The mission of Holy Rosary School is to help each child discover and fully develop their God-given talents. As a Catholic School community, we strive for excellence in our students’ spiritual, academic, physical, mental, aesthetic, and social-emotional growth. It is our intention that those who attend this institution mature into active citizens leading a committed faith life and reaching out to help others locally, nationally, and internationally with their wisdom, time, talent, and financial resources.
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Holy Rosary Families,
Thank you to those of you who were able to join us for Parents Club last night. We had excellent guest speakers, who spoke on the important topic of internet safety. The presentation covered the habits kids develop with technology, social media, and the dangers of an online presence. If you were not able to join us, you may watch the recording here for up to two weeks. We will also post the slides to the Parents Club website. I think you will find it worth the watch!
As you know, we’ve launched re-enrollment for the 23-24 school year. I hope you were able to watch the video message sent out last Friday about this. Re-enrollment is an essential step in our budget development for next year, which affects our hiring and planning. If you have questions regarding the process, next year’s budget, or the timeline, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or to Beth Martin (bmartin@holyrosaryws.org). Please also reach out to Beth by tomorrow if you know you are not planning to return next year or if you need to discuss your individual situation. Contracts will be generated in the coming weeks.
We are looking forward to Catholic schools week, which begins with the weekend Masses on January 28th/29th. We encourage all students to attend one of the Masses that weekend, wearing their uniform! We also encourage families and students to come to our Open House to follow the 10:30 Mass on the 29th and bring any prospective friends! This Open House will be both an admissions open house and a chance to celebrate our school and the hard work of our students. The open house will run from 11:30 – 1:00 on January 29th.
Have a wonderful rest of the week!
In Christ,
Anna
UPCOMING DATES
- January 20th – 8th Grade Pizza Lunch
- January 29th – Open House (11:30am-1pm)
- January 29th-February 5th – Catholic Schools Week
- February 10th – No School (Teacher In Service)
- February 16th – Kindergarten Testing – no school for kindergarten
- February 17th – Noon Dismissal
- February 20th – Presidents’ Day – No School/No BASE
- February 21st – Mid-Winter Break – No School
NOTES & REMINDERS
Pizza Lunch On Friday
Tomorrow is 8th grader pizza lunch!
Morning Drop Off
On these dark morning, we know that traffic is challenging with the current construction south of us. For the safety of our children, please adhere to the drop off schedule for your student, A-L 8:15am, M-Z 8:25am. If you need to bring your student to school outside of their designated drop off time, please consider dropping them off north of the school and having them walk in. We have staff and volunteers at the cross streets near the school to assist students when needed.
Lost & Found
All Lost and Found items are in the main hallway of the school. Please remind your student to stop by and take a look.
Wet Weather
With the wet weather, please make sure your child is dressed warmly. We will be making every effort to go outside for recess and a warm coat will be necessary.
Spirit Day On Friday, February 3rd!
Are you team surfer or team biker? On the Friday of CSW, we celebrate spirit with a fun spirit day: Surfers vs. Bikers! Students can choose to dress as a surfer or a biker! Do not feel the need to buy anything! Find something at the house, or ask around to borrow items. Students can keep it simple or go all out!
Surfer ideas: board shorts, loose t-shirts, baggy pants, Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses, graphic tees, flowy dresses, Vans/Converse
Biker ideas: leather jackets, all black, chains, white t-shirt, old jeans, boots, bandanas, gloves, chokers, sunglasses, fake tattoos.
We look forward to seeing if the students choose to be a surfer or a biker!
West Seattle Baseball Forms
Time to get ready for spring activities. If you have a baseball form that needs to be signed by the office, please have it completely filled out before you bring it in. The office staff cannot fill out the form for you.
COVID And Health Screening
Please find the latest COVID screening flowchart on our website and linked here. We have testing available on site and can test any student, parent or family member if needed. NOTE- parent permission will always be obtained prior to testing at any time. This permission slip can be found here and should be returned to the school office.
