SCS Happenings: January 24, 2022
Saint Catharine of Siena, pray for us.
From One Wildcat to Another...
Catholic Schools Week is quickly approaching! The faculty, staff, and students are very excited--there are so many fun things to do as we celebrate our Catholic faith and amazing school!
Friday, January 28, 2022, join HSO in the social hall from 7-9 pm at the Church for some refreshments and good company. Meet the current members of HSO, their mission, and ways you can become involved in this incredible organization. HSO supports many of our extra-curricular instructional activities such as STEAM Days, various school assemblies, Walk-A-Thon and Field Days, and scholarships.
Saturday, January 29, 2022, will begin the celebration at our 4:30 pm Saturday Vigil Mass. Student Council Executive Board Members and Student Leaders will be leading us in mass. All are welcome to this liturgy! Students are encouraged to wear their school uniforms to this mass or your family's regular mass (wherever you attend mass) this weekend if they cannot attend the 4:30 vigil mass due to prior commitments.
Student artwork and science fair boards will be on display in the social hall, from Friday, January 28, 2022, until Sunday, January 30, 2022. No matter what mass you attend, please stop in and be amazed at the caliber of student work.
Kitchen Kapers has returned this year. All entries are due Monday, January 31, 2022, by 8:00 am. We are so excited about the return of this delicious event. There is a Geo-Bee, the IHM Scholarship Essay Competition for our fourth graders, a prayer partner service project, school-wide bingo zoom, and Chick-Fil-A Day scheduled for the week, too.
There are various dress-down days throughout the week to coincide with the week's fun, community-building activities. Please be sure to consult the week's schedule posted below. Please note, activities are subject to change due to weather and/or covid complications.
We end the week in prayer and an early dismissal Friday, February 4, 2022.
As always, on behalf of the faculty and staff of Saint Catharine of Siena, I thank you for choosing St. Catharine of Siena and supporting Catholic education. Thank you for sharing your students with us. May God bless you and your families.
Air high fives to all,
Mrs. Marcella Kraycik
Catholic Schools Week, January 28 - February 4, 2022
Attention Military Personnel and Veterans
Important Dates
- Friday, January 28, 2022- HSO Social, 7-9 pm in the Social Hall...all are welcome!
- Saturday, January 29, 2022- Opening Mass, 4:30 pm, for Catholic Schools week...all are welcome and encouraged to wear their uniforms.
- Sunday, January 30, 2022 - Catholic Schools Week begins, children are encouraged to wear their school uniforms to any mass this weekend.
- Friday, February 4, 2022 - Half-day, early dismissal (No Aftercare) Dismissal - PreK - 11:20/K-8 Noon - Car Line begins at Noon
HSO Sponsored Chick-fil-A Day during CSW, CAFE CLOSED
The HSO will be coordinating a Chick-fil-A® fundraiser lunch for Wednesday, February 2nd.
Lunch options are:
Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich ($5.00), 5-count Chick-fil-A® Nuggets ($3.75),
and 8-count Chick-fil-A® Nuggets ($5.00).
Drinks and snack will be provided by the HSO.
Orders must be returned to the classroom teacher no later than Thursday, January 27th
THE CAFETERIA WILL BE CLOSED.
Please complete and return a separate form for each student.
A Hard Copy was sent home on Monday, January 24th.
HSO Sponsored Chick-fil-A Spirit Week
Catholic Schools Week - Monday, Jan. 31st thru Friday, Feb. 4th
Please see attached form for more details
- Mention SCS when ordering
- Turn in Flyer when ordering
Wildcat Wine and Cheese Social
FRIDAY, JANUARY 28 FROM 7:00 PMTO 9:00 PM
St. Catharine of Siena Church Social Hall4975 Boyertown Pike
Reading, PA 19606
Here is the link for the evite - http://evite.me/VcZjqYywc3
Free rapid at-home COVID-19 tests now available to U.S. households through federal website.
Americans can now receive free rapid at-home COVID-19 tests delivered to their homes using the link: https://special.usps.com/testkits
Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of
#4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:
- Limit of one order per residential address
- One order includes #4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
- Orders will ship free starting in late January
Re-enrollment for 2022-2023 School Year
Keyboards Needed
Dear SCS Families,
The Music Program is seeking donations of ‘old’ but functional piano keyboards you may have stuffed in a closet and are no longer using. I am hoping to create a keyboard lab and start teaching the 8th grade classes Keyboard lessons. We are in need of about 4-5 more keyboards that have an outlet for earphones and are at least 36 keys in length (3 octaves). Please contact Mrs. Tracy Blunt if you are able and willing to donate an old keyboard to SCS School, and we can arrange a time for you to drop it off. Thank you very much!
Best,
Mrs. Tracy Blunt, Music Teacher
Philly Pretzel Factory
Extra Curriculars are coming to SCS!
