Hello Saint Kateri School families!

It is amazing to think that we will be welcoming students in just TWO short weeks! I hope that you are enjoying these last days of summer. We have been busy here at Saint Kateri School preparing for our students to return. It is way too quiet in the Summertime 😊

You should have all received the letter from Jim Tauzel, our Catholic School Superintendent, regarding our Catholic Schools 2021-2022 reopening plans. This year we are not required to submit our detailed plan to New York State for approval but do need to share with our communities our plan for the upcoming year for COVID protocol going forward. Our plan was designed following the recommendation made by the NYS Education Department to look to the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics to guide plans. The complete plan will be sent out on Monday, August 23rd. Please reach out to me directly if you have any questions.

The school year begins for K-5 students on Tuesday, September 8th with a full day starting at 8:30 am and ending at 3 pm. Students will wear uniforms on the first day of school. Arrival and Dismissal procedures are outlined below.

Busing will begin on the first day of school and as always, a teacher will be waiting for them as they disembark from the bus. They will go directly to their new classroom and the class will proceed to Church for our 9:00 Prayer Service. If buses are late, children may come directly into Church. We welcome you to join us for prayer at the start of our new school year.

• Bus transportation districts are responsible for contacting families with the time for A.M. pick up and location. If you have not heard by August 31st, you will need to call your public school district transportation department for that information.

• Once you have that info, PLEASE make a tag (Kindergarten – Gr. 3) with the following on it:

  • Name of Child
  • Address
  • School District and Bus# they are to board when they LEAVE school. (This can be two different bus numbers, so please check carefully.)
  • Pin that tag to their backpack.

Milk and Hot Lunch Program: (full time students only)

• Milk Program (Preschool-5) will begin on Monday, September 27th
• Lunch Program (Preschool-5) will begin on Friday, October 1st

Lunch Time ~

• Please send a healthy snack with a drink and lunch with a drink (NO sodas please) each day until those programs get underway. Make sure that your milk orders have been returned to school if you intend to have the 2% white milk or fat free chocolate milk that is offered.

• Please send with your child/ren in their lunch box a dish towel or large cloth napkin, that would serve as a “placemat” for their desk during snack and lunch. This would help give your children a more sanitary eating area.

Preschool and Kindergarten Orientation: (Parents only)

• School supplies for the Preschoolers can be brought to the Preschool Parent Orientation on Tuesday, August 31st at 6 p.m. Make sure your child’s name is on the package for ID purposes.
• Kindergarten school supplies may be brought in on Thursday, September 2nd to the Kindergarten Parent Orientation at 6 pm.
• We will meet for the presentation at 6:00pm in the Gym but will not be able to go to the classrooms those evenings.

“Preschool – 5th grade Meet and Greet” is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7th from 12:30 – 3:00pm. Students and parents will be able to visit the classroom, meet the teacher, drop off supplies and ask any questions that they may have for the Main Office or the teacher. Classroom teachers will send out a Sign-up Genius next week ~ multiple families will visit at a time.

How will your child(ren) arrive to school and go home?

• We need to know the way your child(ren) will be going home on the first week of school. (i.e. Bus Rider, Car Rider, Before of After Care)
• Please complete the form below and bring it to either the Preschool or Kindergarten Orientation or to the Preschool - 5th grade Meet and Greet. The teacher and the Main Office will need a copy.
• Before and After Care will begin on the first day of school…HOWEVER...registration for must take place before your child(ren) can be dropped off.

Godspeed to those staff members who will not be returning this year…

• We wish all the love and support to Mrs. Sue Cleary, Miss Emily Hanss, Mrs. Jodylynn Guentner, Mrs. Kaitlin Roney-Blaine and Sra. Carrie Pellegrino as they leave for new adventures. We thank them for the love and care they have shown our students, families, and staff.

We also are welcoming new staff to Saint Kateri School.

• As preschool is expanding again, Mrs. Patty Slocum will be teaching Preschool 4-year-olds Monday-Friday.
• Ms. Anne Polashenski will be teaching Art at Saint Kateri School and Holy Cross School
• Miss Natalie Bila will be joining us in 3rd grade
• Mrs. Sarah Cleary will be coming back on staff to teach Technology to K-5 students and to coordinate our After Care program. You may remember her as Miss Sarah King as she was a building sub for preschool, worked in the Main Office and also every day in After Care for the 2019-2020 school year. Welcome back!
• We are finalizing the other open positions and will share that information when it is available.

God bless you all as you enjoy these last few days of summer. Make the most of them!

