the teachers to introduce themselves. The evening finishes around 8:30 p.m.

Two class parent meetings will be held prior to the start of Meet the Teacher Night.

A Sophomore Parent Meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.

A Junior Parent Meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the theater.

Show your Eagle pride by placing one of our (free) signs in your front yard! Signs will be available to pick up at Meet the Teacher night.

Student Ambassadors will also be selling these magnets for your car or fridge! Cost is $5.00/cash only.

Our World Champion



A huge congratulations to senior Michael Boyle on winning the title at the U20 World Wrestling Championships last weekend in Bratislava, Slovakia!

Michael represented the United States in the 97kg freestyle weight class, defeating 2024 U17 World silver medalist Rodion Sanakoev of Russia. USA Wrestling said Michael, on his first-ever world championship team, was the “arguably the most dominant wrestler of the tournament.”

Michael is an Ohio State commit, three-time state champion in wrestling as an Eagle and a member of our 2024 and 2025 state champion football teams.



Welcome home, Michael!

Welcome New Faculty

Left to right, Jake Lombardo, Daniel Harmon, Gianna Pandolfi de Rinaldis, 
Gabrielle Llewellyn, Nicholas Heinlen.

Welcome to our new faculty members for the 2026-27 school year!

Daniel Harmon is starting his 6^th year of teaching, joining us to teach Biology CPI and CPII. He holds a degree in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in teaching from North Carolina State University.

Nicholas Heinlen joins the Theology faculty this year, teaching freshmen and juniors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University as well as a Baccalaureate of Sacred Theology and a Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception.

Gabrielle Llewellyn is teaching Algebra 1 CPI and CPII this year. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA in business from Heidelberg University.

Jake Lombardo ’12 joins the intervention team this year after spending the past 10 years as an Intervention Specialist at St. Andrew. In addition, he will serve as an assistant boys basketball coach.

Gianna Pandolfi de Rinaldis enters her 22^nd year in education, teaching Spanish and Intro to Theater. She holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in theater and dance from the University of Puerto Rico, a master’s degree in fine arts theater from the University of Turabo, a master’s degree in theater from The Ohio State University and is currently working on a doctorate in educational leadership from Bay Path University.

Eucharistic Adoration

One of the opportunities that the young people at Bishop Watterson have each Wednesday is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In fact, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is something unique to Bishop Watterson as a Catholic high school. It is very edifying to see many of the young people visit the Lord each Wednesday, and the effects of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament are apparent within the walls of the high school. 

As many of you know, the Blessed Sacrament must be accompanied by someone at all times. Many of the students and teachers visit the Lord, but are unable to stay for long periods of time, as their schedule requires them to move to different spaces throughout the day. I encourage our parents who have attended Protecting God’s Children training to consider signing up to spend an hour each month in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in our Pope St. Pius X chapel. This will not only allow us at Bishop Watterson to continue adoration each Wednesday, but also allow the students and faculty to visit the Lord without having to feel the pressure and responsibility to stay with the Lord for longer than they are able to during the school day. 

Each Wednesday, adoration will run from 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Please feel free to sign up for any time that works for your schedule. We will begin adoration on Wednesday September 2.  If I can assist you in any way, please feel free to reach out to me through email, fr.severance@bwhs.org. 

Please know of my prayers for you all and for your children as they begin the school year at Bishop Watterson. 

In Christ, 

Fr. Sam

Health Office

It’s time to send emergency medications, paperwork and orders to school as soon as possible. Students with a prescription medication at school must have medical authorization, even if your student is self-carry.

Counselor Corner

*Schedule Change Week August 24-28*

Students can see their school counselor during this week (August 24-28) to make adjustments to their elective and study hall schedules. Core classes will NOT be adjusted unless a student is making a level change or there was an error in their original schedule. Parent signature and associated fees are required to make a change. Changes are done on a first-come, first-served basis.

