3040 Walton Road Office: 610-825-0160 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 Fax: 610-825-0460
http://holyrosaryregional.com School Closing # 1385
January 2021 Holy Rosar y Review Jan. Important
Dates:
January 1st —
Happy New Year
January 4th —
Classes Resume
January 15th —
Noon Dismissal
Faculty Meeting
January 18th —
No School
Martin Luther King Jr.
Day
January 31st —
Catholic School Week
Begins
January —
Read for the House
Month
ONE FAITH,
ONE FAMILY,
ONE SCHOOL!
Picture Page Page 2
Page 3
From the Principal’s Desk...
Dear Parents and Guardians,
What a year we are saying goodbye to! Most of us are glad to see 2020 move along. Look-
ing back from a family perspective, hopefully you have become even closer to your “in
house” family. My husband and I have learned exactly what binging TV shows is all about.
We have spent so much time alone together, that we now know when retirement comes,
we will make it. Wrigley, our golden doodle, has been happy to have us around more, and
she has enjoyed her extra walks. I know I cannot wait to hug my Virginia grandson again, as
well as my daughter who works at Penn as a Physical Therapist with COVID patients. It has
been many long months for all of us, and we have sacrificed so much to remain safe. I want
to thank you for being cautious, and only sending your children to school when they were
healthy. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and soon this part of our life will be behind
us.
Going forward, let us look at 2021 with a renewed sense of purpose. Continue to cherish
your families. Continue to help your children appreciate the importance of God and family.
Once you are comfortable, go back to church and the sacraments as a family. Continue to
pray together. Continue to teach your children the importance of hard work. Continue to
teach them to be kind and to value others. Continue to teach them to value themselves.
Continue to teach them to be independent. Together we will help the children entrusted to
us to become faithful, productive members of society.
God’s Graces to you!
Mary Ann
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Dear Holy Rosary School Community,
Thank God… 2020 is over! Let’s hope and pray that the new year will be healthier and happier.
What a happy coincidence that every new year begins with the solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of
God… and, therefore, of us all! Remember, the Church calendar isn’t the same as the world’s calen-
dar. For us, the year of grace 2021 began on the first Sunday of Advent. On January first, we cele-
brate the pivotal role of Mary in the life of the Church and in our lives. Again, it’s only a coincidence
for us that the world’s new year begins on the same day. As a matter of fact, this celebration of Our
Lady predates the observance of a new year beginning on the first day of January.
Can you think of a better way to begin a new year? Let us enter the year before us with Mary, our
tender Mother. She’ll be our guide, our protector, our support and powerful intercessor before her
Son on our behalf. To Jesus through Mary! In and with her is summed up all our hopes and longings.
As we pray in the “Hail Holy Queen,” “to you do we cry in this valley of tears… turn then most gra-
cious advocate your eyes of mercy towards us… O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.”
On another feast of Our Lady (this past December 8th, the solemnity of her Immaculate Conception),
Our Holy Father Pope Francis proclaimed the beginning of a “Year of St. Joseph.” With the Apostol-
ic Letter “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis recalls the 150th anniversary of the
declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Fa-
ther has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” to continue to December 8th, 2021. The Pope describes
Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father, a
father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.
The Holy Father wrote “Patris corde” against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which, he
says, has helped us see more clearly the importance of “ordinary” people who, though far from the
limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, “the man
who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence”, who nonetheless played “an incompara-
ble role in the history of salvation”.
2021… Here we come… with Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Let us all be a Holy Family like them and with
them… a school family, a parish family, a Church family.
