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Weekly Newsletter
9.27.2023
Fall Spirit Gear Store is Open!!
The fall spirit gear collection includes STC hoodies & full zip-ups for adults and youth only. We must reach an order minimum of 24 for each item. Please check sizes carefully before ordering, and consider sizing up for students. The store will close on October 9th so get your order in now!
We have several spirit gear items in stock at the school, including PJ pants, soccer socks, golf umbrellas, coffee tumblers, beanies, and baseball hats. If you have any questions or would like to purchase any of these items, please reach out to Tammy Matusak.
Check out the Spirit Gear FAQ's on our website if you have any questions!
From the School Office
Buddy Families
St. Catherine School is bringing back a popular pre-covid program pairing new-to-the-school families (grades K-8) with current families as a resource to ask questions and be welcomed to the St. Catherine community! Buddies/Mentors will be assigned to families with a child in the same class as their child and introductions will be made in early October.
Mentor families will receive five volunteer hours applied to the 2023-2024 school year! To learn more and apply to be a mentor, please complete this form. New families (K-8) will automatically be assigned a mentor.
Upcoming Events
High School Virtual Information Night
The Seattle Archdiocese Seattle Area High School Virtual Information Night is TONIGHT! Click the button below to register.
St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day
In honor of St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day, there will a pet blessing for all our St. C pets! Please join us on Wednesday, October 4th at 2:30pm on the plaza with Fr. Marc. Bring your cat or dog (no pitbulls please), fish or frog or any friend you have to get blessed.
For the safety of others, please be sure your animal is socialized. All pets are to be leashed/contained, and please advise your child/ren to approach all animals with caution.
Fall MAP Testing
Fall MAP Testing began this week and goes through the first week of October. Makeups will take place throughout this testing period. Students in 2nd-8th grades will take these tests in reading, math, and language. Data from MAP tests is important for monitoring student progress, assessing growth, and providing instruction that continues to meet individual student needs.
Please help make sure your child gets a good night's rest the night before each test and a filling breakfast that morning. Please let your child's homeroom teacher know if your child will be absent, late, or leaving early on any of these days. Please let Ms. Elsner (celsner@stcatherineschool.net) know if you have any questions.
Preschool & Kindergarten Open House
Are you a current preschool family starting to think about Kindergarten next fall? Or do you have friends starting to think about preschool or kindergarten? Please join us, and spread the word about our Open House on Thursday, October 19th at 6:30pm. Its an excellent opportunity to learn about our preschool and kindergarten programs.
To register, please email Tammy Matusak.
Parent Club News
ROCKIN' the JOG!
Thank you St. Catherine Families and to all our students for the incredible job you all did with the Jog-A-Thon. Our Tigers Rocked it! We raised almost $68,000 for our school!
Thank you for your generosity and teamwork. Let's get pumped for Friday October 6th. The closing assembly will take place at 11am to announce class winners and the donut bar after lunch! WAY TO GO TIGERS!
Drama Program News
Go Grease Lightening
We are so excited to be beginning our 2023-2024 musical, Grease! This program is open to all 4rd-8th grade students. There are roles for singers, non-singers, and technical crew. Please see below for more info! The sign up link can also be found at the bottom of this message!
Mark your Calendars!!
10/24 Tue. - 3:15 - 5:15 –4th and 5th grade Auditions - Music Room
10/26 Thurs. – 3:15-5:15 – 6th, 7th, 8th grade Auditions - Music Room
10/27 Fri. – Callbacks - 3:25- 5:00 - Music Room
Rehearsals will be held every Tuesday and Thursday starting on Tuesday, November 7th. There will be no rehearsals called in the month of December due to the Christmas program and in observance of the holiday season. If your child is interested but cannot attend either audition date, please contact Ms. Clara or Ms. Jones.
Cost: $200/child (½ price for 2nd/3rd child in a family) for Cast T-Shirt and show expenses! There are payment plans available. Please reach out to Amanda Lucero for information on payment plans. There will be a Musical Behavior Contract for you and your child to sign, sent home after auditions.
Interested in Tech Crew? We want to continue to build a stronger behind-the-scenes crew in our theater department this year! If your child is interested in working in stage management, lighting, sound, props, costumes, or anything else backstage, please select “crew” on the registration form so we can build our team!
