GREETINGS!

Dear St. Rita Families,

As we step into the vibrant rhythm of spring, I am delighted to bring you news of the upcoming events that will fill our days with joy, music, celebration, and the spirit of community. Make sure to follow your child’s Class Dojo for announcements about field trips and festivities.

This week we have our Middle School Dance and next week is the Spring Concert. Please take note of appropriate dress for the dance - details are in Class Dojo for middle school students. Also, please join us on May 2nd for our Spring Concert as our students showcase their musical talents.

Exciting adventures await our students as we have many field trips lined up in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned to your child's class Dojo for detailed information about these enriching experiences. I know our younger students are very excited to go to the zoo!

Our beloved Festa St. Rita is just around the corner on May 23rd! It's a time for our students to come together and celebrate our school's spirit. Following mass, the 3rd grade performs a short play about St. Rita. Traditionally parents have been allowed to take students out of school for lunch during that day. We will have the 8th grade stay in school for a pizza lunch, as they prepare games for the younger students for the afternoon.

Get ready for a day of outdoor fun and friendly competition at our annual Field Day on May 28th. In case of inclement weather, we have a rain date scheduled for May 29th. Let's hope for sunshine and smiles! Mr. Schwaiger is organizing our fun activities for this day.

The culmination of our students' hard work and dedication will be celebrated at our Graduation ceremony on May 30th. We are immensely proud of their achievements and look forward to honoring them as they transition to the next chapter of their academic journey. I would like to extend a thank you to Father Michael for graciously agreeing to hold our Graduation Mass in the church. Following graduation mass, there will be cake and punch in the church narthex.

Please note that our last day for K3-7th grade will be on May 31st, with dismissal at 11:30 a.m. There will be no lunch service on the last day. Let's make the most of the remaining days and cherish the memories we've created throughout the school year!

As always, your involvement and support make our school community truly special. Thank you for entrusting us with the education and well-being of your children.

Warm regards,

Beth Woodward

Principal

St. Rita Catholic School

Here are a couple of repeat items from previous weeks:

ST RITA SCHOOL FACEBOOK PAGE

• St Rita Racine Parents | Facebook

• St. Rita Catholic School Racine | Facebook

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

• We are in need of volunteers to help with lunch supervision between 11-12. Please email bwoodward@sienacatholicschools.org if you are interested in helping, even one day per week.

• Many helping hands build community and lightens the work load.  

• In addition to day-to-day activities, we are always open to new members and ideas for our Royal Parent Student Association.  This is a parent-led volunteer organization that organizes recognition and fun activities as well as supports the school’s need for extra hands in a variety of ways.

SAFEGUARDING ALL OF GOD’S FAMILY

• Safeguarding program and background check MUST be completed before you can volunteer at school or chaperone any school event or field trip.  

•  https://www.archmil.org/offices/safeguarding.htm 

Counselor Corner 

Coach Bodi

Peace Facilitator Tools

Once the problem is identified in a peace circle, the facilitator will ask what the offended needs to have peace.  

When the conversation is stuck on who was right or wrong, the time machine tool is of great help. 

“If you could go back in time and do this day over, what would you do differently?” 

The facilitator will announce “gifts”.  A gift is an apology, accepting an apology,  a plan so the undesired behavior is avoided in the future and/or any contribution that advocates peace.  

The facilitator announces this on their turn, “A gift has been offered.  Do you accept this gift  of an apology from “name of offender”?” The solution of an apology can be offered but is never a directive. 

Once everyone has agreed on a plan to prevent the offense from happening again, the facilitator announces “brand new” and hits the ground with the stick.  The stick is passed around for everyone to repeat the word. Ritual is a human activity that helps us embrace change as a community.  

I am amazed how often the circle flows to forgiveness with young people.  When it doesn’t, both parties are asked if they want more time to cool off and recircle later.  A circle never announces “brand new” if “gifts” or apologies are not shared.  Sometimes peace is still found in solitude because the empowerment of being heard is healing. 