Please contact the office as soon as possible if anyone in your family tests positive at any time at office@holyrosaryws.org or COVID@holyrosaryws.org. Kristin Bentler will work with you then on protocols and next steps.
Students who have a family member test positive may remain in school, but should engage in a Test to Stay Protocol testing prior to attending school each day. Per the Department of Health (DOH) guidance, students are asked to mask at school if a family member tests positive until that family member is no longer contagious. If a student tests positive, he/she should wear a mask until day 10 even if returning to school on day 6, per DOH guidance as well.
Due to the disruption it causes to the learning environment, Zoom instruction will not be offered building-wide this year. Individual teachers will share protocols for addressing COVID-related absences. Number of new COVID cases in the school this week (as of Thursday am) = 4
ACTION ITEMS
Library
We are having a Book Fair during Catholic Schools Week, Jan 30- Feb. 3. We encourage parents to create ‘eWallets’ for their students to make shopping easier at the Book Fair. Directions will be sent home with a letter about the Book Fair. Please visit the website https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/holyrosaryseattle to sign up for the eWallet.
Catholic Schools Night At Climate Pledge Arena
Join Catholic School families across Western Washington and cheer on the Redhawks! Bring your school friends, wear your school swag and get ready for an interactive evening celebrating Catholic Schools Week! Seattle University Men’s Basketball will take on Abilene Christian at 7pm on Wednesday, February 1st Click here for tickets.
EVENTS & FUNDRAISING
Auction
All auction donations need to be dropped off to the main office ASAP. Mark with your family name. Auction donations only apply to K-8 families.
Volunteer positions available for the auction, please reach out to Beth if interested in the following:
- Glassybaby Select/Pick Up (need 2)
- Love glassybaby and want double hours? Looking for 2 HRS parents to stand in line at the crack of dawn and purchase 60 glassybaby in our auction theme colors. Will reimburse for the 60 glassybaby too.
Glassybaby Seconds Sale
Saturday, January 21st
doors open at 8am
Glassybaby
2254 7th Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
free parking
Suggested arrival time is 6am for best selection.
- Procurement Chair Shadow (need 1)
Shadow our current chair, Jet Lin, to take over next year. This composition fulfills all volunteer hours as a chair role. Sort items into live vs silent. Write live descriptions. Assemble catalog details. Manage a team of volunteers. Attend committee meetings. This could be broken into 2 positions.
Good Society Night Out
Third Tuesday of the month (see dates below) is HRS night at The Good Society! Grab a pint and a bite at The Good Society and 25% of your sale goes to HRS. Social time, great beer and fundraising for HRS…it’s a WIN-WIN! Be sure to mention you are there to support Holy Rosary!
- January 17th
- February 14th
- March 14th
- April 18th
- May 16th
ADMISSIONS
Re-Enrollment
Please let Beth Martin know only if your child will NOT be returning to HRS next school year,.
New Student Applications
We are in the process of accepting news students, starting with the youngest grades and progressing through to 8th grade. Once we hear from families that may not return by January 20th, we will be contacting applicants in those grades.
Winter Open House
Our winter open house will kick off Catholic Schools Week on Sunday, January 29th. After mass invite friends and family to come to the School Hall for a treats and a tour of the school. Our students work very hard to decorate and display their work for this special day. Come celebrate with us! 8th grade volunteers are needed, please sign up here.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Register For CYO Sports Today
*3rd grade basketball registration is open. Boys season starts February 24, girls season starts April 23.
*4th-8th grade volleyball registration DEADLINE is January 24th. Season starts February 25th.
*4-8th grade track and field registration is open. Season starts May 6th.
We are looking for volunteer coaches for: 4th grade coed volleyball, 5th grade volleyball girls and boys, 3rd grade boys basketball and track and field.
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to coach please email Mark Webb: mark@tnmultisports.com
Register here:https://www.teamsideline.com/seattlecyo
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Holy Rosary Soup Kitchen
The Holy Rosary Soup Kitchen group meets the first two Thursdays of the month to prepare soup for the Saint Martin de Porres center. The are looking for a couple of people who can commit to helping out for the rest of the school year. If you are interested, please reach out to Chris Dormaier at 206-412-0168 or Chrisdormaier@aol.com.
