DJO Library would like to announce that Monday, Feb. 22 from 3-4 PM is the first monthly Library Coloring Hour for students to relax, reduce stress, and boost mental clarity! Coloring books and markers, crayons, and colored pencils will be provided!

Model UN will be meeting Tuesday, February 23 at 3 pm in room 122.

The next career cafe opportunity will take place on Friday, February 26th from 11:30am-12:00pm in the counseling conference room. All sophomores, juniors, and seniors are welcome to come. Natalie Cocozza, a 2009 graduate, is going to speak about her experience at George Mason University in the School Psychology Program. Please see Ms. Usle with questions.

Knights for Life will pray outside of the Falls Church Healthcare Center Saturday morning. We will begin with Mass in the student chapel at 9 a.m. Permission forms can be picked up in Rm 215. All students, faculty, and families are welcome to attend.

There will be a Crew Interest Meeting in Room 146 after school today. Interested individuals do not need to bring anything! Just show up if you would like some more information.

FRIDAY KNIGHTS begins today during B and C lunches in Room 214! All are welcome! Come check it out and bring a friend. Feel free to stop by or stay for the duration. Bring your lunch as needed. We will have games, music and FOOD. If you are a Peer Mentor for Expanded Services - COME JOIN US! Bring your friends and hang out! Hope to see you

Be a part of history; Superdance 41 is exactly 2 weeks from tomorrow! Come by the Registration Table and Register for Superdance! Don't miss out! Do you want to bring a guest? Guest forms are due back by next Friday! Please come by the Registration Table if you have questions.

The National English Honor Society held its second annual induction ceremony on Wednesday evening, Feb. 17, and welcomed 61 new junior and senior members to the Bishop O'Connell chapter. Each officer spoke about the meaning of the book and pen emblem, the motto in Old English, the official colors of royal blue and gold, and the white carnation as the authorized flower.

The keynote address from former O'Connell French and English teacher, Mr. Kevin Sullivan, reminded students that now that they know the "how" of writing, they must next turn to the "what" of writing. Mr. Sullivan exhorted the audience to read, but more importantly to "wonder." He concluded his talk by telling students, "You owe yourselves a life that is full of meaning and therefore totally worth living."

After receiving membership certificates, the newly inducted members joined the officers in reciting the NEHS Affirmation:

As a member of the National English Honor Society, I shall endeavor to advance the study of all areas of English and to foster a spirit of fellowship among students excelling in all facets of the English Language Arts, ever keeping in mind our national motto as our guiding principle:

Gelast sceal mid are: Duty goes with Honor

The ceremony concluded with Assistant Head of School, Mr. Carl Patton, congratulating the new members and moderator Mrs. Diane Cerniglia reciting the following poem from American poet Emily Dickinson:

We never know how high we are
Til we are called to rise
And then, if we are true to plan
Our statures touch the skies.

Photo - NEHS officers (l to r): Maureen Duesterhaus (President), Alexandra Rodriguez (VP), Mrs. Cerniglia, Clare Kinsella (Treasurer), Stephanie Salinas (Secretary)

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the recent passing of Sister Marie La Reine, I.H.M., who served the O'Connell community as the Assistant Principal for Academics for 21 years, beginning in 1984.

"She was more than an administrator--she was a mentor, a role model, and a friend," said English department chair, Diane Cerniglia. "She could be tough, but she never held a grudge. Sister was a true example of a servant-leader, and I have always tried to follow her example."

For funeral arrangements and more information, visit http://www.dellafh.com/notices/SrMarie-SpainIHM.

May she rest in eternal peace.

Congratulations to Ale Rodriguez who won first place in the Sons of the American Revolution Oration Contest. She will go on to compete in the National Competition in Boston in June. She won a $1000 at states and all her expenses will be paid as she and a parent attend national finals.Frank Luchetti also made it to Richmond for the state competition and did a great job representing Bishop O'Connell!

Model UN will be meeting today at 3 pm in room 122.

There will be an art club meeting today after school in room 302.

The first Pit Orchestra rehearsal for "Thoroughly Modern Millie" will be this Wednesday, Feb 24, after school in the Band Room, from 3PM to 4:30. Please be prompt.

Global Studies students- the next event in our Global Studies speaker series will be in the library directly after school this Wednesday, February 24. Our honored guest speaker will be Christine Vick, Senior Advisor with the Cohen Group.

