The Friday Review

THE FRIDAY REVIEW

St. Rose School

February 9, 2024

"For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

-Proverbs 2:6

Greetings from Dr. G

100 days of BLOOMING in mind, heart and soul were marked this week! How quickly the school year goes and how much we have to show for these days in our halls and classrooms. Second quarter report cards were emailed on February 5th. Please direct questions to teachers and encourage your children to stay focused and energized as their learning journey continues. We value your partnership!

Congratulations to our student athletes who are having a remarkable season on the basketball and cheer courts. Perseverance, good sportsmanship and teamwork are at play, setting the foundation for victories and life long lessons. Thanks to our Athletic Director Mrs. Sweeting and all of our coaches for giving students these wonderful opportunities. Cheers also to the fans who fill the stands to show our RAMS spirit.

I am delighted to share that Mrs. Ferriter and Mrs. Quinn have been awarded grants from Foundations in Education for two exceptional programs that will benefit our students. Mrs. Ferriter will be introducing pottery to Middle School students and Mrs. Quinn will be implementing the Lego Robotics program in Innovation Lab for grades 6-8. You can read more about their grants below. This is a shining example of how our teachers go the extra mile to enhance the curriculum for our students.

Lent begins next week on Wednesday February 14th. We will attend Mass as a school family for Ash Wednesday and kick off the Lenten Mission Drive which Sister Thaddeus leads every year. We will also engage in additional prayers and service as we walk with Jesus through these 40 days. Attached is a Lenten calendar that we will follow at school and can be used at home. We are ever mindful of God's ultimate sacrifice and pure love for us.

Today we celebrate a very special person's birthday -- Mrs. B. We ask God to bless her richly and give thanks for the gift she is to all of us. Tonight, our HSA is holding Bingo in the gathering hall. This is always a fun family night as well as a great fundraiser for the school.

Please note that Friday February 16th there will be early dismissal for teacher PD. Monday February 19th school is closed for President's Day. The Knights of Columbus will start their Lenten Fish Frys on February 16th.

God has given us beautiful weather this week and it looks like the weekend will be mild. Enjoy your family time and rest up for the week ahead.

God bless,

Dr. G

ADMISSIONS CORNER

Thank you for sharing the good news about St. Rose School. Many inquiries come from people who are hearing positive feedback from current parents. Please direct any interested families to Mrs. Mok, admissions@srles.com. Currently we have openings in Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten and First Grade. Tours can be arranged weekdays and shadow days are starting to book. Your warm welcome makes a lasting impact on prospective families!

Bishop's Scholarship Fund

FOUNDATIONS IN EDUCATION GRANTS ADD DIMENSION TO CURRICULUM

Foundation Grants are intended to promote innovation and leadership in the Catholic School System.

From Mrs. Ferriter:

The name of the grant proposal I submitted was entitled "Pottery for Those in Need."

The grant will cover the cost of clay, glazes and ceramic tools for grades 6-8 to be introduced to the art of pottery in Winter of 2025.

The grant will also cover the cost of summer training for Mrs. Ferriter to learn pottery techniques and incorporate the Element of Art known as "Form" into the Middle School curriculum.

Students participating will create two pieces during the unit- one to keep and one to sell. A pottery sale will be held at the Art Show in May 2025 and money earned will pay for one needy family to attend summer camp at St. Rose School in Summer of 2025.

Pottery has countless benefits for children including improving motor skills, boosting confidence, stress reduction and decreasing anxiety.

From Mrs. Quinn:

I was awarded a grant to implement a Lego Robotic Program for grades 6-8 starting in the 2024-25 school year. The goal is to start this program in the Innovation Lab by introducing the basics of using the Lego Spike Prime Program. With enough time and tinkering, this program would be turned into an afterschool program the following year, where we form a team and compete against others in the Diocese & surrounding region.

The Lego Spike Program continuously engages students through playful learning activities to think critically and solve complex problems, regardless of their learning level. From easy-entry projects to limitless creative design possibilities, including the option to explore text-based coding with Python, SPIKE helps students learn the essential STEAM and 21st century skills needed to become the innovative minds of tomorrow while having fun!

Congratulations Mrs. Ferriter and Mrs. Quinn! We look forward to hearing all about the discoveries made through these grants.

RAMS UPDATE

St. Rose Basketball and Cheer are off to a terrific start for the season. Our JV boys team is on a winning streak with 7 out of 7 games won in the St. Sebastian Athletic Association League.

The team also recently took home a first-place trophy in the St. Catherine of Siena Holiday Hoopfest Tournament.

Both the Varsity boys and girls teams are hanging in strong and improving each week playing with many new players new to the sport of basketball. The boy's basketball team was recently gifted a $300 donation from a former parent of alumni. There was also another donation recently that helped offset the cost of all new uniforms for the entire JV and Varsity boys teams.

