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PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

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Dear Holy Rosary Families,
This past Sunday we celebrated the fourth week in Lent.  As we continue on the Lenten journey, we pray for those who will receive the Sacraments of Initiation at this year’s Easter Vigil and for peace in our world.  This past Friday we joined Pope Francis and Catholics all around the world in praying for peace in Ukraine.  It was a powerful moment for us as a school to stop and be together. This week I share with you another Lenten resource from Catholic Relief Services.  On Fridays during Lent Catholics generally abstain from eating meat.  Catholic Relief Services provides a brief explanation of this practice and some wonderful meatless options that your family might prepare together during this time.  My own family decided to abstain from meat this entire Lenten time period this year, so we have been learning a wealth of new recipes!  
Our online auction is open!  Thank you for supporting this important fundraiser and we hope to see you at the in person event just after spring break (May 7th)!
May the peace of Christ be with you these final weeks in Lent, 
Anna 

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PASTOR’S MESSAGE

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Easter is almost here.  What will it mean for you and your family?  It is not just a weekend.  It is not just Day 2 of Spring Break.  It is the celebration of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the most important day of the entire year.  Just as we celebrate each Sunday as a little Easter, how will you celebrate Easter with a renewed joy this year, the gift of new life in Christ?
As we have journeyed with Jesus this Lenten season, continue to join with Christ.  Celebrate with him the mystery of your redemption: 
Holy Week Schedule:  Joining with Jesus in the Journey
April 10th, Palm Sunday—April 9th Vigil Mass at 5PM, Sunday Masses at 8:30AM and 10:30AM
            Join with Jesus as He enters the Holy City of Jerusalem
April 13th, Spy Wednesday— St. Stephen the Martyr Living Stations of the Cross at 8PM
April 14th, Holy Thursday—Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7PM
Join with Jesus in the Upper Room as He gives us His very Body and Blood, and a model of charity
Remain with Jesus after in the Garden of Gethsamane in the St. Dominic Chapel in the Parish Center
April 15th, Good Friday—Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion at 7PM
            Join with Jesus in His Passion and Death as we venerate the cross of our salvation
April 16th, Easter Vigil—Mass at 8:30PM, with the Liturgy of Light, extra readings as we hear the story of salvation and Christian Initiations
April 17th, Easter Sunday—Masses at 8:30AM and 10:30AM
            Having shared with Jesus in the Lenten journey unto His death,
            Join with Jesus as He rises from the dead!!
In Christ,
Fr. Matthew Oakland

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COUNSELOR’S CORNER

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It’s important to teach your kids how to respond to cyberbullying. You can tell your kids to use the following guidelines if they’re being bullied. Continue reading…

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UPCOMING DATES

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• March 31st – Open School Commission Meeting (6pm)
• April 15th – Noon Dismissal, Good Friday
• April 18th-22nd – Easter Break
• May 5th – Open School Commission Meeting (6pm)

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NOTES & REMINDERS

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Masking Update

This week was our third week with masks being optional.  We continue to ask our students to have a mask available, in case they find themselves in a situation where distancing is challenging or if they need to work closely with someone.  Thank you for making sure your child has a mask in their backpack.  Number of new COVID cases in the school this week (as of Thursday am) = 0

Drop Off & Pick Up

Please DO NOT PARK in front of the school or in the alley during Dropoff and Pickup. You must be actively unloading.  If your child needs assistance getting themselves or their belongings out of the car, please park in the neighborhood and assist them there.
Lastly, please do not wait for your child with your car idling. Gas is expensive and we want to do our part to take care of our environment.

School Commission Meeting

Every year we invite our community to join two of the School Commission meetings if they would like. This year, we would like to invite the broader school community to attend one or both of the next School Commission meetings – on March 31 and on May 5. Both meetings are open for all to attend, and they will be held in-person in the school hall. We are not planning to offer remote options to attend. The meetings will be held from 6pm – 7:30pm PST. If you have any questions, please contact Sara Volta at saravolta23@gmail.com.

