Dear St. Rose School Families:
We have so many achievements to recognize this week! First, my warmest congratulations to Ms. Elaine Smith for her 10 years of dedicated service to St. Rose School. Ms. Smith was recognized at a beautiful Appreciation Mass & Breakfast hosted by the Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Schools at Fairfield University last weekend. I was honored to accompany Miss Smith to the ceremony and I am very grateful for her commitment to St. Rose School. She is truly an example of what it means to be a consummate educator and a great witness to Catholic education. We are blessed to have her at St. Rose School.
On another up note, our Boys Varsity Basketball team made it to the Championship game of the Parochial League tournament following an amazing season. They played St. Joseph School in Danbury and came in second place in the tournament, earning a significant trophy that the boys presented to me and is now displayed in the glass case of the Gathering Hall lobby. Led by Coach Mike Murphy, these young men are faithful athletes who exhibited wonderful skills and good sportsmanship throughout the season. I am proud of them and applaud their parents who offer wonderful guidance and ongoing support of their sons and the basketball program.
This week we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday in the younger grades and with our buddies in a shared activity. Reading is a gift that opens minds to many wonders and discoveries. Dr. Seuss books capture the imagination, teach important lessons and lead children on the road to reading. "Oh The Places You'll Go!" Let us all reinforce the importance of reading with our children -- it is more and more of a challenge in this world of devices but I think we can all agree that there is nothing like opening a good book.
We entered the Lenten season by attending mass on Ash Wednesday as a school community. Deacon Roos visited the Preschool and gave ashes to the little ones who were so reverent in receiving them. During this season of reflection, prayer and sacrifices may we grow closer to God and more aware of each other. This is a great time to practice kindness, our school theme for the year. Sister Thaddeus has created a Lenten calendar as a helpful guide and we are collecting money for the Missions to assist those in need. Thank you for your contributions which mean so much.
The Tuition Raffle, which is a key fundraiser for the school, will kick off officially on March 14th. I am excited to buy the first ticket and hope all families will do the same in support of this outreach. The odds are very favorable, with the chance to win $15,000 that can be applied to tuition at any K-12 school, college, university or student loan organization in the United States. The HSA is hosting a "Mom's March Madness Tuition Raffle Kick off" evening at Marketplace on March 14th. I understand that anyone who eats dinner at Marketplace or orders take that night will be helping the school with a 10 percent give back. We appreciate your support.
Next week I will be accompanying Monsignor Bob and the 8th grade class to Washington D.C. for the annual trip. This has been a long standing tradition at St. Rose School and I am excited to be joining the group for the first time this year. We will depart early on Wednesday March 13th and return late Friday, March 15th. Monsignor has a full educational itinerary planned and we are grateful to the parent chaperones who will be joining us. In my absence Mrs. Bokuniewicz will be in charge; please be assured that I will stay closely in touch with all school matters. We would appreciate your prayers for a safe trip. Thank you.
Please continue to share the word about our upcoming Preschool & Kindergarten Open House, March 20th, 9:00-11:00 a.m. and the Kindergarten Readiness Session on Thursday, March 21st at 6:00 p.m. Word of mouth is so important as we spread the news about St. Rose School. Also, if you have not yet registered your child(ren) for the 2019-2020 school year please do so as soon as possible. Waiting lists are forming in many grades and we want to give our current families the first opportunity at a slot. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Mrs. Coppola, admissions@slres.com. I am also available to meet, please make an appointment with Mrs. Wong, secretary@srles.com. We look forward to continuing this journey together.
Good luck to our Seventh grade students Ava Faruol, Joshua Schumacher and Rohan Carey who will head to Quinnipiac University on Monday, March 11th to present their top 3 science projects at the Connecticut State Science and Engineering Fair. I know you will join me in cheering them on from Newtown. What an incredible experience and honor. May they relish every moment.
It's been a cold but sunny week. Don't forget that we change the clocks this weekend -- Spring ahead one hour. It's tough to lose that hour but just think, the days will be longer and before we know it Spring will be here!
Enjoy your weekend.
God Bless,
Mr. Bardhyl Gjoka
Principal
