Dear Parents,

We will gather together as a school family for Mass on Tuesday, November 21st at 9:00 am to praise the Lord and thank him for our many gifts as Thanksgiving Day approaches. Please plan to join us if your schedule allows.

Following Mass, students will enjoy our annual Thanksgiving Feast during their regularly scheduled lunch periods. The tradition of 8th grade students serving the delicious turkey meal is enjoyed by both the 8th grade and the younger students alike.  

As you may have heard announced this past weekend at Mass, we are excited to again participate in the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund to provide scholarships to our families based on need. The Emmaus Scholarship Fund is an Ohio tax credit program that has already greatly benefited our school families. Please see the details in the story below and consider making a donation today to the fund and also invite other family members, friends, and neighbors to participate. This is an easy way to donate to our school and receive a tax credit.

Ed Choice applications continue to be approved VERY slowly. Of the 435 applications that Saint Brigid has submitted only 79 have been awarded. You can be assured that the Ohio Education Department will keep working on this until they are all reviewed and you will receive the full amount regardless of the timeline in which you receive the award. If you have further questions, please contact Andrea O’Reilly at edchoice@stbrigid-school.org.

Autumn blessings,

Kathy O’Reilly

Photo Newsletters: 8th Grade

Click the album link below to see the photo newsletter.

Staff Author! Thankful FUR You!

Preschool Director Hillary Harper has written a charming and engaging Thanksgiving book. Thankful FUR You! recently won a 2023 Moon Beam Award - Gold Medal! In the book, Mrs.Harper's adorable lab Cannoli learns about gratitude and giving thanks. 

All the proceeds this week will go to Rescued Ohio. The Harper family has adopted 2 dogs from this amazing local program! 

Click the link below to learn about the book on Amazon.

Prospective Families Open House

Sunday, January 28 from 3-5 PM

This is the perfect time for interested friends, family or neighbors to explore our three-time Blue Ribbon School. Prospective families can tour our school and see first-hand how Saint Brigid of Kildare School provides a quality Catholic education in a warm environment. There will be representatives from Saint Brigid of Kildare School’s many programs available to answer questions.

Spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested in applying to Saint Brigid of Kildare School for the 2024-2025 school year!

Our new family application and the open house RSVP open on Monday, December 4. Anyone interested in applying for the next school can learn more about the process here.

8th Grade Service Committee Project

Last year, St. Brigid of Kildare School partnered with Home and School to create stockings filled with goodies for kids. All the younger grades worked with their older grade buddies to make the stockings together. Everyone had so much fun and we really enjoyed helping The Ronald McDonald House!

The current 8th grade service committee would like to follow in their footsteps by helping a LOCAL organization called A Kid Again. Their mission statement is to serve children with a life-threatening condition. This organization helps families participate in fun activities like the Columbus Zoo, Christmas Parties, Kings Island, and Buckeye games.  

A Kid Again also provides family baskets for when a child goes into the hospital. On Wednesday, December 6th, after St. Nick’s visit to school, students will be meeting with their buddies around the school to create a prayer bracelet for these children.

Thank you to Home and School for helping fund this service project!

Any parents willing and able to come in and assist us during this service project, please sign up on the Sign Up Genius below.

To Learn more about the A Kid Again Organization and how you and your family could help, please visit this link.

Together, at the Table, we are serving God and the Community!

Emmaus Road Scholarship Program

Ohio Tax Credit Program

This weekend at Mass, we spoke about a state program that allows donors to receive a tax credit on their Ohio tax return up to $750 ($1,500 if married and filing jointly).

This program allows donors to give the gift of Catholic education while receiving a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on their Ohio taxes.

Through the Emmaus Road Scholarship Fund, Ohio taxpayers may donate to a K-12 Catholic school to be used for tuition scholarships based on financial need. The donor then receives a dollar-for-dollar non-refundable tax credit on their Ohio state tax return up to $750 ($1,500 if married and filing jointly).

This program helps make Catholic education accessible and affordable while giving donors the power to put their tax dollars to work to lead children to an encounter with Christ.

To learn more or give, click the link below.

SPiCE Spotlight: What is SPiCE?

SPiCE stands for Special People in Catholic Education.  

• SPiCE is a school community organization that supports the education of all children with learning needs.
• SPiCE is for the entire school and parish community.
• SPiCE raises funds and awareness in the parish and beyond to educate and address the special needs that exist and to meet those needs.

