John Gutter, former Asst. Principal for Student Life at Bishop O'Connell, is being posthumously honored next month at the University of Rhode Island, where he is being inducted into their Army ROTC Hall of Fame.

O'Connell alumni from the past three decades will remember Gutter in his role as Assistant Principal of Student Life. But few know of his previous life as a scholarship football player at URI, followed by a 20 year career as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, serving two tours in Vietnam. He was wounded in combat in 1965 while coming to the aid of a fellow Marine and spent seven months recovering. He retired as a lieutenant colonel and in 1984 he joined the faculty at Bishop O'Connell, where he was involved in student development, facilities management and coaching. Gutter retired from O'Connell in 2011 and passed away in 2012.

"John loved Bishop O'Connell High School and he made important contributions to the personal development of thousands of students during his tenure. He also lent his project management experience to a number of major building projects," said Head of School, Dr. Joseph Vorbach.

Read more about the Nov. 11, 2017 URI Army Hall of Fame induction ceremony...

Ancient grudge. Star-crossed lovers. A story of woe. This classic Shakespeare play comes to the DJO stage, modernly adapted by The O'Connell Players. Set in a post-WWII 1948 New York City as two rival Italian families fight for control of the city, comes the story of two young lovers destined for a tragic end.

Show dates, times and ticket information:

Thursday - Saturday, Nov. 9-11 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.

General Admissions - $10
Students and Seniors - $5

Limited premium seats available (guaranteed reserved seating in the first three rows--first come, first served) - $20

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.bishopoconnell.org/ocplayers.

Students trying out for winter sports team must be cleared by the Athletics Training Office. Each athlete must have a current physical and permission forms uploaded in our Magnus Health Portal (accessible through the parent's account on MyDJO).

If you have any questions concerning tryouts, please contact the coach.

Please note:

AG - Upstairs auxiliary gym
MG - Main gym
Trinity - Students will be transported to Trinity Presbyterian Church, 5533 16th Street N, Arlington, Va.

Girls Basketball

11/8 - Frosh/JV: 3pm - 5:30pm in AG
11/8 - Varsity: 5:40pm - 8pm in MG
11/9 - Frosh/JV: 3pm - 5:30pm in AG
11/9 - Varsity: 5:40pm - 8pm in MG
11/10 - Frosh/JV: 3pm - 5:30pm in AG
11/10 - Varsity: 5:40pm - 8pm in MG
11/11 - Frosh: 8:30am - 10am in AG
11/11 - JV Girls: 10am - 11:30am in AG
11/11 - Varsity Girls: 11am - 1pm in MG

Boys Basketball

11/8: Frosh: 3:30pm - 5:30pm at Trinity
11/8: JV: 5:30pm - 7pm in AG
11/8: Varsity: 3:30pm - 5:40pm in MG
11/9: Frosh: 3:30pm - 5:30pm at Trinity
11/8: JV: 5:30pm - 7pm in AG
11/8: Varsity: 3:30pm - 5:40pm in MG
11/9: Frosh: 3:30pm - 5:30pm at Trinity
11/9: JV: 5:30pm - 7pm in AG
11/9: Varsity: 3:30pm - 5:40pm in MG
11/10: Frosh: 12:30pm - 2:30pm in AG
11/10: JV: 1pm - 3pm in MG
11/10: Varsity: 8am - 11am in MG

Swim

11/7: 6am - 7am at Marymount University
11/9: 6am - 7am at Marymount University

Wrestling

11/8 - 3:45pm - 6:15pm
11/9 - 3:45pm - 6:15pm
11/10 - 3:45pm - 6:15pm
11/11 - 9am - 12pm

New and Transfer Mothers' Tea
Hosted by the PTO at Bishop O'Connell High School

Our kids call us mom, mother, ma, momma, and numerous other variations. What do we call ourselves as mothers? How do we see, or describe ourselves? What character traits do we hope our children will possess after high school?

On a Sunday afternoon in October, 40 moms and female guardians, gathered in the cafeteria to hear Sister Catherine lovingly remind us of Mother Mary's calling as the mother of Jesus, and how her calling is similar to our vocation as moms. She reminded those gathered about the mysteries of the Rosary and asked us to keep our mind on our calling as mothers, as we pray and teach our children.

We had a chance to share our thoughts about the traits we hope our children will have going into the world as young adults. Not focusing on academic, achievement, or athletic performances, but rather describing character traits that we hope they'll take with them on their journey in life.