Attention seniors - The All Knight Grad Party Logo Design contest has been extended to March 1. The image should: 1) Contain "2016 All Night Grad Party" 2) Be no larger than 8.5 x 8.5 inches 3) Include a "Peace and Love" theme. Rules: One entry per student (Seniors only). Submit deadline: end of school day on March 1, 2016. Submit location: Activities office (Mr. Buckreis). Winner: Will receive one ANGP ticket.

Attention Juniors and Seniors. Are you interesting in spending a weekend away with friends? Are you looking to begin to build a relationship with God? If you said yes then get your application to Kairos. Kairos is being held April 7-10 and is a great opportunity to get away from the business of our lives to refocus on what is important. Applications are available in the Campus Ministry office and will be due this Friday, Feburary 26. For more information see Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Funk, or Sr. Tracey.

The next career cafe opportunity will take place on Friday, February 26 from 11:30am-12:00pm in the counseling conference room. All sophomores, juniors, and seniors are welcome to come. Natalie Cocozza, a 2009 graduate, is going to speak about her experience at George Mason University in the School Psychology Program. Please see Ms. Usle with questions.

FRIDAY KNIGHTS begins today during B and C lunches in Room 214! All are welcome! Come check it out and bring a friend. Feel free to stop by or stay for the duration. Bring your lunch as needed. We will have games, music and FOOD. (If you are a Peer Mentor for Expanded Services - COME JOIN US! Bring your friends and hang out! Hope to see you!)

Students in Symphonic Band and Concert Band who are attending the Spring trip to Orlando are reminded that there will be combined rehearsals during Knight Time in the Band Room on Friday, February 26, and Monday, February 29. Please attend 'A' lunch and be in ready to play at 11:55.

As of this morning! Freshmen have the highest percentage of registered students for Superdance! For all students who have registered...The Registration committee will pull one student's name, every day, for two weeks... if you hear your name, please come to the SCA Room and claim your prize. Be sure to Register for Superdance; Registration is giving away awesome prizes – so register! Guests to Superdance...Yes, you can bring a guest to Superdance. Forms are available on-line or at the Registration Desk. Guest forms MUST be returned by this Friday.

Speaking of Superdance, all freshmen and sophomores in need of Christian service hours or who just want to help out at Superdance, please sign up to volunteer at the registration table during all lunches in the cafeteria. You can attain 2 hours towards your Christian Service project! Thank you!

This Friday's 7 a.m. Mass will be in the Student Chapel with a light breakfast to follow in the Chapel Lounge. This is a great way to observe Lent. All are welcome!

Attention Juniors and Seniors. Are you interesting in spending a weekend away with friends? Are you looking to begin to build a relationship with God? If you said yes then get your application to Kairos. Kairos is being held April 7-10. Applications are available in the Campus Ministry office and are due tomorrow, Friday, February 26th. For more information see Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Funk, or Sr. Tracey.

FRIDAY KNIGHTS will continue this Friday during B and C lunches. Friday Knights is an opportunity for food, fun, and friendship. Come to Room 214 and bring a friend. We will have games, music and FOOD. If you are a Peer Mentor for Expanded Services - COME JOIN US! Bring your friends and hang out! Hope to see you!

All sophomores, juniors, and seniors are welcome to attend Career Cafe on Friday from 11:30-12 in the counseling conference room. Please see Ms. Usle with questions.

This is a reminder to music students that are attending the Spring trip to Orlando... you have rehearsal during Knight Time in the Band Room tomorrow! Please attend 'A' lunch and be ready to play at 11:55.

Everyone Loves a Contest! The All Knight Grad Party Logo Design contest has been extended to March 1st. For details, come look on the SCA door or see Mr. Buckreis.

To all sophomores and juniors: a representative from the University of South Carolina at Aiken will be here on Tuesday, March 1st to meet with students at 11 in the counseling conference room. This university has a renowned equestrian program. Come spend part of Knight Time hearing about this interesting university.

Attention sophomores and juniors: Are you thinking about majoring in business in college? The Summer Business Institute at Catholic University is offering a 5-day experience in business innovation, leadership, and ethics. See Mrs. Herbst if interested.

