U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School
(2021, 2014, 2008)
WOLFHOUND WEDNESDAY

August 16, 2023

Our 23-24 school theme is:

Come to the Table: Serving God and the Community

UPCOMING EVENTS:


Sun, Aug 20: New Family Breakfast

Tues, Aug 22: Kindergarten WOW Day

Tues, Aug 22: Meet the Teacher & Parent Admin Day (4-6 PM)

Wed, Aug 23: First Day for Last Names A-K (K-8); K Staggered Start

Thurs, Aug 24: First Day for Last Names L-Z (K-8); K Staggered Start

Fri, Aug 25: All Students in School (1-8); K Staggered Start

Mon, Sept 4: No School - Labor Day

Thurs, Sept 7: Home & School Kick-Off Meeting (10 AM)

Mon, Sept 11: School Advisory Committee Meeting

Thurs, Sept 21: Early Release (1:30 PM)

Fri, Sept 29: No School - Diocesan In-Service

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The O'Reilly Minute

Dear Parents,


I am excited to share with you our full Back To School edition of the Wolfhound Wednesday with information regarding back to school forms, sign ups, Meet The Teacher and how to access homeroom assignments. 


Our school theme for the 2023 - 2024 school year is “Come To The Table: Serving God and Community.”  Our theme encourages us to think about the symbolism of coming together at a table, in particular the Eucharistic table. The imagery of the table brings forth many wonderful memories and events in our lives. Sitting at a table often brings great joy…..the joy of family gathering for game night, holidays, and healthy meals.  Most importantly there is the Eucharistic table that is a part of our faith. Our First Communion class each year eagerly prepares to receive Christ in the Eucharist for the first time and in which we are able to partake in each time we attend Mass.


Tables allow us to share our experiences, create memories, receive spiritual and physical nourishment, serve others and spend time listening and learning from one another.  Sharing our gifts by helping others to have food on their table and to know  kindness is also a part of showing others that the table of Christ is for all. All of these opportunities are crucial steps toward cultivating a culture of kindness and community where everyone has the opportunity to flourish, belong and feel connected as brothers and sisters in Christ. 

 


IMPORTANT K - 8 DATES:  

  • Parent Administration and Grades 1 - 8 Meet the Teacher - August 22nd, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
  • Kindergarten WOW - August 22nd - Please see your letter for assigned times for WOW and for staggered start times and dates.
  • Staggered Start Opening for grades 1- 8 will be 8:00 am - 2:50 pm.
  • August 23rd - Last names A - K only
  • August 24th - Last names L - Z only
  • August 25th - All students 
  • Opening School Mass - Friday, August 26, 9:00 AM



As the new school year begins I would like to take this opportunity to welcome several new teachers and paraprofessionals to our staff.


  • Ms. Colleen Ray - 2nd grade
  • Mrs. Lindsey Hetrick - 7th and 8th grade Instructional Support
  • Ms. Laura Manns - 7th and 8th grade Science
  • Mrs. Kristin Mifsud - Intervention Specialist
  • Natalia Banks - Library Paraprofessional
  • Anatasia Belova - 3rd and 4th grade Paraprofessional 



I am looking forward to seeing everyone next Tuesday evening and looking forward to a great year! 


Come To the Table: Serving God and Community,

Kathy O’Reilly

Back to School Handouts

Please review all the Back to School handouts at the links below. All other forms that need to be completed will be emailed to you to complete digitally in FACTS on Friday, August 18.


These forms may also be found on our website by clicking the "Current Families" box.