Mrs. Terri L. Morgan, Principal

Email: Terri.Morgan@dor.org

Phone: (585) 467-8730

Car Rider Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedure

2021-2022 School Year

*Our 2021-2022 school reopening plan will be sent our to families next week with more information on our COVID protocol ~ it will answer many of your questions in regards to our Drop-Off and Pick-Up procedure.

• Arrival time will be 8:00 – 8:30am. School will officially begin at 8:30. We understand that the beginning of the year it will take longer (buses and car riders).
• Students being dropped off by parents will enter the Drop-Off Line through the NORTH entrance and go to the back, forming two lines
• Everyone will be using DOOR #10 for Drop-Off and Pick-Up. We will have TWO lanes for the car line ~

DAILY HEALTH CHECKS:

• We will continue Daily Health Screening through Pick Up Patrol (PUP). Parents will need to certify their children through PUP each morning before 7:30am. If someone other than a parent is dropping off children, please provide them with the proof that the Daily Health Screening has been completed. You will receive a reminder email/text each morning at 6:30am. This will be done at the beginning of the year to help families get into the routine of the daily expectations.
• Students will continue to have their temperature taken each morning; temperatures 100.0 and above will not be allowed to come to school that day. Often when students have an initial high temp reading it is due to being warm and toasty in the car. Once they come out of the car and the outside air hits them, their temperature reads normal.
• After temperatures are taken, students will either be brought to the classroom (Preschool, Kindergarten and new students) or allowed to go to their classroom in the Primary and Intermediate hallway.
• SKS faculty and staff will meet cars in the Drop-Off Line; parents will not park and walk their child into school

STUDENT SAFETY:

• SLOW ~ SLOW ~ SLOW driving in the parking lot
• Pay attention to the two-lane system. The safety of our students and faculty remains our strongest priority. Be careful to follow the directions of staff for moving safely through our Car Line.
• The Car Line Door will close at 8:30am when the school bell rings. If you arrive after 8:30am you will need to go around to the Main Office entrance and sign your child into school.
• Be patient ~ give yourself plenty of time to drive to school and wait in the Drop-Off Line, because the waiting will happen 😊

• If you are attending either the Preschool or Kindergarten Orientation, the completed form can be dropped off then.
• All others can hand it in during "Preschool - 5th grade Meet and Greet" on Tuesday, September 7th

*We will continue mask wearing in the school building for visitors and volunteers. You will also be asked to sign in and complete our COVID questionnaire.

Summer Hours: (June 28, 2021-August 20, 2021)

• Monday - Thursday: 8:00am - 2:00pm
• Friday: 8:00am - 12:00pm

2021-2022 School Year Hours begin: Monday, August 23rd

• Monday - Friday: 8:00am - 4:00pm

AUGUST:

• 8/25: St. John Fisher-Cardinals for Community to volunteer
• 8/31: Preschool Parent Orientation/Supply Drop-Off at 6:00pm (details below)

SEPTEMBER:

• 9/2: Kindergarten Parent Orientation/Supply Drop-Off at 6:00pm (details below)
• 9/3-9/6: School Building Closed for Labor Day holiday
• 9/7: Preschool-Grade 5 Meet and Greet/Supply Drop-Off 12:30-3:00pm (details below)
• 9/8: Kindergarten - Grade 5 ~ First Day of School
• 9/8: Beginning of the Year Prayer Service at 9:00am (Grade 5)
• 9/13: Preschool 3's and 4's begin school
• 9/14: K-5 School Mass (Grade 5)
• 9/17: SKS Family Picnic 5:30-7:30pm (tentative)
• 9/17: Milk order due by 9:30am
• 9/27: Milk Program will begin

OCTOBER:

• 10/1: Lunch Program begins

Preschool will be dismissed at 11:00am and K-5 students will be dismissed at 11:30am on these days.

• All SKS families are a part of the SKS Parent Association, just by being a member of our school family
• Involvement in the P.A. benefits all of our families and students and gives us fun ways to meet new people and make new friends.
• The 2021-2022 school year we will be returning to a Parent Co-Leader model. The Co-Leaders will meet regularly with the Principal to create the monthly agenda and follow up on any up coming events.
• Each classroom has two Room Parents. Room Parents will work closely with the classroom teacher on classroom needs (i.e. party planning, volunteer opportunities, etc.). They will also work closely with the Parent's Association, attending monthly meetings (or taking turns) and volunteering on an event committee (i.e. Walk-A-Thon, Beginning of the Year School Picnic, Teacher Appreciation Day, etc.).
• More information will be coming ~