Weekly Newsletter
10.4.2023
Fall Spirit Gear Store is Open!!
The fall spirit gear collection includes STC hoodies & full zip-ups for adults and youth only. The minimum order of 24 for each item has not been met yet and if that minimum is not met, then no orders will be processed. Please check sizes carefully before ordering, and consider sizing up for students. The store will close on October 9th and this is the last spirit gear store of 2023 so get your order in now!
We have several spirit gear items in stock at the school, including PJ pants, soccer socks, golf umbrellas, coffee tumblers, beanies, and baseball hats. If you have any questions or would like to purchase any of these items, please reach out to Tammy Matusak.
Check out the Spirit Gear FAQ's on our website if you have any questions!
From the School Office
Tuition Assistance Program 2024-2025
The tuition assistance process for the 2024-2025 school year has begun - the application officially 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 2024-2025 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, 2023. 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.
Buddy Families
St. Catherine School is bringing back a popular pre-covid program pairing new-to-the-school families (grades K-8) with current families as a resource to ask questions and be welcomed to the St. Catherine community! Buddies/Mentors will be assigned to families with a child in the same class as their child and introductions will be made in early October.
Mentor families will receive five volunteer hours applied to the 2023-2024 school year! To learn more and apply to be a mentor, please complete this form. New families (K-8) will automatically be assigned a mentor.
Upcoming Events
St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day
In honor of St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day, there will a pet blessing for all our St. C pets! Please join us TODAY, Wednesday, October 4th at 2:30pm on the plaza with Fr. Marc. Bring your cat or dog (no pitbulls please), fish or frog or any friend you have to get 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 all animals with caution.
Friday, October 13th: Archdiocese Teacher In-Service Day
No School for All Students
Wednesday, October 18th
Noon Dismissal Day for K-8 Students
Preschool & Kindergarten Open House
Are you a current preschool family starting to think about Kindergarten next fall? Or do you have friends starting to think about preschool or kindergarten? Please join us, and spread the word about our Open House on Thursday, October 19th at 6:30pm. Its an excellent opportunity to learn about our preschool and kindergarten programs.
To register, please email Tammy Matusak.
Parent Club News
Get ready for food, fun, prizes, chili and more! Ticket purchases, volunteer opportunities and more information to come.
Parent Club October Meeting
Please join us on Tuesday, October 10th at 7:00pm in the Learning Commons
We will dive deep into Harvest Festival planning and look into planning for the holidays at St. Catherine. We look forward to seeing you then!
From the Gym
Rock Wall Permission Slip
Attention New Families & any Returning Families that did not complete this last school year: As part of the Kindergarten- 8th Grade PE program, your child will have the opportunity to climb the rock wall in the gym. Please complete this form and return it to Amanda in the office. This form must be received before your child/ren is able to climb the wall. Thank you!
Enrichment Opportunities
MathCounts
MathCounts is an enrichment opportunity for St. Catherine’s Mathematicians! The MathCounts Math Club will meet weekly during Thursdays’ lunch and recess to engage in challenging math tasks and games. Students will be required to think outside of the box to build problem solving skills and positive attitudes about math. MathCounts is open to all 6th-8th grade students, and 5th grade students who are in Walk to Math (Middle School Math with Ms. Thornton). Any students in this class should plan on participating for the entire school year.
Students will have about 5 minutes to grab their sack or hot lunches, and will be able to eat them during our meetings (every Thursday 12:05 - 12:45). Runs October 12th through the end of May.
Visit the MathCounts webpage to learn more about the program and curriculum.
Kindergarten Mini Movers
Attention Kindergarten Kiddos, please join Ms. Tammy and Mrs. Bell for our first ever Movement Class! This is the perfect opportunity for your child to get their wiggles out while also learning controlled motions, form, and balance. We will practice dance moves, coordinated movements, and spatial awareness; key milestones in their development.
This after school enrichment opportunity will be offered on Mondays 3:15-4:15 beginning October 16th and running through the end of the year (December 11th).
The cost from this class is $225/child, and a minimum enrollment of 8 kiddos is required for the class to take place. Register online: https://forms.gle/VcsAx6KYiUPuFFL8A
Coding with Kids
LITTLE CODERS: MINECRAFT MODDING I
Grades 1-2
Mon, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Oct 9 - Dec 11
$249 / 10-week session
Calling all young Minecrafters! In this course, you will learn to code your own Minecraft mods (or modifications) with Minecraft Education Edition! You will express your creativity to customize the game you love, Minecraft! Using a simple drag-and-drop coding environment, you will learn and practice basic coding concepts, such as Variables and Loops. You will apply these concepts to build projects, such as a zoo, an aquarium, a diamond house, a magic wand, and many more custom mini-games! Start creating your own personalized Minecraft mods!
