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Enter to Learn. Go Forth to Serve.
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Sunday, September 15, 2019
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As we settle into our new school year, this is a good time to establish strong habits.
ChurchPOP offers some excellent family suggestions!
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BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT (FOR PRESCHOOL - 5 PARENTS) IS THURSDAY
Mark your calendar! Back to School Night for parents of students in grades PreS - 5 will be held on
Thursday, September 19. (
Adults only, so please make childcare arrangements.)
PreS - 5th Grade Night: Thursday, September 19
4:30 - 6:00pm:
Volunteer training offered in the library
6:00 - 6:30pm:
Pre-S & Pre-K parents meet in classrooms
6:30 - 8:00pm:
All-Parent Meetings
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ROOM PARENTS
Room Parents are still needed for the following classrooms:
Pre-KA
Pre-KB
KB
1B
5A
5B
If you are interested, please email
Barb Whitford. Room Parents work closely with the homeroom teachers and coordinate activities with other parents in the class. If a parent works alone as the room parent, he or she receives 10 FIP hours for the year. If two parents share the job, each receives 5 hours.
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PIANO NEWS FROM MR. CLABBY
Piano lessons will begin on Monday, September 16. If you are still interested in lessons for your student(s), p
lease turn in your piano registration form asap. Mr. Clabby
will be sending home a slip this Friday, with information about lesson times for students that have turned in their forms.
Please contact Mr. Clabby with any questions.
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PARISH AMBASSADOR FORMS DUE TOMORROW
The Parish Ambassador program is for 4th - 8th graders who attend a Catholic Church in our area. Your commitment is to speak at your parish at least one time a year or possibly twice. Your requirement would be to come to a meeting the week before your speaking engagement during your lunch to receive your script and instruction. You will speak at Mass the following weekend. This is a great way to share current events at O'Hara with your parish community. Download the application HERE and return to Mrs. Jones by the end of the day tomorrow, September 16, 2019.
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ST. MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH IS HIRING
St. Mary Parish has a job opening for a full time Administrative Assistant / Communications individual to join their office staff. They are looking for an organized, energetic individual who is a self starter, with strong computer, communication (including social media) and secretarial skills.
This person should be active in the Catholic faith and have a deep understanding and love of the faith. Bilingual a plus. Contact the church office 541-342-1139 or email Rose Burke
for more information.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Health Screening Volunteers are needed on Friday, September 27, from approximately 8am - 11am.
All students are screened by dental staff, and grades 1, 3, and 5 are screened for vision and hearing.
7th and 8th graders will also receive a quick blood pressure reading.
We are in need of about 20+ volunteers total, no prior health care experience is needed.
All are welcome to come help and get a start on your FIP hours!
Please remember to have all your
volunteer requirements
met by this date in order to volunteer.
If you are a dentist or know of a dentist or dental assistant who would like to help, we are in need of these professional volunteers as well.
Please email or text to sign up or for more information:
-or-
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NEW! ONLINE PICTURE MANAGEMENT @ O'HARA
Meet Vidigami! This school year, we will be using Vidigami's 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. (This will replace submitting pictures to our pictures@oharaschool.org email address.)
Please watch your email on Monday - we will be launching the parent side of our system and all parents will receive a message (from Vidigami) with instructions for setting up their account. In addition, Vidigami offers an app (available in the app store) so users can upload pictures directly from their smartphones. Instructions for app use will also be included in Monday's email.
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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SPORTS, CLUBS, EVENTS & OTHER COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES
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THIRD FRIDAY CEILI @ ST. JUDE
O'Hara families are invited to attend the Third Friday Ceili at St. Jude Catholic Church on Friday, September 20. Click
HERE for more information.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHCOUNTS CLUB
In mid-September, we will start a MathCounts club to prepare middle school students for the popular middle school math competitions, MathCounts and AMC8. The club will meet once a week during lunch (tentatively on Thursdays), and more frequently as the competition dates get closer. Students will spend the time working on fun math problems.
The competitions, which have both individual and team elements, encourage students to develop their math skills and find creative solutions for problems. We invite all students who like math, regardless of their performance in class. Please contact O'Hara parent
Maria Nemirovskaya for more information.
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EUGENE MATH CIRCLE
Eugene Math Circle offers classes for math loving kids in grades 2-12. The program has been operating for six years, and all classes are taught by University of Oregon professors or instructors. Last year, approximately 80 students attended weekly classes. Some of these kids traveled from as far as Albany and Corvallis. If you have students who enjoy math and want to be challenged,
please click here for more information
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GIRLS BASKETBALL: OPEN GYMS AT MARIST
The Marist girls basketball program will be hosting a number of Saturday morning open gyms from 9a to 11a at Marist Catholic High School for girls in grades 5-8. If your daughter is interested in participating, please contact coach
Britton Reeser for dates and more information.
