St Rose of Lima school students, educators, and administrators have been hopping with gratitude and more, ending in a recent surprise with the Easter Bunny.

According to Director of Mission Advancement Laura Moulder, the Knights of Columbus are very supportive of St Rose School throughout the year. They help with a range of facility projects, help at events, and run the annual Veteran’s Day poster/essay contest that includes a tribute ceremony for veterans. They also work closely with the school on coat and food drives. And due to that support, the school’s kindergarten students wanted to show appreciation, so they made “thank you” cards and presented them to Grand Knight Guy Mascolo and K of C State Treasurer Joseph Rahtelli on Friday, March 12.

Also on March 12, students participated in activities to celebrate Pi Day. Students in sixth to eighth grade created “Pi-Line, Skyline” projects. The Greek pi symbol is used to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, approximately 3.14159, and so Pi Day is celebrated on 3/14 (March 14) around the world. Students participated in a mini lesson discussing pi and translated the famous number into their very own artwork. Students created a vertical bar graph, where each bar’s height corresponds to each digit of pi. The completed graph gives the impression of a city skyline, which the students then colored in to enhance the buildings. As a special treat, seventh graders received individual sized apple pies (donated by generous parents) to eat while they worked on their Pi-Line projects.

Later in the month, St Rose School students and faculty celebrated St Patrick and St Joseph, the patron saint of families. On St Patrick’s Day students dressed in green for $2 and the money was donated to its Lenten Mission drive. As of mid-month, the school had raised $3,000 (through a weekly raffle). The money will be sent to help children in Ghana, as well as for local organizations assisting those in need. Later, students could dress down if they brought in at least two canned goods, which are being donated to the FAITH Food Pantry. By the time the Lenten Mission Drive concluded, it had the biggest total ever raised, $3,500 to support the variety of outreach efforts.

In other news, the St Rose’s Mock Trial team participated in an all-day, virtual competition on March 12. The students had prepped the case for months, via Zoom, working with their counselors, Attorney Edward Walsh and Attorney Edward Brady. Both gentlemen are alumni parents who have been volunteering as the Mock Trial counselors for several years.

Later in the month, eighth grade students attended a full day, in-school retreat that focused on faith, trust, and communications. They participated in many trust activities, and as a special treat they received video messages containing well wishes and high school advice from some of last year’s graduates. This emphasizes the lasting bonds and connections in the St Rose School community, according to Moulder.

Then on March 26 there was a special visit. Kindergarten students — decked out in their Easter finery, including handmade bonnets and bow ties — paraded past parents in the school parking lot. They also crossed the street to parade at Church Hill Village. Many residents were seated in front of the building with a special guest: the Easter Bunny. Students waved and called out “Happy Easter.” It was a beautiful visit among the generations, Moulder observed. The bunny led students to the back of Church Hill Village, where they waved to other residents who were watching from the windows.