Cafe Vaticano opens today in the Campus Ministry hallway. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches are available as well as decaf coffee. Popcorn will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The café is open on Anchor and B1 Schedule days and is available to students only during their lunch period.

Juniors and seniors, Campus Ministry is recruiting for Peer Ministers to assist with the Class Retreats for this year. Peer Ministers will be asked to help lead small groups, lead ice breakers, music, and be a witness to the Gospel. For seniors, 5 service hours can be obtained by volunteering for Peer Ministry. In order to participate, you will need to fill out an application and provide teacher references. Forms are due by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, in the Chaplain’s office. You can obtain forms in the chaplain’s office from Mrs. Ellis. If you have further questions, please contact Father Thompson.

There will be a general membership meeting of the Keyette Club today immediately after school in room 114.  If you cannot attend for a serious reason, please see Mrs. Graif today or tomorrow for an agenda and sign-up form.

Attention all DJs interested in DJ-ing at the Welcome Back Dance: tryouts will be held today, September 8, after school in the SCA Room.

Swipe - Students who fail to swipe in in the morning will receive a lunch time detention. We will begin issuing detentions tomorrow. “Dress code…Hey you in the wrong pants and the wrong belt, and you in the short skort and Nike socks… you are out of uniform. Any grace period from student life is over. Dress proudly and sharply as an O'Connell student or find yourself in lunch detention.  Senior privileges have not been instituted with the exception of eating in the courtyard. All other privileges will be granted when the senior class shows a commitment to being in uniform.” – Office of Student Life

The SADD club will hold its first meeting with elections tomorrow before school at 7:15 a.m. in room 224. This will be the last call for nominations.

The young women's executive council is seeking new members for the 2015-2016 school year. This club aims to promote traditional values for the modern young woman through activities such as guest speakers, field trips and service opportunities. The club is only open to juniors and seniors. Applications can be found on the door of room 122. Please return them to Ms. Krista no later than Wednesday, September 9, (THAT’S TOMORROW) by the end of day. 

There will be an American Sign Language Club interest meeting after school on Wednesday Sept 9th from 3:00-3:15 in room 142.

Did you know that Bishop O’Connell has an all new Praise Band? The praise band meets weekly to rehearse and perform contemporary Christian songs for worship at school Masses.  Auditions for the praise band will be held tomorrow in the Band Room starting at 3 PM. For more information please speak with Mr. Kadeli.

Nominations for Class Representatives will be held tomorrow, September 9, and Elections will be held on September 10, in your Advisory.

Today, Confessions will be held during lunches A and C. Mass will be celebrated during B Lunch in the student chapel. Please remember to swipe at the chapel entrance.

Attention all SCA officers, councilors, moderators, and advisory representatives: Today we will be meeting at 3pm in the auditorium balcony. This meeting is mandatory, please be prompt!

There will be a Best Buddies Sign-Up Meeting today immediately after school in Mrs. Stabile's room - 316!

Attention all students going on the Papal Pilgrimage: Stop by the Chaplain's office by today to sign up for your group for the weekend. These groups are not co-ed. If you don't sign up by 3:30 p.m. you will be assigned a group. Questions? See Sister Tracey.

Are you interested in woodworking? Would you like to learn how to use tools and make stuff? We have a club just for you! The WoodCrafters club is meeting today after school in Room 234. Come on out!

Any students interested in joining the Ecology club are invited to attend the first meeting of the year today, after school, in Mr. Britt's room, room 236.

ALL SENIOR Global Studies students, who did not attend the meeting yesterday must attend the meeting today in room 319. This is the first step towards completing your program and receiving your certificate. This will be a brief 15-20 minute meeting directly after school. See Ms. Webb if you have further questions. Any seniors who were unable to attend the meeting can attend the make up meeting on Monday, September 21.

Father Thompson is holding a mandatory hockey retreat after school today. Students will report to room 146 in the Theology Wing at 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.. Only those players not involved in Fall DJO sport will be excused. Please email Coach Flip if you are unable to attend.

There will be a meeting of the young man's executive club on Thursday morning Sep. 17 at 7:15 AM in Coach Owens room 224 please be prepared to pay your dues review the agenda for this school year and review the applications of those that are applying for admission into the club please be prompt and on time breakfast will be served! 

Attention all students: In Advisory today you will receive a copy of your schedule for your parents to use at Back To School night. Please remind them the program begins at 7 p.m. and it is an anchor schedule with 8 minute periods.