Wishing you a holy, happy and healthy new year…
With prayers,
Father McCreedy
A Letter from the Governing Board of Pastors
Father Harry E. McCreedy, St. Paul Roman Catholic Church
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Picture Page
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3rd Grade
The month of December has been a wild one for sure! Just as the rest of the school, 3rd grade started the
month learning virtually. Our class did an AMAZING job! We have been preparing in the physical classroom
for this possibility, and the third graders rose to occasion. Academically this month, our class has continued to
work on our multiplication facts in math, reading non-fiction text in reading, and communities in social stud-
ies. Each child was tasked with creating a poster board that represented a part of their cultural back-
ground. They were to choose a specific community relative to them and showcase that community's traditional
food, clothing, language, traditions/customs, holiday celebrations, sports, and music. If their posters weren't
wonderful enough, they were also able to show off their public speaking skills with a well-rehearsed presenta-
tion. They did a WONDERFUL job and should be so proud! One other very important topic that third grade
has focused on this month has been the season of Advent. We, of course, participate in the prayer services
with the school, but third grade has had a special focus on Advent and preparing for the coming of Jesus
through the Jesse Tree. The students are learning about the people and events that came before Jesus'
birth. We are learning wonderful lessons and preparing our hearts for when Jesus arrives on Christmas day.
—Mrs. Fitzpatrick
Kindergarten
The Kindergarten class has been learning about the special season of Advent. They learned that in this special
season we are waiting for baby Jesus to be born! We have been trying hard every day to get our hearts ready
and prepare for His birth by doing good deeds for others! Every time we do a good deed we get to place a
piece of hay in Baby Jesus' manger. We are trying our best to make sure it is a soft place for Him to lay when
He is born on Christmas Day! We love the story of the First Christmas! We all thought of what gift we would
have brought Baby Jesus if we visited the stable many years ago in Bethlehem.
In ELA, we have been reading many Christmas stories! Some of our favorites were The Bear Santa Claus For-
got, The Lady Who Swallowed A Bell, Froggy's First Christmas, and Pete the Cat Saves Christmas! We have
been working hard at identifying the characters, setting, problem and solution of stories. We are so excited to
have our Polar Express PJ Party on Friday, December 18! We will listen to the story The Polar Express, com-
plete some fun Polar Express learning activities, and then grab our tickets and "hop" on the Polar Express Train
to ride to the North Pole! We are looking forward to watching the movie, The Polar Express, in our comfy
pajamas and eating some yummy snacks :)
—Mrs. Pickering
Middle School Science
The fifth grade chemists are learning all about the phases of matter. They are able to organize different types of
matter according to their properties.
The sixth grade geologists just finished a unit on weathering and erosion. They now know the difference be-
tween weathering and erosion. The students can even tell you if it is an example of physical or chemi-
cal weathering.
The seventh grade paleontologists are studying fossils. The students learned about all different types of fos-
sils. They designed and created their own cast and mold fossil.
The eighth grade physicists just finished an energy unit focusing on potential and kinetic energy. The students
are using their knowledge of potential and kinetic energy to design and build a skatepark out of cardboard.
—Ms. Morrow
Did You Know...
Did You Know (continued)...
1st Grade
In Math, the first grade have been so busy learning about addition and subtraction and how they are related to
each other. They are beginning to realize why knowing their Math facts is so important. In Religion, they are
busy learning about the season of Advent. They made their very own Advent wreath and every Monday, after
we light our classroom advent wreath, they color another candle of their own. We have one purple candle
left so they know we are getting close to Christmas. Everyday they do an Advent act and color in the square.
They know that Advent will end on Christmas Eve because we are getting ready for the birth of Jesus. To end
Advent, we will have a Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Party with cupcakes and ice cream, They are very excited
and will bring $1.00 that they earned, and we will give the money to a local food bank. They realize how im-
portant it is to share at this time of year. They were also excited when their Elf on the shelf, Buddy came to
visit them everyday. They never knew where he would be but had fun looking for him and always found him.
