Weekly Family Communication

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.

Dear Holy Rosary Families,

We are approaching Catholic Schools Week and every year during Catholic Schools Week we honor a Champion of Holy Rosary. This award is given to an individual or individuals who have truly given of themselves above and beyond to support Holy Rosary School and Catholic education. I'm pleased to share with you that this year's award recipients, nominated by their peers, are Holy Rosary School parents Jordan Pomeroy and Renee Kurdzos. Jordan and Renee have both served on our school commission for many years, have served (and continue to serve) on numerous school and parish committees, and this year are the co-chairs of our annual fund drive which replaced the magazine drive. Jordan and Renee's forward thinking approach to support the strategic initiatives of Holy Rosary School affects our entire community and the time they have given in support of our school is truly admirable. We will celebrate Jordan and Renee at the 10:30 Mass on January 26th, but please join me in honoring and thanking them with this special award this year.

We launched re-enrollment yesterday and you should have received an email message containing important information about this. Early re-enrollment allows us to make accurate budget and hiring decisions, thank you for your assistance with this! Our goal as we develop next year's budget is to continue to address salary gaps for our staff and to maintain our aging campus (including a heating upgrade we are actively planning for!). I'd like to thank the Holy Rosary School Commission for its participation and assistance as we determined next year's tuition numbers. The parent representatives who serve on our school commission donate many, many hours to supporting our school and I am truly grateful for them and their partnership. If you have any questions about this, please reach out to me (ahorton@holyrosaryws.org).

Have a blessed rest of your week!

In Christ,

Anna

Please DO NOT leave your car unattended in front of the school during drop off hours. Drop off in front of the school needs to be for active loading and unloading only. We have two schools on our campus starting at the same time and unattended parked cars create a backflow of cars trying to approach and drop off, which affects visibility. Please park on one of the surrounding blocks if you need to walk your child into school. Also, please do not drop students off in the middle of the street, pull over to the curb to drop off. This also creates a safety issue where students may not be seen by cars pulling away from the curb.

• Jan 20th - No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  
• Jan 24th - Prim Rose Planting
• Jan 24th - Gator Bowl
• Jan 26th - Catholic Schools Week Begins
• Feb 7th - No School, Teacher-In-Service
• Feb 14th - Noon Dismissal, Valentines Day
• Feb 17th - No School, Presidents Day
• Feb 18th - No School, Winter Break
• Feb 21st - Bingo Bash

After Holy Rosary's 10:30am mass on Sunday, Jan. 26th, we will have a school-wide Open House from 12-1:30pm. While we will be touring prospective families, our current school families are welcome to walk the hallways and see the multitude of class projects on display.

January 20th – Feast of St. Sebastian

St. Sebastian was a 3rd century captain of the Praetorian Guard. This was a hand-picked unit of Roman soldiers who were there to protect the emperor. He was raised Christian and converted fellow soldiers, local leaders, and Roman prisoners, but kept his faith secret from his superiors to avoid persecution by the emperor. Eventually, it was discovered that he was Christian and sentenced to death by an archer firing squad.

Ways to celebrate the Feast of St. Sebastian in your home:

*Make a dinner of shish kebabs, a nod to the holy way St Sebastian died, by arrows.

*St. Sebastian is the patron of athletes, so pull out some sports equipment and let the kids play.

*Celebrate athletes or coaches in your life to coincide with the feast day.

Last night we hosted Kelly Crouch, (Seattle Police Department and Strategic Advisor for the Washington Internet Crimes Task Force). She spoke about the importance of internet safety for our youth and some practical ways parents and guardians can support this. For those who were unable to attend, you can watch her presentation here. It's guaranteed to be informative.

She also shared these resources for parents/guardians that can help you teach your children about remaining safe online or navigating things for yourselves.

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews

Common Sense Media

https://www.netsmartzkids.org/

NCMEC – younger kids (elementary)

https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz/home

NCMEC – older kids (middle/high school)

If you'd like a copy of the slides from the presentation, please email Anna Horton.