REGISTRATIONS: www.codingwithkids.com/session/57574
MODDING WITH MINECRAFT EDUCATION: INTRO
Grades 3-5
Tue, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Oct 10 - Dec 12
$249 / 10-week session
Calling all Minecrafters! Building Minecraft mods is a great way to learn programming, harness creativity, and enhance problem-solving skills while making your favorite game even better. Each student will have their own Minecraft server where they can customize the game with their own world maps and features. Students will be coding mods to create new items, environments, non-playable characters, game modes, and more! Using a simple drag-and-drop coding environment, campers will accomplish exciting results with their one-of-a-kind Minecraft features!
REGISTRATIONS: www.codingwithkids.com/session/57575
PYTHON CODING
Grades 6-8
Mon, 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Oct 9 - Dec 11
$249 / 10-week session
Join us to learn Python, a programming language widely utilized in the professional world. For beginners, we'll provide a user-friendly introduction to Python and cover core coding concepts, such as variables and functions. Returning students will delve into more advanced topics, including Arrays. Students will create a diverse range of fun games, such as space invaders.
REGISTRATIONS: www.codingwithkids.com/session/57576
QUESTIONS? Email Coding with Kids at info@codingwithkids.com
Study Hall | 4th-8th Grades
Hi families! After school study hall for students in grades 4-8 has begun. Study hall is held after school in the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Mrs. Anderson. She will provide a safe and studious environment for your student(s) to complete their homework and receive assistance as needed.
If you’d like to sign up your student(s), please read and complete this form. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Anderson.
Drama Program News
Go Grease Lightening
We are so excited to be beginning our 2023-2024 musical, Grease! This program is open to all 4rd-8th grade students. There are roles for singers, non-singers, and technical crew. Please see below for more info! The sign up link can also be found at the bottom of this message!
Mark your Calendars!!
10/24 Tue. - 3:15 - 5:15 –4th and 5th grade Auditions - Music Room
10/26 Thurs. – 3:15-5:15 – 6th, 7th, 8th grade Auditions - Music Room
10/27 Fri. – Callbacks - 3:25- 5:00 - Music Room
Rehearsals will be held every Tuesday and Thursday starting on Tuesday, November 7th. There will be no rehearsals called in the month of December due to the Christmas program and in observance of the holiday season. If your child is interested but cannot attend either audition date, please contact Ms. Clara or Ms. Jones.
Cost: $200/child (½ price for 2nd/3rd child in a family) for Cast T-Shirt and show expenses! There are payment plans available. Please reach out to Amanda Lucero for information on payment plans. There will be a Musical Behavior Contract for you and your child to sign, sent home after auditions.
Interested in Tech Crew? We want to continue to build a stronger behind-the-scenes crew in our theater department this year! If your child is interested in working in stage management, lighting, sound, props, costumes, or anything else backstage, please select “crew” on the registration form so we can build our team!
Needed!!! Drama Volunteers – Whether it’s monitoring during rehearsal, helping with costumes, or trying your hand at stage makeup come March, we have lots of opportunities and needs, both big and small, so please send a note to Clara or Ava if you are interested in helping out! We can’t do it without our volunteers!
Sign up Link: https://forms.gle/bae3dZeg1fGBp4CZ7
Looking forward to a fantastic production!
8th Grade DC Fundraiser
CYO Sports Report
Cross Country News
Congrats to all the Tiger Cross Country Runners on a great second meet this past Sunday. They raced against hundreds of other runners from schools around the archdiocese at Woodland Park and all competed well and had fun! Some highlights from top ten finishes in the 4th - 7th grades which were timed races. The next meet is the 4th - 8th grade Championship meet on Sunday, October 8th at 1:00pm at Woodland Park.
4th Grade Girls - Annie K. - 5th Place
4th Grade Girls - Alice T. - 8th Place
4th Grade Boys - Connor F. - 1st Place
5th Grade Girls - Lily K. - 3rd Place
5th Grade Girls - Stella L. - 5th Place
6th Grade Girls - Esme J. - 9th Place
6th Grade Boys - Malcolm C.- 1st Place
7th Grade Girls - Lucy M. - 8th Place
Volunteering at St. Catherine School
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
Exciting news! The 6th grade classroom is getting some much needed shelving installed at 3:00pm this Thursday (10/5). We're looking for 1-2 strong volunteers to help carry materials up to the second floor. If interested, please let Amanda in the office know. Thank you in advance for your help!
Parish News
Friday October 13th. Help with breakfast after the 9:00 AM mass for the most senior of our parishioners.
There is no school that day therefore a great opportunity for the students to participate.
6 - 8th grade. Help during the event with set up, serving, clean up. And/or baking cookies! Our seniors love home baked goods.
Younger grades. Art or poems or crafts for decorations and/or something special for the guests to take home. Will collect in advance.
Please contact Katie Fleming if you would like to help kjfleming1239@gmail.com
Partners in the Gospel
As requested by many of you, see attached to this message detailed information of each one of the parishes proposed to work together with Saint Catherine of Siena and with Saint Benedict parishes, as well as a list with all the proposed families of parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
We encourage to share your thoughts and ideas here on these proposed families of parishes.
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.