They said they will miss him when we come back from Christmas vacation. The first grade wishes everyone a
Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
—Mrs. Koneski
Middle School ELA
In Grade 8, we are exploring the realm of Greek mythology. The students read and analyzed the Creation
myth and How Evil Came into the World. We then followed up with reading the Genesis account of these
two events. The students completed a Compare and Contrast of the two myths and biblical accounts. Diving
deeper, the students interpreted two quotes from the myths (“pride comes before the fall” and “where there
is hope there is life”) and how these quotes line up with what lesson was taught in the myths. The students
used both the myth and the biblical accounts as text evidence to support their interpretations. We will next
read and analyze the Great Flood and New Era myths alongside the biblical accounts of Noah and the Flood
with the repopulation of the earth.
In Grade 7, we completed our Oral Tradition Unit. We read and analyzed folktales from the Ashanti and the
African American cultures. We also read and analyzed two of Aesop’s fables. The students interpreted the
lessons from each of these tales with discussion of how the morals/lesson transcend generations and cultures
to become a universal theme. The students culminated the unit through the composition of an original fable
using Google Slides and Screencastify to present to the class. The class rose to the challenge of trying to guess
the moral before it is revealed.
In Grade 6, we are about halfway through our Oral Tradition Unit. We have read and analyzed a Russian, an
African American, and a Mexican folktale. The themes or lessons of each were discussed in class. Our next
set of folktales are from Africa, Puerto Rico, and Vietnam. The students will culminate the unit through the
composition of an original folktale using Google Slides and Screencastify. We will be able to spot the theme?
—Mrs. Kluth
4th Grade
We are so happy to be back to school with a new year and fresh start! In math, we will be continuing to prac-
tice our long division skills. We will be completing a project where we plan out the finances of opening our
own movie theatre. The students will also create a layout of what their movie theatre will look like. In Reli-
gion, we will begin to look at the sacrament of Reconciliation a little deeper. We will learn about the different
types of sin and how God forgives us mercifully. The students will be writing a personal narrative about their
families’ Christmas celebration over the break. They will learn how to break their writing piece into multiple
paragraphs. We are excited for this new year!
—Ms. Houser
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2nd Grade
We are getting so close to receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation in second grade, and we couldn’t be more
excited! We can’t wait to meet Jesus in this special Sacrament. We love praying our Act of Contrition every
morning as well. We also have been tackling 2 digit addition! We love coming up with our own problems and
solving them. In reading class, we love reading stories together and discussing them. We are having so much fun
learning in second grade!
—Ms. Barrett
Pre-K
Pre-K really brought in the Christmas season with tons of spirit! The class really enjoyed pretending to light a
candle on our Advent wreath each week as well as learning what each candle signify. The class has been getting
ready for Jesus’ birth by learning all about the event leading up to the night he was born. They have also spent
the last few weeks learning about the letter O, Q, and G as well as the numbers 5 and 6. They had a lot of fun
creating Christmas crafts all month which included paper candy canes, gingerbread people, Christmas orna-
ments, drawing themselves as elves, and our class Christmas tree. One of the most exciting parts of their day
was seeing if our class Elf on the Shelf, Rainbow, moved to a new place in the classroom!
—Mrs. Gill
Religion
Fifth Grade initiated their own version of an assembly line as they learned about service first hand. The older
Middle School students complete service hours during the year as they apply religious concepts to real life.
While eighth grade initially assisted with the process of the mailing for the Guadeamus virtual concert this year,
fifth grade completed the project. They worked efficiently and quickly as the school prepared to close early for
the Thanksgiving holiday. Hopefully, all will view the concert, and the talented performances will put everyone
in the holiday spirit.
Having settled into their middle school routine, fifth grade energetically participates in improving their religion
and language arts skills. The class has wrapped up the Sacraments of Initiation content. The students anticipate
the return to Mass in person after learning about the Real Presence of Jesus.
Sixth grade continues to study their Bible stories learning the truths within each lesson. Soon, the class will
work on their own family trees to accompany the Salvation History content.
The Infancy Narratives studied by seventh grade gave a new meaning to the Christmas season as the students
analyzed the Gospel Truths taught in the lessons.
