Gratitude is a flower that blooms in noble souls Pope Francis. Thank You, God, For a Hundred Things

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1 There will be no News and Notes on Nov. 22. November 15, 2016 Dear St. Rita Parents, Gratitude is a flower that blooms in noble souls Pope Francis I d like to share one of my favorite prayers for the Thanksgiving season which always causes me to stop and take inventory of everything I have to be grateful for during this holiday. In addition to what the poem mentions, I am thankful for teachers who are dedicated to providing your child/ren with a safe, nurturing and faith-filled learning environment each and every day. I am thankful for our dedicated support staff that answers your questions, prepares and serve lunches, keeps our school clean, takes care of sick children, and handles any other situation that may occur. I am thankful l for our hardworking and energetic students who bring a smile to my face each and every day. I am grateful to Fr. Sharkey and the parishioners at St. Rita Parish for their continued support. I am grateful to our parents and grandparents for the many sacrifices they make in order to send your child to St. Rita School. God has blessed each and every one by bringing us together as the St. Rita School family. Throughout this holiday season and beyond may God continue to bless and protect you and your family. God Bless, Mrs Tiezzi Thank You, God, For a Hundred Things Thank you, God, for a hundred things For the flower that blooms, for the bird that sings, For the sun that shines, And the rain that drops, For ice cream and raisins and lollipops. Thank you, God, for the gift of time For the clocks that tick, and the bells that chime, For days gone by, For my boss and co-workers, for future cheers, And seasons, and moments, for hours and years.

2 Thanks for the people who give life pizzazz For folks who play sports, those who write and play jazz, For friends and for families, For folks of all races, For hands that give help and for bright smiling faces. Thanks for the planet you give as our safe home For the sky with its clouds, for the oceans' white foam, For the creatures and critters, The lakes, falls and fountains, For hills and for valleys, for canyons and mountains. Thank you, God, for the gift of your Son For the love Jesus shared, for the battle He won Over death, for the promise That He would be near To lead and to guide and to hold us so dear. Thank you, God, for a hundred things For autumn and pumpkins, for dragonfly wings, For Thanksgiving dinners, For sea sides and shore, For a hundred things, and a thousand things more. Thank you for entrusting your children to our care. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I wish you and your family Happy Thanksgiving. The month of November is very busy. Below is a list of upcoming events for November. Please check the school website for any updates. Nov. 15 Reconciliation in church Nov. 19 9:00 and 10:15 in church Nov. 20 Open House from 1:00-3:00 Nov. 21 Picture retake day 9:00-11:00 Nov. 21 & 22 Early Dismissal Day for Conferences. Dismissal at 12:15. Conferences from 4:00-7:00 on Monday and from 1:00-4:00 on Tuesday Nov. 23 Early Dismissal at 12:15. NO AFTERCARE Nov. 24 & 25 Thanksgiving Holiday-No School Nov. 27 Advent Begins Nov th Day of School Celebration. Details to be forthcoming Nov. 28 Advent Prayer Service Nov th Anniversary Green Tee shirt Day

3 SCHOOL NEWS ST. RITA SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE This Sunday, November 20 th join us for our open house for the upcoming school year Advent Prayer Service Join us on Monday, November 28 8:30am in the school gym for our Advent Prayer Service. Upcoming Virtus Training Sessions Tuesday, Nov. 22, St. Mary of Branford Anyone who has recently taken the Virtus training please send a copy of your Virtus certificate to Sr. Anne. Thank you #GIVINGTUESDAY - SAVE THE DATE : NOVEMBER 29th St. Rita School has joined #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Occurring this year on November 29, #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Fridayand Cyber Monday to kick-off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support. Visit our website to learn more about #GIVINGTUESDAY and how you can help support St. Rita School. Don't forget to check out the "UNSelfie" Toolkit! AFTER CARE WILL BE AVAILABLE ON EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS until 5:30pm with the exception of those days that come before a holiday. There will be after school available on parent teacher conference days, (Nov. 21 st and 22 nd and February 16 th and 17 th). After Care hours half days, as noted in SRS handbook are until 5:30pm. Before and After Care questions should be directed to Mrs between the hours of 11:00am and 5:30pm. THERE WILL BE NO AFTER CARE ON WED. NOV. 23. Christmas Concert/Pageant-This year we will be having a combined Christmas concert/pageant on Thursday, December 15 at 1:15 P.M. This concert will feature the school chorus, instrumental band students, and the students in grades kindergarten through grade 3. Parents and grandparents are invited to attend. The concert should last approximately one hour and will be held in the school gym.

