Family Communication 1/26/23

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,
Catholic Schools Week is nearly upon us!  This fun-filled week is one of the special ways we honor and Celebrate the gift of Catholic education.  The schedule of events, and special dress days, are included in this eFC.
Tomorrow, students may have free dress as we will beautify our campus planting primroses in the afternoon together!  Students may also bring a small garden shovel or tool if they wish, to assist with digging the holes to plant the flowers.
Friday night the Fulcrum Foundation will hold its annual fundraising gala, the Celebration of Light. The Fulcrum Foundation supports Catholic schools through grants and tuition assistance and our school benefits from this annually as well.  You can learn more here, and perhaps  consider a gift to this important cause.  
Finally, this weekend, we hope to see families at one of the Masses with students in their uniforms.  Let’s show the parish community how vibrant and amazing our school is!  Join us for our open house to follow the 10:30 Mass this coming Sunday as well.  This open house is both a time to celebrate our school and show prospective families how special Holy Rosary School truly is.  We look forward to seeing you there!
In Christ, 
Anna

PASTOR’S MESSAGE

This past weekend pastors throughout the Archdiocese of Seattle announced the beginning of Partners in Gospel, a strategic pastoral planning effort taking place to re-invigorate and renew our local Catholic Church.
Each of the 164 parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle has ministries it excels in. So too, each has ministries that could honestly use improvement to serve more people and/or serve them more fully, and each likely has some ministries that just don’t exist given the limited nature of resources – whether human resources in the way of volunteers or staff or priests, or fiscal resources, or even building space. It is these constraints which often shape our work and ministry, and impact the work of the Gospel. These constraints have been increasing for years, as well, as we face a changing reality.  
This archdiocesan-wide renewal effort, led by the Holy Spirit and grounded in prayer, will help us better support vibrant, sustainable, mission-focused parish communities across the entire Archdiocese of Seattle. It will require change. This is something we are used to, and that has always been a part of the Church, going back to those earliest of days, and even the earliest of days of our own parish community. Sometimes change happens naturally. Sometimes change is forced upon us. But sometimes we choose it.
Four years after building our initial church in 1909, we picked it up and moved it just under a mile south to the corner of California and Hanford – because the current location wasn’t big enough to start a school for our parish children. Ten years later, we picked up the school and moved it just under a mile down the road to Genesee and 42nd, because both the school and the church had quickly become too small for our needs. The old school would become the convent, as the priests lived in two of the classrooms in the new school building for the next six years, and we used the school hall for Mass each Sunday for the next 18 years until the bigger church was finally built. Change was hard – but necessary for us to live out our mission and serve our families, and the generations of families to come.
We are those later generations who have greatly benefited from the courage of our predecessors in the faith, including some of our own parents. We too are invited to look with courage at what is necessary in our own day to more fully live our mission of growing as disciples of Jesus Christ and Apostles to the world here and now, and for generations more to come. But it is only a question we can answer together, as a wider Catholic community, as we must all look to the Lord Jesus to guide us as we are His Partners in the Gospel. A key part of this effort will entail a strategic reenvisioning of parishes, and in many cases two or three or more forming together into a new parish family, which has all the resources it needs to live the Gospel as a community of faith.  
If you have more questions, I would encourage you to watch launch video. More information will be coming in the weeks and months ahead, and opportunities for feedback and consultation as well later in the year, as we share in that work of renewal together. You can also learn more about Partners in the Gospel at www.archseattle.org/Partners.
Let us entrust ourselves and our community always unto the Lord, continually devoting ourselves to prayer, as we ask Him to lead us and guide us in all things.
In Christ,
Fr. Matthew Oakland

UPCOMING DATES

  • 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

Free Dress Friday!

Tomorrow we will be planting primroses in celebration of the start of Catholic Schools Week. Students may wear free dress and bring a small gardening tool (with their name on it) if they have one.

Catholic Schools Week Overview

Catholic Schools week is filled with community, family and fun. The following is the schedule of activities for the week

  • Sunday– 10:30 Mass, Champion of Holy Rosary Award Presentation. Students wear uniform to Mass.
  • Monday– In Appreciation of Parents. Students may wear any HRS gear, sweatshirt, jersey or colors with sweats/joggers/cozy pants or athletic shorts. CYO pictures taken. More details below.
  • Tuesday– In Appreciation of our Community. Students wear normal uniform.
  • Wednesday– In Appreciation of our Grandparents and Special Friends – Students wear perfect uniform.
  • Thursday– In Appreciation of Lifelong Learning – grades 1-4 spelling bee from 8:35-9:20. Grades 5-8 spelling bee from 9:25-10:10. Students wear perfect uniform.
  • Friday– In Appreciation of our Students – Spirit assembly, 9am. Volleyball games at 2pm – Holy Rosary staff vs. grade 8. Students wear Surfers vs. Bikers theme clothing.
CYO Pictures For Yearbook
CYO pictures will be taken on Monday morning between 8:30 and 9:20 in the School Hall for the following sports:
  • CYO Cross Country
  • CYO Soccer
  • CYO Basketball
  • CYO Volleyball (if they signed up)
  • CYO Track (if they plan to do it… grades 4 – 8)
We will also be taking ALTAR SERVER, CHILDREN’S CHOIR (after Mass on Wednesday) and BAND pictures (after school on Wednesday). 
 
Crocs & Other Non-Athletic Shoes At School

Student need to wear athletic shoes for PE classes. For their safety, they will not be able to participate if they do not have the appropriate footwear.

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.

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!