Thank you to Parents Club for hosting this important event!

The book fair is coming for Catholic Schools Week, January 27th through January 31st.

Students will be shopping at the book fair during their regular library time. A great way to help your student have a positive shopping experience is to create an eWallet. The eWallets can be rolled over to future books fairs or used to shop online at Scholastic.

Head to Scholastic for more info: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/ewallet.html

Land's End now offers a red-V neck cardigan for girls and a unisex V-neck sweater vest (K-6th). Both options must be embroidered with our school logo. Samples are available in the Advancement Office.

You are now able to order our Macbeth plaid through Land’s End. Currently, a jumper and skirt option are available. Samples are available in the Advancement Office. We are anticipating they will make a skort available in the Fall. More uniform updates to come as we continue to review options. Email admissions@holyrosaryws.org with any questions.

This week's big storm is a reminder that we can sometimes have weather that will necessitate closing school or starting late. In case of a need to close school or have a late start due to the weather, we will notify families as early as possible. Keep an eye on the West Seattle Blog, Facebook, and on our website. We will also send an email to all families notifying you of any closures or late starts. If we start late, there will be no AM BASE, and if we close due to snow, there will be no BASE care on campus during the closure.

Re-enrollment of current students is now open and due by Jan. 31st. The primary billing parent on your student's account has been sent a link to complete contracts for the 2025/26 year. 2025/26 tuition rates can be found here. Families applying for tuition assistance will complete enrollment Feb. 17th-Feb. 28th after financial aid decisions have been communicated. Any questions, please contact admissions@holyrosaryws.org

Baseball & softball season is coming. If you need to have a form signed by the office, please fill it out completely and bring it to the office.

Next school year, our Preschool offerings will change to all 5-day a week classes. Full-time Pre-K class (M-F 8:30am-3pm), Part-time Pre-K class (M-F 12:05pm-3:05pm), and Part-time Preschool 3s (8:30am-11am). For new students Apply now if interested!

Contact Arlo Idziorek at arlowyn.i@gmail.com to request uniforms in your child's size.

Drop off your auction item or gift card tomorrow between 8:15 – 9:30. Look for volunteers in the alley and front of school or bring to the BASE doors.

Looking for fundraising hours? The following position is in need of volunteers. The auction volunteer sign up will be posted in the efc in the next few weeks, lots of positions available. Interested in either position below, contact Beth at bmartin@holyrosaryws.org. The auction volunteer sign up will come out next week in the efc.

1. Assist the auction photographer with setting up auction items to be photographed for the online auction. This will take place immediately following school on Tuesday, February 11 at 3pm and Wednesday, February 12th at 2pm. Each day will be about 2 hours.

2. Auction room parents may need assistance with the art projects chosen for each grade. Reach out to your room parents to contact the auction project coordinator.

One week until Gator Bowl! This year, the Holy Rosary Gator Bowl fundraiser will be a RODEO themed 21+ bowling event for Holy Rosary parents/guardians and adult Holy Rosary community members at West Seattle Bowl on Friday, January 24th. All proceeds benefit the Father Mallahan Endowment, so...it's for the kids!

Here are some important details to know about the event:

· Friday, January 24 from 5-8pm

· Sign up in a group of up to 6 people for $390 a lane, which includes lane rental, games, and shoes.

· Sponsorships available, starting at $200 for a Lane Sponsor

Don’t miss out, reserve your lane NOW!

Check out facebook and instagram for the latest hype reel, starring a familiar 6/7th grade dad!

CYO VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE WILL START THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY

The gym will not be available for volleyball practice during Catholic Schools Week, so practice will start in earnest the week of February 3rd. The 7th grade girls, 8th grade girls, and 8th grade boys may have evaluations for the sake of splitting into AA/AAA next week, depending on the playoff basketball schedule.