Needed!!! Drama Volunteers – Whether it’s monitoring during rehearsal, helping with costumes, or trying your hand at stage makeup come March, we have lots of opportunities and needs, both big and small, so please send a note to Clara or Ava if you are interested in helping out! We can’t do it without our volunteers!
Sign up Link: https://forms.gle/bae3dZeg1fGBp4CZ7
Looking forward to a fantastic production!
Enrichment Opportunities
Middle School Speech Team
Students in grades 6-8 are invited to join the middle school Speech Team. Speech team is a fun way to learn valuable public speaking and presentation skills while representing St. Catherine School. Members of the Speech Team will have the opportunity to compete in speech tournaments with other Catholic school students throughout the winter months. Eighth grade participants can compete for high school scholarships at the hosting school.
Please join us this evening for an information session about the 2023-24 Speech Team season. I will give a brief overview of the season and what you and your child can expect as a member of the team. The meeting will occur via the Zoom link below at 7 pm. Feel free to reach out to me at Wendy.Rychwalski@gmail.com with any questions.
Meeting ID: 858 2572 8966
Passcode: 499414
NPH Club (Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos)
Calling all students in grades 3-8! Please consider joining NPH! Our first meeting is Tuesday, October 3rd at 8:00am in the first grade classroom.
We are a club that does fundraising to support our godchild, Yhon, who is a boy in Bolivia. All money raised is sent to NPH National which distributes funds to help pay for food, clothing, housing, and education for children under their care. We also learn about the many children around the world who benefit from NPH, their life stories and cultures. When possible, we share what we learn with our school community. Our obligation is $360 a year. We raise this through contributions from club members and a few fundraisers throughout the year. Being a member requires that you come to the monthly meetings, make a small contribution each month, and help with fundraisers. As godparents, we become part of Yhon's extended family. For more information, please contact Ms. Arthur, Mrs. Katsandres, Ms. O'Donnell or check out the website: www.nphusa.org Join us!
Kindergarten Mini Movers
Attention Kindergarten Kiddos, please join Ms. Tammy and Mrs. Bell for our first ever Movement Class! This is the perfect opportunity for your child to get their wiggles out while also learning controlled motions, form, and balance. We will practice dance moves, coordinated movements, and spatial awareness; key milestones in their development.
This after school enrichment opportunity will be offered on Mondays 3:15-4:15 beginning October 16th and running through the end of the year (December 11th).
The cost from this class is $225/child, and a minimum enrollment of 8 kiddos is required for the class to take place. Register online: https://forms.gle/VcsAx6KYiUPuFFL8A
Coding with Kids
LITTLE CODERS: MINECRAFT MODDING I
Grades 1-2
Mon, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Oct 9 - Dec 11
$249 / 10-week session
Calling all young Minecrafters! In this course, you will learn to code your own Minecraft mods (or modifications) with Minecraft Education Edition! You will express your creativity to customize the game you love, Minecraft! Using a simple drag-and-drop coding environment, you will learn and practice basic coding concepts, such as Variables and Loops. You will apply these concepts to build projects, such as a zoo, an aquarium, a diamond house, a magic wand, and many more custom mini-games! Start creating your own personalized Minecraft mods!
REGISTRATIONS: www.codingwithkids.com/session/57574
MODDING WITH MINECRAFT EDUCATION: INTRO
Grades 3-5
Tue, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Oct 10 - Dec 12
$249 / 10-week session
Calling all Minecrafters! Building Minecraft mods is a great way to learn programming, harness creativity, and enhance problem-solving skills while making your favorite game even better. Each student will have their own Minecraft server where they can customize the game with their own world maps and features. Students will be coding mods to create new items, environments, non-playable characters, game modes, and more! Using a simple drag-and-drop coding environment, campers will accomplish exciting results with their one-of-a-kind Minecraft features!
REGISTRATIONS: www.codingwithkids.com/session/57575
PYTHON CODING
Grades 6-8
Mon, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Oct 9 - Dec 11
$249 / 10-week session
Join us to learn Python, a programming language widely utilized in the professional world. For beginners, we'll provide a user-friendly introduction to Python and cover core coding concepts, such as variables and functions. Returning students will delve into more advanced topics, including Arrays. Students will create a diverse range of fun games, such as space invaders.
