Welcome to My First Blog

December 22, 2014

Dear Parents, Out with the old and in with the new as the saying goes. After 10 years I am shelving (like Elf) the News & Notes. This new form of communication will replace the monthly newsletter. This is the inaugural edition of my blog, a gift of a newer, faster, more current and timely method of communication from me to you. This will also allow you to post comments directly on the blog. I will be posting items regularly that tell the ongoing story of our great school community. This initial blog will be more lengthy than most, as it contains my Christmas message and, after that, there are many other items that I hope you find interesting. I hope you enjoy it.

The Advent / Christmas Seasons provide us the opportunity to share in the peace and joy of this beautiful time of the year. The waiting season of Advent turns to the wonder season of Christmas in just two days!  In this season, I have the opportunity to be a child again. We all have that opportunity, and you need only to look into the eyes of a young child to witness and feel the beauty of Christmas. It starts with our faith and our belief that the Christ child is born a savior to us. It is celebrating our faith and His birth with great school traditions like the Christmas Concert and our Christmas Tableau that our students performed. I have scores of parents, families and SKS Alumni that come back to tell how meaningful these traditions are and how much they look forward to them.  

Certain people, places, things, and traditions make this a special time for families:

• With people, it may be that visit from relatives or friends from out of town. Quite possibly, if you are like me, it is recalling a loved one that has passed from this life and keeping their memory alive.  My Dad was born on Christmas Day and this will be our 3rd Christmas since his passing, and our second without my beloved Godmother, Aunt Norma. My family will shed a tear as we still miss them both. We will recall the many great things that he and my aunt did for us and passed on to us. We will raise our glasses in their memory, and tell some funny stories of Christmases past. And we will cry, smile, and laugh all at the same time. For you that miss your departed loved ones, I hope you can do the same, and I hope that comforts you.
  
• With places, it may be a special trip you take to downtown Philadelphia or even New York.  It’s the Christmas Mass that you always attend at Christmas Eve, or a visit to a special family member or friend. 
• With things,  it’s finding that one great gift and you can’t wait to have that person open it, because in your heart you know it really is better to give than to receive.
  
  
• With traditions, it’s family traditions that abound: It’s an Advent wreath and when you decorate your tree. It’s the manger set without the Baby Jesus until Christmas Day. It’s Christmas cookies, egg nog, the ugly Christmas sweater contest, hanging the stockings, the trains come out of the attic and so much more ……..

For my family, it's Christmas Eve Mass and off to my sister’s for the Seven Fishes Dinner (really about four now) and we eat ….a lot!  Christmas morning will be the annual picture of our kids (Julie -31,  Bud - 29,  Katie - 27 and  Joe - 23,  all adults, but still kids at heart) at the top of the stairs before we come down to do our Pollyanna gifts (almost top secret!). This Christmas dinner will be at home and it will be special always to have still our dear mother with us, and the presence of my great- grandnephew, Christopher, who has brought great joy to our family. Inevitably, we may bring out the ancient VCR tapes from years past, and laugh so hard our faces hurt.

God bless you and your families as you enjoy your Christmas traditions.  I leave the end of this 2014 year with my thanks to each family in our St. Katharine of Siena community. Thank you for your support, encouragement and care you show to us, as we partner to make a difference in the lives of every child that graces these halls. I continue to feel very blessed to be a part of this school community.  Peace, joy, and comfort to you and your families with this Christmas blessing:

May the peace of the Lord be with you

With your friends and your families too.

Let it flow, let it flow,

And where ever you go,

May the peace of the lord be with you.


Take care,

Bud
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Please note: for the videos and pictures below: + Video - to show it full screen, place cursor on video, and click icon next to Vimeo at bottom. + Picture - click on picture to expand it.

2014 Christmas Tableau

December 17, 2014

Grace Twohig , Kate Wieser and Blaine Dekovitch (from l to r) sang like angels in their roles as Elizabeth, Mary and Gabriel respectively.

The 8th grade recreates The Nativity at the annual Christmas Tableau.

Our Christmas concert, given by KG-4 grades, was so well done. Each grade performed admirably under the direction of our music teacher, Ross Fry.