Our Varsity Girls recently received a donation of brand-new t-shirts with their names on the back to use for warm-ups. The girls were extremely excited to wear their new gear.

At the end of last year our Cheer team was blessed with a generous donation of $1,000 from a former cheer coach who started the cheer team here at St. Rose many years ago.

With this donation, the team was able to purchase two brand-new mats that have been used to practice stunts and various dance routines. These mats keep the girls safe during their high lifts and greatly alleviate any injuries that could be caused by falls. We are blessed to be able to have these mats for our little ones and are so grateful for all the donors who help keep our teams going.

We are looking forward to showcasing the Cheer team's moves in March with our 2nd Annual Cheer Expo as well as celebrating all our teams at an end of the year banquet. Stay tuned for the date of these events as they are yet to be determined.

We hope to see you at some of our future HOME games.

Feb 10th at 2 pm - JV Boys

More games are TBD.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

St. Rose School class of 2013 alum Jack Moulder was back in our halls...and on the court...today. Jack attended SRS from Preschool-8th grade and played on the boys basketball teams during his time here. He went on St. Joseph High School where he played basketball all four years and from there he attended Emmanuel College in Boston, also on the basketball team. Upon graduation with a degree in Psychology Jack headed to Montana where he was a Varsity Catholic missionary for FOCUS, bringing God's word to college student athletes. There he met fellow missionary Annika Albrecht, a University of Nebraska Volleyball alum. Sharing a love of the Lord and sports, the two married last May in Louisville KY where they currently reside. Jack works for Aerotek, a global human resources company, and is active with the Knights of Columbus and their local parish. Jack and Annika are also starting faith focused sports clinics in the local Catholic school. He enjoyed reminiscing about his wonderful years at SRS, starting the day at the school Mass then touring Annika through the halls. They spent time with Sister Thaddeus, who was Jack's Religion teacher, and got a chance to say hi to Mrs. B, his First grade teacher. He also saw many other familiar faces of alumni parents. Jack is really grateful for the strong foundation he received at St. Rose School, values he will bring to his own children -- he and Annika are expecting their first baby in April!

HSA NEWS

Hello SRS Community,

Dates to Remember

BINGO, Friday, February 9th JOIN US TONIGHT! This is a significant fundraiser for the HSA and school. Since we have missed the past two-months, we could really use the extra support! Please come and join in on the fun!
Sweetheart Dance, “An Evening in Wonderland,” Saturday, February 24th from 5:00-7:30 PM A special night for SRS girls and a special adult male in their life (dad, grandfather, uncle, etc.) in Pre-K through 8th Grade. Please register here.
HSA Quarterly Meeting, Wednesday, February 28th in Holy Innocents building. We encourage parents and staff to attend this meeting for updates on finances, events and information on fundraising efforts.
Uniform exchange is NOT taking any more donations for grades K-5 for the time being. Please reach out to Uniform Exchange if you are in need of any items between now and the switch to Spring uniforms!

Room Parent Communications

In case you missed it, the HSA would like to explore the option of parents signing up to allow room parents to email them directly, in place of asking the very busy Lisa Sweeting to distribute for us instead.

In addition, to help keep our school community healthy, productive and safe, the HSA has been asked to form classroom Facebook pages. If you do not have Facebook or do not wish to join your classroom page(s), IT IS NOT REQUIRED. We simply aim to provide a safe and controlled space for constructive conversations and clarifying what classroom FB pages are used for.

Please complete the following form to opt in or out for one or the other. We have heard from 68 families, please complete the below form to provide your selections:

Classroom Communications Option Form

Playground Project

We are still looking for volunteers to join our playground committee. With spring just around the corner, we would really like to get a foundational plan in place for budget and planning purposes! Please email us if you are interested in helping with this initiative.

HSA Links

Facebook: Join other parents on the SRS Parents FB Page!

HSA Registration: Enroll in HSA

HSA Paypal Account: PayPal, “St. Rose of Lima School HSA”

HSA Event Sign-ups: S igning up to volunteer

Your HSA Board,

Carrie Sirois, Michelle McRuiz, Co-Presidents

Mike Anstett, Vice President

Lisa Jackson, Secretary

Karen Walauskas, Treasurer

PRESCHOOL CORNER

Learning and laughter go hand in hand with Preschoolers who soak in all of the fascinating lessons they are learning and joyfully bring them to life, hence the penguin parade of TK students this week after learning all about these interesting birds. Plenty of fun was found on the playground too, making sand cakes, playing tag and building friendships.

February 9th -- Bingo

February 14th -- Ash Wednesday, Lent begins, Mission Drive kicks off

February 16th -- Early dismissal 11:15 a.m.

February 19th -- school closed President's Day