March 31, 2015



Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,

        I wish you and your families a holy, prayerful, and joyous Holy Week and Easter.  Families will use this  time well  to retreat from the normal business of busy lives,  and that's a good thing. At the same time, I encourage your families to remember this holy season which is the focal point of our faith. Christ's resurrection triumphs over His suffering and sacrifice for all of us. It's wonderful time to profess our faith, and you can do it in the simplest of ways,  but most of all, by our presence in church during Holy Week. Take time with your families to do so. It's the best way to thank God for His goodness to us. Tomorrow, our Faculty/Staff will be at the Daylesford Abbey for our annual Retreat Day.

      Please keep in your prayers  Jane Hurley who passed away. She is  the grandmother of the McCormick children: Katherine, Nolan , Madison, and Lauren.  As well,  please remember Wade Campbell, the uncle of  Casey Campbell, who passed away.

      I so appreciative of our school community's well wishes for my impending surgery this Monday.  I received so many nice emails it wasn't possible to respond to them all. I am deeply grateful to our families, the faculty/staff, and Msgr. Brouwers for your support.  I expect to be back here running around  and seeing you at morning or dismissal car line in no time ....almost good as new! Thank you everyone.

     Below are some pictures from The Living Stations that our 8th grade performed so well last Friday day and evening. If you missed the performance, I recommend you make every effort to see it next year. I can guarantee you will walk out there moved by emotions. There also pictures from the 5th grade Living Stations,  and 6th grade's  Confirmation.   Have a blessed Easter.


Take care,

Bud
                                                         

Eighth  Grade Living Stations 

   

The Last Supper.

Jesus ( Martin Manion)  meets Mary, his mother on the road to Calvary. 

Veronica show the face of Jesus on the cloth.  

The Agony in the Garden. 

Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

Easter Sunday - The Resurrection. 

Fifth Grade Living Stations 

Hayden Kennedy, as Jesus, carries the cross.

Both Miss DeFino and Mrs Orsatti's 5th grade homeroom classes performed their own version of the Living Stations to the primary grades. 

Confirmation for the 6th Grade 

Hailey Nord with Msgr. Brouwers after being confirmed. 

 Confirmation was held this past Saturday ( at 9:30 and at 1:30) for our 6th grade and our religious education students (PREP) as well.  

March 18, 2015  

Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,

                The teachers handed out report cards for the 2nd trimester yesterday.  I hope you have had the chance to see and review your child's with them.  Please sign the envelope and have the envelope only returned to your child's teacher.  The 2nd trimester is sometimes a tough one for students with a "stop and go"  calendar of holidays and some snow days mixed in.  Praise your child 's effort and attitude, encourage them to do their best, and set a goal for a possible area of improvement. 
                This Thursday, we begin the In View testing for grades 3-8 as we get ready to take the Terra Nova Standardized Test every morning next week. The In View Test is like an IQ test - it is a test of cognitive ability that predicts how well a student may do on the TN test that is taken. Next week, we will run a special schedule, test in the morning, and have regular classes afterwards. Academically, there is nothing special you should do to prepare your child for the test - there is no studying the night before. Our teachers have spent some time in the past four weeks reviewing some types of questions that your child can expect to see.
                As a school, we believe that standardized testing has its place in education. We feel we have a good perspective on its value, as it can help us as a school and as individual students to evaluate what we are doing well, and where we may need to grow.  
                I have told students and parents that I am far more concerned with how a student performs in a classroom for three months (a report card) than I am in one week of morning tests.  Every time a student takes a test there  are "X"  factors involved:  John was too tired because didn't sleep the night before. Mary felt sick.  Jimmy was a nervous wreck.  Joanne quite frankly was not interested in taking the test all too seriously.  I have seen students take the test one year and do amazingly well in it, and the following year do very poorly with no rhyme or reason to it . After many years I have come to the conclusion that the only really consistency about students taking this test is their inconsistency.  Parents and students often fret about results, so do teachers and principals. As students get older the results are part of the picture for Honors Math selection and admission to private schools.  The bottom line is we ask them to put forth their best effort.   Overall, our school performs very well in these tests and our scores over the last several years have consistently been among the top scores in the archdiocese.  So as a parent what is your role and how can you help your child?

