From the Desk of Mrs. Tiezzi
Dear St. Rita School Parents and Guardians,
I can’t believe our school doors will reopen for in-person instruction three weeks from yesterday. School year 2020-2021 will be somewhat different than in the past however. Please be assured your child will still receive an academically strong education in a safe and nurturing Catholic environment. I hope that you have been able to read our Return to School Plan which was sent out to you a few weeks back. If you have not had the opportunity to see the plan it is available on our school website or click HERE to view. Please do not hesitate to call me or email me directly if you have any questions or concerns. Parents choosing to have their child learn remotely have until August 20 to notify the office. If you have done so via our survey or by e-mail your child has been placed in the remote learning category for the upcoming school year. There is no need to send another email unless you change your option.
STUDENTS WILL BEGIN THE SCHOOL YEAR ON A MODIFIED SCHEDULE AS FOLLOWS:
- Families will be notified of their child’s class assignment by Monday, August 31, 2020.
- Tuesday, September 1 - only students in grades Kindergarten, 3 and 6 from 8:15-12:15.
- Wednesday, September 2 - only students in grades 1, 4, 7 from 8:15-12:15 and PreK 3 8:30-12:00.
- Thursday, September 3 - only students in grades 2, 5, 8 from 8:15-12:15 and PreK 4 8:30-12:00.
- Friday, September 4 - All students in Kindergarten through grade 8 in school from 8:15-12:15 and PreK 3 and PreK 4 will be in school 8:30-12:00.
- This modified schedule will allow for ease of transition and for teachers to work with their individual classes on new procedures and classroom schedules.
- During this modified week, snacks will be provided for students but there will be no lunch.
- There will be no Before Care or After Care during this modified week.
- TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 - St. Rita School will be in session for the full day for ALL STUDENTS in person or on-line.
- Before Care and After Care will begin on Tuesday, September 8.
We have had much work done in our school building over the summer in preparation for our return to in person instruction. Sinks have been installed in both our kindergarten classrooms and in one of our PreK classrooms, SmartBoards and ceiling-mounted projectors have been installed in various classrooms, and several classrooms have had new flooring installed, and have been painted. Most importantly, our school building has been cleaned and sanitized top to bottom and the a/c units have been serviced. Over the next few weeks we will begin setting up our classrooms and installing signage throughout the building to ensure social distancing and to help with traffic flow. It has been a very busy summer indeed.
Congratulations to our first grade teacher, Nicole Truhart, who is one of 10 Catholic school teachers throughout the Archdiocese of Hartford to receive the 2020 Light of Christ Teacher Recognition Award given by the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation. Mrs. Truhart was recognized for her excellence in teaching and learning, innovation, collaboration and seeking to improve our school community and culture in a positive way. We are so happy that Nicole was recognized for her outstanding performance among educators in our Catholic schools.
In addition to Mrs. Truhart’s recognition, we have been awarded three grants from the Archdiocese. One for creating a ukulele unit to enhance our music program, another for updating our teacher technology devices, and the final grant is for expanding our outdoor classroom space. We are most grateful to the Archdiocese for awarding St Rita School over $16,000 in grant money to improve and update our programming.
Finally, we welcome the following teachers to our school family for the upcoming school year.
- Allessandra Paglia will be our new Spanish teacher for students in grades 1-8. She replaces Sue Villiani who has retired. Allessandra is a graduate of Sacred Heart Academy and a native speaker who is currently working on her master’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies at New York University. Allessandra most recently taught at the Catholic Academy of Waterbury.
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Leni Grossomanides will take over as the new 5th grade math, science and social studies teacher, replacing Erin Bonini who has moved to 2nd grade replacing Patty Landino who retired after 43 years of service to our Catholic schools. Leni has been a teacher in the Archdiocese of Hartford network of schools for many years, mostly recently at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School in Meriden. Leni holds a Master’s in Elementary Education from SCSU and has served on numerous Archdiocesan committees.
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Lori Gill, most recently a teacher at St. Bernadette’s in New Haven, will join us as the new 4th grade teacher, replacing Barbara Anton who has retired. Lori holds a Master’s degree from the University of New Haven and has taught at both the elementary and middle school levels. She will be teaching math, science and religion to 4th grade.
- In addition, Maria Testa (assistant principal) and Tina Corraro (Spanish teacher grades PreK-5) have decided to retire.
As we continue to navigate these very challenging times of 2020, let us continue to be supportive of one another by our words and deeds. Let us all demonstrate the light of our faith in Christ Jesus and accompany one another on our walk in that light. Stay safe and be well. We are so looking forward to seeing all our students in September.
God Bless,
Mrs. Tiezzi
Principal
