"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you."
-Psalm 32:8
Greetings from Mr. G
September 4, 2020
We did it! The doors of St. Rose School opened this week filling hallways, classrooms and hearts with great joy as our K-8 students arrived wearing masks but smiling with their eyes. It was a team effort; kudos to all parents, students, faculty and Monsignor Bob for starting the 2020-2021 school year off in a safe, smart and smooth fashion. God is with us on the journey!
Dear St. Rose School Families,
A big welcome to all of our returning and new families. The spirit of St. Rose School is alive and well as we kick off the 2020-2021 school year. Thank you for entrusting your precious children to us -- their health, education and faith formation remain our top priority.
This week we were blessed to receive a $20,000 anonymous donation from a school family that will make a significant dent in our $150,000 annual goal for the Blooms Fund. My heartfelt thanks to the benefactor who shares this message:
After much reflection we decided that it’s a perfect time to make a donation to our wonderful St. Rose School and the teachers and staff! These past months have shown us all how essential the school and teachers are in our everyday lives. We tend to think that the school is only “for our kids”, not for us, but we are all interconnected in ways that perhaps we all did not understand until this year. While the pandemic has taken much from us, it has also sharpened our senses as to what is important and meaningful in our lives. Click here to read more.
I am impressed by how well students are acclimating to masks and distancing. We are taking safety very seriously but we also want to ensure their comfort which is why we have built in 3 mask breaks throughout the day. We also realize the importance of class bonding which makes these daily breaks extra significant.
St. Rose School adheres to state and diocesan guidelines. The 3 school approved mask types are KN95, surgical/procedure style and cloth. Gaiters, bandanas, scarves and valve masks are not efficacious in preventing the spread of germs therefore we respectfully ask that children do not use these as face coverings. If you haven't had a chance to read through the Diocese of Bridgeport and St. Rose School Re-Opening plans please do so as they contain a lot of important information. The Connecticut Department of Health Face Mask document also contains helpful facts, especially pages 5 and 7 (see link below).
It's nice to anticipate the long weekend after our successful reentry. Typically we would gather together on Labor Day to ride in a parent made float (St. Rose won Best School float last year) and march in the parade wearing red and white to show our school spirit. We cannot do that this year but we can take some time on Monday to give thanks to those whose labors of love have built this country and our vibrant communities. This year special thanks and prayers go to our front line workers in health care, law enforcement, local government, teachers, clergy -- your dedication is beyond measure. May God grant you health and happiness.
Let's get ready for another great week. On Tuesday we welcome our Preschoolers and K-8 will have their first full day. Please mark your calendars for the HSA meeting on September 10th, I look forward to seeing you there. Following that meeting there will be a Google Meet & Greet for Middle School parents. A schedule of all class Meet & Greets can be found in the newsletter.
We will continue working together to make this a safe, strong and sustaining year.
We couldn't be happier to welcome all of our new students and families -- you are a blessing to our community! It was a joy to see so many of you at our New Family gathering on Monday. If you couldn't make it please email advancement@srles.com for a welcome sign. We are all here to make your transition a smooth one; don't hesitate to reach out with questions. Our parent ambassadors will be in touch soon. Once again, welcome into our halls...and hearts! Please like us on Facebook, Stroseoflimaschool and follow us on Instagram, srsnewtownct.
Check out photos from the New family welcome. Our student ambassadors were a big help with set up/clean up and safe games.
Our doors have reopened to the children of St. Rose School and our hearts are overflowing with the joy that these days have brought to all of us! The planning and anticipation and the what if’s, that have been pondered over the summer months, were well worth the gift of seeing our children in our hallways and classrooms! The smiling eyes of our children brought us a sense of peace as well; and a continued belief that we will get through this, together! They took things in stride and went with the flow, under the guidance of a team of teachers, who truly showed their love for each one of them! (Click below for complete update).
St. Rose School and the Diocese of Bridgeport will provide an information session on Wednesday, September 9th for all families who have selected distance learning for their children.
We hope all families had a good “back to school” experience this week! We are grateful to Mr. G, Mrs. B, Fr. Bob and all the school personnel for all their hard work in getting to this point. The return to school has brought joy to our children’s faces and we truly appreciate everyone efforts. As we proceed with the school year it’s profoundly evident the impact that the pandemic has had on our ability to socialize and come together as a community. Thus, we are exploring alternative ways we can bring our community together in supporting the school and lifting each other’s spirits in this unique environment. We encourage parents to share ideas with us.
We are excited to report that 65 people are registered for our Golf Outing on September 21st. We hope to recruit another 30 golfers to fill our event and maximize fundraising, so please help us spread the word and make this event a success! You can visit SaintRoseGolfClassic.com for more info and to register.
As the year begins, please reach out to the HSA for support, hsa@srles.com. We will be working on plans for the year which will be different from the norm, but we still hope to bring our community together in special ways for both "friendraising" and fundraising. Stay tuned for more on that in the weeks to come, and don't forget about the HSA Meeting & Back to School Night (via Zoom) on Thursday, September 10th.
FYI... A good source of parent information and a way of connecting with other parents is through the St. Rose School Parents FB page, SRS Parents.
Your HSA Board
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT MEETINGS
We realize how important it is for parents and teachers to connect at the start of the school year. We have arranged grade level back to school parent/teacher sessions as follows:
September 10th, 7:20 - 8:00 p.m -- Joint Middle School
September 14th, 6:30-7:00 p.m. -- 1st grade
September 14th, 7:00-7:30 p.m. -- 2nd grade
September 15th, 6:30-7:00 p.m. -- 3rd grade
September 15th, 7:00-7:30 p.m. -- 4th grade
September 15th, 7:30-8:00 p.m. -- 5th grade
Stay tuned for links from your teachers.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM NURSE BONNIE
St. Rose School is blessed to have a full time nurse on site five days a week. Nurse Bonnie has a lot of wisdom and important information to share. Please peruse and complete the attached forms. You can reach Nurse Bonnie via email, nurse@srles.com or phone, 203-426-5102 ext. 104.
We can't wait to welcome our littlest learners to school on September 8th! The light and laughter they bring to our halls and hearts is a blessing. Our dedicated, nurturing 3-, 4- and Transitional Kindergarten (5-) year old teachers have an exciting year planned!
Pre-K Trivia Question:
Q. What year did the doors of St. Rose Preschool open?
A. Monsignor Bob opened the Preschool in August 2000 with the help of our very first Preschool teacher, who is still with us today, Mrs. Paige Robinson!
New 2-year-old Program
This year we are starting a Peek-A-Boo 2's Class for parents who would like to start acclimating their little ones to school in a safe, nurturing, Preschool environment. If you know anyone who might be interested in this program, please share the flyer and refer them to admissions@srles.com.
