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Weekly Newsletter
2.28.2024
Calendar Reminders
Wednesday, February 28th
K-8 Noon Dismissal Day - Optional Spring Conferences
Thursday, February 29th
K-8 Noon Dismissal Day - Optional Spring Conferences
Tuesday, March 5th
March Birthdays Non-Uniform Day
Friday, March 8th
No School for All Students - Regional Curriculum Development Day
From the School Office
2024-2025 School Calendar: Key Dates
First Day of School: Tuesday, September 3, 2024 (Noon Dismissal Day)
Last Day of School: Friday, June 13, 2025 (10:30am Dismissal, after Moving Up Mass)
No School Days
October 11, 2024: Accreditation Work Day
October 31-November 1, 2024: Preschool-8th Grade Fall Conferences (K-8 Students Only)
November 8, 2024: Archdiocesan In-Service Day
November 11, 2024: Veteran’s Day
November 28-29, 2024: Thanksgiving Break
December 23, 2024-January 3, 2025: Christmas Break
January 17, 2025: Accreditation Work Day
January 20, 2025: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 7, 2025: Archdiocese In-Service Day
February 17-18, 2025: President’s Day Break
March 7, 2025: Curriculum Development Day
April 21-25, 2025: Easter Break
May 26, 2025: Memorial Day
The full calendar for the 2024-2025 school year, as well as the specific preschool calendar, will be released in the coming weeks. Be on the look-out for it here in the weekly newsletter!
Study Hall Announcements
There will be no study hall (4th-8th grades) on the following dates in February due to noon dismissals/in-service days/school holidays on the surrounding dates: 2/29.
Order Yearbooks Now!
Order forms for the 2023-2024 school year are now available in your SchoolAdmin/FinalSite Parent Portal under the Optional Checklist section. Yearbooks are $30 each and you will be charged at the time of your order.
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!
Wanted: Science Fair Judges
The middle school students have been working to prepare for the upcoming annual St. Catherine Science Fair. For this event to be a success, we need judges! Judging will happen all day on Tuesday, March 26th between 8:30am and 3pm, and in the morning on Wednesday, March 27th between 8:30am and 10:45am. If you can be a science fair judge, please contact Lissa Payne at lpayne@stcatherineschool.net.
Experience or science background is optional and judges are not asked to be there the entire day. Rather, come when your schedule allows and judge one project or twenty. Please consider helping us out.
Also, Wednesday, March 27th between 11am and noon is when the projects will be on display for public viewing. Please mark your calendar and stop by to peek at all the hard work these students put into their investigations. Thank you!
DAZZLE: St. Catherine School Auction
Questions? Reach out to auction@stcatherineschool.net
STC Spirit Bags: Order Now!
St Catherine Spirit Bag orders are now open! Please complete the Spirit Bag order form below and return it to Tammy Matusak. Orders will be processed once we hit a minimum of 24 orders.
Parent Club News
Grandfriends Lunch | March 22nd
Purchase tickets for Grandfriends Lunch on March 22! Grandparents or grandfriends are invited to join children in Victoria Hall for a catered lunch. Invite your Grandfriends to come visit our school and community. This event is for preschool through 8th grade.
- Sign up here to help run the event and earn volunteer hours.
- Click here to purchase tickets. Tickets are $15 per person. Ticket sales close 3/15 and the event fills up fast, so purchase as soon as you can!
- Email photos of students with their grandfriends to stcatherinegrandfriendphotos@gmail.com - pictures will be shown in a slideshow montage at the event!
Safety Patrol Party
Coding with Kids - Winter Session
LITTLE CODERS: INTRO TO ROBOTICS
Grades 1-3
Mon, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Mar 4 - Apr 29
no class on Apr 1
$210 / 8-week session
In this course, students use visual programming to learn computational thinking and core coding concepts, such as code structure, variables, and loops. Engaging activities boost problem-solving and creativity. They code robots for tasks like navigating mazes, detecting obstacles, playing music, and more.
REGISTRATIONS: www.codingwithkids.com/session/61825
QUESTIONS? Email Coding with Kids at info@codingwithkids.com
Volunteering at St. Catherine School
Volunteer Hours Reporting
Each family with students in grades K-8 are asked to contribute 40 volunteer service hours (single families contribute 20 hours) during the school year. Five of the total hours are required to be given to the auction. The school auction is on April 20th and you can find volunteer opportunities in the upcoming weeks.
If you haven't submitted any volunteer hours, please complete a Volunteer Hours Summary Sheet and email it to cvanhollebeke@stcatherineschool.net. If you have any questions regarding Volunteer Hours please email Charlotte Van Hollebeke.
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
Stations of the Cross | Dinner + Movie March 1st @ 5PM
St. Catherine of Siena Parish is sponsoring dinner and a movie after a family friendly Stations of the Cross, all in Victoria Hall. Please join us to gather together in prayer and fellowship! We will be serving cheese pizza along with fruit, veggies, and drinks and showing a movie after Stations.
Sign up for the event here so we know how much pizza to buy. Sign up to volunteer here and get volunteer hours for school! Bring blankets and stuffies for the kids to sit on while they watch! For questions email fshammami@gmail.com.
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.