              Here's how you can assist your child:


1.  Encourage and support a PMA (positive mental attitude).  Their attitude towards the test is important. An "I think I can " attitude is far better than any negative self talk . You may get from them "I hate these tests" or "I'm terrible at this, I never do well " or  "I can't take these tests."    Repeat: Encourage and support a PMA.  Reassure them that they only need to put forth their best effort. This is a good chance to see what you know.

2. Get a good night's sleep!  Eat a healthy breakfast! We don't allow our students to bring candy to school for this test. They can bring a water bottle and a healthy snack if they wish. Cancel any appointments this week so they have a regular routine and you do not have to pull them out of school.

3. Explain to them (as I do)  that there are things they will know on the test. However, they will encounter questions that they will  not know the answer to and that is okay. Review important test taking tip #1: Use the process of elimination and when if you get stuck, take the best educated  guess you can, and do not leave a blank.

4. Remember to move at a good pace without rushing. Do not spend a large chunk of time on one problem - move on from it, as there are 10 more questions you will know.

5. Grades 5 to 8 will be allowed to use calculators in one part of the math TN test for next week.  However it must be a calculator and NOT a calculator on a mobile device. Any mobile device during the test is not permitted. I explained this to the students already.  

6. . A prayer to the Holy Spirit or their favorite saint is always a great idea. I was a poor test taker so I always prayed to St. Jude - not kidding!



We had some  exciting and engaging activities going on last week and this week  in and out of school. I love the things we do here at SKS.  I am proud of our students and our teachers.  Here are some pictures of our school in action from last week and this week:

The 6th Grade in Mrs. Grimley's class  demonstrated the laws of friction to the 1st grade in some creative ways.

In  Ms. DeFino's ELA for vocabulary, the 6th grade created their own puppet shows using all twenty new vocabulary words from their lesson in the right context.

In 7th grade, the students in religion class created and acted out  puppet shows on iPads  teaching the 3rd grade a lesson on "miracles." 

The 8th grade sent Mr. Heacock off on paternity leave for the next few weeks with a baby shower. We are awaiting some happy news soon!

  

Kevin Gavin, brother of Mike Gavin, played his Irish tunes at recess on his accordion on St. 

Paddy's Day for the younger grades.  

OMG, otherwise known as Oliver Michael Gavin, made an appearance on St. Paddy's Day with his mom, Vicky, Uncle Kevin , his Dad , Mike (of course), and grand mom, Judy Gavin. 

                                                                                                                                                                         

                                                                       

The 1st grade made Leprechaun Traps  to catch those little guys. There was some masterful engineering work done here by students with likely help from Mom and Dad - good collaboration!  Emory Delss and Meritt Wiley are waiting to catch one!

    

Our Irish Dancers performed on this past Sunday at the St. Patrick's Day parade downtown. On Tuesday, the KG dancers , along with our four boy Irish dancers,  entertained our Senior Citizens at their monthly luncheon. 

The Respect Life Club  is always busy doing something good - this week's  bake sale was for Mother's Home in Upper Darby, a place  that support young mothers and their babies. 

March 5, 2015


Dear St. Katharine of Siena Families,
   


                                                               March Blizzard

                 I am done shoveling....for now anyway, so nothing better to do then blog away. Well, I guess the meteorologists got this one right?    Snow in March ..ugh ...enough already. We are getting blasted!  Your guess is as good as mine for tomorrow, depending on the clean up , buses, and freezing up!  What can I say - shades of last year.  Ladies, please mark down Wednesday, March 25th as the SKS Fashion Show rescheduled date.  Tonight would have been a real adventure.


