January 30, 2021 Dear St. Dorothy Families: As Catholic Schools’ Week (CSW) begins I find it a great time for students, families and faculty to reflect on what our parish church and school experience means to us. Our students are a gift; we love sharing our days with your children! We are grateful for our Pastor, Father Murphy, and all the priests for their guidance and support of our spiritual and academic growth. In reading some students’ essays on their St. Dorothy educational experience, one child expressed, “I love going to first Friday Mass, … it helps me stay calm throughout the month.” Although lately Mass has been virtual, students know they are still in the presence of God, and that is what makes us different. He lives within our halls and classrooms; God is present in our daily lives! What a gift! CSW Mass is being lived streamed on our parish YouTube channel for all to watch if you do not feel comfortable coming to church. We will celebrate our CSW Mass at 11:00 AM on Sunday, January 31, 2021. Due to our Covid-19 restrictions and safety protocol there will be no open house after Mass. Please see the weekly list of events for students, volunteers and faculty in the Home and School email. ‘Kindness and Peace are what link us together’, these words and student actions stream our halls! If you know anyone who is interested in registering for next year we welcome them to contact Kelly Gust, our Advancement director, at kgust@stdots.com for more information. We will have a virtual tour for prospective families and new registered families the second week in February. Kelly will send those invites to families who contact her. All current students are automatically reenrolled for next year, unless you are PreK- Kindergarten. If you are not planning on returning in August we thank you for making us aware not at jgordon@stdots.com. This will allow us to prepare our faculty placement plans. This year marks Mrs. Neill’s 15th anniversary here at St. Dorothy School, all of which she has devoted to her tiny treasures in Kindergarten. As we celebrate this anniversary year we will also be celebrating Mrs. Neill ‘s retirement come June. For those of you whose children have had Mrs. Neill as a teacher, you can attest to the loving and engaging atmosphere she provides. I thank Mrs. Neill for her dedication to Catholic Education and her constant support of me, and our school! She will be greatly missed! Next week we ask that you log into OptionC for your child/ren’s progress. We are halfway through the trimester. It is a good time to get a pulse on your child’s progress and implement new study strategies if necessary. Please contact the teacher directly if you wish to discuss your child’s progress. Teachers will be taking part in Professional Development on Friday, February 12, 2021. Students will not have school. Monday, February 15th is President’s Day it is a holiday for our students; there is no school. Ash Wednesday services for our students will take place virtually on Wednesday, February 17th at 10:00 AM. We will have stations for students and be able to distribute ashes in school. The Archdiocese has decided to cancel the 7th grade high school visitation days to Archdiocesan High Schools. Mixing different schools is not an option right now. If your child is planning a shadow day the quarantine of 14 days is required before returning to St. Dorothy’s. Please contact me, Mrs. Callahan and teachers if this is being considered. Hoops for Hope will look different this year. We will continue to raise money for families with cancer! Please see the attached letter explaining the t-shirt orders, purchase of hearts and activities planned. I am grateful for your trust in knowing your children are our priority and I am proud to join you in giving them wings to fly. We are in this together!
Karen Tomasetti Principal Live Each Day Giving Witness to Christ.