Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,

       On last Friday, you should have received an automated phone call from School Messenger, our automated phone system in the event of school closings, late openings, or school emergency information. If you did not receive a call,  it's "Houston we have a problem " so please contact Anne asap.
     Tomorrow, Tuesday , at 9 am in church, I invite any parent/grandparent who is able, to attend our 2nd school mass prepared by our 8th grade. If you want to attend something spiritually uplifting  please try to come to one of these masses. I guarantee you will leave grace filled.
 
   Anne is working on parent access to MSP, our new online grading system. We are having issues with the final details and a couple of teachers' grade book pages aren't loading the information properly. As soon as the MSP support folks get this resolved we'll be able to go live with the system. We hope that will be very soon.

   The pictures below  show exciting happenings at our school with  our students learning things such as the importance of  fire safety,  and  experiencing community building events such as Our First Parent/Child Golf Outing.  About $3000 was raised for SKS TAP - our school tuition assistance program . This week several grades are going on interesting and fun field trips.  This is all part of our school educating the whole child.

      It was really good to see the sun back out today.



Take care,

Bud

Mrs. Susan Schuller meets with grades KG-3  today to talk about Down Syndrome.
 October is DS Awareness Month. 

Radnor Firefighters and  honorary SKS Firefighter Cece Cilluffo  talk Fire Safety at 
today' s assembly for  grades KG - 3. 

                                               

                                                                        

Will Stone shows great form  from despite the wind and rain at the
  Parent /Child Golf Outing last Thursday. 

Best Dressed at the Golf Tourney was awarded to the Father/Son Duo
 of Chuck and Matt Evans. 

                                                 
       

Is the next Chris Spieth among this illustrious group of golfers from our Class of 2016? 

9/30/15


Dear St. Katharine of Siena Families,
               Can we really believe that September has come and gone? And so has Pope Francis! On this past  Monday, I visited an 8th grade classroom and asked for one word to describe Pope Francis and this past weekend. I got responses such as "caring,  compassionate , kind, energized, revolutionary" to name a few.  No doubt Pope Francis has left an impact on many people, Catholics and non - Catholic, as well. My signature moment was watching him stop the car at the airport when he first arrived. Then he walked over to the teenage boy in the wheelchair to bless him and hug him. His mom just started bawling....and so did I. You knew then it was going to be a special weekend with Pope Francis.  I hope his mark will be indelible upon our parish, our city and our nation.

               As we get back into a routine again for school I have to remind one final time that in order to volunteer here at school you must have your three clearances. We are going to start "carding at the door" for clearances at the front entrance and if you are here to help us (which we absolutely want) you must have the state mandated clearances. Repeat: No Clearances  =  You Cannot Volunteer. Like it or not , we have to take a hard stand here. You don't have to like getting the clearances,  you just have to get them. It's state law.  In addition, you need to attend the Safe Environment Seminar by the archdiocese.  The next one is  here October 6 at 7 pm in our parish center - it's very convenient.

Here's what you need (for the 6th time this year):
           - Criminal Check Clearance  (done on line in 5 minutes)
           - Child Abuse Clearance       ( ditto)
           - FBI  Fingerprint Clearance (or the waiver, if  you have lived in this state for 10                                consecutive years without incidence you just need to sign the waiver and submit that).
           - Take the  archdiocesan safe environment seminar.
Thanks for agreeing that our students need to be kept safe here at St. Katharine of Siena School.

There is a Scout meeting tonight  in the cafeteria at 6:30 pm for any boy in grades 1 to 5 who is interested. Scouts is a great niche for boys and if you are looking for something for your son that promotes friendship, creativity, and fun - this is a great experience. If you can't make the meeting there is a contact number on the sheet your son brought home to you yesterday.

