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Enter to Learn. Go Forth to Serve.
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Sunday, November 24, 2019
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Thanksgiving week is here! We hope you will plan to join us for our Advent Wreath Making & Blessing on Monday night at 6pm and Thanksgiving Mass on Wednesday morning at 8:30am.
Remember that Wednesday is a half day - students will be released at 11:45 & noon.
If your family will be taking an extended Thanksgiving vacation, please email attendance@oharaschool.org so we can mark your student out.
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Today is the last Sunday in our Liturgical Year! The last Sunday of the church year is the Solemnity of Christ the King. Who is King of your heart? Who is King of your actions? Who is King of your thoughts?
Below are links to free craft ideas and recipe ideas to help you celebrate Jesus Christ, our King.
Next week is the first Sunday of Advent and the very beginning of a new Liturgical Year. Advent is a season to prepare for the birth of Christ, and starts on December 1.
It is a time of waiting, remembering, hoping and thanking God for becoming one of us. It is the liturgical season of four weeks devoted to preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas. For more information, check out this video.
Here are some ideas on how your family can celebrate Advent:
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CONGRATULATIONS, MR. BROTHERTON!
Mr. Brotherton, O'Hara's 4B homeroom teacher, has been awarded the
Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award for Eugene Post 293. Launched in 1999 by the VFW, the award aims to recognize classroom teachers for promoting citizenship education.
Mr. Brotherton not only promotes citizenship in his classroom with lessons and community service field trips, he lives it- going above and beyond to watch his students' sporting events and doing other kind deeds for O'Hara families behind the scenes. Mr. Brotherton is a veteran of the Air Force. He will be presented with his award at a December 12 Awards Dinner held at the Veterans Memorial Building.
Please join us in congratulating Mr. Brotherton on this well-deserved award.
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DIRECTORY UPDATES
Welcome, Lucas Saydack to Preschool!
Please add the following information to your directory:
2978 Shirley St.
Eugene, OR 97404
Jessica Saydack: 541-606-4604
David Saydack: 541-914-1337
New address for Copley family:
4926 Hunters Glen Dr.
Eugene, OR 97405
If you have updated contact information to share, please submit it via
this form
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MONDAY:
ADVENT WREATH MAKING & BLESSING
PLEASE JOIN US!
When: Monday, November 25
Time: 6 - 7:30pm
Where: O'Hara's Cafeteria
At O'Hara, we have a long tradition of gathering together to help families prepare for Advent by making Advent wreaths. An Advent wreath is simple to make and can be used throughout Advent. You simply light one candle each week, adding the flame to 1 additional candle every Sunday as Christmas approaches; watch as your dark room is illuminated more and more, as the coming of Christ nears.
We hope you & your family will join us to take part in this special O'Hara tradition! This year's party is taking place Monday, November 25, at 6pm in the cafeteria. Wreath rings and candles will be available for purchase, and greenery, ribbon & wire will be available for families to make their wreaths. Families are encouraged to bring their own scissors and any extra ribbon or other decorative elements to add to their wreath. Light refreshments will also be available.
THANK YOU to this year's Advent Wreath Making Chairs, O'Hara parents Danielle Alapont & Meghan Myers.
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MONDAY: CIVIL WAR DRESS DAY 
Staff & students are invited to wear their UO or OSU tops with jeans this Monday in celebration of the
Civil
War Football Game this Thanksgiving Weekend!
Please note, special dress is entirely optional. Students that do not wish to wear a themed top must wear a regular uniform top. Students that do not wish to wear jeans must wear a regular uniform bottom.
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TUESDAY: Q&A PARENT SESSION
As detailed in the parent email sent on Thursday, O'Hara has begun teaching safety protocols and will conduct drills with students (at age-appropriate levels) to provide guidance in ways to respond in the event of a campus threat.
As a follow-up, for parents who have questions about this implementation, we will hold a coffee chat on Tuesday, November 26, at 8:15am in the library. All are invited to attend.
Missed the email or want to read it again?
Click here.
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TUESDAY: PICTURE RETAKES 
Picture retakes are scheduled for Tuesday, November 26, 2019 beginning at 8:30am.
If your student needs their picture re-taken, they must bring back their original pictures and turn them into the photographer when they go for retakes.
If your student has not had their picture taken this year, please pick up a picture form from the office and fill it out. Students should bring their completed order form to school and give it to the photographer on retake day. Alternatively, you can also purchase your pictures by going to
mylifetouch.com and enter in the picture ID: FO529171Y1.
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WEDNESDAY: PARENT PRAYER GROUP BEFORE MASS
Parents are encouraged and invited to gather in the chapel on Wednesday morning at 8:05am for prayer and reflection prior to the start of Mass. This group meets before each Mass at O'Hara; please come to pray for our school and our students. Thank you to O'Hara parent Alexandra Westover for leading our parent prayer group.