4 Primary Grading Code for Specials The Primary grading code for specials (PE, Art, Music and Spanish) is the same scale as all academic subjects. SRS Musical News! A pop culture phenomenon comes to the SRS stage in Schoolhouse Rock Live! The Emmy Awardwinning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math and more through clever, tuneful songs is lighting up stages everywhere. Auditions for this strong ensemble show will be held in January and more information is coming soon! Students in grades 5-8 are eligible to participate, and everyone who auditions will be cast. Director Mrs. MaryLee Delaney will return along with Jim Teti as Music Director and SRS alum Miss Maria Saracco as Choreographer. Retake / Absentee Day and Sibling Portraits Monday, November 21, 2016 Who Should Go on Absentee/Retake Day: Any student not satisfied with original portrait - Return your complete package to the photographer on retake day. Any student who was absent on the original day whether you are purchasing a package or not. Order forms are available in the school office one week prior to retake day. Any student who did not purchase on the original day and would like to purchase a package. Order forms are available in the school office one week prior to retake day. Sibling Portraits: If you would like to have your children photographed together, please request an order form from the office. Order forms are now available in the school office. Fill out order envelope with your package choice and in the first name box put Sibling and in the last name box, last name. Any questions, please call Lifetouch at

5 Dear Parents, Each year we use information gleaned from our families to apply for grants and to qualify for funding through the Federal government Title programs which help to support our students. This funding is based on the number of responses received. In addition to the number of responses received, our funding increases based on the number of qualifying families who meet or fall below the following family guidelines. Please complete the information below and return it to us by Friday, December 16, It will only take a minute of your time, but what we can receive in support of our students is important. Thanks so much for taking your time to complete this form and return it to us! God, Bless, Mrs. Tiezzi Number of Family Members Annual Gross Income 1 $21,250 2 $29,101 3 $36,612 4 $44,123 5 $51,634 6 $59,145 7 $66,656 8 $74,167 Each Additional Family Member $7,511 I am a Hamden Resident (address ( ) I am not a Hamden Resident I am a resident of (town/city) Our family meets or is below the family income guidelines above. Our family does not meet or is not below the family income guidelines above

6 St. Rita Church Christmas Eve Family Mass "She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7 When: Saturday, December 24 at 6:00 p.m Where: St. Rita Church Rehearsal: Tuesday, December 20 at 6:00 PM in the church Children ages 5 and above are invited to participate in the Christmas Eve 6:00 PM Family Mass! As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the children will dress up like the people from the very first Christmas. They will help us remember the events of that miraculous night as we tell the story of our Savior's birth. We will celebrate the Christmas Eve 6:00 PM Mass with children participating as readers, altar servers, and singers. Rehearsal One adult needs to stay with your child(ren) during the rehearsal on December 20 at 6:00 PM. in the Church. Sign-Ups If your family and/or child would like to participate in the Christmas Eve Family Mass, please contact Suzanne Hamling (stritayouthgroup01@gmail.com) by or phone ( ) by Friday December 16. Please provide her with your child's name, and age. She is looking for children to play the part of: Angels Shepherds Mary Joseph Animals We are also in need of readers (for older children 6th grade and up) and a family to carry the Christmas Banner during the Procession and another family to carry up the gifts.

7 HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION St. Rita School 60 th Anniversary Liturgy, Luncheon & Auction April 2, 2016 Yankee Candle Fundraiser The Yankee Candle catalog sale has ended and all orders with payment should have been returned to school. Remember you may continue to place orders online until January 2017 and St. Rita School will earn money from those purchases. Just follow the instructions on the sheet included with the catalog and contact your friends and family. Thank you! GREEN TEE SHIRT DAY for November has been changed from Friday, Nov. 18 th to Monday, Nov. 28 th. "Spirit Wear - Happy 60th Birthday St.Rita School! Our 60th Anniversary Merchandise is on sale NOW! Car Magnets - $10 or 2 for $16, Green Yacht Tote Bag - $25 and Coffee Tumblers - $10 or 2 for $18 are available now for purchase! You don't need an order form - simply your order to Joanne Bruno at srsspiritwear.stritaschool@gmail.com and include your family name, your selected merchandise, quantities and your child's name and homeroom teacher. Look for the 60th Anniversary Flyer with order form this week on Facebook and our website. got Spirit?" Open Home School Association Board Position There is an immediate opening for the Recording Secretary position on the Home and School Association Board. If you are interested in joining this extremely energetic group, please hsasrs.stritaschool@gmail.com by November 18th. School Rewards Programs and Matching Gifts Many area and online retailers have rewards programs that benefit SRS when you link your loyalty card to our school. Please see the flyer ed today with News & Notes and sign up with Target, amazon.com, Stop & Shop, and Shop Rite. You may designate SRS as the recipient of benefits from your purchases by either going online at each retailer and following the instructions on the flyer or by filling out the bottom of the flyer and returning it to school. Even if you have linked your Stop & Shop and/or Shop Rite card to SRS in the past, you must do it again every year for our school to continue to receive benefits from those retailers. The flyer is also available on our school website at "Rewards Programs" listed under the "Support Us" link.