This Saturday, October 3rd , hurricane or no hurricane, the SKS Waverunners (made up of  SKS Faculty & Staff)  will be paddling with 160 other teams on the river at the annual Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival. Each of these 160 teams paddles for a charitable cause. Our cause is for Amy Barnes, a friend of SKS and former caretaker for Logan  Schweiter, who is being treated for breast cancer .  Many of you have generously responded already. Amy has mounting medical bills and could use our help. If you would like to help go to: https://www.gofundme.com/n63utrg4.  and please keep Amy in your prayers.  Also a few prayers for the SKS Waverunners, especially the Drummer (who is a certain principal of a local area parochial school right here on the main line!) as they battle the elements including a possible hurricane.

 Attention parents in grades 7 & 8: Due Friday is your child's and your signature contract that you and they understand fully the parameters of the BYOD agreement. Students are expected to turn in the contract by Friday.  I reviewed this with them, especially the fact that if there is a second violation of the agreement, they lose this privilege for the entire school year. This was a school handbook change sent to you this summer.

October has a huge social calendar of events.  Tomorrow afternoon,  the First SKS Parent/Child  Golf Tournament for SKS TAP tees off tomorrow at 3:30 pm at Glen Hardie CC.  Shout out to Drew Hodgens , Chet Walsh and others who helped make this event happen for a wonderful cause

 Please review the school calendar for upcoming events.  One night in particular,  I would like you to especially reserve will be a very important and informative night is our first Home & School Meeting: On Tuesday, October 20 at 7 pm in the cafeteria , we will be honored to have Dr./ Sr.  Pat Mc Cormack IHM  present to us. Sr.Pat will be the sole presenter that evening. I have heard her speak and ever since I did, I wanted to have her here.  She is dynamic, sincere, and will reach your heart, mind, and soul. Sr Pat speaks internationally and was a featured presenter at the World Meeting of Families. WOW!!!  It's only by a stroke of luck (or perhaps divine intervention) that we were able to get her. This is a presentation you want to see. The following day, in smaller groups, she will present to each of our students as well. I am excited to have her here. I hope at the least one parent from each family will attend.

We are getting back into a routine again Post Francis. Make sure your child's priorities are in order:
                         1. Faith & Family always come first.
                         2. Academics - this needs to be their next priority.  Not sports, TV , computer                                       games, dances, other activities, or their social calendar.
                         3.  After the  #1 and #2  you and they can decide what's next.

If we as parents and teachers together communicate this message and have high expectations for them in this regard, the children will follow our lead. If not, there needs to be dialogue and possible consequences. That's good parenting and good teaching, and we need to be a team.


Take care,


Bud      




               

               
       

Dear SKS Families,

       The letter below is from Cradles to Crayons.  I  want to add my thanks to all those who supported a great cause. It's always a good feeling to teach our children to help others in need.

Best regards,

Bud

Letter from Cradles to Crayons 

Hi Bud and Kevin!

I wanted to thank you both again for partnering with Cradles to Crayons for our first Wayne Community Collection. Due to the result of your efforts, 5,000+ individuals were engaged in the mission and model of Cradles to Crayons. I’m thrilled to report out that 207 13 gallon bags of children’s essential items were collected! From this very large and impressive donation, over 310 children will be provided with the essentials they need to thrive at home, at school and at play.

Please, share my many thanks with your team. We could not have done  this without you!

I have also attached some of the photos from when we were unloading the unit this past Monday! You filled the front room of our warehouse!

On behalf of the children and families we serve, Cradles to Crayons wants to thank you for taking action.

I look forward to partnering with you again soon!

Best,

Renée Nicolo

Manager of Community Engagement

Cradles to Crayons

The Giving Factory | 30 Clipper Rd. | West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Mail: PO Box 799 | Conshohocken, PA 19428

renee@cradlestocrayons.org

Office: (215) 836-0958 X213

                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                 

   

               

                                                

                                                          

