OUR MISSION:
St. Rita School inspires students in Pre-Kindergarten through grade eight to achieve academic excellence in a safe, nurturing and faith-filled Catholic environment.
We prepare students to be morally responsible, innovative thinkers who, in today’s technology-guided global community, live and share the Love of Christ.
FROM THE DESK OF MRS. TIEZZI

Dear St. Rita Parents,

This past weekend our Strategic Planning survey was sent home electronically to all our school families.   https://forms.gle/iZQSaBGRNypDJ7ox8 Please take a few minutes and complete the survey as your suggestions and concerns are important to us. Over the next few months our faculty and school board will be using the data we receive to develop goals to assure a vibrant spiritual and academic experience for our students now and into the future.  Thank you for partnering with us as we undertake this process.  

Please join us for our annual celebration of National Catholic Schools Week, beginning on Sunday, January 26. We will be kicking off Catholic Schools Week (January 26-February 1) with two student led Masses. The 9:00 Mass on Sunday, January 26 at St. Stephen Church and the 11:30 Mass on Sunday, January 26 at St. Rita Church. Sr. Anne and Mrs. Testa are looking for student lectors (Grs. 6-8) and greeters (Grades 4 & 5). Please contact Sr. Anne or Mrs. Testa if your child is interested in assisting. 
Students are asked to wear their school uniforms to show their school pride to either Mass and receive a free dress day coupon from Msgr. Joe. Please see Mrs. Tiezzi, Sr. Anne or Mrs. Testa at Mass to receive your coupon.

This year’s CSW theme-“Catholic Schools: Learn, Serve, Lead, Succeed”-highlights our focus on academic excellence, faith development, dedication to community service and future success. We’ve planned a variety of events to show how we are doing as a community at St. Rita School.  You are also cordially invited to have lunch with your child on Friday, January 31 during your child’s lunch wave.

 A more detailed listing of the CSW activities is as follows:

Sunday, January 26 Celebrate your Parish . Please attend either the 9:00 Mass at St. Stephen Church or the 11:30 Mass at St. Rita. In the afternoon beginning at 2:45 we will hold a Pep Rally showcasing our basketball teams and cheerleaders. It will be held in the gym at Sacred Heart Academy.
Monday, January 27 Celebrate Your Community . Students are invited to bring a friend to school to share all the great things that are happening here at St. Rita. Pre-registration is required. Also, the Culinary Club will be making cookies for the families who are residing at the Ronald McDonald House and we are collecting items for them. Please see the attached flyer for needed items. In the afternoon students at all grade levels will play Bingo.
Tuesday, January 28 Celebrate Your Students. PreK students will participate in STREAM activities, students in grades K-5 will go bowling, and Middle School students will have a trivia contest.
Wednesday, January 29 Celebrate Your Vocations . School wide Morning Prayer will be offered for Msgr. Joe and Sr. Anne in appreciation for their call to ministry. In the afternoon some of our parents will be sharing their career vocation with our students. 
Thursday, January 30 Celebrate Your Faculty & Staff . The NJHS and STUCO will assist Mrs. Tiezzi in providing a mid-morning treat for our very dedicated faculty and staff members. 
Friday, January 31 Celebrate Your Families . You are invited to have lunch with your child. You may order your lunch in addition to your child’s lunch on our lunch portal. Due to limited seating we ask that only one parent participate per child. Following lunch you will share a special dessert treat and visit your child’s classroom. Lunch/recess times are as follows: PreK 11:00-11:45 in the classrooms; Grs. K-2 11:20-12:00; Grades 3-5 12:00-12:40; and Grs. 6-8 12:40-1:20. STUCO will be hosting a talent show beginning at 1:20 in the gym.
 
Thank you for entrusting your child/ren to our care. Have a great week.
 
God Bless,

Mrs. Tiezzi
School News 
We are beginning to see many cases of the flu along with other viruses. Please help us to prevent the spread of these germs by keeping your child home if they are sick. As a reminder, if your child has a fever or vomiting, they must stay home until they are symptom free for 24 hours. 
St. Rita’s School proudly announces AUDITIONS FOR 4 th  – 8 th  Graders  for:
 
ANNIE JR.
Friday, January 24th from 3-4:30 for auditions
 No preparation or experience necessary!
 Everyone will be cast in a role!
 
