Saint Rita News

January 4, 2010 Volume 3 Issue 16

Virtue of the Second Trimester
“Compassion”
Dear Parents and Students,
I hope that your Christmas and New Year holidays were memorable. Spending time with family can be exhausting
and yet restorative. I can’t count the number of meals we prepared and shared from December 19th through Janu-
ary 3rd but I do know that we enjoyed the time with our family and friends.

I have every intention of writing a personal thank you to everyone who remembered me with gifts and cards. In the mean-
time, I am deeply grateful for your generosity and kindness – thank you so much.
Let’s welcome the new year of 2010 with reasonable resolutions and a robust enthusiasm for better days ahead,
possibly the calm after a storm. The faculty and I remain steady and on course in our commitment to your chil-
dren and to you, our partners, in their education. May God Bless you this year with good health and prosperity.
Thank you for your continued support of our wonderful school.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Perhaps the best way to appreciate the power of Catholic schools is to imagine the Catholic Church in the
United States without them. What would it look like? Would it be as robust and vital? How would it pro-
duce generous leaders? How would it serve immigrants? How would it provide avenues of educational
opportunity to the poor, especially those in our cities? The rise of evangelical Christian schools shows
that other Christian communities have learned what many Catholics have forgotten or are willing to ig-
nore – that there is no substitute for spending 35 hours each week in an educational environment per-
meated by faith and Gospel values. To those who wonder how we can afford to make the investment nec-
essary to sustain, strengthen, and expand Catholic schools, we respond by turning the question on its
head. How can we afford not to make this investment? Our future depends on it more than we may sus-
pect.

Our Catholic Education at St. Rita School includes the “Student Learning Expectations” (SLEs). They are posted in every class-
room, in all handbooks and the student planners.
School Wide Learning Expectations indicate the skills, competencies, and keys to success students will gain by their successful
completion of Saint Rita School’s educational and religious program. Teachers, at all grade levels, plan lessons to ensure that stu-
dents develop spiritually, intellectually and socially. In addition, teachers create activities aimed at fostering the “keys to success”
that allow students to personalize the experiences.
A Saint Rita Student understands the keys to success and strives to become ~
A Christ-Centered Person Who:
• Understands and lives the teachings of the Catholic faith.
• Supports and contributes to others through Christian service.
• Models social justice.
An intellectual learner who:
• Is able to actively listen, speak clearly and write concisely and correctly.
• Develops critical thinking and problem solving strategies and skills
• Uses multiple strategies for learning and communication.
A Maturing Individual Who:
• Has developed self-confidence, self-discipline and self-motivation.
• Has developed the skills to know how and when to be a leader, an individual or a member of a group.
• A Globally Aware Citizen Who:
• Understands civic responsibility.
• Supports and participates in community service.
• Appreciates and respects all cultures and abilities.
Keys To Success:
* Self Awareness *Goal Setting * Perseverance
* Support Systems * Emotional Coping Strategies *Proactivity

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 Saint Rita News
Important Dates
Monday 1-4 Welcome Back
Tuesday 1-5 School Mass Spon-
sored by the 8th grade class.
Please arrive at 7:45. we practice
the songs in the church before
Mass.
Saturday 1-9 9:00 -12:00 First
Reconciliation Workshop All
First Communicants and their
parents must attend.
Monday 1-11 L.E.A.P.S. Classes
Begin
Tuesday 1-12 School Mass
Sponsored by the 3rd grade class.
Please arrive at 7:45. we practice
the songs in the church before
Mass.
Wednesday 1-13 Grade 7 Field
Trip St. Andrew's Abbey 7:45-4:00
Thursday 1-14 Hot Lunch Na-
tional Spell Check Test Day. Spell-a-
thon Pledges Due.
Friday 1-15 Noon Dismissal
Faculty Meet
Catholic Schools
Week 2010
January 31- February 5
Pack The Church Sunday
10:00 am
January 31, 2010
Please mark your
Calendars.
Save the Dates Student Council
Drama Club ~Kacey Benson, the St Rita's stu-
Presents dent council community service
representative, and a group of St
James and
Rita's students collected 140 blan-
the Giant kets during the Fall.  On Decem-
Peach ber 18th,the group of volunteers
January 22, delivered the blankets to Union
23, 24. Station Homeless Services in
Pasadena.  They were given a tour
of the facility and had the opportu-
Saturday, nity to hand out blankets to a group
February 6th of people at the Shelter having
Winter lunch. The St. Rita's volunteers will
Wine Fest continue their efforts to help the
homeless in our community and
plan to cook and serve lunch at the
shelter in the Spring. 
Virtus
New training content
is available at
http://www.virtus.
org
Dear St. Rita Families:
Thank you for your wonderful
and generous gifts. I am truly
grateful for you and your chil-
dren and love being at St. Rita.
Need anything just CALL.
Fondly, Mrs. Pearson
Dear Parents & Students,
Thank you for your
generosity and kindness
this holiday Season.
Cathie Kay
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 Saint Rita News
Happy New Year
HANDBOOK 2010 Life:
32. Do the right thing!
Health: 33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
1. Drink plenty of water. 35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a 36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
beggar. 37. The best is yet to come..
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less 38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
food that is manufactured in plants.. 39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk,
smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what
their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past.
Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past.
That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21.No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Prob-
lems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade
away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a life-
time.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age
of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your
friends will. Stay in touch.