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Weekly Newsletter
Special Tuesday Edition - 11.28.2023
Upcoming Events
Thursday, November 30th
Tiger Spirit Day - Wear your STC Gear!
Tuesday, December 5th
December Birthdays Non-Uniform Day
Wednesday, December 6th
Non-Uniform Day
Noon Dismissal Day for K-8 Students
Adopt a Cockroach
Our 4th Grade students just finished up a very fun unit in Science on cockroaches and now the cockroaches need new homes! There are ~20 of them. If you are interested in adpoting one or maybe more, please contact Lissa Payne.
SVDP Give Drive
Between now and December 1st, please help support families in our North Seattle neighborhood who are in need this holiday season.
Preschool - 4th Grade: Gift Wrap Drive
We need to assemble gift wrapping kits, one for each family that SVDP is helping with Christmas gifts. Items for the kits should be new and unopened, except when larger packaging is broken down to smaller units.
Please have your child bring to their classroom one of the following items:
- Non-religious gift wrap. It can have a general holiday or children’s theme, but should avoid religious wording or symbols. This is to avoid offending non-Christian families we serve.
- Small bag of stick on bows OR one roll of ribbon
- Gift tags
- Scotch Tape
5th - 8th Grades: Food Drive
We need non-perishable foods that haven’t passed their expiration dates. Popular canned items include: Soups, chili, fruit, tuna, chicken, ready to eat pasta. Some of our neighbors are homeless and for them cans that open with a pull-tab are better than ones that require a can opener. We can also use peanut butter, applesauce, granola bars, breakfast cereal.
Non-food items are also important because they cannot be purchased with SNAP (food stamp) benefits. This includes: toilet paper, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hand soap, paper towels.
Christmas Program
We are so excited to gather together on Wednesday, December 13th at 6:30pm to celebrate Christmas with all our students and their families.
Get the best seats in the house and support our music program! 18 front row seats are available for purchase at $50/each; 24 second row seats are available for $25/each. All funds raised go to our music program!
Please note all other seats are first come first serve. Victoria Hall doors open at 6:00pm. You may not enter the gym and put coats on chairs during the day. Any items left on chairs before 6pm will be removed.
If you'd like to purchase seats, please contact Amanda in the school office.
From the School Office
AHERA Notification
This letter is notification that our school is in compliance with the Federal Asbestos Hazardous Emergency Response Act (AHERA).
Lost & Found
Is your child missing a jacket, lunch box, water bottle or sweatshirt? The lost and found is overflowing with many unclaimed items. Please come check out the lost and found located in the gym foyer the next time you are on campus. Any unclaimed uniforms will be given to the used uniform sale and all other items will be donated to Goodwill over Christmas Break.
Yearbook Photos Needed
Attention Parents! The Yearbook staff needs your help. Please send any pictures you take throughout the school year to yearbook@stcatherineschool.net to be included in the yearbook. This year, we are excited to include a Summer Adventures page! Please send us pictures of your student or family during the summer of 2023. As always, we need your help documenting out of school events like CYO Sports, Harvest Festival, and eventually things like Ski Bus and the Christmas Program. Thank you for your help!
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.
Auction Planning
Auction planning is in full swing! Volunteers, we need you!
Are you interested in working with your kids' classrooms to create a masterpiece? Please reach out to auction@stcatherineschool.net if you would like to lead a Classroom Project that will be available to bid on at the St.Catherine Auction in April 2024.
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
Partners in the Gospel Update
In response to your feedback during our summer sessions at our church and online, a new family of parishes has been proposed by the archdiocesan Partners in the Gospel Team.
The new family proposal includes the churches and schools of Our Lady of the Lake, Saint Bridget, Assumption, and Saint Catherine of Siena. Many of you expressed the desire to be placed into a different family than you were originally proposed to be in. Please continue the conversation!
The new family configuration is still a recommendation. Once more, your prayerful conversation and feedback will determine our future. Please attend a second parish wide listening and prayer session on December 9th, 2023, after the Saturday 5:00 pm Vigil Mass, in Victoria Hall. Please RSVP HERE to help us plan attendance for note takers and refreshments.
St. Vincent de Paul Holiday Program
Thanksgiving Meals for Neighbors in Need
The SVDP Holiday Program is serving 25 neighborhood families this year. A grocery
voucher will be given to each family to plan, shop, and prepare a meal of their choice.
The voucher will be worth $30 per member; a family of four will receive a $120
voucher. Will you please help by feeding one family or contributing what you can? We
appreciate early donations so families have adequate time to plan and shop.
Please make checks to the SVDP Holiday Program and place them in the collection basket or mail them to the parish office:
814 NE 85th Street
Seattle WA, 98115
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.