This gathering of mothers, and women in the lives of the students at Bishop O'Connell, was a powerful way to connect with each other. Sharing our experiences, our fears, our struggles, and our dreams for our children, allows us to continue to build the Church that He wants us to construct together. Building His Kingdom on earth.

The PTO is grateful to have the opportunity to host this event with the support of Sister Catherine, the kindness and cooking talents of FLIK, and the staff at school. We hope to invite the incoming freshman and transfer moms again next year. If you're not a new mom to the school, and would like to come, please let us know. You'd be most welcome!

A group of 20 O'Connell students and faculty members attended the annual Anti-Defamation League's Concert Against Hate, held on Monday, Oct. 30 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

The National Symphony Orchestra performed a selection of music, including Stephen Falherty's "Make Them Hear You," from Ragtime and John Williams' theme from Schindler's List. The evening's hosts included Academy Award-winner, Louis Gossett Jr., along with Emmy Award-winner Blythe Danner.

"It was a powerful experience, especially hearing from holocaust survivor, Ann Jaffe," said chaperone Monica Stabile.

Jaffe is a retired educator of Jewish studies, who has impacted countless communities by sharing her story of survival to schools, churches and universities. She was born in a small village in Poland and was only 10 when the Nazi's first invaded her village. After being liberated, her father said to her, "I don't ever want to hear the word hate come out of your mouth." He told her, "Find kindness in your heart instead, because that was what made us different from those who did this to us."

"A Knight on the Red Carpet" was this year's Homecoming theme. A week of special dress days were capped off with a Saturday afternoon football game and a beautifully decorated gym for students to dance the night away!

View photo highlights below or at http://www.bishopoconnell.org/cf_media/index.cfm?t...

SPORTS BLOG - THE WEEK THAT WAS

The bye week.

It probably could not have come at a more opportune time for the Varsity Football Team, especially considering the Knights' disappointing 0-3 start to the 2017 campaign against three of the scholastic scene's heavyweights. And, to their credit, the O'Connell coaching staff made the most of it.

Changes were implemented, both in personnel and tactile decisions. Responsibilities within the staff shifted, with the offensive coordinator and offensive line coaches switching roles – and, in doing so, making a change at the quarterback position and "simplifying things" on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive line was shored up and a counter run play was added to the offensive arsenal. An emphasis on ball security was introduced into the first 10 minutes of practice daily for skill position players and linemen alike the past two weeks.

Change was in the air.

And, as it turns out, that was a good thing. Apparently, it was needed.

The end result: a 42-6 thumping of rival Ireton on Saturday afternoon at BI.

The Knights started fast – scoring on their first possession from scrimmage on a seam route that they had been working on the past two weeks. The team knew that they were opening the game with that play. The timing was perfect as quarterback Aidan McGowan (pictured right) hit Devin Morrow in stride with a strike, and Morrow went 59 yards untouched for the game's first score. Just as it was scripted!

The emphasis on ball security paid dividends from the outset, as the upstart DJO contingent forced five turnovers over the course of four quarters. Most notably, wide receiver Bradley Magee recovered a fumble in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. He came from the opposite side of the field and sprinted into the end zone to record the recovery. That hustle and determination by Magee set the tone for the afternoon.

The Knights came to play!

It is said, practice makes perfect. Never was that more evident than when center Adam Johnson fell on a loose ball moments later after a BI interception was punched out by tight end Nate Smith. Recovery Johnson, Knights ball!

The DJO defense created five turnovers and held the host Cardinals to 3-for-12 on third down efficiency.

It was a great win for Coach Colin Disch and his chargers. "A great team win" as he is quick to inject, with multiple players asked to play two or three positions throughout the course of the game.

Some individual highlights included senior Hakeem Clinton (pictured left) toting the pigskin 11 times for 180 rushing and two touchdowns; QB Aidan McGowan throwing for 180 yards and two TDs on 8-for-13 accuracy in his debut under center; Morrow and Magee each hauling in TD receptions; the trio of Jahmal Banks, Patrick Tessier and Jordon Wilson all making interceptions; and Kim Thompson making the move from QB to making plays on both sides of the ball at wide receiver (two receptions) and cornerback – filling in for the injured Nick Rice at a corner.

Two observations: (1) the need to do a better job protecting the football and (2) a continued emphasis on tackling (which was much-improved), truly finishing tackles.

It was nice to see that much of what the coaching staff and team implemented over the past two weeks came to fruition in a well-deserved victory for the Varsity Football Team.

Ahh! The bye week. Gotta love it!

This is Tommy Orndorff, and that was The Week That Was.

