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,
It was wonderful seeing so many of our families yesterday afternoon at school. The positive energy that filled the building makes me so excited to welcome our students back this coming Tuesday!
You may have noticed that the scaffolding is finally gone from the school, representing near completion of months of summer projects. This summer we painted a portion of the school and the gym interior, painted the exterior doors and metal railings, refinished the gym floor, installed new gym bleachers and scoreboards, installed new playturf on the preschool playground, tuckpointed the entire school, finished the asphalt on the lower playground, installed new front doors, installed new lockers in two of our junior high classrooms, installed a new floor in our staff workroom and kindergarten bathrooms, refinished our junior high bathroom floors, and installed security cameras around the campus. This was an epic summer for necessary campus updates in a 100 year old building. Next up, new gutters! We could not have done any of this without the support of our school families and our community, thank you for your generous support of our school.
We’ve spent this week as a staff in Professional Development, engaged in learning about and discussing important topics such as Social-Emotional Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Accreditation, and Partners in the Gospel. We looked at MAP data and student support plans. We broke open our theme for this year (Walk as children of light) and talked about what this means for our school. We celebrated Mass as a staff.
During our time this week we also talked about the challenges of helping our students navigate the ever-changing world of technology. In this light, I’d like to ask for your help in preparing our students to start school this year. We realize many of our students carry phones or other electronic devices to school for safety and communication purposes. In this busy world, we understand this. We also know that adolescents struggle with impulse control of when to use these items, and are unable to resist temptations such as messages popping up on a SMART watch during the day. If your child has one of these items and brings it to school, please speak with them and remind them that all phones must be put away and stored in backpacks at all times during the school day unless they have special permission to be used by a staff member. They should not be taken out during passing periods, at lunch, or at recess. Likewise, if your student is wearing any sort of SMART watch that can send and receive messages, these must be placed in school mode during the day. Though these devices all serve a useful role, they have the ability to be tremendously disruptive to the elementary school day. Thank you for assistance with this.
We will see you all very soon and are here to support you as we embark on this exciting school year. If we can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
In Christ,
Anna
UPCOMING DATES
- Sep 5th – 1st Day Of School (K-8)
- Sep 7th – Parent Night (K-8)
- Sep 15th – 7th/8th Grade Dance
- Sep 19th – School Pictures
- Sep 22nd-23rd – WestFest
NOTES & REMINDERS
First Week Of School Dismissal Times
Dismissal according to last name: M-Z earlier time & A-L later time shown.
Kindergarten – No school Monday, Tuesday through Friday 11:55a/12:05p dismissal
1st-8th grade
Monday: No school
Tuesday: 11:55a/12:05p dismissal
Wednesday: 2:00p/2:10p dismissal
Thursday: 2:55p/3:05p dismissal
Friday: 11:55a/12:05p dismissal
First Day of School Coffee and Pastries
Parents Club will host Coffee and Pastries the first day of school after drop off. Stop by the school hall after you drop your child(ren) off to say hello to old friends and make some new friends!
Safe Environment Status For Returning Parents
Please take a few minutes to log into your account and check your status. You may need a 20 minute refresher. Checking your status now will save staff time in contacting you before you can volunteer.
School Band
Ready, set, GO! It is time for music with the Band! Veteran musicians: New music and concerts are coming your way! Fifth grade future music stars: Band presentations and full details will be coming soon! We look forward to another special year of instrumental music!
Mark Your Calendars!
Junior High (7th & 8th grades only) Back to School Dance on Friday, September 15th from 7-9pm in Lanigan Gym. Details will be distributed in class.
Drop Off Notes For The Fall
After two years with students with last names starting with A-L, the drop off window for the fall will be last names M-Z at 8:15 and last names A-L at 8:25. Pick-up will follow the same pattern- 2:55 for last names M-Z and 3:05 for last names A-L. If you need to make arrangements for another window for reasons like carpooling, we are happy to work with you. These staggered times help us with the traffic around the school in the morning and afternoon.