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CROSS COUNTRY OPPORTUNITY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS
O'Hara has been invited to participate in the WVYL Cross Country District Championship. This will be held Wednesday, October 23, 2:30pm at Richardson Park on Fern Ridge Reservoir.
If you have a middle schooler currently participating in Cross Country as a club sport and who'd like to race on the 23rd, please read the following information:
The race distance is a 3k. We will meet once, on October 21, after school, but we won't be holding regular practices. O'Hara does have some track & field jerseys still available for students to wear or they can wear their O'Hara track & field jersey from last season. They can also wear their own shirt.
Athletes must :
- Have a current sports physical on file with Mrs. Whitford at O'Hara's front office.
- Be currently participating in a sport, have participated in track & field last spring, and/or must have strong physical fitness.
- Arrange a ride to and from the meet.
- Have all coursework up to date and have no missing assignments.
If you have any questions or would like your child to participate, please send an email by October 1st to
Wendy Pierpont.
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LINKS: 
Reminder for students with the Annual Plan:
Please remember, the default meal selection for your student is the hot lunch. If your student would like the Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegetarian option, then that option must be selected in the online ordering system at least 2 weeks prior to the meal date.
If your student would like to select the Salad Bar and/or the Hoagie Sandwich option instead of, or in addition to, the Hot Lunch, that selection must be made in the online ordering system by 9am.
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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Our 2019 Jog-A-Thon kick-off is Monday; stay tuned for our exciting incentives.
VOLUNTEERS
JAT 2019 Volunteers Needed - Click
HERE to view the volunteer opportunities for the upcoming Jog-A-Thon on October 18. It is a fun way to get a head start on FIP Hours!
PLEDGE A STUDENT
SPONSOR OUR JOG-A-THON
QUESTIONS?
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DROP-OFF, PICK-UP AND PARKING LOT REMINDERS
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Please read below for reminders about traffic flow in our parking lots:
BACK LOT
- Please form two lanes once you enter through the back gate.
- The right lane (next to building) is for drop-off, and children should exit vehicles on the right side only and stay on the sidewalk.
- The left lane is for cars who wish to park. Cars should proceed slowly and cautiously and follow the directions of staff in the parking lot. Please use your turn signal to let staff know your intent.
- When parking in the back lot, please make sure to keep all children with you until you reach the school sidewalk.
- There is
no parking in the fire lane
(along the chain link fence that runs parallel to the primary wing)
- Please exit onto Jefferson Street ONLY.
No U-turns!
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Turn right to exit onto Jefferson street
unless the road is clear. Do not wait to turn left and back up traffic.
FRONT LOT
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Please form two lanes
upon entry of the horseshoe from 18th street.
- All drivers and pedestrians must follow the direction of our staff in the parking lot.
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Pull all the way forward
to the 2nd crossing guard when possible - do not drop off at the front doors UNLESS traffic is stopped and you are near or between the crossing guards.
- Please
have your child(ren) ready for prompt departure
prior to entering the horseshoe. (Backpacks loaded and ready to go.)
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Walkers:
Please wait for a verbal ok from the crossing guard to cross.
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Turn right to exit onto 18th street
unless the road is clear. Do not wait to turn left and back up traffic.
ALL-SCHOOL SAFETY REMINDERS
- All students and parent should
enter the school through the front doors ONLY. Please
don't open doors for people you don't recognize and
please don't prop open any doors at any time.
Take a deep breath, have grace and a sense of humor as the beginning of year kinks get worked out. We appreciate all of you and your efforts to keep drop off safe and efficient.
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CARPOOL REQUESTS
SHELDON AREA CARPOOL
If you live in the Sheldon area and are interested in carpooling this school year, please contact Matt Autry to discuss a potential schedule and logistics:
m.autry76@gmail.com
/ 541-729-4848
AFTER SCHOOL RIDE NEEDED TO POLK STREET
The Singleton family is looking for some that could pick up their PreK daughter, Chloe, every day after school and drop her off at Foundations Montessori (1852 Taylor St.) near the corner of 18th and Polk. They are willing to help pay for any gas used during this time. Please contact Jeff Singleton if you can help:
jssingleton07@yahoo.com
/ 541-206-9765.
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YEARBOOKS
The 2018-19 yearbooks are on order and in production. We will distribute yearbooks out to those families who placed an order last year once they arrive to us here.
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2019-20 VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS: CASE TRAINING
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.
*September 19 4:30pm- O'Hara Library
September 20 8:15am- O'Hara Library
September 24 5:30pm- O'Hara Library
September 26 1:15pm- O'Hara Library
* Pre-School - 5th Back to School Night
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MEDICATION AT SCHOOL
The school must follow state guidelines regarding medication.
