Weekly Newsletter

Our Tiger Fund goal for the 2024-25 school year is $75,000 and 100% participation by all school families. Thank you to all those who have already made your pledge to the Tiger Fund. Remember, participation in the Annual Tiger Fund is part of every family's annual contractual obligation. We need everyone’s support to reach our 100% participation goal. No gift is too small. There is Power Through Participation.

We are grateful for the continued support and generosity of the STC community. All pledge forms are due this Friday, October 18th. You can donate through FinalSite by filling out the pledge form here or by credit card here. Thank you in advance for your generosity and for investing in our students!

Please remember to look into a matching gift from your company and watch your dollars double, even triple! View our Matching Funds Guide here.

The Kuder family, Tom, Cyndi, Lily (6th grade) and Annie (5th grade), are privileged to be this year’s annual Tiger Fund Campaign Leaders. Please read a message from the Kuder family here.

This week's class standings:

3rd Grade is in the lead, with 65% participation

5th Grade is in 2nd place, with 60% participation

And in 3rd place, 6th grade, with 55% participation

This year, our Tiger Fund Campaign Leaders will help us host a party for the class with the highest participation percentage in this year's Tiger Fund Campaign. Thank you to the Kuder family for helping us kick off this year's campaign with a popping good time!

FORWARD TOGETHER! HEAR THE ROAR!

Cake walk

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0849ACA82AA1FEC16-45016495-harvest#/

Chili

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0849ACA82AA1FEC16-45016526-harvest#/

Harvest Festival volunteers

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0849ACA82AA1FEC16-45016554-harvest#/

A quick reminder about Halloween costumes at school: No inflatable costumes, no masks, no fake weapons, no fake blood, no gore. Costumes should be appropriate for the school environment

and students should be able to comfortably navigate the school day. Thanks!

October is National Animal Safety and Protection Month as well as the month of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Animals. Our Middle School Leadership Elective is starting a drive for the Seattle Humane Society to help the pets get the food and care they need. They are looking for various kinds of dog and cat food, pet toys, paper bags, food bowls, litter boxes, and so much more. With your help, we can give these pets what they need to live the best life possible.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Jones at ajones@stcatherineschool.net! Donations will be accepted until October 29th.

The tuition assistance process for the 2025-2026 school year 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 2025-2026 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, 2024. 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.

All students in grades 4-8 are invited to be part of NPH at St. Catherine. For those unfamiliar with NPH, we are a club here at school that does fundraising to support our godchild, Yhon, who is a young boy in Bolivia.

If your child(ren) are interested in joining us, please read more about it here and sign our commitment letter. We will meet in the first grade classroom. Please contact Ms. Arthur, Ms. O'Donnell, and Mrs. Katsandres with any questions.

St. Catherine is pleased to announce an after-school academic support option for students in grades 2nd and 3rd! Parents may register their students to attend academic support from 3:15-4:00 PM on Tuesdays (started 10/1). This is an opportunity for students to complete homework or class projects while receiving needed support from St. Catherine’s staff. The sessions will be facilitated by Ms. Cox and Ms. Elsner.

A Sign-up Genius will be sent out each month to indicate days you’d like your child to attend. Space will be limited so register early! Cost will be $14 per session and will be billed to your billing management account. The sign-up for October is here. The sign-up for November will be emailed to 2nd and 3rd grade parents on Monday 10/28, 3:30pm. Please contact Ms. Elsner if you have any questions.

Registration is now open for 4th through 8th grade basketball. Practice will begin in late October. The first games will be the weekend of November 9, and the season runs through mid-January. Teams practice twice a week at Victoria Hall, and games are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays. Please use the following link to register your player: https://www.teamsideline.com/sites/seattlecyo/current-programs.

More information on our Intramural Program for 1st through 3rd grade will follow soon.

If you have any questions, please contact Marc Cote at cote.marc@gmail.com.

Welcome to Act Up!’s Drama Club at St. Catherine School! Open to students in grades K-3. We will meet Mondays, November 4th – March 24th from 3:15-4:15 PM and an extended final class (and performance) on March 31st from 3:15-5:15 PM.

In this class series, students will create and cast themselves as a character they’ve created from their very own imaginations. Together the students will fit each of the characters into a world premiere play which will be performed for family and friends at the end of the class series.

Act Up! offers high quality training for young actors. Our focus is to empower our students to reach their full potential in every area of their lives, not just create better actors. In Drama Club students use improv and scripted theatre to learn how to better express themselves. They will increase their self-confidence, practice working with others as part of a collaborative team, expand their capacity for empathy and compassion, and most importantly have FUN.

HOW DO I SIGN UP? Sign up is fast, easy! Simply go the Act Up!’s website and click on “Student Sign Up” or use this direct link: https://actuptogether.com/student-sign-up

PAYMENTS Cash, Venmo, Checks and Credit/Debit Cards are all accepted. Simply go the Act Up!’s website and click on “Pay for a Class” or use this direct link:

https://actuptogether.com/pay-for-a-class

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you and your child(ren)!

Sincerely,

Logan Mecklenburg

Creative Director & Teaching Artist

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.