Puyallup Fair Tickets
Student Puyallup Fair tickets are available for free in the school office.
Classroom Supplies And Comfort Kits
Student classroom supplies have been ordered. A fee of $50 per student will be charged via SchoolAdmin on the 10th of September. Please note there are a few items we are still asking families to provide. Click here for details. Students should bring comfort kits to their classrooms on the first day of school.
K-8 Lunch Program
Welcome to the New School Year!
I wanted to take the time to introduce myself to all the parents/ guardians of Holy Rosary.
My name is Alexandra and this is my 3rd year running the lunch program. I look forward to being your point person this year and welcome any questions and/or concerns you may have. We will be starting lunch service on 9/11/23 this year.
Your September menu is up and ready for ordering to begin.
Just a few ordering reminders/ changes:
- Please remember to place your order by 1pm the day before the meal that you would like to order. (This is different than 7pm in years past)
- You can now mouse over the menu options and a description of what is included in the meal will be available.
- Make sure to process your order in your cart so that your child’s lunch can be counted into our lunch ordering system.
Any questions please contact me at Lunchladiesav@gmail.com 360-865-1018
Medication Policy
Washington State Law requires in order to dispense medication, prescription and over the counter, your child must have an oral medication/prescription permission form authorized by a licensed healthcare provider, who has prescribed the medication and the parent/legal guardian. The parent/guardian must also provide the medication, which is from a licensed healthcare provider in its original labeled container from the pharmacy. The container must include the name of the student, medication, dosage information, and enough medication to be administered at school. For non-prescription medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen the school also needs an oral medication/prescription form signed by a health provider and parent. No medication will be given to a child without an oral medication/prescription form on file.
ACTION ITEMS
Milk For The Year
Order milk online here for your student for the entire school year. The milk cost is $25 per student, with the option of 1% white milk all week, or 1% white milk Monday-Wednesday with 2% chocolate milk available on Thursday and Friday. Your SchoolAdmin account will be billed for your selection. *Class Letters were mailed out last week. Please wait to sign up for milk until you have received your child’s class assignment.*
8th Grade Pizza Lunch Is For EVERYONE!
We have 10 Pizza Fridays! This amazing fundraiser helps pay for the many events throughout the year for the graduating class. Events include retreats, fun day, baccalaureate dinner, graduation, and the graduation reception. We appreciate your support! There is the option for one slice or two of cheese pizza. Please select Gluten free, if that is what your child needs. Lunch will include a fruit or vegetable and a treat. The one slice of pizza lunch is $80 for the year. The two slices of pizza lunch is $100 for the year. There IS NOT a month to month option. Orders are for the entire year and must be submitted by Sunday, September 24th. Orders will be processed through the SchoolAdmin payment system. *If your child is absent, for whatever reason, there will not be a refund. Below are the dates for the 2023/2024 pizza lunches:
Oct 6th
Oct 20th
Nov 3rd
Dec 1st
Jan 12th
Feb 23rd
Mar 22nd
Apr 19th
May 10th
May 31st
Sign Up Now! Your student will thank you!
Red Zip Up Sweatshirts
If you ordered a Red Zip Up Sweatshirt, please come by the office to pick it up. We are here from 9am – 3pm, Monday through Friday.
Address Changes
Please remember to notify the office of any address, phone or email changes in order to have the most up-to-date information in our school directory for next year.
Summer Math/Reading Challenges
Just a reminder that if your child participated in either the math or reading challenge, the turn in deadline is Friday, Sept. 8th! The completed form(s) need to have the student’s full name, a parent signature, and this year’s grade listed. Make sure to pack it with your child the first week back to school, and it can be turned into the office or your child’s homeroom teacher.
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.
