Supporting the Walsh Family

We are heartbroken for the loss of beloved school parent, Kevin Walsh. Devoted and loving to his wife, Dena, and a kind and caring father to Andrew (7th grade) and Elizabeth. Kevin was loved by everyone, and the loss is deeply felt. We encourage you all to support the Walsh family with prayers of comfort and healing. A GoFundMe account has been established to support Dena and the children. Please consider contributing.

A memorial visitation will be held at St. Barnabas Church on Sunday from 2pm - 6pm. The Funeral Mass will be on Monday at 11am at St. Barnabas Church. View the obituary.

Halloween Dance

The Class of 2026 Halloween Dance is tonight! All 8th-grade students should meet in the parking lot at 7pm for a group picture before heading to the school cafeteria. All students should be picked up by an adult at 9:30pm; students are not permitted to walk alone when leaving the dance. 8th Grade, we hope you have a fun, safe, and memorable evening with your friends and classmates. Learn more.

Athletes Mass on Sunday

Let us gather in prayer and gratitude for the gifts of teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship this Sunday, October 26, at the 10am Fall Athletics Mass. Our fall sport athletes are encouraged to wear their team jersey to mass. Learn more.

Volleyball Tryouts on Sunday

Girls in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade are asked to try out for team placement for Volleyball this Sunday, October 26. Athletes should arrive at their designated arrival time; please do not arrive early.

For questions, please contact the Volleyball Coordinator, Trish McGill.

6th Grade - 4:15pm arrival time & sign-in. Evaluation 4:30pm - 6pm

7th Grade - 5:45pm arrival time & sign-in. Evaluation 6:15pm - 7:45pm

8th Grade - 7:15pm arrival time & sign-in. Evaluation 8pm - 9:30pm

Celebrating All Saints Day

Each year, as part of their religion curriculum, the 4th-grade students learn about the lives of the saints and lead our beloved tradition - The Saints Museum. In honor of All Saints Day, the students dress in full character as they present the life of their chosen, influential saint. Next Tuesday, October 28, we invite all members of our school and parish community to join our 8:45am School Mass, followed by 4th-grade student presentations in the gym. Learn more.

Picture Day Retakes

Picture Day Retakes for students in Preschool - Grade 7 who missed the original date or prefer a retake will take place on Tuesday morning, October 28 (8th Grade retakes will be on Friday, December 5). For families that want a retake and have already purchased a picture package, please return the photo package to the photographer on Retake Day, and Van Gogh will reprint the original order using the retake image. 

Students should arrive at school dressed for pictures. For questions about pictures, please contact Mrs. Sue Connolly. Details on ordering pictures can be found here.

Schedule Reminders

Sharing a few calendar reminders about early dismissals and days off:

• 1:30pm Dismissal - Wednesday, October 29 
• No School - Friday, November 7
• 1:30pm Dismissal - Wednesday, November 19
• Thanksgiving Break - begins Tuesday, November 25 at 11:50am, class resumes Monday, December 1
• Christmas Break - begins Friday, December 19 at 11:50am, class resumes Tuesday, January 6

December Save the Dates

December at St. Barnabas is bustling with Christmas cheer! In mid-November, we will share a full, detailed calendar, but in the meantime, we wanted to make sure you save the date for a few key holiday events:

• Progressive Mixer (adults only) - Saturday, December 6 at 6pm
• School Christmas Pageant (featuring 1st, 5th, and 7th grade students) - Friday, December 12 at 1:45pm
• Preschool Pageant - Thursday, December 18, 10am School Performance, 6:30pm Friends and Family

FSA Meetings

This year, the monthly planning meetings for the FSA will be held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7pm in the school’s Main Hall. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 11 at 7pm. Upcoming initiatives include the Scholastic Book Fair, Santa’s Secret Workshop, and the Staff Stocking Stuffer. Learn more and get involved!

Art to Remember

Order keepsake art through Art to Remember to benefit our school art program! In art class, students created artwork that has been produced as keepsake items. View art in the online St. Barnabas Gallery (sorted by homeroom) and place orders by November 10 to arrive in time for Christmas gifting! View Art to Remember.

Halloween is an exciting time at St. Barnabas School. We ask all parents to take a few moments to review the Halloween details. View the printable overview.

PUMPKIN DECORATING - The Student Council is hosting its annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Pumpkins may be decorated using paint, glue, paper, fabric, etc. Please do NOT carve pumpkins. Decorated pumpkins can be brought to school Monday, October 27 - Thursday, October 30, for display in the Main Hall. Learn more.

VOLUNTEERS - Parent volunteers are essential to our Halloween celebrations. All parents who plan to volunteer for any portion of the day, including the PK celebration, Fun Food, or class parties, must ensure their Virtus Volunteer authorization is up to date. Please log in to your Virtus account to check your current status. CANTS forms and a background check are required every year. Each Halloween, we have to turn away parents who are not up to date. We really dislike having to turn away volunteers, and we know it is disappointing to both parents and their children. If you are unsure of the Virtus process, please contact Mrs. Sue Connolly. 

