Joe Blaser
Virginia Tech, B.A. History
Marymount, M.A. Education '15

Mr. Blaser teaches world geography and American studies in the social studies Department. He is also an assistant varsity coach for the boy’s basketball team and co-moderator of the Spirit and Leadership Team (SALT).

When he isn’t working on his master's degree or in the gym working out one of his basketball players, he spends the bulk of his time in the classroom with his world geography sophomores. He is among the more popular teachers in the social studies hallway and every year student’s line up to get into his class.

When asked about his teaching philosophy, Mr. Blaser remarked, “I want to make sure the students have an understanding of the world around them and to foster in-depth exploration of topics that they themselves enjoy.” He continued, “I want them to have fun.”

“Mr. Blaser is a dynamo,” remarks Mr. Haas, chair of the social studies department. “He stalks the front of his room from bell to bell, enthusiastically discussing global events. He’s unstoppable.”

This year, to complement his Socratic lectures, Mr. Blaser started using the New York Times Upfront Magazine to help his students become more aware of current issues. The magazine, published by Scholastic, sells itself as a companion news source for teens. Its articles don’t lack any bite, either, they are just a bit shorter and contain more graphics. It’s a great resource.

“Upfront Magazine is extremely student-friendly,” remarks Mr. Blaser. “They’re made especially for students and they’re written in a way that makes the material easier to understand.”

Recent issues have dealt with the Ebola virus, the “sixth extinction," and the riots in Ferguson, Mo. Of particular interest to Mr. Blaser and his students, though, the magazine also deals with global events. Last month, for instance, it issued a “blockbuster” double-installment that focused on each continent.

Nicole Dukas (’17), sophomore in the world geography course, remarked that the Upfront Magazines are extremely useful “because the articles help her understand current events in other parts of the world.”

The social studies department is proud to have Mr. Blaser on staff and thankful he is willing to explore different strategies to engage his students. We bet the boy’s basketball team is happy too. His energy and excitement is contagious.

RETURN TO MAIN SOCIAL STUDIES PAGE

This week is Computer Science Education Week, and schools all around the world participated in an activity called Hour of Code. This is an effort to introduce computer programming in the classroom, with special activities designed to help all students realize that anyone can code, anyone can create.  

Students in Terese Scott's 6th period multimedia class participated in a live video web chat with Jess Lee, the CEO of Polyvore, a popular social-based e-commerce site. This class was one of only eight classes around the country that were invited to participate in this particular web chat. Ms. Lee talked about her career path in the computer industry and answered questions for each school.

In addition to special activities during technology classes, Hour of Code activities were available for all students during the mid-day flexible instructional time. All students were invited into the technology classrooms to participate in hands-on game, app and animation coding activities, using tutorials provided on the Code.org web site. Other students learned more about secure coding and ethics of hacking, before participating in a hands-on secure coding activity utilizing PHP.

“I was impressed that one student who hadn't coded before was able to program a ping pong game during the time allotted,” said Scott. “Another finished a multiple projects.” 

Find out more at hourofcode.com/us.

Pictured: Jess Lee and the multimedia class participate in a web chat.

The French Honor Society yearbook photo will be today, directly after school in room 319. Come directly after 7th period, and please do not be late or you will not be able to be in the photo.

All students: don't forget to complete your March for Life questionnaire. Everyone needs to complete that assignment by the end of the day Tuesday.

The Chinese Culture Club will be having a meeting after school today, December 15. Please come and join us! Chinese food will be served.

Would you like to spend a week in France while learning the world's second most widely spoken language? If so, contact Mr. Hobson asap and have a parent or guardian do the same. Many thanks to those who have already responded! Additionally, there are summer opportunities available for one O'Connell male and one female. Mr. Hobson's e-mail is shobson@bishopoconnell.org .

The Stock and Finance Club will meet on Wednesday in room 202 at 3:00 PM. We will have a former stock broker speak to us. All are welcome to attend. Please see Mr. Betthauser if you have any questions.