Will you be the first person in your family to attend college? Mrs. Herbst will be running a group for O'Connell students who will be first generation college students upon their high school graduation. If interested in joining, please see Mrs. Herbst in the counseling office.

Congratulations to the freshman class who have 52.6% of their class registered for Superdance!

Congratulations to Mr. Carpenter's Advisory for 100% registration...your donuts will be delivered after Superdance. Many Advisories are within one or two individuals for 100% registration! In order to attend O'Connell's 41st Superdance, you must register! Come on O'Connell...let's DANCE!

This is just a final reminder that guest forms must be returned tomorrow.

Yes, as long as you are registered you can dress out on Wed, Thurs, and Friday! Themed days will be announced on Monday.

Freshman and sophomores can receive 2 hours towards your Christian service project for helping out with Superdance...but...you must be registered! Come by and sign up!

All you Superdancers out there... Don't forget to sign up for the 12-hour dance competition! The winner will receive an awesome prize!

Bishop O'Connell students aren't the only ones learning something new inside the school walls. During the past week, our faculty took turns observing each other in the classroom as a part of a uniquely O'Connell professional development program, called igKnight. By the end of the week,these "instructional rounds" resulted in 274 individual class observations, with a total of 4,110 minutes of instruction observed.

"Instructional rounds provide a snapshot into a day in the life of our school," said igKnight director and English teacher, John Meehan. "Through this process, we foster a powerful network of collegiality, inspiration, accountability, and support."

On Thursday's early dismissal afternoon, the faculty took the next step in the process with small group discussions in specific areas, inspired by the school's mission and philosophy. Together, teachers transferred their observations onto more than 500 individual sticky notes, and began focusing on objective, non-evaluative findings in order to identify broader trends in school-wide instruction. Each teacher had the opportunity to engage in breakout discussions in two of the following areas: Christian formation, instructional performance, student engagement, classroom management, and instructional technology.

"As added benefit, this process gives each of us plenty of new ideas to borrow from our colleagues," said Meehan.

Students from Saint Thomas More parish should report to the Trinidad Street Lobby at the beginning of their lunch period today for pizza & soda with Fr. Christenson.

Today, adoration and confessions will be held during periods 1, 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.

The Knights for Life weekly meeting is this Wednesday, March 2nd during Advisory in Room 125. Remember to check out the Knights for Life screen next to the Center Office for continuous updates on club activities and Pro-Life news.

There will be a Math Honor Society meeting today during B lunch in the auditorium following the senior seminar. All who applied and did not receive a notification of denial were accepted. This will be a short meeting to practice for the induction ceremony next week.

The Library is hosting another Crafter-NOON on Thursday, March 3 from 3-4 PM. Bring your favorite photos, postcards, stamps, and magazines to make a beautiful collage of memories and inspiration! Additional materials will also be provided so come make a beautiful creation!

The Superdance Pub-In Committee has hidden four gold star statues in various places around the school and it is your job to find them. If you are lucky enough to find a star, bring it to the SCA room and claim your prize! Get searching O'Connell!

Attention sophomores and juniors: Are you a future business mogul? Thinking about majoring in business in college? The Summer Business Institute at Catholic University is offering a 5 day experience in business innovation, leadership, and ethics. The cost is extremely reasonable. See Mrs. Herbst in the counseling office if interested.

Attention all students. Will you be the first person in your family, besides brothers or sisters, to attend college? Then there is a fun and informative group for you. Mrs. Herbst will be running a group for O'Connell students who will be first generation college students upon their high school graduation. If interested in joining, please see Mrs. Herbst in the Counseling Office.

Congratulations to the sophomore class who currently have 71.1% of their class registered for Superdance.

Dress out days for Superdance this week are Wednesday 3/2 - Star Wars Day: Dress as your favorite Star Wars character, Thursday 3/3- Class Colors Day (Freshmen: gray, Sophmores: white, Juniors: blue, Seniors: black). Friday 3/4 - DJO Wear Day: Wear your O'Connell spirit wear!

The Library is hosting Crafter-NOON today from 3-4 PM. Bring your favorite photos, postcards, stamps, and magazines to make a beautiful collage of memories and inspiration! Additional materials will also be provided so come make a beautiful creation!

This Friday is the First Friday of the month of March. The 7:00 a.m. Mass will be celebrated in the School Chapel with a light breakfast to follow in the Chapel Lounge. All are welcome!

