"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."
-St. Catherine of Siena
Greetings from Mr. G
November 1, 2019
It was a treat to see the joy on our students' faces and join in their Halloween festivities. I pray they always keep that sense of sweetness and wonder.
Dear St. Rose School Families,
Happy November. Today is All Saints Day and while the storm prevented us from gathering together at Mass, I know that our students have learned a great deal about the deeply spiritual, courageous men and women who's journey of faith are inspirational and add a dynamic dimension to our curriculum.
There is great energy in our halls these days. I truly see an increased level of engagement in the classrooms and sense contentment among students of all ages. We continue to focus on setting high academic standards, finding ways to engage students with different learning styles and promoting camaraderie in and out of the classroom. We are also addressing noted learning gaps to ensure that students have smoother transitions to their next steps.
Running the school effectively requires input from all constituents and parents are key in this process. Please join us next Thursday, November 7th for the HSA/State of the School Meeting. We will be sharing important information, conducting a meaningful Q & A to address any of your concerns and are offering breakout sessions with teacher representatives from Preschool, K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. Sign ups for teacher conferences will kick off this night as well, so please come and reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you there.
One of the most significant challenges we face this year is fundraising. As we've mentioned in the past, tuition alone does not cover the cost of operating the school, providing professional development and curriculum/technology enhancements. It is our hope that everyone will partake in one or more of the fundraisers this year so that St. Rose School can continue to thrive well into the future. Next up is Oktoberfest -- a fun night to gather with friends in a festive atmosphere. Tickets are still available so please consider coming. Email advancement@srles.com to reserve your spot.
We are so delighted that all of our new families are settling in and happy. It is a joy to have you with us. Next week we are excited to welcome two new families -- Ryan Mozelak will be starting in 4th grade on Monday the 4th and Daniel Davydov begins Wednesday November 6th in 5th grade. Please join me in giving them a warm welcome.
Lastly, this weekend kicks off "Discover Catholic Schools New England" week. St. Rose School will have a display table in the vestibule after all masses and we are opening our doors to visitors next week. Please encourage your friends and families to come take a look at what we have to offer.
I've covered a lot of topics because we have so much going on. We are moving in positive directions. As always, I invite you to contact me if you have anything to discuss. The families of St. Rose School are my top priority.
Don't forget to turn your clocks back this weekend and enjoy the extra hour!
God Bless,
Mr. Bardhyl Gjoka
Principal
ART NEWS
Square 1 art orders are due on November 7, which is Thursday of this coming week. This is your opportunity to support your child while supporting St. Rose School. Students made some incredible artwork, which is now available to you on a number of products. Square 1 makes great Christmas gifts, and orders arrive in early December.
Thank you so much for supporting the arts and St. Rose School.
There's so much to love and appreciate about the Catholic School experience. This week we have the chance to invite people into our halls and show them what makes St. Rose School such a special place.
Please spread the word about:
Playdates at the Preschool -- Begins Monday November 4th, 11:30-12:30 PM, meet in the Preschool, enjoy story time and crafts with upper grade students and the Preschool teacher. Free! Going forward these will be held the first Monday of every month.
Discover St. Rose School Day -- Monday November 4th, 4:00-6:00 PM -- the public is invited to walk in our halls; students and staff will be on site to showcase enrichment programs and curriculum highlights as well as answer questions/give tours.
My Marvelous Middle Schooler is Driving Me Mad -- Wednesday November 6th, 6:30-7:30 PM. Kicks off a series of Information sessions to address important topics for this age group. First theme will be S.O.S. (Study skills, organization and Staying on Track). Open to all SRS Middle School parents and people from Newtown and surrounding communities.
Please share the word wherever and whenever you can -- it makes a difference! Thanks.
ALUMNI NEWS
Service is an integral component of life at St. Rose School. Our students participate in various outreaches, some class oriented and some self guided. Class of 2019 alumna Julia Cirone took it upon herself to run an After school Games club for younger grades while she was here and recently we received word from Ann's Place in Danbury that she donated the monies she raised to help with their important programs. Julia truly models the values of kindness and service and continues to do so at Immaculate High School. Way to go Julia!
We loved seeing many of our St. Rose families at Trunk or Treat! More than 80 school families turned out making this our biggest one yet. Thank to our parent volunteers who kept things organized and safe so we could all enjoy a fun night together.
We are grateful to those of you who have signed up to volunteer at the Book Fair. Parent volunteers always help to make this event a success! Please check out the Signup Genius and help us when you can. Link:
Also, please mark your calendars for our upcoming HSA meeting November 7 at 6:30pm. This is our “State of the School” meeting, and it is important to be there to hear all of the updates. We also invite you to share your feedback in advance on things that are going well and those that need improvement or further consideration. Please email us at hsa@srles.com.
Oktoberfest Night Out -- November 9th at Newtown Country Club.Come have some fun and raise funds for St. Rose School. Tell your friends, it's open to people outside of school. RSVPs are due November 1st and tickets are limited to 100. Let's make this a success! Questions? Email Advancement@srles.com.
KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE VISIT THE INNOVATION LAB
This week in the Innovation Lab, Kindergarten and First Grade tested their engineering and problem solving skills. Based on the Three Little Pigs story, students had to build a house to protect their pig from the big bad wolf. They were given gummy candy and toothpicks to make their structure. When they were finished, we tested their houses with the big bad wolf (a blow dryer). All students were quite innovative with their house designs and had so much fun learning these important concepts. Lasting lessons!
HOMES FOR THE BRAVE
(Supply drive to benefit homeless veterans)
NEED YOUR HELP
Nick Prieto and Patrick McKenzie (SRS alumni from the Class of 2019) are organizing a Supply Drive to collect items that can be utilized by veterans who are using the transitional housing provided by the Homes For The Brave organization. The supply drive will collect items that can be used by veterans in their homes as they receive other services such as vocational training, life coaching and mental health services. Items on the Wish List below that have been BOLDED are the top priority needs, but all donations are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Nick and Patrick are hoping that the Saint Rose School community can come together to provide some of these needs. There are boxes in the front entrance and near the library at school. Please read the notes carefully at the bottom of the Wish List as the organization cannot accept any items that contain alcohol and they do not accept used clothing, linens, household goods, or furniture.
We would like to thank you for supporting our drive. We hope to provide many of the "wishes" to our Veterans as we celebrate their service!
Nick and Patrick
VETERAN'S DAY ASSEMBLY
If you have a family member or friend who is a veteran and would like to be a part of the Knights of Columbus Veteran's Day ceremony at school on November 8th, please contact Mr. Scott Anders, wscottanders@gmail.com for details.
