Young Women's Leadership Club will meet today during KNIGHT TIME at 11:45 in room 220. Please remember to bring a friend!

O'Connell girl's lacrosse will have training on Wednesdays and Fridays every week starting at 3:30pm. Please bring all equipment and meet outside of the weight room.

Congratulations to the Royalettes who competed in the East Coast Regional Championship yesterday. 1st Place Team Variety; 2nd Place Team Lyrical; 3rd Place Team Pom. Good luck to the Royalettes who compete again on Jan. 26.

Students that took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) on Nov. 15, please pick up your results from Dr. Stabile in his office today.

The French Division of World Languages currently seeks host families for students from France. The high schoolers will visit Bishop O'Connell in fall 2014. This is part of the continuing relationship between DJO and our partner school in France's Champagne Region. Welcoming families help the students become immersed in the English language and American culture. An expression of interest does not guarantee selection as a host family, as there is an application process, but participants benefit tremendously from interacting with these eager young people. If this interests you, talk it over with your family and see Mr. Hobson in Room 311. DJO parents and guardians may reach him at shobson@bishopoconnell.org .

All library books that were due before Christmas vacation must be returned before you may take your mid-term exams. Your teachers have a list of students that have not cleared up library obligations. This also includes any outstanding fines.

Bishop O'Connell's Royalette Dance Team took the floor at West Springfield High School this weekend for the East Coast Regional Dance Championship, and came away winners!

Throughout the day, the girls competed in several categories as a team and individually. As a team they were awarded one first place, one second place and one third place trophy:

1st Place – Variety/Novelty - The Royalettes danced to a “superhero” mix.
2nd Place – Lyrical – The team performed to an a cappella version of “How Will I Know” by the cast of the TV show “Glee.”
3rd Place – Pom – This routine is a pep rally favorite, performed to a mix of music with a “shake” theme.

Earlier in the day team members competed individually in solo dance categories. Congratulations to the following Royalettes who were recognized during the award ceremony:

Jazz (13 total soloists)
2nd Place - Madison Rubley '16
6th Place - Sydney Parker '14

Lyrical/Contemporary (30 total soloists)
3rd Place - Daisa Harris '14
8th Place - Emily Bond '14
12th Place - Bridget Heppes '16
14th Place - Carina Falcon '14

Solo Honorable Mentions
Thalia Falcon '14, Annie Nguyen '16, Sam Niezgoda '16, Victoria Siegfried '17

The Royalettes competed against teams from other high schools across Northern Virginia, including: Brooke Point, Chantilly, Colonial Forge, Dominion, Herndon, Langley, McLean, Mountain View, Oakton, Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee, South Lakes, and Yorktown.

“I am so proud of this year's team for working so hard to continue the Royalette tradition,” said Coach Chrissy Salvador. “These past few weeks have been challenging due to several weather cancellations.”

“These girls work hard, because they want to,” she added. “I couldn't ask for anything more as a coach.”

What’s next for this group of talented dancers? In addition to their school performances at home games, they are heading to the Patriot Center in Fairfax on Sunday, Jan. 26 for the George Mason Dance Team, and then to Orlando, Fla at the end of the month for the National Dance Team Championships. They will wrap up their season at the Gar-Field High School Sweetheart Invitational on Feb. 15.

Find out more about the Royalettes at www.bishopoconnell.org/dance.

O'Connell girl's lacrosse will have training on Wednesdays and Fridays every week starting at 3:30pm. Please bring all equipment and meet outside of the weight room.

Attention O’Connell students! We know you have old jeans just gathering dust in your closet! Bring them in for our Teens for Jeans Drive this week. Homelessness effects 25,000 teens in our DC area alone! Drop your jeans off in the designated boxed in the cafeteria, center office, and attendance office. All your donations will be given to homeless shelters and teens in our area. Thank you!

There will be a mandatory meeting for all Model UN members attending ILMUNC (ill-monk) tomorrow immediately after school in room 126. Don't forget to bring your money!

Any student who is taking Civil Rights and Civil Liberties next semester and still needs the book, see Mr. Cummings in room 221.

