April 13, 2021

OUR MISSION:

St. Rita School inspires students in Pre-Kindergarten through grade eight to achieve academic excellence in a safe, nurturing and faith-filled Catholic environment.

We prepare students to be morally responsible, innovative thinkers who, in today’s technology-guided global community, live and share the Love of Christ.

From the Desk of Mrs. Tiezzi

Dear St. Rita Parents,

Beginning next Tuesday, April 27, students in grades 3-7 will be administered the IOWA Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). This test is a group-administered nationally standardized achievement test which measures students’ knowledge in subject areas that students have learned in school - reading, language arts and mathematics. Testing is taking place in all Catholic schools within the archdiocesan network of schools. IOWA testing will take place on Tuesday, April 27, Thursday, April 29, and Wednesday, May 5, in the mornings from 8:30 A.M.-10:30 A.M. Students who are remote learners, as well as those students who are in-person learners, will be participating in the testing. Please be sure your child is on time for school during this important testing period and that he/she is well rested and has had breakfast. Please avoid taking your child out of school for appointments during this time. Test accommodations and modifications will be made for those students who have a Service Plan or ICEP. Test results will be sent home to parents in June and will be used by our teachers to determine programming for the upcoming school year.

As of today, approximately 85% of our school families have re-registered for the upcoming school year. If you have not yet re-registered, but are intending to send your child back to St. Rita School for the upcoming school year, please re-register soon as we are currently accepting new students at all grade levels. If you have a younger child who will be eligible to attend St. Rita next year please contract Mrs. Bruno, our admissions director, for assistance with the application process. Many of our programs are filling up quickly so please do not hesitate completing your re-registration/registration.

Tomorrow, we celebrate Administrative Professionals Day and I would like to thank both of our terrific Administrative Assistants, Mrs. Angie Barnett and Mr. Michael Halloran for helping to keep St. Rita School moving forward. Their efforts and commitment to our students, faculty and parents are appreciated. They make a difference at St. Rita School every day and in every way.

Just a reminder to all our 2^nd Grade First Communion parents: Mrs. Zinn, the director of Religious Education for Divine Mercy Parish, will be hosting a brief Zoom parent informational meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, April 21 at 6:30 P.M. The link for the meeting was sent out to you in a separate email from your child’s teacher earlier this week. It is important that at least one parent from every child making First Communion on May 8 be in attendance.

On Friday, April 30 at 1:30 P.M., thirteen students from grades 7 and 8 will be inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. The NJHS recognizes and promotes student achievement in the areas of scholarship, character, service, citizenship, and leadership. Last week, an email was sent home to parents whose children will be inducted inviting them to attend the ceremony in church. Congratulations to all the new inductees.

Thank you for entrusting your child/ren to our care. On Thursday we celebrate Earth Day; let’s make a special effort this week and every week to reduce, reuse and recycle, to help save the planet for our children and their children. Stay safe and be well.

God Bless,

Mrs. Tiezzi

Principal

Lenten Service Project Update

Many thanks to all our school families for your generosity to our school-wide Lenten Service Project. As you know, we were raising funds in support of the Connecticut Food Bank and the Divine Mercy Parish Food Pantry. Both these programs provide help to food insecure families, including the many children throughout our state who are affected by hunger. We are especially grateful and proud of our St. Rita School students who have donated their own money, including their snack money, toward helping those in need.

To date we have raised $5,186.62.

Again, thank you for your contributions and your continued help with this important and essential project.

We are overwhelmed by your generosity. There is still time to send in your donation if you would still like to make a contribution, please send it in by Friday, April 16.

Sacred Heart Academy Spring Open House

Sunday May 2

10 am – 1pm (reservation required)

Individual family tours will be conducted every half hour. Tours may be reserved using this link .

COVID regulations for events will be strictly enforced and much of the event will be conducted outdoors, leveraging SHA’s beautiful campus.

We are happy to coordinate personal tours and/or virtual visits during the week for prospective students upon request. Please contact Jennifer Raccio in the Admissions Office to schedule a visit.

