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,
What a first week of May! Our fifth graders went off to camp yesterday and our third and fourth graders were able to participate in an in-house field trip this week learning all about Native American Culture. We prayed the Rosary together as a school yesterday during this month we honor Mary, and we’ll wrap up this week with Adoration in the church tomorrow.
I wanted to share a couple of hiring updates with you. We have filled our open Business Manager Position, a position that is shared with the parish. We welcome Jen King, current HRS parent, who will join us in this important work. Sadly, we also learned that Sra. Nofrietta will be leaving us at the end of this year, so we are currently hiring for Spanish for next year, along with an Assistant Director Position in BASE and BASE staffing positions. If you or anyone you know may be interested in one of these open positions, please reach out to me!
On Wednesday next week, we will continue our tradition of crowning Mary at our school Mass, and our 8th graders will perform their Liturgical Dance. We will also be joined by special guests from the Fulcrum Foundation. Many special things are happening these days!
In Christ,
Anna
UPCOMING DATES
- May 4th – School Commission Meeting
- May 12th – 8th Grade Pizza
- May 19th – Talent Show
- May 19th – Gator Bowl
- May 26th – Noon Dismissal, Field Day
- May 29th – No School, Memorial Day
NOTES & REMINDERS
It’s Concert Time
Music is in the air! Everyone is invited to the Band Festival, May 10 at 7:00p.m./Kennedy Catholic Goodwin Gym! Come celebrate Catholic schools through music! All Band members gr. 5-8 will be performing in this concert. Permission slips are now due!
Catch the Holy Rosary Band in action at the upcoming Talent Show on Friday, May 19!
Library
The Book Fair is coming May 1-5! Be sure to get your books for summer reading at this BOGO fair. More information about the fair and eWallets will come home with your student soon. If you would like to help out, please contact Britnie O’Farrell at brofarrell@yahoo.com. All volunteers need to be Safe Environment cleared prior to volunteering.
Disney Spirit Day!
On Friday, May 19th, we will have a free dress day in honor of the talent show. This year’s theme is Disney! Students can dress as a character from Disney movies (Minney Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, Lightning McQueen, a Disney princess, Tigger, Scrooge, Captain Hook, etc.), dress in a Marvel costume (Black Panther, Antman, Captain Marvel, etc.) or wear any Disney gear (Mickey ears or clothes). If you don’t have any Disney gear, you can make yourself some Mickey ears to show your spirit! We look forward to seeing all of the fun spirit as we watch the awesome talent show performances.
Check Your Volunteer Hours
We will be charging families for unfulfilled Volunteer Hours in June. Click here to enter any hours you have completed. log in your volunteer hours If you are still in need of volunteer hours, see the Volunteer Section below or on the website.
Playground Use After School
With the warmer weather upon us, we wanted to remind families that our playground is available for play for 30 minutes after dismissal for closely supervised children. There is the potential for many people to be out there with BASE students there as well, so please do assist us with closely monitoring all non-BASE students. No children should be there unsupervised and BASE staff are unable to supervise non-BASE students. After half an hour, the BASE flag will go up and at that time the playground is reserved for BASE use only. Thank 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) = 5
ACTION ITEMS
2023-24 BASE
After completing enrollment for the 2023-24 school year, BASE is very full and the enrollment period is closed. If your family is still in need of before/after school care, we invite you to join the BASE waitlist. Our hope is that there might be some movement over the next few months and BASE could accommodate some families who are still in need of care for the next school year.
Please complete the application form: https://holyrosaryws.org/base-registration-form/
Password is: NewFamily
Room Parent Recruitment
Be a room parent for the 2023-2024 school year! If you enjoy planning and attending classroom parties, parent’s nights out, and spoiling the teachers with birthday gifts, then this job is for you! Room parents fill such an important role in each class and help take a little weight off our teacher’s shoulders. This time spent also goes toward your family commitment hours. If you are interested in being a room parent during the 2023-2024 school year or would like more information on room parent responsibilities, please contact Nicole Henning at nsantee@gmail.com
2023/24 8th Grade Uniform Update
Starting in the 2023/24 School Year, 8th graders will now have the option to wear a blue zip-up Sport Tek sweatshirt. This option is identical to the current red zip ups, but will only be available to the 8th grade class. The order period will end on Friday, May 14th. The next order period will not be until October. The school office will not have the navy zip up sweatshirts available for purchase.
Youth sized sweatshirts are $35 each.
Adult sized sweatshirts are $40 each.
Please use the attached form to place your order. Your School Admin account will be billed.
ORDER HERE >> https://holyrosaryws.org/navy-zip-up-swea…t-8th-grade-only/
School Commission Open Meeting Tonight
The May School Commission meeting will be an open meeting and we’re inviting anyone who would like to attend to come listen in and contribute to the Conversation. The meeting will be Thursday, May 4 at 6:00 pm in the school. At this meeting next year’s school budget will be reviewed and approved. This is an opportunity to learn more about the work of your School Commission. We hope to see you then!