"This Friday, March 4, there will be a meeting of the Bipartisan Unity Club after school in room 231. The topic for this week's meeting will be the appointment of a new Supreme Court justice. All ideas and opinions are welcome! See Gabriel Rizk for more details."

Keep looking for the gold star trophies! There is one left hiding somewhere in the school. If you find one, bring it to the SCA room and claim your prize!

Are you a future business mogul? Thinking about majoring in business in college? The Summer Business Institute at Catholic University is offering a 5 day experience in business innovation, leadership, and ethics. The cost is extremely reasonable. See Mrs. Herbst if interested.

Attention all students Will you be the first person in your family, besides brothers or sisters, to attend college? Then there is a fun and informative group for you. Mrs. Herbst will be running a group for O'Connell students who will be first generation college students upon their high school graduation. If interested in joining, please see Mrs. Herbst.

Congratulations to the sophomore class who currently have 85% of their class registered for Superdance! Remember, the first homeroom with 100% of their students registered will receive a free donut breakfast!

Tomorrow's dress holiday is "DJO Wear" Day: Wear your O'Connell spirit wear!

Students who are dressed out and have not registered WILL receive Saturday detentions. Come on... register for Superdance!

If you received a SWIPE Alert this morning, be sure to come to the SCA room during your lunch period.

SUPERDANCE - Tomorrow is the absolute LAST day to register for Superdance. Once you are registered, go collect those pledges! On Saturday, bring all the donations you have collected and your Superdance Registration Form...don't miss out on rocking to the sweet sounds of our very own DJ Coach O, Rock and Roller Mr. Britt, Teacher's Pet, Mr. Shirey, Safety 3rd, Key Boulevard, Miley Cyrus, DJ Chris Outlaw, and 99.5's Chris Styles to name just a few! If that's not enough, dinner is catered by Italian Gourmet's Carrabba's! Voted #1 Italian Restaurant in Washington, DC area! And Prizes! Free tickets to the Newseum, signed baseball from Washington Nationals' 3rd baseman Ryan Zimmerman, signed personal hockey stick by Washington Captials' defenseman John Carlson, so many gift cards... Starbucks, Subway, Deli-Italiano, McDonald's, Amazon...So come on O'Connell! Superdance only happens once a year... don't miss any of it! The Cut-off Time for arrival to Superdance is 5 p.m. If you arrive after the cut-off time, you will not be allowed to enter. If you must arrive after the cutoff time, be sure to email Mrs. O'Reilly or Ms. Hogan BEFORE Friday.

The freshmen class finished Superdance 2016 with 85% participation; the sophomore class = 89% participation; the junior class stepped up to 72%, and the Senior class, for the 1st time in Superdance history, had 100% participation! Thank you! #DoItForWalter!

The following Advisories will receive a doughnut breakfast for being the 1st Advisories with 100% Registration:

2B = Mr. Carpenter
1D = Sr. Elizabeth
1L = Mrs. Taylor
2I = Ms. Moynihan
4H = Mrs. MacDonald

Please remain in your Advisories while the Superdance Chairs and Co-chairs pass out the Superdance white collection envelopes. Thank you for supporting #MayTheCureBeWithYou! Be sure to collect all your pledged donations; thank your sponsors; and return your pledged money to your Superdance chair or co-chair, or the SCA room asap. Chairs and Co-chairs will be coming to your Advisories every day for the next two weeks. Remember... if we receive 95% of our pledged money by March 18, we will all have Holy Thursday off from school.

A representative from Crossroads Pro-Life, an organization which sponsors cross-country walks each summer, will be speaking at the Knights for Life meeting today during Advisory. We will meet in room 125. All are welcome to attend.

On Thursday, March 10th, Mass for the entire student body is scheduled. Fr. Thompson will be away with the Music trip this week. Father Benetti will be the celebrant for Thursday's Mass. This will be Father Benetti's first time celebrating Mass as the main celebrant for the O'Connell community Mass.

The Gamer Club will meet on Thursday of this week, from 3 - 4 PM.

Anime Club will meet on Thursday, March 10 at 3 P.M. in room 327.