Dear St. Katharine of Siena Families,
       It's a gorgeous September day and thankfully it has cooled off some.  We completed week one! 
       This morning at our first school prayer service we prayed for our school community that we have a safe, joyful, and healthy new school year for our community. We also offered a moment of silence for our country in remembrance of the 14th anniversary of September 11, 2001. It's hard for me to fathom that most of our student weren't even born prior to that date. 
       Last Night KG - 1 Parents were here for an important Back to School Night.  KG Parents were back here this morning with our new KG students at an open house, as they prepare to start this Monday.
        After the Prayer Service today presided by Msgr. Brouwers, I spoke briefly to grades 1 to 8 in church about how we need to be welcoming to all, how we need to take care of each other, and about their priorities: Faith, Family, and School. Then we held two separate town meetings  (KG-4 and 5th - 8th)  to review things that we as a school need to do in order for our school to run smoothly. I want to thank our teachers and staff for setting clear expectations to our students.  
        My gratitude as well to all those families who have contributed to Cradles to Crayons. The storage unit on Midland Avenue is near full! They were going  pick up the unit today, but now it won't be till Monday. We will continue to accept donations through the weekend. 
         I hope to see you tonight at the Welcome Back to School Family Fun Night. I 'll be scooping water ice.  It's one of my few talents! Remember to get your families to mass this weekend. 

Have a nice weekend,

Bud 

Members of the SKS Youth Ministry Team helped promote the Cradles to Crayons service project 

 

Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,

  Welcome to Mr. T.'s first blog of the year! I hope you are weathering through this heat wave! TGFACS as in "Thank God for an Air Conditioned School!   

 You may have driven by today the large storage unit on Midland Avenue that is here only till Friday!!

Have you been meaning to donate the new & gently-used children's items that your kids no longer need? From tomorrow until Friday, you can drop off your new & gently-used children's clothing, shoes, books, toys, school supplies, baby equipment, and more, at St. Katharine of Siena School in Wayne, and Cradles to Crayons will use those donations to help local children in need thrive—at home, at school, and at play.

DONATE: START: Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 9AM END: Friday, Sept. 11 at 8AM St. Katharine of Siena School 223 Midland Ave., Wayne, PA 19087

Let’s help those families in the area that need our help and support and fill up this entire storage unit !! You can drop it off in car line! 

Day 2 is in the books and we have had two great days in spite of the heat because our school is COOL in every way!  Even dismissal which is usually a disaster the first week of school has run smoothly.  It’s helpful in car line at afternoon dismissal to have the FAMILY NAME in bold print on a placard by the passenger windshield so we can read the name . Car line will move even faster by doing this. Thanks.  Demerits will be given on Monday for these cars without name tags!  

There are only about 15 names left on Anne’s “hit list” for emergency medical forms. I am going to be honest and tell you that every minute that Anne and  I spend chasing families for forms that should have been done a long time ago is frustrating and time wasted in which  we could be doing things more important for this school,and our students.  Personally, I’d much rather spend time connecting with students then worrying about whether families have done their homework or if we can contact them in an emergency.  My apologies if I am preaching to the the choir for many, but we remain frustrated by the 20 to 40% that do not do as asked until we darn near have to threaten. Like I said,  just being honest here. 

   

This Friday is Welcome Back to SKS Family Fun and Pizza Night in the gym from 6 to 8:30.  It’s great way to meet new families and reconnect within our community. Hope to see you there.

Remember the school calendar,  Anne’s emails and mine, and your child’s  teacher(s) communications are huge in creating that important partnership  that we form to help educate the whole child. Stay connected and stay in the loop!

This blog comes to you  from time to time.  It is emailed directly to our SKS Families.  It will have some updates, goings on, educational pieces, and pictures of our school in action. The blog portrays what a positive, joyful place this school is. We are a blessed community! Thanks and try to stay cool. 

All smiles the first day of school day of school with Mr. T. from l to r: Shane Doyle (3rd) , Kayleigh Doyle (8th) , and new 8th grade student , Emma Sponholtz

                      

                                

Take care,

Bud   

                                

