Dear O’Gorman Parents/Guardians: As we enter our final weeks of the fall semester, I want to thank all of our families for your commitment to Catholic education. The past few months have been busy but exciting as we celebrated victories and supported each other in times of weakness. Through all of it, Jesus Christ has been at the center of our hearts and motivation. Thank you for the sacrifices you make to allow your students to attend O’Gorman High School. Below are some notes to guide you through the next three weeks. Late Start School will start at 9 :00 AM on Friday, December 7 due to a faculty meeting. Semester Care Packages The semester test care packages have become a fun tradition here at OG. Please see the order form in this news-letter for more information. Deadline to order a care package for your student is Monday, Dec. 3. Spring Semester Notes School resumes for the spring semester on Thursday, January 3. Students will receive their spring schedules in advisories that morning. They will have until Tuesday, January 8 to drop or add a course pending availability. Stu-dents will only be added to a course if an opening is available. We will not overload a course unless it is the only way to make a student’s schedule complete. We appreciate all that you do, and we wish you a blessed Advent and Christmas season. Joan Mahoney, Principal

O’G Knight Letter

December 2018

Semester Exam Schedule & Guidelines

*Students must have all fines paid, equipment returned, detentions served, and lunch balances positive before

they will be allowed to take semester tests.

*School begins at 9:00 AM and ends at 12:30 PM Wednesday and Thursday, December 19 & 20. School ends at

11:15 AM Friday, Dec. 21.

*Students need to be on campus only when they have a scheduled exam. Regular dress code is in effect.

*No lunch is served during exam days.

*Students may use the library for quiet study during the exam schedule.

*Work study students can make up hours December 19-21 and 26-28. Students must sign up in the office.

Wednesday, Dec. 19 Thursday, Dec. 20 Friday, Dec. 21

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Period 1 Period 3 Period 6

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM Period 2 Period 4 Period 7

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Period 8 Period 5

Monday, Dec. 3………………………….……………….………....…………………....Semester Test Package Order Deadline

Monday, Dec. 3…………………………………...Chamber Singers Christmas Open House, Lorang Theatre, 5:30 pm

All Tuesdays……………………………………….………………..………….…………….….OG Praying Parents, Chapel, 7:00 am

Wednesday, Dec. 5…………………………...………………………………………..…………...Reconciliation, Theology Classes

Friday, Dec. 7……………………………………………………………...…………………...………………….....……Late Start, 9:00 am

Friday, Dec. 7………………………………………………………………..The Princess and the Pea, Lorang Theatre, 7:00 pm

Saturday, Dec. 8……………………………………..………...The Princess and the Pea, Lorang Theatre, 2:00 & 7:00 pm

Sunday, Dec. 9………………………………………………………………The Princess and the Pea, Lorang Theatre, 2:00 pm

Monday, Dec. 10…….……………………………………………………..Band Christmas Concert, Lorang Theatre, 7:00 pm

Monday, Dec. 17……………………………………...…………………………………..Choir Vespers, Lorang Theatre, 7:00 pm

Tuesday, Dec. 18……………………………………………Food, Fellowship, and Finals Study Session, Library, 6:00 pm

Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 19-21……………………………………………………………...…………………………..Semester Finals

Monday - Wednesday, Dec.24 –Jan. 2………………………………...…………………….....Christmas Break, NO SCHOOL

Monday, Dec. 31………………………………………………………….….…...…………….Show Choir Retreat, Lorang Theatre

Thursday, Jan. 3………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………...School Resumes

IMPORTANT DATES

Mt. Marty Dual Credit –Deadline

DUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES: O’Gorman High School offers several options for high school students to receive

college credit for courses. Several courses offered at O’Gorman can be taken for college credit through our articulation with

Mount Marty College. Online registration for the spring semester of the Mount Marty College dual credit program is

open now and closes at 5:00 pm on January 4, 2019. Visit www.mtmc.edu and click on Academics – Dual Credit.

