May 20, 2019
St. Rita of Cascia
Dear Fellow Parishioner,
It is with great pleasure that I am writing to you for a third year regarding our scholarship sponsor program. I always knew St. Brigid’s was a generous parish, but your response to our appeals has been beyond generous. Thank you!
In 2017, we were able to help 14 families with full or partial scholarships. In 2018, we were able to assist five additional families.
“I am thankful to have been selected as a recipient for this sponsorship. In a society where it's easy to lose sight of the importance of a Catholic education as a blessing and a gift, I would like you to know I am grateful for every opportunity to grow, not only as a strong Catholic student, but as a confident individual. Thank you for investing in my future and for noticing the potential in me to do great things. Without your generosity, access to such an education would not be possible." — Blessed 5th Grader
As you can see from the beautiful quote above, we are all truly grateful for your support.
We strive to develop our students intellectually, spiritually, and morally. Our students are bright and eager to learn. They are cheerful! In fact, their cheerfulness is contagious. It captivates me, every morning as I greet their happy faces! And I know it captivates the teachers and staff.
St. Rose-McCarthy Catholic school is one happy place!
Whether or not you are able to contribute this year, I love being able to share with you the good news about how St. Rose-McCarthy Catholic School is an integral part of forming the next generation of faithful Catholics in our community, nation, and world.
As a Catholic school, I am especially pleased to tell you about our new religious education program: Spirit of Truth from Sophia Institute Press. It’s a deep, strong, thorough program that follows the catechism. The courses come with thoughtful lesson plans that have significantly helped our teachers to teach religion. Students learn about faith, sacraments, saints, and church history. It is a classical program in that students are challenged to think philosophically, as well as to ponder their relationship with God.
Another success story is our school-wide Rosetta Stone foreign language course. This was our first year using the course, so we weren’t sure how it was going to go. All of the students are learning Spanish, but one is also using the program to improve his Portuguese and another is also learning French in anticipation of a trip to France this summer. Students do progress at their own pace; so those who practice at home are learning faster. Our students are enjoying learning a new language, look forward to it, and like to show off their foreign language skills to their families.
"Not only is my daughter getting a top-notch academic education, she's creating beautiful pieces of art and learning about the great masters. Through the use of Rosetta Stone, she is speaking and spelling in Spanish! None of this would have been possible without the support from our sponsor. Thank you for your generosity!" — Thrilled 1st Grade Parent.
I also wish to especially note the success of our new Language Arts curricula which emphasizes writing. Students are writing every day and we’ve seen a big improvement in their skills. I walk out to the schoolyard at lunch and see students writing in their notebooks. They are not doing class assignments; they are writing their “books” — even kindergarteners! And the older children write in cursive, of course!
Other highlights of our 2018-2019 school year:
27 new students joined our St. Rose family.
Enrollment is up in the primary grades, which speaks well for the future.
30 more Chromebooks purchased. We now have 60 of the 90 needed.
Hired a full-time physical education teacher and coach
Team Sports include volleyball, soccer, track, basketball, and softball.
Dedicated Art Teacher with emphasis on the elements of art and The Masters. Visit Our SRM Student Art Gallery in our offices.
1st – 6th Grade students participated in the Peach Blossom Festival
6th – 8th Grade students competed in the Kings-Tulare County Science Fair
Kings County Spelling Bee — SRM 8th grader won for Kings County and competed in the California State Bee where he finished in the Top 20 of seventh through 12th graders in the state!
Field trips included Camp El Chorro; Kelly Slater Surf Ranch; Young Chef’s Academy; Storybook Garden; Police Station, Post Office, Courthouse, Fire Department, Library, Farm Day, Burris Park, Academy of Science in San Francisco; and, trips to the California State Capitol and Washington D.C.
Patriotic Day Rally to honor and thank our five military families
All Saints Day Celebration with students dressed as saints
Joyous Christmas Program
Float in Hanford Christmas Parade
Catholic Schools Week culminating with the always popular talent show (see it on YouTube)
Demonstration from a professional (and amazing) falconer
St. Patrick’s All School Jump Rope Rally
Ash Wednesday School Lenten Retreat
$1,000 Winner in Race-for-the-Dough Contest (Pieology) with Our Signature Pie: The Crusader
School-Wide Rosaries for Vocations
Monthly Reconciliation
Visit from International Students
School choir sings at Masses including cantoring and singing harmony.