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR GIVING, SO SEND YOUR PEEPS SOME SWEETS! CANDY CANE CANDYGRAMS ARE ON SALE NOW DURING ALL LUNCH PERIODS. YOU CAN SEND TWO FOR JUST ONE DOLLAR! CANDY GRAMS WILL BE DELIVERED ON THURSDAY. GET YOURS TODAY!

The Young Men's Executive Club will be visiting the "Art of Shaving" store in Tysons Corner this Thursday December 18, 2014 from 4:00pm - 5:30pm. Members are reminded that some of you still owe dues! Cost of trip is $10.00 per man! Please bring money if you want a shave and or hair cut! Member discount on all products!

Come to the Latin Club Saturnalia Christmas party , this Wednesday December 17  in Room 317 after school at 3:10 pm for food and fun activities. There will be an optional 5 dollar gift exchange for those that want to participate. This is an event that you do not want to miss.

Congratulations to the following students who have been named Bishop O'Connell Student-Athletes of the Week.

Lauren Harkes ‘15
Soccer – Midfielder
Hometown – Fairfax  (Previous school - St. Leo)

• 1st Team All-Met and All-WCAC both junior and senior years.Named to the high school All-American game
• 4.22 GPA, taking three AP classes
• Member of the National Honor Society. Participates in score for the poor
• Will play soccer at Clemson University

Elena Williams ‘15
Soccer – Defender
Hometown – Arlington (Previous school – St. Agnes)

• Recognized as honorable mention All-WCAC both junior and senior year
• 3.88 GPA with one AP course this year
• Member of the National Honor Society, President of Best Buddies chapter at O'Connell
• Works at Jill's House in Vienna

Sarah Cahill ‘15
Volleyball and Swimming
Hometown -  Alexandria (Previous school – St. Louis)

• 2 year varsity volleyball, named 2nd team All-WCAC senior year and Honorable Mention junior year. Leads the team and conference in blocks and leads the team with high hitting percentage.
• In swimming, she broke a 15-year-old O’Connell record in the 100 breaststroke during her junior year.
• 4.53 GPA, currently enrolled in four AP and one honors course
• Member of the National Honor Society, Rho Kappa National History Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta National Math Honor Society, and German Honor Society. President of the Keyette Club
• Volunteers at an early Head Start program in Alexandria
• Will swim at Drexel University

Find out more about previous awardees.

The Gamer Club‘s Minecraft-Hunger Games challenge competition is this Thursday, December 18, after school in Rm. 202. The contest entry fee will be $2 per player. All proceeds will be donated to charity. All are welcomed to come out and participate. Come rock the games!

All music students will eat lunch on Thursday during "A" lunch and then report to the band room to prepare for the afternoon concert.

There will be a mandatory meeting for senior Global Studies students on Wednesday, January 7, directly after school in room 319. Please let Ms. Webb know before the holidays if you are unable to attend. This is for seniors only.

Hey DJO, are you behind on your Christmas shopping? Don’t know what to get for someone? Well check out this puzzle cube! 5 pieces that come apart easily, but putting it together…well that’s the puzzle! Made of real hardwood they make a great gift. 5 bucks at Lunch. Get one before they are gone!

The Toys for Tots and INOVA Children's Hospital collection will end on December 18th. Thanks to those of you who have already donated toys and to everyone else, please keep them coming.

Congratulations to those accepted into the National English Honor Society! Please remember to add yourself to the edmodo group immediately. The code is 4cjhi9.

The Paper Airplane Club will meet today after school and on all Wednesdays in Room 112. We will take our club photo for the yearbook.

Would you like to spend a week in France while learning the world's second most widely spoken language? If so, contact Mr. Hobson asap and have a parent or guardian do the same. Many thanks to those who have already responded! Additionally, there are summer opportunities available for one O'Connell male and one female. Mr. Hobson's e-mail is shobson@bishopoconnell.org .

The Stock and Finance Club will meet today, December 17, in room 202 at 3:00 PM. We will have a former stock broker speak to us. All are welcome to attend. Please see Mr. Betthauser if you have any questions.