Handbooks & Procedures:


K-8 School Handbook 23-24

Summary of Handbook Updates

Chromebook & Technology Handbook

RaiseRight (formerly MyScrip) 2023-24 Information

Lunch Menu

Home & School 23-24 Brochure

(a paper version of the H&S brochure will be available at Parent Admin Day)




Action Items & Sign Up Forms:


Annual Fund 23-24 Donation Form

Gifts of Gratitude 23-24 Donation Form

Home & School 23-24 Volunteer Sign Up Form



Save the Date:


Barn Bash

Friday, October 20, 6 PM, Leed's Farm

Meet the Teacher: Tues, Aug 22, 4-6 PM

We begin this year with a “Meet The Teacher” on Tuesday, August 22nd from 4:00 - 6:00 pm hosted by our Home and School and our School Advisory Committee. This event will be outdoors behind the school. Families will be invited to visit classrooms to “Meet The Teacher” and then spend time outdoors visiting information tables and enjoying treats. Come in the front doors, stop by the Home and School table, pick up your treat tickets, and proceed to meet your teacher. Then go outside for the welcome back party. Preschool students will have a separate meet the teacher playdate. Information about this event will be sent to preschool parents via email.


Spirit Wear Sale at Meet the Teacher

Home & School will have a limited quantity of St. Brigid t-shirts for sale during Meet The Teacher night. Visit the Spirit Wear table to pick up a t-shirt. Youth ($11) and some adult ($12) sizes available. Cash preferred!


Morganheimer/Premier will also be at Meet the Teacher night with sample gym uniform pants water bottles, travel tumblers and socks for sale to help liquidate inventory.


Meet the Teacher Volunteers Needed

Home & School is looking for volunteers to help at next week's Meet the Teacher event. Click the link below to view opportunities and sign up.

Volunteer

Tears and Cheers Social - Aug 25

Please join us Friday, August 25th for a “Tears and Cheers” back to school coffee social.  Coffee and Pastries will be available in Hendricks Hall beginning at 7:45 am until just before school mass at 8:45 am.   We hope to see you there! 

FACTS WebForms & Teacher Assignments - Aug 18

All students in preschool through grade 8 will be using FACTS to complete their back to school Web Forms again this school year. These forms will be available beginning Friday, August 18th. Upon login, please navigate to School, and then Webforms, to complete your Web Forms packet. Directions will be sent next week.


After completing your Webforms, select Student, and then Schedules to view your student's homeroom teacher.

 

See the link below for instructions on accessing Web Forms and FACTS. If you have problems or questions, please contact Kerinan Jordan at [email protected]

FACTS Instructions

New School Visitor Management System

St. Brigid School is pleased to announce that we will begin using the Raptor Visitor Management System in our school to strengthen our campus safety for students and faculty. Part of keeping students and faculty safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times, and the Raptor system will allow us to do that.


The Raptor system will better allow us to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our school and provide us with a safer environment for our students and staff. Upon entering the building during school hours, visitors will be asked to present an ID such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system.


The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge. The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit.


A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork.


The safety of our students is our highest priority and the Raptor visitor management system allows us to quickly identify those that may present a danger to our students.


Thank you in advance for your understanding and your support in enhancing the school safety protocols in our school.


Sincerely, Bruce McKenna

Sensory Garden Debut at Meet the Teacher

During Meet the Teacher night, please stop by our new Sensory Garden! Thanks to generous donations from Oakland Park Nursery, John & Sheila Reiner, and our SPiCE Corks for a Cause fundraising, the Sensory Garden is nearly complete.


We will hold a ribbon cutting and blessing of the new space at Meet the Teacher night, and parents and students will be able to explore the beautiful, thoughtful new space.


What is a Sensory Garden?

A sensory garden is an environment that provides a collection of nature’s finest features that are designed to stimulate and engage the five senses. Our garden provides a completely immersive experience by focusing on the five main senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound, as well as an additional sense -- vestibular (or movement).


Sensory gardens offer a calm space where all children can relax and enjoy the surroundings by providing visual, auditory, and/or tactile stimulation. It is also a space that provides flexible and environmentally responsible learning for all students, while also enhancing the social-emotional well-being of others.


Come see the new space and learn about the many thoughtful features for our learners.

Arrival & Dismissal

The morning drop off will begin at 7:45 am with cars following the pattern outlined on the map below. If you are in need of an early morning drop please consider using our morning latchkey program which opens at 7:00 am. Please contact Karol Halm, our director at [email protected].  


Dismissal will begin at 2:55 pm in the Enke parking lot. Parents, please park according to the map below (click the links below the maps for more detailed instructions). Students will be released to your cars and cars will be directed to leave once all children are safely in their car.  