                                                                          Lent

                 How's Lent going for you? Giving up chocolate or something else good you like?   Getting to mass possibly during the week?  Trying to exercise some more patience with the kids?  Finding  time to pray a little more?  All good ideas I think. Lent is a personal commitment to be a better person for yourself and for others. Self sacrifice, doing for others especially those less fortunate,  and furthering your relationship with God can only be good things for us.  The idea  of sacrifice is to bring us closer to God.  It's as simple as watching less television or computer time, which affords us  more time for prayer. That's how it works.  We find more time to be with God, and by doing so we also model the example for our children. If you need a copy of The Little Black Book  for Lent  I have a few extra here at school. The daily meditations  are "spot on" most days and can really help us reflect on this time of year, as we move closer to Easter.  Lent is about creating a change in ourselves, a change of heart in something we are doing or not doing, or perhaps improving a relationship with God or with someone with whom we need to forgive or be forgiven.

                                                 SKS  Guys  Night Out.....SKS Girls Night Out

              I saw a lot of SKS Dads who were happy to get out last Thursday at Casey's in Berwyn for the GNO (Guys Night Out).  Over sixty guys made it that evening and I was thrilled to see some SKS Alumni Dads whose kids had graduated.  Special thanks to Steve Graham, (grandfather of Charlotte and Graham Roe). Steve is the owner of Casey's and was very generous in helping us. Also thanks to the ladies: Rebecca Roe, Renee de Gennaro, Eileen Bookbinder, Crissy Pyfer ,and Darcy Wieser,who organized the event and had to put up with those guys for a night!  This Thursday it's the ladies turn at the SKS Fashion Show at Overbrook.                                    

                                                   End of 2nd Trimester and Standarized Testing 

              The end of the 2nd trimester is this Friday, March 6th . Your child will receive his/her report card on March 17th or 18th.  The teachers need time to get grades together and I like to review every child's report card. We have started spending some time prepping the students for the upcoming Terra Nova Tests. The In View Test is Thursday morning, March 19th.  The actual Terra Nova Test will be given throughout the week of March 23rd in the morning.  Perhaps you have seen some of those commercials on television about the parents from New Jersey venting about the state standardized test?  I think we as as school have a good perspective on standardized testing. We do not teach to the test and are not pressured by demands of school boards or even angry parents (nor yet anyway)! We do recognize that the standardized testing is one piece of a child's academic profile and can be used to help a child and a school  recognize strengths and areas of growth.

   Art Goes to School

              Last week,  our Art Classes were visited by outside lecturers such as artist Maureen Haley (Matt Haley 's Mom) and photographer/artist Helena Quigley ( mother of alums Shannon and Alexandra). Students were exposed to a wide variety of  art and different mediums to gain an appreciation of the importance of art in our lives.  

                                                                         Winter Sports 

             Congratulations to all our winter sports teams  and coaches this season.  I am grateful for the efforts of the volunteer coaches and the work of Paul Evans and Mike McCormick this past winter. It's not an easy job coordinating so many teams. Congratulations to our 7th and 8th Grade Boys team and their coaches for their amazingly successful season. The team played really well, but lost last Saturday to eventual champion , St. Ignatius, in a close, hard fought game. The support from our students and families at the game was awesome.   As a coach for many years, I truly believe there are lessons learned on the court and playing fields that sometimes are not able to be taught in a classroom.  Sports and activities are a huge part of our education of the "whole child." The programs offered outside of school are an important part of our school community and helps give each child a way to find their niche.

Mrs. Sonier, a guest lecturer from Art Goes to School, teaches our students about "realism." 

The Boys Varsity Basketball team reached the Final Four! 

A great crowd showed up for Guys Night Out last Thursday at Casey's in Berwyn.

Third graders, Kate Sharkey and Maeve Seeger, were two of the students honored as peacemakers for the 2nd trimester  at the monthly school  mass on Tuesday.  A good number of parents showed up at the Parent Coffee after mass. 

  Take care,

  Bud 




                                                         



                                                     

February 11, 2015

Dear Parents,
 

        Please be thinking of the Wolfington, Raiser, and  Henry Families in your thoughts and prayers in the days to come, as these families have lost grandparents this week.  It's  been a rough stretch for some of our families this winter who have lost loved ones. They could use our prayers.

