Many of us have our own unique St. Catherine story, and there are countless reasons to support the St. Catherine School Tiger Fund. Whether you contribute because you have children currently attending St. Catherine and want to meet your family's financial commitment, wish to support financial assistance and teacher retention, or understand that each generation benefits from the foundation laid by those before them, your support is invaluable. Your annual giving ensures that all St. Catherine Tigers can move Forward Together!

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.

Our Tiger Fund goal for the 2024-25 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.

You can donate through FinalSite by filling out the pledge form here or by credit card here. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

FORWARD TOGETHER! HEAR THE ROAR!

Our counselor, Mr. Tom, teaches a Social-Emotional curriculum in the primary grades called Roots of Empathy. It is a unique program that uses a baby and caregiver as "teachers," helping kids gain empathy through learning about taking care of the baby. Mr. Tom is seeking a parent and 2-4 month old baby who would be interested in volunteering once monthly as the centerpiece of the curriculum.

Please let Mr. Tom know if you are a new parent, or know someone who is, who would be interested in participating. This is a unique and very affirming experience! The commitment works out to approximately once monthly, for 40 minutes, over the course of the entire school year.

Fall MAP Testing began today, Wednesday 9/18 and goes through the first week of October. Makeups will take place throughout the testing period. Students in 2nd-8th grades will take these tests in reading, math, and language. Data from MAP tests is important for monitoring student progress, assessing growth, and providing instruction that continues to meet individual student needs.

Please help make sure your child gets a good night's rest the night before each test and a filling breakfast that morning. Please see testing dates below. Please let your child's homeroom teacher know if your child will be absent, late, or leaving early on any of these days. Please let Ms. Elsner (celsner@stcatherineschool.net) know if you have any questions.

Math - Wed 9/18 and Thu 9/19

Reading - Mon 9/23 and Tue 9/24

Language - Thu 9/26 and Fri 9/27

Already ordered? If you have already ordered pictures there are no actions you need to take at this time. We will be processing your school's images soon.

Come Join us on Friday, September 27th at 6:00 p.m. for the kickoff parent event of the school year. It is a great way to meet everyone and hang out with the St. C’s community. The cost is $40 per person, and includes drinks, spaghetti dinner, and snacks.

Bunco is a game that takes no skill. Plus we teach you the rules that night. There will even be some St. C’s trivia thrown in as well. So get you babysitters lined up, as this is an adult only event.

We look forward to hanging out and rolling dice!

From now until Friday, September 22nd, please log into your Alma parent account and review your contact information. If you need to make changes, please do so now 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.

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.

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 (starting 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 will be sent via email to all 2nd and 3rd grade families at 3:30pm on Tuesday 9/24. Please contact Ms. Elsner if you have any questions.

Students in grades 6-8 are invited to join the St. Catherine Middle School Speech Team. Speech Team is a fun way to learn valuable public speaking and presentation skills. Members of the Speech Team compete against other Catholic and private schools at local Speech Tournaments throughout the winter months. Eith grade students can compete for high school scholarships at the hosting school.

Please join us for an information session on 10/1 at 7 pm via Zoom. I will give a brief overview of the program and what you and your child can expect as a member of this team. Students who are new to the Speech Team will have their first practice on Wednesday, October 2nd from 2:30-3:30 pm.

I am also looking for parent volunteers to help coach the team. No previous experience is required.

Feel free to reach out to me at wendy.rychwalski@gmail.com with any questions.

Wendy Rychwalski

Speech Team Coach and Coordinator

LITTLE CODERS: INTRO TO CODING
Grades 1-2
Tue, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Oct 8 - Dec 10
$259 / 10-week session

Tailored for early readers, this course helps students boost their computational thinking while having fun with friends! Beginners learn coding basics like Loops and Conditions. Returning students tackle new challenges, such as debugging. All students build exciting games, stories, and animated characters.
REGISTRATION: www.codingwithkids.com/session/68915

ROBOTICS: INTRO TO CODING
Grades 3-5
Tue, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Oct 8 - Dec 10
$269 / 10-week session

In this course, students use visual programming to learn computational thinking and core coding concepts, such as code structure, variables, and loops. They apply these concepts to tackle mission challenges like obstacle avoidance, path following, and maze navigation.
REGISTRATION: www.codingwithkids.com/session/68916

AI: INTRO TO MACHINE LEARNING
Grades 6-8
Thu, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Oct 10 - Dec 12
no class on Oct 31, Nov 28
$209 / 8-week session

Discover how AI works by learning key AI and ML concepts such as neural networks, computer vision, and image recognition. You'll learn how to use modern AI tools effectively, like DALL-E, for tasks like generating images. You’ll create your own AI models that will be used to build Scratch projects, including video filters and touchless games.
REGISTRATION: www.codingwithkids.com/session/68917

QUESTIONS? Email Coding with Kids at info@codingwithkids.com

With the CYO soccer season underway, the CYO basketball season is just around the corner. Practice will start the second half of October. St. Catherine is still looking for coaches for the 4th grade girls, 7th grade girls, and 8th grade girls. If you are interested in coaching any of these teams, please contact basketball coordinator Marc Cote at cote.marc@gmail.com.

We are pleased to announce a school membership with Parent Map. Over the course of the school year, we will be providing opportunities for you to attend virtual presentations by experts in the industry on many parenting topics. You will be able to attend the live virtual presentation or access a recording of the presentation at your convenience. This is an incredible opportunity to hear from experts as they provide guidance navigating many of the twists and turns we experience as parents. Stay tuned for the full lineup of presenters during the 24-25 school year! First up, will be Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation. Registration is now open!

In celebration of St. Francis of Assisi feast day, we will be having a pet blessing for all our St. C pets! Please join Fr. Duc and the rest of the St. C school community on Friday, October 4th at 3:20pm on the plaza. Bring your cat, dog, fish or frog, or any friend you'd like to have blessed.

For the safety of others, please be sure your animal is socialized. All pets are to be leashed/contained, and please advise your child/ren to approach animals with caution.

ST. PHOEBE FEAST DAY CELEBRATION

In honor of St. Phoebe's Feast Day on September 3rd, we will feature female reflectionists at all six Masses in our parish family on the weekend of October 5th and 6th. We extend our gratitude to the members of our Phoebe Circle, who are planning and organizing this event. The Phoebe Circle meets monthly to harness the inspiration sparked by St. Phoebe and to continue uplifting female voices in our community. If you have any questions or are interested in joining, please contact Liz Jackman via email.

Registration is now open for enrolling children in First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion preparation for the 2024 – 2025 school year. To register, please complete the form found at https://stcatherineparish.net/first-sacraments-form-page.

Please contact Anakaren in the parish office at reception@stcatherineparish.net with any questions.

October 5th, 6pm-8pm

St. Catherine School, Victoria Hall

Please come celebrate past and present St. C students who will be on the runway with many others who have special needs.

St. C's Dad Steve Hill from the Men’s Room is the emcee for the evening.

Tickets can be purchased via the link below.

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6414367

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.