Parent Weekly Update 8/28/26

St. Rose of Lima Elementary School, rooted in Catholic values, strives to achieve educational excellence by facilitating the intellectual, spiritual, and physical growth of each child and promoting a community of faith, hope, love and service.

Parent Weekly Update

August 29, 2026 - September 7, 2026

Important Dates at a Glance

Monday, August 31, 2026 - Hot Lunch begins for all students with LunchTime Accounts

Tuesday, September 1, 2026 - Home and School Association meeting on campus 6:30 PM

Tuesday, September 1, 2026 - Ice Cream is for sale at all lunches for $1.00 cash

Thursday, September 3, 2026 - Back to School Night at 6:30 PM - Parents Only

Friday, September 4, 2026 - Early Dismissal for all students at 11:30 AM

Monday, September 7, 2026 - School is closed for the Labor Day Holiday

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 - School reopens for all students

Friday, September 11, 2026 - School mass at 8:30 AM - all are welcome

Welcome Back to School!

We warmly welcome all of our families back to school and thank you for choosing our school for your child’s education. We are excited to begin the 2026–2027 school year with you!

There are many ways for families to be involved in our school community. We invite you to join us for Mass on Friday mornings, and we encourage you or your family members to consider volunteering.

To volunteer, you must complete the clearance process and receive a volunteer badge from the Diocese of Harrisburg. If you are interested in getting started, please contact the Main Office. We will be happy to provide you with the necessary information.

If you have any questions or concerns throughout the year, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher via email. Teachers will respond within 24 hours. You may also contact Mrs. Johnston via email with any questions or concerns.

Once again, welcome back! We look forward to a fantastic school year together.

Physical and Dental Forms

Students who are in grades K, 3, and 6 must have a current physical and dental form on file in our school office.  This is a state law and is required of all families.  Please contact our school office if you need a new form or you may go to our website under student life and then parents. Forms are due to the office by September 18, 2026.

Student Planners

Students in grades 3-6 use a school planner to write homework and other important information at the conclusion of each school day.  The cost of the planner is $6.00.  Parents may pay by cash or check made payable to St Rose of Lima Elementary School.  All money is due by Friday, September 4, 2026.  Thank you for your support.

Back to School Night

On Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 6:30 PM, we will hold our annual Back to School Night for parents of students in grades K-6.  We will share important school information for the current school year. You will get to visit your child’s classroom, meet the teacher, and hear about the classroom and grade expectations for the year.  This event is for parents only.  Please remember that this is not a time for a conference. We ask that you please email the teacher to discuss any concerns you might have regarding your child.  We look forward to seeing everyone this Thursday evening! This event is for parents only.

Hot Lunch Program

St Rose of Lima is happy to announce the return of the Hot Lunch Program. Attached to this Weekly Update is a letter from Ms Duff, our Cafeteria Manager.  In order to purchase Hot Lunch, all families must register for a Lunchtime Account.  Directions for how to register for Lunchtime are listed in the letter. 

New this year - we are offering two options for students.  Additionally, the nutritional value of each item on the menu can be found by using a link on our website.  This will help parents as they make decisions about purchasing lunches for their children.

New Altar Server Training

Is your third through sixth grader interested in becoming an altar server for our school masses and our church masses?  Please call the office to register for our next training session on September 24, 2026 at 9:00 AM in the school.  This is a wonderful way for our children to learn more about the mass and help deepen their faith.

Calling All Volunteers

Are you interested in volunteering at our school?  Would you like to help chaperone a field trip? We would love to have as many of our family members helping us out in our school.  In order to do that, each person must complete the process of obtaining clearances.  If you are interested in starting this process, or if you aren’t sure if your clearances are up to date, please call the Main Office.  We will make sure you are on the right track. 

Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night is Back!
Mark your calendars and join us for a fun and tasty way to support our school! Join us on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 922 Loucks Road, York, PA

Whether you dine in, swing through the drive-thru, order through the Chick-fil-A mobile app, or use a third-party delivery service, be sure to make your purchase between 5–7 PM to have it count toward our fundraiser!

A portion of the evening's sales will be donated directly back to our school. Let’s make it a great night of food, fun, and community!  We hope to see you there!

Handbook Highlights 

Arrival:

The school building opens for students at 7:40 AM.  Arrival time is the same for bus riders and private car riders.  Students are to wait in their vehicles or buses until the doors open at 7:40 AM.  At no time are students allowed to be dropped off or left unattended outside of the school prior to 7:40 AM. 

Upon arrival, all cars and buses are to enter the loop in front of the school from Biesecker Road. Form a single line to drop off passengers.  Please stay in the line – no passing.   Parents are to remain in the car while students are greeted by our administration and staff, who will open your car doors. 

Students are to exit their vehicles quickly and in an orderly manner. The children will enter the school through the front doors and report immediately to the gym.

Vehicles may not be left unattended in the loop.  If you have a scheduled meeting with someone in school, please park in space in the parking lot and enter the school at the front door.

Dismissal Times:

Regular Dismissal

• Bus Dismissal – 2:50 PM
• Private Car Student Dismissal – 2:55 PM

All students must be picked up by 3:15 PM unless otherwise arranged with Administration

Half-Day Dismissal

• Bus Dismissal – 11:30 AM
• Private Car Student Dismissal – 11:35 AM

All students must be picked up by 12:00 PM unless otherwise arranged with the Administration

Bus Dismissal:

Bus riders will be dismissed first.  They will be brought to the front door of the school and walked to their appropriate buses by St. Rose of Lima Elementary staff. Buses line up along the inside of the loop closest to the grassy area.

If your child is riding a school bus, please inform St. Rose of Lima Elementary School of your child’s name and the local school district providing transportation.

Private Car Dismissal:

To facilitate private car dismissal, parents/guardians are required to place the 8.5” x 11” car sign provided by the school where it can be seen by all school personnel working with dismissal.  This sign must be hung from the rear view mirror or be placed on the passenger side sun visor to be seen when the visor is placed in the down position.  Signs placed on the dashboard are not visible to the school personnel working dismissal. 

Drivers are to form three distinct lines of cars.Please pull as far forward in the loop to ensure as many cars can pull up as possible.  Vehicles may not be left unattended in the loop.  If you have a scheduled meeting with someone in school, please park in space in the parking lot and enter the school at the front door. Please follow the direction of the Crossing/Traffic guard.

School personnel will inform classroom teachers of your arrival. Students will come to the front door for dismissal. A member of the St. Rose of Lima Elementary staff will walk your child to your car.

Forty Hours

St Rose of Lima Parish is celebrating Forty Hours beginning at the conclusion of the 9:30 AM mass on Sunday, August 30, 2026, celebrated by Bishop Gainer,  until the closing mass on Tuesday, September 1 at 7:00 PM at the church.  Many of our students will be participating in this beautiful and moving mass. Forty Hours Devotion is a special period of continuous, solemn prayer before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, which commemorates the approximately 40 hours Jesus' body rested in the tomb between His burial and resurrection. During these 40 hours, which are often held over three days, the faithful are encouraged to spend time in silent adoration, participate in Masses, meditations, scripture readings,Adoration and Benediction, all to deepen their faith. Please join us on Tuesday night, September 1, 2026 at 7:00 PM. Bishop Gaine will celebrate mass, along with Fr Celestine and many priests from the Diocese. We encourage our students to wear their uniforms.