There will be a Pro-Life club bake sale tomorrow, Wednesday, during all lunches! All proceeds will go to the annual baby shower at the end of the year! Please bring money and support the Pro-Life club! Smoothie King is coming and there will be lots of cupcakes, brownies, and cookies!

There will be a meeting for the Spanish Honor Society on Wednesday 15, at 3:00 pm in room 310. SENIORS ONLY.

The French Division of World Languages currently seeks host families for students from France. The high schoolers will visit Bishop O'Connell in fall 2014. This is part of the continuing relationship between DJO and our partner school in France's Champagne Region. Welcoming families help the students become immersed in the English language and American culture. An expression of interest does not guarantee selection as a host family, as there is an application process, but participants benefit tremendously from interacting with these eager young people. If this interests you, talk it over with your family and see Mr. Hobson in Room 311. DJO parents and guardians may reach him at shobson@bishopoconnell.org .

All library books that were due before Christmas vacation must be returned before you may take your mid-term exams. Your teachers have a list of students that have not cleared up library obligations. This also includes any outstanding fines.

O'Connell girl's lacrosse will have training on Wednesdays and Fridays every week starting at 3:30pm. Please bring all equipment and meet outside of the weight room.

How would you like to have a chance to be on television. Come out this Saturday January 18 to support the It's Academic team as they take on WT Woodsen and Suitland High School. The show will begin taping at 11:45AM and located at the NBC4 studios in DC. Please see Mr. Holland in room 112 for tickets and information.

ALL SENIOR Global Studies students: Please see Ms. Webb by next Friday to schedule a mandatory individual meeting.

For tomorrow … each class will meet in the auditorium for an assembly. Sophomores will meet after their second period exam (Period 2). Seniors and Juniors do not go to Advisory – report directly to the Auditorium (for Seniors this is during lunch A, and Juniors lunch B). Freshman and sophomores will go to their Advisory, then during lunch C freshmen will go to the Auditorium. Sophomores will stay in Advisory as normal.

Attention O’Connell students! We know you have old jeans just gathering dust in your closet! Bring them in for our Teens for Jeans Drive this week. Homelessness effects 25,000 teens in our DC area alone! Drop your jeans off in the designated boxed in the cafeteria, center office, and attendance office. All your donations will be given to homeless shelters and teens in our area. Thank you!

There will be a mandatory meeting for all Model UN members attending ILMUNC (ill-monk) today immediately after school in room 126. Don't forget to bring your money!

Any student who is taking Civil Rights and Civil Liberties next semester and still needs the book, see Mr. Cummings in room 221.

There will be a Pro-Life club bake sale today during all lunches! All proceeds will go to the annual baby shower at the end of the year! Please bring money and support the Pro-Life club! Smoothie King is coming and there will be lots of cupcakes, brownies, and cookies!

There will be a meeting for the Spanish Honor Society today at 3:00 pm in room 310. SENIORS ONLY.

The French Division of World Languages currently seeks host families for students from France. The high schoolers will visit Bishop O'Connell in fall 2014. This is part of the continuing relationship between DJO and our partner school in France's Champagne Region. Welcoming families help the students become immersed in the English language and American culture. An expression of interest does not guarantee selection as a host family, as there is an application process, but participants benefit tremendously from interacting with these eager young people. If this interests you, talk it over with your family and see Mr. Hobson in Room 311. DJO parents and guardians may reach him at shobson@bishopoconnell.org .

All library books that were due before Christmas vacation must be returned before you may take your mid-term exams. Your teachers have a list of students that have not cleared up library obligations. This also includes any outstanding fines.

Schedule information and more details have been posted online for students participating in the Rally and March for Life on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014.

Emergency Contact - 703-635-9394

CLICK HERE for detailed schedule information and MAP.

Congratulations to Bishop O'Connell junior, Jeff Joppich, who was recently named to the District 12 Honors Band.