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) = 10

ACTION ITEMS

Lost & Found

The lost and found table will be out Thursday and Friday.  What is not claimed, will be donated on Monday morning.  Please stop by after school to collect any items that belong to your student.  If you would like to look during school hours, please contact the office at office@holyrosaryws.org.

Parents Club Survey

We look forward to hearing from you by February 10th! Parents Club is looking for input regarding how to best engage the families at Holy Rosary to provide events/experiences that are in alignment with the Parents Club mission to engage and build community at Holy Rosary.
Please take a few minutes to complete our survey here.  We look forward to hearing from you by January 30th!

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

Get ready to be transported to Vegas!  Auction tickets are now on sale.  Buy your tickets here.  Tickets will sell out, so purchase today.
Either dress in a Vegas theme or cocktail attire.
 Volunteer positions available for auction weekend, sign up HERE.
Work From Home – 2 Volunteers Needed
Do you love PowerPoint? We need 1 volunteer for the Live Auction PowerPoint – must be completed by February 28. We also need 1 8thgrade parent to help create the PowerPoint slide show to be shown at the auction of our soon-to be graduates!
Planning to Attend the Auction?
If you are planning on attending the auction, we still have LOTS of slots where you can help – including moving auction items and décor on Friday, March 3; set-up for the auction on Saturday morning/early afternoon; bringing volunteer food (3 volunteer hours for buying and dropping off food and get reimbursed!). You can even do some jobs during the silent auction and still attend – including closing out silent auction tables, selling raffle tickets, staffing our wine sales booth, and helping our photographer. We will also need someone to help organize our storage area (the cage) at school after the auction.
Want to see what the event is all about, but not planning to attend this year?
As always, we need a lot of help night of to make the auction happen, and for these roles we need folks who are NOT planning on attending the auction as a guest. This includes live auction spotters, live auction PowerPoint operator, dessert auction support, distributing auction items at check out, and the all important auction data-entry volunteers (auction office), and clean-up/transport back to school that night

We need volunteers to make our Auction on Saturday, March 4 a successful event! Please sign up today.

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!

  • 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.

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

Cheer Your Gators!

Come cheer on your Gator basketball teams this Saturday as we wrap up our final home games of the season.
Saturdays lineup:
12pm: 5th grade boys (W)
1:15pm: 5th grade boys (B)
2:30pm: 6th grade boys
3:45pm: 7th grade boys JV
5:00pm: 8th grade boys Varsity
6:15pm: 8th grade girls Varsity
*snack shack will be open from 12pm-7pm. Hope to see many of you Saturday.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Vision & Hearing Screening

We are looking for volunteers to help with our Vision and Hearing Screening on Thursday February 9th and Monday February 13th. No previous experience needed. We will be screening kids all day on the 9th and then finishing up on the 13th. If you are interested, please contact Claire Bederaux-Cayne. If you are only available for part of the time, that’s OK. We would love your help.

Holy Rosary Lenten Gathering 

Volunteer Opportunities for Parents and Youth (6th grade-high school) at our Holy Rosary Lenten Gathering
Looking for a way to volunteer during Lent? Join us by volunteering at our Lenten event on February 26, 2023 in the School Hall. There are setup slots on Saturday afternoon, February 25, 2023 as well as two different time slots for helping with Lent activities/crafts and Coffee and Donuts on Sunday, February 26. This counts for School Volunteer hours. Click here for Signup link Volunteers: Holy Rosary Lenten Gathering February 26, 2023 (signupgenius.com). For questions, email Deyette at DSwegle@holyrosaryseattle.org.

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

Lenten Gathering

Save the Date…Lenten Gathering, Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 9:30am-12:30pm, School Hall
All are welcome join us as we prepare for Lent on Sunday, February 26, 2023 in the School Hall. Stop by after Mass or anytime between 9:30am-12:30pm for Lenten activities and crafts for children and adults, Coffee and Donuts and more! For questions, please email Deyette. See our flier.

Donations & Food Drive

St. Vincent de Paul–Donations & Food Drive for Lent, February 26, 2023
Help those in need in our West Seattle Community by contributing non-perishable food for our St. Vincent de Paul Food pantry. You may also make a cash donation which is used for Emergency assistance for rent, paying a utility bill, car repair, etc. Drop off your donations at the Lenten Gathering on Sunday, February 26, 2023, anytime between 9:30am-12:3pm in the School Hall. Thank you for your support to those in need!

Baptisms

Congratulations to the following children baptized on January 21, 2023! We welcome you to a life with Christ.
Elliot Jon & Evan Daniel
If you are interested in having your child baptized, please email Deyette at Deyette Swegle. You may also complete our Baptism Registration form by using this link, https://holyrosaryseattle.org/infant-baptism-registration.

Where Are The Giving Envelopes?

Due to both personnel and material shortages, the vendor that provides our giving envelopes is unable to fulfill our order.  We are not the only parish to be affected by this situation.  No envelopes have been printed for January or February.  The earliest we will receive envelopes is in March.  We apologize for any inconvenience and ask for your patience and prayers while we try to resolve this situation. 
In the meantime, there are a limited number of envelopes available in the Parish Office.  You may also use a plain envelope for your giving.  Please clearly print your name and your family number on the envelope.  If you do not know your family number, please contact the Parish Office.  Without your family number, we may not be able to credit your giving to the proper family.  If you do submit an envelope without your family number, please be sure to clearly print your full name and home address on the envelope.   
You may also sign up for online giving.  On the parish website, click on the “Online Giving” button or follow this link:  Holy Rosary Parish – SEATTLE, WA | Online Giving (osvhub.com).  On the top right corner of the page, click on “SIGN IN/CREATE ACCOUNT”.  If you need help creating or updating an online account, please contact the Parish Office.

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