"Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants."
-Deuteronomy 32:2
Dear St. Rose School Families,
Spring is in the air these past few days! I think we all needed this stretch of sun and warmer temperatures to restore HOPE for brighter days. As we continue our Lenten journey we are reminded that through difficulty comes victory. We are getting there!
I am so overwhelmed by the love, prayers and support you have shown to my family in the wake of my Mother's passing. My heart is heavy but you are helping me see the light which is truly a gift. I also greatly appreciate your understanding and prayers as I go through quarantine with Covid. I was so discouraged with my diagnosis but the fact that I hadn't been at school to expose anyone made me feel better. I am anxious to be back on site March 3rd. Mrs. B is a wonderful colleague who keeps me well informed and I know that things are running smoothly thanks to her and all of the faculty.
On Monday we begin the month of March which is a busy one in our halls. Iowa testing will be conducted digitally over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for details from your teachers about testing information. These exams help us assess how St. Rose School students are performing compared to students the same age across the country. Results also give teachers and parents a good sense of student strengths and areas for potential improvement.
It was a festive day at school Thursday as our 8th graders celebrated the 100th day until graduation. Some of these students have been with us since Preschool, others have joined at various points over the years. Together they are a very special class who light up our halls and hearts. Soon they will go forth to shine their beautiful light in new places but they will always be part of the St. Rose family.
As Spring draws nearer our 2nd and 8th grade students are getting close to receiving the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Next Saturday, March 7th, there will be a First Communion workshop at Holy Innocents for Mrs. Heyder's class. They will receive First Communion on May 1st; 8th graders receive Confirmation on April 24th. Let us keep them all in our prayers as they prepare for these significant sacraments that will bring them closer to God.
On a housekeeping note, we would like to refresh everyone about car walk procedures so I ask you kindly to read information in the box below. Thank you.
TGIF -- don't forget that the Knights of Columbus are holding take out Fish Frys every Friday in Lent. If you're looking for a tasty meal, see the flyer below and help support the good works they do in our community.
Happy weekend!
God Bless,
Mr. Gjoka
IMPORTANT REMINDERS ABOUT
CAR WALK PROTOCOLS
At this time of year it's always helpful to have a refresher about the system for morning car drop off and afternoon pick up to ensure that optimal safety and efficiency is achieved in the process. Please take time to review the attached car walk map and guidelines. If you have questions or concerns please contact Mrs. B, dean@srles.com. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe!
A Webinar Series for Parents and Families on Supporting Children’s Well-Being and Learning during COVID-19
The CSDE is hosting a series of virtual conversations for parents and caregivers who are managing children’s learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This series is a follow-up to a December statewide town hall with families where over 400 attendees asked questions and offered comments and suggestions that were used to inform these new sessions. This conversation series is tailored for families; educators and community members are also welcome to attend. Interested individuals may register for any or all of the sessions. All sessions take place on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. See attached flyer for more information and registration links
The mission of the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund (BSF) is to help families in need afford a Catholic education. In the 2020-2021 academic year, BSF awarded nearly $2,700,000 in aid to families at Diocesan elementary schools in Fairfield County.
Applications opened this week -- the deadline for returning families is March 15, 2021 and April 15, 2021 for new families.
We are excited to offer weekly, live virtual tours with Mrs. Coppola for Kindergarten through 8th grade prospective families. These will take place at 11:00-12:00 noon Tuesdays. Registration required using this link. If you are interested in touring the Preschool or have other questions email admissions@srles.com. Please share the word!
100 DAYS until graduation! A festive celebration for our wonderful 8th graders took place Thursday -- it was a day to look back on their happy times at St. Rose School and anticipate the bright futures that await these talented, kind hearted, motivated students.
STUDENT LIFE
by Mrs. B
A Prayer of Blessing Over Our Class of 2021
as they begin the 100 day countdown to their graduation!
Dear Father, we ask your blessing over our Class of 2021 today and lift them before you. We thank you so much for these we love and for the work you are continuing to do in their lives. They are a gift to us and to many others. We ask that you would keep their footsteps firm and remind them that you are with them, always. May they sense the freshness of your Spirit over their lives in amazing ways, may they be strengthened, and instilled with hope, as they experience these next 100 days.
Amen
Dear St. Rose Families,
As we get ready to leave the month of February and head into March, we go with many happy memories! Our Catholic Schools Week celebration actually can be called Catholic Schools MONTH for all the reschedules we were dealt by the weather; but, no one is surprised given what we have been experiencing for almost a year now! Yet, even that couldn’t break our Catholic school pride and spirit...the celebrating went on...for weeks!
The final pieces of celebrating our Catholic community came together this week as hundreds of non-perishable items were delivered to the Faith Food Pantry. Thank you to everyone for their generous donations! We are also packing up all the items for our school wide service project for the children assisted by the CT Alliance for Foster and Adoptive Families. We have bags and boxes filled with so many items, and are again grateful to all for the kindness in your donations. Your donations have piled up so much that Mrs. Santana, who brought this project to us, cannot fit all the items into her car; but, we have plans to be sure everything is delivered! Your compassionate and generous response to our request serves as a beacon of light and an example for our children! We want to give a special shoutout to our own Dr. Condon and Newtown Family Dentistry for their generous donation of 144 sets of dental hygiene items, which our 8th graders packed into individual bags to be distributed to the children served by CAFAF.
We hope you are doing well! We are almost into March and that means Spring is only 22 days away!
We are still looking for parent volunteers to help with a few things: the SCRIP gift card program; continuing teacher appreciation efforts; and working together to reinvent international week for the current situation. We have some terrific ideas to bring international week to life in our school this year. But we need a few people to help us figure it out given the realities of the continuing pandemic.
A friendly reminder to also consider signing up for the SCRIP grocery enrollment program - email the team at scrip@srles.com if you would like more information. We'd love to have 10 or more families join the program.
As always we welcome your ideas, questions, concerns and support. Please be in touch with us at hsa@srles.com.
Your HSA Board
SNOW FUN! Mrs. Heyder's 2nd graders earned extra recess and spent time playing in the snow this week and Mrs. W's Preschool 4's celebrated Chinese New Year!
PLEASE SUPPORT THE MISSION DRIVE
Your generosity is a blessing! We have raised more than $1,000 for the Lenten Mission Drive in the first week! Thank you so much for thinking of those in need through prayer, service and donations! We are off to an incredible start. Raffle tickets are available for $1.00 each every weekday. Winners are drawn on Fridays. As St. Teresa of Calcutta says, "we can do small things with great love." Thank you an God bless!
