The SPIRIT of SKS
Saint Kateri School's Newsletter ~ September 15, 2021
#SKSproud
Principal Newsletter
Welcome to Saint Kateri School ~
Whether you are beginning your learning here as one of our littlest ones or you have been here for as long as you can remember or you are joining us for the very first time...
We are glad you are here!
We pride ourselves on our welcoming spirit and strong sense of community ~ we hope you will consider yourself a member of SKS and comfortable to join in to the many activities planned throughout the year. Below you will find out details about participating in our Parent's Association. As a member of our SKS community ~ you are already a P.A. member!
We are welcoming a few new faces this year to our Faculty and Staff ~ over the next few newsletters you will get a chance to learn a little about them. See below for our first introductions ~
If you are intending to order milk for your child(ren) for the first half of the year the deadline is this Friday, September 17th and milk will begin on Monday, September 27th. Hot lunch information will go home today with students in preparation for Hot Lunch ordering to open on Friday, September 17th. Hot Lunch orders will be due no later than 9:30 on Wednesday, September, 22 to begin on Friday, October 1st. This year our Hot Lunches will be catered by Tony at Two Ton Tony's and there is some lead time needed on his end to be able to provide the amount of lunches for our students.
Today will be our1st Parent's Association meeting of the 2021-2022 school year and it will be in person! Thank you to Nicole Guido and Katie Stam for Co-Leading PA this year ~ they are already off to a running start with organizing the Ice Cream Social and our first fundraiser, Save Around books! Please consider becoming an active member of our school Parent's Association ~ it is through the efforts of our whole community that we are able to offer the many fun activities throughout the year. See Welcome Letter from our Co-Leaders below with needs and meeting details!
This week we will began our I-Ready diagnostic for grades Kindergarten - Grade 5. All DOR Department of Catholic Schools use I-Ready to evaluate the reading and math levels of their students three times a year. Classroom teachers use this information to help them better instruct their students. The diagnostic also helps our AIS team determine which students are in need of additional academic support through AIS. I-Ready diagnostics are done electronically on school devices and usually take two class periods to complete. We will begin with the ELA diagnostic, when that is complete we will then transition to the Math diagnostic.
I am looking forward to a great year ahead, may it be filled with growth in body, mind and Spirit!
Peace and Light!
Mrs. Terri L. Morgan, Principal
Email: Terri.Morgan@dor.org
Phone: (585) 467-8730
Reminder from Finance Department
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
Car Rider Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedure
2021-2022 School Year
- Thank you everyone for your patience and understanding as we navigate getting our families through morning and afternoon car lines and moving our students in and out of our building for a brand new 2021-2022 school year. If you have dropped your child off in the morning, for Preschool or for K-5 classes, you have been caught in the traffic that is happening in the back of our building. The combination of needing staff to cover multiple areas, 1st day of Preschool drop-off with all the tears and milestone marking that comes with that ~ and the RCSD continuing to figure out their transportation solutions for 30 of our children have all impacted the management of car traffic around our building.
- We are going to continue our current procedures for now, adding an additional staff member outside to help students with crossing safely and directing cars up to the unloading area. We will continue to monitor the traffic and movement over the next few weeks and we will make adjustments if necessary.
- We are only unloading 4 cars at a time, two in front of the crosswalk and the two directly after the crosswalk. Please do not unload your child from the car until you have been directed to the unloading area.
- If you are the first cars in the Pick-Up Car Line at the beginning or the end of the day, please pull forward to the Stop Sign.
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 😊
Upcoming Calendar Dates:
SEPTEMBER:
- 9/17: Milk order due by 9:30am
- 9/17: Last day to hand in T-Shirt form
- 9/17: SKS Ice Cream Social 5:00-7:00pm
- 9/17: ALL beginning of the year paperwork due to Main Office
- 9/22: 1st Parent's Association meeting; SKS in the Faculty Room. Enter through Door #8.
- 9/27: Milk Program will begin
- 9/28: Quiet Mass (4th/1st)
OCTOBER:
- 10/1: Lunch Program begins
- 10/1: Quiet Mass (3rd/K)
- 10/6: Parent's Association Meeting (Virtual)
- 10/8: NO SCHOOL ~ Superintendent's Conference Day
- 10/11: NO SCHOOL
School Store information
Updates to Pick Up Patrol ~
Thank you for your prompt attention to this!
Milk Order Form Due September 17
UPDATE: 2021-2022 Saint Kateri School Calendar
Preschool will be dismissed at 11:00am and K-5 students will be dismissed at 11:30am on these days.
PARENT'S ASSOCIATION:
Parent's Association Needs You!
- All SKS families are a part of the SKS Parent Association, just by being a member of our school family. You are invited and encouraged to attend any or all of the Parent's Association meetings!
- 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.).
Saint Kateri School
Email: sksdcs@dor.org
Website: www.saintkaterischool.org
Location: 445 Kings Highway South, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: (585) 467-8730
Facebook: facebook.com/St.KateriSchoolIrondequoit
Twitter: @StKateriSchool