Bishop O'Connell's Pro- Life Club, Knights for Life, will hold their first meeting Thursday, September 17 in room 125 during morning advisory. We will discuss events for the year such as the March for Life. If you are interested in joining the club, please come-there will be food!

Attention Juniors and Seniors interested in the National English Honor Society:

If you have an overall 3.5 GPA and also a 3.5 GPA in English, you are eligible to join the National English Honor Society.

Those juniors who were inducted last year are automatically members for this year providing their GPA's continue to meet the requirements.

Juniors and those seniors who are not already members may pick up a form from Mrs. Cerniglia in Room 323 or from Mrs. DiGregory in the Writing Center, Room 325.

Thank you, and have a wonderful National Play Doh Day!

Mass will be held in the student chapel during B lunch today.

There will be a Teens Against Cancer Club Meeting in Room 125 at 3:00 after school today. All are welcome to attend.

The Anime Club will meet today at 3 P.M. in Mrs. Henry's room, room 327.

Attention all students taking Spanish:  Are you having trouble learning verb conjugations and other grammar rules?  If so, come to room 312 for Spanish Tutoring during Knight Time on Anchor Days.  Tutors are available during all lunch times, and students of all levels are welcome.

The Ladies Golf Club is inviting anyone who is interested in swinging a golf club. There is an open meeting on Friday, September 18 at 3 PM in lab 232. No golf experience necessary!"

The first meeting of the year for The Operation Smile club will take place on Friday, September 18, at 3:00 in Room 213.

The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will meet on Friday, September 18 at 3:00 PM in room 200. We will elect officers at this meeting. New members are welcome to attend.

Attention Juniors and Seniors interested in the National English Honor Society: If you have an overall 3.5 GPA and also a 3.5 GPA in English, you are eligible to join the National English Honor Society. Those juniors who were inducted last year are automatically members for this year providing their GPA's continue to meet the requirements. Juniors and those seniors who are not already members may pick up a form from Mrs. Cerniglia in Room 323 or from Mrs. DiGregory in the Writing Center, Room 325.

Interested in the upcoming U.S. president election? Even if you aren't old enough to vote, you are old enough to take an active interest in the future of this country! Come find out more about the Bishop O'Connell Young Republicans at their kick-off meeting and officer elections on Monday, Sep. 21 at 3 p.m. in room 326. Snacks will be provided.

There will be a meeting for all Junior Global Studies students and for all juniors who wish to join Global Studies on Tuesday, September 22nd directly after school in room 319. If you are unable to attend, please see Ms. Webb ASAP.

Join the Pro-Life club this Saturday, September 19th, for our first Clinic Outreach of the year.  We will meet at the Student Chapel at 9 am for Mass, followed by peaceful prayer and witness at the Falls Church Abortion mill on S. Washington St., and concluding our time together with brunch at IHOP.  All are encouraged to attend.  Parents and siblings are welcome to join.  Please see Ms. Lattie in Room 215 for details and permission forms.

Just a reminder that Friday will be a 9:20 am opening. Students will have periods 2,4, and 6 with advisory at 9:20, the start of the day.

The theme for Bishop O’Connell’s 2015 Homecoming is…. A Knight Among the Stars!

Thank you, and have a tremendous National Constitution Day!

Spring Music Trip
This year the Bishop O'Connell Music Program will be travelling to Orlando, Florida on March 9 to 14th to participate in the Music USA Festival.  The first payment was due on September 10th.  If you have not already submitted your commitment form and down payment, please do so this week.  We do not want to cancel the trip due to a lack of participation.  Please remember that there are many fundraising opportunities throughout the year that can defray the cost of your student's trip.  If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Danine Welsh at daninewelsh@gmail.com.

Music Program Shirts
Please remember that all students in the Music Program must have an O'Connell Music blue polo shirt.  If you have not already placed your order, please note that all orders are due by Monday, September 21st.

Music Program Bake Sale
We will have our first bake sale on Wednesday, September 23.  Everything will be sold for $1.00.  Please consider donating baked goods, donuts, cupcakes, etc. for sale during the lunch periods.  Package, cute, or wrap items keeping in mind that they will be sold for $1.  Donations can be dropped off in the cafeteria Wednesday morning.  We appreciate your generosity.

Our English department has found a way to harness the power of the Internet to give students access to classroom discussion anywhere. A weekly podcast, the English Department Round Table, brings faculty members together to discuss their favorite books or focus on what students are working on. 

The podcast is available free through the iTunes store HERE or just search the store for "DJO English."  You can also listen to the podcast from your browser at the DJO English Round Table blog site. 