Please review the registration guides carefully. You will not automatically be registered for college credit for the spring

semester. If you have questions about registration, please call 605-668-1515.

O’GORMAN HIGH SCHOOL MOUNT MARTY COLLEGE

SCI 412 AP Chemistry CHM-112* General Chemistry II (4 cr)

ENG 322 AP English Lng/Cmp ENG-104* Composition II: Critical Writing (3 cr)

SSC 442 AP World History HIS-108 19th and 20th Century World Cultures (3 cr)

SSC 432 AP US History HIS-229 U.S. History Since 1877 (3 cr)

MAT 352 College Algebra MTH-150 College Algebra (4 cr)

SCI 322 AP Physics 1 PHY-221* Principles of Physics I (4 cr)*

SCI 422 AP Physics 2 PHY-222* Principles of Physics II (4 cr)*

WRL 422 AP Spanish Lng/Cult SPN-204* Intermediate Spanish II (3 cr)*

ENG 320 Speech Communications STH-130 Speech Communications (3 cr)

*requires registration and successful completion of first semester pre-requisite course

Praying Parents

Praying Parents meets Tuesdays from 7 am - 7:30 am in the chapel. Come, say the Divine Mercy Chaplet,

and pray for current OG students and their intentions. No long term commitment. Come when you can!

Celebrate the upcoming Christmas season with the O’Gorman

Choirs at the annual Christmas Vespers on Monday, December

17, 7:00 pm in the Lorang Theatre. A free-will offering will be

taken and donated to a local charity.

Chamber Singers Provide

Christmas Entertainment

Do you have a company or club Christmas party between

December 3 & 18? Chamber Singers perform a 15-20 minute

acappella Christmas show each year for nursing homes,

Christmas parties, and more. Please contact choir director

Rachael Kramer if you’d be interested in booking this ensemble!

Donations are accepted!

Office: (605) 575-3327 email: rkramer@sfcss.org

Christmas Vespers Attendance Matters

Attendance Tip of the Month: Encourage your child to

get involved in at least one school activity. Studies show

the more involved a child and parents are with their

school, the better their attendance and success is.

Attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student

performance at O’Gorman!

Students at O’Gorman who miss less than 10 days of

school have a higher GPA and ACT score than students

who go above 10 absences.

You can check the attendance of your student in Infi-

nite Campus by clicking on the attendance tab in the

left column.

A reminder that ten or more absences from a class in

any one semester may result in loss of credit for that

class.

At this point in the semester, students who have more

than seven absences are at risk for going over ten.

If your student is going to be gone for any reason, please

contact Pam Gordon in the attendance office at 575-

3310.

SFCS Weather-Related Information

Dear SFCS Families:

As we transition from the fall season into the winter season, I wanted to share the process Sioux Falls Catholic Schools utilizes when it

comes to inclement weather. We work in collaboration with the SF Public Schools, SF Christian Schools, representatives from the

National Weather Service, City of Sioux Falls as well as local transportation directors and emergency personnel to determine the

current and future weather patterns, road conditions, and response times in town. Each component is evaluated, and we weigh our op-

tions to ensure the safety of all students and families.

When it comes to communicating whether our school day begins with a late start, is canceled or early release, we will utilize our

school messenger system, local television stations, social media accounts, and radio stations to communicate our message if your

child’s school day is being impacted by weather.

The family always has the final decision when determining if they send their children to school or choose to keep them home if they

believe the weather is too dangerous. The school will note this as an excused absence.

Regarding activities during inclement weather, SFCS Activities Director collaborates with the SF Public Schools’ Activities Director

to decide on cancellations for junior high and high school activities.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Kyle L. Groos, Ed.S.