If a student requires a prescription medication during the school day, parents must complete a medication authorization form, and bring the medication (in the original container) and the form to the front office. Prescriptions require written instructions from the physician for the administration of the prescription, or a prescription label must be on the bottle.
If a student requires a non-prescription medication during the school day, parents must complete a medication authorization form, and bring the medication (in the original container) and the form to the front office (this includes over-the-counter medication such as Advil, Tylenol, etc.)
Children may not carry any type of medication (or chapstick, cough drops, sunscreen, etc.) during school. However, i
nhalers may be carried and used by a student if the necessary paperwork has been completed and submitted to the school.
All medications need to be in the original container.
Any medications brought to school will be stored and locked in a designated place where students do not have access to them. Medication must be picked up by the parent on the last day of school, or it will be discarded on June 30, 2020.
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SPORTS PHYSICAL REMINDER FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
A valid sports physical is required to be on file in the O'Hara office for any student participating in O'Hara's Middle School Sports. We recommend that parents schedule summer appointments for sports physicals for any students that might want to participate in middle school sports this school year. Students in grades 7-8 are eligible to play volleyball, basketball and track. Girls in grade 6 are eligible for volleyball this fall, and all students in grade 6 will be eligible to participate on the track team in the spring. Students will not be permitted to participate in practice or competition without a sports physical on file in the front office. Due to our liability insurance, there can be no exceptions made to this rule. Click
HERE
to download the required form. Please contact Barb Whitford to verify the date of the physical we have on file for your student(s).
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O'HARA'S NEW GRADING/STUDENT INFORMATION SOFTWARE SYSTEM - PARENT ACTION REQUIRED
Over the summer, O'Hara transitioned from Teacherease to a new Student Information Software system called Alma. This is a positive change for our school; Alma is modern and user-friendly and there are many new features that we are excited to implement.
On Friday, 8/30, all O'Hara parents with emails on record received an email invitation from Alma. In order to access your students' information, you will need to complete the log in and password setup following the instructions in the email. The email came from this address:
notifications@getalma.com.
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MORNING DROP OFF HOURS
O'Hara's building is closed to parents and students until 7:50am each morning. Only students with special case-by-case permission, will be permitted to enter the building. (Parents and siblings of those students must wait outside the building until 7:50am). Students should be in their classrooms by 8:05am, when the morning bell rings. We ask that all parents please exit the building promptly when the bell rings and not linger in the hallways. Parents of Preschool - Kindergarten students should walk their child to the classroom.
We will have an all-school Monday Morning Assembly each week. Students report to the gym instead of classrooms on these days; parents are welcome to stay for the assemblies.
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O'HARA'S FRONT DOOR SCHEDULE
Please read below for a reminder of our schedule for the front entrance.
Parents will be able to open the front door by using their right index finger on the fingerprint reader located on the wall next to the front doors.
(Please note: you will only be able to open the door if you have registered your fingerprint into the system at the front office. All information from last year carries over, so returning parents do not need to re-register. New families: please stop in the office this week to complete the fingerprinting process.)
Our daily schedule on school days is as follows:
7:50am - 8:05am: Front & Interior doors open for morning drop off
8:05am - 2:35pm (2:00 on Wed.): Front & Interior doors locked, access through front doors with fingerprint only; access through interior doors by front office buzzer system only
2:35pm (2:00 on Wed.): Front doors open for afternoon release
3:15pm - 8pm: Front & interior doors locked, access with fingerprint only
8pm - 7:50am: Front & interior doors locked - no parent access*
*Doors will be open for sporting events and large school functions. Those running extra-curricular activities (sports, Scouts, etc.) will have extended hours of access as necessary.
We would like to ask that you please DO NOT hold the door open for anyone that you don't recognize.
Visitors to our school that do not have fingerprint access must push a call button on the entrypad that will activate a camera in the front office. The camera displays a live video feed of the front entry, including the ability to talk to visitors, if necessary, to determine their business with the school. Our front office staff, at their discretion, will be able to remotely open the doors for visitors. Parents who have not yet, or choose not to, input their fingerprint into the system will enter by pushing the same call button to be buzzed in.
Grandparents, nannies and other frequent visitors to the school will be permitted to add their fingerprint to the system on an as-needed basis as requested by the parent(s) of their O'Hara student. Parents, please send an email to
Barb if you have a grandparent or nanny that routinely drops off or picks up your student and you would like to request fingerprint access. We also request that parents keep the school informed of any changes to their grandparent/nanny list.
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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. O'Hara's 2019-20 School Directory will be going to print soon, and we want to make sure we have everyone's information correct! 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 to access this page has been updated for our new school year.
The new 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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"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
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Joshua 24:15
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