St. Rita School
4433 Douglas Ave.
Racine, WI 53402
Phone (262) 639-3333
Fax (262) 639-3346
Click
here to get a map for St. Rita School
Our
Location:
Saint
Rita
School and Parish serves northern and eastern
Racine County,
Wisconsin. We are located on Highway 32 (Douglas Avenue),
between Three and Four Mile Roads, in the Town of Caledonia,
though our mailing address is
Racine,
Wisconsin. We would be considered to be a suburban school.
Environment / Facilities:
The parish is located on extensive grounds, with a park-like
setting. Our school is accessible and simple in layout, with
attractive classrooms, a well-equipped Gymnasium, Student
Library, Art room, Science Lab, Computer Lab, Music room, Stage,
Kitchen facilities to serve daily hot lunch, and a Before/After
School Supervision Room. The school area features a large
blacktopped playground / parking area, a climbing play yard for
little ones, and a large grass sports field, allowing plenty of
space for various activities. The church complex contains an
Augustinian monastery, and two of the Augustinian Priests are
our co-pastors. Other priests, brothers, and novices are in
residence. Our church has a first-class shrine of Saint Rita of
Cascia. As of October 9, 2005, our parish will dedicate and begin to use our wonderful new church worship space.
Educational Programs:
The school offers sequential Gr. K-8 programs for
Reading/Literature, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and
Social Studies, along with daily instruction and experiences in
Religion, which permeates all programs. We also provide
instruction in Physical Education, Art, and Music. Band, Choir,
and individual band or piano lessons are optional. We have an
up-to-date Technology Laboratory used by all classes. We
emphasize full-spectrum Reading instruction incorporating
phonics, grammar, handwriting, and spelling along with emphasis
in literature and writing. In the Mathematics program, we foster
basic computation skills and problem solving, along with
real-world practice and manipulative use. We offer some
program opportunities in Reading and Math for acceleration. We
can also provide limited assistance with remediation of students
to meet their needs but we are unable to accept students with
special needs requiring adaptations, counseling, or other
intervention. We offer qualifying 8th Graders the opportunity
to attend St. Catherine or Horlick high schools for advanced
math instruction and/or Foreign Language. The school takes pride
in preparing our graduates for a successful high school
experience, in all subject areas.
Moral Environment / Religious Focus / Civic Focus:
Building on the foundation of values taught in the home and in
the parish community, we focus on Catholic doctrine, practice,
and heritage. Daily faith experiences of prayer and religious
lessons are coupled with expectations of self-respect and
respect for all others. Students participate in weekly
student-centered liturgies, prayer services, and many seasonal
celebrations of faith. We also participate in non-partisan
patriotic activities, and outreach to community needs. Our
mission as staff is to share and assist in the growth of
well-educated and responsible Christian citizens and
parishioners.
Family Involvement:
Parents/guardians of our students make a commitment to
involvement in parish life, and in the life of the school. Adult
volunteers in many areas of extended school life add greatly to
the success of our programs. The School Advisory Council,
Enhancement Committee, Development Committee, Athletic
Association, Room Parents, Coaching, Scouting, and Technology
Committee, as well as lunchtime, library, playground, and
classroom helpers, are examples of opportunities for involvement
in school life. Service hours to parish and school, BINGO work,
and fundraising for school improvement are part of each family's
commitment, as well. Our newcomers are oriented to St. Rita’s
with the help of a “buddy family.”
Extended Care / Day Care:
The CARES program, located on two floors of the monastery
building, provides day care for children from ages 6 months to
13 years, and extended-day student supervision, including school
vacation times. (Phone 639-1889) Extended-day CARES for
students is held in the school.
Preschool:
The CARES program operates preschool programs for
three-year-olds and four-year-olds, with several program
options. (Phone: 639-1889)
Extracurricular Activities:
The students participate in School Newspaper, Chess Club, Young
Scientists Club, Band, Children’s Choir, Christmas Choir, and
individual lessons for band and piano, through the school and
through the help of staff and parents. Children are prepared
for annual evening musical programs, and have opportunities to
display dramatic and music talent. Our very active Athletic
Association sponsors teams for volleyball, basketball, and
track, Grades 5-8, and St. Rita's hosts an annual basketball
tournament every January/February. Our PE teacher sponsors
“Royal Runners,” am after-school distance running club for
children and adults. We have Boy and Girl Scouting troops for
all age levels. The School committees sponsor many
family-oriented and adult-oriented opportunities for fun and
socialization. The parish runs a Festival, Fish Fry Fridays,
Harvest Wine-Tasting Social, Holiday Breakfast Social, and other
annual and seasonal faith-sharing and social events. Parish-wide
social and religious activities and opportunities are offered
for all children and adults throughout the year.
School Governance:
The School Advisory Council assists in setting directions for
the School through four committees. Development Committee
oversees the marketing of the school as well as the orientation
of new families, and manages the Growth Fund and the Grand Times
pictorial newsletter. Finance Committee oversees the fiscal
responsibility of all committees and subcommittees. School
Enhancement Committee sponsors fundraising in support of needed
school improvements and curricular programs, and brings families
together socially with hospitality and special events. The
Policy Committee reviews and develops needed policies to guide
the school’s operation, and surveys our families regularly.
Our
Mission Statement:
The Mission of Saint Rita School is LIVING as members of our
Catholic Parish Faith Community, LOVING God and all his
creation, and LEARNING for our future on earth and in heaven.
Frequently-Asked Questions:
-
How are your
Achievement Test scores?
The school scores high, and annual scores are available on
request. We are proud to score well while serving a wide
range of students; but such scores are not our main focus,
which is our religious and academic commitment to each child.
-
What are your
hours of operation?
Students enter at 8:15am, classes begin at 8:30, and
dismissal is at 3:20pm. The school office is open most days
from 8am to 4pm.
-
Is the
Kindergarten half-day or full day?
We
have full-day Kindergarten.
-
Do you have
programs for gifted and remedial needs?
Though we cannot accept students who need special programs or
adaptations for learning/behavior needs, we teach a wide range
of students. We have Gr. 6-8 Math acceleration, a Reading
instruction block Gr. 1-6 that allows for acceleration,
enrichment projects and activities, and we provide the
services of a Remedial/Gifted teacher and our Reading
Assistant teacher. Our students are all "accelerated" in these
ways: our school programs are strong, study skills are
emphasized, and expectations are high.
-
Will my child
be bused to school?
Families residing within our parish boundaries are eligible
for busing, and some exceptions are granted for those living
outside but very close to those boundaries. We generally
serve all neighborhoods east of the parish to the lake and
north to the county line; other boundaries are Three Mile
Road, North Green Bay Road, sections of Highway 38, and
Nicholson Road.
(Exact boundary lines wander.) We have many families who
drive to School or CARES daily from other areas, and
carpooling is possible.
-
What if we
are not parishioners or not Catholic?
Though the school is operated by and for Saint Rita Parish, we
welcome others as well. Tuition is higher for those families
who are not supporting our parish, or a Catholic parish that
does not have a school. This is because our parishioners pay
support to the church for school needs.
-
Is there a scholarship program or
tuition help?
We offer, only for continuing school families, short-term
assistance to provide up to 40% of tuition during a family
financial crisis, with a two-year limit. We cannot provide
any ongoing or long-term tuition support or other assistance
within our budget. For those who cannot afford tuition the
parish also offers Religious Education through the
after-school weekly programs for children and youth.
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