Read more about the podcast in a story by student correspondent Joe Buckreis in the Arlington Catholic Herald.

Interested in the upcoming U.S. presidential election? Even if you aren't old enough to vote, you are old enough to take an active interest in the future of this country! Come find out more about the Bishop O'Connell Young Republicans. Our kick-off meeting with officer elections are today at 3 p.m. in room 326. Snacks will be provided.

The O'Connell music program will be hosting auditions for the Diocesan Music Festival here at DJO this afternoon.  We need DJO students who could be "runners.”  If you are going to be in the building and have some free time from 3:30 to about 5 or 6 p.m., please help us out. See Mr. Isaacson for details.

Today, adoration and confessions will be held during periods 1, 2, 4, 5, & 7.  During these periods, students may go to confession during class time unless a test or quiz is being administered.  Additional confessions will be heard during lunches A and C.  Mass will be celebrated during B Lunch in the student chapel. Please remember to swipe at the chapel entrance.

There will be a meeting for all Junior Global Studies students and for all juniors who wish to join Global Studies on Tuesday, September 22nd directly after school in room 319. If you are unable to attend, please see Ms. Webb ASAP.

Attention Freshman and Sophomore students: Get a jump on your Christian Service Project with an opportunity with Catholic Charities on Sunday Sep. 27, 3-5 p.m. See the flyer outside the Christian Service Office.

Homecoming tickets go on sale next week. Guest forms are available outside the Christian Service\SCA office and are due back on Oct. 2.  Door decorating begins on Oct. 5 – you could win a donut breakfast if you have the best decorated Advisory door for Spirit Week. If you want to know more about Homecoming, be sure to ask your Advisory Rep.

One Saturday every fall, the University of Virginia invites prospective students to participate in their Cavalier Marching Band.  Seniors Teresa Eichner and Kathryn Baker participated in this year's UVA Band Day, held last Saturday, Sep. 19. This was Teresa's second year of participation, and Kathryn's first. Both musicians donned vintage marching band uniforms from Bishop O'Connell.

Congratulations to both young ladies on their participation!

Congratulations to Bishop O'Connell senior Virginia Schilder (pictured left) who has been named as a Semifinalist in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Earlier this month, officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 61th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. More than 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2014 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. National Merit Semifinalists have the opportunity to continue the competition for some 7,400 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $32 million, that will be offered next spring.

Commended Students

In addition, eight O'Connell seniors were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program as Commended Students, based on their performance on the 2014 PSAT/NMSQT®:

Alex Damjanovic
Maureen Duesterhaus
Diego Garcia
Thomas Giuseppe
Emma Meng
Alexandra Rodriguez
Jacob Vanaman
David Williams

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic performance. Although they will not continue in the 2016 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of the more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2016 competition by taking the 2014 PSAT/NMSQT®.

Academic Dean, Sister Catherine Hill, IHM, congratulated the students and encouraged them, borrowing from Pope Francis's words to the priests and religious gathered at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City yesterday. "Be grateful for your gifts that allowed you to accomplish this," she said. "Then continue to work hard, using the gifts you've been given."

Pictured below: Students recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program are joined by Head of School, Dr. Joseph Vorbach (far right), Assistant Head of School, Carl Patton (top row, far left), and Sister Catherine Hill (far left). 

Our school community has embraced Pope Francis's visit to the United States. In case you missed any of it, here are photos, thoughts and much more from this extraordinary week:

Embracing the Holy Father's Visit (Dr. Vorbach's blog)

Reporting from the South Lawn of the White House (A Day in the Life of a Knight - Student blog)

A Walk With Francis (Student Life Blog from Mr. Roque)

Bonus Podcast on Pope Francis Addressing Congress (English Department Podcast)

We Walk With Francis - Video

Papal Pilgrimage to Philadelphia 
In the early hours of Saturday, Sep. 26, 200 students and chaperones boarded coach buses at Bishop O'Connell and headed to Philadelphia. The students were hosted by two local parishes, and were able to see Pope Francis along the parkway, and later at the Festival of Families and at the Papal Mass. Enjoy some photos below with more to come...

Mass will be held in the student chapel at B lunch.

Are you interested in writing and public speaking? Come and join us for the first Debate Team meeting today, Tuesday, September 29 in room 321. Returning members and any interested new members are all welcome to join. Please see Ms. Gibeily (Ji-Bay-Lee) or Kathryn Baker if you have questions.

The Robotics club will meet today after school in room 234. They are planning for the next competition so everyone come out!

