Catholic School Updates
Diocese of Rochester
All Saints Academy, Corning
Holy Cross School, Charlotte
St. Louis School, Pittsford
Friday, February 18, 2022
As we head into winter break, I wish all of our students a wonderful and happy time together with family and friends. We have had a busy few months with many great memories from Catholic Schools Week, Valentine's Day, and 100 days of school! Spring will be in full bloom soon and with it, we can anticipate many more updates to our school programs, especially regarding our Coronavirus protocols.
While the past few weeks have certainly been a challenge, I do thank all in our school community who have demonstrated patience and understanding at the almost continuous updates and changes we have experienced from the state and local health departments. I also recognize the frustrations that many of you have expressed, especially regarding school mask mandates, and look forward to taking the next steps in this journey altogether. The tasks ahead of us are not easy ones, but we can do hard things. We can do them because we work together - all together - for the benefit of our children. Most importantly, when our faith communities engage in productive and respectful dialogue, we model our faith in action. Please continue to work with your principals, our Catholic Schools office, and all in our school community to continue this example of faith, hope, and love.
On a different note, registration time is here and Lent will soon be upon us! We are excited to re-register our current families and welcome new ones into our awesome school communities. We kindly ask all of our current families to help spread the word about our schools - share a post on social media, write a review on Google, or simply tell a friend about your school. You are truly our best ambassadors.
Thank you for your continued support of our schools and programs. Wishing you a wonderful and relaxing break,
Jim
Mr. James Tauzel
Superintendent of Schools
St. Pius X School, Chili
St. Agnes School, Avon
Holy Family School, Elmira
Family Meal Prayer for Lent
Behold! Now is the acceptable time.
Now is the day of salvation!
I was hungry and you gave me food.
I was thirsty and you gave me drink.
I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
I was naked and you clothed me.
I was ill and you cared for me.
I was in jail and you visited me.
Lord, Jesus Christ, be with all those who are in need.
Bless us, and bless the food we eat today.
Help our families, our school, and our parish keep a good and holy Lent.
And bring us quickly to the glory of Easter.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
In 2022, Ash Wednesday will be celebrated on March 2nd, marking the beginning of Lent.
St. Ambrose Academy, Rochester
St. Francis - St. Stephen School, Geneva
St. Joseph School, Penfield
Most Current Masking Policy Updates - as of 2.18.22
While all schools currently remain under the Governor's masking mandate for schools, the attached policy and FAQ documents were shared with Diocese of Rochester Catholic Schools in preparation for an anticipated return to local decision making once mandates are lifted. Each individual school was asked to communicate their planned policy to school families as early as possible as we await further updates on the status of the mandate.
St. Kateri School, Irondequoit
St. Rita School, Webster
St. Mary School, Canandaigua
School Registration FAQ's
Why did tuition go up...again?
For many schools, an increase in tuition is part of every spring registration packet. While each school strives to keep tuition rates as reasonable as possible, the reality is that a 3-5% increase in tuition each year helps keep up with rising costs associated with running the school. Most importantly, we try to give teachers at least 3% raise each year to support and retain our great staff.
Why do schools ask for registrations so early?
Knowing who will be attending each school in the coming year is essential to proper planning. When we have solid enrollment projections, we can better align our available resources for the coming year to ensure we offer the programs and class sections necessary to keep our schools healthy.
What financial aid opportunities are available for my family?
We strive to find ways to remove any financial barriers that may be restricting someone's enrollment in one of our schools. To support this, we have several diocesan initiatives that offer scholarships and incentives for families.
The Building a Brighter Future Scholarship (https://www.dorschools.org/scholarship) is a grant funded scholarship awarded to families of highest financial need. Enrolled families at all 16 schools are eligible to apply for this award. In addition, the Family Ambassador Program (https://www.dorschools.org/ambassador) provides up to $500 in tuition credit for each family when a new family is enrolled based on the recommendation of a current family.
Each parish also allocates a fund in its school budget for financial aid. These awards are analyzed through FACTS and the parish finance director.
What can we do to help promote enrollment?
Our current families are truly the best ambassadors and key to keeping our schools strong is to have a strong enrollment. Sharing online posts from Facebook or Instagram, leaving positive comments, or tagging a friend in a post can all help spread the word about your school. In addition, please consider leaving a review on Facebook or Google for your school.
Thank you to all of our school families and your continued support of Catholic education. It is a blessing to serve each of you.
Seton Catholic School, Brighton
Math Game of the Month - Addition and Multiplication Salute
For three players you need:
- A deck of playing cards with kings and jacks removed (ace = 1, queen = 0)
To play Addition Salute:
- 3 players are needed. One player decides to be leader for the first round.
- The leader keeps the deck facedown and hands each of the other two players a card.
- The players do not look at the card, but they put it on their forehead, facing outward.
- The leader announces the sum of the two cards out loud.
- Each player then has to figure out what card is on their head. They know the sum and they know what card value is on the other player’s head.
- Rotate so that one of the other players is now the leader. Continue until the deck is gone.
To play Multiplication Salute:
- Read the instructions for Addition Salute above. Instead of announcing the sum of two cards, the leader announces the product of the two cards out loud.
- Each player then has to figure out what card is on their head. They know the product and they know what card value is on the other player’s head.
St. Michael School, Penn Yan
St. Mary Our Mother School, Horseheads
St. Lawrence School, Greece
Diocese of Rochester Department of Catholic Schools
Email: schools@dor.org
Website: dorschools.org
Location: 1150 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210
Facebook: facebook.com/DioceseOfRochesterSchools/
Twitter: @ROCCathSchools