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WEDNESDAY: MASS
This Wednesday, November 27, is our Thanksgiving Mass. All students are required to wear Uniform Mass dress. Please read below for details.
Dress Code Reminders:
All boys
must wear a white button down shirt and a plaid uniform tie, with khaki or navy uniform pants. Shorts are not permitted.
All girls
must wear one of the following:
Plaid uniform skirt & white button down shirt
Plaid uniform jumper with collared white shirt underneath
No pants or shorts are permitted
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As a school-wide service project, and to help provide for those who need extra assistance this holiday season, we will collect food items at Mass.
We are asking each student and staff member to bring 1 non-perishable food item to school this Wednesday. We will collect these items
at the beginning of Mass, and donate them to
Catholic Community Services to be distributed to local families in need. Food items should be easy for your student to carry, and be sent to school on Wednesday. Thank you, O'Hara families, for your participation.
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A PROUD LEGACY. A VISION FOR THE FUTURE. 
As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, we are thankful for many things - mostly the ongoing and dedicated support of our O'Hara community.
Thanksgiving tradition brings two days for getting deals - Black Friday and Cyber Monday - but it also brings us
#GivingTuesday
- a day for giving back.
#GivingTuesday
is the opening day of the giving season.
#GivingTuesday
is Tuesday, December 3, 2019. This year for O'Hara's #GivingTuesday, we are asking our families to return their Campaign Pledge cards. With the official launch of O'Hara Catholic School's
A Proud Legacy. A Vision for the Future
. Capital Campaign, we are focused on family participation.
To learn more about the campaign, we invite you to join us for one of our A Proud Legacy. A Vision for the Future. informational sessions. These events are designed to give you a chance to learn more about our projects and vision for the school and to ask questions about the campaign. We will hold sessions in the Art Room on the following days and times.
Please RSVP here
. Our next session is on #GivingTuesday.
Tuesday, December 3 - 11:45am - 12:15pm
Thursday, December 5 - 5:30 - 6:30pm
Thursday, December 12 - 10:30 - 11:00am
Wednesday, December 18 - 5:30 - 6:30pm
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ONE MORE WEEK: TOYS FOR TOTS 
Thank you to everyone who has brought in a donation for our annual
Toys for Tots
toy drive - there's just 1 week left in our collection! Still want to bring in a donation? Black Friday would be a great day to pick up an item or two!
Over the last few years, O'Hara has been the largest private collection site in Lane County! We hope your family will join us in our efforts to help the Marine Corps and our local fire departments collect and hand out toys to children in Lane County this Christmas season.
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NEW PRAYER GROUP BEGINS DECEMBER 2
Beginning on Tuesday, December 2, Mrs. Jones will lead a weekly prayer group on Tuesdays after school, from 3:05 to 3:30pm. The prayer group is open to all students and parents and will meet in the chapel. The prayer group will offer
different types of prayer, such as the Rosary, Intentions, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and much more!
Please contact Mrs. Jones with any questions.
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WIZARD OF OZ: SPONSORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE 
Our 2020 drama production,
The Wizard of Oz,
is gearing up! Putting on such an event takes dedication from our production staff, cast members, and parent volunteers. We are asking our community for their support in sponsoring this thriving program. Click HERE to view our sponsorship opportunities
for the 2020 production. The funds raised through sponsorships will go directly to the production of our performances and will help cover the performance rights, production costs, props, instruction time and programs. Please contact
Michelle Meador
with any questions.
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JOG-A-THON: PARENT SURVEY & OUTSTANDING PLEDGES 
Thank you again for everyone's participation in helping make this year's Jog-A-Thon a huge success. Every year we strive to make things better than the year before, and would like to hear your suggestions: please leave us your feedback via our
Parent Survey. Thank you!
We are still working to gather some remaining JAT pledges. Invoices have been mailed and PledgeStar reminders have been emailed. We are asking for your help to follow up with family and friends that pledged your student(s). We appreciate your assistance in helping us gather all payments promptly. Please contact
Michelle Campbell with any questions regarding JAT invoices.
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LANDS' END BLACK FRIDAY HAPPENING NOW!
Click
HERE, or on the image below, to shop O'Hara uniforms. Our preferred school code is: 900031972
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NEW: FRED MEYER COMMUNITY REWARDS SUPPORTING O'HARA 
Raise money for O'Hara while doing your shopping at Fred Meyer! O'Hara is now a qualified participant of the Fred Meyer Community Rewards Program. It is easy to sign up - visit
fredmeyer.com
and log into your Fred Meyer account. Search O'Hara Catholic School either by name or by our code, SH646, and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account that requires some basic information, a valid email address and a
rewards
card. Thank you for supporting O'Hara.