Congratulations to Besa Bucaj, Ava Coffin, Jessica Gliot, Caliegh Keegan, Vasili Varfis, Evan Stella, Emma Powers, Kathryn Hales, Peter Lucas, Zoe Forino, Joseph Shank, Paul Bean, Elise Welsh, and Ciaron O'Donovan for successfully auditioning for the Diocesan Honors Music Festival. They will all participate in the Honors Chorus at the festival along with the band and orchestra ensembles.  

There will be an Art and Photography meeting Thursdaym Oct 3 after school at 3 pm.

Attention! YMEC Members and potentials members. We will hold a club meeting this Thursday, 1, 2015 -  3:15 - 4:30pm. Please have your dues ready! Please check Edmodo site tomorrow for the Agenda for the meeting.

Attention Spanish Honor Society: We will have a mandatory meeting on Wednesday, September 30, at 3:00pm. in the upper auditorium. Please be prompt! Students! You must be present in order to choose your service for this year. Food Distributions will be this Friday, October 2 at St. James Parish from 6:30pm to-8:30pm. Also, Tutoring at Tuckahoe Elementary School will start on Tuesday, Oct, 6 from 3:30pm to 4:45pm.   More details at the meeting on Wednesday.

Hockey tryouts start this Friday, Oct. 2 from 4:00-5:20, Tuesday Oct. 6 @ 3:40-4:50 and Friday, October 9th @ 4:00-5:20.   Please contact Coach Flip Collins if you are unable to attend. Also, the hockey team needs 3 team managers and an announcer and music person for this upcoming season, contact Coach Collins.

Crafternoon! Visit the school library after school this Thursday from 3pm to 4pm to transform old books into paper art. Finished examples are on display in the library. Supplies will be provided. 

This is a reminder to students to please return your permissions forms to take the Bystander Survey. You can return your 2 signed permission forms to the Counseling Office.  Thank you for taking part in this important survey.

The Math Honor Society is now accepting applications.  Students must have taken or currently be enrolled in PreCalculus Honors or one of the Calculus classes in order to join.  Students must have a 3.5 or higher overall GPA and a 3.5 or higher GPA for their math classes.  Attendance at the Math Honor Society induction ceremony is mandatory.  See Mr. Bernhard in Room 116 for an application.  Previous members have a reduced fee but must reapply.  Applications are due no later than Friday, 2 Oct.

Are you good at arguing?  How about negotiating? Come join Model U.N.! In Model U.N. students utilize and improve their skills of compromise, debate, and conflict resolution while learning about the United Nations system.  Please come to room 124 during Knight time to sign up and receive additional information about the club. 

Homecoming News - Voting for Homecoming Court will take place in Advisory TODAY. Decorate your Advisory door in the theme “A Knight Under the Stars” and you might win a donut breakfast! Guest Forms are due back this Friday!

Homecoming tickets are on sale during all lunches and after school this week and next week. $15 single, $25 couple

And finally, Spirit Week begins next week! School-wide activities are planned for the entire week! Stay tuned!

The first important and mandatory event in our Global Studies speaker series will be in the library directly after school on Wednesday, September 30. The event begins at 3pm, so please be prompt. Our honored guest speaker, Jennifer Ketchum will be kicking off a year full of wonderful events and will be discussing her extraordinary international experiences which include her work on Mercy Ships. This event is for all Global Studies students.

On Monday, Sep. 21, over 100 students from Bishop O’Connell, Paul VI, John Paul the Great, Bishop Ireton, and Gonzaga participated in auditions at Bishop O’Connell for the inaugural Diocesan Honors Music Festival. Students auditioned for orchestra, band, and chorus and were adjudicated by local professionals. The audition process included a prepared musical piece and a sight reading excerpt.

Nineteen students from Bishop O’Connell successfully auditioned and will participate in the Festival on October 29-31. Jesse Amoss (trombone) and Alexander Frustaglia (baritone saxophone) will participate in the Honors Band. David Koehlmoos (tuba) was chosen as an alternate for the band. Talar Berberian (cello) and Quentin Millora-Brown (bass) will participate in the Honors Orchestra. Paul Bean, Besa Bucaj, Ava Coffin, Zoe Forino, Jessica Gliot, Kathryn Hales, Caleigh Keegan, Peter Lucas, Ciaron O'Donovan, Emma Powers, Joseph Shank, Evan Stella, Vasili Varfis, and Elise Welsh will participate in the Honors Chorus.  