YOU CAN STILL SEND YOUR FAVORITE PERSON A CANDY-GRAM. SEND ONE TO YOUR BFF; SEND ONE TO YOUR FAVE TEACHER; SEND ONE TO someone special. JUST SEND ONE. THEY’RE JUST 50 CENTS! TODAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR THURSDAY DELIVERY. CANDY CANE CANDY GRAMS ARE AVAILABLE DURING LUNCH PERIODS.

The Young Men's Executive Club will be visiting the "Art of Shaving" store in Tysons Corner tomorrow December 18, 2014, from 4:00pm - 5:30pm. Members are reminded that some of you still owe dues! Cost of trip is $10.00 per man! Please bring money if you want a shave and or hair cut! Member discount on all products!

Come to the Latin Club Saturnalia Christmas party , today December 17,  in Room 317 after school at 3:10 pm for food and fun activities. There will be an optional 5 dollar gift exchange for those that want to participate. This is an event that you do not want to miss. 

This week's student-newspaper, The Visor, includes a thoughtful reflection by freshman Peter Lucas on the beautiful gift that the Rosary presents to our faith-filled community. His words are also published as the latest entry to our Student Blog.

Read "The Rosary - Mary's Gift of Grace" here.

November and December are always busy months for charitable organizations around the area. Bishop O'Connell students support a large variety programs year round, and this time of year is no exception.Clubs and sports teams work on service project together, too. Below are just some examples of recent team efforts around the community:

Boys Basketball Pre-Season Service

On Nov. 18, the boys basketball team spent the day supporting the efforts of the Missionaries of Charity in Washington, D.C. The team did yard work, prepared food, served food, and cleaned the dining room and kitchen.  The players were joined by coaches and school chaplain, Father Gregory Thompson, who rounded out the day by celebrating Mass with the group.

In addition, the players and coaches ran drills and demonstrations at two clinics to support local youth basketball programs. On Nov. 16, they headed to Maryland to participate in the Howard County Youth Program’s 25^th anniversary basketball clinic. On Dec. 5 they supported the Vienna Youth Basketball Players Clinic held at Kilmer Middle School.

JV Volleyball - Blankets for Refugees

At the end of their season, the JV volleyball team participated in a blanket drive for Syrian refugees. The girls made ten fleece blankets which were donated to a local organization that ships blankets to Turkey to support families fleeing from their war-torn homeland.

Ice Hockey Supports Sled Hockey

The Knights ice hockey program spent a Saturday afternoon in November at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington to support the USAHockey Sled Hockey Tournament. Team members pitched in where needed, carrying the sled players’ equipment before and after their games and helping to give these players the NHL treatment throughout the tournament.

Groups Lay Wreaths Arlington National Cemetery

Several groups of students from Bishop O’Connell participated in the laying of wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 13. Members of the boys lacrosse team joined forces with the Young Women’s Executive Club to lay wreaths with care in one section of the cemetery.

For the fourth year in a row, the boys soccer team participated in the Wreaths Across America program which bring these wreaths to Washington, D.C. Members of the team were also present on Saturday to unload and distribute the wreaths throughout the cemetery.

In total, 25,000 volunteers fanned out across Arlington National Cemetery to unload and place more than 200,000 wreaths for the holiday season. According to local news sources, this is the largest number of wreaths to date.

Many in the group plan to finish the project by returning in January to help pick up the wreaths.

A group of O'Connell students spent the day at the Salvation Army's Angel Tree project in Arlington. Earlier in the week they had delivered new toys that were donated for this Christmas effort. Then when the day arrived, 20 students joined chaperones Kathryn Hogan, Mike Cresson, Sister Tracey, Kurt Meinsen and Brittany Mihalich, to provide hands-on support wherever it was needed. During the day, the students acted as runners and helpers, as the Angel Tree program distributed Christmas presents from the wish lists of more than 1,000 local families in need.

"This was such an impactful event for our students," said O'Connell's Christian Service Coordinator, Kathryn Hogan. "They were able to engage on a personal level and see what a difference the small gifts made to these families."