More than 500 students from Arlington and Fairfax counties' public and private schools took part in the Saturday, Jan. 11 auditions at McLean High School. Students had to prepare and perform an etude, a chromatic scale and major scales before performing a sight reading piece on the spot. Joppich, who plays in the school's symphonic band and jazz ensemble was ranked 17th out of the 76 students auditioning for the trumpet section.

The District 12 Honors Band will rehearse Jan. 30 - Feb 1, ending with a concert at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Oakton High School in Vienna.

Find out more about the Bishop O'Connell music program at www.bishopoconnell.org/music.

The Bishop O'Connell varsity ice hockey team is enjoying a productive season in the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey Leagues (NVSHL) under first-year head coach Flip Collins. There's a lot of excitement in the hallways and at the rink as the Knights work their way to a possible play-off spot for the first time in several years.

Read more about what a lot of heart and a few boxes of pizza can do for an emerging hockey powerhouse:

The Washington Post - Jan. 15, 2014

Yahoo Sports- Jan. 16, 2014

Follow Knights Hockey at www.bishopoconnell.org/icehockey.

Bishop O'Connell High School follows Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) weather-related closing and delay decisions. Since FCPS was closed on Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Bishop O'Connell exam schedule has been adjusted.

EXAM SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS

The mid-term exam schedule has been shifted forward to accommodate the Jan. 21 closing. This means that the exams scheduled for Tuesday will be given on Thursday; the exams scheduled for Thursday will be given on Friday; the exams scheduled for Friday will be given on Monday, Jan. 27. PLEASE NOTE - Monday, Jan. 27 will follow an exam schedule, rather than being a regular school day.

The new exam schedule is as follows:

Thursday, Jan. 23 – Periods 1 & 3 exams
Friday, Jan. 24 – Periods 4 & 6 exams
Monday, Jan. 27 – Periods 5 & 7 exams

CLICK HERE for details on the daily exam schedule.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22
RALLY AND MARCH FOR LIFE

Wednesday's pro-life rally at the Patriot Center and the March for Life on the Mall in Washington DC are taking place on time, regardless of the weather conditions and school closings. Student safety is our highest priority, and we will not require students to attend. However, the Rally and March support a cause in which we strongly believe and we want to afford students the opportunity to show their support.  

Fairfax County has announced that schools will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Bishop O'Connell is still planning to send buses to the Rally and then to the March, but participation is completely optional. Any student who would like to attend the Rally and the March for Life with the O'Connell community should be at school by 8:45 a.m. It is planned that the first bus will leave O'Connell at 8:15 a.m. and the last bus will leave at 8:50 a.m.

Please note that there will be no regular school bus service from home in the morning and back home in the afternoon.

In order for the school to plan transportation accordingly, please email rbuckreis@bishopoconnell.org BY 9 PM Tuesday night if your student plans to attend the Rally and the March even if school is closed. Also, it is anticipated that there will be extra seats on the buses, so parents are invited to join us, if desired. Just let us know if you would like to participate.

In any case, please make sure students attending the March for Life are warmly dressed as extreme cold temperatures are in the forecast for the afternoon. The school is providing knit hats, but please have them bring gloves and wear plenty of extra layers, too.

There will NOT be an exam prep session at school on Wednesday, but the school building will be open from 1 to 3 p.m. for any student who needs to retrieve study materials from his or her locker.

CLICK HERE FOR STUDENT PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
Updated Jan. 21 - More information for students who are participating in the Rally and March.

On Jan. 18 at a special awards ceremony of the John Lyon - VFW Post 3150 in Arlington, several students and one teacher from Bishop O’Connell High School were recognized for their accomplishments.

Earlier in the school year, the students submitted three to five minute recorded essays to the post’s Voice of Democracy contest on the theme: “Why am I optimistic about America’s future?”

O’Connell sophomore Virginia Schilder was awarded first place and $300; junior Ryan Robles won second place and $150; and senior John Durel was awarded third place and $75.

At the same awards ceremony, Michael Bernhard (pictured right), math department chair at Bishop O'Connell, received the local and district-level VFW High School Teacher of the Year Award for his outstanding dedication to promoting patriotism and good citizenship. Bernhard is a retired U.S. naval officer.

