Dear Parents,

We hope your families are having a restorative summer filled with just the right combination of fun and rest. Here at school we are gearing up for the 2022-23 school year and looking forward to seeing your children later this month.

Our administrative team has gone through a slight transition over the summer with Andrea Pore leaving to become Principal at St. Paul. We wish Ms. Pore all the best in her new position. Stepping into her role as Vice Principal overseeing student services is alumnus Darren Smith ’05, formerly Principal at St. Pius.

Vice Principal Ryan Schwieterman will continue to oversee operations, including facilities, athletics, development, admissions and communications and marketing, and Abby Teeters will continue to serve as Vice Principal for academics.

We truly appreciate the opportunity to educate your children and to build a community of faith-filled families. Please pray for our students, faculty, staff and the entire Bishop Watterson community.

Deacon Chris Campbell ‘77

Principal

Bishop Watterson Administrators, left to right: Deacon Chris Campbell '77, Principal, with Vice Principals Abby Teeters and Ryan Schwieterman '01 and Darren Smith '05

Final Forms for All Students



Now is a great time to get ahead on completing your student's required paperwork for the school year. All families must complete final forms for each student. These are not just for athletics but include emergency medical information, handbook and technology acceptance, and more. Freshman families new to the school need to create an account. 

Email Communication



We have updated our parent email list for 2022-23 based on what we have listed in PowerSchool. Email/phone/address changes should be sent to Mrs. Claprood, ms.claprood@bwhs.org.

Watterson Wednesday News will arrive from bwhsinfo@bwhs.org.

Some internet service providers will occasionally push random emails into a folder other than the inbox so always check spam and other folders if you do not see it. In addition, some ISPs will shorten emails in your inbox with the option to click to read more.

Past issues of Watterson Wednesday News, can be found on our website 24/7 on the About menu click on Stay Informed.

Early Release Wednesdays

Bishop Watterson will continue our early release Wednesdays as we did last year.

Each Wednesday, students are released at 1:48 p.m. in order to meet with teachers for extra help, attend club meetings, etc.

Two Wednesdays per month, teachers will engage in department and/or faculty

in-services.

Students will also be released early during semester finals, around 12:30 p.m.

Bus Service for 2022-23

It is time to register for bus service from Columbus, Dublin, Hilliard or Worthington for the 2022-23 school year. Links to the district transportation information can be found at bishopwatterson.com. On the Student Life menu click Forms & Flyers. Or click on the button below.

New Family Survival Guide



Our 2022-23 edition of the New Family Survival Guide is now now available on the home page of our website or under Student Life, Forms & Flyers.

We hope this helps you and your young Eagle navigate the start of a fantastic four years at Bishop Watterson! 

Counselor Corner

Counseling Office Hours

The counselors return from summer break on August 15 and will follow the main office hours of 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

New Counseling Department Structure

We have changed the counseling department structure for 2022-23. Counselors will be assigned to students by grade level and last name; students will have one counselor in grades 9-10 and another counselor in grades 11-12. We believe that this will allow us to focus more thoroughly on the needs of students at each grade level and are excited about the opportunity that this will provide for more targeted programming.

Grades 9-10

A-K Mrs. Sponseller jsponseller@cdeducation.org

L-Z Mrs. Zirkle mrs.zirkle@bwhs.org

Grades 11-12

A-H Ms. Gazdik sgazdik@bwhs.org

I-O Ms. Creighton ms.creighton@bwhs.org

P-Z Mrs. Kirby mrs.kirby@bwhs.org

Dominican Program Director and Counselor

Casey Teeters cteeters@cdeducation.org

Director of College Counseling

Ms. Creighton ms.creighton@bwhs.org

Wellness Counselors

Mr. Johnson mr.johnson@bwhs.org

Ms. Vogel ms.vogel@bwhs.org

2022-2023 Schedules

Schedules will be released in mid-August. Once they are released, no changes will be made before August 29 unless there is an error in the student’s schedule. A notification with more information will be sent when schedules are ready.

New Spirit Wear Site



Our new online spirit store is now open! The site offers options for everyone, including the arts and sports. Ordering from our site supports Bishop Watterson and helps us get our brand out into the Columbus community.

Orders are shipped directly to your home.

Go Eagles!

Study Skills Workshop

We will be offering a Study Skills Workshop for any student enrolled in grades 9 - 12.

Date: Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Location: School Cafeteria

Cost: $40 per student​

Registration Deadline: August 12, 2022

Course Content

• Organizational skills/time management
• Note taking
• Procrastination/motivation
• Test taking strategies/test anxiety
• Memory aids/Mnemonic devices
• Transition to high school
• Learning to study for different subjects
• Listening skills
• Reading for a purpose
• Vocabulary development

2022-23 Important Dates

August 21, 2022: Freshman Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m.

August 22, 2022: Freshman Orientation, 8:30 a.m.

August 24, 2022: First Day of School, regular time

September 5, 2022: No School, Labor Day

September 30, 2022: No School

November 23-27, 2022: Thanksgiving Break

December 21, 2022-January 3, 2023: Christmas Break

January 16, 2023: No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

February 20, 2023: No School, Presidents’ Day

March 12-18, 2023: Spring Break

April 6-10, 2023: Easter Break

May 25, 2023: Baccalaureate

May 27, 2023: Graduation

May 29, 2023: No School, Memorial Day

June 1, 2023: Last Day for Grades 9-11

Main Office Summer Hours

August

August 1 - August 23, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

August 24 - 1st day of school, regular time

Athletics

Sports Passes

Annual sports passes are now on sale at the link below. Take advantage of a one-time processing fee and savings compared to per-game prices which will be $7.00 for all ages this year. BWHS students will need their ID to purchase. Students will receive their IDs on picture day, Thursday, August 25.

Spirit Signs

Spirit signs are now for sale! Click on the button below and scroll down for the order form and list of icon options.

ACT-SAT-PSAT Prep

Juniors or seniors who are testing on any of the ACT, PSAT or SAT test dates, please contact Karen Gallo for any college entrance test prep needs. Individual Zoom tutoring with Mrs. Karen Gallo is offered at times that will accommodate your schedule. The PSAT will be given at school on October 12, 2022 to all Juniors (and Sophomores). No registration needed.

If you are taking a college entrance test in the next few months, registration is required. The upcoming ACT tests (September 10 and October 22) and SAT tests (August 27 and October 1) are the first tests available for the 2022-23 school year. 

KarenSATtutor@columbus.rr.com

Campus Ministry

Kairos Registration Open for September

Registration is open for our Kairos Retreats for the Class of 2023! Space is limited, so now is the time to get your senior registered. Kairos is a three-and-a-half day optional retreat for seniors. Students say it is a highlight of their senior year. There will also be opportunities to attend Kairos in early February and late March. Dates are listed on the flyer at the button below. Each retreat has limited spots, so it is beneficial to consider now which retreat dates work best based on extracurricular and family commitments.

The retreat provides an opportunity to spend time reflecting on life, getting to know others more deeply and growing in relationship with God. The cost is $275 and a $100 deposit will save a spot for your student on the date of their choice. Scholarships are available through the Brendan Foley Memorial Scholarship Fund. Registration forms, available at the link below, can be sent to Campus Minister Mrs. Beth Simmonds.

Who Needs Religion?

Check out this video from Chris Stefaniak for some thoughts on that question.