"What was most telling to me, was that three 2014 graduates returned to be a part of this effort. To experience this day of service was a Christmas gift in itself," Hogan added.

View photos from the event below:

Wishing you and your family a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Enjoy a few photos from from the Advent season at DJO:

The Global Studies program at Bishop O’Connell is a beyond-the-classroom program for sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in learning about global issues in the 21st century. More than 125 students are participating this year, each of whom chooses a focus of interest, like the humanities, business, health, the environment or international affairs.

Find out about more about recent global studies experiences in "O'Connell's Global Studies program takes students out of the classroom," in the Arlington Catholic Herald, written by student correspondent, Francesca Pastore. 

Visit the Global Studies web pages at www.bishopoconnell.org/global.

Pictured: Rob Prazmark ’71, founder of 21 Marketing, shared his experiences in the world of global sports and entertainment marketing with Global Studies students in October.

This week is Computer Science Education Week, and schools all around the world participated in an activity called Hour of Code. This is an effort to introduce computer programming in the classroom, with special activities designed to help all students realize that anyone can code, anyone can create.  

Students in Terese Scott's 6th period multimedia class participated in a live video web chat with Jess Lee, the CEO of Polyvore, a popular social-based e-commerce site. This class was one of only eight classes around the country that were invited to participate in this particular web chat. Ms. Lee talked about her career path in the computer industry and answered questions for each school.

In addition to special activities during technology classes, Hour of Code activities were available for all students during the mid-day flexible instructional time. All students were invited into the technology classrooms to participate in hands-on game, app and animation coding activities, using tutorials provided on the Code.org web site. Other students learned more about secure coding and ethics of hacking, before participating in a hands-on secure coding activity utilizing PHP.

“I was impressed that one student who hadn't coded before was able to program a ping pong game during the time allotted,” said Scott. “Another finished a multiple projects.” 

Find out more at hourofcode.com/us.

Pictured: Jess Lee and the multimedia class participate in a web chat.

The SALT Club is trying to get a great turn-out for the Jan. 9th basketball game- We are going to film our student section and submit the video to a contest for the best student section. PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW KNIGHTS!

There will be a mandatory meeting for senior Global Studies students on Wednesday,

January 7, directly after school in room 319. Please let Ms. Webb know before the holidays if you are unable to attend. This is for seniors only.

$5 Dress Holiday Friday! (Extra Donations Welcomed) All proceeds will go to Catholic Charities! Bring $5 to Advisory on Thursday. Students must according to the handbook, page 54.

Please check the lost and found for your lost items. Lost and Found is located in Student Life.  These items will be on display during lunch on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. If not claimed they will go to Goodwill next week. Thank you.

And now over to the release of "The OZONE Anthem" music video featuring Brian Fomunyoh, Marty Knauf, John Brown, and Joe Negash on the beats... http://youtu.be/rpVVXilxdmA

Due to inclement weather? The Chapel Cafe will be closed today so no Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches. Thank you!

Also due to the weather? the Superdance meeting (scheduled for after school today) will be postponed. Please listen to tomorrow’s announcements for an update. Thank you!

All Keyette Members who did not attend the meeting on Monday, January 5 please see Mrs. Graif in room 114 or Mrs. Koranek in room 116 as soon as possible to pick up an agenda. Thanks You!

The Bishop O'Connell Varsity Sailing team will be having an informational meeting at 3:15 pm, this Thursday, after school for those interested in sailing for O'Connell this spring. No experience is necessary, all are welcome!? Please see Samara Leith with questions.

Pro Life Club will be having a bake sale during all lunches Today, Tuesday, January 6th!

The SALT Club is trying to get a great turn-out for the Jan. 9th basketball game- We are going to film our student section and submit the video to a contest for the best student section. PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW KNIGHTS!

There will be a mandatory meeting for senior Global Studies students on Wednesday, January 7, directly after school in room 319. Please let Ms. Webb know before the holidays if you are unable to attend. This is for seniors only.

Please check the lost and found for your lost items. Lost and Found is located in Student Life. These items will be on display during lunch on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. If not claimed they will go to Goodwill next week. Thank you.