O’Connell English teacher Mary Lou Wentzel, who coordinates student participation in community speech and essay contests, was proud to see such a successful showing by O'Connell students. “It delights me to see the hard work of these students recognized in this kind of way,” she said. "Congratulations to these students, and to Mr. Bernhard.”

Top photo (left to right): Post 3150 Commander Michael McCartney, Women's Auxiliary President Karen Stewart, John Durel, Virginia Schilder, Ryan Robles, Bill Kelly, Voice of Democracy coordinator.

Bishop O'Connell High School follows Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) weather-related closing and delay decisions. Since FCPS are opening two hours late on Friday, Jan. 24, Bishop O'Connell will also open two hours late on Friday.

EXAM SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENT

Friday, Jan. 24

9:45 a.m. – First bell – Students report to Advisory.
9:50 – 10:05 a.m. – Advisory
10:15 – 11:30 a.m. – Period 1 exam
12 noon – 1:15 p.m. – Period 3 exam
Buses depart at 1:30 p.m.

• Snacks will be available in the cafeteria for purchase between and after exams.
• Students who do not have an exam during the first exam session, do not have to report until 11:45 a.m.
• Students without a second session exam may leave at the conclusion of their first exam session, or wait in the cafeteria for their bus or their ride.

Monday, Jan. 27
8:00 - 8:10 a.m. Advisory
8:15 - 9:30 a.m. Period 4 Exam
10:00 - 11:15 a.m. Period 6 Exam
11:30 a.m. Dismissal

Tuesday, Jan. 28
8:00 - 8:10 a.m. Advisory
8:15 - 9:30 a.m. Period 5 Exam
10:00 - 11:15 a.m. Period 7 Exam
11:30 a.m. Dismissal

Notes for Monday and Tuesday:

Students who do not have an exam during the first exam session, do not have to report until 9:45 a.m.

Students without a second session exam may leave at the conclusion of their first exam session, or wait in the cafeteria for their bus or their ride.

Despite the frigid temperatures and the announced snow day for students at Bishop O’Connell High School, more than 100 O’Connell students boarded buses at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22 to participate in the diocesan “Life is Very Good” rally at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, before heading into Washington to be part of the 40^th annual March for Life.

“These students came with no reward expected, just the chance to stand up for a life…and a warm chicken sandwich,” said O’Connell’s activities director, Robert Buckreis, who arranged for bus transportation and a Chick-Fil-A lunch ahead of time.

At the rally, the students prayed together, laughed together and celebrated Mass with students and seminarians from near and far.

They returned to their buses, singing together and warming up one more time before they braved the afternoon elements, joining hundreds of thousands of others to march from the Smithsonian to the steps of the Supreme Court.

"It was very encouraging to see so many young people brave the adverse weather to stand up for the unborn,” said theology teacher Patrice Connolly, who was one of a dozen faculty members who volunteered their time to chaperone O’Connell students who desired to “be voices for those who don’t have a voice.”

At the end of the march, the group stopped at St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill, where they graciously served up cocoa and donuts, and provided a warm place to sit.

Click on the play button below to view a slideshow from the Rally & March for Life.

It's Catholic Schools Week...and it's a special day for our school. Today we celebrate the 165th birthday of Bishop Denis Joseph O'Connell.

Who was Bishop  O'Connell? He was born on January 28, 1849 in the parish of Donoughmore in Ireland, the third of eight children born to Michael and Bridget O'Connell. His family immigrated to South Carolina, where they joined his brothers who were missionaries there. Denis O'Connell studied at St. Charles College in Ellicott City, Md, before continuing his theology studies in Rome. He was ordained in 1877, and served as a mission priest for the Diocese of Richmond for a period of time. In 1903, he was appointed as the rector of The Catholic University of America, where he is credited with "improving the University's image in Washington, DC." From 1912 through 1926, O'Connell served as the bishop of the Diocese of Richmond.

Happy Birthday, Bishop Denis J. O'Connell!

 Detentions from last Tuesday, Jan. 21 will be rescheduled for today, Jan. 29. Any student scheduled for detention last week should report to detention on Wednesday. If you need to reschedule this detention because of a doctor's appointment or have any other questions, please see the Student Life Office today.

