WOLFHOUND WEDNESDAY
January 20, 2021
Second graders playing in the back field during afternoon recess
UPCOMING EVENTS:

Thursday, January 21: Early Release: see new dismissal times in article below
Thursday, January 28: Surviving in Trying Times Parent Workshop via Zoom (7 PM)
January 31 - February 5: Catholic Schools Week
Wednesday, February 3: Home & School Zoom (10 AM)
Monday, February 8: SAC Zoom (6:30 PM)
QUICK LINKS:
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The O'Reilly Minute
Dear Parents,

Thank you for taking the time to fill out re-enrolment forms for the 2021-2022 school year and the Oak Society grant forms. Re-enrollment is due today and Oak Society grant forms are due January 29th.  

I would also like to thank you for your kind understanding of the addition of Wellness Days the past few months. This opportunity for self-care has been invaluable for our staff and families. Several of you have inquired about additional Wellness Days. At this time we do not have any additional Wellness Days scheduled, however, if it's determined that one is needed we will give sufficient time for families to plan accordingly.  

Many have also asked about vaccines for teachers and school staff. The information is changing rapidly about the distribution model and timing. Some of the models that are being considered may require a change in school schedule to release teachers/staff to have time to get to a location for the scheduled times. I will let you know as soon as I know, if we will need to make a schedule change with an early release or a day that school is closed due to the circumstances regarding the administration of the vaccine.  

Catholic Schools Week is fast approaching. There will be several activities planned to not only celebrate Catholic education, but to celebrate the February 1st Feast of St. Brigid and our 25th anniversary! I would just like to mention a few items to help you prepare ahead of time and a complete schedule will be shared next week. Students will have a couple of special dress days.
  • Green day! (Or students may wear school colors of green and yellow)
  • Destination T-shirt/Sweatshirt Day! (Students may wear a shirt/sweatshirt of a place they have visited or would like to visit)
  • 25 years from now! Students will be asked to bring an artifact or dress representing a profession they hope to be in 25 years from now. Different grade levels will be doing this differently. Teachers will send details.

One last activity to mention is a service project to raise money for “Feed the Kids Columbus”. Starting next week, in honor of our 25th anniversary and Saint Brigid’s dedication to serving the poor, students will be asked to earn quarters ($0.25) to donate to this organization.  
More details on these activities and the entire week’s schedule will be available next week.

Two more planning ahead items….Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday! Teachers in grades P - 6 will be sending home directions for students to bring Valentine's cards to school the week of February 8th.  Ash Wednesday is February 17. Our students will be virtually attending the 9 AM Mass and will be receiving ashes in their pod locations.

During this week of prayer for Christian unity, we pray for guidance and courage to seek solutions that benefit all and serve people to help build dignity and respect for one another. 

Blessings,
Kathy O'Reilly
Photo Newsletters - 2nd, 3rd and 4th Grades
Click the images below to view this week's photo newsletters and see what the classes have been up to.
Parenting Workshop: Surviving in Trying Times
The Surviving in Trying Times parent working will continue next Thursday evening at 7 PM.

Anyone else feel like they are in survival mode these days? Do you ever have full, happy days where you forget the chaos of the outside (or inside) world? Either way, we are all in the thick of it and one thing that makes it tougher is trying to do it all alone. So, let’s not try to do it alone. In this series we will be inviting families to come together in a supportive learning environment in order to engage with one another and with practices that help us not just survive in trying times, but thrive. We all have the capacity to cultivate safer relationships with ourselves and others. The key is practice. And practicing within the context of community makes it that much sweeter.

Please join us via this Zoom link on the following dates:
  • Thursday, January 28, 7-8:30 PM

Learn more about presenter Sarah Buffie, Founding Director and Trauma Responsive Care Trainer of Soul Bird Consulting.