Arrival Instructions

Dismissal Instructions

Join St. Brigid Home & School

St. Brigid Home & School is looking for volunteers to get involved in the many Home & School activities for the 23-24 school year!


To sign up to be a volunteer or on a committee with Home & School, click the sign-up button below. If you have questions, contact 23-24 Home & School Chairs Venessa Lookabaugh, [email protected], or Ashley Jones, [email protected].


To learn more about Home & School and its committees, view the 23-24 brochure here.


All are welcome to attend our first meeting, which will be held Thursday, September 7 at 10 AM in Hendricks Hall.

Sign Up for H&S

Proud St. Brigid Family Metal Signs for Sale

We are excited to offer again the Proud St. Brigid Family signs to our school families! We will be taking orders for these 11" metal outdoor signs that look great in a front flower bed or landscaping. These signs are made of no-rust aluminum with a UV resistant paint designed for long lasting outdoor durability, and will hold up a minimum of 5-10 years. They are made of 3mm max metal and come with a 48" metal T-bar stake for stability into the ground.


Total cost for the sign and stake is $32. We are selling these signs at cost to help encourage your participation in helping us spread awareness of our great school and building our community!


To order, fill out the form below by Friday, September 8 and pay via credit card. Signs will be produced after the ordering period is over, and plan to be ready for pickup shortly after. Purchasers will be notified when signs are ready.

Order Sign

Add Funds to Lunch Accounts

Funds can be added to your child's cafeteria account through FACTS.


For instructions on how to do this, please see the link below.

How to Add Lunch Money

Uniform Store Updates

We have received a few updates regarding our uniform store vendors.


  • Schoolbelles will now only have an online store (all uniform pieces and PE options will be available online).


  • Educational Apparel in Hilliard will be the only brick and mortar store. All uniform and PE options will be available for purchase or to order from there.


  • Morganheimer is also an acceptable vendor for black PE pants only. You can purchase these through the spiritwear sale link in the article below.


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.


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. 


At the link below is a summary of the uniform policy changes that were made earlier this year.

Uniform Policy Changes

Gym Uniform Pants and Spirit Wear Stores - Open Now

Hello Wolfhounds! As you are gearing up for back to school, many have asked about gym uniform pants and low stock at some local stores. Good news, Morganheimer/Premier will be offering gym uniform pants (pants only) for this school year. These gym uniform pants will meet the requirements of the school dress code. This brand of pants runs longer than others, so make sure to note the measurements in the size charts under item listing. *Note: If you would like to receive gym uniform pants by the first day of school, please order separately no later than August 13th. Pick up and shipping options are available.

 

Morganheimer/Premier is also our traditional St. Brigid spirit wear option, and their spirit wear store is now open, with many new items, as well. Shop the link below to check out their options for those Wolfhound Spirit Wear Days (spirit wear orders can be placed anytime between now and September 6th)!

 

Check out the link below to order gym pants and spirit wear from Morganheimer/Premier:


Rah-Rah is a Dublin-based spirit wear company that is offering super-soft, vintage-inspired, uniquely designed spirit wear made just for us! The owners of Rah-Rah are a St. Brigid family and we are happy to offer their spirit wear to our Wolfhound families. They have added a new design for us this year that they are excited to share with you!

Check out the link below to shop the Rah-Rah spirit wear store and add their vintage inspired clothing to your closet!

 

You can have any items shipped directly to you for the best and quickest delivery. Standard shipping rates apply. Details on shipping can be found on the website.

 

If you prefer to pick up your order, you may do so at:

6702 Royal Plume Drive, Dublin (home of Jamie Erickson)

 

Keep an eye on future Wolfhound Wednesdays (and your email) for details on Rah Rah  shipping/ pick up information.

 

Any questions? Please contact Jaime Erickson 614.578.8960 or Shauna Durant 740.815.9053

EdChoice Scholarship: How to Apply

Ohio's Educational Choice (EdChoice) Scholarship Program is now accessible to ALL Ohioans! All families are eligible to receive between $650-$6,165 per K-8 student.