Eighth grade accepted the challenge of putting together a new version of the Christmas Pageant. They faced
many challenges as they prepared their virtual presentation.
—Mrs. Luthy
Page 8 Did You Know (continued)...
Page 9
8th Grade Math
The 8th grade Honors Math class is tapping into their artistic side this trimester. While learning about linear
equations, Ms. Fenn’s students were instructed to create art. The 8th graders began their learning with graphing
linear equations as lines. They identified the slope and x- and y-intercepts through different linear forms. Along-
side their curricular instruction, the students began constructing their art pieces. They drew approximately ten
lines on graph paper to outline their work. The 8th graders then defined these lines using their learning on
slopes and intercepts. Once their linear equations were defined and graphed, the students brought their math
to life through painting final pieces on canvases.
—Ms. Fenn
Social Studies
In 5th Grade the students are learning about geography. The students learned about continents, maps, and
tools that explorers utilize in their travels. Latitude and longitude were two tools that we study in the class-
room. We used the classic game battleship. Students utilize coordinates to try and sink their classmate’s
ships.
In 6th Grade the students are learning about Mesopotamia. The students are learning about civilizations and
cultures. We began with a reading comprehension to introduce the students to the Mesopotamia civilization.
As we learn about the Mesopotamia civilization, students will be working on mini projects to broaden their
journey into the Mesopotamia civilization.
In 7th Grade the students are learning about medieval times. After the fall of the Roman Empire,, life in Europe
for both rich and poor became extremely dangerous. Vikings and Barbarians were constantly attacking villages
to gain wealth. Kings plotted war against their neighbors to try to gain territory and power. Thieves and bandits
hid in the countryside and forests waiting to rob travelers and merchants. Between 600 and 1300 AD, a new
system of government developed to bring some order to the kingdoms. Kings established a social structure
hierarchy called Feudalism. In this structure,, peasants agreed to farm the land of the king and nobles in ex-
change for protection from the many dangers of the time. For this project, the students chose a scenario from
the chart below. Build a castle that could defend against the dangers mentioned. The students must be able to
explain how their castle protects both the rich and poor.
In 8th Grade the students are learning about the Civil War. The students in the class explored and learned
about different Civil War battles. The students became historians and explored not only a battle in the Civil
War, but also had to research another aspect of the Civil War; such as, Women’s Role, disease and medicine,
Robert E Lee, General Grant, technology during the civil war, or a soldier’s life to name a few. The students
are preparing for the Civil War test this Friday. Students will then head westward and learn about the Western
Frontier.
—Mr. Weinert
Did You Know (continued)...
Page 10
All families may now apply for financial aid for the 2020-2021 school year. The website is factsmgt.com/ aid. Fami-
lies can work directly with the FACTS Company in order to verify all information.
Questions on completing the application may be answered by calling the FACTS helpline directly at 1-866-441-
4637. They are available Mon-Thurs: 7:30 AM—7:00 PM. You can also email them at [email protected] with
questions.
To be awarded any and all financial aid, families must be registered for the 2020/2021 school year, all tuition for this
school year must be paid in full, and the first three pages of your 2018 income tax return must be sent in to the
financial aid coordinator, Beth Hallinan. As always, I am available for any assistance you may need in applying. You
can email me at [email protected] with any questions and/or concerns or in needing assistance
uploading documents. I am in the office every Monday. See the next page for additional opportunities!
BOX TOPS
FINANCIAL AID
This is a gentle reminder to all of those returning, and for all of our new families— please remember to help support
Holy Rosary Regional School while shopping at Amazon! Please use the below link and register:
https://smile.amazon.com/
You can sign in with your existing Amazon log in. Once signed in be sure to select the drop down arrow on the left
side of the tool bar to find our school. Once selected, you will see on your Amazon homepage, Supporting: Holy Ro-
sary Regional Catholic School. Through the Amazon process, all families will be eligible for your Prime benefits and the
school does not receive any personal information on any purchases—the school only receives a percentage of the
sales.
