Weekly Newsletter
10.11.2023
Annual Tiger Fund Campaign
YOU ARE THE WHY! Join the St. Catherine School 2023-2024 Annual Tiger Fund Campaign
St. Catherine School is a community defined by giving - a community that grows stronger through the participation of every member. Fundraising and volunteer activities celebrate, honor, and preserve this spirit of giving. Your gift to the Tiger Fund supports the talented teachers and enriching programs that make St. Catherine School special.
The Talge family, Jordan and Karen (Lillan 5th, Hattie 4th, Alice 4th), are privileged to be this year’s annual Tiger Fund Campaign Leaders. Please read a message from the Talge family here.
Our Tiger Fund goal for the 2023-24 school year is $75,000 and 100% participation by all school families. No gift is too small. Remember, participation in the Annual Tiger Fund is part of the school contract signed by all school families. Please remember to look into a matching gift from your company and watch your dollars double, even triple! View our Matching Funds Guide here.
Make your donation through SchoolAdmin by filling out the pledge form here or by credit card here. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
From the School Office
Alma Updates & Directory
From now until Friday, October 20th, please log into Alma and review your contact information. If you need to make changes, please do so at that time to ensure that the information on file is accurate.
Once logged into Alma, click on your initials in the upper right hand corner, and select "My Info." From there, you can update your contact information - phone number(s), email(s) and address(es). Please also verify, and update (if necessary) your child's emergency contact information.
New this year: The Alma Directory!! By opting into the directory in Alma your information will be shared with other parents who have also opted in, and you will be able to see theirs. In "My Info," you can toggle the little button in the section below your contact information to share your information with other parents.
Emergency Notifications & System Test
In the event of a school closure or emergency situation, we will notify families and staff via Alma's emergency alert system. Everyone will receive an email to their address on file in Alma but then you can choose to receive either a phone call or text message. The default is to receive a phone call so if you want to receive a text message instead, please change your notification preferences in your Alma account: Click on your initials in the upper right hand corner, and select "Notification Preferences" and select the button for "Text Message."
On Thursday, October 19th, we will be having an earthquake drill at ~1pm. At that time, we will also be testing our emergency notification system. Please be sure that you have updated all your contact information in Alma so that you can receive any emergency communication for the school. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS ONLY A TEST.
Tuition Assistance Program 2024-2025
The tuition assistance process for the 2024-2025 school year has begun - the application officially opened on October 1st. If you think that your family may be in need of financial aid for next school year, please complete an application. Tuition assistance is available for Kindergarten-8th Grade students only.
The entire process is completed online through FACTS. All applications are first reviewed by the Fulcrum Foundation, a fundraising arm of the Archdiocese. Once Fulcrum determines their assistance awards, then the St. Catherine Tuition Assistance Committee will review the applications and distribute financial aid for the 2024-2025 school year. Some families may qualify for assistance from both the Fulcrum Foundation and the St. Catherine program, but only one application is submitted.
The application deadline is December 31st, 2023. This is a firm deadline - all completed applications AND required tax documentation must be submitted by this date for consideration.
You can access the application here. And FACTS charges a $35 application fee.
If you have any questions about the process or application, feel free to email Kathy Cox or you can access the FAQ page on the Fulcrum Foundation website here.
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.
Upcoming Events
Friday, October 13th: Archdiocese Teacher In-Service Day
No School for All Students
Wednesday, October 18th
Noon Dismissal Day for K-8 Students
Mark Your Calendar! Bake Sale Next Week!
The 8th Grade Class will be holding a Bake Sale on Thursday, 10/19 during lunch recess to raise funds for their DC trip. Lots of yummies will be available to purchase!
Come and help support the 8th Grade Class!
Thank you!
Parent Club News
What is Harvest Festival?
Harvest Festival is an event for the whole family! Come for an evening of treats, carnival style games, pony rides, chili cook off, cake walk and more.
Date: Saturday, October 21st
Time: 6:00 - 9:00pm
Location: Victoria Hall
Ticket Presale
Buy your tickets now! This is a cashless event, all food, drinks and games are purchased with tickets. Tickets are available now and at the event.
Volunteering
Take a look below at all the volunteer opportunities for Harvest Festival. Are you a chili maker? A Baker? A Decorator? There are options galore below.
Please reach out with any questions to pcinfo@stcatherineschool.net.
Lost & Found
Is your child missing a coat, a STC sweatshirt, a lunch box and/or a water bottle? Lost and found items are out on a table in the gym foyer. Please come by and get your child's items.
From the Gym
Rock Wall Permission Slip
Attention new families & any returning families that did not complete this last school year: As part of the Kindergarten- 8th Grade PE program, your child will have the opportunity to climb the rock wall in the gym. Please complete this form and return it to Amanda in the office. This form must be received before your child/ren is able to climb the wall. Thank you!
St. Catherine School Auction
JOIN IN THE FUN OF AUCTION PLANNING!
St. Catherine's annual auction will be on April 20th, 2024.
We need our community to come together and help plan our biggest fundraiser of the year!
Please join us for an informational meeting on October 23rd at 7pm in the Learning Commons to hear more about how to get involved.
Questions? email auction@stcatherineschool.net
Enrichment Opportunities
MathCounts
MathCounts is an enrichment opportunity for St. Catherine’s Mathematicians! The MathCounts Math Club will meet weekly during Thursdays’ lunch and recess to engage in challenging math tasks and games. Students will be required to think outside of the box to build problem solving skills and positive attitudes about math. MathCounts is open to all 6th-8th grade students, and 5th grade students who are in Walk to Math (Middle School Math with Ms. Thornton). Any students in this class should plan on participating for the entire school year.
Students will have about 5 minutes to grab their sack or hot lunches, and will be able to eat them during our meetings (every Thursday 12:05 - 12:45). Runs October 12th through the end of May.
Visit the MathCounts webpage to learn more about the program and curriculum.
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
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.
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!
8th Grade DC Fundraiser
CYO Sports
CYO Basketball Registration Open
Registration is now open for 4th-8th graders wanting to play Basketball. The season starts at the beginning of November and rans through early February. Teams practice twice a week at Victoria Hall and play games over the weekend. Use the following link to register your player:
Seattle CYO Athletics (teamsideline.com)
More information on our Intramural program for grades 1st-3rd will follow soon.
If you have any questions, please email Carol Ramirez (karolra24@yahoo.com).
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
Parish News
Friday October 13th. Help with breakfast after the 9:00AM Mass for the most senior of our parishioners.
There is no school that day therefore a great opportunity for students to participate.
6th-8th grades: Help during the event with set up, serving, clean up. And/or baking cookies! Our seniors love home baked goods.
Younger grades: Art or poems or crafts for decorations and/or something special for the guests to take home. Will collect in advance.
Please contact Katie Fleming if you would like to help kjfleming1239@gmail.com
Partners in the Gospel
As requested by many of you, see attached to this message detailed information of each one of the parishes proposed to work together with Saint Catherine of Siena and with Saint Benedict parishes, as well as a list with all the proposed families of parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
We encourage to share your thoughts and ideas here on these proposed families of parishes.
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.