Dear St. Rose Families,

I'm sure you feel like you just did your back to school shopping and started stowing away summer items; and here we are, today, arriving at the first day of Fall! While we have a bit of a dreary forecast for the start of the day and season; the light of hope that fills our halls is burning bright and we don’t even notice clouds and rain. All the beginnings, firsts, and return of traditions for the new school year have our students energized and excited to be back in our halls and classrooms; and our hope remains strong.

Our pictures tell most of our stories; but, sometimes I like to narrate a little bit so you can experience the joy, we do, as we live them out each day. Let’s begin with the start of our buddy program for the school year. Our first and fifth graders joined together on Monday, for “Talk Like a Pirate Day”; after meeting their buddies for the first time and having some pirate fun, you could already see the connections and bonds of friendship being made. We actually got to see what buddies mean to our children when the next day a knock at our fifth grade door brought two little first graders in for a visit; one asking to see their buddy. In her hand she held a beaded bracelet she had made with colorful beads and four alpha beads that spelled the name of her buddy. The room grew very quiet while everyone saw the excitement of the giver and receiver and then applause broke out. Then back to first grade went our little friends, not realizing just how much that gift meant to our fifth grader. Her fifth grade buddy wore that bracelet all day and I caught glimpses of her looking down at it and smiling and every once in a while she’d look up and you could see that her heart was overflowing with joy.

Here is another one of those moments where our children don’t cease to amaze us and pull at our heartstrings; it is a part of an email that was received after the first days… “…my son came home and went straight to do his homework. While he was getting his stuff ready, he said, ‘I really like my teacher. I can tell that she is my favorite of all the teachers I have had.’ I told him that was awesome and that he should let her know that. Then he said, ‘Well, that actually makes me sad because I know she won’t be my teacher forever. She only teaches third grade.’ I told him…if you know she won’t be your teacher next year, make everything count to make this year special…then he said, ‘I want to be the best student she has ever had.’ What a difference we have been experiencing! Thank you St. Rose.” What a blessed teacher and student!

These are just a couple of the stories that happen behind the pictures we share each week. As God takes his paintbrush and begins to set his beautiful landscape ablaze in color, and gifts us with a change in seasons; we look forward to new things, and we hold tight to all that reminds us of the importance of the little things, and the small moments of our daily lives. When we pause to experience them, we realize just how truly blessed we are in each day we share.

Sending prayers for  God's peace to fill your autumn days!

Mrs. B

Our 3's making friends, enjoying the sand and last rays of summer sun and painting their way into our hearts.

Our Class of 2023 is definitely putting the "lead" into leadership of our student body. The enthusiasm which they have shown while embracing all the opportunities put before them is truly inspiring and contagious; and I couldn't be prouder of each one of them. I want to thank the seventh and eighth graders who said "yes" to our first Student Ambassador task, being the greeters and helpers at the opening days of the St. Rose Religious Education Program. They received a huge thank you and a lot of praise from Director, Cate Gosselin, who has invited them back to help during the second week of classes.

THANK YOU TO:

8th Graders-Adriana, Jolie, Bennett, and Damien

7th Graders-Ellie, Shivanjali, Christian, Evelyn, Michelle, and Liam

Student Council Applications are filling my mailbox and I am happy that representatives from 6th, 7th, & 8th grades are all stepping up to run for roles on our Student Government. My office hasn't been as busy as it has this past week, with middle schoolers stopping by with ideas for service projects and other activities. Our first service project is the Halloween Costume Donations. Our 8th graders are collecting gently used costumes and accessories and will be sending them to brighten and add a little fun and spookiness to the season for children, who otherwise wouldn't know the joy of a fun Halloween and dressing up to trick 'r treat. Our students realizing their blessings and wanting to pay it forward, give back, and help others realize that someone cares is evident when they stop by to share their ideas.

I want to thank our families for supporting the efforts of our young leaders during the school year. They aren't afraid of hard work and going that extra mile to make a difference and send good out into the world. I have sent out a number of requests for volunteers to help with after school programs, and their speedy responses and gratitude for opportunities also shines a light on what we have missed so much in our halls, it's a wonderful feeling to hear and see the buzz and activity as they work together. 

If you have a Rubik's Cube fan at your house, don't miss the sign up for a new club started by 7th graders Tomas and Luke. They did all the planning and will run the club with the help of moderator, Mrs. Quinn. This is all just the beginning of what we can see is shaping up to a school year bursting with rich experiences, for our children, inside and beyond the classroom!