        Thank you to the parents who braved a cold night to support the efforts of our Home and School Meeting last night.  We had close to a 100 parents make the evening ! For those parents who could not make it, I understand that it is often difficult to get out on weeknight. Educating your child is a shared and sacred partnership. Our school works well because we share in that responsibility.  I hope those who were able to come, found the night helpful in your role as primary educators of your children.

        I am grateful to our presenters Nancy Caramanico and Pat Loughran for their presentations. I have attached some info from  Nancy Caramanico.    Pat Loughran's presentation will be sent at another time.   Thanks also to our facilitators in the 3rd session: Teachers: Katie Jones, Jayda Orsatti and David Heacock and special thanks to current students:  Keenan O'Connor, Lindsey Smith, Megan Curry, Morgan O'Brien and Taylor Gregitis, and to our Alumni: Michael Hailey, Joe Orsatti, Katie Curry, and Riley Powers who were terrific at the roundtable  discussion  for the 3rd session.   Please send us any feedback on the night, both positive, any criticism, and future topics you may like to know hear about. Feedback is how we can grow and get better.

       Today, 7th graders Peter Vitanzo (1st) Emma Sweeney (2nd),  and 8th graders Annie Butler (1st ) and Elle Graham (2nd), were honored at the Great Valley DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Chapter for their award winning essays in the DAR contest in the fall.  Congratulations to them and their parents. Thank you to our teachers, Jennifer Loftus and Michael McConomy for a their excellent mentoring.

        Business Day for the 8th grade was another excellent experience for our students. First, they read Og Mandino's  famous book: The Greatest Salesman in the World ( a personal favorite of mine). Over the last two weeks they formed a business plan with classmates,  then had their business come to fruition today in the flurry of activity all day in the Parish Center. Think of a smaller version of the Reading Terminal Market, only in Wayne. I guarantee you the 8th graders will sleep well tonight. Welcome to the real world of work everyday, Class of 2015.  All proceeds will benefit Amy Barnes, a dear friend of SKS, who has been battling breast cancer.

                                             Pictures from last night and today's events are below:

Three of our four winners are with their parents and teachers as they are presented with their DAR Achievement Certificates: From l to r : Mike Mc Conomy, Jill Graham, David Graham, Elle Graham, Kelly Sweeney , Emma Sweeney, Kara Vitanzo , Peter Vitanzo , and Jennifer Loftus. Missing is Annie Bulter (and her parents Kelly and Missy ) who was home sick.  

The 3rd session last night at H&S was comprised of  students, alumni , teachers and parents in a roundtable discussion on stressors for students in today's world.  

Tech Safety presenter , Nancy Caramanico , goes over a question with Frank May last night at the H&S Meeting.  Below are sites she recommended for parents for on line safety 

4 Top Parent Resources for Teaching Online Citizenship and Safety:

1. Netsmartz Parents Page - http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents
2. Netsmartz Safety Pledges -  http://www.netsmartz.org/Resources/Pledges
3. Common Sense Media -  https://www.commonsensemedia.org/parent-concerns
4. Faith and Safety - A resource guide and a collaboration between The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Americ

Guidance Counselor, Pat Loughran from the Delaware County Intermediate Unit,  who works here at SKS for two days a week , presented to parents on building grit and resilience. 

SCENES FROM BUSINESS DAY

Have a great night,

Bud 

February 9, 2015


Dear SKS Community,
       
       Today we ran a special schedule and every homeroom had their 2nd trimester class meeting.  We have a class meeting once every trimester to take stock of things and do something non-academic to discuss and promote class unity. What is done is up to the teachers' discretion, as they have a finger on the pulse of their students.  Class meetings help contribute to a positive school climate .  Ask your child what they did at his/her class meeting at dinner tonight.   Have a nice night. Be safe on the roads.