EVENTS & FUNDRAISING
Magazine Drive
Our annual Magazine Drive will officially kick-off in September. Renewal notices are arriving, so let your customers know that HRS will once again be selling magazines. New subscriptions and renewals count towards our goal. Last year we raised over $120,000. Stay tuned to upcoming efc emails for additional details. Fun, new prizes will be added for this year!
Safe Environment Training
Don’t forget all volunteers need to be Safe Environment cleared. Please login and follow the steps:
- Log in to the Virtus web site
- Create an account
- Select the Protecting God’s Children class
- Select Archdiocese of Seattle from the dropdown
- Then select Holy Rosary Seattle
Volunteer Hours
The volunteer hours portal is ready for the 23/24 school year.
- Go to ‘Report Volunteer Hours‘ (also a red hyperlink on our home page.) Current families use last year’s log in information.
- 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.
Westfest
Holy Rosary’s Carnival of Community is the weekend of September 22 and 23. Get ready for carnival style rides, games, food booths, live music, and a beer garden. This is a huge volunteer event. Sign up for your volunteer shifts NOW to get a head start on your volunteer hours!
Westfest Sponsors Needed
Holy Rosary is looking for sponsors to help support this family friendly community event. If you own a small business or your family is looking for a fun way to support our community, please consider a sponsorship. If you have a personal connection to additional business owners, please feel free to pass the information along or connect them with us. I can be reached at bonnierice@gmail.com or feel free to give me a call (206) 226-4046.
WestFest T-Shirts
Calling all WestFest fans! T-shirts and hoodies are selling fast! Place your order online via the link below. All orders will be billed to your SchoolAdmin account and distributed to homerooms by 9/20. https://holyrosaryws.org/westfest-tshirts/
Westfest Pancake Breakfast
Sunday, 9/17 • 8AM – 12PM. Yum, it’s the WestFest pancake breakfast! Come enjoy a stack of pancakes (gluten free pancakes available) with ham, bacon, pastries, coffee, tea, milk and juice served before or after Mass. Bring your appetite to the School Hall across the street from Church. Prices are $35 for families, $10 for individuals, and kids under age 5 are free.
Safe Environment Training
Don’t forget all volunteers need to be Safe Environment cleared. Please login below and select the Protecting God’s Children class.
Steps:
1. Log in to the Virtus web site
2. Create an account
3. Select Archdiocese of Seattle from the dropdown
4. Then select Holy Rosary Seattle
Don’t forget to look at our volunteer opportunities for WestFest below.
ADMISSIONS
Digital Forms
New this year, our back-to-school forms are going digital. Check your email, from last Friday, with subject line: Complete Before the 1st Day of School. Thank you to the nearly 70% of families that have already completed this task!
School Walkabout
Unsure which door to enter for your child’s class? Join us, if you are able, Thursday, August 31 (updated date) for the School Walkabout. Meet Beth Martin outside the main office doors at 6pm.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
CYO Soccer & Cross Country Registration
CYO Cross Country
Cross country registration is open for all Holy Rosary grades. This is a fun and quick season that gets runners outside exercising, burning energy, and having fun.
We need coaches to ensure this season can take place! No prior experience needed – willingness to have fun with kids getting them moving outside is all that’s needed. It’s a great season to get involved and log volunteer hours.
Cross country practices will be Tuesday and Thursday 4-5pm at Lincoln Park through mid October. Practices will start on Tuesday, September 12th – we will meet at the south lot of Lincoln Park. You can do both cross country and soccer – making all practices isn’t required.
Meets are held at Woodland Park. Preliminary meets are Sunday Sept 24th and Oct 1st with K-3 Championship Oct 8th and 4-8th grade Championship October 15th – times to be determined. Every runner must participate in one of the preliminary meets in order to run in the championship race. Please email Lisa Nooyen (ldnooyen@yahoo.com) if interested in coaching or with any questions.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
1st Day Of School Coffee
Parents Club is looking for volunteers to help host Coffee and Pastries in the school hall this coming Tuesday morning after drop off on the first day of school. If you’re able to volunteer for an hour or two, please email Nicole Chastain at nicole.chastain@gmail.com.
