News for O'Dowd alumni, parents, and friends
Finding God in All Things
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THE SEASON OF GIVING
For the last 30 years, O’Dowd's Campus Ministry Team has led our community in supporting the families at St. Vincent’s Day Home. This year our students and faculty rallied together to give 128 gift cards and 278 children’s books, along with online donations. “With the support of our community, we were able to give over $8,000 in gifts to St. Vincent families,” reports Ryan Dilag, Director of Campus Ministry. “We truly could not have done this without each other.” Click here for a warm message of gratitude from St. Vincent's Day Home!
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DYNAMIC FUTURES IN MATH
In response to leading-edge research from the Stanford Graduate School of Education, O’Dowd’s Math Department has developed an innovative two-year course sequence that supports students to accelerate their math skills and reach advanced and applied math classes in computer science, calculus, and statistics faster than they were before. “O’Dowd is committed to preparing our students to be drivers and innovators in STEM careers that transform our world,” says Carlos Trujillo, Math Department Chair. Read more!
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DRAGON ALUM PRODUCES FRAGGLE ROCK REBOOT
Alex Cuthbertson ‘98 is a writer and producer for award-winning shows on ABC, Bravo, and 21st Century Fox, including the TV series New Girl and Community. Most recently, Alex was a showrunner for the Apple TV reboot of the 80’s classic Fraggle Rock: Rock On! “My time in drama with MizzO gave me a strong foundation,” Alex recalls. “I learned the core values of hard work and respect for the creative process - skills I still use today.”
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TWO DRAGONS IN FORBES 30 UNDER 30
Lydia Asrat ’11 and Kalina Bryant ’10 were both named to the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Lydia, cofounder of 10Q Management and publishing company Lost + Found, oversees musical artists including Doja Cat. Additionally, Lydia co-wrote Doja Cat’s viral hit “Say So.” Kalina, Global Head of Customer Advocacy for Asana, is the first-ever African American woman to join Asana's revenue executive leadership team and pioneered the Employee Resource Group for Black employees at the company.
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THE O'DOWD CENTER PROGRESSES
Driving along 580, you’ll see the walls of the new O’Dowd Center rising alongside the football field. The roof is now complete, with the structural steel and metal framing almost finalized. Soon the gym windows will be installed. Day by day, the Center takes shape as the new home for classes, mass, performance arts, and sports. “The Center will connect us with people from every part of O’Dowd,” say student donors Juliette Tanios ’22 and Parris Bates ’22.
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READY, SET, EAT!
A school tradition since 1969, our beloved Crab Feed is set to return in March 2022. “This is a celebration that involves ALL the amazing members of our school community,” shares Jim Macksood, Crab Feed Co-Chair and parent of Kevin Macksood ’25. “We come together to have fun, and to help fund O’Dowd co-curriculars, including drama, music, sports, retreats, and clubs.” Save The Date!
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O’DOWD'S ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM FEATURED IN MOMENTUM MAGAZINE
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O’DOWD CELEBRATES NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE
In November we celebrated National Native American Heritage day and month, which honors the culture, ancestry, and traditions of Indigenous people. The month is also an opportunity to acknowledge the current social and cultural contributions of Native people. Our Native Indigenous Club is led by Namixtu’lu Esteva ’22 and Soleena Carrillo Ramanathan ’22.
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VALUING PRESENCE OVER PRESENTS
During the season of Advent, we wait with patience and hope for the spirit of Christ to come into our hearts - love, peace, and joy. We are grateful to Father Jim and Campus Ministry Team for reminding our community about the true gifts of Christmas. Together, we welcome the miracles that God brings.
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SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
For their final project, 9th graders studied ecology, water and carbon cycles, photosynthesis, and respiration, then designed and engineered a closed ecosystem using soda bottles and plant materials from O’Dowd’s Living Lab.
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Eva Kastel, former O'Dowd Spanish and English teacher of 32 years (1968 - 2000), passed away on November 29, 2021. She left this earth after 99 years, many of which she gave to the O'Dowd community, filling us with her wonderful energy and knowledge. We invite you to join us in celebrating Eva at Bishop O’Dowd High School on February 13 at 1:00pm.
In keeping with her generous spirit, Eva set aside funds to establish the Boris & Eva Kastel Scholarship Fund to ensure that an O’Dowd education is accessible for all future students. Make a gift in honor of Eva online or checks can be mailed to the school with “Kastel Fund” in the memo. Click here to donate.
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LINDSAY NAKANO '03 is KGO-TV's newest news producer for the 5:00 hour. She has worked as a writer and producer for news stations across the Bay Area, including KRON and KTVU. For Nakano, powerful journalism is about compelling storytelling that informs communities.
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BRIANA WEISS '05 is USA Women's Basketball's newest National Team Director. Weiss, a communications professional and former basketball player, has led logistics for the U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team, which won gold at the 2020 Summer Games.
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Upcoming Events
December
March
26 - Save the Date - 2022 Crab Feed
May
7 - Alumni Reunion
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'TIS THE SEASON OF GIVING!
In this season of giving, we are thankful if you would consider supporting O’Dowd. Your gift enhances our students’ experience, making it possible to retain and develop talented educators, achieve technology and facilities upgrades, strengthen counseling and academic support, and nurture co-curricular programs – everything that makes O’Dowd an amazing place for students to learn and grow. Gifts made by December 31 are eligible for year-end tax-savings!
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