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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.

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PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

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Dear Holy Rosary Families,
I hope the long weekend was a relaxing and prayerful time for your family.
At Ash Wednesday Mass yesterday, Father Oakland asked students to consider how they were going to do Lent well.  He shared that doing so really requires us to look beyond the “what” we’re giving up and consider the “why” behind our chosen fast.  
So in the words of Pope Francis, I share with you:
Do You Want to Fast This Lent? 
Fast from hurting words …and say kind words 
Fast from sadness …and be filled with gratitude 
Fast from anger …and be filled with patience 
Fast from pessimism …and be filled with hope 
Fast from worries …and have trust in God 
Fast from complaints …and contemplate simplicity 
Fast from pressures …and be prayerful 
Fast from bitterness …and fill your hearts with joy 
Fast from selfishness …and be compassionate to others 
Fast from grudges …and be reconciled
Fast from words …and be silent so you can listen
In Christ,
Anna

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PASTOR’S MESSAGE

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Bad news always seems to travel so quickly.  Brokenness is a part of our human life on earth, and it is something we so often try and run away from.  But there are exceptions.  The worst of news is always something that breaks through, and instead, almost impels us to share it with others.  As much as we dislike suffering, a greater suffering exists in having to confront the sorrows of life alone.  And so we reach out – we share the news – that we might be bound together in compassion and love.  
Lent began yesterday.  It is a time when we are invited to freely choose sacrifices, practically to strengthen our will and prepare for temptation, but more importantly, to unite ourselves more closely to Jesus Christ – who offered all for us.  Our freely chosen sacrifices should be something meaningful – otherwise, its of little or even no use.  We let go of the things of this world, and hold more fastly to our Father and His love as we beg for greater life in Him.
But there are also those sacrifices and sorrows which we don’t freely chose, which are a part of life and our fallen world.  With these, we are still invited to freely embrace them, when so often our temptation is to kick and scream and run away and hide from them.  But then they retain their power over us, which is precisely why Jesus Christ came, and suffered and died for us.  Embracing the sorrows of life, He found new life in the Resurrection.  So too we freely embrace the crosses thrust upon us, that like the good thief, we may hear Jesus speak to us – “this day you will be with me in Paradise.”
The love of God only becomes real for us, as we experience the greatness of His glory, if we allow Jesus to redeem every aspect of our lives – including the brokenness and pain, as well as those ways in which we have hardened ourselves against Him and chosen sin instead.  His love has the power to give us life – if we would but seek it more fully this Lenten season. 
In Christ,
Fr. Matthew Oakland

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UPCOMING DATES

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• February 24th – 8th Grade Pizza Lunch
• March 4th – Auction
• March 10th – Noon Dismissal (Teacher-In-Service)
• April 7th – Noon Dismissal
• April 10th-14th – Easter Break

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NOTES & REMINDERS

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Pizza Lunch Tomorrow!

YumYum! 8th grade pizza lunch is Friday.

SPAM Messages

There has been an uptick in people sending messages that are intended to look like they are coming from Father Oakland or Anna Horton.  They often ask for a favor, or say to text/respond back because they are busy or in a meeting.  These are NOT coming from the school/parish.  When in doubt, contact one of us directly to verify and double check the “reply to” that it is indeed our domain (@holyrosaryws.org or @holyrosaryseattle.org).  

School Year 2023/24

We are already hard at work planning next school year. Below are the major calendar dates. We ask that when you are planning family vacations, please schedule them during non-school times. There is one change to the 2023/24 calendar that we would like you to make note of. We will not have a day off in February 2024 for Winter Break. This will allow us to complete our required number of school days. There will be a full 2023/24 calendar available soon.
First Day 9/5/23
Fall Conferences 11/20/23-11/22/23
Christmas Break 12/18/23-1/1/24
President’s Day 2/19/24 (No Winter Break)
Spring Break 4/1/24-4/5/24
Last Day 6/14/24

