Weekly School Broadcast
As we close the second week of the school year, it can be easy to look ahead at all the unknowns that remain in front of us and feel anxious about them. Many times over the past six months I have been reminded of a common saying in my home when I grew up: "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it." As this picture in Mrs. Sherman's classroom shows, God has a spot (and plan) for each of us. There have been many people who did not think that school would be able to be in person this fall, and it has taken a tremendous amount of prayer and an extraordinary effort from school staff, parents, and students for us to be here together. I applaud and appreciate the sacrifices that you have made to send your children to St. Pius X and the Rochester Catholic Schools. Each child adds to the beautiful diversity of our school community; we are truly stronger together!
School News We have a few new adults in the building this year. Mrs. Sue Hyke is our new building secretary, shyke@rcsmn.org; Sue comes to us from Preston and has done a wonderful job transitioning into one of the most important roles in the school. Mrs. Bryanna AbiMansour is our third grade teacher. Mrs. AbiMansour has taught in Chicago and Baltimore and we are so fortunate to have her here with us! Senorita Kristina Pikula is our new Spanish teacher; Srta. Pikula is here Tuesdays and Fridays and provides Spanish instruction in the classroom for grades K through 5. Srta. Pikula taught in Pine Island the past two years. Mr. Chris Graham is also our full-time physical education teacher here at St. Pius X this year. Mr. Graham works with preschool through fifth grade. We are continuing to participate in weekly Mass on Wednesday mornings in our classrooms. While Father Russ is recuperating, Pax Christi Church has shared their daily Mass with us to stream online. When Father Russ is saying daily Mass, we will have 1 or 2 classrooms socially distanced in St. Pius X Church and the other classrooms will watch online. You may send in checks to the St. Pius X school office, made out to: "St. Pius Lunch" or you are able to check and update your payment account through the Food Service tab in Infinite Campus. There is a $1.00 fee per transaction that is charged for online payments. In order to limit the number of people in the building, parents are asked to send a note with their child or send an email to stpattendance@rcsmn.org when their child needs to be picked up during the school day. Parents are asked to stay outside by the door bell buzzer and school personnel will go and bring their child from class to the door. Friday, September 18th will be a Purple and Gold themed non-uniform day to celebrate LHS homecoming. Lifetouch has rescheduled our school pictures for preschool through fifth grade to the first week of October. We will communicate the exact date very soon. Our 5th grade students recently had the opportunity to see, hear and ask questions about beginning band instruments and band in the Rochester Catholic Schools. Hopefully your child brought home the information about school band and HOPEFULLY you are considering letting your child play an instrument this year. We will be having a virtual 5th grade band parent meeting on Tuesday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m. in conjunction with our local music store, Music Mart (formerly Welhaven Music). We will be meeting on Google Meet that evening and that meeting code is: We also have a slideshow that has information about getting started in band. Band in the Rochester Catholic Schools Please let me know if you have any questions about your child starting band this year! You can contact me at: whanson@rcsmn.org. I look forward to seeing you at the virtual meeting! Wendy Hanson Our Rochester Catholic parishes along with the amazing staff at RCS are so excited to walk with parents as your child prepares for the sacraments of First Confession and First Eucharist. Don’t miss out on important communication, details, materials, and deadlines – make sure that you sign your child up for the sacraments at your home parish. Please click here for program details for your parish. Not registered at a parish yet? We can help with that too! Please remember that for AM Extended Care, K-5 students should be dropped off in the South St. Pius X Church parking lot and enter Door 5. After your student is temperature checked and answers the health survey, our lead morning extended care paraprofessional Luke Teague, will give you a thumbs up that you are free to go. For after school pickup, students may be outside or in the gym, so please call (507) 218-7873 when you arrive at St. Pius X if you don’t see the group outside and we will let you know where to pick up your child(ren). Please remember that parents should avoid coming into the school building this year except in rare instances.
System News Monica Steinmetz, sixth-grade teacher at St. Francis of Assisi School, has been recognized with a 2020 WEM Outstanding Educator Award. Congratulations to Mrs. Steinmetz who is most deserving of this recognition and represents the caliber of teachers at RCS working together with a shared passion for academic excellence and developing the whole child. Click here to read more. The Spirit Shop is open Wednesday evenings from 5:30-7:00 p.m. and Friday mornings from 8:30-10:00 a.m. For more information, visit rcsmn.org/spiritshop
System Activities We would like to provide an update on the status of RCS Traveling Youth basketball. As of this current time, with the lack of gym availability and restrictions related to COVID-19, we are going to hold off on starting traveling basketball. We will continue monitor the situation and will let people know if and when we are able to move forward. We will continue to have open communication with all involved to make an informed decision regarding the traveling season. We do not have a time-frame as to when this decision will be made. This is a fluid situation. If we decide to move forward with a season, we can have registration up and going quite quickly. Our number one priority is the safety of all involved, along with keeping our schools open. Thank you for your understanding as we navigate through these new and challenging times. Girls Soccer Senior Night will be held Friday, September 11th at 7:30 pm. The game will be played at Mayo High School. This is Varsity only. JV will be played at Fuad Mansour Complex at 5:00 pm. Admissions will be charged for this game. Adults $6, students $4. RCS staff and students will be admitted for free, however you must sign up by 3:00 pm. (email activities@rcsmn.org) Go EAGLES!! Registration for Fall Clay Target Trap League. Any interested families with students in grades 7-12 should contact DeLane Morris at dmorr@charter.net or by phone at 507-269-3050. Deadline to sign up is September 12th, no exceptions. All RCS students are required to wear masks when attending any home and away athletic events. Fall Training Sessions registration for Football and Volleyball is now open. These sessions are available to RCS students in grades 7-12. All participants will need to have a sports physical on file in the Activities Office prior to registration (email physical to activities@rcsmn.org). There is no cost to participate. Registration is required to participate. Click here to register. Safety precautions will be in place including wearing masks except when running, maintaining 6-feet physical distance when possible, daily attendance, and pods of 25 or less with no intermixing. Each participant will provide their own water and water bottle. There will be no access to the locker rooms. For more information on the steps we are taking to keep everyone safe, please read our PPE Plan and Expectations. Football
Volleyball Grades 9-12 - September 14-October 1; Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays 4:00-5:30 pm The Eagle Booster Club supports the general growth and development of athletics for students within RCS. Membership is comprised of RCS parents, alumni, community members, and businesses working together with goals to heighten, enhance, and enrich the athletics programs. Members promote and provide a high quality experience for students, coaches, directors, and fans through sponsorship opportunities, fundraising, and volunteer efforts. Eagle Boosters are passionate and committed to supporting the overall mission of RCS through support of athletics. Please consider joining the Eagle Booster Club by clicking here and becoming a member today! We are looking for coaches to work with our high school athletes. Positions open are JV Boys Basketball and JV Boys Hockey. To apply, click here. Calendar
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