"May the strength of God pilot us, may the wisdom of God instruct us, may the hand of God protect us, may the word of God direct us. Be always ours this day and for evermore."
St. Patrick
Dear St. Rose School Families,
It's good to be back in our halls! What a warm welcome I received from the students; I was so moved by their cheery hellos and genuine concern. This is truly the best medicine which goes a long way in my healing. Thank you for being such a supportive community.
March is a busy month! There are so many terrific lessons and events taking place among all grade levels. Our upper grades celebrated National Pi day, "π", with innovative math activities and, for seventh graders, individual apple pies that were donated by class parents Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor. The Mock Trial team participated in a virtual competition this morning and did very well representing our school. We are so thankful to Attorneys Mr. Ed Brady and Mr. Ed Walsh, both alumni parents, for the time they dedicate to this exceptional program. I am also grateful to Ms. Vertucci for being an excellent moderator. St. Rose School students partake in a rigorous curriculum with the many enrichment opportunities. These experiences prepare them for important next steps in education and careers.
Iowa tests will begin next Tuesday, March 16th. Given that we are "springing ahead" one hour this weekend we thought it would be best to allow students to adjust on Monday. As we mentioned earlier, the ideal preparation for Iowas is a good night sleep and a healthy breakfast. Due to testing times, the daily schedule will change but teachers are prepared to keep the curriculum on target. Results of the Iowas will be sent home with the last report card in June. If you have any questions please contact your child's teacher directly.
Speaking of teachers, the majority of our staff received the first dose of their Covid vaccine on March 2nd. This was arranged by the town for teachers -- we had no input as to dates and times. The beauty is that it enabled everyone to get it at the Community center on one day eliminating the need for every teacher to book a separate date, place and time. It happens that the second dose falls on Tuesday, March 30th. Again, this is not in our control. Based on what we are hearing there is a chance that some may not feel well the next day. We are consulting with Dr. Cheeseman and meeting internally to determine the best course of action. It is likely that March 31th will be a remote day of learning. I realize this is not ideal but hope you understand the benefit of our staff being vaccinated which puts us in strong standing for the remainder of the year. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
This week we celebrated Fr. Tom's birthday. We ask God to bless him in his ministry and are thankful for all he brings to our parish and school community.
If you plan to apply for the Bishop's Scholarship Fund please note that the deadline for current families is March 15th and April 15th for new families. The information is below.
Next week we recognize two very special saints On March 17th we honor Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and on March 19th we celebrate St. Joseph, the patron saint of families. Pope Francis has declared this the year of St. Joseph and Bishop Caggiano has dedicated our Diocese to St. Joseph in this year. We will have the opportunity to attend mass together, virtually, on the Feast of St. Joseph. The saints are a beautiful inspiration as we aspire to live holy lives.
The weather has been beautiful. I hope it carries into the weekend and that you can take time to relax a bit. Don't forget to turn the clocks ahead -- Spring is almost here! And please keep the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry take out in mind Fridays during Lent.
God Bless,
Mr. Gjoka
Mrs. Vezos' 3-year-old class is getting ready for St. Patrick's Day!
NURSE NEWS
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. 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 for current families are due by March 15th; for new families the deadline is April 15.
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!
Kindergarten students present handmade THANK YOU cards to the St. Rose Knights of Columbus for their ongoing support of the school.
Celebrating National Pi "π” "Day, 3-14, 6th 7th and 8th graders did a Pi-line skyline graph activity and 7th graders enjoyed a treat from generous parents of individual apple pies. 5th graders had a competition to find out who could write the most digits in Pi.
STUDENT LIFE
by Mrs. B
Dear St. Rose Families,
This weekend we spring ahead an hour in time; and while springing forward, we also have a chance to look back. It was a year ago on this date, that we sent our students home with books and resources to last for several weeks of remote learning, with definite plans to return, in what we had thought would be 18 days. I still have the small chalkboard sign in my classroom, that one of my fifth graders, from last year, wrote “18 days until we return!” Those 18 days of course stretched into the rest of the school year. Our lives were all sent in different directions and we had no idea what was ahead of us. In a year that has felt impossibly long and frozen in time, weeks, then months that felt like a collection of repeating days, our faith and community spirit has kept us together.
We are only a week away from a new season and as we round the corner of the one year mark, there is more light and hope to meet us! Be sure to visit our Instagram page (srsnewtownct) to see, in pictures, the ways we came through this year; the strength of a community, which I think we can all agree, was led by the children and their way of making us smile, the contagious joy, and taking things as they unfolded and making the best of it. There were, and still are,challenges but here we are, today, in our classrooms sharing each school day, with little interruption, and anticipating slowly getting back to a sense of normal. We count our many blessings, big and small!
Our school community continues to do their part as we are called to serve. This coming week, we celebrate St. Patrick and St. Joseph by helping others. See the flyer in this newsletter for more information on how you can help with our 2 + 2 = 4 service campaign for next week!
We want to congratulate and send blessings out to our Athletic Director, Monica Ortega, Coach Renzo, and Kolbe, John Paul, Gianna and Thomas on the arrival of baby Ben!! While busy with her growing family, we want to thank Monica for continuing to organize many after school activities and helping us bring basketball back to our children! See the great announcement flyer in this newsletter.
We want to thank our students and parents who gave their time for Mock Trial this year. We are awaiting the results from today’s competition! We also thank Ms. Vertucci for being an enthusiastic and supportive moderator and Mr. Ed Walsh and Mr. Ed Brady, two alumni dads, who have given many years of service to this school venture by providing coaching and sharing experiences from their own law practices; but, most of all for being such wonderful role models to all our students who have participated over the years!
As we mark this year of living in a pandemic, we know that it brought difficult situations and loss to so many. During this weekend, join us in praying for those who lost loved ones, those who are struggling, those who are fighting the covid battle, those who continue to serve on the front lines, and the many, many who lost their battle with covid.
Dear God,
Bless those who stand in service to humanity.
Bless those who grieve.
Bless those who lost the battle with covid,
so that their souls will have eternal peace and life.
As you count in heaven, like we count here on earth,
in sorrow, the souls sent back to You,
one-by-one from this pandemic; and
as the ones became tens, the tens become hundreds,
the hundreds become thousands, and the numbers just kept growing,
each soul, a heartbreak; we looked for strength as only you can provide.
We ask that you grant healing to those who are afflicted,
so that one-by-one they are all healed,
until the suffering ceases and this pandemic ends.
Spring is in the air and warmer temperatures put us in mind of outdoor events such as the upcoming Saint Rose Annual Golf Outing scheduled for May 24, 2021! Thanks to those who have registered -- we have approximately 40 golfers to date. Due to the intimacy of the venue and available carts, we are capping this years outing to 100 golfers. Please make sure to get your foursome, threesome, pair, or if just single registered today so you do not miss out on playing one of the premier private courses in Fairfield County. We still have plenty of sponsorships available so please help spread the word. You can register at Event homepage of 'Saint Rose Golf Classic'
Lastly, we hope you will consider volunteering for International Week activities. We are working with the teachers to make this a fun, educational week for our students. Contact hsa@srles.com.
Thank you. Have a wonderful weekend.
Your HSA Board
Mrs. Heyder's 2nd grade class is studying weathering and erosion. They built levees, dams, windbreaks and dikes to stop land from washing away.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE MISSION DRIVE
Way to go St. Rose School! This week we raised $643 for the Mission Drive, bringing our total to date to more than $2,000! Your generosity will give needy children in Ghana and our own local communities a great deal of HOPE!