The Library would like to hold an Open Call for students who can sing or play instruments for the Jazz and Java event on April 4; recite for a Poetry Reading in mid-April (the date is to be determined); or fold Origami cranes! If interested and willing to participate in any of these activities, stop by the library to sign up or receive more information. Thank you!!

The first meeting of the Water Club, aka Drop In the Bucket, will be next Wednesday, March 16, immediately after school in Room 125. Drop In the Bucket would like to raise awareness to the fact that more than 50 million people still don't have access to clean water. By raising awareness, as well as a modest amount of money, we can change many lives for the better. Please join us!Questions about the club? See Mrs. Spann in Admissions.

There will be a mandatory senior Global Studies meeting directly after school on March 16th in Ms. Webb's room 319. It is imperative you be there to schedule your final capstone presentation.

The next Career Cafe opportunity will take place on Monday, March 21 from 11:30am-12:00pm in the counseling conference room. All sophomores, juniors, and seniors are welcome to come. Eric Hernandez is going to speak about his experience working in the pro sports industry working for the Washington Wizards.

Congratulations to Freshman, Patrick Roney, for taking 1st place in the Arlington Optimist Club Oration Contest. Patrick won $750 for his 4 minute speech and will be competing in the next level. 8 District winners will win $10,000 each and go on to compete in the final 8 for $15,000.

The freshmen class finished Superdance 2016 with 85% participation; the sophomore class = 89% participation; the junior class stepped up to 72%, and the Senior class, for the 1st time in Superdance history, had 100% participation! Thank you! #DoItForWalter!

The following Advisories will receive a doughnut breakfast for being the 1st Advisories with 100% Registration: 2B = Mr. Carpenter,1D = Sr. Elizabeth, 1L = Mrs. Taylor, 2I = Ms. Moynihan, and 4H = Mrs. MacDonald

Please remain in your Advisories while the Superdance Chairs and Co-chairs pass out the Superdance white collection envelopes. Thank you for supporting #MayTheCureBeWithYou! Be sure to collect all your pledged donations; thank your sponsors; and return your pledged money to your Superdance chair or co-chair, or the SCA room asap. Chairs and Co-chairs will be coming to your Advisories every day for the next two weeks. Remember... if we receive 95% of our pledged money by March 18, we will all have Holy Thursday off from school.

Today, March 10th, there will be a Bipartisan Unity Club meeting in Room 231 after school. The topic for this week's discussion is the recent political events in the national election. All ideas and opinions are welcome. Please see Gabriel Rizk for more details.

On Friday, Father Benetti will celebrate the 7 a.m. Mass in the School Chapel. A light breakfast will follow in the Chapel Lounge. All are welcome!

Cafe Vaticano is closed today and tomorrow. We will reopen on Tuesday, March 15th.

The Gamer Club will meet on Thursday of this week, from 3 - 4 PM.

Anime Club will meet on Thursday, March 10 at 3 P.M. in room 327.

The Library would like to hold an Open Call for students who can sing or play instruments for the Jazz and Java event on April 4, 4ecite for a Poetry Reading in mid-April (the date is to be determined); or fold Origami cranes! If interested and willing to participate in any of these activities, stop by the library to sign up or receive more information. Thank you!!

The first meeting of the Water Club, aka Drop In the Bucket, will be next Wednesday, March 16, immediately after school in Room 125. Drop In the Bucket would like to raise awareness to the fact that more than 50 million people still don't have access to clean water. By raising awareness, as well as a modest amount of money, we can change many lives for the better. Please join us! Questions about the club? See Mrs. Spann in Admissions.

There will be a mandatory senior Global Studies meeting directly after school on March 16th in Ms. Webb's room 319. It is imperative you be there to schedule your final capstone presentation.

The next Career Cafe opportunity will take place on Monday, March 21st from 11:30am-12:00pm in the counseling conference room. All sophomores, juniors, and seniors are welcome to come. Eric Hernandez is going to speak about his experience working in the pro sports industry working for the Washington Wizards.

Best Buddies will have pledge banners during all lunches today. Students will be able to sign the banner to show their support in ending the use of the R-word. Remember to spread the word to end the word!

Best Buddies will also be hosting a 5 on 5 basketball tournament from March 21st-March 22nd. Sign up sheets are located at the front of the cafeteria. Registration is $10 which comes with a t-shirt. Money can be given to Phoebe Retta or Mrs. Stabile. Hope to see you there!

