"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
-Psalm 46:1
Greetings from Mr. G
March 20, 2020
I am very proud of our students, teachers and parents for making the transition to distance learning so earnestly this week. These are uncertain times but your faith, dedication, trust and determination are inspirational. I know there will be some bumps in the road but through ongoing communication I believe that we can find the best path forward.
Dear St. Rose School Families,
Happy Spring! Isn't it nice to realize that while certain things are unknown, Spring will still arrive, bringing new growth, warmer temperatures and a sense of HOPE!
It's been a busy week as the St. Rose School family adjusts to home work stations and distance learning. We've received so many wonderful pictures and a lot of positive feedback which is heartwarming. Never before has it been so critical to be part of a team. Everyone has an important role and our ultimate success is dependent on complete participation. So far we are scoring high marks. Let's keep up the great work! See attached article from The Newtown Bee.
As you are reading in the news, cases of Coronavirus have started occurring around us. Social distancing and hand washing remain top priorities in staying healthy. Take good care of yourselves.
While we do not yet have an end date to this distance learning, it is our understanding that Easter and Spring break will remain on the school calendar. As you know, Governor Lamont has waived the 180 day school rule and we are all working under the premises that we will continue the curriculum at every grade level virtually until further notice. Attached is an update from Dr. Cheeseman.
Our top priority is to keep our school family happy. It's a challenge to stay focused and upbeat in the midst of so much chaos but we can do it! Please continue sending photos and anecdotes. If you have ideas for distance bonding please share and we can find ways to implement them. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eD5HE7r5F6bTwdv4bvuBi39Nb9hoBzwU?usp=sharing
I am pleased to share that students will have access to the online learning program, IXL.com, beginning next week after we have received training. It is an Adaptive, Personalized
Mastery-Based Learning Platform that provides a comprehensive curriculum for Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies. It includes a Real-Time Diagnostic and Personalized lesson recommendations for students. It includes fun awards for student accomplishments that help keep students on task and motivated to learn. Our plan is to have up and running by the end of next week.
The Third quarter will close as previously scheduled and report cards will be emailed to parents Monday April 6th. Upper Grade students who make the Honor Roll will be recognized as well.
There is a saying "The family that prays together stays together." How fortunate we are to be part of community where Christ is the center. Let's keep praying -- God is listening and He has us in the palm of His hand.
I hope you can get out into the fresh air and soak in the signs of Spring this weekend.
God Bless,
Mr. Bardhyl Gjoka
Nuts & Bolts
Do you need confirmation of family fee for tax purposes? Families can print a payment summary off their FACTS account that details the Annual Fund Contribution Amount and also provides the St Rose Taxpayer ID. It is a simple process.
In FACTS:
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Mr. G Answers your Questions
It's natural to have many questions during these uncertain times. Please don't hesitate to ask. The ideal way is to submit your questions to hsa@srles.com and they will be sent to Mr. G. Here are answers to some questions from this week:
Q. Will school lunches be refunded?
A. Yes. Refunds were issued yesterday but
may take a couple of days to appear. If
you have any questions, please email
Mrs. Thorn directly, hotlunch@srles.com
Q.for the families that signed up and paid
for Track, is there a plan to hold the
season later in the year or will we be
reimbursed?
A. We hope to return to school and all
activities including Track. If this does
not occur your checks will be returned.
Q. What will happen with spring break - will
it stay no matter what or would the
school resume session during break if
it reopens?
A. It is our understanding that Spring Break
will remain in place as previously
planned. We will keep you posted as
we hear from the Diocese.
Q.What can we do for the teachers to
express our appreciation for all
they're doing?
A. The best gift you can give the teachers
is time with their families to rest and
rejuvenate over the weekend. I kindly
ask that after 8:00 p.m. on Fridays you
give them a break from emails and
phone calls until Monday morning.
Thank you!
Q. Are there any charitable endeavors that
we can support to help our
communities get through this
difficult period?
A. Reaching to others is great medicine!
As a school community we will be
compiling online messages/prayers/
wishes to send to the local hospitals
where they will be posted digitally.
This is a great time to make daily
phone calls/send emails to elderly
family members and neighbors. The
local food banks are also in need of
supplies. Stay tuned for outreach
details.
CLASSROOM CORNER
Visit your teacher's classroom files for assignments and other information.
We hope this note finds you and your family healthy, sane (!) and navigating this "new normal" as best you can.
We've been communicating frequently this week (at a social distance, of course!) and want to thank the St. Rose faculty and staff for the extraordinarily great job they're doing of transitioning our children to distance learning. We don't know what you are hearing from your friends with children at other schools, but what we are hearing leads us to conclude that St. Rose is ahead of the game. That being said, there are always kinks to work out and "best practices" are emerging in our households as we learn this new process together. Please make sure you are on our "SRS Parents" page on Facebook, where we hope to come together and post ideas, ask questions and from time to time, share some comic relief.
Also, if you have an "aha" moment in your school-home and think it would help others, please feel free to share it on the Facebook page or with us through "hsa@srles.com".
We would also like to let you know that we have made the decision to postpone our Golf Outing to September 21st. We trust that this date is far enough in advance that we can be "certain" of our ability to hold this critical fundraiser for our school. Please made a note of it in your calendars and plan to be there!
Enjoy your weekend, stay healthy, and we look forward to connecting again next week.
I hope this letter finds you and your family well and adjusting to the sudden change in our daily routine. Please know that although we are not physically together at school we are all in this together!
“This past week, I was impressed by our young students as I watched them put into play the lessons on infection control that they had been taught at school and at home. They were eager to demonstrate hand washing, covering coughs, and keeping their hands away from their faces. They were so proud to show how to do things the “right” way and have such a remarkable ability to make it all fun!”