SFCS President

NOTABLE KNIGHTS

Congratulations to the following students who were selected to the SDSU Honor Band Festival: Clare Dvoracek, Maria Kuchta, Mark Petrasko, Elana Yellow Bird (Honor Wind Ensemble); Mara Brown, Michael Harvill, Emily Hedge, and Jonah Picasso (Festival Band). Debaters receiving 1st Place Awards: Washington Warrior –November 9: Seamus Duffy –Varsity International Extemp, Noah Greble—Novice Extemp; Roosevelt Sweetstakes –November 10: Walker Haber & Lingxi Zhou –Novice Policy Debate; Mitchell McGovern - November 16-17: Seamus Duffy –Varsity International Extemp, Noah Greble—Varsity Domestic Extemp, Walker Haber& Lingxi Zhou - Novice Policy Debate Congratulations to the following students for being accepted into the National ACDA Honor Choir to be held in Kansas City February 27- March 2: Clare Dvoracek, Maggie Lynch, Halie Mueller, and Molli Schlenker. Congratulations to Adam Catangui who was names a 2019 National YoungArts Foundation Honorable Mention winner in Voice/Classical/Tenor! As an Honorable Mention winner, he will receive a medallion, some cash, and an invitation to participate (as space permits) in a regional program in Los Angeles next spring with all expenses paid.

Congratulations OG Oral Interp and Debate! O’Gorman High School has recently been named one of the Top 100 schools in the Nation-al Speech & Debate Association for the 2017-2018 school year. O’Gorman ranked 67 out of more than 3,500 schools nationwide, according to the announcement from the National Speech and Debate Association! Also, due to the incredibly high number of students involved in the OG speech and debate program and the degrees they have earned through competition, O’Gorman has ranked among the Top 2% of schools nationwide and earned membership in the Association’s pres-tigious Societe´ 400. This milestone is remarkable because it demonstrates outstanding commitment to teaching students essential life skills—including communication, research, listening, writing, and organization. A huge thank you to Ms. Teresa Fester and Mr. Bob Stevens for all of their hard work and dedication to our nationally recognized speech and debate programs!

CAMPUS MINISTRY

ENCOUNTER CHRIST All students are encouraged to make memories, share moments, and build friendships

while participating in campus ministry activities. Events are announced in the daily

Student Bulletin, Theology classes and sign-up sheets are located in the Campus Minis-

try office (Room K-100). Activities include:

Thank you

Lowe’s for

your dona-

tion of 45

large boxes.

“For unto

us a child

is born”

Isaiah 9:6

Operation Advent

This year O†Gorman students and staff are once

again adopting the Bishop Dudley Hospitality

House for Advent. Last year was a great

success, and we at OG hope to continue a long

tradition of support between our students and

the people in the Sioux Falls Community.

With everyone’s help, we will make sure that

all who stay in BDHH on Christmas Eve will

wake up with a gift Christmas morning. 240

stockings will be filled with items that the

guests of BDHH often have to share or go

without. Razors, deodorant, socks, hats, gloves,

shampoo, conditioner and more will bless each

individual. Children will receive many of these

same items as well as a toy or age specific item.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve

Christ in our community.

In addition to the stockings, each student

advisory group will fill boxes with items that

the BDHH can use throughout the year: towels,

bed sheets, soap, Band-Aids etc. A complete

list of requested items can be found below.

Parents are welcome and encouraged to

participate in this opportunity. The final

advisory collection will take place on Monday,

December 18. Collection boxes are available

throughout the high school. May Jesus Christ

be the king of your heart this Advent season!