Birthday Celebrations

Miss Erin, our food service coordinator, has a variety of NUT FREE snacks (chips, homemade cookies or ice pops) available for purchase as a way to celebrate your child's birthday with his/her classmates Each item is $1.00 (cash only).

If interested, please notify Miss Erin via email 24 to 48 hours in advance with the date and homeroom teacher and the the snack item you would like to purchase. Please have your student bring in the cash for Miss Erin on the celebration day. Feel free to email her for any additional information.

Email : [email protected]

St. Rita School Early Learning Center has an open position for a part-time assistant teacher to work with children from infant through preschool age.

Hours are 8:00-12:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Please email or call Colleen for more information. [email protected], 203-288-6828.

Lunch

All policies and procedures in the Return to School Plan supersede anything in this handbook until further notice.

Students have the option of bringing their lunch from home or purchasing hot lunch on a monthly basis. All lunch orders will be placed on-line using Hotlunches.net and payment will be made via Paypal. All families must register and create an account to access the hot lunch program. Milk may be purchased on a yearly basis.

Any beverage brought from home must be in unbreakable containers.

Parents should not bring lunches from carry-out restaurants, nor should they schedule delivery of lunches from these restaurants directly to the school.

To lessen the risk of causing an allergic reaction in students with food allergies, students are asked not to share food with anyone.

For students with food allergies, a specific table is provided for eating lunch. Parents/guardians in grades 3-8 may opt to have their child sit at lunch tables that are not specifically designated for students with food related allergies. A form for this option must be requested.

Summer Camp/Enrichment Program Information

Click HERE to download the Summer Camp Flyer

Click HERE to download the

Summer Camp Registration Packet

Click HERE to download the Summer Academic

Program Flyer

Click HERE to download the Summer Academic

Program Registration Packet

Re-enrollment for 2021-2022

Tuition agreements have been sent home with your youngest child or through the mail. Signed agreements, including a $150 deposit per child, are due back to the office by Tuesday, April 13, 2021.

If you are in need of another copy of the tuition agreement, please click HERE to download.

Uniform Reminder

All students should be in proper uniform every day, including footwear, sweatshirts, and hair styles. Summer uniform changeover begins on Monday, May 3, 2021.

Xavier High School

On May 1 at 9 am, Xavier will offer the opportunity for 7^th graders to take the PreHSPT. This test is similar to the test that students take as part of their application to Xavier. By taking the test, students will gain a familiarity with the format, timing, and question types. A detailed score report will be mailed after the test administration to help students understand their areas of strength and weakness. Students who score in the 90^th percentile or higher will earn a $500 scholarship for their freshman year at Xavier. It will be conducted online so students will just need access to a computer with a camera to take it. The testing fee is $10 and registration for it can be done online. Contact Nicholas Grasso, Director of Admissions, [email protected] with any questions.

Enrollment Open for New Students

Enrollment for new students for the 2021-2022 school year is now open. Please click here to visit our enrollment page and to download an application, or call Mrs. Bruno, our Admissions Director, if you have any questions. Please spread the word - we have no better ambassadors than our current families.

Nurse's Corner

Dear St. Rita School Community,

We were recently notified that Hamden Public Schools will be following the CDC guidelines for travel and return to school. St. Rita will also be following these guidelines.

There have been many questions surrounding guidelines for travel outside of Connecticut. The State of Connecticut recommends individuals follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines as follows:

If you are eligible, get fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
Wait two weeks after getting your final vaccine dose to travel, as it takes time for your body to build immunity.
Get tested 1-3 days BEFORE you travel. Keep a copy of your test results with you during travel. Do not travel if you test positive.
Get a PCR test (not a rapid-test) 3-5 days AFTER you travel, AND self-quarantine at home for a full 7 days after travel.
Continue to stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel, even if your test is negative.
If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
If you do not get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for a full 10 days after travel.
Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when in public settings.
Masks are required on most forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States. Please keep in mind that when you use public transportation, you may be exposed to a larger number of individuals who may not always practice the appropriate mitigation strategies (distance & mask-wearing).
Be advised, that face shields do not meet the requirement of the CDC order but can be worn so long as a face mask is underneath.
All air passengers coming into the United States, including US citizens, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the United States.