Exam time is coming---Any library books that were due before Christmas break must be returned and all outstanding fines paid. There are also other outstanding library fines that also must be paid BEFORE you may take your exams. Return all and pay now, or it will cost more later. If the librarians have to come and find you the fines increase. Check the list posted at the library to be sure you have taken care of these items. Any questions see one of the librarians. Return and take exams, no returns , no exams!

The March for Life is a very important part of how Bishop O'Connell stands up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Thank you to all the students that signed up to go with O'Connell to the Rally and the March. We have a very limited number of spaces available if you still want to sign up. Please see your theology teacher or come to the Activities Office to add your name to the list of those students attending the March with O'Connell.

Attention DJO: Do you like obstacle courses Well, the O'Connell Elite Club is looking for you. We will be training to take on 5K obstacle courses such as the Spartan Race and Warrior Dash. An interest meeting will be held after school at 3 PM this Friday, January 9th, in room 231. Please be prompt as important information will be discussed. If you have any questions see Mr. Mahoney, President Antonio Marrero, or Vice President Collin Snyder.

$5 Dress Holiday Friday!  (Extra Donations Welcomed) All proceeds will go to? Catholic Charities! Bring $5 to Advisory on Thursday. Students must dress according to the handbook, page 54. Please note: if the dress code is not followed (leggings, jeggings, yoga pants, you know the look?)  all future dress out days will be denied. This is not a test, this is real. Dress holidays are awesome so please be sure you dress appropriately  girls don’t even think about grabbing those leggings slash yoga pants from your closet. Stay classy O’Connell!

ATTENTION FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE STUDENTS: DJO will be hosting a Confirmation Retreat on January 17th. We are in need of student volunteers. The event will run 9am-9pm. See Ms. Hogan in the Christian Service Office to sign up for a shift! This is a great opportunity for any students who have incomplete hours to make up! Thank you!?

All Keyette Members who did not attend the meeting on Monday, January 5 please see Mrs. Graif in room 114 or Mrs. Koranek in room 116 as soon as possible to pick up an agenda.

All Superdance Chairs will meet in the SCA room today, Wednesday, after school.

The Bishop O'Connell Varsity Sailing team will be having an informational meeting at 3:15 pm, this Thursday, after school for those interested in sailing for O'Connell this spring. No experience is necessary, all are welcome!” The meeting will take place in the UPPER GYM! Please see Samara Leith with questions.

There will be a mandatory meeting for senior Global Studies students today, January 7, directly after school in room 319. Please let Ms. Webb know before the holidays if you are unable to attend. This is for seniors only.

The WINTER PIANO SHOWCASE will be on Thursday evening, January 8th at 7PM, in the Music Room. Come join some of the best pianists at DJO while they perform some amazing music.

The SALT Club is trying to get a great turn-out for the Jan. 9th basketball game- We are going to film our student section and submit the video to a contest for the best student section.  PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW KNIGHTS!

Please check the lost and found in Student Life for any items you may be missing.  These items will be on display during lunch on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. If not claimed they will go to Goodwill next week. Thank you. Exam time is coming---Any library books that were due before Christmas break must be returned and all outstanding fines paid. There are also other outstanding library fines that also must be paid BEFORE you may take your exams. Return all  and pay now, or it will cost more later. If the librarians have to come and find you the fines increase. Check the list posted at the library to be sure you have taken care of these items. Any questions see one of the librarians. Return and take exams , no returns , no exams!

The March for Life is a very important part of how Bishop O'Connell stands up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Thank you to all the students that signed up to go with O'Connell to the Rally and the March.  We have a very limited number of spaces available if you still want to sign up. Please see your theology teacher or come to the Activities Office to add your name to the list of those students attending the March with O'Connell.

Attention DJO: Do you like obstacle courses? Well, the O'Connell Elite Club is looking for you. We will be training to take on 5K obstacle courses such as the Spartan Race and Warrior Dash. An interest meeting will be held after school at 3 PM this Friday, January 9^th, in room 231. Please be prompt as important information will be discussed. If you have any questions see Mr. Mahoney, President Antonio Marrero, or Vice President Collin Snyder."