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INCLEMENT WEATHER DECISION AND NOTIFICATION PROCESS
If it becomes necessary to cancel or delay the start of school due to inclement weather, O'Hara families will be notified in the morning via an automated phone message. The information will also be posted on our
Facebook &
Instagram pages.
O'Hara typically follows Eugene School District 4J's decisions regarding weather delays and closures. However, we also take into consideration the larger geographic area that our O'Hara families live in and are mindful of what those travel conditions might include. The safety of our families and staff is our primary concern. A decision regarding school delay or closure will normally be announced by 6:30am in the morning.
Please note, in the event of questionable weather, we expect and encourage each family to make their own decision for safe travel based on location and circumstances. If your students will not be to school on time, please email
attendance@oharaschool.org, or call the office.
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AUCTION 2020: HAVANA NIGHTS
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Stay tuned for more info coming soon!
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We are thrilled to announce that a number of generous supporters have already committed to sponsor this year's event.
Thank you to the following businesses:
TITLE SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
Allegiance Medical
SILVER SPONSORS
HAPPY HOUR SPONSOR
AFTER PARTY SPONSOR
TUITION RAFFLE SPONSOR
COOKIE SPONSOR
PICK OF THE LIVE AUCTION RAFFLE SPONSOR
SILENT AUCTION VALENTINE SPONSOR
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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES NOW AVAILABLE
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CLASS PACKAGES
Each grade has been assigned a basket theme; lists of specific items, at many different price points, have been compiled and will be emailed out to each grade. We are asking families to participate in their class packages as they are comfortable and able to do so by bringing in an item (or more) from the list.
Thank you to Kristin Oeming for chairing our Class Packages this year!
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SILENT AUCTION
O'Hara's silent auction contributes more than $25,000 annually to our auction revenue and is an important and exciting part of our event.
We count on generous donations from our families and the community to put together baskets and items to offer our attendees.
Our
Wish List
is published online for individuals who want to contribute a basket to our Silent Auction but are not sure what to bring.
Have an idea that's not on the list? Or, have a connection to a local business you think would donate? We're all ears! Contact
Amy Quiring.
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DONATE + WIN!
Early donations help us tremendously with our organization and set-up schedule. So, again this year, we're offering an incentive for bringing in a donation of a completed basket before Christmas Break!
Drop off a donation of a complete basket for our silent auction by Thursday, December 19, and be entered to win! (limit: 1 entry per family). The winner will choose between 2 prize options: 10 FIP hours -or- 1 tuition raffle ticket at our 2020 auction. (These baskets are separate from class packages)
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED OVER CHRISTMAS BREAK
Volunteers are needed to assist Mr. Leonard in cleaning O'Hara's floor cover over Christmas Break for the following dates:
Thursday, December 26 & Friday, December 27: 4 volunteers are needed.
Friday, January 3: 2 Volunteers are needed.
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SCOREBOARD OPERATOR AND SCOREKEEPER NEEDED
We are in need of volunteers to run the scoreboard and be the scorekeeper at home middle school basketball games. Time spent volunteering counts for FIP hours, and no prior experience or ties to the team are necessary. Games begin at 4:30pm, and usually wrap up by 7:30pm. Contact our Athletic Director,
Mr. Milliron,
if you are interested or want to learn more.
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AUCTION: PICKUP DRIVERS NEEDED
Volunteers
are
needed
to make local donation pickups. These pickups will primarily take place in December and January, on an as-
needed
basis. If you would like to learn more or sign up to help, please contact
Amy Quiring
, Silent Auction Chair (541.220.9008).
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AUCTION:
DECORATIONS WORK PARTIES
It takes many hands to help create the amazing decorations that will transform our school for Auction night! Please consider helping at one of our Decorations Work Parties (beginning on December 11);
click here to sign up!
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AUCTION: SILENT AUCTION CALLERS
Volunteers are needed to make follow up donation request phone calls to local business donors. If you would like to learn more or sign up to help, please contact
Amy Quiring, Silent Auction Chair (541.220.9008).
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TIPS FROM THE MATH AND READING ROOM
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This week's topic:
5 Ways to Build Math into Your Child's Day
Building math into your child's everyday activities is a fun and easy way to build their math skills, and really easy to do since math is literally everywhere! Here are a couple of ideas for adding math into your Thanksgiving holiday:
1) Baking: Baking involves the use of measurement, fractions, division and number knowledge. You can have your child count how many chocolate chips go into 1/2 cup; have them show you what 3/4 of a cup looks like; have your older child measure all of the ingredients for you and pour them into the bowl. The opportunities for learning are endless...and may turn out to be delicious!
