"Loving God, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men."
-Robert Louis Stevenson
Greetings from Mr. G
December 18, 2020
When I reflect on the Nativity I realize that although the circumstances seemed desperate, everything necessary was in that manger. A guiding light, loving parents, shepherds, angels to guide and the newborn King to bring Hope.
We find ourselves in difficult times in 2020 but if we look around us, and especially at the manger, we will realize that the simplest things in life are the most valuable.
May your Christmas be filled with joy and the new year bring many blessings.
Dear St. Rose School Families,
It's hard to believe the date. We have accomplished a great deal since our doors opened in September. I think it is important to focus on the positive. We were the only school in Newtown to operate on site, five full days a week for the majority of time. We couldn't have done it without the dedication of our administration, clergy, faculty, parents and students. As we've said for many months now, "we are all in this together."
I know it is disappointing that we can't be in school next week for Christmas activities in particular mass and Christmas Bingo. We are planning some special events for January so stay tuned for details. In the meantime we hope everyone who can will join us virtually for mass on Wednesday December 23rd at 9:00 a.m.
You should have received a letter regarding registration for the 2021-2022 school year via email this week. Current families are very precious to us and we hope you will continue the learning journey at St. Rose School. Please review the letter and register at your earliest convenience to secure your child(ren)'s spot next year. Questions can be directed to Mrs. Coppola, admissions@srles.com.
If you plan to travel over Christmas break or if you have been exposed to Covid or tested positive it is important to contact Nurse Bonnie via email, nurse@srles.com. She will be checking this daily throughout our time off. Stay healthy and safe!
We plan to resume on site learning Monday January 4th. I will be keeping an eye out for news from the CDC and State Department of Health as well as the Diocese. Please check your email as we get closer to the return for updates.
We look forward celebrating our rich history and bright future with special activities when the new year unfolds. Mark your calendars for Catholic Schools Week which will kick off with Open House on January 31st and go through February 6th.
This will be the last newsletter of 2020. Our next issue will come out on January 8th.
This Nativity creation is the work of our Preschool students -- a traditional and meaningful December lesson.
STUDENT LIFE UPDATE
The countdown to Christmas break has started! Celebrating the 70th day of school today was fun. Let's keep the spirit going for our last 2 days of classes.
December 21 -- First day of Winter, don't forget your hats and scarves!
December 22 -- Ugly sweater day!
December 23 -- no formal classes but please join us for 9:00 mass virtually
Mid Term Exams
After much consideration of the school year up to this point; we have decided that there will not be formal Midterms, as is typical at the end of the first semester. With the many challenges our children have faced in this new normal, we feel it is in their best interest, not to add the pressure of Midterms. What is planned instead is an end-of-semester review by each subject teacher, followed by a test; similar to what is given at the end of a unit in their textbooks.
Please Click Here for the 121/18 Student Life Update.
HSA NEWS
Dear Parents,
Hope everyone enjoyed the snow day yesterday! We hope all had a smooth adjustment to remote learning today and for the remaining days of this year. We’d like to express our thanks and appreciation to the school staff and teachers for their hard work and dedication this difficult year. We believe we can speak for all the parents in expressing our heartfelt thanks for your commitment and dedication during these last four months!
Just a few notes as we head towards Christmas.
SCRIP cards are still available to purchase anytime throughout the year by contacting scrip@srles.com or through the RaiseRight app. All types of gift cards can be purchased (Amazon, CVS, Target, etc…) throughout the year for gifts or for your own purchases. All card purchases provide a rebate to St. Rose at no cost to you.
As a reminder, we still need volunteers to help with Box tops and SCRIP. Please contact us at hsa@srles.comif you are interested in helping out.
Merry Christmas and Blessings to all!
Your HSA Board
FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES
There are many ways to help keep our school strong for the future. Thanks to those who supported #Giving Tuesday, who have paid the Tuition Gap and made other monetary and time contributions.
Tuition Raffle
We have 43 days to meet our goal of selling 350 tickets! There's still a way to go so please help by spreading the word. We'll have a big push in January.
How can you purchase tickets?
Email raffle @srles.com. We can arrange to meet you at school or credit card information can be taken over the phone.
Mail a check made out to St. Rose School, $100 per ticket, attention Raffle, 40 Church Hill Road Newtown, CT 06470
Mrs. Sweeting has tickets in the office during school hours. Call 203-426-5102.
Tickets will be sold after masses January 9th
(4 p.m.), January 10th (7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 5:00 p.m.)
End of year donations
There's still time to make a tax deductible donation. This year the Cares Act is allowing for additional write offs. Visit https://www.stroseschool.com/giving/blooms-fund
Don't to forget to ask if your company participates in Matching Gifts!