Looking To Earn Double Volunteer Hours?
Enjoy putting furniture together? I’m looking for someone who can put together two pieces of furniture this Friday 9/1. If you’re keen to help out and would like to get a head start on your volunteer hours, please email Jen:paa@holyrosaryseattle.org to find out more.
Do You Love To Weed
If you love to garden, weeding in the flowerbeds at the school, parish and the round-about is a great way to earn volunteer hours. You get to pick your days and hours.
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.**
REMEMBER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ARE ALSO LISTED HERE!
PARISH NEWS
Baptism For Children
Baptism, as stated in the book, Order of the Baptism, “is the door to life and to the Kingdom, is the first Sacrament of the New Law, which Christ offered to all that they might have eternal life”. We are happy to welcome your family to the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism at Holy Rosary Parish. During the Sacrament of Baptism, parents, godparents and entire congregation are called upon to remember our own baptismal vows and the grace with which we have been blessed. For more information about Baptism for children from birth up to age 7, please contact Deyette Swegle at Dswegle@holyrosaryseattle.org or 206-937-1488, ext. 251. You may also complete our online registration form Baptism Registration | Holy Rosary Catholic Church | Seattle, WA (holyrosaryseattle.org).
1st Reconciliation & First Holy Communion Preparation
Holy Rosary parish follows the guidelines of the Archdiocese of Seattle regarding children’s preparation to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Children must have one year of religious instruction before being prepared for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Registration is already open online: 2023-2024 Sacramental 2 (formsite.com) For more information about Sacramental 2 Preparation, please contact Sr. Stella at srstella@holyrosaryseattle.org or call 206-937-1488 ext. 252.
OCIA Adapted For Children (Former RCIA)
Holy Rosary welcomes children and TEENS ages 7-18 years old who have never been baptized and or baptized in other Christian tradition and have the desire to become Catholic. Please contact Sr. Stella for more information at srstella@holyrosaryseattle.orgor call 206-937-1488 ext. 252.
Children’s Liturgy Of The Word (CLOW)
We offer Children’s Liturgy of the Word all year round at Sunday 10:30am Mass. We are committed to supporting our children hear God’s message in a way that they can participate as well as help them apply the Word of God to their own experiences and actions. All children from preschool to 3rd grade are welcome to join CLOW during the 10:30am Mass. Children start Mass with their family and are dismissed after the opening prayer and return to Church before celebrating Communion. CLOW is free and no registration. Contact Sr. Stella at srstella@holyrosaryseattle.org or call 206-937-1488 ext. 252.
Other Opportunities For Children
- Parish Children’s Choir (3rd-High school) To learn more about Holy Rosary Parish’s Children’s Choir go to: YouthChoir! (Grades 3-6) | Holy Rosary Catholic Church | Seattle, WA (holyrosaryseattle.org)
- Altar Serving (5th -High school)–email Paul Dolejsi at Pdolejsi@holyrosaryseattle.org for more information.
Adult Confirmation
Holy Rosary offers a preparation course of 10 classes for adults who wish to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation that will begin Thursday, September 21, 2023. Confirmation classes for Adults will be taught one or two Thursday evenings a month 6:30pm-8:00pm. We will celebrate the Confirmation Liturgy in February. We have requested February 6th, 7th, or 8th and we will know the actual date by the end of October.
To online Adult Confirmation registration go to https://fs10.formsite.com/HRParishws/form24/index. For questions or more information, please contact Carlos Palacian at evangelization@holyrosaryseattle.org.