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) = 2

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ACTION ITEMS

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Lenten Collection

Lenten Collection for St. Martin de Porres Shelter
Fri. February 24th –     
Last Names A-L:  Brown Bag Lunches (perishable OK)
Last Names M-Z:   Large and small bath towels (gently used, if clean and unstained are OK) 
Fri. March 3rd:  
Last Names A-L:  Disposable razors and shaving cream (travel size)
Last Names M-Z:   Brown Bag Lunches (perishable OK)
Fri. March 17th:  
Last Names A-L: Brown Bag Lunches (perishable OK)
Last Names M-Z:  Men’s socks  
Fri. March 24th:
Last Names A-L: Men’s deodorant (regular or travel sized), toothbrushes, toothpaste (travel size toothpaste)
Last Names M-Z: Brown Bag Lunches (perishable OK)
Fri. March 31st
Last Names A-L:   Brown Bag Lunches (perishable OK) and/or reading glasses 
Last Names M-Z:   Brown Bag Lunches (perishable OK) and/or reading glasses 

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EVENTS & FUNDRAISING

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Auction

Online Auction is now open. Shop to your hearts content here.
Highlights:
Buy backs
Teacher books
Bingo Bash
Sports tickets
Fishing trip
Handbags
Vacation Homes
Restaurants
Raffle Tickets – Tuition and 50/50 raffle available. Cost is $100 for $5000 towards tuition and 50/50 raffle tickets are 1 for $25 or 5 for $100. Raffle forms came home with your invitation or print this form and drop by the main office.
Volunteer Opportunities
Dessert Chair looking for a shadow. If you love baking and/or coordinating, then the dessert auction may be a perfect fit for your volunteer hours. Contact Sarah Mosley if interested in shadowing her for the remainder of this auction season and co-owning the position next year.
Decorations Work Party
We need your help to assist with prepping decorations this Saturday from 9-12pm in the School Hall. No creativity needed, we have step by step directions. Sign up here.
Auction Night Volunteer Positions Available sign up HERE.
Questions? Please reach out to Auction Volunteer Lead Renee Kurdzos at renee.kurdzos@gmail.com.

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!

• March 21st
• April 18th
• May 16th

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ADMISSIONS

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Re-Enrollment

Congrats to KB for being the first class to have 100% re-enrollment or to alert the school of your plans for the 23/24 school year. Mrs. Kolding will alert you to your classes FREE DRESS DAY to celebrate!

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

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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.

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.

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 12^th – March 24^th
March 27^th – June 16^th
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!

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PARISH NEWS

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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!

Lent

It’s the Season of Lent-Make time for Jesus!
Lent 2023 started yesterday on Ash Wednesday, February 22, and lasts until the beginning of the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday on April 6. Please see the attached Holy Rosary Calendar of Lent events to help you reflect and renew on Jesus for the next six weeks.  A great way to connect with Lent is to attend our Lenten Gathering on Sunday, February 26^th in the School Hall, 9:30am-12:30pm for activities, crafts, and coffee and donuts. See the flier.

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   

Endolyne Children’s Choir

Spring Session Registration for Endolyne Children’s Choir (ECC) opens February 27. ECC is a secular, no audition choir welcoming all singers in grades K-12. Join other singers from over 20 schools in West Seattle, including 3 of our very own from HRS. Students learn music theory and practice performance skills all while building community in a fun and supportive environment. Don’t wait – registration closes March 8!

4th Annual Summer School At St.George Parish School

Dates: June 26 through July 28 with the exception of July 3rd and 4th
We offer a 5 week academic summer school program with certificated teachers
and instructional assistants for students currently in Grades K-5. It is not a
summer camp. It’s an all or none program in order for students to make the most
gains academically.
Summer School registration opens March 1, 2023 to all students currently attending a Catholic school.  Your own school uniform is the required dress code. All students who apply must come with a positive, cooperative attitude ready to learn. Your child’s teacher/principal will supply us with Spring MAP Student Progress Reports along with recommendations for areas of focus during summer school.
Registration opens March 1st and will be limited. If you would like more information and/or an application, please email Anna Horton (ahorton@holyrosaryws.org) ASAP.

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.