$5 Dress Holiday Friday!  (Extra Donations Welcomed).  All proceeds will go to… Catholic Charities! Bring $5 to Advisory on Thursday. Students must dress according to the handbook, page 54. Please note… if the dress code is not followed  (leggings, jeggings, yoga pants, you know the look…)  all future dress out days will be denied. This is not a test… this is real. Dress holidays are awesome so please be sure you dress appropriately … girls… don’t even think about grabbing those leggings slash yoga pants from your closet… so Stay classy O’Connell!

Attention all members of the Young Women's Executive Club, we have our first guest speaker coming on Friday January 9th at 11:30 am. Please come to the Guitar Room located in the history hallway. Attendance will be taken. We also have a meeting next Tuesday, January 13th at 3:15 in Room 122.

FOR WEDNESDAY JAN 7 - THURSDAY JAN 8 and FRIDAY JAN 9: Auditions for the spring musical "The Sound of Music" will be next Monday and Tuesday during knight time in the UPPER GYM.  Students are asked to prepare a one-minute monologue as well as TWO 16 bar songs.  Monologues DO NOT need to be memorized.  Song selections should be upbeat and slow, and not from the show.  For more information, please visit the theatre bulletin board near the center office OR email Ms. Zimmerman at szimmerman@bishopoconnell.org

Come support your Royalette Dance Team at the  East Coast Regional Championship on this Sunday, January 11th at West Springfield High School. Performance slots are 4:15pm, 5:00pm and 5:45pm. 

ATTENTION FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE STUDENTS: DJO will be hosting a Confirmation Retreat on January 17th. We are in need of student volunteers. The event will run 9am-9pm.  See Ms. Hogan in the Christian Service Office to sign up for a shift! This is a great opportunity for any students who have incomplete hours to make up! Thank you! 

All Keyette Members who did not attend the meeting on Monday, January 5 please see Mrs. Graif in room 114 or Mrs. Koranek in room 116 as soon as possible to pick up an agenda.

All Superdance Chairs and co-chairs will meet in  room 328, today, Friday, after school.

Salt will be raffling off 10 chipotle gift cards today at the basketball game. All students who come will be entered! Come out and support your knights!

Please check the lost and found in Student Life for any items you may be missing.  These items will be on display today during lunch. If not claimed they will go to Goodwill next week. Thank you.

Any library books that were due before Christmas break must be returned and all outstanding fines paid. There are also other outstanding library fines that also must be paid BEFORE you may take your exams. Check the list posted at the library to be sure you have taken care of these items. Any questions see one of the librarians.

The March for Life is a very important part of how Bishop O'Connell stands up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Thank you to all the students that signed up to go with O'Connell to the Rally and the March.  We have a very limited number of spaces available if you still want to sign up. Please see your theology teacher or come to the Activities Office to add your name to the list of those students attending the March with O'Connell.

Attention DJO: Do you like obstacle courses? Well, the O'Connell Elite Club is looking for you. We will be training to take on 5K obstacle courses such as the Spartan Race and Warrior Dash. An interest meeting will be held after school at 3 PM this TODAY , January 9^th, in room 231. Please be prompt as important information will be discussed. If you have any questions see Mr. Mahoney, President Antonio Marrero, or Vice President Collin Snyder.

Attention all members of the Young Women's Executive Club, we have our first guest speaker coming on TODAY at 11:30 am. Please come to the Guitar Room located in the history hallway. Attendance will be taken. We also have a meeting next Tuesday, January 13th at 3:15 in Room 122.

The first philosophy club meeting of 2015 will be TODAY at 11:45am in Room 220. Please see Ms. Funk for more information.