Becoming Catholic: Order Christian Initiation Of Adults (OCIA)
We Catholics believe that God offers us a full share in his divine life through his Son, Jesus Christ, in the community of the Church and in the Sacraments (ritual encounters with Jesus in which we receive his gifts) which the Church celebrates. If you are interested in becoming a full member of the Catholic Church, and receiving the Sacraments, the process is called the “Order of Christian Initiation of Adults” or “OCIA” for short. It usually begins in the fall of the year, and culminates at Easter, when new Catholics enter fully into the life of Christ and his Church. If interested in becoming Catholic, please use our online registration formhttps://fs10.formsite.com/HRParishws/form24/index If you have any questions about becoming Catholic, or about any aspect of the Catholic faith, please Carlos atevangelization@holyrosaryseattle.org
Women With Purpose
NEW Fall Holy Rosary’s Women With Purpose (WWP) Study Sessions Thursday Evening or Friday Morning or Both! Looking for a way to connect with other women and renew and grow your faith life? Holy Rosary’s Women with Purpose group offers all that and more. Women of all ages and stages of life are welcome and you do not need to be Catholic to join a Women with Purpose session. This fall, we are offering two incredible sessions, “Epic: A Journey Through Church History” and “Rescued, the Unexpected and Extraordinary News of The Gospel” by Fr. John Riccardo. See Flyer
WWP Thursday Evenings (6:00pm-7:30pm)
- Fall Session: Thursday, September 14-October 12, 2023
- Book: “Epic: A Journey Through Church History”
- What is this session about?: We will cover the story of our Church and the last two thousand years. Knowing the history of the Church is crucial for our future since we cannot shape the future without an understanding of the past. “Epic” offers insight into who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. Note, we are dividing “Epic” into four intervals each five sessions. Join us for all or any one interval.
- Purchase: “Epic Study Set” thru Ascension Press: https://ascensionpress.com/products/epic-a-journey-through-church-history-study-set
WWP Friday Mornings (9:00am-11:00am)
- Fall Session: Friday, September 8-December 8, 2023
- Book: “Rescued, the Unexpected and Extraordinary News of The Gospel”by Fr. John Riccardo.
- What is this session about?: Explore Our Faith Story: created, captured, rescued and response as we learn we all have a vital role in our Church story. Discover practical ways to respond to faith challenges and how to live and lead the faith life you are called to.
- Purchase: “Rescued, the Unexpected and Extraordinary News of The Gospel” is available on Amazon in audiobook, Kindle or paperback.
The Parish Is Hiring
Holy Rosary Parish is hiring a new administrative assistant to work in the parish office. Expanding from the current role, this new full time position will continue with responsibility for managing the calendar for all parish events and compiling and producing the bulletin each week, while also providing support to the pastor, business office, and other parish programs. For a full job description, see the parish website.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
The Taste of West Seattle
Tickets are on sale now for The Taste of West Seattle:
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The West Seattle Food Bank is excited to bring back this local, community-based food fair. The event will feature food and drinks from over dozens of local restaurants, breweries, wineries, coffee shops, bakeries, chocolatiers, specialty food stores and more!
The Taste of West Seattle draws a sell-out crowd of hundreds of people from throughout King County. All proceeds from the event go directly to support the West Seattle Food Bank’s most needed programs and services.
The Taste has always been about bringing neighbors together over delicious food, promoting our local restaurants, and ultimately supporting and strengthening our community. While the event format has to change, these values remain. Now, more than ever, we see the importance of coming together to support our local restaurants and helping our community.
To become an event sponsor, restaurant participant, or take part in some other way, please email breanna@westseattlefoodbank.org
Violin Lessons
Caitlin Kelley is a professional violinist based in West Seattle. She performs frequently with the Seattle Symphony and Opera, and received a graduate degree from the Juilliard School in NYC.
She is an active violin teacher, and is currently accepting new students of all ages. She would be happy to offer a free trial lesson to Holy Rosary students that are interested in trying out violin lessons, or who might prefer to switch to a West Seattle-based teacher. She may be reached at 206-245-7025 or caitlinkelleyviolin@gmail.com.