We are asking that all families apply for EdChoice. This will allow us to reallocate our scholarship, grant, and aid dollars to ensure families receive maximum support.


To apply for an EdChoice scholarship for the 2023-24 school year, please see the instructions and more information here.


If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call (614) 718-5825.

EdChoice at St. Brigid Overview

School Job Openings

Saint Brigid of Kildare School is seeking candidates to fill the following positions:

  • Cafeteria: St. Brigid of Kildare School is looking for individuals to help in the school cafeteria from 8:30-1:30 either part time or full time. If interested, please contact Joyce Brown at [email protected].
  • Latchkey: St. Brigid of Kildare School’s after school care program is looking for individuals to assist with after school programming (snack, activities, homework, etc.) from 2:00pm-6:00pm either part time or full time. If interested, please contact Karol Halm at [email protected].
  • Classroom Aide/Paraprofessional: St. Brigid of Kildare School is looking for an individual to serve as a classroom aide to support the teacher and the students with instruction, clerical work, etc. Aides work from 8:00-3:00 M-F. Protecting God’s Children, fingerprinting, and an aide license are required. No experience with children is necessary but preferred. If interested, please contact Jill Carfagna at [email protected].

Register for Bus Transportation 23-24

back-school-bus.jpg

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 19, 2023.


Dublin Schools Requests:

All Non-Public parents (new or returning) please complete this form.


Hilliard School Requests:

All Non-Public parents (new or returning) please complete this form by July 28, 2023.

School Supplies

The deadline for online ordering of EduKit School Supply Kits has passed.


To view the list of school supplies needed for your child's grade, click the link below. Supplies can be dropped off on Tuesday, August 22 during Meet the Teacher night.


For questions, please contact Jennifer Musser, [email protected]

View List
News from Our Parish & Community

Mom to Mom Kickoff Sept 20

Mom to Mom is a vibrant, faith sharing group focused on motherhood, spirituality, and Catholic parenting.  Whether you’re a rookie or veteran, join us to support, share and gain wisdom from each other.


Meetings: Wednesday Sept 20th - Nov 15th

Time: 9:45-11 am

Location: Church Basement

Child Care Sign up: Here

 

This fall Mom to Mom will watch and discuss videos from the Formed “Catholic Moms Summit.”  The Catholic Mom’s Summit is a collection of talks in which women encourage and support one another in the vocation of Catholic Motherhood, see below for our September Schedule. Drop in any time, no need to prepare, come as you are! We hope you can make it! 


More Info

Sandwich Saturday - This Saturday, Aug 19

At Sandwich Saturday 1000 bologna sandwiches are made to support various food pantries in downtown Columbus. This is a great way to start off your weekend with an act of service and it only takes 30 minutes! It is perfect for all ages (including those in need of service hours) and no registration is needed.


The sandwich making starts promptly at 9:00am in the school cafeteria so come a little early to get settled. We also accept donations of individually packaged snacks. Sandwich Saturday is a project of the Social Action committee.

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 Diocese of Columbus at 

www.virtus.org

 

The Diocesan Safe Environment Department will be offering Virtus Protecting God's Children (PGC) sessions: 

  • 8/21/2023 St Joan of Arc (Powell) 6:00pm
  • 8/22/2023 ZOOM PGC (Columbus) 6:00pm
  • 8/28/2023 St Joan of Arc (Powell) 6:00pm

 

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, and complete a criminal background check prior to volunteering.

Full details and forms can be found at https://stbrigidofkildare.org/safe-environment/ 

News from Our Catholic High Schools
Please email any alumni news for sharing to Allie Wing at [email protected].

Shop BWHS Spiritwear

Shop and purchase online for your Bishop Watterson High School Eagles!


View the new site at the link below.

Shop Spiritwear
Submit Materials for Wolfhound Wednesday
If you have information you'd like included in the next Wolfhound Wednesday, email it to Allie Wing at [email protected].

To view past issues of the Wolfhound Wednesday, find them archived on our website here.
www.stbrigidofkildare.com
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