Auditions for the spring musical "The Sound of Music" will be next Monday and Tuesday during knight time in the UPPER GYM.  Students are asked to prepare a one-minute monologue as well as TWO 16 bar songs.  Monologues DO NOT need to be memorized.  Song selections should be upbeat and slow, and not from the show.  For more information, please visit the theatre bulletin board near the center office OR email Ms. Zimmerman at szimmerman@bishopoconnell.org

Come support your Royalette Dance Team at the  East Coast Regional Championship on this Sunday, January 11th at West Springfield High School. Performance slots are 4:15pm, 5:00pm and 5:45pm. 

ATTENTION FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE STUDENTS: DJO will be hosting a Confirmation Retreat on January 17th. We are in need of student volunteers. The event will run 9am-9pm.  See Ms. Hogan in the Christian Service Office to sign up for a shift! This is a great opportunity for any students who have incomplete hours to make up! Thank you! 

There will be a mandatory tennis meeting on Tuesday January 13 in room 123 immediately after school. Important tryout information will be given out. Please be prompt.

-Tonight the boys basketball team will take on the Dematha stags, this is a big WCAC match and a must win game. It is a home game and is at 7:30, be there on time to get a good seat. The game is a tropical out. Wear Hawaiian clothes, swim trunks, floaties, pretty much anything related to the beach, except for bikinis or anything that will be inappropriate. Keep it classy O'Connell. Our student section will be filmed for a contest of the best student section in the area. Everyone needs to be there. Our student section needs to be more loud, hype, and excited for games and we need to live up to the name The O-Zone. The team plays better when we're all there. Show some love baby!  Also, the boys hockey team has a game at 6:40 and I wish we could go to both. Good luck boys I know you'll kill it! Go Knights!

The Jan. 8 Piano Showcase was canceled due to snow. In order to finalize our students' semester grades for transcripts, the students will be performing their showcase pieces during the 7th period exam block on Friday, Jan. 16 from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m.  We invite you to attend this fun event in the Band Room and support our students. We plan on showcasing our students' talents at assemblies in the third quarter and we will keep our Fine Arts supporters aware of those events. 

We hope to see you on Friday at 8:15 a.m.

The St. Mary’s Ryken at Bishop O’Connell girls’ varsity basketball game is in the running for Toyota Game of the Week on WUSA 9! Help us spread the word so they can be featured on TV (Channel 9) this Friday night.

To vote via text, fans can:
-Text girlswcac to "25543" to vote for St. Mary’s Ryken at Bishop O’Connell

Any library books that were due before Christmas break must be returned and all outstanding fines paid. There are also other outstanding library fines that also must be paid BEFORE you may take your exams. Check the list posted at the library to be sure you have taken care of these items. Any questions see one of the librarians.

The March for Life is a very important part of how Bishop O'Connell stands up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Thank you to all the students that signed up to go with O'Connell to the Rally and the March.  We have a very limited number of spaces available if you still want to sign up. Please see your theology teacher or come to the Activities Office to add your name to the list of those students attending the March with O'Connell.

Items that have been lost will be on display during all lunch periods today, Tuesday. This is the last chance to claim your items before they are donated to Goodwill. Thank you.

Good morning young men of OConnell HS! There will be a mandatory meeting of all YMEC members after school today at 3:15 - 4:00pm in Coach Owens room 224. Please be on time and bring your dues! 

Attention all members of the Young Women's Executive Club, We have a meeting today at 3:15 in Room 122.

Auditions for the spring musical "The Sound of Music" will be held TODAY and TOMORROW during knight time in the UPPER GYM.  Students are asked to prepare a one-minute monologue as well as TWO 16 bar songs.  Monologues DO NOT need to be memorized.  Song selections should be upbeat and slow, and not from the show.  For more information, please visit the theatre bulletin board near the center office OR email Ms. Zimmerman at szimmerman@bishopoconnell.org

ATTENTION FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE STUDENTS: DJO will be hosting a Confirmation Retreat on January 17th. We are in need of student volunteers. The event will run 9am-9pm.  See Ms. Hogan in the Christian Service Office to sign up for a shift! This is a great opportunity for any students who have incomplete hours to make up! Thank you! 

The Cafe Vaticano will be closed beginning on Thursday, Jan. 15 through Thursday, Jan. 22. The Cafe will reopen on Monday, Jan. 26.