May 4, 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,

This week we have been celebrating our terrific and dedicated teachers. Without their tireless energy and perseverance we would not have been able to remain open for in-person instruction, and also teaching the remote learners concurrently, for almost 150 days. Throughout the week we have been honoring them each day with a special treat or activity thanks to the generosity of our HSA, our parents, and our vendors. Special thanks to DiSorbo’s Bakery, the Evanich Family, and Erin Carmody for the special surprises throughout the week. Thanks is also extended to our NJHS members for assisting with distributing the special treats.

In addition to celebrating our wonderful teachers this week, on Thursday and Friday our annual plant sale will be held. Students will have the opportunity during the school day on Thursday to purchase plants and vegetables. A price list was sent home with your child last week and is attached to this newsletter. This is a perfect opportunity for your child to purchase a surprise gift for Mother’s Day! Volunteers are still needed to help staff the plant sale during the school day on Thursday and after school on Friday. If you are Virtus trained and have a few hours on Thursday or Friday that you can help, please go to the link below and sign up. The HSA will also be having the drawing for the 50/50 raffle on Friday, May 14. If you have not yet purchased your raffle tickets please do so this week.

School Nurse’s Week begins on Thursday, May 6, and we are most grateful to Mrs. Palma for her guidance and care especially during this year of COVID! Mrs. Palma has been instrumental in helping to keep all our students and teachers safe. She has spent countless hours speaking with our parents and addressing your concerns regarding quarantine, travel, COVID protocol, etc. Thank you Mrs. Palma for your hard work and dedication to the St. Rita School students, teachers and parents.

Tomorrow is the final day of the IOWA tests for students in grades 3-7. Testing will once again take place from 8:30-10:30. The results of the testing will be sent home to parents with your child’s final report card and will be used by our teachers for planning purposes for the upcoming school year. Test results will also be a factor in determining middle school math placement and referring students for remedial and/or enrichment programming.

This Saturday, twenty-six second grade students and their families will be celebrating the sacrament of First Communion. Please keep these children and their families in your prayers over the next few days. Thank you to Mrs. Gertz, Mrs. Bonini, Mrs. Landino, and Mrs. Halloran for preparing the students for this very special day. Congratulations to all and may God’s blessings continue to follow them throughout their lifetime.

Re- registration for the 2021-2022 school year is past due and we have begun accepting new students. A number of our classes are currently reaching capacity. Should class size be capped again due to COVID guidelines we do not want current students to be closed out for the 2021-2022 school year. If you have not yet re-registered please do so soon and if your child/family will not be returning please contact the office immediately. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Registration for our Summer Fun Camp and Summer Academic Program is currently still be accepted. Once the programs fill-up, a waiting list will be established. I would highly recommend that any student, especially our remote learners, take advantage of the Summer Academic Program in order to maintain and reinforce skills. The Summer Academic Program is offered to students entering grades 1-8. The Summer Fun Camp is open to students entering grade kindergarten through grade 5.

Thank you for entrusting your child/ren to our care. Wishing everyone a beautiful and blessed Mother’s Day weekend!

God Bless,

Mrs. Tiezzi

Principal

Volunteers Needed!!

We are in need of volunteers to help our students shop at our annual plant sale. Students from Kindergarten through Grade 8 will have an opportunity to purchase plants on May 6 from 8 am to 4 pm, during the school day. If you are able to help, please click here to sign up!

Spring Band Concert

in the park(ing lot)!!

Please mark your calendars for

Tuesday, May 25

(rain date Tuesday, June 1st)

at 1:45 pm in the St. Rita School parking lot.

All St. Rita band members will be performing.

Come and enjoy the music as the students perform the songs they have been learning throughout the year.

Please bring your own chairs. Parents may take students home after the concert.

Financial Aid Information

On May 1, 2021, the portal for financial aid will be open for applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. The portal will remain open until July 15, 2021. In order to apply for financial aid, you must be current in tuition for 2020-2021 and registered with a deposit for 2021-2022. Please remember there is a limited amount of financial aid available so applications will be reviewed on a first come first served basis.

To access the portal, go to: www.smartaidforparents.com

If you already have an account, the same login id and password will work from last year. If you are a new user, you may create a new account by following the prompts.

The application fee is $35.00 and is paid online. If paying the fee would preclude you from applying for financial aid, please contact the Business Office at (203) 248-5513 for further information.

You will need access to your 2020 tax return and all applicable tax documents to complete the application.

If you have any questions while completing the application, you may contact SMART at (800) 360-8027 or [email protected].

Families that receive awards will be notified by email in mid July and will be asked to contact the Business Office at (203) 248-5513 to accept their award and indicate how to spread the award over their payment plan. If you do not receive an award, you will also be notified. A waiting list will also be maintained as financial aid does occasionally become available during the academic year.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Paula Nugent, Business Manager, at (203) 248-5513.

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]

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

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

PLEASE HELP US REACH OUR GOAL!

The deadline for the

SRS 50/50 Cash Raffle

is fast approaching!

Send in the attached order form by Friday, May 7^th.

Drawing will be held on May 14^th at St. Rita School.

The raffle is open to everyone, so please help us spread the word!

Click HERE to download the CASH RAFFLE order form

Mother’s Day Plant Sale

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

In-person shopping from 8am-4pm on the 6^th and from 2-4 pm on the 7^th.

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: 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. Unfortunately, we will need to cancel this portion of the event if we do not have volunteers to fill each time slot.

Click HERE to download the Dress Down/Crazy Hair Day Coupon

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

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!