"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."
-John 15:13
Dear St. Rose School Families,
There is so much to celebrate these days as we reflect on the successes of this year despite the many challenges. These last few weeks are also for recognizing our 8th graders, many whom have been with us since Preschool and others who have joined us at different times during the years. Together they are a special group, each blessed by God with unique talents. They have made such important contributions to our school and we know they will go on to impact the high schools they have chosen to attend. There is no doubt they have a lot of energy after watching this week's Bunny Bowl! These are the traditions that form lasting bonds at St. Rose School.
We are winding down the 2021-2022 school year. I know that teachers are working hard to help students finish the year strong. As Mrs. B indicated during the HSA meeting and in her Student Life Update, there will be some summer camps available for students wanting to keep their skills fresh. Stay tuned for more details. I am grateful to the teachers who have offered to do this after their particularly busy year. This is another indication of their dedication.
Mrs. Coppola has been very busy enrolling new families over the past few months. We are delighted to welcome them into our community; I know you will make them feel at home. Our parent ambassadors will be reaching out over the summer months to say hello and help with any questions. If you know a family that will be coming to St. Rose School please remind them that we are always here if they need us -- no question is too small.
It is always nice to anticipate a long weekend and it is equally important to recognize the significance of the day off. On Memorial Day, may we all stop and reflect on the fallen men and women who gave their lives for our protection and freedom. We ask God's blessings on them and their families. It is heartwarming to know that our Knights of Columbus will be laying wreaths on the graves in St. Rose cemetery during a special service over the weekend. We are the Land of the Free because of the Brave!
I'm sure everyone will join me in thanking Monsignor Bob for the Holy Cow ice cream treats this week. We have one very special Pastor at St. Rose.
Enjoy your time off from school and work; if you are travelling stay safe. We look forward to seeing students back in the halls on Tuesday June 1st.
God Bless,
Mr. Bardhyl Gjoka
IMPORTANT DATES
May 31st-- School closed for Memorial Day
June 3rd -- 8th Grade Class Night
June 6th -- 8th grade Graduation, 1:00 p.m.
June 8th -- Kindergarten Graduation. 10:00 a.m.
June 9th -- Preschool Graduation
June 9th -- Please note this is a FULL Day of school for Grades 1-7 (previously half day)
June 14th -- Field Day, early dismissal 11:30 a.m.
June 15th -- Early Dismissal, 11:30 a.m, PD
June 16th -- Last day of school for 1st-7th Grade, Early dismissal 11:30 am., Mass in the Church.
Vaccine Clinic for 12-15 year olds -- see flyer below
BLOOMS BRICK WALK
SALES UNDERWAY!
Bricks make great gifts for Confirmation, First Holy Communion, Graduation, Weddings, Birthdays, In Memory of a Loved One and so many other occastions. Buy a brick to connect to the past and pave the way for many bright futures. Order online,
Bricks will be on sale at masses the weekend of June 5th and 6th.
PRESCHOOL CORNER
JOIN US FOR OPEN HOUSE FRIDAYS at the PRESCHOOL,10:00-11:00 a.m. These will take place every Friday between now and June 4th. Please share the word!
Important Dates
May 31st -- School closed, Memorial Day
June 7th -- Last day of school 3-year-old and 4-year-old class
June 8th -- Last day of school Transitional Kindergarten class
June 9th -- 4-year-old and Transitional Kindergarten Graduation, 10:00 a.m.
MY HOW THEY HAVE BLOOMED --
FIRST GRADE!
Building on skills from Kindergarten and fueled by many exciting lessons, First Graders burst forth in areas of reading, writing, science, math, faith and service this year. Together they navigated STEM projects including building their own robots to help with solve real problems, utilizing environmentally friendly materials. Using their increasing knowledge of language they studied and wrote poems, creating a Class Book of Poetry AND participating in the Poetic Power Poetry Contest. Several entries have been selected for publication! First Graders were active participants in the game SCOOT, as they learned how to make contractions. They discovered chronology through the Birth to 7 Timeline project and became little experts on Italy as they explored the people, food, religion, government, art and traditions of this beautiful county. On the faith front First Graders learned the importance of so many church days and seasons such as Lent and Pentecost. They also learned how to recite the Rosary. Service projects were continuous as these good hearted students collected and boxed items for Boxes of Joy, which Sister Thaddeus joined them to bless; they also gathered needed items for the Dorothy Day House. First Graders loved to celebrate, dressing as Pilgrims and counting their blessings for Thanksgiving while jumping for joy on Rubber Ducky Day and launching handmade paper airplanes on National Paper Airplane Day. They have been on an exceptional journey of discovery and are well prepared to set off for 2nd grade.