Summer Band

Join The Musical Fun!  July 11-15/ Elementary Summer Band!!  12:15 – 2:00P.M.  Just click the link to sign-up!!

Student Phones And Smart Watches

Phones and smart watches are not allowed to be on during school hours. Students should not be texting or calling while school is in session. Please use the “school setting” on your child’s device to turn it off during school hours. Smart watches will still function as a watch while using this setting.

Missing Chromebook Chargers

Parents of students in grades 5-8, please check your house for Chromebook chargers. We are missing many from our classrooms. They usually have a Holy Rosary School sticker on them. Return to the classroom if you find any. Thank you!

Playground Use After School

On a trial basis, we have adjusted our after-school playground policy and will allow non-BASE students to play on the playground after school on Thursdays and Fridays until 4:00, on days when our BASE numbers are lower.  We are trying this until Spring break (with the exception of Good Friday) and are hoping this will work well for everyone.  We want everyone to be able to share the space and gather together and know the importance of this!   We also must ensure that we have a safe playground area and that the number of people out there are manageable, so everyone is able to safely play and be supervised.   All students playing on the playground who are not in BASE must have a parent or adult present actively supervising them at all times.   Parent volunteers will be present to ensure that all non-BASE students have someone there providing supervision and to answer any questions you may have about these adjustments.  

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ACTION ITEMS

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Medical Supplies For Ukraine

Tetyana Silva, mother of a 1^st and 5^th grader, is working with a Christian organization out of Fife to collect donations that will be shipped to Ukraine. They have been very successful in collecting clothing and now need medical supplies. Below is a list of items that desperately needed. They can be dropped off at Holy Rosary.

Holy Rosary School Commission Would Like To Hear Your Voice!

School Commission has an opportunity for new members for the 2022-2023 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 March 31, 2022.”

Brown Bag Fridays For St. Martin De Porres Men’s Shelter

Over the years, as part of our Lenten Outreach, Holy Rosary School has provided lunches and additional items to the men at St. Martin de Porres shelter. Students are asked to help pack a lunch or bring an additional item on designated Fridays during Lent.  These lunches can be kept cold, so perishable food is fine. (Sandwiches and fruit are encouraged for this outreach).
Please note the collection dates and items below:   
Fri. April 1
     Gr. K-4:  travel size toothbrush and toothpaste
     Gr. 5-8:  brown bag lunches
Fri. April 8
     Gr. K-4:  brown bag lunches
     Gr. 5-8:  disposable razors and travel size shaving cream

Lenten Food Drive

Holy Rosary School will hold a schoolwide food drive this Lent, in addition to our ministry to St. Martin de Porres shelter.  This local food drive will benefit our neighbors most in need in the West Seattle Community through the Holy Rosary St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. Help us stock the food pantry up for summer! Items can be brought directly into the school and left on the table in the front hallway.  Items they currently need are:
FOOD ITEMS:  Peanut Butter (16oz,), Canned Chicken, Canned Tuna, Tomato Sauce, Canned Fruit, Crackers (Saltines, Ritz) 
HOME AND PERSONAL CARE ITEMS:   Paper Towels, Liquid Dish Soap (small/medium size), Toothpaste, Single Packaged Toothbrushes,
Individually wrapped bars of soap (unscented if possible), Shampoo.
Thank you for your generosity as we take care of our neighbors!