Class of 2019 Legacy Project: Graduates will share their favorite saint and a parent muralist will paint them on bathroom walls.
Follow all our activities on Facebook and YouTube!
I would also like to point out that St. Rose-McCarthy is participating in a Digital Safety program. We are committed to helping our students learn as early and prudently as possible how to navigate the digital world — how to be smart and safe. Please pray for our efforts!
Besides all of the above activities that enrich our children, our school also participates in community service activities that enrich our community:
Collected toys for a playground in Armona for developmentally disabled children
Advent and Lent food drives for St. Vincent dePaul
Making 100 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches monthly to feed the hungry
Attending Mass and visiting with the elderly at the Hacienda monthly
Handbell musicians and choir perform at the Hacienda and Valley Christian Home
Serving for Knights of Columbus and church functions
Creating “Blessing Bags” for hygiene for St. Vincent dePaul
Supporting Crossroads Pregnancy Center
I hope I don’t sound like I’m bragging about our school, I just can’t help it.
As you know, we continually plan improvements for our curricula and our campus. We also strive to keep our tuition as low as possible.
Despite our efforts, a Catholic education is still out of reach for many parents. But with our sponsorship program, we can help more children enroll in our school.
David and I are committed to sponsoring a child for the 2019–2020 school year. Won’t you join us?
If you are able to make a full scholarship commitment, we would like to thank you by giving you …
- Two tickets to the annual DeCampos Dinner
- Two tickets to Fish and Gaming Night
- Two tickets to Pancake Breakfast
- Interactions with student (if both parties desire): Three letters a year and pictures
- Invitations to school programs — Christmas Program, Catholic Schools Week, Spring Fling, child’s First Holy Communion, Graduation, etc.
- Morning prayer for benefactors
If you are able to make a half-scholarship commitment to match with parent contribution, we would like to thank you by giving you …
- Two tickets to Fish and Gaming Night
- Two tickets to Pancake Breakfast
- Interactions with student (if both parties desire): Three letters a year and pictures
- Invitations to school programs — Christmas Program, Catholic Schools Week, Spring Fling, child’s First Holy Communion, Graduation, etc.
- Morning prayer for benefactors
If you are not able to provide a full or half scholarship, we still welcome any size donation. For your donation, you will receive …
- Invitations to school programs — Christmas Program, Catholic Schools Week, Spring Fling, First Holy Communion, Graduation, etc.
- Morning prayer for benefactors
Of course the best thanks you’ll receive is the knowledge that you are helping a child to both receive a great education and to be well-formed in Catholic principles.
The new school year starts August 14. I know it’s still spring, but, really, the first day of school is right around the corner.
We need your response by Thursday, August 1st, in order to plan our programs and let parents know.
Remember, a family, earnestly desiring to enroll a son or daughter, is praying for you to say, “Yes!”
“If only I could have recorded my initial reaction to your generous gift! This sponsorship was a great stress relief for me. I can now provide my son with a rich Catholic education. One day, I hope to be able to pay it forward!" — Grateful 2nd Grade Parent.
Many of you who donated last year have already pledged to continue on with your student for the next school year. I thank you, again, for making that early pledge; it helps so much in our planning.
As always, we cherish your prayers for our students, families, and staff. We’re praying for you!
Yours in Christ,
Jamie M. Perkins, Principal
St. Rose-McCarthy Catholic School
(559) 584-5218
P.S. It’s impossible to measure the almost imperceptible value of a child being exposed daily to the idea of God and what He tells us. If the child is willing, what he or she takes in will help throughout the child’s life, no matter the difficulties.
P.P.S. If you reply right now, a family won’t have to spend the summer worrying whether or not their child can experience a Catholic education.
“I accept this sponsorship with extreme honor. I hope to combine my love of our Catholic faith and the strong leadership skills I am learning to help strengthen our community. I am thrilled you have chosen to be a part of my academic growth and success. It is people like you who make it possible for students to pursue their dreams. Thank you for believing in my future!" — Elated Middle School Student