We received a thank you letter from Father Tim Biren, Diocesan Director of MCA. Fr. Biren thanked the students for their donation of $292.92 collected during Advent, and shared that the money has been used to support our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters affected by Hurricane Maria in 2017. As they work to rebuild their lives, our donations helped to fund “Missionary Backpacks” in the small towns of Patillas and Aibonito. You can visit MCAKids.org for more information. Thanks to our Student Council for leading this collection, and to each of you for your prayers and generosity.

Winter conferences are right around the corner. Please mark your calendars for February 5th and February 7th. We will again be using an online tool for you to schedule your conferences. Click here for a link for instructions to sign up. Using the code for the teacher(s) you want to see, you can go directly to their schedule and sign up for a time that works for you!  Please note: Junior High parents may sign up to meet with your child's homeroom teacher or any of the junior high teachers. This tool allows you to do that. If their schedules fill up please contact the teacher to schedule another time/day to meet. We hope for 100% participation. This conference is essential to a successful school year! You have a short time to sign up for conferences so please don't wait! Please let us know if you have questions or concerns. 

Mark your calendars for our annual Catholic Schools Week celebration, January 27th-February 2nd. We will begin the week with the Knights of Columbus St. Francis of Assisi Council 14170 pancake breakfast on Sunday, January 27th after the 8:00 am and 10:00 am Masses at St. Francis of Assisi Church. There will be theme days each day of the week, with Mass as an RCS family with Bishop John Quinn on Thursday, January 31st at Lourdes. Click here for a schedule of weekly events! Our Open House/Ice Cream Social will be that evening from 6:00-8:00 pm, along with the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest. Our annual Book Fair runs all week. We are looking forward to celebrating our wonderful school and sharing the Good News with all of you.

Science Fair is coming up quickly. It is scheduled for January 24th! If your child has signed up to do a project please click here for more detailed information on this day. All families are invited to come to the Open House on January 24th from 7:30 - 8:30 pm.

Congratulations to Caitlyn Benitez, Stella Pelowski, and Vreni Reichard! We have three sixth graders that are now published poets!  The three girls received letters from Appleby Publishing sharing their poetry entries had been selected for publication and each will move onto the next level of contest. You can enjoy reading their poems "Star", "Math", and "Our World" on the library windows.

Sports/Extra-curricular picture day is right around the corner on January 23rd. Please click here for a link to the order form. Hard copy order forms will also be sent home with students this year. This picture day include students in Basketball, Band, Chess Club,  Math Counts, Math League, Math Masters, Newspaper, Robotics, Student Council, Technovation, and Volleyball. 

This fall, the Home and School Association (HSA) shared a Google form sign-up for volunteer opportunities throughout the year. The response was low, and several spring events are looking for more volunteers. We are re-sending the link, (click here) and ask that you would consider the following:

School Carnival: General carnival volunteers to help with set-up, tear down, ticket sales, security,etc. Booth workers are organized by the Core room parents. There are also opportunities to sign up to assist with the raffle and carnival food.

Ice Cream Social: We need some folks to assist with set-up, clean-up and serving on January 31st.

The HSA will be looking to identify chair people for all of the events for the 2019-2020 school year as well. Please consider how you might be able to help.

We use many paperback books for our Guided Reading program. Covering them with clear contact paper helps lengthen their shelf-life! If you can help, please contact our reading resource Teacher, Renae Majewski at rmajewski@rcsmn.org. She will train you, find a space for you to work or prepare the materials for you to do this work at home. Thanks to the folks who have already generously volunteered to assist with this.

There will be No School Monday, January 22nd in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Students ages 9-14 are invited to participate in the annual Knights of Columbus Free Throw Competition sponsored by Councils 14170 (St. Francis) and 13027 (Resurrection). This event will be held on Thursday, January 31st in the school gym during the Catholic Schools Week Open House. Registration forms are available in the school office, after all Masses at St. Francis on January 20th and 27th, or the night of the event. Questions may be directed to Dale Frank at 507-951-8558.
 

Students in grades 3-6 are invited to participate in the GATEway Science Fair. It will be held February 23rd, 12:30 - 4:30 pm in Landow Atrium at the Mayo Clinic Gonda Building. Registrations are due no later than January 30th. Click here for more information and to sign up!

Parent of 8th Graders, are you aware of 8-9th Grade Loyalty Grant?

This grant will be offered to currnet RCS 8th grade families whose students will be enrolling in 9th grade at Lourdes High School.

The grant is awarded in the following way:
Freshman Year: $1,000 tuition reduction per student
Sophomore Year: $500 tuition reduction per student

To apply for the 8-9th Grade Loyalty Grant, please click here.