Lunch And Milk Duty
Hello parents. Are you needing to fulfill your hours? I am still looking for Lunch, milk and delivery help. Lunch and Milk is a 2 hour commitment once per week through 2nd trimester. I have several days available. If you are interested in helping out, please contact me at klawson@holyrosaryws.org. If you previously sent us an email, please resend it to klawson@holyrosaryws.org. The email previously listed was incorrect.
Volunteer Hours Requirement Change
In the spirit of encouraging Catholic Community and to simplify the program, the volunteer hour requirement that half of any required hours must be fundraising activities is now removed. This years, 50 required hours may be Fundraising or General hours in any proportion. See the Volunteer Hours Program page for full complete program details as well as the 2022-2023 Family Handbook.
Looking for Volunteer Hours? See the Volunteer Opportunities page for Tree Lot, Auction, and many more activities that need your help.
School Parents: Sing For Your Volunteer Hours!
Did you know that you can sing for your volunteer school hours? Participation in a parish adult choir for Sunday Mass qualifies for “non-fund-raising/general volunteer hours.” Come and sing with one of our choirs – Saturday 5pm, Sunday 8:30 or 10:30! Singing with choir is a fun thing to do for yourself once a week. Imagine an evening away from the family on a Wednesday or Thursday! You can have fun and claim up to 25 valuable volunteer hours! Singing with the choir can also give you a spiritual boost, as we not only sing together, but pray together and support each other in many ways. You can sing every week or arrange per your schedule.
Paul Dolejsi directs the choirs for Saturday 5pm and Sunday 10:30 Masses. Both of these groups are SATB choirs with piano and guitar accompaniment. You can sing melody or parts per your ability. We rehearse together on Wednesday evenings.
Mary Ann Lee directs the music for the Sunday 8:30 Mass. Their SATB choir sings from the loft and features organ and piano accompaniment. They rehearse on Thursday nights and are a very joyful and welcoming group!
For more info on this opportunity for volunteer hours, contact Paul at the parish office or drop by after Mass!
Reporting Volunteer Hours
The volunteer hours portal is ready for the 22/23 school year.
- Go to ‘Report Volunteer Hours‘ (also a red hyperlink on our home page.)
- New families: If you haven’t set up a volunteer log-in yet, you will need to do that first, use the same link! Remember, only one account per family, NOT per parent
Safe Environment Training
There are many opportunities to help out this year. All of our volunteers are required to take Safe Environment training prior to volunteering with the school or church. If you have not taken the class, please sign up as soon as possible. There are in-person as well as online classes. **It can take a couple of weeks after you’ve taken the class for you to be cleared to volunteer.**
Traffic Patrol
We are looking for parent/guardians to do traffic patrol duty this year for volunteer hours. You would need to be fully vaccinated, and available to arrive on time and stay until your duty is complete. This would be a trimester obligation.
Start Date:
December 12th – March 24th
March 27th – June 16th
Times:
8:00-8:40am
2:45-3:15pm 1:45-2:15pm (Wednesdays) 11:55-12:20pm (1/2 days)
You could choose to do one day per week, AM or PM, or both AM & PM on the same day if you wish. Please contact Maggie Judd if you are interested.
Playground Volunteers
We are looking for playground volunteers to help us during lunch recess. Shifts are Monday through Friday from 10:55am to 1:05pm. If you have one or two days available each week, please contact Maggie Judd. Prompt arrival and a full shift are needed. Covid vaccination is not necessary.
REMEMBER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ARE ALSO LISTED HERE!