Remember to share the smile link with all of your family and friends too!!
Attention all Box Top clippers!
If you have not downloaded the Box Tops app onto your phone, please do so now! Box Tops are changing, and
the actual Box Tops that you clipped will be phased out so having this app is important going forward.
Many of the products you will buy will contain Box Tops so be on the lookout!
~For anyone new to Box Tops~
Each Box Top clipped from the product or scanning your receipt earns $.10 towards our school, and they add
up quickly! Box Tops do contain expiration dates, so please be sure to get them in on time for credit. You can
collect Box Tops in a baggie at home throughout the year and send in as often as you’d like. Please label with
your child’s name and either send in with your child or place in the Box Tops container in the school office.
For scanning Box Tops, just upload your receipt right to the Box Tops App within 14 days! Remember...this is
an easy way to earn money for our School!!
Happy Clipping!!
Any questions, contact Sherri Muldoon at [email protected].
Amazon
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There are several sources of tuition assistance available to Holy Rosary families. These opportunities are made possible
through the generous support of various businesses and foundations. A number of these opportunities require interested fami-
lies to go through an outside application process. Other opportunities become available because of direct donations to Holy
Rosary from generous parishioners of affiliated parishes.
The available opportunities and related application processes are outlined below. In cases in which Holy Rosary decides who
the recipients will be, Holy Rosary will only consider families that have completed the application process for all funding
sources for which they would qualify. Any cases of extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-
case basis.
EITC & OSTC FUNDS
Much of the available tuition assistance is made possible through Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship
Tax Credit (OSTC) business donations to non-profit organizations interested in promoting education. To be eligible for EITC or OSTC
funding, the adjusted gross income for a family with one dependent must be less than $92,160. For each additional dependent, you can make
an additional $16,222 per child.
Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families afford Catho-
lic education. This year Holy Rosary students received over $60,000.00 in BLOCS funding during the 2020-2021 school year. BLOCS applica-
tions for the 2021-2022 school year are available starting December 15, 2020 and are due by April 15, 2021. Please apply by going to
www.blocs.com. Go to the ‘scholarships’ tab, then scroll down to “apply now”. Please note: all eligible families do not necessarily receive
funding, it is up to the school’s financial aid department. Awards are dependent on the amount of scholarship money BLOCS has available
each year. Each family MUST provide a copy of their current income tax return to Beth Hallinan, the financial aid coordina-
tor, to be considered for any and all aid. To be eligible for any aid, the family must be registered for the following school
year at time of allocation.
OTHER FUNDING SOURCES
The Kremer Foundation provides Catholic elementary schools with tuition grants for children from financially challenged families. The
Foundation’s grants are given directly to the schools. The school decides directly which students are in most financial need. Holy Rosary
received $10,000 from the Kremer Foundation for the 2020-2021 school year.
To qualify for assistance, a family’s adjusted gross income for the 2019-2020 school year could not exceed the federal food program’s maxi-
mum family income for reduced priced meals of $47,638 for a family of four and increased by $8,177 for each additional family member.
If Holy Rosary receives a grant from the Kremer Foundation for the 2021-2022 school year, Holy Rosary will notify families of the application
process in the spring. All applications will be submitted to Holy Rosary. TOTAL AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ALLOCATED
FOR THE 2020/2021 SCHOOL YEAR WAS MORE THAN $93,000.00
If you have questions on applying for financial assistance, contact Beth Hallinan in the school office, 610-825-0160 or via email
Tuition Assistant Opportunities
January Calendar Page 12
January Lunch Menu
2020/2021 Home & School Association Board Members
Executive Board
President—Amy Porter
Vice President—Beth Fish
Treasurer—Athena Lehatto
Committees
Fundraising—Sharon Rupprecht
Beautification—Maria Credle
Hospitality—Amy Porter
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