Rehearsal Schedules will be shared that day, but here’s an overview of the commitment:
 
·           Leads: Tuesdays and Thursdays until 4:15 pm
·           All Orphans: Tuesdays (until 4:15) and Saturdays (1-3)
·           Full Company: Starting Saturday, January 25th from 1-3 for rehearsals each weekend with the exception of 2/15, 3/14, and 4/11
·           Athletes are excused for games
·           Production Week begins Saturday, April 18
·           Performances are April 30-May 2 at SRS
Come join the fun! Questions may be sent to the Director, MaryLee Delaney at  maryleedelaney@gmail.com .

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week!
Virtus Training Information
At St. Rita School there are endless opportunities to get involved as a parent/grandparent. We welcome your ideas, insight and knowledge to help strengthen our SRS community. 
All volunteers must become certified in the Virtus Training and 
complete a background check. 
Please visit the Virtus Training website for upcoming training dates, locations and registration. 

Jan 29 6:00PM Church of Resurrection in Wallingford

Feb 4 6:00 PM Mt. Carmel in Meriden  

Feb.12 at 6:00 and Feb. 16 at 12::00 at St. Thomas More Chapel at Yale in New Haven


**IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR VIRTUS CLASS PLEASE BRING YOUR CERTIFICATE AND HANDBOOK SIGNATURE TO SISTER ANNE.
Save the dates for.......
St. Rita School Summer Camp!
The St. Rita Summer Camp is back!
Camp will run for 6 weeks beginning the first full week after school closes for the year.
Open to students entering Pre-k 4- Grade 5
8:30am-4:30pm
Available for SRS students and non-SRS students
More information to come!
Questions? please email Kim Delvecchio
Help us celebrate our cultures here at St. Rita School.
We are now collecting for the month of
JANUARY !
ASIA
Order your 2019-2020 school yearbook today!
**Order before January 31st to receive special pricing!**
$25!
Home and School Association
Save the Date for the

2020 St. Rita School Auction

“Dancing Through the Decades”

Saturday, March 28, 2020
Memories Golf Club
Wallingford, CT

Join us for dinner, dancing, and bidding to
support our school.

Keep an eye out for details and tickets, coming soon


NOW SEEKING RE-GIFTED AUCTION DONATIONS!
Did you receive a Christmas gift you don’t love? Have an extra gift card lying around? Help us out by donating new, unused items of any size/value to the SRS auction! The HSA will be holding a drop off day TOMORROW , Wednesday, January 15 th at SRS; we would be so grateful for any donated items!

COMING SOON: THE ANNUAL $10,000 TUITION RAFFLE!!
Keep an eye out for more information on our annual Tuition Raffle and the chance to win $10,000 toward ANY school’s tuition! In order for the raffle to succeed, we hope each SRS family will buy or sell at least 2 tickets ($50 each). The winner can use the prize money for any tuition expenses, elementary through college and even student loans! Stay tuned for more details.
Shop Mabel’s Labels For All Your Gift-Giving Needs!

Support St. Rita School when you shop for Return Address Labels, Gift Tags, Stocking Stuffers, and More!
Click here to start your holiday shopping, and SRS will earn 40% of your purchase amount!

Crusaders Corner Store
 A St. Rita School Initiative
Crusaders Corner will be open every Thursday during all lunch periods. Please send your child with cash or check to purchase items!
NEW TO SCHOOL STORE!
Crusader Corner Gift Certificates!
Perfect for birthday celebrations, Valentine's Day gifts, Easter gifts, and more!!
Fill out the order form below!
Athlete's Corner
Check back here for all Athletic News
SRS PEP RALLY  is
Sunday January 26 th  at 2:45
at Sacred Heart Academy
All are invited
SPORTS BANQUET
Sunday, May 17th
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Il Monticello Restaurant
Honoring all our Athletes!
 