Second Graders Time to Shine and Sing on Mothers’ Day!
Second Graders are invited to sing for Mothers’ Day! Every year, all parish Second Graders are invited to sing with the Holy Rosary Parish YouthChoir! for Mothers’ Day at Sunday 10:30 Mass. It is always fun and exciting to see and hear all the new young voices! They will get to learn about choir and sing for their moms on Mothers’ Day! There is no charge for Second Graders.😉 First practice is after school on Wednesday, April 19!
We will sing at the 10:30 Mass on Mothers’ Day, Sunday, May 14. Rehearsals are after school in the chapel starting after Easter Break, on Wednesdays: April 19, 26, May 3 and 10.
Choir practices are in the Chapel from 2:25-3:05. Kids have a snack and play in the Chapel courtyard until choir begins.
Teachers will escort kids from classroom to chapel. Pick-up is from the chapel courtyard at 3:05.
Students will be escorted back to BASE as needed.
No cost for Second Graders to participate. Donations to the YouthChoir! are always welcome. You may contribute via the online link.
To register your Second Grader to sing on Mothers’ Day, please register online on the Holy Rosary Parish website: http://holyrosaryseattle.org/youth-choir. Arrangements can also be made if there is a Wednesday rehearsal conflict. Our goal is to have as many Second Graders as possible come and sing for their Moms!
Looking For Alumni
Are you a parent who is also Holy Rosary School alumni? Have you stayed connected to your HRS class and can help us identify more alumni? The HRS Alumni Committee has a goal this year to re-establish connection with our alumni so we can engage on a new level through communications and events. If you are alumni or know of any alumni, please help us reach our goal by completing this quick alumni details form.
BASE Is Hiring
BASE is hiring for the 2023-24 school year for both an Assistant Director (20-25 hours/week) and for BASE supervisor aids (15-20 hours/week). These are great opportunities for individuals looking for part time employment or for high school (junior or senior) or college students. Thank you for helping us spread the word! If you are interested in learning more, contact BASE Director Rachel Hagenson (rhagenson@holyrosaryws.org).
EVENTS & FUNDRAISING
Annual Fund
Our fundraising focus for the remainder of the school year will be the ANNUAL FUND. If you have already contributed to the Annual Fund, thank you. If you have NOT had an opportunity to make an annual fund donation, I urge you to help us reach 100% participation. No amount is too small. When applying for grants, a higher percentage of participation tells the granting committee that we have exhausted our internal resources. Click to donate to the ANNUAL FUND.
Why support the Annual Fund?
Tuition and fees do not fully cover the school’s expenses. Fundraisers, including the Annual Fund, are needed to make up the 20% difference.
Gator Bowl
Sign-up for the first ever Gator Bowl – Friday, May 19 from 5 to 8pm at West Seattle Bowl benefitting The Father James Mallahan Endowment Fund. Rock and bowl at the 90s themed event by entering your team of up to 6 adult (21 and over) bowlers for $300 to compete for individual/team bowling and costume prizes (think flannel, Stussy, Dr. Martens, Hypercolor, etc.). Imbibe with food and drink specials, participate in the colored pin competition and try your luck at winning a raffle prize. Registration and happy hour from 5 to 6pm. Bowling from 6 to 7:30pm with a brief awards ceremony to follow. Space is limited so register now here!
We are also actively looking for event sponsors. If your business is interested in event sponsorship, please contact us at gatorbowl@holyrosaryws.org.
Below is a list of team names that have registered for Gator Bowl on May 19th. If you do NOT see your team name below, please reach out to gatorbowl@holyrosaryws.org.
6 Non Blondes
Average’s Joes
Holy Rollers
Hootie & the BOWLfish
Kathleen McCabe
Livin’ on a Prayer
Munson
Saved by the Bell
Saved by Bowl
Shafmoreson
Snakes on a Lane
The Bowling Stones
The Flannels
The Fresh Pins of Bel-Air
The Mazzy Star’s
Twiggily Twigglers
Yo Mamas
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!
- May 16th
ADMISSIONS
Ambassador Families
Want to share all you know about HRS? Then we need YOU! Volunteer and help welcome New Families to Holy Rosary School! Need families in all grades! Earn a minimum of 4 volunteer hours during the summer for the 2023/24 school year. Details here.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Alumni Committee
Need to grab a few more volunteer hours this year? The Alumni Committee is looking for volunteers to help us strengthen our HRS alumni network and programs. The team is specifically looking for volunteers with Marketing or Social Media expertise. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to alumni@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.
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
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
Musical Fun During The Summer Sun
The annual Kennedy Catholic Elementary Summer Band Program is set for July 10 – 14 at the high school! 12:15 – 2:00p.m./$30.00
Miss McKamey invites all current band students to this special week of music! Click the link for details and registration! https://www.familyid.com/kennedy-catholic-fine-arts-activities-programs
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!
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