PRESCHOOL - Our youngest Buckeyes follow a different schedule and structure and will celebrate Halloween on Wednesday, October 29 (a 1:30pm dismissal day). Details have been shared by our PK teachers with all families.

FUN FOOD - Halloween is also Fun Food with Barraco's, coordinated by our FSA. The ordering window has now closed. There will be no traditional hot lunch from Country House available on this day; please remember to send a bagged lunch if you did not order Barracos.

COSTUMES - All kindergarten - 8th grade students are invited to dress up in school-appropriate costumes on Friday, October 31. No masks, weapons, or political themes will be permitted. Children with inflatable costumes may only wear them during the parade; inflatables must be off and deflated during the school day. Be mindful, especially with younger children, that all students must be comfortable and self-sufficient in their costumes throughout the day.

PARADE - All kindergarten through 8th-grade students will walk in the costume parade. The parade steps off from the school’s Main Entrance around 1:30pm (weather permitting). Students walk west up 101st Place, turn north on Seeley, and return down 101st Street hill towards the school. Parents/guardians, grandparents, younger siblings, and friends are encouraged to clap, cheer, and take pictures along the route.  

CLASS PARTIES & TREATS - We have some severe food allergies in our school, and we ask all families to take great care in respecting our no-treat policy. Candy or edible treats are NOT allowed. Small items to share with classmates (stickers, pencils, playdough, etc.) are permitted (and optional). Students who send candy will not be permitted to distribute it. If you plan to distribute treats, please confirm the number of students in your child’s homeroom with the room parent or teacher.

Classroom parties are at the discretion of homeroom teachers, with the help of room parents. Details about individual class parties will be shared in the teacher’s Google Classroom. 

TEAL PUMPKIN PARTNERSHIP - Thank you to our Student Council for educating our students on how they can help to create an inclusive and safe environment. All families are encouraged to take part in The Teal Pumpkin Project by offering allergy-friendly treats to trick-or-treaters. Download a flyer to print and display in your home window.

Ofrenda Altar

In honor of Día de los Muertos, we will be creating a school-wide ofrenda to celebrate and remember our loved ones who have passed away. We invite all students and families to bring in a photo or a small item that represents someone special to their family. Please label each item or photo with your family name and homeroom so we can ensure everything is returned after the celebration.

Family Directory

The St. Barnabas School Family Directory is published through DirectorySpot. It is meant to connect us as a community and includes parent/guardian names, phone numbers, email addresses, along with students' names, grade levels, and homerooms. Only current St. Barnabas School parents, guardians, and staff are granted access to this password-protected directory. We recommend using the Directory Spot app for easy access via your phone. If you have previously used Directory Spot, log in with your existing username and password, and you will have access to the current school year directory. To set up a first-time access, view the set-up guide.

Kids Heart Challenge - ​Thank you to all our jumpers and their supporters. This year, The Kids Heart Challenge raised $11,110 for the American Heart Association! Congratulations to 4th grader Maura Kreiter for being the top fundraiser, raising $1,192.55 to help others be heart-healthy. We also thank PE teacher Mrs. Cruz for facilitating the event.

Pack the House - Thank you to Tara and Jay Miles for leading the Girls Basketball Pack the House Planning Committee! We are so grateful for the dynamic night you planned for our school. Thank you to all on the committee that played a role, both large and small. Thank you to the fans for bringing the enthusiasm and school spirit! Thank you to our basketball coordinator, Mike Berry, and to the coaches: Carly Hurd, PJ McGrath, Ed Burton, Jeff Collado, and Kathleen Herber—you are so generous with your time and talent. Lastly, thank you to our Class of 2026 Girls Basketball athletes—you have brought tremendous joy and talent to the St. Barnabas Athletic program.

Living Rosary - Thank you to our 7th-grade students for sharing their reverence and faith with the St. Barnabas community at yesterday’s Living Rosary communion service. The power of prayer is extraordinary, and we are grateful to all the parents, grandparents, and community members who shared in the service.

• STAY IN THE KNOW - Link to top news & events
• REPORT AN ABSENCE - Report illness or planned absence by 8am
• HOT LUNCH - Country House food service
• STAFF DIRECTORY - Staff emails
• FAMILY DIRECTORY - DirectorySpot Access
• INCIDENT REPORT - Online Incident Reporting Form
• FAMILY RESOURCES - School Policies and Procedures
• CLASS OF 2026 - 8th Grade Events Page
• VOLUNTEER - Get Involved!
• TREATS FOR TEACHERS - Donate drinks and snacks for staff
• BUCKEYE SHOP - Spirit Wear and Uniform Apparel
• SCHOOL NEWS ARCHIVE - Links to previous issues