Happy Wednesday!

It was wonderful seeing so many of you at the Harvest Festival last weekend. It was a great opportunity for the kids and the families to have some time to just get together and get to know each other a little better...and to play a few games.

Behind the scenes the last week, the staff has been working hard on Professional Development. Specifically, we are beginning our Accreditation process for the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA). We met as a staff last Tuesday, along with our Superintendent to discuss the process. We also spent yesterday afternoon really digging into this. Catholic schools go through this every few years. It is a lot of work, but a great way to really take a good look at your school and your programs. The last time that we had our Accreditation was the 2013-14 school year. The process is this:

• Self-Study Year: A school engages in a year of self-study, dividing the staff into 8 teams to look at items such as Catholic Identity, Data, Instructional Methodology, Resources, Mission/Vision, Curriculum Standards, and other areas. These areas are really opened up, surveys are created, data is gathered, trends are studied and analyzed, information is reflected on, and then goals are identified based on a combination of student/school needs and the reality of resources. All of this is made into a report which is then given to a team of individuals who will come to see the school in person to verify the information.
• Accreditation Year: The Visiting Team (A Chair from an out-of-state Catholic School and 4-5 local Catholic School teachers) comes to visit the school for 3 days to verify that the information present in the report is accurate and that the goals are the proper ones for the school. They will then recommend a term of accreditation. There are three possible terms: A Full 6 year term, a Provisional 6 year term with a visit at the 3 year point (to check on progress towards goals), or a Conditional 6 year term with a visit after 1 year (to check back on the school's progress).

We Need You!!

We need your help with this process. In today's envelope, you will find a parent/family survey (in English or Spanish). Please take some time to fill this out and return it to the office. Don't worry...it is not due until Nov. 9th! We will compile all of the data into a spreadsheet. Many answers are a simple check mark of "Highly Effective", "Effective", "Somewhat Effective", or "Ineffective". Those will be tallied once all surveys are in. There are also areas for narrative responses. Those will be recorded exactly as they are written. The survey results will be included in our Self-Study and available for the Visiting Team to review. You will receive either an English or Spanish copy today. If you need one in a different language, just let us know and we will do our best.

In addition to the family/parent surveys, the staff will be completing a survey, as will all of the children. There is a student survey for K-3 (staff assists the kids with filling this out) and one for grades 4 - 8. I look forward to hearing what everyone has to say about the school. We do our best to keep communication open between the staff, families, and students, but it is always great to give other opportunities to hear more from people. Just a reminder...the family/parent surveys are not due back until Friday, Nov. 9th...so take your time to complete them. We always try to our best for the kids and the families at Holy Rosary Bilingual Academy, but we know there are areas in which we can improve. So, thank you for your feedback. We appreciate you taking the time to complete the surveys.

If you want to know more about the Accreditation process, feel free to check out WCEA.org or ask me. Also, I want to ask you for one more favor. I have chaired these teams and been on teams and an Accreditation is a TON of work for any school. Our school is pretty small and our staff is much smaller than most. So, that means that most of our staff is doing double or triple duty on this process this year. So, I ask for your prayers and support as we undertake this endeavor. I know that it will help us grow and become stronger in the process. Thank you!

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,

Katie Dempsey

Principal

Thursday, 10/25 - Communication Envelopes due back to the office, Pay2Dress to support our NPH Kids (Brayan and Kenia) - Students wear orange and black (no costumes, face paint, or hair color)

Friday, 10/26 - All School Mass at 9 am, Spooner Farms for Pre-K 3 and 4 (Bus)

Next Week:

Monday, 10/29 - Spooner Farms for 1st Grade (Bus)

Annual Fund

If you haven’t done so already please support the school’s Annual Fund Appeal! We have a lofty goal as we hope to raise $100,000. We need 100% participation from our families and staff to make this goal. This fund is important to our school as it helps fund curriculum, staff training, financial aid, and many other initiatives. A fee of $50 will be billed to any family who does not make a donation by January 1, 2019.

You can easily make a donation online at: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/o5kPfZnwU-9YPZxE8gatew or you can fill out the pledge envelope and return to the office. Any questions, please email: smckinney@holyrosarybilingual.org.

Thank You!
Finally, we want to thank the families/staff who have already sent in their pledges/payments.

Prana Briggs
Matt & Janelle Costanti
Peterson/Failla Family
Josh & Patrea Fernandez
Justin & Rebecca Inouye
Patrick & Sarah Johnson
Casey & Sarah McKinney
Michael & Julie Milasich
Jesse & Amanda Schweickert
Katie Dempsey
Amparo Farias
Kelly Robertson
Gabriel Farias

Events Committee

During the year we host an Annual Gala, February 23, 2019 and Auction, May 4, 2019. Both events are very important to raising necessary funds for our school. You will hear more about these events in the coming months. There is a committee of parents and staff that put these events together. This group is in charge of putting together event procurements, securing donations and sponsorships, set-up, event execution, and more. If you would like to serve on this committee, please email Sarah McKinney at: smckinney@holyrosarybilingual.org. We usually meet once per month and as the events get closer, twice per month. This is a great opportunity to log some of those family service hours.

When: Saturday, Nov. 3rd from 6 pm- 8 pm

Cost:

Kids are $5 (1 Taco with rice and beans)

Adults are $10 (3 Tacos with rice and beans)

Tickets are required to attend the event and can be purchased in the entrance to the auditorium the evening of the event.

Volunteers are also needed for the day of the event. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Ms. Lizbeth at lduran@holyrosarybilingual.org

This is an unbelievable event so you won't want to miss it!

Ms. Marseille (Pre-K 3): http://signup.com/go/dErgQYj

Ms. Juliet and Ms. Wendy (Pre-K 4A): http://signup.com/go/ZRovnSp

Ms. Patty (Pre-K 4B): http://signup.com/go/VLAUtJc

Señora Raquel and Señora Nilsa (KG): http://signup.com/go/gbOFRKB

Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Allen (1st): http://signup.com/go/wufEWhh

Mr. Kelah (2nd/3rd English): http://signup.com/go/GzVQSRX

Señora Sonia (2nd/3rd Spanish): http://signup.com/go/XosVJvr

Señor Ivan (4th/5th/6th Spanish, 8th Math): http://signup.com/go/pDXDRYV

Mr. Anderson (4th/5th/6th English, 7/8 Spanish): http://signup.com/go/RaGSiEr

Mr. Farias (7/8 Homeroom and 5/6 Religion): http://signup.com/go/yJaZEQf

Thank you for signing up. It is important to keep communication open and for teachers, students, and parents to all be working together as a team!