Family Communication 3/16/23

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,
I have been away from the building this week, serving on an accreditation team of another school down in Vancouver, Washington.  These visits are a tremendous opportunity for professional development as I get to see what is happening in another Catholic school.  I also get to experience the process that will be used when our school is visited next year as we renew our own accreditation.  We’ve been through this before as a school, but there is a new protocol so I am fortunate to have this opportunity now.  It will make things much smoother for our visit next year and as we finish our self-study document.   I’m grateful for a strong leadership team back at the building who are keeping things running smoothly!
See you Friday!
In Christ,
Anna

PASTOR’S MESSAGE

Every Friday of the year, Catholics abstain from meat as a communal penitential practice and offering to our Lord.  Outside of Lent, we can make some other sacrifice instead if we wish to eat meat.
Tomorrow is St. Patricks Day.  Archbishop Etienne has given a dispensation for the day to those want to partake in Corned Beef or some other delectable meat as a part of their celebrations, if they offer another sacrifice instead – whether giving up meat on another day, or some other offering.
May we truly honor this saint by celebrating his zeal for faith, who brought the message of salvation to the very people who enslaved him.
In Christ,
Fr. Matthew Oakland

UPCOMING DATES

  • March 17th – 8th Grade Pizza Lunch
  • March 22nd – Parents Club Meeting
  • April 7th – Noon Dismissal
  • April 10th-14th – Easter Break
  • April 21st – Bingo Bash
  • April 25th – Class Pictures

NOTES & REMINDERS

Wear Your Green On Friday!

Celebrate St.Patrick’s Day by wearing green on Friday. No face paint.

8th Grade Pizza Lunch Tomorrow!

Yum! Yum! It’s pizza lunch tomorrow. If you had ordered Academic Eats or Lunch Ladies for your child on Friday, it has been credited back to you. The only hot lunch offered on March 17th is 8th grade pizza.

Lands’ End Sale

40% promotion starting this weekend on March 18! Stock up on uniform essentials, or simply to take advantage of the sale for the entire family. I wanted to also share that we have confirmed a number of great new uniform options going into back to school 2023. We’ve added toddler sizes (XXS/2-3) to many of our popular styles including the Active/Performance options (Rapid Dry Polo, Active Chino Pant, Shorts), as well classics such as the Interlock Polos. Valid: March 18-31, 2023 Code: Desk Pin: 2886 www.landsend.com/myschool  1-800-469-2229

Spring Has Sprung!

The new growth of spring is nearly here, and many of our students are experiencing growth too!  Please check your child’s uniform to ensure it still properly fits and isn’t too short/small.  We have many items in our uniform closet, contact the office (office@holyrosaryws.org) if you are in need of something in particular and we’ll check our supplies!  Reminder, Mass days- students should come in perfect uniform:  White shirt with a red (K-7) or navy/blue (8th grade) top layer.

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) = 1

ACTION ITEMS

Holy Rosary School Commission

Holy Rosary School Commission would like to hear your voice! School Commission has an opportunity for new members for the 2023-2024 school year.  The School Commission is an advisory group to the Principal and Pastor on school policy and long-term planning.  This is a wonderful opportunity to provide a voice for all Holy Rosary parents and to be a leader in our school community.
Each School Commission member serves a 3 or 4 year term.  Each hour spent on School Commission business counts towards fundraising volunteer hours.  For the upcoming year, we are looking for parents with interest and expertise in Catholic Identity, Alumni, Fundraising, or Diversity & Inclusion.
If you are interested, please fill out the application and submit it to scvp@holyrosaryws.org by April 7, 2023.”

Parents Club Meeting – March 22

Join us for the next Parents Club virtual meeting on Wednesday, March 22nd at 7:00pm.
Topic: Kids and Nutrition
Speaker: Danielle VenHuizen MS, RDN, CLT
Danielle VenHuizen MS, RDN, CLT is a Registered Dietitian who works with nutrition needs across the lifespan. She specializes in food sensitivities, GI disorders and cardiovascular health. She also has a special focus on working with families and children around healthy diets and appropriate feeding habits.
Her presentation will focus on establishing healthy eating habits as a family, with particular focus on specific ideas you can use for healthy meals (especially school lunches!) and ways to encourage and create young, healthy eaters.
Please click this link to RSVP. A zoom link will be sent prior to the meeting.

Parents Club Survey – 1 Volunteer Hour

Please take a few minutes to complete our survey here.  Take the survey by March 31st and claim one volunteer hourper person who completes the survey!

Holy Rosary School/Parish Is Hiring!

We are currently hiring for the following positions:  2nd Grade Teacher, Vice Principal, Technology Teacher/Manager (Archdiocese of Seattle Catholic Schools – Frontline Recruitment (applitrack.com)

School/Parish Business Manager

Holy Rosary Parish in West Seattle is seeking a Business Manager – an individual passionate
about the work and life of the Church who can prudently manage the parish’s human, fiscal and capital resources.
This successful candidate will be a leader amongst parish staff and in the community, as well as responsible for overseeing the parish and school finances, human resources and administering payroll, managing campus maintenance and construction, and assisting with the administrative management of parish programming as appropriate. The candidate must be driven by faith, with  strong interpersonal, analytical and communications skills to enable them to successfully
supervise staff and volunteers and carry out the full scope of this position.
Contact Principal Anna Horton (ahorton@holyrosaryws.org) for more information on any of our open positions.