June 1, 2015

Dear St Katharine of Siena Families,
                Happy Spring with some hot,  summer- like weather,  and I am not complaining after the winter we had!
                While it's a good feeling to know that we have the summer ahead of us, we still have important jobs to do as classes wind down. We must prepare to finish up with our best efforts.  We can all see the finish line about now, and the goal is to be sprinting through that line.
                 Please check with your teacher's by grade so you are aware of the EXAM SCHEDULES for each grade this week.. The teacher's should have them posted on their pages. Grade 8 starts exams tomorrow, Tuesday to  Thursday. Grades 1 -7  have exams this Wednesday to Friday. Are you aware that that last FULL DAY of classes is TOMORROW, Tuesday, June 2. After that we are noon dismissals through the end of school.  Your best guide is to print out a June calendar from the website and post it on your refrigerator or your child's forehead. That can be your compass till June 12th! After that you are on your own till September.
                  The school calendar for next year has been posted for those who need to plan ahead and also on the website are a number of camp/activities our teachers have over the summer. I hope to see a bunch of kids at my two weeks of basketball camp.
                   I want to recognize the efforts of  Cindy McKernan and our  Home & School Board who helped make this a record year for fundraising. An incredible total of over $163,000 was raised by the efforts of our board and our families. I thank each of you because so many of you have volunteered in so many ways to help us reach and go beyond our financial goals.  Thanks to a caring pastor, Msgr Brouwers, who values our school, and recognizes we can never stand still to compete against area schools.  We will use funds to make school improvements over the summer .  This information about improvements was sent  to you in an H&S email about two weeks ago - if you missed it, we can resend a copy of the pie chart and our wish list.
                   Two weeks ago we had the annual  8th Grade Parents Dinner. This is one of the nicest traditions we have, as we thank our parents who have made a commitment to this school.  In a bittersweet presentation, we honored 19 school families whose last or only child will graduate from St. Katharine of Siena. In some cases, this relationship with our school spanned close to 20 years! The 7th grade parents headed up by Christine Martin, Beth Stone, Aimee Lynn Curry and Kristin O'Brien did a wonderful job transforming the Parish Center.
                   The month of May had our school as busy as ever: May Procession, Mother's Day Luncheon,  Field Trips all over the map, Student Council Elections,  Father/Daughter Sweetheart Dance, The SK5K Race,  Youth Service Activities coordinated by Steph Twohig ,  A "Shower" for the groom to be , Bill DiClemente,  and a beautiful monthly School Mass among other events all took place. Events like these make us who we are as a community, and we are a blessed community.
                  Our enrollment for next year looks strong as we continue to get calls from families who want to be a part of our school . We have many re-locations from out of state, and next year we will have a record number of students (24) coming in new to us from grades 1 -8.  We will need to make sure we take care of these families as they come to us.    I believe a lot of the calls we get for prospective families is because our families are our best (and cheapest ) advertisement . We are all ambassadors for St Katharine of Siena. Thank you for promoting our school so well.
                  Today and Tuesday (6/1 and 6/2)  is  BYOL: as in BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH. The cafeteria is closing down shop and no food will be served.
                   If you have any unpaid bills due to school tuition, registration, or cafeteria,  it has been our school policy not to distribute final report  cards grades to any student/family until those bills have been paid. If you have a problem in that regard I would ask that you call Angela Kusterback in the  rectory (610-688-4584) or me at school. Things of this nature are always handled in confidence.
                   The Summer edition of The Spirit  Newsletter is just about complete. My thanks to Jake Kelly for his efforts this year in taking this on. We will send the final edition to you before school is out.
                    We congratulate  our Kintergarten class on their graduation as they head over to 1st grade next year.  As we bid farewell to the eighth grade graduating Class of 2015, we are proud of the legacy your class has left upon St. Katharine of Siena School. We wish you success as you journey to high school. You leave here prepared - well rounded and well grounded to face the challenges of a bright tomorrow. God bless you and your families.
                     This week and next will fly by and bring us to summer.  Three teachers will sadly be leaving us this year:Rosemary Gregitis, Allyson Henkel and Adria Crowley. All three have made significant contributions to our school community and they have been wonderful team players and valued colleagues for our school.  We wish them joy and peace.
                      I want to recognize the efforts of our faculty and staff.  The teaching profession is not a job; it is a vocation, especially here at our school. Their caring, dedication, and professionalism each day creates the positive  daily climate for this school. On most days, 432 students walk through these doors and leave these doors with a smile. It is the combined efforts of your efforts at home and the efforts of our teachers /staff that make this a wonderful school.  
                     Summer vacation is only two weeks away. To our students: be smart , be safe, and behave - make good choices especially when with friends.  Stay close to God, get to mass, pray - you and others need your prayers.  Read , read, read - you know it's the fastest way to get smarter! Do your summer reading and brush up on your math facts. Keep taking steps forward academically. Remember to help out at home and on vacation -be a team player for your family!  Be a peacemaker;  not peacebreaker!  Get some time to relax and be with your family. Summer provides that extra time for special family memories.  
                     My next blog will be from the beach...... with my toes in the water, a cooler with treats, and a good book to read. Thank you everyone for a great school year.  May God bless our St. Katharine of Siena School Community.