The Diocesan Honors Music Festival was created to provide a valuable honors ensemble experience for our music students from the Catholic schools. The festival ensembles will be conducted by clinicians Mr. Anthony Maiello, Ms. Gene Pohl, and Mr. Michael Ehrlich. The festival will conclude with a free public performance on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1:30 p.m. at Bishop O’Connell High School.

Bishop O'Connell High School has named Kathryn Scott head coach for the Knights' swim and dive team.

Coach Scott graduated from Marymount University, where she competed on the university swim team for four years. Originally from New Jersey, where she swam for the Jersey Wahoos through their senior national level. Her specialty was distance freestyle and the 400IM.

She has recently become involved in open water swimming, winning the 12.5 mile swim around Key West, Fla. in 2012 and 2013, placing second in the first-ever swim around Cape May, N.J. (15.1 miles), and finishing second in the Tampa Bay Marathon swim (24 miles).

"We are excited to have Katie Scott lead the swim and dive program," said Athletic Director Joe Wootten. "She has collegiate experience as both an athlete and as a coach. We are confident she will lead our program to great heights."

Spirit Week is a great pre-Homecoming tradition at Bishop O’Connell. Each day of the week students are granted free dress days according to designated themes. 

CLICK HERE for 2015 Spirit Week details.

Homecoming Dance 
Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 p.m. - midnight
This year's Homecoming theme is "A Knight Among the Stars." Tickets are on sale during lunches and after school. $15 or $25 per couple. 

DOWNLOAD 2015 Homecoming Guest Form here.

Congratulations to senior Kristina Colevas who was recognized by the Catholic Business Network of Northern Virginia (CBN-NOVA) in a short ceremony following the Bishop's Mass of the Holy Spirit at Bishop O'Connell this morning. She is one of four diocesan high school winners of the YES! Award (Youth Exemplifying Service).

Kristina is a valued member of Bishop O'Connell's Fiat Club, a young women’s spiritual and social organization. She has served as an officer for the past few years. According to Ms. Funk, the moderator of the Fiat Club, “Kristina brings compassion, intelligent insights, and a great sense of humor to all of our events. She is a great example of someone who is true to herself, to others, and to Christ.” 

Kristina serves as a peer mentor in our Expanded Services program for students with intellectual disabilities. In fact, she gives up one of her class periods to accompany one of our students to his Theology class every day. She lights up when she tells us that when they are together in the Expanded Services room the two enjoy reading prayers together.

She also is a volunteer mentor for our freshman transition program.

Outside of school, Kristina has a personal passion to serve those in need. For example, she logged 216 hours for the Haiti Lifeline Ministries last year, where she traveled with her family to Haiti. She helped with building needs at an orphanage and went on food distribution trips into the mountains outside Port-au-Prince.

Kristina said: “People can contribute to improving the lives of the people in Haiti not just by giving them money, but by learning the culture and giving them the tools that they need to create a thriving community.”

She has also been personally involved in other hands-on projects in the local area. After years of attending a camp sponsored by the Sisters of Life in New York, she expanded her connection with them by lending a hand to fix up a new convent space for the Sisters in D.C. She has painted, installed molding and blinds and waxed floors at a facility at Saint Catherine of Laboure Parish, for these Sisters to live while studying at Catholic University.

She has also supported Missionaries of Charities soup kitchen events and local pro-life projects.

Kristina is also an honors student at Bishop O'Connell and a member of the school's rowing team.

Pictured below (l to r): Assistant Head of School Carl Patton, Head of School Joseph Vorbach, CBN Tyson's Chair and YES! Award Founder Lucia Jason, Anne Colevas (Kristina's mother), Kristina Colevas, President of CBN NOVA Rich Fanelli, and Arlington Diocese Superintendent of Schools, Sister Bernadette McManigal.

Attention junior and senior students, this is a very important reminder - Please note that if you do not receive an e-mail from Naviance after signing up for a college visit, please copy and paste the confirmation, print it out and use that as your pass.

Attention French Exchange participants!

If you have not checked Edmodo this week, make sure that you do so before leaving school today (Friday). Also, please see Ms. Webb or Mr. Hobson before leaving today if you did not speak with them about the trip yesterday.

Hockey tryouts start today, Friday, October 2 from 4:00-5:20, Tuesday October 6 @ 3:40-4:50 and Friday, October 9th @ 4:00-5:20.   Please contact Coach Flip Collins if you are unable to attend

Also, the hockey team needs 3 team managers and an announcer and music person for this upcoming season, contact Coach Flip Collins.