This week you should have received 2019-2020 re-enrollment packet.

We are asking you to confirm your child(ren)’s enrollment for next year. Please note there is an important change in this year’s Re-enrollment Process - all families are asked to return the Rochester Catholic Schools Family Data Form enclosed in the Re-enrollment Packet to help provide more efficiency to the system and the most accurate projection for the 2019-2020 school year.

If everything is accurate, please sign and return in the enclosed envelope. If information needs updating, including adding additional children, please make changes directly on the form, sign, and return in the enclosed envelope.

Please feel free to contact the RCS Admissions Office at (507) 424-1817 if you have any questions.

Congratulations to the 2019 pilgrims who will be traveling to Assisi, Italy, in October to walk in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Clare: Amelia Smith, Jr. High Religion and Language Arts Teacher at St. John the Evangelist and Rachel Strauss, 4th Grade Teacher at St. Francis of Assisi will be sponsored to attend the Franciscan Leadership Pilgrimage - a journey that will last a lifetime as they travel in the footsteps of two remarkable saints who continue to shape and embolden who we are today at Rochester Catholic Schools. Since 2006, RCS and LFI have partnered to sponsor RCS faculty and staff members to partake in the Pilgrimage. Pilgrims experience the legacy of St. Francis and St. Clare that is instrumental and integral in shaping the values and philosophies of so many Franciscan institutions. RCS and LFI pray that our pilgrims return to their positions within our school system with an esteemed desire to impact others with a renewed spirit and deeper understanding of the Franciscan charism. Please keep our two pilgrims in your prayers as they prepare for this life-changing experience. Again, congratulations to Amelia and Rachel! Our prayers are with you every step of the way.

If you plan to volunteer or work in any capacity for Rochester Catholic Schools you are required to attend a VIRTUS training. The VIRTUS Protecting  God’s Children awareness program is a two hour session for all adults to help our churches and schools provide a child-safe environment. 

The next VIRTUS Trainings will be held:

Thursday, January 24, 2019
Holy Spirit Church at 6:30 pm

Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Resurrection Church at 6 pm

Thursday, February 28, 2019
St. Francis of Assisi Church at 7 pm

Please pre-register online at www.virtusonline.org

You are invited to join the Rochester Catholic Schools community in celebration of Catholic education. RCS and Lourdes Foundation are grateful for your commitment to our schools and invite you to attend this complimentary fellowship event as we salute those who are making a difference in the lives of our students.

Friday, February 1, 2019 | 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. 
Doubletree by Hilton Rochester
150 South Broadway, Rochester

Social 4:30 p.m. • Program 6:00 p.m.
Meet the new RCS Director of Schools and Director of Advancement 
Welcome and prayer 
Community recognition

Please RSVP by January 28, 2019, to RCS Department of Advancement (507) 424-1817 or advancement@rcsmn.org. (adult only event)

Lourdes High School is hosting an 8th Grade visit on 1/24/2019 from 9:00am-11:45am. Transportation is provided for all 8th Graders within the RCS District.

8th Grade Parent Night will be on 2/13/2019 at 6:30pm in the LHS Auditorium.

We look forward to seeing everyone!

Rochester Catholic Schools is excited to announce that we will be offering our Summer Care program beginning June 10 - August 23 with three or five day options. 

Completion of the registration form, along with payment of a $75 non-refundable deposit per family to be applied toward your first week of care, will secure your child(ren)'s spot in the summer care program. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited space available. 

If you have any questions prior to registering, please contact Dean Kinnoin, RCS Childcare & Preschool Coordinator, at (507) 282-5161 or dkinnoin@rcsmn.org. We are looking forward to another fun and exciting summer!

There will be no practice for Grades 4-8 In-House and Traveling basketball teams on Monday, January 21 and Monday, February 18.  Please see website for updated schedules.

Please visit the Youth Basketball webpage to see updated practice schedules beginning January 14.  

Rochester Catholic Schools Junior High Bands (grades 5-8) will present their Winter Concert on Tuesday, January 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium at Lourdes High School.  Paper copies of a note about the concert went home before Christmas and there is a link to these notes included here. Please look at the note to see when your child will need to be at Lourdes for their concert rehearsals.  If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Hanson at whanson@rcsmn.org.

5-6 Concert Note
7-8 Concert Note

Stop by the Activities Office or before any Lourdes Athletic event to purchase your 2018-2019 All Sports Ticket.  The All Sports Ticket is $50 for 10 punches.  This is good for admission to regular season home games.