Families should expect to hear from coaches regarding the practice schedule next week or over the weekend. Player registrations are still being accepted!

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

We are in need of some additional volunteers for the funeral reception ministry. This is a rewarding and vital ministry in which volunteers help set up, serve and clean up for the receptions following the funerals. We try to keep a fairly large list of volunteers so that no one is called on too often. Time commitment varies depending on need and number of volunteers, or your availability. THESE COUNT TOWARD GENERAL VOLUNTEER HOURS FOR THE SCHOOL. Contact Marianne Wintermute at mwintermute@holyrosaryws.org

The book fair is staffed by parent volunteers. All volunteers need to be approved through the office and have their paperwork complete. Cashier or retail experience is helpful. The book fair will need volunteers throughout the week and after school on Monday and Tuesday. Click here Sign Up Genius if you would like to volunteer at the fair.

Questions? email Ms. Wallace at rwallace@holyrosaryws.org

We're looking for responsible volunteers to help manage our school's Lost and Found! This position involves organizing and sorting misplaced items, ensuring that students have a chance to reclaim their belongings, and keeping the area tidy. If you're interested in giving back to the school community while helping others find their lost items, please reach out to us. It's a great opportunity to make a positive impact and stay involved!

Email Karla at klawson@holyrosaryws.org.

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.

Holy Rosary is looking for gym supervisors for the CYO high school basketball and volleyball seasons. Games will be in the Holy Rosary gym on most Saturdays and Sundays until the end of the volleyball season. Hours will vary depending on the schedule, but typically 8-16hrs per weekend at $23/hr. Must be 18+, have a cleared background check and all Safe Environment training up to date. To apply or request additional information, please contact Jen King: paa@holyrosaryseattle.org.

Wildfires are currently ravaging Los Angeles and other areas of California. Please help families recover after the fires pass. Make an emergency donation to CCUSA today to help provide lifesaving resources. 100% of your gift supports wildfire relief efforts.

• More information: Check out our flier for more information.
• Register: https://holyrosaryseattle.org/wwp-registration

See our Flyer for more information.

https://holyrosaryseattle.org/infant-baptism-registration

srstella@holyrosaryseattle.org

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/adult-confirmation-1

West Seattle High School Fastpitch Softball Team will be conducting a skills clinic for girls ages 7-13 at SWAC on Sunday, February 9th. Attached is our flyer with registration information.

Here is also the registration link: https://forms.gle/e1T9zi9DQhTjWr6y8

www.seaprep.org/summer-learning

Summer Prep is for rising 5th-8th grade students

Summer Prep Week 1: June 16, June 17, June 18, June 20

Summer Prep Week 2: June 23 – June 26

Summer Prep Week 3: June 30 – July 3 (additional sports camps)

Registration Link: https://campscui.active.com/orgs/SeattlePreparatorySchool?orglink=camps-registration

I've found the summer camp search process to be tedious and time-consuming, so I made an easy way for families to search through just about every summer camp in their area.
Campwing has fine-grained data on ~340 camps within 20 miles of Holy Rosary (about 35% of which have released their 2025 camp schedules).
It's free through January. Families signing up through the link below and subscribing in February will get a discount for all of 2025: $10/month instead of $15, or $30/year instead of $45:
https://campwing.com/school/holy-rosary

Join Dragonfly's after school Tween/Teen Yoga classes.

Tuesdays 4:15-5pm

In addition to yoga poses, this class includes learning skills on how to check in with our emotions, how to notice what we're feeling in our body, and how movement and breath can help positively affect our attitude and our outlook on the world around us. And ... great tunes don't hurt. Our session just began - but we'd love to invite more students in. We're happy to prorate the cost to match when you are able to join.

More info here:

Kids & Teens | DRAGONFLY (dragonflywestseattle.com)

To register and get set up with a prorated discount, email amy@dragonflywestseattle.com