The O'Reilly Minute

Dear Parents,

As a parish community there are many Lenten activities being offered this year.  Please click here Lent 2024 – St. Brigid of Kildare Church  to learn more about the soup suppers, vespers, collection drives, penance services and several additional prayer opportunities.  I would like to highlight one of my personal favorites - Taize prayer.  There will be a Taize Prayer Service this Thursday, February 29th at 7:00  pm in the Church. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend a quiet hour together as a family with prayer, reflection and music.  

I would like to take a moment to thank the many people who have been involved in preparing and supporting the Corks for a Cause event which will take place this coming Saturday.  The Corks event funds our amazing SPiCE program which supports so many of our children with special learning and social-emotional needs. I am excited about this year’s event and the opportunity to raise funds to create a sensory area for our youngest learners.  See the story below for more details.  

On Friday we sent out instructions on how to renew EdChoice Scholarships for the 24-25 school year. please note the deadline for returning St. Brigid students is March 15 and the deadline for incoming Bishop Watterson students is March 8. For full instructions on how to renew or apply for EdChoice, see the instruction sheet here.

Our last School Safety Drill for the year will be conducted on March 6.

Lenten blessings,

Kathy O'Reilly

Photo Newsletters: 2nd Grade

Crucial Conversations Follow Up: Jesse Weinberger Event

Thank you for the continued support of Jesse Weinberger's speaking event on digital safety. We will continue to keep the conversation going by sharing pieces of information and data from Jesse over the coming weeks.

Parental Monitoring Apps

Below are some helpful parental monitoring apps that have been suggested by parents.

• Life360 - the #1 family locator app & safety membership, including advanced driving, location, & digital safety features
• Bark - parental monitoring app that can scan your child’s text messages, 30+ social media apps, web browsers, emails, and other online activity, keeping you informed and your child protected
• Apple Parental Controls - Apple has great parent controls to not allow your child to add contacts or apps, set time limits, and much more

If you have digital safety apps or similar helpful information to share, or if you are a digital media professional willing to share your expertise for the benefit of our school community, please contact Allie Wing at [email protected].

Congrats Swimmers

This weekend several Wolfhound swimmers competed in the Ohio Regional Swim Championships at OU. Despite swimming for several different teams, the girls showed great sportsmanship and cheered each other on to success! Congrats to our Wolfhound swimmers for their successful meet.

• 8th grader Rachel Weglarz got personal bests in the 50 free, 100 back and 500 free.
• 8th grader Maddy Thomas made finals in all 6 of her events. She had personal bests in five of the events and placed 11^th in 200 free, 15^th in 100 back, 5^th in the 200 medley relay, 11^th in 200 back and 6^th in 100 free. She qualified for four relays in the Ohio Junior Olympics Championships.
• 8th grader Maggie Vivona recorded personal bests in three of her four events this weekend: 50 free, 100 back and 100 free, dropping a whopping 3.32 seconds in her 100 free.
• 4th grader Georgia Baker took 1st place in the 100 yard individual medley, 2nd place in the 50 yard backstroke, and two 3rd place finishes in the 50 yard breaststroke and 100 yard backstroke. She was a member of the winning 200 yard medley relay team and her 200 yard free relay team came in 3rd. Georgia qualified for the Ohio Junior Olympics Championships.

Wolfhound Basketball Champs

Congratulations to our 8th grade boys and 7th grade girls teams on Tourney Championships, as well as our 4th grade boys team on Division Champs - way to bring home the hardware Hounds! 

Yearbooks for Sale

Yearbooks are on sale ($25.68) NOW thru April 2, 2024! Don’t miss out on your chance to order your 2023 – 2024 school yearbook that is packed full of fun memories! Online ordering is simple and easy! Simply click on the direct link below, fill in your information and pay by credit card.

http://diane-spagnuolo-photography.hhimagehost.com/20232024StBrigidofKildareYEARBOOK

If you have questions regarding ordering – please email Diane Spagnuolo Photography

[email protected] or call the studio at 614-873-6867

ORDER DEADLINE – Midnight – Tuesday, April 2, 2024

The Emmaus Road Scholarship and Diocesan Tuition Assistance Application Deadline March 15, 2024

Applications for The Emmaus Road SGO Scholarship, Diocesan Tuition Assistance, St. Brigid Parish Tuition Assistance, and TACT Teacher Assistance for the 2024-25 school year must be submitted through the FACTS Grant and Aid portal by March 15, 2024.

