Enter to Learn. Go Forth to Serve.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Only a few tickets remain for our 2020 event!  Buy your tickets now!
Proxy bid numbers are available  for those wishing to place a bid, but unable to attend the auction. Please contact  Barb  to arrange for your bid number.
 
Attending the auction and would like to have both a personal and a business bid number?   Contact  Barb  to arrange for dual bid numbers.

Raffle tickets are now on sale for FREE TUITION for one student for the 2020-21 school year.  Only 100 tickets will be sold. Stop by the front office to purchase your ticket.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Auction week/night is a great way to get your hours! Dates/times are listed below;  online sign up  required. Please note: children may not attend volunteer shifts. 

Wednesday, February 5
1 volunteer needed from 12:45pm - 1:15pm
4 volunteers needed from 1:15pm - 5:30pm (heavy lifting)
 
Thursday, February 6
3 volunteers needed from 12:30pm - 4:30pm

Friday, February 7
1 volunteers needed from 12:30pm - 4:30pm
 
Saturday, February 8
2 volunteers to be front door bar runners from 4:00pm - 7:00pm
7 volunteers to be silent auction managers from 4:00pm -10:00pm
4 volunteers to sell raffle tickets from 4:30pm - 7:00pm
1 volunteer manager/check-in from 4:00pm - 10:00pm
 
Sunday, February 9
7 volunteers needed from 9:00am - 2:00pm
 
CATHOLIC CORNER
The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family; Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  Real Life At Home has some great suggestions on how to celebrate the Holy Family as a family.  

Prayer for the Family
God made us a family.
We need one another.
We love one another.
We forgive one another.
We work together.
We play together.
We worship together.
Together we learn God's Word.
Together we grow in Christ.
Together we love all people.
Together we serve our God.
Together we hope for Heaven.
These are our hopes.
Help us obtain them, Father, through Jesus, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
CALENDAR
UPDATES
REMINDERS AND CHANGES FOR AUCTION WEEK:
Auction volunteers should please make childcare arrangements.   For insurance and safety reasons, children are not permitted to accompany parents to a volunteer shift.

Due to auction set-up, After the Bell will be held in the PreK-B classroom on Wednesday - Friday of this coming week. Parents should use the front entrance of the school for pickup.

Lunch Service on Thursday, Feb. 6 -  due to auction set up on Thursday, there is  NO HOT LUNCH OPTION FOR FEB. 6 . Students should bring a cold sack lunch to school on Thursday; there won't be microwaves available to heat up lunches. Our cafeteria will be closed on Thursday, and students will eat in classrooms, or other alternate locations as determined by teachers. (Students who have the annual lunch plan will have a sack lunch, please contact  Tracy Whalen  with any questions about the annual plan.) 

Friday, Feb, 7 is a half-day.   Students will be released at 11:45/noon. Our auction set up will be in full swing after the students are released, so please make sure you are prompt in picking up your students. Students not picked up on time will be sent to After the Bell and parents will be invoiced. Because space is limited, After the Bell is asking for a head count of students that will likely be attending ATB on Friday. Please  email ATB   if you plan to send your students.
STAFFING UPDATES FOR 2020-21
We want to update our O'Hara community on a few staffing changes that will be happening in the 2020-21 school year.

Mrs. April Demers is retiring at the end of this school year. She has written a letter to share with the O'Hara community, click here to read her message . Thank you, Mrs. Demers, for all the wonderful years, we wish you nothing but the best in retirement!

Ms. Julia Cieslak will not be returning next year. She became engaged over Christmas break, and will be getting married and relocating in December 2020. We are grateful that she plans to be available to substitute for us in the fall. Congratulations, Ms. Cieslak, on your happy news!
WEDNESDAY: AUCTION DECORATIONS WORK PARTY
Our last Auction Decorations Work Party will be held this Wednesday, February 5. We'd love to know who's coming so please use  this link to sign up.

Please note: work parties are for adults only, please no toddlers or small children (infants ok).  Please contact  Christina Hoffstot  with any questions.
THURSDAY: AUCTION FUNDRAISER AT MOD PIZZA ON COBURG
Head to Mod Pizza on Coburg on Thursday, February 6 and 20% of your bill will be donated back to O'Hara! Make sure to take the fundraiser flyer (or show it on your phone when you pay).
TUITION RAFFLE TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Only 100 tickets will be sold! The winner will receive free tuition for 1 student for the 2020-21 school year. Tickets are $100 each. Stop by the front office to purchase your ticket(s); tickets will be sold until they are gone, winner will be drawn at the auction.