GOD BLESS AMERICA, LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO FOUGHT AND DIED FOR US. WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL AND PRAY FOR THEIR ETERNAL PEACE AS WELL AS FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
STUDENT LIFE
by Mrs. B
Dear St. Rose Families,
A long weekend, a preview of summer; long awaited and well deserved! With the year we have experienced, getting to the end seemed almost unattainable, but here we are at Memorial Day! This week, we have filled the days with more visits outdoors for fresh air and exercise, and activities throughout the hallways and classrooms. Our Class of 2021 was able to take the field on Tuesday with a little friendly competition in the Bunny Bowl; Red Noses were spotted all around the school on Thursday, and of course Thursday was also the day a well loved tradition returned...the walk to Holy Cow for ice cream with Monsignor! Monsignor has been taking classes, across the way for ice cream for so many years, that it has become a familiar sight to Newtown residents to see him stopping traffic on Church Hill while St. Rose students walk and skip across to get that delicious summery treat!
Ending One Year and Planning for the Next
After meeting last week, we have redesigned summer work for Kindergarten through grade 5. We are focusing on skills and real world practice rather than projects and packets. Activities will include independent reading, and fun math activities which students can complete while out and about this summer. We will also provide a list of recommended websites for those seeking more targeted practice.
We will be offering skill practice workshops for incoming Kindergarten through grade 2 with Mrs. Heyder, July 12-15. Incoming grades 3-5 can sign up for skills workshop with Mrs. Winington, July 12-15 and July 19-22. More details and registration forms will be sent to those classes. For incoming grades 6-8, if you are looking for a tutor for the summer, please let me know, we have a few teachers available for summer tutoring.
If you would like a few fun and beneficial practice books to have handy this summer, here is a list of great books at affordable prices:
Barnes and Noble offers a series by Flash Kids Editors, in association with Harcourt Family Learning (Harcourt is one of the publishers that we have used over the years for many of our textbooks in grades K-5). They offer all-in-one workbooks, which have a variety of curriculum areas at a specific grade level; you can purchase workbooks that have targeted practice for a specific skill (separate books for each: math, reading, spelling, language arts, and writing). They even have one for cursive writing practice. These books are available for $6.95 each. They also have a series of mini workbooks, with even more specific practice, for example time and money in math. This mini series also includes Math Drills and Sight Words. These books are available for $3.95 each. Flash Kids offers good old fashion flashcards, which can be good for practice away from the screen and books. These are available for $3.95-$5.95 each. You might consider two sets for creating learning games at home. They have Test Prep workbooks for most grade levels. These are available for $5.95-$9.95 each. Finally, they have their own brand of summer bridge books for transitioning from one grade to another. These are available for $9.95. I find that the offerings at Barnes and Noble are more extensive and provide more options, especially if you have a specific skill in mind that you would like your child to practice over the summer.
The only thing I would not purchase at Barnes and Noble, is, if you are interested in the original Summer Bridge Books by Summer Bridge Activities Publishers; they are more expensive here, over $13.00 each. I recommend Amazon at $8.48 per book. My preference though is the Barnes and Noble books and flashcards; many teachers have used these for extra help in classrooms over the years. I have used them in my own classroom and for extra tutoring support. The flashcards are nicely laminated and durable. I have found the workbooks to offer more practice than the traditional bridge books.
If you are looking for a program for the summer, Kumon is a great choice! We have a number of our students, from all grade levels, that have been students at Kumon. Mary Kate Gordon, one of our second grade parents, operates the Newtown Center and she also owns and operates a center in Danbury.
Summer work, supply lists, and other information in preparation for next school year will be shared as we get closer to the end of school. For our future school leaders, Class of 2022, we are working on scheduling a High School Prep Test Course to begin the first weeks of the new school year.
Shoutout to Class of 2021
Please be sure to check out our Instagram srsnewtownct to share in the excitement of our Class of 2021. We are shining the spotlight on each member of the class as we celebrate them and countdown to graduation! We look forward to Class Night where parents and students will share fond memories from the years! Also look for pictures from Red Carpet Day, Bunny Bowl, and Red Nose Day!