A REMINDER: There is a new event during Knight Time EVERY Friday! FRIDAY KNIGHTS will continue THIS FRIDAY, March 11th during B and C lunches!

What is Friday Knights? An opportunity for food, fun, and friendship.
Where is Friday Knights? Room 214
When is Friday Knights? FRIDAYS. During B and C lunches.

All are welcome! Come check it out and bring a friend. Feel free to stop by or stay for the duration. Bring your lunch as needed.We will have games, music and FOOD. (If you are a Peer Mentor for Expanded Services - COME JOIN US! Bring your friends and hang out! Hope to see you!)

Attention all students attending the Kairos Retreat from April 7-10. There will be a BRIEF meeting in room 120 following announcements on Tuesday, March 15. Senior retreatants should report to room 120 immediately following announcements during the "A" lunch of Knight Time. Junior retreatants should report to room 120 immediately following announcements during the "B" lunch of Knight Time. If you have any questions or cannot make it please see Sister Tracey.

To all sophomores and juniors: Do you love to ride horses? Are you interested in riding in college or perhaps majoring in Equestrian Studies? A representative from the University of South Carolina at Aiken will be here on Tuesday, March 15th to meet with students at 11:00 a.m. in the counseling conference room. This university has a renowned equestrian program and equine competition team among many other unique university programs. Come spend part of Knight Time hearing about this interesting university.

Hello! The Library would like to hold an Open Call for students who can sing or play instruments for the Jazz and Java event on April 4, recite for a Poetry Reading in mid-April (the date is to be determined), and also fold Origami cranes! If interested and willing to participate in any of these activities, stop by the library to sign up or receive more information. Thank you!!

The first meeting of the Water Club, aka Drop In the Bucket, will be next Wednesday, March 16, immediately after school in Room 125. Drop In the Bucket would like to raise awareness to the fact that more than 50 million people still don't have access to clean water. By raising awareness, as well as a modest amount of money, we can change many lives for the better. Please join us! Questions about the club? See Mrs. Spann in Admissions.

There will be a mandatory senior Global Studies meeting directly after school on March 16th in Ms. Webb's room 319. It is imperative you be there to schedule your final capstone presentation.

The next Career Cafe opportunity will take place on Monday, March 21st from 11:30am-12:00pm in the counseling conference room. All sophomores, juniors, and seniors are welcome to come. Eric Hernandez is going to speak about his experience working in the pro sports industry working for the Washington Wizards.

SUPERDANCE - Attention to everyone who received pledges for Superdance 2016: Please bring in your donations and put them in the white envelopes that were distributed to homerooms.

Don't forget that spring uniforms begin on Tuesday, Mar. 15.

For details, refer to pages 49-54 of the Student Handbook.

Thank you for your support of Superdance 2016. Currently we have received $40,000 of the $105,000 that was pledged. One of our incentives is to receive Holy Thursday off if we receive 95% of our pledged amount. This means that we still need to collect almost $60,000 more before Monday, March 21. Tuesday, March 22 is too late to get Thursday off. Wednesday, March 23 is too late to get Thursday off. It must be Monday. Superdance chairs and co-chairs are in the hallways delivering envelopes. If you do not get your envelop please come to the SCA room and pick it up. If you have your envelop... bring it home to collect your pledges. Remember... all the folks who pledged you, want to pay you. So please go see them and thank them for their support.

On Saturday, MaryFrances Vorbach, Diego Garcia, Will Keyes, and Alejandro Di Napoli participated in the Academic World Quest Competition sponsored by the World Affairs Council. The Global Studies and AP Economics students won 3rd place! Way to go team!

Attention Seniors: Your service project is due March 22. Your hours must be logged and reflection submitted by the deadline. This is a graduation requirement. See Ms. Hogan if you have questions!

Congratulations to junior Grace Halford who won first place in the Microbiology category at the Northern Virginia Regional Science Fair this past weekend. She was also nominated to attend the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair at VMI next month. Good luck Grace!

Any student who has met with his/her counselor about course selection and was missing a recommendation from a teacher, needs to close the loop by the end of this week.