Attention O’Connell students! This is the last day to bring in your old jeans! Homelessness effects 25,000 teens in our DC area alone! Drop your jeans off in the designated boxed in the cafeteria, center office, or attendance office. All your donations will be given to homeless shelters and teens in our area. Thank you!

Congratulations to the Robotics Club as they traveled to Norfolk State Univ last weekend for their first ever competition where they placed 6th overall out of over 20 teams.  The O'Connell team was presented with the Judges Award for their success as a first-time competitor and for their outstanding attitude and cooperative spirit. 

Best wishes to the Royalette Dance Team who leave tomorrow morning for Disney World in Orlando, Florida, to compete in the National Dance Team Championship! Good luck ladies!

Home wrestling match today vs. Gonzaga at 3 PM. We need all students to attend. Admission is free!   This is a great opportunity to show school pride, support our fellow classmates, and have fun! WE ARE DJO...WE BELIEVE!

Are you a student or faculty member who wants to share in the celebration of black history month? Come see Mr. Edmondson, Ms. Heard, or Mrs. Stabile about ways to participate in our Black History month celebration!

The Young Men's Executive Club will be hosting a four week Workshop on learning formal Ballroom Dancing just like on "Dancing with the Stars" Award winning National Dance team partners Ms. Leslie Mallory & Mr. Lewis Neal will be here to teach the class for the next four Thursdays in the Cafeteria from 3:15 - 4:45 pm. There will be a prorated charge of $6.00 per person for this great opportunity! The Young Men's Executive Club are in search of young ladies to serve as dance partners. Please see Coach Owens in room 224 for details.

ALL Global Studies students: Our next event will be in the library directly after school this Thursday, January 30. Our honored guest speaker will be Dr. MaryAnne Luzar from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. See Ms. Webb if you are unable to attend.

O'Connell Girls Lacrosse will have an interest meeting today, January 29 at 3:30pm in Room 146.

The library is celebrating LIBRARY Lovers Month and St. Valentine's Day by sponsoring a contest. They want to hear your LOVE STORY. Be original. Be happy. Be surprising. Be moving. Be enjoyable to read. Be about LOVE: friend, God, family, pet, country, sport, etc.

Four Rules:
1. Maximum of one page (about 200 words).
2. Unpublished.
3. Disqualified if it contains offensive and/or inappropriate vocabulary.
4. Grant DJO the right to print, publish, distribute, broadcast or reproduce the stories.

When: Compete now through Tuesday, February 11. The Winner will be declared on Valentine’s Day, February 14. The Prize - The winner earns FAME and FORTUNE - Publication and $10 cash!

During Catholic Schools Week, the O'Connell community offers this special morning prayer:

God our Father, we offer prayers today for Catholic elementary schools across our country, especially parish schools in our diocese. May they be warm and welcoming communities where children learn to love God and to love and serve others. May teachers in the primary grades help their students to learn to read and open their minds to the excitement of learning. May students in the middle grades explore history and science and the arts with wonder and curiosity. May older students, expecially those preparing for Confirmation develop leadership skills and be well prepared to continue their studies in high school.

May those who support these schools be blessed for their generosity. We pray, as always, in the Name of Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you for these words, Sister Catherine Hill, I.H.M., our academic dean and member of the class of 1966.

 Thank you for all your generous donations for the Teens for Jeans Drive. All your donations will be given to homeless shelters and teens in our area. Thank you O’Connell!

Best wishes to the Royalette Dance Team who leave today for Disney World in Orlando, Florida, to compete in the National Dance Team Championship! Good luck ladies!

Are you a student or faculty member who wants to share in the celebration of black history month? Come see Mr. Edmondson, Ms. Heard, or Mrs. Stabile about ways to participate in our Black History month celebration!

The Young Men's Executive Club will be hosting a four week Workshop on learning formal Ballroom Dancing just like on "Dancing with the Stars. " The first class is today, from 3:15pm to 4:45 pm. There will be a prorated charge of $6.00 per person for this great opportunity ! Please see Coach Owens in room 224 for details. Thank you very much!