St. Rita’s Track

St. Rita Track team has been practicing and our Meets start soon.  Come out and show your support!  The schedule is below:

April 29 - 5pm at UW Parkside Track, HWY E Kenosha

May 6 - 5pm at UW Parkside Track, HWY E Kenosha

May 11 - 8am at Bradford High School, Kenosha

May 13 - 5pm at UW Parkside Track, HWY E Kenosha

May 20 - 5pm at UW Parkside Track, HWY E Kenosha

Bring a chair and watch these student athletes compete in short and long distance running events.  Running is hard, but hearing the cheers from parents and friends gives them energy. 

Exciting Volleyball News! 

St. Catherine's High School will be hosting not one, but TWO volleyball camps for students in grades 3-9! Check out the two options below and sign up ASAP! 

All American Volleyball Camp (6th-8th)

Our girls' high school team will be participating in the All American Volleyball Camp which features NCAA Division I coaches and athletes coming to St. Catherine's High School. Since we secured the camp, we were able to open up a mini two day middle school camp for girls in grades 6-8. 

What: Two Day Mini-Camp with NCAA Division I Athletes

When: 8/5/24 & 8/6/24 (3:30pm-5:30pm)

Where: St. Catherine's High School

Cost: $70

How: Fill out the flyer attached. Return to SCHS with payment.

Pacesetter Volleyball Camp (3rd-9th)

Pacesetter is in its 39th season providing on location intensive skill camps at low costs. Coaches and college athletes will come to SCHS to work with our girls for four days at the end of July and early August. 

This camp will group girls together by age to provide a more focused approach. There is room for incoming freshmen in this camp if they missed out on the previous high school camp. 

What: Four day intensive skills camp. Age specific.

When: 7/29/24 - 8/1/24 

(8:30am-10am Grades 3-4) 

(10am-12pm Grades 5-6) 

(1pm-4pm Grades 7-9)

Where: St. Catherine's High School

Cost: 

($75 Grades 3-4) 

($95 Grades 5-6) 

($135 Grades 7-9)

How: See attached flyer or CLICK HERE

Religious Education

Children's Liturgy

Children's Liturgy of the Word will be offered through May. Please join us for 10:30 AM Mass at St. Rita on May 5 and 19. This is a time for your children to hear God’s Word at a developmentally appropriate level and consider how to practice it in daily life.

Family Service Opportunity: Placing Flags for Memorial Day

Your family is invited to join St. Rita parishioners on Saturday, May 25 at the Southern Wisconsin Veterans’ Cemetery near Union Grove to help place flags on the graves of service men and women. This is a very moving experience and appropriate for volunteers of all ages. Please arrive at the cemetery (21731 Spring St, Union Grove, WI 53182) between 7:30 - 8:00 AM and look for our St. Rita group. A brief demonstration on proper flag placement will be given. 

Soda Tabs for Ronald McDonald House

The Ronald McDonald house of Eastern Wisconsin aims to keep families together and promote the health and well-being of children. The St. Rita Tablesetters will be collecting can tabs for the Ronald McDonald house until the end of May. The funds generated go to directly support the children and families staying at Ronald McDonald House. Please send in your can tabs!

First Communicants Wanted

The month of May is the month when the Catholic Church honors Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Next Sunday, May 5th, at the 10:30 Mass the first communicants are invited to help crown our statue of Mary.  They will process in at the beginning of Mass and place a crown on the statue and roses at the base of the statue.  Please meet in the bride's room (second door on the right in the hallway that goes to the bathroom) at 10:15 for instruction and please wear your First Communion clothing.  We hope many of you will be able to help.

UW-Parkside Summer Youth Camps!

Volunteer Sign up Festival 

St. Rita Festival: St. Rita Festival 2024 (signupgenius.com)

The St. Rita Parish Festival has moved to June 14-17, 2024. Please consider signing up online to volunteer on the parish website or at

 https://signupgenius.com/go/70A054DA9A623A31-48051821-strita#/

Family Resources