This past weekend our music ensembles traveled to Universal Studio in Orlando, Florida, and participated in an adjudicated music festival with other schools from around the country. Bishop O'Connell music ensembles were awarded the following: guitar Ensemble – excellent, orchestra – excellent, concert band – excellent, jazz band – excellent, concert choir – superior, and O'Connell singers – superior. Bishop O'Connell also entered soloists in the festival. Jake Vanaman received recognition for an outstanding instrumental solo while Peter Lucas, Elise Welsh, and Jessica Gliot received superior rankings for solo vocal performance. Bishop O'Connell High School was also awarded the grand prize for best high school choir at the festival. Please congratulate our music students for a job well done!

Congratulations to Grace Boras who submitted the winning design for the All Night Graduation Party Logo contest. Grace wins a free ticket to the All Night Grad Party. The following students were runners up in the logo contest: Augusto Oliveros, Diana Hoang, Kayla Paolillo, and Alyson Speier. These students will be awarded a gift card.

Hello! The Library would like to hold an Open Call for students who can sing or play instruments for the Jazz and Java event on April 4, recite for a Poetry Reading in mid-April (the date is to be determined), and also fold Origami cranes! If interested and willing to participate in any of these activities, stop by the library to sign up or receive more information.

The first meeting of the Water Club, aka Drop In the Bucket, will be today, Wednesday, March 16, immediately after school in Room 125. Drop In the Bucket would like to raise awareness to the fact that more than 50 million people still don't have access to clean water. By raising awareness, as well as a modest amount of money, we can change many lives for the better. Please join us! Questions about the club? See Mrs. Spann in Admissions.

There will be a mandatory senior Global Studies meeting directly after school on March 16th in Ms. Webb's room 319. It is imperative you be there to schedule your final capstone presentation.

The next Career Cafe opportunity will take place on Monday, March 21st from 11:30am-12:00pm in the counseling conference room. All sophomores, juniors, and seniors are welcome to come. Eric Hernandez is going to speak about his experience working in the pro sports industry working for the Washington Wizards.

Dust off your running shoes and grab your friends, neighbors and family members! Join us on Saturday, April 9 for the first-ever Bishop O'Connell 5K and Kids' Fun Run! Registration is now open at www.bishopoconnell.org/5K.

Register before Mar. 20 to guarantee your preferred T-shirt size.

Check out the preview of the course, register to run, or simply offer your support as an armchair participant if you are out of town or unable to train. Be a part of a new O'Connell tradition! Questions? Email lfriel@bishopoconnell.org.

Congratulations to Christopher "Bart" Whelan, Peter Lucas, M.K. Bothwell, and all our Superdance winners. If your name was called or you received a winner's envelope at Superdance please come down to the S.C.A. Room at the end of announcements for your prize.

Currently we have received $50,000 of the $105,000 that was pledged. One of our incentives is to receive Holy Thursday off if we receive 95% of our pledged amount. This means that we still need to collect almost $50,000 more before Monday, March 21. Tuesday, March 22 is too late to get Thursday off. Wednesday, March 23 is too late to get Thursday off. It must be Monday. Superdance chairs and co-chairs are in the hallways delivering envelopes and collecting pledges. If you do not get your envelope please come to the SCA room and pick it up. If you have your envelope... bring it home to collect your pledges. Remember... all the folks who pledged you, want to pay you. So please go see them and thank them for their support.

The Young Republicans Club has a special guest coming to DJO on Monday, March 21 during lunch/knight time (11:30 - noon) in the auditorium. Come hear Carolina Hurley, class of 2010, talk about staying engaged in the political process during your college years. Carolina is the National Communications Director for the College National Republican Committee. Please come, bring a friend, and make her feel welcome.

Attention Seniors: Your service project is due March 22. Your hours must be logged and reflection submitted by the deadline. This is a graduation requirement. See Ms. Hogan if you have questions!

Hello! The Library would like to hold an Open Call for students who can sing or play instruments for the Jazz and Java event on April 4, recite for a Poetry Reading in mid-April (the date is to be determined), and also fold Origami cranes! If interested and willing to participate in any of these activities, stop by the library to sign up or receive more information.

The next Career Cafe opportunity will take place on Monday, March 21st from 11:30am-12:00pm in the counseling conference room. All sophomores, juniors, and seniors are welcome to come. Eric Hernandez is going to speak about his experience working in the pro sports industry working for the Washington Wizards.