REGISTRATIONS: www.codingwithkids.com/session/57576
QUESTIONS? Email Coding with Kids at info@codingwithkids.com
Study Hall | 4th-8th Grades
Hi families! After school study hall for students in grades 4-8 has begun. Study hall is held after school in the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Mrs. Anderson. She will provide a safe and studious environment for your student(s) to complete their homework and receive assistance as needed.
If you’d like to sign up your student(s), please read and complete this form. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Anderson.
CYO Sports Report
Congrats to all the Tiger Cross Country Runners on a great first meet this past Sunday. They raced against hundreds of other runners from schools around the archdiocese at Woodland Park and all competed well and had fun! Some highlights from top ten finishes in the 4th - 7th grades which were timed races.
4th Grade Boys - Connor F. - 7th Place
5th Grade Girls - Lily K. - 8th Place
6th Grade Boys - Malcolm C. - 1st Place
6th Grade Boys - Luka B. - 5th Place
6th Grade Girls - Darby B. - 3rd Place
6th Grade Girls - Esme J. - 9th Place
7th Grade Girls - Lucy M. - 4th Place
7th Grade Girls - Kate V. - 9th Place
The next meet is Sunday, October 1st at 3:15pm at Woodland Park.
Volunteering at St. Catherine School
Safe Environment Program
The Archdiocese of Seattle requires all school volunteers to take part in the Safe Environment Program, through VIRTUS, in three ways. In order to be a Safe Environment approved volunteer you need to:
- Register at http://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/
- Read and approve policies
- Complete a background check
- Take the Introductory class, Protecting God's Children
All components of the Safe Environment Progam MUST BE COMPLETED before volunteering in any capacity at St. Catherine School.
If you have any questions about the Safe Environment Program or the requirements, please contact Charlotte Van Hollebeke at cvanhollebeke@stcatherineschool.net
Home Together Family Dinner
Last year, the St. Catherine Community came together to support the Maple Leaf Foundation, now named Home Together, to collect household items to support families moving to Seattle for treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Family Dinner 2023 is an Oktoberfest-themed celebration and Home Together’s biggest fundraiser of the year! Please consider supporting this very important evening on October 7th, 6-9 pm in Victoria Hall at St. Catherine.
Raise a glass and break some bread while generously supporting Home Together's mission of creating affordable housing for families seeking long-term care at Seattle Children's Hospital. We will be hosting a silent and a live auction, a short program, and a lively dessert dash. You won’t want to miss it! Buy your tickets: https://givebutter.com/c/6CfApU
Parish News
Altar Servers
If you are between the 4th and 8th grade and you want to become an Altar server. Please come to the altar server training on September 27th at 3pm in the church. Altar serving is not just a good way to get service hours but is a great way to learn and grow more with God. So please save the date in your calendar. If you and questions or comments, please contact MJ Price at m.price@stbens.net.
Youth Choir
If you are between the 2nd and 8th grade and you want to sing at church. Please come to the first Youth Choir Rehearsal of the school year on September 27th at 6pm in the church. This is a great opportunity for you to learn how to sing at church and have a lot of fun doing it. So please save the date in your calendar. If you have any questions or comments, please contact MJ Price at m.price@stbens.net.
Mission & Philosophy
St. Catherine of Siena Parish School is a welcoming, Christ-centered community, rooted in the Catholic faith and inspired by Gospel values. As an extension of the parish and with Jesus as our model, we are dedicated to lifelong growth in faith, love, and learning.
We recognize that the care and education of the child begins with the family and that parents are the primary educators of their children. In partnership with parents, we work to promote our students’ achievement and spiritual growth. Together we are committed to developing responsible, ethical leaders who think critically, act justly, communicate effectively, and serve willingly.
Vision
We are committed to providing a faith-filled, inclusive, and welcoming learning environment for all our students. Through our rigorous academic programs, our students will gain the cognitive, technological, and social skills necessary to become ethical, innovative leaders who successfully navigate the complex challenges of today’s world.