Counselor Caseload Distribution 

9th Grade School Counselor

Mrs. Jenny Sponseller, mrs.sponseller@bwhs.org

10th - 12th Grade School Counselors

Mr. Zach Johnson, mr.johnson@bwhs.org 

•  A-F - 10th & 11th Grade
• A-G - 12th Grade

Mrs. Samantha Zirkle, mrs.zirkle@bwhs.org 

• G-Mc - 10th & 11th Grade
• H-O - 12th Grade

Mr. Tom Woodford, twoodford@bwhs.org 

• Md-R - 10th & 11th Grade
•  P-Sl - 12th Grade

Mrs. Mandy Fontaine, mfontaine@bwhs.org

• S-Z - 10th & 11th Grade
• Sm-Z - 12th Grade

Dominican Program School Counselor and Student Wellness Counselor

Ms. Savannah Gazdik, sgazdik@bwhs.org 

Reminder Parent Meeting for Sophomores and Junior Parents BEFORE Meet the Teacher TONIGHT

Sophomore Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria

Junior Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m. in the theater

Meet the Teacher Night, 7:00 p.m. starting in homerooms

Senior Parent Event and Individual Senior College/Post-Secondary Meetings

Thank you to all who attended the senior parent event on Monday. If you were unable to attend, please click here to review the slides. As we mentioned, counselors will be doing individual college/post-secondary check-in meetings with all seniors beginning next week. Parents are welcome to attend, but not required. Please remind your senior to sign-up for a meeting using their counselor’s link below. All meetings MUST occur during a student’s study hall. If time slots are not available, please contact your child’s counselor. 

Mr. Johnson - A-G Senior Parent Meetings (select 2 time slots to reserve an entire class period)

Mrs. Zirkle - H-O Senior Parent Meetings

Mr. Woodford - P-Sl Senior Parent Meetings 

Mrs. Fontaine - Sm-Z Senior Parent Meetings (select 2 time slots to reserve an entire class period)

PSAT Test Prep Course for Juniors and Sophomores

Bishop Watterson is offering an in-person, PSAT workshop on Saturday, September 12 from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. by Dr. Lynn Dailey with The College Prep Professionals. This workshop is highly recommended for juniors trying to achieve a National Merit Scholarship. Click here for the flyer to register.

Save the Date!

Camino de Santiago Trip

Bishop Watterson High School is planning its first student pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. This pilgrimage will be organized through Verso Ministries and is scheduled to take place during Spring Break 2027. Additional spaces have opened up and all members of the Bishop Watterson student body are invited to attend. For additional information prior to the meeting, please contact Mr. Eric Stanek, mr.stanek@bwhs.org, Mrs. Karissa Bowman, mrs.bowman@bwhs.org or Mr. Billy Olson, wolson@bwhs.org.

Final Forms for All Students

Complete by TOMORROW

Now is a great time to get ahead on completing your student's required paperwork for the school year. All families must complete final forms for each student and both a parent and the student must log in to sign off on forms. These are not just for athletics but include emergency medical information, handbook and technology acceptance, and more. Freshman families new to the school need to create an account.

When reading the Student Handbook, please make sure you and your student review the Dress Code section to ensure a smooth school year.

School Day Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures

Athletics

Listening and Watching This Fall

All home games (freshman, JV and varsity) will be live streamed through HUDL this fall. Varsity football home games which will also be live streamed on the Bishop Watterson Sports Network (BWSN) (Aug. 28 vs. Pickerington Central, Sept. 18 vs. Harvest Preparatory, Oct. 23 vs. St. Charles), Spectrum (Sept. 11 vs. Glenville) or The CW (Sept. 25 vs. St. Francis DeSales). BWSN will provide audio coverage of all varsity football games, both home and away.

Both HUDL and BWSN options are free with no account required!

Spirit Signs 

Spirit signs are now for sale! Signs can be personalized with your child's class year, jersey number and sports/arts icons.

Click on the button for the order form and list of icon options. The deadline for fall orders is September 11.

Questions? Contact Erin Gruver, mrs.gruver@bwhs.org.

Campus Ministry Corner

Fall Kairos Registration Going On Now

It's time for seniors to register for the Fall Kairos, November 3-6. Kairos is a 3½ day experience for seniors which invites them to encounter themselves, others and God in new, meaningful and unexpected ways. For more information or scholarship information, email Campus Minister Mrs. Beth Simmonds, mrs.simmonds@bwhs.org.

Click below for the registration form.

Registration is also being accepted for winter and spring dates.

A deposit of $100 is due with registration. The total cost is $275 and scholarships are available. Registration form is available at the button below.

Building Hours

Our school building opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes two hours after dismissal. Students who are waiting for rides after school must wait in the cafeteria unless they are with a coach or meeting with a teacher. 

Athletics

Time to Buy Sports Passes

Sports passes for 2026-27 are now on sale!

Eagle Store

Support BWHS Through Kroger Purchases

Bishop Watterson participates in the Kroger Community Rewards program.

To sign up, go to kroger.com, log into your account and under your settings click Community Rewards. Search for Bishop Watterson. Our number is VG154. Thank you!