St. Rose of Lima School is blessed with a devoted and supportive community of families and students. We extend a special welcome to all families new to St. Rose and want to make your transition a smooth, successful and enjoyable one. Following is some information to help you as you join us. Our two parent organizations -- the School Board and Home-School Association -- as well as our school office are available for any questions. 

School Board "Buddy Program" 
Sponsored by our School Board, all families brand new to St. Rose are given a buddy family (a member of the St. Rose School Board) to help you during your first year in the school. You will be contacted by your “buddy” in August before school starts. If you have any questions on this program, please contact our school office at (516) 541-1546, and we will have a member of the School Board get in touch with you. 

Parents’ Social 
A informal social for parents of Nursery, new Pre-K and parents of students new to K-8 is held in early September in the Rectory Meeting Room. This event, hosted by the pastor, principal and School Board, provides an opportunity for you to meet other parents in the school, and we encourage you to attend. (This event is for parents only, not students.) You will receive your invitation in early August. 

Meet the Teacher Night 
An evening for all parents of K-8 students is held in early September (typically the Thursday of the second week of school) in the Auditorium. This is an opportunity to hear from the pastor, principal, School Board and Home-School Association about the coming year and to informally meet your child’s teacher. It is also an opportunity to learn about all of the events and programs in which you can get involved. Notification of the date of this event is made at school’s close in June and again at school’s opening in September. 

Catholic School's Week
Each year, we hold an Open House during Catholic Schools' Week, which is typically the last week of January.  The open house is usually on that Tuesday, with daytime and evening sessions.  This event is for prospective as well as existing school families.  Members of our parent organizations are available to take you on a guided, informational tour of our Preschool, our Kindergarten-8th Grade program, or both; or, you may go through the building on your own.

During our daytime Open House, you can see our classes in session and our school in operation; the evening session affords you the opportunity to speak with our teachers.  All sessions are conducive to those interested in our Preschool program, our K-8 program, or both.
 
Our students attend Mass as a school (Grades K-8) on a regular basis,which includes a school Mass on the Monday of Catholic Schools' Week.  We encourage you to join us at this special Mass to see firsthand the spiritual development of our students.

If you are interested in coming to an Open House or if you'd like a tour, please call our school office at (516) 541-1546 to schedule an appointment so that we can ensure the appropriate number of tour guides to assist our guests.

Getting Involved 
There are many opportunities – big and small – to get involved at St. Rose School. It is a great way to meet people, network for your children and help your school. At Meet the Teacher Night in early September, you will meet committee members from all of our major events and programs who can give you more information. We also encourage you to attend the Parents’ Social (discussed above), where you can speak to members of our parent organizations and learn more. Our Home-School Association ("HSA") meetings are open to all families, and it is a good way to hear about what is going on in the school; meeting dates are posted on the school calendar. 

Weekly "Youngest & Only" Mailings 
Each Tuesday, for grades K-8, an information packet known as “Youngest & Only” or “Y/O” is sent home to parents through their K-8 youngest or only child in the school. (Preschool parents receive relevant information through their child’s folder.) This K-8 packet includes information, flyers and signup sheets for upcoming events and programs. Monthly hot lunch and pizza order forms are also included in this mailing. In addition, the principal's weekly letter to parents is posted on the school website each Tuesday under Mr. Jensen's Weekly Email Page. It is a good practice to review the principal's letter and Y/O packet regularly each Tuesday as some information is very timely. 

Lunch Programs 
Lunchtime is supervised by a teacher on duty as well as (per class) parent volunteers, and we welcome new volunteers. Hot lunch and pizza are offered throughout the week, with pre-ordering taking place on a month-to-month basis. Order forms come home through the Tuesday Y/O mailing (discussed above) for the upcoming month and must be submitted by the established deadline in order for the order to be placed. Ice cream is periodically sold at lunchtime, and 1% milk can be ordered for the year for an annual fee payable in September. 

School Store 
The School Store is a virtual store managed by a parent volunteer. The school gym uniform must be purchased through our School Store. Tee shirts, shorts, sweats and other items with the school logo can be ordered through the store. 

Parent Portal 
A Parent Portal - "Power School" - for Grades 1-8 is available under USEFUL LINKS. The portal provides a great opportunity for parents to monitor their student's academic progress on a per-subject basis. There is also an option to set up a regular "email alert", whereby you receive an automatic email - on a timetable of your choice - with your child's latest grades. At the beginning of your first school year at St. Rose, at Meet the Teacher Night, you will receive more details of this tool, including your initial password to get started. If you have any questions on this tool, please contact your child's homeroom teacher or the school's Technology Coordinator.

School Policies & Procedures 
Information regarding all of our school policies and procedures, including topics such as attendance, absences, discipline, teacher conferences, assessments and progress reports, homework, testing, birthday celebrations, textbooks, uniform code and more can be found in the hard-copy Calendar/Policy Handbook distributed at the start of school each September.  To ensure your receipt of this important in formation, each school parent and child is required to sign a form. 

Financial & Volunteer Obligations 
St. Rose of Lima School operates financially from tuition receipts, fundraising activities, and parish subsidy. Therefore, to enable expenses to be met, each family must meet its financial and volunteer obligations. Please see the Parents' Place - Financial & Volunteer Obligations section of this website for details.