In order to receive funds through any of these tuition assistance programs, you must apply for tuition assistance through FACTS.

To be considered for 2024-25 Tuition Assistance Programs:

• You must be registered for the 2024-25 school year by March 15, 2024.
• The application, tax return, and W-2 must be submitted by March 15, 2024. (No exceptions will be made for any late applications, so please apply early in case additional documentation is requested by FACTS.)
• If 2023 taxes are not finished for submission by March 15, 2024, the 2022 tax return with 2022 W2 is acceptable.
• You need only submit one application per family.
• There is no tuition assistance available for preschool.
• All K-8 families, Catholic and non-Catholic are eligible to apply.
• Assistance amounts given vary by family and will be based on family income and number of children in a household.
• All applications and materials submitted are confidential.
• Applicants are expected to be notified of award status in May.

For full instructions on applying for tuition assistance, click here.

Corks for a Cause 2024 This Saturday - Bidding Opens Soon!

Tickets for the event are now sold out.

You don't have to attend the event to bid on items or to make a donation! Online silent auction bidding will open a few days prior to the event. Watch your email for more details.

Not sure what to wear? Click here for a few ideas!

Donation Appeal: Sensory Wall & Pathway

This year we will be raising funds for a sensory wall and pathway that will engage our youngest learners. This wall promotes sensory integration for our children, which helps them regulate their emotions and behavior. Some other benefits from this wall and pathway include:

• Providing a calming environment
• Increased focus and concentration
• Improved coordination and balance
• Promoting fine motor skills such as grip strength, writing and drawing

Guests will learn more at the event on Saturday, but can donate now to fund the purchase of this sensory wall and pathway by clicking the link below or by sending a text to 76278 'give 200' to make a $200 donation.

Thank You 2024 Sponsors!

Lenten Taize

Thursday, February 29, 7 PM, Church

Spend a quiet hour together as a family with prayer, reflection and music. 

Eucharistic Adoration - March 1

You are invited to spend time in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist on Friday, March 1st for First Friday Eucharistic Adoration following the 9:00AM Mass and concluding at 4:00PM with Benediction.

My sweetest Joy is to be in the presence of Jesus in the holy Sacrament. I beg that when obliged to withdraw in body, I may leave my heart before the holy Sacrament. How I would miss Our Lord if He were to be away from me by His presence in the Blessed Sacrament! - St Katherine Drexel (Feast Day: March 3)

Jesus invites each one of us to spend time in joyful silence with him in Eucharistic Adoration. All are welcome, including families with children. If you wish to sign up for an hour, please email Shelly Cocumelli at [email protected].

Women's Retreat April 12-14

Save the date for the Women's Retreat April 12-14!

Registration is now open at this link.

Tickets on Sale: Father/Daughter Dance

Save the date for the parish's annual Father/Daughter Dance, coming up on Saturday, April 6 from 6:30 - 9:30 PM.

Tickets are available at the link below.

Father/Daughter Dance Volunteers Needed

The Knights of Columbus are excited to be hosting the dance in the school gym again this year. To make this event a success, we need are in need of volunteers to help set up, clean up, and are especially in need of volunteers during the dance. This is a great opportunity for moms to participate.  Volunteers during the dance must be PGC compliant. Older children (7th-12th grade) are welcome to volunteer with a parent as well but must sign a junior volunteer code of conduct. 

Please see the link below to sign up.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

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: 

3/5/2024 St Pius X (Reynoldsburg) 6pm

3/7/2024 Zoom via St Andrews, 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/ 

St. Charles Drama: The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

The St. Charles Preparatory School Drama Department is proud to announce its winter musical, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.  The Lightning Thief will be presented February 29, March 1 & 2 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 3 at 3:00 p.m. in the St. Charles Campus Theatre, 2010 E. Broad St. Reservations may be placed by visiting the St. Charles website homepage at scprep.org – Buy Tickets button.