For anyone who wants to participate in the American Mathematics Competition it will be held on Tuesday, February 4 during the school day during 6th and 7th period, please see Mrs. Koranek in room 116 to sign up.

National School Counseling Week 2014, "School Counseling: Building Magical Futures," will be celebrated all this week. It focuses our attention on the unique contributions of professional school counselors and college counselors here at Bishop O'Connell. One way of celebrating our counselors is by also celebrating a unique fact about them.  Each day we will give you a trivia question about a counselor, and YOU can go to the Counseling Office and submit your answer for a prize drawing.  We will announce winners the following day to claim your prize. THANKS to our Counselors and counseling department for their wonderful support to our school! Trivia for today:   How many United States Marine Corps Marathons in Washington, DC  did Dr. Stabile complete?

ALL Global Studies students: Our next event will be in the library directly after school today, January 30th. Our honored guest speaker will be Dr. MaryAnne Luzar from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. See Ms. Webb if you are unable to attend.

The library is celebrating LIBRARY Lovers Month and St. Valentine's Day by sponsoring a contest. They want to hear your LOVE STORY. Be original. Be happy. Be surprising. Be moving. Be enjoyable to read. Be about LOVE: friend, God, family, pet, country, sport, etc.

Four Rules:
1. Maximum of one page (about 200 words).
2. Unpublished.
3. Disqualified if it contains offensive and/or inappropriate vocabulary.
4. Grant DJO the right to print, publish, distribute, broadcast or reproduce the stories.

When: Compete now through Tuesday, February 11. The Winner will be declared on Valentine’s Day, February 14. The Prize - The winner earns FAME and FORTUNE - Publication and $10 cash!

Congratulations to O’Connell senior Romelo Trimble who joins the ranks of basketball’s elite, being named yesterday to the boys team for the 2014 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Game.

This 37th showdown between the nation’s top high school basketball players will be broadcast live from Chicago’s United Center on ESPN on April 2, beginning at 8:30 p.m. CT. Earlier in the week, players will participate in the POWERADE® Jam Fest – a skills competition, three-point shootout and dunk contest – which will be broadcast on ESPNU.

“The McDonald’s All American Games are where the elite players serve notice of what’s to come at the next level,” said Douglas Freeland, director of the McDonald’s All American Games. “With the great success of last year’s players at the collegiate level this year, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for Chicago on April 2.”

This year’s teams were selected from the field of more than 1,000 nominees by the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee. Since 1978, more than 1,150 players have competed in the McDonald’s All American Games, forming an elite list of some of the top names in basketball history including, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant, and Kevin Love.

The last boys basketball player from the Washington D.C. area to be selected as a McDonald's All American was former O'Connell standout, Kendall Marshall '10, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

"This is a tremendous honor for Melo," said Head Basketball Coach Joe Wootten. "He is a great competitor, consummate teammate and is incredibly coachable. Being named a McDonald's All American is the highest recognition in high school basketball and we are proud of his accomplishments."

For more information about the McDonald’s All American Games, visit www.mcdaag.com.

See more coverage on Trimble’s All American honors in the Washington Post.

Would you like to practice your Spanish in Spain and explore the culture? Then come to Salamanca over the summer from July 1 to July 16, and study at the University of Salamanca. The University is one of the most prestigious Universities in Europe and built in 1218, it will allow you to be part of history.  With this program you will earn 2 college credits and will participate in cultural activities, walking tours, and excursions to Segovia, Avila, Toledo and of course Madrid, the lively capital of Spain. For more information see Ms. Yanine in room 310 as soon as possible and don’t miss this once in a life time opportunity. 

The GD-GIM's (which stands for Game Design w/Girls In Mind) will meet after school today, (Feb 3^rd) at 3pm in room 300.

Today, immediately after school, in room 114 there will be a Keyette meeting for all members. Please be prompt.