Homecoming News

• Decorate your Advisory door in the theme “A Knight Among the Stars” and you might win a donut breakfast! The door decorating contest ends Monday, October 5, so hurry up and get your doors decorated!

• Guest Forms are due back TODAY!

• Let me say that again, GUEST FORMS ARE DUE BACK TODAY!

• Homecoming tickets are on sale during all lunches this week and next week. 

• Spirit Week begins next week! School-wide activities are planned for the entire week! Flyers are posted around the school with each day’s theme!

• Two free homecoming tickets will be awarded to the person or team that makes the best homecoming poster to be hung in the hallways, this contest ends on Monday, October 5, so hurry up!

• Finally, GUEST FORMS ARE DUE BACK TODAY!

The Coordinator of Youth Ministry from Blessed Sacrament in Alexandria will be here with pizza for lunch for any students from Blessed Sacrament! Stop by, say hi, eat some free pizza for lunch and give Mary an update on your life!

Service contracts and summer hours are due TODAY. 

Today, Confessions will be held during lunches A and C. Mass will be celebrated during B Lunch in the student chapel. Please remember to swipe at the chapel entrance.

Attention Seniors:  Your retreat permission forms and checks are due to your Religion teachers today, Wednesday, October 7th.  Additional forms are available in the chaplain's office.

There will be a meeting of the SADD club today, Wednesday, October 7, at 3:00PM in the Band Room.

The woodcrafters club will be meeting today after school.

We will be working so come to rm 234!

Anime Club will meet tomorrow, Thursday, October 8, at 3 P.M. in room 327.

The Pro-Life Club, Knights for Life, will meet this Thursday, October 8 during Advisory in Room 125.  Thursday is a B1 day.  You do not need to report to Advisory first.  There will be food.  All are welcome to attend.  

The last Hockey tryout begins this Friday, October 9^th @ 4:00-5:20. Please contact Coach Flip Collins if you are unable to attend.

Also, the hockey team needs 3 team managers and an announcer and music person for this upcoming season, contact Coach Flip Collins.

There will be a Mr. and Ms. Patriotic contest held in all lunches today. The student wearing the most patriotic attire in each lunch will earn a point for their class for Friday’s pep rally.

Attention Advisory Reps, this is just a reminder to bring two bags of assorted mini candy to the SCA room before Friday. Thank you!

There will be a karaoke contest held during all lunches tomorrow. Winners from each lunch will earn a point for their grade for Friday’s pep rally.

Tomorrow is wacky tacky day, so make sure to dress your wackiest and tackiest. Make your outfit as outrageous as you’d like, but make sure you follow the dress code guidelines found in the handbook.

Congratulations to all the Advisories who participated in this year’s Homecoming Door Decorating Contest.

From the Freshmen Class: Advisory 1I (Mr. Pell), and 1M (Mrs. Wentzel) tied!

From the Sophomore Class: Advisories 2F (Mr. Connor), and 2J (Mr. Nasca) tied!

From the Junior Class: Advisory 3I (Mrs. Gibeily)

From the Senior Class: Advisory 4S (Mr. Britt)

The Class with the most participation and starting the Pep Rally Wars with 3 additional points is the Sophomore Class!

Donuts will be delivered to the winning Advisories after Homecoming! Congratulations and Thank you for participating!

There are only two more days to buy Homecoming tickets. Tickets are not sold at the door; you must buy them before you come and bring them with you. If you lose your ticket, you are rewarded with buying another one… oh hey, did we mention that we have a great DJ from 99.5?! Wait, what?!

O’Connell students – This year’s Dress Holidays are granted by the Administration to promote school spirit leading up to Homecoming weekend. The guidelines for the dress code are specific. No leggings, jeggings, or short shorts. Teachers, please issue detentions to all students who are not following today’s dress code. So keep it classy O’Connell!

Thank you and have a “National Frappe Day!”

Bishop O'Connell is thrilled to offer expanded services for students with intellectual and cognitive disabilities, and we are blessed with a dedicated staff and with committed peer mentors.

This week in the Arlington Catholic Herald, reporter Katie Scott highlights the mother-daughter duo making a difference in special education programs both at O'Connell and at Paul VI in Fairfax.

READ MORE IN THE ARLINGTON CATHOLIC HERALD.

Find out more about our expanded services at Bishop O'Connell High School at www.bishopoconnell.org/expanded. 

Pictured: Expanded services teacher, Mary Desmarais (left), with her mother, Chris Desmarais, director of Options at Paul VI. (Photo: Katie Scott, Arlington Catholic Herald)