2) Planning dinner and shopping: Have your child set the dinner table and count the plates, napkins and silverware based on how many guests are coming over.
Young children and older children can help with grocery shopping. It can be as simple as counting how many cans of cranberries to buy, or more complex, like knowing how much money you need to buy the turkey based on its weight. Older children can help plan a dinner menu and help you shop with a given budget to learn about money management skills. The possibilities for learning math skills are endless in a grocery store!
3) Road Trip!: Have your older child keep track of your miles traveled, and how many left to go to get your destination. Have them figure out how much it will cost to fill the gas tank if you put in 10 gallons and gas is $3.55 per gallon. Have your young child find numbers on the highway or read the speed zones and mileage signs for you. Have them look for a specific number on a license plate (I Spy!). This may be a great way to keep them entertained!
Happy Thanksgiving to you all and safe travels!
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LINKS:
Volunteers are needed
to help in the kitchen, please contact
Tracy
if you can help.
Hot Lunch Contact:
Tracy Whalen
, Kitchen Manager (541-485-5291 x 303). Email is the best way to contact Tracy.
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DEC 11 & 12: O'HARA'S CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS
PreSchool - 4th Grade
students have specific dress/costume requirements. Please look for an email from your homeroom teacher with details.
5th - 8th Grade students should wear their Christmas best. (Girls: shoulders must be covered and hem length should be no shorter than 3" above the knee.)
All students are required to attend the Christmas Programs. For students in grades 5-8, failure to attend will result in an automatic grade reduction. Exemptions are given only in extraordinary circumstances by the administration.
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EXCHANGE STUDENT HOST FAMILIES NEEDED
Again, this year, O'Hara Catholic School proudly welcomes Francis Bacon School to be a part of our Catholic and educational community. This winter (February 17 through March 1), 8 students (5 boys and 3 girls) from Mexico will be attending O'Hara Catholic School with a desire to master English. Caring and committed host families form the backbone of our international student program. Sixth grade host families are preferred, but the opportunity is open to all Middle School families.
Would you and your family prayerfully consider opening your hearts and home to an international student this school year?
Host a
student from Francis Bacon School
and impact their world and yours!
Families who host an exchange student earn 10 FIP hours. For more information contact
Rich Hernandez.
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COMMUNICATIONS INFO FOR OUR FAMILIES
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NEW CONTACT INFO?
If your family has a new address, phone number, email address, etc., please make sure to update us with your new information. Please fill out
this form
, or email
Barb Whitford
if you have updates to share with us.
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O'HARA WEBSITE UPDATE
O'Hara uses a password protected portion on our website for important resources for our families. The password is: HOUSE
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EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS FROM O'HARA
Please make sure to add the following email addresses to your safe senders list and/or your address book to ensure you receive O'Hara's weekly email bulletins (sent each Sunday afternoon during the school year) and other important updates:
Parents wishing to add an additional email address (work, grandparent, nanny, etc.) to our weekly bulletin distribution list should email that request to:
communications@oharaschool.org.
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O'HARA'S APP FOR SMARTPHONES
O'Hara also uses our app to send push notification reminders for special dress days, early release days, Mass days and more. We request that all parents download our app.
O'Hara's app is available
HERE, or by searching the app store for: web4u ocs
The app includes quick access to the following:
School Calendar
Student Lunchtime Schedule
Dress Code
Weekly Bulletins
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SCHOOL CALENDAR
O'Hara uses a Google calendar as our school calendar. Parents can access this calendar via our app and our website. It can also be added to iPhone calendars. Please visit our
school calendar page on our website for the link to add the calendar to your phone.
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CONTACT INFO FOR O'HARA STAFF
All O'Hara staff members have a school email address. Email addresses are set as follows: John Smith = jsmith@oharaschool.org
There are a few exceptions to note:
Click
HERE for a complete staff listing.
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ONLINE PICTURE MANAGEMENT
New this year, O'Hara is using
Vidigami- an online picture management tool designed specifically for schools. W
e will be using their secure media management system as the place for our school photos. This online system allows for faster and more efficient picture uploads and organization for both parents and staff. In addition, Vidigami offers an app (available in the app store) so users can upload pictures directly from their smartphones.
The use of Vidigami replaces submitting pictures to our pictures@oharaschool.org email address.
In September, we launched the parent side of our system and all parents received an email (from Vidigami) with instructions for setting up their account. If you enrolled after September, or need your invitation email resent, please contact Amber Ferrari.
Vidigami is the only private and secure system designed exclusively for school communities to store and share photos and videos. Made available to users in the O'Hara community via invitation only, Vidigami closely follows and adjusts to changes in state, federal and international data privacy laws to ensure privacy for our families and community.
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"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
-
Joshua 24:15
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