Notice: Upon purchasing a raffle ticket, the purchaser must designate the student who will receive the tuition credit, should their ticket be drawn. Only a currently registered student may be designated. This is a non-cash prize and it is not transferable. This raffle prize is for tuition only and does not include registration fee, technology fee, facilities fee, supplies, or other school-related fees. Payment must be paid by check or cash at the time of purchase, and tickets may only be sold to individuals who are 18 years and older. Winner will be drawn at our 2020 Auction on Saturday, February 8, 2020. NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN. 
CONGRATULATIONS!
O’Hara’s middle school MathCounts team placed 3rd overall at Regionals this weekend. Congratulations to:

Alik Polishchuk
Shuhan Li
Michael McConaghie
Edward Pierpont

Alik and Edward tied for 3rd place overall and qualified for the State competition in March. Maria Nemirovskaya, O’Hara parent and UO Math professor, coaches the team. She will start a team again next Fall and will be working with 5th through 8th graders.
AUCTION 2020: HAVANA NIGHTS

Thank you to the following businesses for sponsoring this year's event:

TITLE SPONSORS
Marie Jones & Family

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS
Allegiance Medical

SILVER SPONSORS

EVENT SPONSORS

HAPPY HOUR SPONSOR

AFTER PARTY SPONSOR

TUITION RAFFLE SPONSOR

COOKIE SPONSOR

PICK OF THE LIVE AUCTION RAFFLE SPONSOR

DESSERT DASH SPONSOR

SILENT AUCTION VALENTINE SPONSOR

THANKS TO THESE ADDITIONAL SPONSORS
Brett Golonka
INVITATIONS FROM MARIST
MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL NIGHT
Middle school students are invited to the Marist boys & girls basketball games on Friday, February 7, as a guest of Marist.
 
Friday, February 7
5:45pm – Girls Varsity
7:15pm – Boys Varsity
 
No RSVP required – free admission at the gate (including one parent per middle school student).
 
Come cheer on the Spartans, have fun – and maybe even win a prize at half-time!
 
*Be sure to check the Marist athletic calendar at  athletics.marisths.org  for game cancellations or changes.
 
STUDENT INFO SESSIONS
Students interested in learning more about Marist are invited to attend an informal Q-and-A with Marist students in the O'Hara library. Sessions will be held at the dates/times listed below. Snacks will be provided.
 
Tuesday, February 4, 3:15 - 4pm
Tuesday, March 3, 3:15 - 4pm
Tuesday, April 21, 3:15 - 4pm
 
MARIST IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
·  Admissions applications are being accepted for freshmen and transfer students for the 2020-21 school year. For more information, visit  marisths.org/admissions-process1.html .

·  Each year, Marist distributes $1M in tuition assistance and scholarships, including the Vicariate Scholarship for practicing Catholic families. More information is available at  marisths.org/tuition-and-fees.html .  The deadline to apply for tuition assistance and scholarships is February 10, 2020.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES & REQUIREMENTS
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Click HERE to view our current volunteer opportunities.
2019-2020 REQUIREMENTS
All volunteers have requirements to fulfill before being eligible to volunteer at school this year. Per the Archdiocese, online updates to your volunteer training are not available this year, and anyone who wishes to volunteer must attend one of the in-person training sessions. The dates and times of the upcoming sessions are listed below, and further instructions are on our website, please  click here  to learn more. Please contact    Stacie Seaver  with any questions.  
HOT LUNCH
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.
REMINDERS
REMINDER ABOUT O'HARA'S ILLNESS POLICY
It is that time of year when we see more and more kids getting sick with flu-like symptoms. It is imperative that, as a family, you follow the school's wellness policy (listed below). This policy is intended to help prevent the passing of viruses and illnesses to the rest of our community and staff. We are asking our families to read and understand this wellness policy and abide by it honestly. 
 
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 
 
Please be mindful of O'Hara's policy around illness:
  • Keep sick children home from school. You can email their teachers to find out what they might be missing. 
  • Remember children who are absent during the school day cannot participate in after-school activities that day, including sports practices/games, OBOB, and the drama program.
  • Please especially keep children home if they've had a fever, vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours.
  • If your child has started an antibiotic for illness like Strep Throat or Pink Eye, they cannot return to school until 24 hours after starting the medication.
LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
O'Hara is often asked to share information about local camps and activities for students. Thanks to O'Hara parent and SAC Chair Wendy Pierpont for compiling the list for us. Click here to view the most current list of opportunities.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS VALENTINE DINNER DANCE
The Knights of Columbus Council 1430 are hosting their annual pro-life dinner on Friday, February 14 at St. Mary Parish Center.

Social - 5:30pm
Dinner - 6:30pm
Dancing - 7:30pm
$30 per person, dinner and refreshments provided
For Tickets/Reservations: Call 541-953-8309 or email courtesyd@comcast.net
O'HARA CLUBS
School clubs offer the opportunity for students to explore special interests and are run by parent volunteers after school. A club can focus on just about any topic that kids might have an interest in - Legos, math games, chess, world cultures and languages, etc... are just a few of countless possibilities. If you are interested in leading or co-leading a club at O'Hara, please contact  Mr. Milliron . Time spent volunteering will count toward FIP hours.
 
A list of clubs to be offered will be announced in the Bulletin as soon as club leaders are in place, and signups will follow soon after. The first round of clubs will begin in early February and end prior to Spring Break. Additional clubs may be offered after Spring Break and will be announced later this spring.
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.
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. 
COMMUNICATION INFO FOR OUR FAMILIES
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.
O'HARA WEBSITE
O'Hara uses a password protected portion on our website for important resources for our families. The password is: HOUSE

Click to access the Family Login page .
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:
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
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.
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.
ONLINE PICTURE MANAGEMENT
New this year, O'Hara is using Vidigami - an online picture management tool designed specifically for schools. We 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.

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.
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

- Joshua 24:15
O'Hara Catholic School
715 West 18th Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97402
541.485.5291