BISHOP

HOUSE

DUDLEY

BOX

HOSPITALITY

ITEMS

Copy paper Stamps Disposable surgical

gloves (Large or XL)

Reading glasses Coffee

6 oz. Styrofoam coffee

cups

Napkins Kleenex Garbage bag (13 and 39

gallon)

Foot powder Disposable razors White cotton socks &

thermal socks

Sam’s Club Gift Cards Paper Plates & Silverware Towels

Washcloths Aerosol deodorant Cream of Chicken Soup

Mushroom Soup Egg Noodles Elbow macaroni noodels

HyVee Gift Cards Franklin Foods Gift Cards Long Johns (Large-XL)

Wal-mart Gift Cards Target Gift Cards Body Spray

Paper Towels No. 10 cans of fruit winter hats

Dryer Sheets Queen size bedding Liquid dishwashing soap

(Dawn)

Winter Gloves Thermal Underwear Roaster Liners

Dishwasher soap

(Cascade) Liquid handwashing soap Cream/Sugar

Large bandaids Toothbrushes Travel size toothpaste

MARCH 4 LIFE

PILGRIMAGE

O’Gorman will be tak-

ing a group of stu-

dents to the MARCH

for LIFE in DC. Join

us on January 16-20,

2019 as we show

our love for the gift

of life from concep-

tion to natural death.

The cost is $500.

Register at

sfcatholic.org using

the code OGM4L. On

this trip we will also

attend the Life if Very

Good Rally and have

some free time in

our nation’s capital.

Hope you choose to

join us in being a

voice for the

voiceless.

RESTART is Jan. 4, 2019

Experience and witness Christ moving in your life through powerful

worship with Sonar, engaging speaker Fr. Leo and of course, Jesus in

Adoration at O†Gorman High School. Registration is available online:

More Details: http://www.holyspirityouth.com/restart.htm or speak with

Miss Wellington

December Service Opportunities:

December 1; 10-1:30: Kids Against Hunger ($10-$15 donation)

December 13, 14 & 15: Christmas at the Cathedral

For any questions or possible Category 1 Service Locations please

contact Ms. Nicole Wellington or Ms. Trish Irvine. Thank you!

Follow us on Twitter @CampusOG & Instagram og_campusmin

Have a blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas!

Ms. Nicole Wellington

email- nwellington@sfcss.org ~ phone- 605-575-3347

Campus Ministry Updates

Praise God for how HE loves us! His Spirit is movin’ &

stirin” hearts. Students are open & receptive. All service

opportunities and Cam Min events have been well

attended. Please pray that we continue to let Him lead!

“Commit your ways to the Lord & Trust that He will act” Psalm 37:5

SENIORS: If you haven’t started the college application process, you should do so ASAP! Applications should be submitted by Christmas break. The application process affects deadlines on scholarships, financial aid, and college housing. If you need help, come see us!

TRANSCRIPTS: Students who need transcripts sent to colleges should see Mrs. Knight. There is a form to fill out, and a $1/transcript fee to be paid. If the Common App is used, or SendEDU, the counselors will upload transcripts to those websites.

COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID: Colleges now use prior year tax information (2017 for this senior class) for use with the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and families could start applying on October 1.

SENIOR ATHLETES who plan to participate in college athletics must register with the NCAA (www.eligibilitycenter.org) or NAIA (www.playnaia.org) to confirm academic eligibility for college programs. See Mr. Hagg for more information.

CAREER/COLLEGE INFORMATION: www.SDMyLife.com is an online college and career infor-mation system available to all students. Students who need their login information should come to the Counseling Office. There is also an ACT Prep program called Method Test Prep, check it out.

PEER RELATIONS REPORTING is available on the OGHS homepage. Use this tool to report concerns you have about peers or yourself. Remember Mrs. Jones and Mr. Hagg’s doors are always open to talk about personal, family, or academic questions and concerns you have. You can walk in or make an appointment with Mrs. Knight if counselors are not immediately available.

PSAT: The results of the PSAT will be available in mid-December. It was administered at O’Gorman on October 10 to 144 sophomores & juniors. Results will be given to the students as soon as they become available.

REGISTRATION FOR 2019-2020 will take place in late January and early February. Counselors will provide students with registration information, and students will register online. AP courses and senior Theology courses require an application. Information regarding AP courses will be available online in January.