To all SCA Sophomore Class officers and advisory representatives: There will be a meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, February 4, at 11:35, during B Lunch Knight Time in Room 221, which is Mr. Cummings’ room. Please bring ideas for sophomore fundraising. If you cannot attend, please let Marissa Luna or Claire Jarvis know today, February 3.

There will be a meeting of the French Club Executive Board on Wednesday, February 5, at 3:10 p.m., and a general meeting of the French Club on Wednesday, February 12, also at 3:10. Both meetings will be held in Room 311.

GIRLS SOFTBALL SIGN-UP MEETING – Any girl interested in playing on one of the school’s two teams – Junior Varsity and Varsity – must attend a sign-up meeting on Thursday, February 6 at 3:10 p.m. in Room 146. It will be brief, probably 15 minutes or so. Please be prompt! Anyone desiring to try out must have submitted a physical and parent permission form to the Training Room prior to tryouts, which begin on Thursday, Feb. 20.

The French Division of World Languages currently seeks host families for students from France. The high schoolers will visit Bishop O'Connell for one week this fall. This is part of the continuing relationship between DJO and our partner school in France's Champagne (pronounce it like the stuff you drink) Region. Host families help the students become immersed in our language and culture. If this is of interest to you, please discuss with your family and see Mr. Hobson in Room 311. DJO parents and guardians may reach him at shobson@bishopoconnell.org 

Are you a student or faculty member who wants to share in the celebration of black history month? Come see Mr. Edmondson, Ms. Heard, or Mrs. Stabile about ways to participate in our Black History month celebration!

For anyone who wants to participate in the American Mathematics Competition it will be held on Tuesday, February 4 during the school day during 6th and 7th period, please see Mrs. Koranek in room 116 to sign up.

National School Counseling Week 2014, "School Counseling: Building Magical Futures," will be celebrated all this week. It focuses our attention on the unique contributions of professional school counselors and college counselors here at Bishop O'Connell. One way of celebrating our counselors is by also celebrating a unique fact about them.  Each day we will give you a trivia question about a counselor, and YOU can go to the Counseling Office and submit your answer for a prize drawing.  We will announce winners the following day to claim your prize. THANKS to our Counselors and counseling department for their wonderful support to our school! Trivia for today:   Which member of the counseling department was a contestant on two game shows?

The library is celebrating LIBRARY Lovers Month and St. Valentine's Day by sponsoring a contest. They want to hear your LOVE STORY. Be original. Be happy. Be surprising. Be moving. Be enjoyable to read. Be about LOVE: friend, God, family, pet, country, sport, etc.

Four Rules:
1. Maximum of one page (about 200 words).
2. Unpublished.
3. Disqualified if it contains offensive and/or inappropriate vocabulary.
4. Grant DJO the right to print, publish, distribute, broadcast or reproduce the stories.

When: Compete now through Tuesday, February 11. The Winner will be declared on Valentine’s Day, February 14. The Prize - The winner earns FAME and FORTUNE - Publication and $10 cash!

Would you like to practice your Spanish in Spain and explore the culture? Then come to Salamanca over the summer from July 1 to July 16, and study at the University of Salamanca. The University is one of the most prestigious Universities in Europe and built in 1218, it will allow you to be part of history.  With this program you will earn 2 college credits and will participate in cultural activities, walking tours, and excursions to Segovia, Avila, Toledo and of course Madrid, the lively capital of Spain. For more information see Ms. Yanine in room 310 as soon as possible and don’t miss this once in a life time opportunity. 

The Largesse literary magazine will be holding a meeting after school today TUESDAY, FEB. 4) in room 321. Anyone who's interested in contributing artwork, photography, original short fiction, or poetry is welcome to attend. The meeting will be brief and should be over by 3:30 pm. Members of the ed board should plan to spend a few extra minutes after the general meeting. We'll be planning our layout schedule for our first print issue of the year! Please see Mr. Meehan today during Knight Time if you have any questions.

There will be a philosophy club meeting today after school in room 215. The topic will be "How the Market and Media are Controlling You."

The Ecology Club will be meeting today after school in room 236 to discuss earth week and recycling. All are welcome!"