Take care,


Bud
                                                                            

           

Do you agree that this should be on the refrigerator of every SKS house for the next three months?

                 Some of our students helped prepare food bags for the Ronald McDonald's house.                        The funds to purchase the goods came from a School Dress Down Day! 
                 
                                                                               

                 The 8th Grade project this year was on Outer Space. They transformed the gym into the Milky Way  and our solar system. The rest of the school was able to 'space travel"  to the gym and hear excellent presentations from the 8th grade experts on a range of space topics. 


                                   
The 7th Grade had a beautiful day on their field trip visiting Ellis Island. The visit tied in nicely to the their ELA curriculum and books they read.

                                                                            
The 3rd grade dressed as immigrants passing through the  Ellis Island Immigration offices (in the cafeteria run by the 8th grade).  These castoffs pictured above either did not pass  the medical  or intelligence  tests.  Thus they were sent to the Wailing Room and had to return to their mother country.  The group includes a gentleman aspiring  to be a school principal.  He too  was sent away wailing with the others.

\

The 4th grade visited the Colonial Plantation last Friday. There were no microwaves back in those days. 

Third grade teacher, Bill Di Clemente with  his fiancee , Mary , in his classroom at the  surprise shower thrown by the entire 3rd grade class. "Mr. D"  gets married on June 20th!

Congratulations to both Mary and him, and their families.   

Some members of the Class of 2011 returned back to SKS for a get together by their alma mater.  Alumni parents came too and they watched their 8th grade  graduation video  and told funny stories of their remembrances here. Where did those four  years go? Thy are all off to their colleges in the fall. We wish them success. 

  About a dozen SKS Alumni came back to school last week to host  SKS High School Forum for our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.  SKS Alumni  from different high schools and ranging from freshman to senior year came back to speak and answer question about what to expect when students leave SKS for high school. They talked on a variety of subjects such as academics, study habits, advocating for oneself,  time management,and peer pressure.

Molly O Sullivan and Nora Elliot are modeling good reading habits for this summer 

PUAGB &R   -  Pick Up A Good Book and Read this summer !! 

The Student Council Elections were held two weeks ago. A record number of students ran for office.  So many good students to choose from made it very difficult. Pictured above are next years officers. From left to right: Keenan O'Connor - Vice President, 

Catherine Haley - President, Morgan O'Brien - Secretary, Brigid Lowry and Erin Sweeney - Public Relations , and Bo Brady - Treasurer.     

May 10, 2015


  Dear St. Katharine of Siena Families,          
            I hope all our Mothers in our school community had  a special day. To you and all our Mothers who are with us, and to those who are smiling down upon our families from above, I hope you had a wonderful day.

           The rest of the blog is pictures from the a few events that took place this past week. The SK5K  is a tremendous community event - so much fun!  I cannot believe some of the race times of our kids - simply amazing!  Tracy Barausky and Nora Brennan did a fantastic job coordinating the event. Our gratitude to them and the many volunteers who helped out. Special shout out to Mike Twohig , who typifies the many behind the scenes volunteers we have that are always around to pitch in and do whatever is needed.

Take care,


Bud 

                                                                May Procession- 2015

                                          

                                                                                                          

                           

                     

                  KG Mother's Day Luncheon

          The SK5K

Alumnus Shannon Johnson , Class of 2009, now at The United States Naval Academy 

talked to our Class of 2015.