Weekly Family Communication

Dear Holy Rosary Families,

I hope this message finds you well this second week of November. On Monday, our staff gathered for a wonderful retreat focused on the Second Task of Catechesis—Initiating into the Celebration of the Mystery. These important faith formation days help our teachers deepen both their faith and their understanding of teaching the Catholic faith. I hope you all enjoyed a restful long weekend!

Last night, our Parents Club hosted a wonderful guest speaker from the Seattle Police Department on Internet Safety and keeping our children safe online. A recording of the presentation is linked here—we encourage you to watch it. It’s filled with valuable and practical information for parents navigating today’s ever-changing digital landscape.

In Christ,

Anna

Dear Parents,

As we enter November and December, our school counseling focus is on gratitude and service, along with helping students build planning and organization skills. Research shows that practicing gratitude can boost children’s happiness, reduce stress, and strengthen resilience. Engaging in acts of service not only helps others but also nurtures empathy and a sense of purpose—important ingredients for emotional well-being.

Showing gratitude and serving others doesn’t just happen—it requires intention, follow-through, and awareness of others’ needs. Planning and organization help students turn kind ideas into real actions.

We’re excited to partner with you in encouraging children to notice the good around them, help others, and plan thoughtfully—skills that will benefit them now and in the future! You can nurture this at home by:

• Creating a gratitude jar, where your child writes one thing they’re thankful for each day. For older students consider a gratitude journal.

• Encouraging your child to write thank-you notes to loved ones, teachers, or friends.

• Asking daily reflection questions like:

  • “Who helped you today?”

  • “What made you smile?”

  • “Who did you show kindness to today?”

Thank you for supporting your child in building these meaningful habits.

Best,

Kelly Dobelstein

• Nov 14th - 8th Grade Pizza Lunch
• Nov 21st - Noon Dismissal
• Nov 24th-26th - Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences
• Nov 27th-28th - No School, Thanksgiving Break
• Nov 28th - Tree Lot Opens

2025/26 School Calendars

Holy Rosary School will have its annual Christmas Program the evening of December 18th @ 6pm. You won't want to miss this special evening filled with student performances, readings, and prayer as we prepare for Christmas! Students will spend months preparing for this special evening and all students and families are asked to be present for this event.

Yum Yum! Friday is 8th grade pizza lunch!

Parents, our gently loved uniform collection is ready for adoption! 🩵 There are plenty of clean, neatly hung Jackets, skirts and sweatshirts just waiting to be loved again.

Contact Arlo at arlowyn.i@gmail.com and let her know what you need — no paperwork, no questions, just good uniform karma. 😄

Help these clothes find their next great adventure (and save yourself a few bucks in the process)!

Beginning next week, all entrances to the church will be fully locked once school Mass has begun. All doors can now be easily unlocked from the inside in case of an emergency, but this measure will allow us to focus fully on our students during Mass and ensure that all entrances remain secure.

Families are still very welcome to join us for Mass; however, please note that entry will not be available once Mass has started.

In addition, we have discontinued the regular livestream of our school Masses. We will continue to livestream special events and will share grade-level–specific links when those occasions occur.

Our teachers are looking forward to meeting with all of our school families. Conferences will take place Monday through Wednesday, November 24th-26th. Please sign up for a conference time with your child's homeroom teacher. 1st through 8th grade students are required to attend the conference with their parents.

Preschool and Kindergarten
Grades 1 & 2
Grades 3 & 4
Grades 5 & 6
Grades 7 & 8

Our Catholic faith calls us to remember and care for those in need, especially those living on the margins. As people of faith, we are invited to act with compassion and generosity toward others.

This November, our school will hold a food drive to help stock the shelves of our parish St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, which serves individuals and families in need right here in our West Seattle community.

Donations may be brought to school and placed in the collection boxes located at the school entrance. Please check expiration dates before donating.

Items most in need include:

Canned Tuna
Canned Chicken
Peanut Butter (16 oz.)
Canned Chili
Canned Pasta with meat
Boxed cereal
Boxed Oatmeal (instant packets)
Canned Fruit
Canned Vegetables
Hearty Soups
Macaroni and Cheese
Rice a Roni
Rice Sides (Knorr)
Pasta Sides (Knorr)
Instant Mashed Potatoes

Holy Rosary School has the opportunity to join other local Catholic schools to host a Japanese exchange student for one week in March between their academic years, from March 21st - March 29th. Last year we had two students who were hosted by Holy Rosary families spend a week in our school. It was a wonderful experience for everyone! The students joining us will likely be in sixth, seventh or eighth grade, and families receive a small stipend to offset the expenses of hosting a student for the week. The students would then attend classes here at Holy Rosary School during the week. If you might be interested in learning more about this opportunity, and possibly hosting a student for the week, please email principal Anna Horton at ahorton@holyrosaryws.org.

The priority application period for parish members & current school families closes November 15th for the 2026/2027 school year. If you have a new student who would like to apply to Holy Rosary School, please complete our online application at: https://holyrosaryws.org/applynow/.

Re-enrollment for current HRS students in Preschool-8th grade occurs in January. Current HRS Pre-K students - please see your Pre-K newsletter for Kindergarten information. Any questions, please contact: admissions@holyrosaryws.org

For families in need of tuition assistance, financial aid application through FACTS are open for 2026/27. Information about tuition assistance can be found here. Applications are due by Dec. 15th.

The day after Thanksgiving the TREE LOT opens to sell trees, wreaths and garland to the West Seattle community. In addition to raising over $170,000 for HRS, this fundraiser donates a portion of all sales to two local charities: Salvation Army Hickman House, and West Seattle Food Bank/Clothesline.