ACT Register on-line at www.actstudent.org

It is recommended that students take the ACT for the first time during the spring of their junior year, preferably the April test date.

O’Gorman High School is a National ACT testing site

O’Gorman’s School Code is 421-175 and our Test Center Code is 157-640

O’Gorman High School does not administer the July ACT test

Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline

February 9 January 11 January 18

April 13 March 8 March 25

June 8 May 3 May 20

July 13 June 14 June 24

Counseling Department News

SAT Register on-line at www.collegeboard.com/sat

Seniors must take the ACT or the SAT for college admission. It is usually not necessary to take both tests. Juniors and seniors interested in either of these tests should stop by the Counseling Office for registration information and deadlines.

COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES SCHEDULED: These visits give students an idea of admission requirements, costs, programs available, and timelines to follow. All college visits are listed in the daily student bulletin and posters are displayed with dates and times. Students must get a pass from the Counseling Office no later than 8:00 a.m. on the day of the visit. The following colleges are scheduled at this time:

COLLEGE VISITS

SCHOLARSHIPS: The Counseling Office is beginning to receive scholarship information. Seniors and parents are encouraged to check the counseling webpage every few weeks as new scholarships are posted as they arrive.

SOUTH DAKOTA OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP: The South Dakota Legislature established five requirements that all South Dakota high school graduates must meet in order to establish their initial eligibil-ity in the Opportunity Scholarship program. These requirements specify that a recipient must:

1. Be a resident of South Dakota at time of high school graduation.

2. Have an ACT composite score of 24 or higher before the beginning of post-secondary education. If using a SAT score, the sum of the verbal and mathematics scores on the SAT must be at least 1090.

3. Complete high school course requirements with no final grade below a "C" (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) and a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (grade of "B") prior to graduation (Note: One unit of high school credit equals 1 year of instruction).

4. Effective for those students entering into postsecondary education for the first time on or after August 2013, the curriculum requirements specified in section 3 above are not required for any student who has received a composite score on the ACT of at least 28 and meets the ACT college readiness benchmarks scores equaling or exceeding 18 for English, 22 for Reading, 22 for Math, and 23 for Science.

5. Attend a university, college, or technical school accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and that provides instruction from a campus located in South Dakota.

6. Enter into the program within 5 years of high school graduation, or within 1 year of the student's release from active duty military service (if that release is within 5 years of the date of the student's high school graduation). Students seeking to transfer from a regionally accredited university, college, or technical school located outside of South Dakota may do so within two years following high school graduation and be eligible to receive partial award.

Test Date Test(s) Registration Deadline Late Registration Dead-

March 9 SAT only February 8 February 27

May 4 SAT & Subject Tests April 5 April 24

June 1 SAT & Subject Tests May 3 May 22

COLLEGE DATE PERIOD

ND State December 5 6

SDSU December 17 2

High School Course Requirements

4 units of English

3 units of Social Science

4 units of Algebra or higher mathematics

4 units of Science, including 3 units of approved laboratory science

1 unit of Fine Arts

2 units of either of the following or a combination of the two:

Approved Career and Technical Education courses

Modern or classical language

1/2 unit of Personal Finance or Economics

1/2 unit of Physical Education

1/2 unit of Health or Health Integration (Students entering high school after July 2013)

DAKOTA CORPS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (February 1 deadline)

The Dakota Corps Scholarship was designed for high school students in South Dakota to provide full tuition and generally-applicable fees to selected qualified applicants. Qualified applicants must:

Graduate from an accredited South Dakota high school with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.8 or greater on a 4.0 scale. Home schooled students will be allowed to provide supplemental information if this requirement is not applicable.

Have a composite ACT score of 27 or greater (or the SAT equivalent).

Agree, in writing, to stay in South Dakota and work in a critical need occupation after graduation for as many years as the scholarship was received, plus one year.