Saint Catharine of Siena COVID Protocols, updated 1/9/2022
For individuals who test positive for COVID-19 (or presumed positive):
Isolation Guidance for Individuals Who Has Presumed or Confirmed COVID-19 Infection Anyone who has presumed or confirmed COVID-19 infection should stay home and isolate themselves from others for at least 5 full days. They should properly wear a well-fitted mask when around others at home or in public for an additional 5 days after that. People who have COVID-19 should isolate, regardless of vaccination status. This includes people who have a positive viral test, regardless of whether they have symptoms.
People with Symptomatic COVID-19-
Individuals with symptomatic COVID-19 must isolate for at least 5 days. Isolation can be ended after 5 full days if the person is fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of antipyretics) and other symptoms have improved. If fever persists or other symptoms have not improved after 5 days, the person should wait to end isolation until symptoms have improved and the fever has resolved.
People who have moderate COVID-19 illness should isolate for 10 days.
People with Asymptomatic COVID-19- People who test positive for COVID-19 but do not develop symptoms must isolate for 5 days. If they continue to be asymptomatic for 5 days, they can leave isolation. If the person develops symptoms after testing positive, the 5-day isolation period starts over; Day 0 is the first day of symptoms.
The following updated protocols will change involve the isolation period for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 and the quarantine period for those who have been identified as close contact.
The highlights of the changes are as follows:
- Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 may return after 5 days of isolation given that they are fever-free for 24 hours and their other symptoms are improving. Individuals must properly wear a well-fitted mask for Days 6-10 upon their return.
- For individuals who were exposed to COVID-19 and are in a category that would need to be quarantined, the quarantine period is now five (5) days and may return on Day 6 if there are no symptoms. Individuals must properly wear a well-fitted mask for Days 6-10 upon their return.
- For a household exposure, it is five days of quarantine after the household exposure ends. For example, if a parent is positive and a child needs to quarantine due to the household exposure, the child will quarantine for five days after the parent’s five days of isolation are completed. Thus, we are moving from what was 10 days isolation plus 10 days quarantine to 5 days isolation + 5 days quarantine in the household exposure scenario. The exposed student may return to school on Day 11 if they are asymptomatic. This could be longer if there are multiple positive cases in the household. The quarantine clock restarts with each new positive case in the household. Upon return, the child should properly wear a well-fitted mask at school for an additional 5 days.
Quarantine Guidance for Individuals Considered Close Contact to COVID-19 and Who Do NOT Need to Quarantine:
• Persons who are 18 years of age or older and have received ALL recommended vaccine doses, including boosters and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised individuals.
• Persons who are ages 5-17 and have completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.
• Persons who had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days as diagnosed by a viral test.
People who do not need to quarantine should still properly wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days from the date of the last close contact with someone with COVID-19 (the date of last close contact is considered day 0). Additionally, it is recommended that anyone exposed to COVID-19 should get tested at least 5 days after the last close contact with someone with COVID-19.
Close Contacts Who Do Need to Quarantine
For persons who come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 and are in one of the following groups, they should quarantine:
• Persons aged 18 or older and completed the primary series of recommended vaccines, but have not received a recommended booster shot when eligible.
• Persons who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine (completing the primary series) over 2 months ago and have not received a recommended booster shot.
• Persons who are not vaccinated or have not completed a primary vaccine series.
People who are quarantining should stay home (this includes afterschool activities) and away from other people for at least 5 days (Day 0 through Day 5) after the last contact with a person who has COVID-19 and properly wears a well-fitting mask around others at home where possible. Additionally, these people should monitor for symptoms, including fever (100.4°F or greater); if symptoms develop, they should be tested immediately and isolate until the results are received. If the test is positive, the person should isolate.
For people who share a household with someone who has COVID-19, the close contact’s quarantine period (if applicable) starts from the last time they were exposed to the person with COVID-19. If the person with COVID-19 cannot fully isolate, the household contacts who are either unvaccinated or have not received all the recommended doses should quarantine for an additional 5 days AFTER the person with COVID-19 is released from isolation. Any exposures that occur during day 6-10 of the “masking period” are not considered close contacts.
If the quarantining person does NOT develop symptoms, they should be tested at least 5 days after the last close contact with someone with COVID-19. If the test is negative, the person can end their quarantine and leave their house; however, they should continue to wear a well-fitting mask when around others at home and in public until 10 days after the last close contact with someone with COVID-19. If the test is positive, the person should isolate. If the person is unable to be tested AND they have been asymptomatic through the 5 day period, then they may end their quarantine, provided they properly wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public.
Saint Catharine of Siena School
Email: SaintCatharineofSienaSchool@gmail.com
Website: scsreading.org
Location: 2330 Perkiomen Avenue, Mount Penn, PA, USA
Phone: 610-779-5810
Facebook: facebook.com/SaintCatharineofSienaSchool
Twitter: @SCSReading