The OCVED (Game Design Club) will meet on Tuesday, Feb 4, after school in Rm. 300.

It’s National School Counseling Week! The theme, "School Counseling: Building Magical Futures," will be celebrated all this week, and focuses our attention on the unique contributions of professional school counselors and college counselors here at Bishop O'Connell. Here is today’s trivia (which also ran last week): How many United States Marine Corps Marathons in Washington, DC did Dr. Stabile complete and who else in the Counseling Department also ran the Marine Corps Marathon? The answer to yesterday’s trivia question, “Which counselor has been on two TV game shows?” is Mrs. Herbst. The winner is :  Stacy Ho Grade 10.  Please go to the Counseling office to pick up your prize! Congratulations!

To all SCA Sophomore Class officers and advisory representatives: There will be a meeting today at 11:35, during B Lunch Knight Time in Room 221, which is Mr. Cummings’ room. Please bring ideas for sophomore fundraising. If you cannot attend, please let Marissa Luna or Claire Jarvis know today, February 3. Thank you.

All those who signed up for the American Mathematics Competition please report to room 110 on the math hallway immediately after your 5th period class

There will be a meeting of the French Club Executive Board tomorrow, February 5, at 3:10 p.m., and a general meeting of the French Club on Wednesday, February 12, also at 3:10. Both meetings will be held in Room 311.

GIRLS SOFTBALL SIGN-UP MEETING – Any girl interested in playing on one of the school’s two teams – Junior Varsity and Varsity – must attend a sign-up meeting on Thursday, February 6th   at 3:10 p.m. in Room 146. It will be brief, probably 15 minutes or so. Please be prompt! Anyone desiring to try out must have submitted a physical and parent permission form to the Training Room prior to tryouts, which begin on Thursday, Feb. 20th.

Would you like to learn how to dance like the stars? If the answer is yes we have a program for you! Ms. Leslie Mallory & Mr. Lewis Neal National Hand Dancing Champions are coming to O'Connell to teach several classes of Ballroom Dancing. The cost is $6.00 per session or $12.00 per couple. No experience necessary! Please see Coach Owens to sign up!

The French Division of World Languages currently seeks host families for students from France. The high schoolers will visit Bishop O'Connell for one week this fall. This is part of the continuing relationship between DJO and our partner school in France's Champagne (pronounce it like the stuff you drink) Region. Host families help the students become immersed in our language and culture. If this is of interest to you, please discuss with your family and see Mr. Hobson in Room 311. DJO parents and guardians may reach him at shobson@bishopoconnell.org 

Are you a student or faculty member who wants to share in the celebration of black history month? Come see Mr. Edmondson, Ms. Heard, or Mrs. Stabile about ways to participate in our Black History month celebration!

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, students from the Global Studies program at Bishop O’Connell gathered in the library after school to participate in a discussion with Dr. Mary Anne Luzar, the Chief of Regulatory Affairs, Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Luzar manages clinical trials of drugs and vaccines aimed at treating and preventing HIV infection. She leads a group of scientists and regulatory specialists who oversee the protocols to make sure the work is safe and scientifically sound. This work takes place in the U.S. and forty other countries, especially sub-Sahara Africa where AIDS is prevalent.

Her discussion with the students began with a history lesson of drug testing in the U.S. and around the world. She presented several horrific examples of the past in order to highlight the importance placed today on complete disclosure and consent of patients. She also used her time with the students to focus on some exciting current research about HIV treatment in babies in South Africa.

“This presentation helped our students see how global health concerns become everyone’s concern,” said Dean of Academics, Sister Catherine Hill, IHM. “Dr. Luzar is a great example of someone who has focused her interests and expertise to serve a greater global good.”

 Dr. Luzar holds a B.A. from St. Mary’s College at Notre Dame, Indiana. She continued her pre-med work at DePauw University, before receiving her M.S. in microbiology from the University of Tennessee, where she focused her work on infections in Cystic Fibrosis. She received her Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Brussels, working on infection prevention for patients on kidney dialysis.  She continued this research work for Baxter Corporation product development in Europe, before moving on to support the efforts at the NIH.