Back at Bishop O'Connell today, we are concluding our two week hearty soup drive to help stock the shelves at our diocesan Catholic Charities food pantries. This DJO tradition brings the entire student body together in the morning for a Living Rosary to pray for those who will ultimately benefit from the student's efforts. We are grateful for our generous community of parents and friends who help make this drive successful each year.

THOUGHTS FROM OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL, DR. JOSEPH VORBACH:

The first quarter of the school year is over and it went by very quickly. A lot has happened since I last wrote on October 27th, a day when all the teachers in the entire Diocese were at O'Connell for what turned out to be an excellent day of professional development featuring education thought leader, Todd Whitaker.

We went from Homecoming into a week that featured our first Kairos retreat of the year. We are able to offer these retreats several times a year thanks to the talents of our retreat coordinator, Ed Fitzpatrick, and the willingness of faculty who make the commitment to being retreat leaders. Speaking as the parent of a DJO grad who really loved her Kairos experience, I can attest to the power of that experience and I thank everyone who makes these four-day experiences possible.

Just earlier this week, we had parent-teacher conferences and I hope many of you were able to take advantage of these opportunities. Our team at the school is, of course, always available for conversation about matters of concern to you, but these conferences provide a good, formally scheduled chance to meet and discuss progress.

The freshmen held their elections for class officers this week. I am always especially proud of those who present themselves before their classmates and compete in the arena for an opportunity to be involved in student government. It takes courage to do this, as well as some thoughtful preparation.

Something else that requires courage and a lot of thoughtful preparation (rehearsal) is performing in a school play. It was my privilege last night to see the opening performance of Romeo and Juliet. Our student actors have clearly poured themselves into their preparation for this performance and I hope you get a chance to see their efforts this weekend. A number of the roles required the actors to commit to memory hundreds of lines. Romeo and Juliet, by one estimate, share over 1,100 lines between them during the play. It's impressive work and as you watch them perform, it's hard not to think about the way this experience will transform their adult lives -- as critical thinkers, persuasive public speakers, conflict mediators and so on.

Looking ahead, we have the second round of senior retreats next week, the Turkey Blitz is underway to support the Missionaries of Charity in Washington, DC, and it's Discover Catholic Schools Week next week -- if you have the chance to encourage someone to discover Bishop O'Connell, please do. We'd love to give them a tour and or have their child shadow one of our students to get to know the O'Connell experience.

On Saturday, Nov. 4, Bishop O'Connell High School choir students attended the annual District XII Choral Auditions. Over 700 students from Fairfax and Arlington county public and private high schools participated in the auditions with 235 selected to form the two choirs for the event. Students receive scores for their audition in the categories of vocal tone, intonation, rhythmic accuracy, interpretation, and sight reading. Thirteen Bishop O'Connell students and one alternate were selected for the 2018 District XII Chorus and will participate in a festival on February 8-10.

District XII is one of several districts in the state of Virginia created by the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA). The District Choral Auditions are very competitive due to the high level of excellence among choral programs in the northern Virginia area. The mission of the Virginia Music Educators Association is to provide leadership and professional development to ensure quality music education.

Pictured below – Back row (l to r): Audrey Somerville, Andrew Oliveros, Anthony Socarras, Peter Lucas, Nikolas Rocha, Audrey Gaskins, Elise Welsh. Front row: Ava Coffin, Annemarie Wolf, Emma Powers, Caitlin Mea, Grace Rafferty, Lara Sunter (not pictured: William Varfis).

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) group has named Melissa Pore to their U.S. Education Committee.

Melissa Pore is on the science faculty at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, Va., where she teaches engineering and technology. Previously, she was the director of technology programs and computer teacher at nearby St. Thomas More Cathedral School, where she helped grade school students successfully build and launch the first elementary school satellite as part of the NASA CubeSat Initiative. Pore is also a member of the Goddard Amateur Radio Club, AMSAT of North America, and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). She earned her first amateur radio license in 2014 and presently holds an FCC Technician Class license as KM4CZN.

The ARISS program provides learning opportunities by connecting students via real-time amateur radio contacts to astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The program is possible because of a partnership between NASA, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, the American Radio Relay League, and other amateur radio organizations and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe. The program's goal is to inspire students worldwide to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by doing hands-on activities about space and amateur radio.

The ARISS-US Education Committee provides guidance on the educational aspect of the program and Pore joins a small group of educators from across the United States who were named to the committee.

"I am honored to join the ARISS team of educators, engineers, and innovators who are leaping beyond our earthly foothold to inspire the next generation of explorers," said Pore. "With more than 1,130 amateur radio contacts directly between students and astronauts, this program is an important aspect of the space program's educational outreach, and I am thrilled to be a part of this."