Today was bittersweet as it was the last full day of school for our 8th graders. We will see them around the hallways on Tuesday and Wednesday for a few hours, and then we prepare to graduate them on June 6. Please keep these young men and women in your prayers as they begin the transition to high school; not even the pandemic could stop them this school year and we are so proud of them and wish them all the best! On Tuesday, they will put on their caps and gowns and take the traditional graduation walk through the hallways remembering the years gone by while students in preschool through grade 7 wish them well one last time! We look forward to celebrating and sharing memories with our soon-to-be graduates and their parents on Thursday evening for our annual Class Night! Then it’s on to graduation on June 6th! We are thrilled to be able to celebrate both of these events in-person.
Celebrations and Gratitude
Field Day is fast approaching! This year we would like to bring back an old tradition of having the children tie dye t-shirts to wear that day. Mrs. Kirkman has graciously offered her last art classes for this fun activity. Each student is asked to send in a pre-washed white t-shirt. Please watch your email for more details. We will be looking for a few extra hands to help us out; this will be an outdoor project.
We were blessed to be able to build classroom communities, bring some traditions back, finding ways to keep our community close, all while keeping everyone safe. The children had socially distanced, after school programs, a bit of basketball, Catholic Schools Week, including our Pig Races, International Week, Confirmation, First Eucharist, Red Carpet Day, and in the upcoming weeks...Bunny Bowl, Red Nose Day, Class Night for our 8th graders, Graduations, Field Day, and Ice Cream Treats!! We are also grateful to the staff at Church Hill Village; working together we are creating bonds between the generations and it has been a wonderful experience for our children!
This has been one unique experience for our community this year; but, we made it through and have created many memories despite the challenges! If you would like to have a keepsake of those memories, please order your St. Rose Yearbook today! Follow the link below to place an order for your copy! Click Here to Order Your Yearbook
I
want to close by thanking the Class of 2021 for working with me this week to bring Red Nose Day back to St. Rose. When all the dollars were counted up, we raised over $500 to stomp out childhood poverty! Thank you to all our families for their support and generosity!
Remembering Those Who Fought for Our Freedoms
GRACIOUS GOD, ON THIS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND,
WE REMEMBER AND GIVE THANKS
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES
IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY.
WHEN THE NEED WAS GREATEST,
THEY STEPPED FORWARD AND DID THEIR DUTY
TO DEFEND THE FREEDOMS THAT WE ENJOY,
AND TO WIN THE SAME FOR OTHERS.
THOUGH THEIR NAMES MAY FADE WITH THE PASSING OF GENERATIONS, MAY WE NEVER FORGET WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
HELP US TO BE WORTHY OF THEIR SACRIFICE.
Wishing you a relaxing, and safe Memorial Day weekend!
8th graders hopped into action at the Bunny Bowl this week. Teams Pinkalicious and Insert Name Here played a close, exciting game of flag football with a jubilant cheering section of 7th graders, parents and siblings. Good sportsmanship was at the heart of it all.
HSA NEWS
Dear Parents,
Thank you for your support in our HSA vote items from last week. All of the items have been approved and we will move forward accordingly.
Congratulations and thank you to Carrie Sirois, our new HSA secretary. We also confirmed that Kate O'Connor will serve one more year as President, and Dave Budzynski begins a second two-year term as our treasurer.
The disbursement of funds to St. Rose School for the repayment of the portable classrooms loan and the purchase and installation of new kitchen equipment have also been approved. We will present these funds to Mr. G at our June 11th event.
We were grateful to have the opportunity to sponsor a social gathering for the teachers and staff last Friday evening. As the end of school approaches, please consider purchasing gift cards for teachers through our SCRIP fundraising program. Contact our wonderful volunteer team via email to scrip@srles.com for more information!
We hope that many of you will join us at Castle Hill Farm on Friday, June 11th from 6-9PM for a bonfire. Look for an email with details on the event and how to RSVP next week.
Enjoy the long weekend!
Your HSA Board
Kate O'Connor - President
Isabel Almeida - Vice President
Dave Budzynski - Treasurer
Carrie Sirois - Secretary
HOLY COW! IT WAS SO NICE OF YOU TO TREAT US ALL TO ICE CREAM MONSIGNOR BOB!