Food, awards, and fun!
More details to follow ...
  2019-2020 Basketball Calendar for Varsity and JV teams
 
BASKETBALL AND CHEER PHOTOS NEEDED!!
We are looking for photos of your child playing Basketball/Cheerleading
at SRS games (action shots, team photos, coach/player photos, etc….) 
Please post them to your Shutterfly account. You can continue to post
photos throughout the basketball season so post as often as you like... the
more the better! These photos will be used at the End of the Year Sports Banquet.

Reminder:
If your child is absent from school or leaves school sick, they will not be permitted to participate in any athletic events (games or practice)
PICTURES WANTED! If you love taking pictures at our SRS sporting events, please share them with us! Please send to ccivitello.stritaschool@gmail.com
Mrs. Beerli's Office
Meet Mrs. Danielle Beerli, MSW


If you have any questions or would like to meet with Mrs. Beerli, please contact her directly.
dbeerli.stritaschool@gmail.com

*Resources are available outside of Mrs. Beerli's door for parents and students.
Divine Mercy Parish News
 
Student Spotlight
Did your child/ren do something amazing? Share with us!
Please send submissions to
Please be patient as we receive many wonderful stories of our SRS students and Alumni!
Prayer Corner
Please keep the following SRS community
members in your thoughts and prayers



If you have a special intention that you would like to share in our prayer corner, please email Carissa Civitello
Support SRS
Don't forget to sign up for our Scrip Gift Card program and earn money for St. Rita School. Check out the Special Black Friday specials on eCards and gift cards! NEW to Scrip this year - now you can purchase your gift cards using your credit card instead of your checking account. It's quick and convenient and remember your eCards email directly to you. 
Rewards Program

Click HERE for a flyer with all of our rewards programs.

Does Your Company Offer Volunteer Grants? 
Volunteer grant programs, also known as “Dollars for Doers” programs, are corporate giving programs created to encourage volunteerism in communities where employees live and work.
Through these programs, companies provide monetary grants to organizations where employees volunteer regularly. 

Please take a moment and ask if your employer participates in a Volunteer Grants Program. Your time and talent at St. Rita School could turn into dollars for our school! Questions? Feel free to contact Joanne Bruno at  jbruno.stritaschool@gmail.com .
The Box Tops for Education program is changing the way we can earn cash for our school

           Over the summer, participating brands began to change their packaging from the traditional Box Tops clip to the new Box Tops label. Going forward, instead of clipping from packages and checking expiration dates, all Box Tops will be earned digitally by scanning your receipt. The Box Tops for Education team has worked hard to build a NEW-and-improved, user-friendly Box Tops mobile app , available now. The new app features state-of-the-art technology that allows you to scan your store receipt, find participating products and instantly add Box Tops to our school's earnings online. 

If you still have traditional Box Tops clips at home, make sure to send them to school. We will still earn cash for all clipped Box Tops until they expire. Better yet, you can “double dip” during the packaging transition by clipping traditional Box Tops AND scanning your store receipt containing participating products. 


Visit amazonsmile.com , and anytime you purchase an eligible item, Amazon will donate a portion of the profit to our school! Select “Divine Mercy Parish
Corporation” as your charity, and St. Rita School will benefit every time you
shop.

Link your Stop & Shop Card to St. Rita School, and we’ll earn CASH when you
buy groceries! Click here  and use School ID: 06434.


 Link your ShopRite Price Plus card to St. Rita School, and help us earn school supplies! Click here and use School ID: 50073, or email your PricePlus card number to Alice Kuether, alicemcgrew23@hotmail.com .


THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Caritas Christi Center
UPCOMING DATES - 
January 17- No School
January 20- No School
January 24- Musical Auditions (Grade 4-8)
February 7- No School
February 14- 12pm Dismissal Pre-k , 12:15 Dismissal K-8
February 17- No School, Winter Recess
February 18- No School, Winter Recess
February 21- Father/Daughter Dance
St. Rita School
1601 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, CT 06517
Phone: (203) 248.3114
Fax: (203) 248.1016
www.stritaschool.org