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EVENTS & FUNDRAISING

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Online Auction

ONLINE AUCTION is now OPEN!  Don’t miss out on teacher books, class project buy backs, restaurants, theater and sports tickets, getaways and so much more. 
New items added throughout the online auction!
VIEW THE ONLINE AUCTION HERE!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – contact Beth Martin (bmartin@holyrosaryws.org)
All positions are available as a multi-year commitment, not a requirement though. Training will be provided. Thanks for the wonderful response for auction volunteers.  A few positions left to be filled are below.
Live Data Entry – During the live auction record bids and assist the auctioneer in keeping the show going.
In-Person Auction Distribution Lead – Sort silent and live items after bidding ends so that guests may pick up their winning purchases upon departure. This year the silent/live auctions will be very small at the in-person event on May 7^th.  Perfect year to learn the ropes and stay on for future auctions.
Volunteer Coordinator – Like managing people?  Want to know about the inner workings on auction day?  Then this position is for you.  You will spend the day/evening managing all the auction volunteers.  This position will earn at least 10 hours.
8^th Grade Tribute – Have an 8^th grader?  Gather/solicit large/small group pictures from the Class of 20200 throughout their time at HRS.  Assemble into a powerpoint.  Background slide will be provided.
Live Powerpoint – Build the powerpoint for the live auction.  Content will be sent to you to get creative.

Westfest

Thank you so much for the responses that we’ve received regarding Westfest Committee chairs.
Operations Chair – position filled
Activities Chair – position filled
Finance Chair – possibly filled
Logistics Co-Chair – position filled
We are still in need of leads for food booths:
Slushy / Popcorn
Burgers / Hot Dogs
Italian or could be something else?
If you were previously in charge of something and will need a replacement because you have a graduating 8th grader, or if there is a position that you’d like to know more about, please reach out to Marianne Wintermute (mmwintermute@gmail.com)

Gator Aid Request Form

GatorAid was established by our School Commission in 2018/2019 to support families struggling to cover school expenses and activities that fall outside of tuition.  The community chest program is largely funded by families for families.
GatorAid can be used to help cover extra school costs – examples such as a student’s yearbook fee, school uniforms, a monthly Chess Club* fee, or a night at Glow Bowl*. (*activities currently unavailable because of COVID-19 during 2021/22)
Families can request aid or you can make a request on behalf of a family here. GatorAid requests are sent directly to HR Principal, Anna Horton, and are granted confidentiality.

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ADMISSIONS

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School Admin

School Admin accounts have been manually updated. Please log in and review your account under billing management.  Contact Beth Martin at bmartin@holyrosaryws.org with questions.
Pay attention to the following:
-payment plan start date
-discount for in-parish siblings
-financial aid, if applied this has been added to your account

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.

FACTS Credit Card Fee Increase

Hot off the press from FACTS, effective April 25th the fee charged to credit card payments on the FACTS system will increase to 2.95% from 2.85% (a FACTS company increase).  Billing for 2021/2022 through FACTS will end June 30th, after which all 2022/23 billing and payments should be occurring on our new SchoolAdmin system.  The only exception is that financial aid applications will still utilize the FACTS platform.  Any questions, please contact Beth Martin (bmartin@holyrosaryws.org).

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EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

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CYO Track

The Holy Rosary Gators took 1^st place in CYO Track and Field back in 2019, and we are ready to do it again! It’s been two years since we have been able to participate in a Track and Field season, but good news! CYO Track and Field registration is now open for parish students in grades 4-8!  No prior experience required!  Practices are tentatively scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:45pm-7:15pm, at Hiawatha Track. First practice is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, April 5^th. Come join us!  Meet dates are below (time & location of meetings to be determined):

• Preliminary: Saturday, May 7, 2022
• Relay: Saturday, May 14, 2022
• Qualifying: Saturday, May 21, 2022
• 8th Grade Pentathlon: Sunday, May 22, 2022
• Championship: Saturday, June 4, 2022 @ 10:00am (All-Comers) & 12:00pm 

We are still looking for a head coach, assistant coaches, and parent volunteers/high school students to help at practices/meets. Both coaching and general volunteering count toward your volunteer hour requirements. Without more coaches, we may not have a season. If you would like to help, email Libby Pickthorn at parishoffice@holyrosaryseattle.org. To register an athlete, click Seattle CYO Athletics (teamsideline.com) and select “Holy Rosary Seattle Parish”. We are looking forward to another great season!

All of these are excellent ways to fulfill your volunteer hours! 

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

REMEMBER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ARE ALSO LISTED HERE!