History of SPiCE

SPiCE was created in 2001 at St. Catharine School in Bexley, Ohio. Parents Mary Ginn & Bob Ryan, along with the help of Msgr. Sorohan, pastor, and Mrs. Janet Weisner, principal at the time, formally created the program with three goals: to raise awareness of special needs and the ability to serve special needs children in a Catholic School setting, to raise funds to help serve these needs, and to serve as a model to other parishes both within the diocese and beyond. The news of SPiCE spread rapidly and was soon adopted by many other parishes and schools in the Diocese of Columbus. The SPiCE program was created at Saint Brigid of Kildare School in 2007, and has served hundreds of students since.

To read the personal story of Mary Ginn & Bob Ryan, SPiCE co-founders, click here.

The Mission of SPiCE at St. Brigid:

The St. Brigid of Kildare SPiCE program recognizes that each of our parish and school children are unique individuals with diverse learning needs. The SPiCE program supports serving the educational needs of all children as our parish believes children have a variety of learning styles that provide diversity in the classroom environment.

Working together with the support of the SPiCE program, the parish community, pastor, administration, teachers, and parents all will work to provide understanding, information, creativity, and willingness to address special education needs.

St. Brigid Spirit Wear Sale - LAST CALL

Hello Wolfhound families! We are excited to announce that the Holiday Spirit Wear Sale is now open. The sale will be open for shopping through Thursday, November 16^th. Get a head start on your Christmas shopping! Orders will be fulfilled, and ready in time for holiday gift giving.

Morganheimer/Premier Spirit Wear Store

Our long-time vendor for St. Brigid spirit wear options (non-vintage) is now open. Use the link below to shop their sale, which includes a few new items! The link will be available for shopping through November 16^th.  *As a reminder, if you are looking for items in a certain color, click on the item to see all available color options.

Check out the link below to order:

https://saintbrigid.itemorder.com/ [saintbrigid.itemorder.com]

Rah Rah Spirit Wear

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 have them as a part of our community.

Check out the link below to order:

https://rahrahgear.com/collections/st-brigid [rahrahgear.com]

The site is live now through November 16^th. You can have any items shipped directly to you for the quickest delivery. Standard shipping rates apply. 

If you prefer to pick up your order for free, use code “BRIGID” at the final part of the checkout process and orders can be picked up at:6702 Royal Plume Drive, Dublin (home of Jaime Erickson)

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

Remember these Fundraisers?

This is how many schools raise money to fund all the programs, enhancements, celebrations, teacher support and appreciation that our Home and School plans throughout the year. The Annual Fund program started over 25 years ago to eliminate these labor-intensive fundraising events. These fundraisers only give back around 15% of the money they collect to the school. Family and friends felt pressured to buy items they did not need and there was the possibility of putting our children in unsafe situations while selling items door to door. These are just a few reasons why we have the Annual Fund. 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to school projects and activities that enrich the learning experience for your children. If you would like to share this link with family and friends, they have the opportunity to support your children without having to buy anything, and know that their donation is not only tax deductible but every dollar goes to St. Brigid of Kildare.



Please consider a once-a-year contribution of $125 per student ($50 for preschool) 

Family First Fall

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.  

Meetings: Wednesdays Nov 8th- Nov 15th

Time: 9:45-11am

Location: Church Basement

Childcare provided in Carr Nursery 

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.  Drop in when your schedule permits! We’d love to have you join us! 

11/15/23 One Simple Tip for Loving Your Kids (and spouse) Better When They Are Upset with Katie Warner

11/22/23 No Meeting

Family First Fall Service- Stems for Seniors 

Stems for Seniors repurposes wedding flowers that are donated, and then redistributes them to seniors in our community through organizations like Meals on Wheels, Kobacher, and other senior living centers. They use up-cycled cans and jars as “vases” for a good portion of our deliveries. 

We are asking for your help in helping us collect empty 15 oz cans from vegetables, soup, etc. We ask that you clean the cans and remove the labels. If by chance, you have a smooth edge can opener to use when you initially open the cans, that would be great, otherwise, they will smooth out the rough edges to prevent injury to our recipients. We have also found “mason” type, pint size jars from pickles, jellies, etc. work quite well, too.

Family First will be collecting cans and jars at our Mom to Mom meetings through November 15th. For more information visit Stemsforseniors.org or contact our Family First Service Chair Susan Adorno at westbrsc@yahoo.com.