The current critical need occupations are:

Teacher—High School Math

Teacher—High School Science

Teacher—Elementary or Secondary Special Education

Teacher—High School Career and Technical Education

Teacher – K-12 Foreign Language

Accountant / Auditor

Engineer (includes all fields EXCEPT mining)

Information Technology

Registered Nurse

Apply for the Dakota Corps Scholarship for a school period that begins within one year of high school graduation, or within one year of release from active duty of an active component of the armed forces.

Attend a participating South Dakota college as an undergraduate student in a program that will prepare the student to work in a critical need occupation.

Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.

Among those that qualify, recipients will be chosen based on GPA, test scores, activities, honors, community service, and a written essay. Not all eligible applicants will be selected for a scholarship. From the total pool of applicants, a limited number of recipients will be selected. Also, some South Dakota colleges may limit the number of scholarship recipients they accept, or not participate at all.

BUILD DAKOTA SCHOLARSHIP: (March 31 deadline)

This scholarship is for students going to South Dakota Technical Schools in high-need workforce careers. It is available to both in-state and out-of-state students. The scholarship pays for tuition, fees, books and other required program expenses. Students must commit to living and working in South Dakota, in their field of study, for three years following graduation. If you would like more information, talk to a counselor.

PRESIDENT CURRICULUM ADMISSIONS BUSINESS OFFICE DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCES ALUMNI FOUNDATION336-6241 575-3338 575-3358 335-6557 336-6354 575-3350 575-3360 575-3343

DEC2018

Magazines make great Christmas gifts for that hard to buy someone!

Did you know that Great American Fundraising has hundreds of gift items to choose from besides magazines! They have tumblers, gift wrap, holiday wreaths and more! Every purchase benefits SFCS!

Go to: www.gaschoolstore.com and use code: 2503696 or search for your elementary school.

MAGAZINE & MORE!

NEW! EASY WAY TO SIGN UP FOR ECARDS ON YOUR PHONE!

Just in time for the holidays, an easier way to get eCards on your mobile device! With over 270 eCard options to choose from, you can get a lot more... and give a lot more back!

1. Email giftcards@sfcss.org to request the SFCS enrollment code and instructions.

2. Go to ShopWithScrip.com to register.

3. Choose the option to “Link Your Bank Account”.

4. Go to MyScripWallet.com; Log in with your shopwithscript username and password; Choose eCards and support SFCS at no extra cost to you!

For more information or to learn about our online option, go to www.sfcss.org/gift-card-program or call 605-575-3364.

DOUBLE YOUR DONATION$!

Did you know that many companies will double employee donations to nonprofits? SFCS is the beneficiary of thousands of dollars each year because of donors who secure matching gifts through their employers.

Check with your company to find out if they offer matching gifts. Here are some of the companies that currently match gifts to SFCS:

Questions? Contact Susanne Gale, Director of Development, 605-575-3342.

American Express Funds Anne McGilvray & Co • Aramark

Bank of America • Bard Davol, IncCambia • CNA Surety

Delta Air Lines FoundationFirst National Bank of Sioux Falls

Land O’Lakes FoundationLos Alamos National Security

Midcontinent Foundation • Monsanto FundNew York Life Foundation

Sammons Financial Group, IncStarbucks • The GE Foundation

The Medtronic FoundationThrivent Gift Multiplier

US Bank • Verizon FoundationWells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program

SUPPORT THE KNIGHTS THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON!

CHRISTMAS SALE! 25% OFF YOUR PURCHASE

(excludes gym uniforms and gift cards)

Check out the Knight Locker for all of your Holiday shopping needs. The Knight Locker has items for toddlers, youth and adults along with some unique stocking stuffers.

• Sales starts on Friday December 7th • 8am-4pm• Saturday, December 8th during and after the Children’s Play from 2-5 pm• Last day for the Christmas sale is Monday, December 10th from 8-6:30pm

Regular Store Hours: M-F, 8AM-4PM