8 Also available under the "Support Us" link on our website is a list of companies that provide matching gifts when an employee of one of the companies makes a donation. Please check the list to see if your employer is on it and your donations to SRS will be doubled when you complete a matching gift form from your company. Thank you for your support of St. Rita School! Square 1 Art Fundraiser Your child's personalized catalog was sent home today. Celebrate their artistic achievement by ordering timeless keepsakes to cherish for years. Orders are due no later than November 22. Items will go home with your child mid-december, and will make perfect holiday gifts! Please contact Joanne Bruno at joanne.bruno.jb@gmail.com or Alisa Zambory at alisazam@live.com with questions. Caritas Christi Center What Makes Us Catholic? What Time do we Have? -Mining the Treasures of Scripture and Tradition Thursday, November 17, 7:00-9:00 pm Each program reflects the conviction that Catholic faith is most effective (i.e. sacramental) when it forms people s identity and shapes how we respond to the great Questions the real issues of life. As you attend these programs, we hope you will have opportunity for reflection and conversation, not only within yourself but with your neighbors in the Body of Christ as well. The pedagogy throughout each program can be described simply as bringing life to Faith and bringing Faith to life. Thomas H. Groome, Ph.D., (speaker for DVD series) Professor of Theology and Religious Education at Boston College and Director of the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry. Facilitator: Sister Jeanne Marie Vonder Haar, ASCJ, Director of Caritas Christi Center. Donation: $15 per session. To register please call Ladauto Si Featured Section: The Gospel of Creation Monday, November 21, 7:00-9:00 pm Pope Francis Encyclical, Laudato Si, invites us to prayer, meditation, reflection and discussion on how the Word of God is speaking to you personally and us collectively. There are six chapters in the Encyclical and we will meet six times through the course of the year, covering one chapter a night, including appropriate Scriptural references. Each night will be an independent prayer and discussion so come to one or to all six. Several different methods of prayer and meditation will be used during the course of the six sessions including: Ignatian, Benedictine, Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer and Prayer of the Heart. Facilitator: Jim Pepitone, MA in Theology and Peace Studies and a certificate in Spiritual Direction. Donation: $15 per session. To register please call

9 Film Study: Brooklyn Wednesday, November 30, 6:30-9:00 pm An Irish immigrant (Saoirse Ronan) in 1950s New York falls for a tough Italian plumber (Emory Cohen), but faces temptation from another man (Domhnall Gleeson) when she returns to her homeland for a visit. Facilitator: Jim Pepitone, MA in Theology and Peace Studies and a certificate in Spiritual Direction. Donation: $8. To register please call Advent Day of Prayer Presented by Jerusalem Road Saturday, December 3, 9:30-4:00 pm As we leave Ordinary Time behind we enter the holy season of Advent, a season of preparation and joyful expectation, anticipating the coming of Christ into our lives. Our Advent Day of Prayer offers the time, space, and atmosphere to experience the Holy Spirit opening our hearts and preparing them for love. Join the Christian folk rock band Jerusalem Road for a day of liturgy, prayer, meditation, reflection, discussion, fellowship, and, of course, lots of music. Donation: $40. (Includes lunch.) To register please call Holly Berry Festival The annual Holly Berry Festival, a juried arts & crafts fair benefitting the Retirement Fund for the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, will take place Fri. November 18 (3-8 pm) & Sat. November 19 (10 am 3 pm) at Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden. There is a baked ziti dinner on Friday from 5 7 pm ($10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under) and a food court on Saturday from There are still some spots left for crafters. If you are interested in renting a space call ext. 406 for more information.