Share Warmth. Share Hope. Donate new or gently used clothing items to those in need!

As the cold settles over Seattle, many of our neighbors are struggling just to stay warm. Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission is a donation based organization offering shelter, hot meals, and hope to those facing homelessness.

This season, you can make a difference in a simple, meaningful way. We’re collecting gently-used coats, hats, gloves, and sweatshirts to help keep men, women, and children warm through the winter months. Need more donation specifics/ideas? Look here.

Every item you give — and every act of kindness — brings warmth, comfort, and dignity to someone who needs it most. Together, we can show our neighbors they’re not forgotten.

Start collecting your gently used coats, hats, gloves from your homes for donation during the Christmas Tree Lot that runs from Nov 28- Dec 14.

AUCTION (March 7, 2026, Brockey Center, South Seattle College)

Our largest fundraiser of the year is the annual Auction. Last year we raised over $450,000. Each family is committed to procuring/donating a minimum of $225 in auction items or cash so the committee may build fantastic packages to be bid upon.

The donation portal is now live, so get a head start and enter your donation. You will not drop off your donation until January, watch the efc for additional details. Family donations must be entered into the portal by December 5.

The 24/25 Annual Report is complete, you may view it here.

Earn volunteer hours during conference week putting together 2 office desks. If interested, contact Kristin Bentler

Business Procurement Team Member

Goal: Connect with local businesses to help secure funding to support the Holy Rosary Auction!

How: Become a procurement team member and run your own Neighborhood Zone. Send procurement letter, email, walk-in, etc. to local businesses asking for their support to donate to the HRS auction. Follow up and provide tax documentation to each business. Track progress and confirm procurement. Auction items can come in various forms i.e. gift cards, wine/beer/liquor, art, cooking classes, merchandise, etc.

When: Procurement will take place now – January.

Hours Earned: 10-20+ hours (Fundraising)

Contact: Bente Madtsen: (bente.madtsen@outlook.com) or Jenna Cohen: (jenna.cohen.jn@gmail.com)

Take a few minutes to log into your Safe Env 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.

New families: Please complete your background checks and SE training before volunteering! If you haven't set up a volunteer log-in yet to record hours, here is the link! One parent must be the main account user, a 2nd parent can be added to the account as a sub-account. Instructions will be on the main account user’s page on how to add a sub-account.

New this school year, there is an extracurricular Ski Bus offering, led by Holy Rosary parents. Registration is due Nov. 21st, information will be emailed to 6th-8th grade families this afternoon.

Do you have a high schooler who misses playing CYO sports? Have them sign up for CYO high school basketball!

Please contact Athletic Director Brendan Kolding at cyo@holyrosaryseattle.org with any questions.

Farewell Celebration for Jen King, November 16, 2025, after 10:30am Mass in the School Hall with our Ministry Fair

You're invited to give thanks to Jen King and her tireless efforts as our Parish Administrator before she returns home to Australia. Please join us on Sunday, November 16 after 10:30am Mass in the School Hall.

Advent Celebration, Sunday, November 23, 2025 at 9:30am-1:00pm, School Hall

All are welcome to our fun and festive Advent Celebration on Sunday, November 23, 2025 in the School Hall. Stop by after Mass or anytime between 9:30am-1:00pm for Advent activities and crafts for children and adults, Coffee and Donuts, decorating cookies and more! Come prepare for Advent and celebrate the "Reason for the Season"! For questions email Deyette at Dswegle@holyrosaryseattle.org.

Volunteer Opportunities for Youth (6th grade-high school) & Adults at our Holy Rosary Advent Celebration

Looking for a fun way to volunteer? Need Youth or Adult Holy Rosary Volunteering Hours? Join us by volunteering at our festive Advent Celebration on November 23, 2025 in the School Hall. There are setup slots on Friday evening, November 21, 2025 as well as different time slots for helping with Advent activities and Coffee and Donuts on Sunday, November 23. For Signup use this link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4AA5A82AA02-60168895-copy

Holy Rosary’s Advent Celebration on November 24, 2024

• Purchase Advent candle set for $5.00 and a Brass Advent wreath for $10.00.
• Advent candle set and wreath sold together or separate. Cash or Check only.
• Available for purchase at our Advent Celebration on Sunday, November 23, 2025 in the School Hall from 9:30am-1:00pm.

Advent Donations & Food Drive for St. Vincent de Paul along with Hygiene Donations for Westside Interfaith Network (WIN)--November 23, 2025

Help those in need in our West Seattle Community by donating non-perishable food for our St. Vincent de Paul Food pantry. You may also make a cash donation to assist with Emergency assistance for rent, paying a utility bill, car repair, etc. Westside Interfaith Network (WIN) needs donations of bars of soap, deodorant and men's warm socks. Drop-off donations at the Advent Celebration on Sunday, November 23, 2025, anytime between 9:30am-1:00pm in the School Hall. Thank you for your support to those in need in West Seattle!

If you are interested in having your child baptized at Holy Rosary, contact Deyette Swegle.

Are you interested in assisting us in our Soup Kitchen? Please contact Chris Dormaier.

https://holyrosaryseattle.org/rcia-for-older-children

See our Flyer for more information.

https://holyrosaryseattle.org/1st-reconciliation-1st-communion

srstella@holyrosaryseattle.org

https://holyrosaryseattle.org/rcia-adults.

We offer Children’s Liturgy of the Word year round at Sunday 10:30am Mass.

• Parish Children’s Choir 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.

https://holyrosaryseattle.org/confirmation

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.