Principal Update

It has been a very busy couple of months on campus! As students wrapped up the second trimester, and embarked on their last trimester of the year, we've taken time to look at just a handful of some of the wonderful things our students accomplished and experienced these past couple of months!

• 7th grade students took a field trip to MOHAI
• 4th grade students visited the state capitol
• 8th grade students researched notable individuals for Black History month, and shared information about one individual daily during morning announcements with all students
• Students in Kindergarten-8th grade ventured to the Kraken Ice Complex, ice skated, and got to watch action-packed Kraken practices, followed up by Kraken STEM activities back on campus
• Students in 6th-8th grades are busily preparing for our upcoming Science Fair
• Preschool students in PreK started attending our all-school masses after many months of learning about the Mass
• Students in 5th and 6th grades attended Camp Seymour as their outdoor education experience
• 3rd graders continue their PBL project, Green Team. After learning about many types of pollution, they are researching changes they can make in the community.
• 2nd graders are growing Alyssum plants in science, and investigating how living and nonliving parts of a habitat support animals living there
• 6th graders created culminating projects on ancient Egypt on topics ranging from ancient Egyptian bowling to Egyptian food and agriculture.
• 1st grade students are researching famous women in history as they celebrate Women's History month during March.
• Preschool and Kindergarten students built intricate leprechaun traps!
• Kindergarten students celebrated Read Across America and Dr. Seuss's birthday.
• Ms. Clara and Ms. Jones and our amazing drama students shared an incredible production of Grease this past weekend. Needless to say, if you were lucky enough to see this amazing performance, it was truly incredible!

This week, as we prepare our hearts for Jesus' death and resurrection, let us keep in our minds and hearts how we continue to grow as we follow Jesus as our model. As Easter approaches, let us pray for peace and harmony in the world, and that our students, families, and staff will end their Lenten journey with a renewed sense of faith and peace.

We welcome all of you to join us in prayer this Friday at 11:00 AM in the church, as 7th grade depicts a living Stations of the Cross for students in Kindergarten-8th grade. We will dismiss in silence on Friday from school.

Warmly,

Kathy Cox

Principal

On Monday, our principals for the day, Mary and Helen, planned and executed a very special day for our students! While at the helm, Mary and Helen facilitated a trivia contest, scheduled an extra-long recess, facilitated an all-school DEAR time (Drop Everything and Read), and allowed students to "veto" a subject in which they got a small dose of "Monday fun time" during that period. They also delivered pastries and coffee from Macrina to our wonderful office staff! After lunch, Mary and Helen surprised students with ice cream sandwiched on that gorgeous sunny afternoon. They were naturals in this role, and found many opportunities to catch students being good and giving them Tiger Paws. What a fun day! A huge thank you to Mary and Helen for their natural leadership!

I can't wait to see who will buy this fun day at this year's auction in April 🙂!

Join Mr. Tom for drop-in zoom with the counselor, this Thursday, 3/28, 7:30-8:30!

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83468548850?pwd=DVoKOVOujB5ITeAEhmUGzHagaaCZQq.1
Passcode: gotigers

If multiple people join at once, he may need to leave someone in the waiting room to ensure folks get 1-1 time and aren't forced to share a confidential space.

Within the first two weeks of April, we will receive an announcement of the priest and parochial vicar assignments for our new parish family configuration. I also had the opportunity to attend a Partners in the Gospel update with all Archdiocesan school leaders last week. I am grateful for the intentional, slow process of this initiative to help us all embrace these changes. I will continue to keep you updated as I receive any new information, and as we near our July 1 date of officially becoming one family with Assumption, OLL, and St. Bridget.

St. Catherine is a welcoming, inclusive school. As this is a foundational part of our mission, we are proud to be a school in which children with various special needs can access Catholic education and be a part of our loving community. We teach students to embrace one another's differences as Jesus would do and to celebrate what makes each of us unique. Many students at our school have disabilities or health conditions that are not easily noticed. This can often lead to misunderstandings.

"You may look at a student and you say, you know, you look like every other student in the class or school, what do you mean you need notes provided? What do you mean you need extra time on the test? Why are your consequences at times different for something in which your behavior looks just like others who may have different consequences?" It might not be apparent to others that a student has a disability, but that disability may impact their participation in the class or how they engage with others.

Sometimes, students with invisible disabilities are perceived as lacking in intelligence, or as not paying attention or as constantly misbehaving. Invisible disabilities may affect the way a student processes, retains, and communicates information. A student may not be able to screen out distractions, making it hard to focus; may not have the stamina for a full class period without breaks; or may not be able to interact well with others. Anxiety may make it difficult to take tests or to approach teachers with questions. All people experience their disabilities uniquely. Students who have the same medical or psychological diagnosis for their condition may have different abilities and disabilities and different accommodation needs. It is important for the school to work with each individual student and family to figure out how to best serve each individual.

Teachers at St. Catherine are highly qualified in the area of differentiation--in identifying how to meet individual student needs. This doesn't happen in a bubble, but rather with incredible intentionality, planning, training and collaboration.

We truly want all students and families to feel supported and welcome at St. Catherine, and we are so proud of this community's appreciation and acceptance of differences.

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.

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.