Hawk Happenings!

I can't believe that we are in our final days until Christmas break. I think EVERYONE is happy to say goodbye to 2020, right?! :) It has certainly had its challenges. I have been thinking a lot lately about the link between joy and pain. The 3rd Sunday of Advent is focused on joy, yet for so many people there are serious challenges right now: health, finances, school for the kids, job security, food security, and on it goes. It is easy to get lost in the issues of this moment and not to embrace the joy. People from Mark Twain to St. Thomas Aquinas have reflected on the link between the two feelings, noting that there can be no true joy without sorrow and pain. Just think of the joy you feel after coming out of a time of physical pain. Can you recall how good you felt? I think we have all gone through a lot this year and we are ready to usher in the joy (and peace) that can only come from our Savior, Jesus. It is a blessing to have this time to reflect on that and to come out of the past, prepare to be renewed, and to start a new year. God wishes for us to turn to Him in good times and bad, to deepen our relationship with Him. How has your relationship with God grown in the past year? Has it been tested? At Holy Rosary, we know all about relationships. I firmly believe that it is what sets us apart from so many other schools. We get to know one another and care for each other...deeply, not superficially. When someone needs help, our community steps up to answer that call. It is my wish that all of you have a wonderful, safe, and blessed holiday season and that we are back together (in person) in the new year to continue deepening our relationships.

Blessings,

Katie Dempsey

Principal

• Thurs, Dec. 17th - School Mass at 11 am - All are Welcome
  
• Fri, Dec. 18th - Noon Dismissal for Pre-K and K, No Zoom classes after 12 pm for grades 1-8
• Mon, Dec. 21st - Fri, Jan. 1st - No School
• Mon, Jan. 4th - Pre-K and K return in person and 1st - 8th grade return to remote instruction
• Mon, Jan. 11th - Online Virtus training for volunteers. Sign up at virtus.org
• Mon, Jan. 18th - No School for Dr. MLK, Jr. Day
• Tues, Jan. 19th - Return to In Person Instruction/Hybrid for 1 - 8

UPDATE: If you need to submit volunteer hours, Colleen Thomson is in charge of tracking those. She is happy to update you in the system if you just take a picture of your documented hours and email them to her at casmt@comcast.net.

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REMINDER:

Volunteer Hour Ideas:

• Bring your child/ren to any Catholic church in their school uniform. This is not only a wonderful way to encourage families to attend mass, but it is a great way to market our school. For each time your family attends mass with kids in uniform, you will receive 2 volunteer hours. Just record them on the sheet or on the website. NOTE: Weekend masses at St. Martin of Tours are in the gym at 9 and 10 am on Sunday. Your are always welcome!
• Volunteer to procure items for our auction or find another way to support our annual auction. This year, we will be combining our annual gala and auction, so the support is needed more than ever. Just contact Sarah McKinney at smckinney@holyrosarybilingual.org to ask how you can help.
• Cleaning in the school or around the grounds. We always need help with keeping things clean and tidy. If you have time, you can arrange to volunteer to help Ms. Lucia or Ms. Lizbeth with cleaning or you can pull weeds around the campus. Just contact the front office at office@holyrosarybilingual.org and let Ms. Nina know how you would like to help.
• Helping with the spring fundraiser. Ms. Nina will be arranging our spring fundraiser event on the campus. In the past, we have done read-a-thons and walk-a-thons, we are looking at an event that will be much more exciting this year, but we will need your help to make it a success. If you would like more info, contact Ms. Nina. She will be putting together a small committee to assist her.
• Help us market our school. Know of an event coming up? Arrange to hand out marketing flyers for Holy Rosary Bilingual Academy. Sarah McKinney has them, so just contact her. Community word of mouth is critical for building our enrollment.
• Are you good with researching and writing grants? Spend some time researching grant opportunities and work with us to apply for them. Grants are a big part of our annual budget so we love to access new ones! If you can do this, contact Ms. Dempsey at kdempsey@holyrosarybilingual.org.
• What talents do you have? Do not hesitate to share them with us. When you do/share something you love, it doesn't feel like a chore. So, share your passion with our community. We LOVE it!