An annual tradition at our school is Student Council putting the Nativity scene together. Also an 8th grade tradition: Wear the Worst /Best Christmas Sweater as you can readily see.






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Academic Excellence Achieved by the Class of 2015

We are proud and congratulate several students who have earned academic scholarships to several schools in the area. The scholarship dollar amounts are for the four years of high school.

From L to R: Martin Manion, Annie Butler, Jamie Flanagan, Kyle Spellman, and Grace Grube, our Class of 2015 academic scholarship winners (to date).

Annie Butler has received two scholarships: + Merion Mercy Academy  -$24,000 + Notre Dame Academy de Namur - $32,000

Jamie Flanagan has received three scholarships: + Devon Prep - $30,000 + La Salle College High school - $30,000 (half scholarship) + Archbishop Carroll - $28,000 (full scholarship)

Grace Grube has received three scholarships: + Country Day School of Sacred heart - $32,000 + Merion Mercy Academy - $24,000 + Archbishop Carroll - $18,000

Martin Manion has received two scholarships: + St. Joseph Prep - $30,000 + La Salle College Preparatory - $28,000

Kyle Spellman has received the prestigious Neumann Scholarship from The Connelly Foundation. Only 35 out of 900 applicants were awarded. This is a full scholarship to any archdiocesan school - $28,000

Mr. Tom Riley (SKS parent and a trustee of The Connelly Foundation) presented the award to Kyle. Over the last several decades The Connelly Foundation has given over $450,000,000 to archdiocesan schools – a staggering amount. Our school has benefited directly from their goodness with technology grants and a grant for our science lab.

Kyle Spellman, the Neumann Scholarship winner, poses with some of his current and past teachers. From L to R: Katie Jones, Mike McConomy, Lisa DeFino, Ellen Purcell, David Heacock. 





As of this writing, four students are under consideration for academic scholarships at Villa Maria Academy: Emily Hoppe, Grace King, Grace Grube, and Annie Butler.

I would like to congratulate these students. Also, I commend their parents and all our teachers from KG – 8. Parents and teachers have supported and encouraged these students to achieve excellence. The total value of these scholarships to date is at $304,000. Amazing! On the next few pages there are some pictures attached from highlights of events that have taken place at our school. It’s hard to keep up with all that goes on here!

Mary Kate Dwyer got her face painted at Breakfast with Santa! Our families love this day. Thanks to Mary Ann Garzio and Katy Peck who organized the day with Fran Forte and the Scouts.  Arlene Brogan organized the Santa’s Secret Workshop with a many elves who assisted. TGFV- Thank God for Volunteers!






Molly Searing and Samantha Shreiner, along with the entire 6th grade, went to help at St Edmond’s Home. This is one of the many service opportunities our school has done in the last several weeks.

Pictured in the center by the banner are some of our 8 grade students at Radnor High School. Our students were recognized for their efforts in promoting the Saving Hallowed Ground Foundation research project that was piloted three years ago by the 8th grade. Our school was the first school to do this. Every student above is holding a poster board which includes pictures and documented research our students did of war veterans from Radnor who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.  For more info go to www.savinghallowed.org


Learning also takes place in the playground as shown below. The line is long as regular volunteers J.P.Boles (parent), Lee Bartos (grandparent) and Kathy Foran (grandparent) teach the students the finer techniques of jumping rope.



New and Noteworthy
Congrats on the newest arrival: We congratulate Gina and Mike O’Sullivan and sister, Molly, on the birth of new baby sister, Maeve.
In your prayers: We remember the Bergan Family as they mourn the loss of their grandfather, Richard Santos and The Fanto Family as they remember their grandmother, Anne Hackett.
School returns on Monday, January 5th. Students in Mr. Checchia’s art class participated in the Knights of Columbus’ Keep the Christ in Christmas Poster Contest. The entries were so well done! Our selected winners were Caterina Cilluffo, Jimmy Miller, and Emma Sweeney. Their posters were entered into the state contest.

And finally, the SKS staff party at Rosemary Gregitis's house was really rocking with the addition of a karaoke machine. Even Bud was wailing to his favorite rocker Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. And Chris Kelly, a former SKS teacher, made an appearance in a suit that was made at the North Pole.