PARISH NEWS
Book Study
Fr. Oakland is planning a book study on one of his favorite books, Les Miserables, the theatrical production of which is coming to town this spring. It’s a great work filled with all sorts of Christian themes. If interested, email him at froakland@holyrosaryseattle.org
NEW 2023 Women With Purpose Session
“What We Believe: the beauty of the Catholic Faith”. What does it mean to be Catholic, what do we believe and how do we live it? Would you like to understand more about the Catholic Faith? Please join us for our Women with Purpose (WWP) Winter2023 session on “What We Believe: the beauty of the Catholic Faith” as we learn more about Jesus, “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Ignite your faith life as we read scripture, discuss the book, and pray with Women in WWP. “What We Believe” Session will meet on Thursday Evenings starting January 12 thru March 30, 2023 at 6:00pm-7:30pm. More information athttps://holyrosaryseattle.org/wwp. For questions email Deyette at DSwegle@holyrosaryseattle.org.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)
Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) is now running on Sundays at the 10:30AM Mass. We welcome our young children from preschool thru 3rd grade to join the Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW). This is a great opportunity for our children to hear God’s message in a way they can participate and helping them apply the Word of God to their own experiences and actions. Come and join us!
RCIA Adapted for Children and Youth
We just started our RCIA sessions with children and youth. If your child/children/youth expressed their desire to know about the sacraments and Catholic faith you are welcome to join us! We have room for more! Contact Sr. Stella for more information at srstella@holyrosaryseattle.org
Rite Of Christian Initiation Adapted For Children
Holy Rosary Church welcomes children 7-18 years of age who have never been baptized, along with their families, on a journey of preparation for initiation into the Catholic Church. If you or your children are interested to know more about RCIA, please contact Sr. Stella at srstella@holyrosaryseattle.org or 206-937-1488 ext. 252 or you can register online: RCIA for Children (formsite.com)
COMMUNITY NOTICES
West Seattle Little League
West Seattle Little League will offer Baseball, Softball, and Challenger programs; registration is now open!
West Seattle Little League Spring 2023 registration is now open for all youth ages 4-14.
Each year, we want to make sure all kids have the opportunity to write the next chapter in the Little League story, regardless of their situation. Thanks to the generous support of T-Mobile, financially challenged families in our community can apply for the T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant, which helps cover registration fees associated with West Seattle Little League for the upcoming season! Little League and T-Mobile share the belief that every kid should have the chance to play ball.
The WSLL baseball and softball spring season will run from March – June and features fun activities like the jamboree, sandlot days, and end-of-the-year picnic. Interested to know more details? Check out westseattlelittleleague.com to find information about boundaries and divisions of play. We look forward to seeing you on the field!
Knights of Columbus Free Throw Shooting Championship
Our Lady of Guadalupe Knights of Columbus Council is sponsoring the annual free throw competition for all boys and girls age 9 to 14. Please come to shoot baskets and enjoy pizza on Friday, February 3rd at 6:00 PM. The competition will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Gym, 3410 SW Myrtle St., Seattle. Please see our website for more detaiis: https://olgseattle.org/free-throw-championship
Southwest Lacrosse Club
Did you know that all Seattle Metro Catholic High schools have boys and girls lacrosse? Are you looking for a fun and fast-paced team sport for your K-8th grader? Registration is currently open for the 2023 Seattle Metro Youth Lacrosse Season.
Founded in 2008, the Southwest Lacrosse Club is dedicated to promoting, organizing, and developing K-8 youth lacrosse from West Seattle to Federal Way. Our mission is to teach lacrosse fundamentals and good sportsmanship while emphasizing the importance of discipline, teamwork, and physical fitness. Players of all skill levels can develop their game, and we will prepare each athlete for the next level of play. No prior lacrosse experience is required, the club can provide all equipment if needed. We offer full and partial scholarships for those who qualify and have equipment available to loan.
Practices begin mid-February, and games run from March through the end of May. You can check out our website or contact us at swlctitans@gmail.com with any questions.
After School Art Classes for HRS students – In-person
These super fun art classes are taught by former Holy Rosary art teacher, Lacey Reuter. Classes are held in-person at Hope Lutheran, and all HRS students are welcome to join. (This is not a Holy Rosary School program.) www.rainbowparrotart.com