Remember to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 while in quarantine, referring to the Daily Health Assessment. If at any time during your quarantine you develop signs and symptoms of COVIS-19, self-isolate (including away from other members of your travel party), contact a healthcare provider, and obtain a PCR test and inform your child’s school.

According to the CDC, travel remains a risk. These recommended actions above are intended to mitigate that risk to protect the health of students, families, and staff and help keep our schools safe for in-person learning.

While it has been a long winter and we all need a break, we need to keep each other safe to keep our school open. I hope the above guidelines can help you and your family enjoy this beautiful spring season. Unfortunately, viruses don’t take breaks, so we need to continue to work together to protect ourselves and others.

Home/School Association

Click HERE to download the CASH RAFFLE order form

Shred Day

is fast approaching!

Gather your sensitive documents and bring them to the

St. Rita School parking lot on

Saturday, May 1^st

9am-12pm

You will receive a disposal box for $10, and we’ll handle the rest.

This event is for the community, so please spread the word!

Spring is here!

Help us celebrate with our annual

Mother’s Day Plant Sale

Thursday, May 6^th and Friday, May 7^th

Please see below for details, and feel free to email Antonia Baroga if you have questions: [email protected].

We will have a selection of plants available for in-person shopping from 8am-4pm on the 6^th and from 2-4 pm on the 7^th, but if you have specific plants in mind, please complete the attached form for your pre-order. Please send your completed form to Antonia, [email protected], and bring cash or check when you pick up your plants. Orders will be accepted through Wednesday, April 21^st. Preorders can be picked up at any point during the sale (prior to Friday the 7^th at 4pm).

Students from Kindergarten through Grade 8 will have an opportunity to purchase plants on the 6^th during the school day. If you would like your child to participate, please make sure they have money and a box to carry home their plants.

Please note: In order to make this event possible, we need volunteers to help set up the plants and to assist students with their purchases. If you’re able to help, please sign up here.

Thank you for your continued support of our school.

Please join us for…

The 23^rd Annual SRS Golf Tournament!

Monday, May 24^th

New Haven Country Club, Hamden CT

Please see attached brochure for registration information and sponsorship details. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions: [email protected]

The Golf Tournament is a community event. We welcome family, friends, and anyone who enjoys golf, so please share the attached brochure broadly! In addition to helping tremendously with our fundraising efforts, 60% of any donation via sponsorships will count toward your HSA assessment.

Click HERE to download the Golf Tournament Brochure

Save the Date for the Below Events: More Details Soon!

May 21^st: Family Bingo Night! Join us for an evening of (virtual) family fun! Details will be announced soon; save the date in the meantime!

May 28^th: Pizza Party Lunches! Thanks to our generous Auction donors, EVERY SRS class will be enjoying a pizza party with treats for lunch. This Friday is an half day; teachers will be ending lessons early, and students will finish the day with a yummy lunch. Dismissal will be at the normal ½ day time.

June 2^nd: School-wide Dress Down Day, thanks to our generous Auction donors!

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

Do you enjoy event planning? Want to be more involved in your school community? Please join us on the HSA Board! If you’re interested in learning more, email us at [email protected].

HELP US EARN CASH AND SUPPLIES THROUGH FREE REWARDS PROGRAMS!

Each year, St. Rita participates in several rewards programs. Local grocery stores (and Amazon!) allow you (the shopper) to identify St. Rita as the school you’d like to support; every time you shop, we get a percentage of the sale in the form of points (that can be used for school supplies) or cash. Last year we earned over $1600 through Stop&Shop’s program and over 150,000 points through ShopRite! We have big goals this year, and we need your help to achieve them. Please click on the links below to register your store cards, and ask your local family and friends to do the same!