Meeting ID: 317 446 1533  

Resources from Last Week:
Oak Society Deadline January 29
The Oak Society Grant program will continue again this year. These grants will be awarded to active parish families after a brief application and will amount to $500 per K-8 Saint Brigid of Kildare School student for the 2021-2022 school year. The application was included in the re-enrollment information sent last week. Deadlines for Oak Society grant applications are Friday, January 29.

Early Release Tomorrow - New Dismissal Schedule
Our next early release will take place tomorrow, Thursday, January 21.

On early release days for the remainder of the school year, dismissal times will be:

Bus Riders - 1:30
Latchkey - 1:34
L-Z Car Riders - 1:37
A-K Car Riders - 1:50
2021-2022 Calendar Dates (Subject to Change)
Below are preliminary dates for the 2021-22 school year. As with all things, this is subject to change due to COVID.

Week of August 23: school opens; exact date(s) to be determined based on COVID situation in August
December 20-31: Christmas Break
March 14-18: Spring Break
April 14-18: Easter Break
8th Grade Parents: BWHS News
Parents of eighth-grade students who are interested in attending Bishop Watterson High School should be aware of these upcoming dates:
St. Charles News
St. Charles Offering Annual 8th Grade Scholarship Test and Private Family Visits

St. Charles Preparatory School is offering its annual 8th Grade Scholarship Test for prospective students on January 30, 2021. Students may take the test at either 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. in the school’s Robert C. Walter Student Commons. Online registration is required. The exam is open to any 8th grade boy regardless of his current high school enrollment status. This is not an entrance exam. Test results determine which students will receive merit-based academic awards from the school for the 2021-2022 school year. For this 2020-2021 school year alone, St. Charles has offered more than $400,000 in academic scholarships and grants to its students. Those interested in sitting for the test should visit the school’s website at https://www.stcharlesprep.org to sign up.

We also invite prospective families to sign up online for a 45-minute Private Family Visit and Tour of our school campus. These sessions are being held throughout most of January and February on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at three different times: 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Due to safety protocols, we are only able to host one family per session. Each session is restricted to a single family and limited to no more than FOUR people. To schedule a visit, we invite you to visit our school’s Homepage at https://www.stcharlesprep.org.

Should you have any questions, we invite you to contact Salvador Mercado (Assistant to the Principal) at smercado@scprep.org.
PERC Dublin Upcoming Events
PERC Dublin is sponsoring the following parent event:

“Stress and Change”
What is it like to be a youth today?
When should parents get involved?
What strategies help kids cope?

January 21, 2021 at 9:30 am and 7 pm

Link will be posted at percdublin.org
Save the Date—Uniform Exchange on January 30, 2021 9 am-12pm
It’s a new year! Do your kids need to size up or get ready for spring weather? If so, please sign up to attend the uniform exchange, a socially-distanced event held in the school gym. All school families are invited to gather up gently used uniforms that your children no longer need to donate during the week of Jan 24-29 to a bin outside Erin Heise’s home at 6588 Wynwright Dr. Dublin, OH. Items accepted include all logo and non-logo uniform items AND spirit wear/PE uniforms. Non-logo articles that are not claimed at the exchange will be donated to another school in need.  A reminder that all items at the uniform exchange are FREE and you do not need to donate to attend!

Parents, you can also sign up to volunteer, allowing you first pick of items.
Join Family First via Zoom
Moms, do your goals for 2021 include focusing more on you? Perhaps being more intentional with your time? Developing a deeper spiritual life? Seeking fellowship with women who raise you up?

If so, then please join Family First via Zoom on Thursday afternoons from 1:15 to 2:15 pm to discuss weekly podcasts which can be found here. Tune in from wherever you are in your day, whether you’re at home folding laundry or in your car running errands. Topics include spirituality, motherhood, marriage, and more! Even if you don’t have time to listen, you’re still welcome to join the group for conversation! Zoom link can also be found at the link above.

If you would like more information about Family First please contact Gretchen O’Reilly at gsoreilly@yahoo.com or Erin Heise at erinjolene@hotmail.com.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
www.stbrigidofkildare.com