For more information on ARISS, visit www.ariss.org.

THOUGHTS FROM OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL, JOSEPH VORBACH:

I parked my car at school this morning just before 7 a.m. As I headed toward the doors at the Trinidad Street entrance to the school, I heard footsteps behind me and I held the door for a student and her mother who were hurrying into the school. As we got into the hallway, I noticed how quickly the mother and daughter were walking and said, "You guys are on a mission," and they said they were trying to get to Mass on time. A moment later, three young ladies in the junior class went running by, said good morning, and said they too were going to Mass. At this point, I could feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me. I'd forgotten about First Friday Mass in the student chapel and I was heading for my office with my breakfast in hand. But the image of students and parents running to Mass was too much. I went to Mass, drawn by the thought of a mom and daughter and a group of classmates who'd obviously made plans to get to Mass together on this Friday morning.

At the beginning of the year, Bishop Burbidge encouraged all of us to "look up" -- to look to the Lord. Yesterday, I looked up and saw this spectactular sunrise over the school. Today, I was drawn by others to head to the chapel and look up.

Congratulations to O'Connell's Royalette Dance Team who earned 1st, 2nd and 3rd place team awards, as well as several individual honors, at the Dec. 3 Dance Team Union Regional Competition held at Fairfax High School. The event brought dance teams from a number of high schools around the area, including Brooke Point, Chantilly, Centreville, Dominion, Fairfax, McLean, Oakton, Paul VI and Woodson.

As a team, the Royalettes earned 1st Place in Varsity Team Performance, 2nd Place in Varsity Jazz, and 3rd Place in Varsity Pom. In addition, members of the team earned recognition individually:

Junior Solo (ages 13-15)

1st Place - Gaby Dominguez '20
2nd Place - Audrey Gaskins '21

Senior Solo (ages 16+)

3rd Place - Haley Breaux '18
4th Place - Erika Williams '18
7th Place - Julia Stievater '19
8th Place - Katarina Visek '18

Junior Duo (ages 13-15)

1st Place - Angelina Lucchetti '20/Sophia Maceo '20

Senior Duo (ages 16+)

1st Place - Erika Williams '18/Haley Breaux '18
2nd Place - Gaby Dominguez '20/Julia Stievater '19

"I couldn't ask for a harder working team," said Head Coach Chrissy Salvador. "Each competition is a stepping stone towards Nationals. We just competed two weeks ago, and with our seniors in New York for the Macy's Parade, plus the Thanksgiving Break, we made last minute modifications. These girls stepped up, and we couldn't be happier with the results they so deserved."

What's next for the Royalettes? A very busy basketball schedule, along with preparations for the East Coast Regional Championships and the UDA National Championships at the end of the month.

Find out more about the Bishop O'Connell Royalette Dance Team at www.bishopoconnell.org/dance.

Pictured above: The Royalettes with their awards.

Pictured below: The Royalettes posing with their friends from the Paul VI dance team.

Congratulations to O'Connell seniors Grace Cook, Caroline Hanson, Harrison McBride, and Taylor Rooney on winning the "ENACTUS at UVA" High School Case Competition earlier this month. This annual competition is hosted at the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and includes teams from throughout the Commonwealth. ENACTUS stands for "ENTrepreneurial ACTion U.S." and it's main purpose is to encourages innovative thought in high school students to solve complex business problems in creative ways. For the competition, the students were given a specific case outlining a local business' current problem. They were asked to devise recommendations and then present their ideas to a panel of judges which included the owners of the business.

The students are all members of Bishop O'Connell's Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club. "I am so proud of this team," said the club's moderator, Mrs. Marie O'Malley. "Their solution to the problem was all their own, their presentation was very professionally done, and they answered tough questions from the business owners without hesitation."

Ten juniors and seniors joined a handful of O'Connell faculty members at the annual Salvation Army Angel Tree project in Arlington. This program works with the community to provide Christmas presents for local families who are struggling financially. Last Friday was the program's distribution day, and O'Connell students worked from noon until 7 p.m. to help sort and organize the gifts, before helping parents carry out their families' gifts.

"The best part for me was when I saw the joy of the people receiving presents," said senior Andrew Oliveros. "When other people are joyful, that brings me so much joy, too."

"This project is one of my favorite group service opportunities," added O'Connell's Christian Service Coordinator, Kathryn Haas. "Seeing the reaction of the parents receiving the presents for their children brings a great deal of perspective to all of us who participate."