Lenten Collection

Lenten Collection for St. Martin de Porres Shelter
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

EVENTS & FUNDRAISING

Development Directives

Don’t forget to apply for MATCHING FUNDS from your company.  All money spent over Fair Market Value is eligible for matching. If you are unsure if your company has matching funds, check this web site for easy to follow steps to match your donation.
Please pick up your AUCTION PURCHASES in the main office. Check your receipt if you are unsure if you won anything.
Buybacks And Teacher Books, will be sent home after spring break or as they are completed. BINGO BASH will again be available to purchase prior to the event on April 21, so watch the efc if you missed out. No ticket needed as student’s names will be on a list at the door.
Lost Items If you are missing the following from auction night, please pick up in the main office. Items not claimed will be donated next week.
-black sunglasses
-black & white checked newsboy style hat
-black long gloves
Free Dress Passes for bidding on at least 10 items or bidding on the yellow line at the auction, will be sent home on Friday.

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

ADMISSIONS

Ambassador Families

Ambassador families wanted! Volunteer and help welcome New Families to Holy Rosary School! Need families in all grades!  Earn volunteer hours during the summer for the 2022/23 school year.  Details here.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Track & Field

*Register for 4th-8th grade track and field using this link: https://www.teamsideline.com/sites/seattlecyo/current-programs
For more information: https://www.teamsideline.com/sites/seattlecyo/content/18961/4-8-Track-Field

Volleyball Photos

*Volleyball photos will be taken Tuesday March 28th more info coming from your coaches.

Snack Shack

*Sign up to volunteer in the CYO snack shack this weekend: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4aa5a82aa02-cyosnack#/

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Milk & Lunch Duty

Milk and Lunch duty. We are looking for the following positions to fill starting next week through the rest of the school year:
Wednesday Lunch:  10:45-12:15 2 hours earned
Thursday Milk:  10:45-12:15 2 hours earned
If interested, please email Karla at klawson@holyrosaryws.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.

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:
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.

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.**

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

REMEMBER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ARE ALSO LISTED HERE!

PARISH NEWS

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.

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

SUMMER CAMPS

Summer Camps For Rising K-9th Graders

Soak in the summer fun at Bishop Blanchet! Registration is now open for in-person camps in athletics, academics, and the arts at BBHS. Multi-camp and sibling discounts are also available. Please visit our website for more information and to register.

Holy Names Academy Summer Camps

Open for registration! Holy Names Academy offers summer camps for young women entering Grades 4-8, and to any student starting Grade 9 at Holy Names Academy in the fall.  The athletic camps are designed to offer quality instruction from the HNA coaching staff, players, and alumnae in a fun, welcoming environment.  All skill levels are welcome.  HNA also offers summer camps that focus on areas of special interest, instructed by current HNA faculty members.  At this link, you will find details about the different camps we are offering this summer and which grade levels can participate.

Stage Struck Theatre Camps

Come celebrate Stage Struck’s 23rd summer of theatre camps, and Laura Drake’s last summer as Director.  There is still room in Annie, Grease, and Best of Stage Struck (a revue of material from our biggest shows!) For information and registration, visit: https://stagestruckseattle.com See you this summer!

Summer Programs At Seattle Prep

Seattle Prep is offering Summer Prep programs- inspiring camps for middle school students entering the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades in Fall 2023. Summer Prep – Seattle Preparatory School (seaprep.org)

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.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Blanchet Buddies

Our Blanchet Buddies program offers an opportunity for local grade school students to be paired with a Blanchet junior or senior, in specific areas of interest. Please visit bishopblanchet.org/buddies for more information. Go Bears and Go Buddies!

Bishop Blanchet Spring Musical

Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, All Shook Up! The show features such Elvis Presley hits as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Burning Love,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Blue Suede Shoes” and many more. All Shook Up is surefire fun for rock ‘n’ roll rebels of all ages! Performances will be held at The Moore Theatre, April 28-30. Tickets will be available soon on the BBHS website.

Holy Names Academy Performance

Matinee Invitation: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of a tale as old as time, Holy Names Academy Theatre and Music departments are proud to present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Come along for the adventure of a brilliant young woman, a lonely beast, and a castle/town full of colorful characters as they learn to embrace the uniqueness of each individual and realize the power of compassion.
We are happy to announce that HNA is offering a student matinee specifically for middle-school students on Friday, April 21, at 10:00 a.m., at no cost to you.  Following the performance your students will have the opportunity to ask questions of the cast and crew, including HRS alumni, Melia Wong. There are a limited number of seats available, so please contact us by Thursday, April 6, to make reservations.  We are very excited about this opportunity and hope that you and your classes will join us for this wonderful production! Please RSVP by phone, email, or with this FORM.

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