Questions, please reach out to Gracie Dziewiatkowski at marygracedzski@gmail.com or Sara Norton at nortonsarae@gmail.com

Sandwich Saturday - Nov 18

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.

Giving Tree Project

The Giving Tree Project has been a parish tradition and demonstration of generosity for many years. Last year, over 600 gifts and >$10,000 in donations were provided by your generosity, making a significant difference in the lives of others.

This year, our parish will be collecting a variety of items for Bishop Griffin Resource Center, Gladden Community House, Heinzerling Community, Kentucky Mission, St. Lawrence Haven/St. Vincent de Paul, St. Stephen’s Community House, and the St. Brigid Emergency Fund.

The Giving Trees with ornaments will be in the gathering area of the church on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12. There is also a list of gifts on the Giving Tree SignUpGenius, or you can make a monetary donation online at www.stbrigidofkildare.org or by check to the Parish Office.

Advent Half-Night Lock In

Saturday, December 9 from 5-10 PM 

St. Brigid will welcome the Jesuit Spiritual Center on Saturday, December 9 to lead us in games, messaging, and live musical worship this Advent. Our parish priests will be present for Eucharistic Exposition and Reconciliation at the end of the evening. This event is open to all current 8th-12th grade students! 

We will begin with 5 PM mass at St. Brigid, move to Hendricks Hall for dinner, games, and messaging, then conclude with Adoration and Advent worship in the chapel. 

Registration is $30/ person. Pick up is at 10 PM from the chapel. See the parish website's sign up page for registration.. 

Jesus and the Eucharist

This seven-session series will immerse participants in the gospel proclamation (Sessions 1-4) and unveil God’s saving work in the Eucharist (Sessions 5-7).

Session 1: What’s Our Story?

Session 2: Who Is Jesus?

Session 3: Am I Saved?

Session 4: Why a Church?

Session 5: God Is With Us

Session 6: The Story of the Eucharist

Session 7: Bread for the Journey

Learn about the many ways you can participate and sign up at the link below.

Thinking About Becoming Catholic?

There's still time to join RCIA!

• Have you ever thought about becoming Catholic?
• Do you think you might like to look into the Catholic way of Life?
• Do you know someone interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith?

 You are invited to join us!

All classes will be held on Tuesday evenings, from 7:00-8:30 pm in the Berry Room. The calendar for this coming year is on our website at www.stbrigidofkildare.org/rcia. For more information contact Kim VanHuffel at kvanhuffel@stbrigidofkildare.org or complete the form on the website above.

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: 



 11/18/2023 St Brendan (Hilliard) 9:00am

12/14/2023 Zoom PGC (Columbus) 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/ 

BWHS Open House & Upcoming Events

The faculty and staff at Bishop Watterson High School work every day to instill the teachings of Jesus, to establish a sense of community and to inspire a drive toward excellence for our students.

To learn more, please join them on Sunday, November 19 for their Open House, set for 1:00-3:00 p.m., at their campus located at 99 East Cooke Road in Columbus.

BWHS Presents Alice in Wonderland

Please come and support Bishop Watterson Little Theatre’s St. Brigid Alumni:

Audrey Eilerman

Maddie Dublikar

Jillian Dublikar

Samantha Curtin

Gianna Dziewiatkowski

Max Bartlett

Emily Mifsud

Fiona Dorley

Tanishka Prabhu

Maisie Barr

These familiar faces will produce and perform Alice in Wonderland at Ohio Dominican University's Matesich's Theatre in Erskine Hall! 

Matesich Theatre at The Ohio Dominican University ~ Erskine Hall: 1216 Sunbury Road Columbus, OH 43219

PARKING: Park in GOLD lot and use (crosswalk) to get to Erskine Hall/Matesich Theatre.

Note: Handicap parking and elevator access is located behind Erskine Hall.

COME AND JOIN THE FUN! Get tickets at link below.

St. Charles Open House & Upcoming Events

St. Charles Fall Play, Inspecting Carol, Being Presented November 15th-19th

The St. Charles Preparatory School Drama Department is proud to announce its fall production, Inspecting Carol by Daniel Sullivan. Inspecting Carol will be presented November 16, 17, & 18 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 19 at 3:00 p.m. in the St. Charles Campus Theatre, 2010 E. Broad St. Adult tickets are $15, student tickets are $10. Reservations may be placed by visiting the St. Charles website homepage at www.scprep.org and using the “Buy Tickets” button.