Take care,

Bud

Parke Schweiter,  SKS Class of 2011, came back  to school at the 6th grade  class meeting today to talk  about his  personal faith , his relationship with God and his Confirmation.   In a word , he was inspirational.  

             Kathy Flanagan , Sue Lowe , and their KG class worked on the idea of collaboration.

                            The 7th grade combined homerooms and discussed class issues and concerns  which were put on index cards prior to the meeting. 

The 2nd grade decided on act of kindness by making Valentine's Day cards for our senior citizens group.

February 6, 2015


Dear SKS Community,
 
 As an addendum  to yesterday's blog , here are a few more pictures of fun events this week.  Coin Day in 2nd grade was a huge hit. I brought in my collection from the attic which I had not looked at in 20+ years. The students could not believe that  Mr. T. had silver dollars from the late 1800's made of real silver.

The 4th grades had their annual Trading Post in Mrs. Kilpatrick's class. Wheeling and dealing like you cannot believe - I traded my super -sized sunglasses for an Indian drum.

Lastly, on Wednesday we had Grandparent /Special Friends for the primary grades at the  annual Book Fair, Having grandparents here at school is always a special joy, and we had a record turnout of grandparents and special friends.  Enjoy the pictures and have a great weekend. Stay warm everyone.


Best regards,


Bud

                

 Caroline and Bridget Staley with their grandmom are trying to decide if this is a good book to read. 

    

                    

                                  

                  Carter Forti had both grandmothers, and a great grandmom as well  as                                         special guests. Joining them is Grace Feeney and her dad, Jonathan.  

                                        

Neve Gorman is with her grandmom and dad at the Book Fair.

                                   

                        At the 2nd grade Coin Day, Gianna and Domenic look at some of Mr. T's coins,                        even older than Mr.T., himself.

                         

                           

 The 4th grade was wheeling and dealing at the annual Trading Post. 

You had to be there to believe it!

                                  

                         

February 5, 2015

Dear Parents,

               Here’s February’s blog with a follow up on Catholic Schools Week, an article on Catholic schools, and some financial information.   

Why do you send your child to St. Katharine of Siena School?  Cindy Mc Kernan forwarded  this article to me which I shared with the teachers. It is written by a parent who asked to talk about his experiences at his school during CSW.  It’s a good read for those who believe in Catholic education:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/acatholicthinker/2015/01/why-my-kids-go-to-catholic-school/

Last week, we celebrated in many ways who we are and what we believe.  The theme: A Community of Faith, Knowledge, and Service is something we live, not just during CSW, but year-round.

                We are a community …. a community of believers in our faith, first and foremost, and also a community that believes in the mission of this school.  At Sunday’s Open House /Showcase, we saw our community in action at Mass and in the school that day. Msgr. Brouwers was both complimentary and kind as he spoke about this school community and how as a team, we do things very well here. I appreciated his kind words about all of us. You have heard me say this before, but when parents and teachers work together for the benefit of each child, well, that equates into a great school.  I was proud as alumnus, Shannon Maguire, Class of 2010, spoke last Sunday of her passion and love for St.  Katharine of Siena School. It was here she was grounded in her faith. It was here she gained confidence to be a leader. It was here, she first developed her love for music and performing.

                 On Monday morning, as a community our school gathered in church as Msgr. Brouwers clearly, carefully, and eloquently spoke at the children’s level and walked us through the Mass.  Not a regular Mass but a “teaching mass” per  se.   Our students were so attentive. Several teachers came to me afterwards to say how wonderful Msgr. Brouwers was with the students as he answered question after question about the why, what, where, and how of the Mass.  I truly believe our students (and teachers) have a much clearer perspective on what is done at the mass and why. 

                 On Tuesday we had the “great non - blizzard” of 2015. Sometimes as a principal, you just can’t win. I try to take into consideration so many things before I call off school: Safety, first of course, other factors are  teachers/staff that travel from distances , what buses are or are not running. These are some of the  major factors into the decision making progress.  I know for families that have two working parents that snow days can be a major pain in the ankle. In the end, I do what I think is best for us a community and realize I can’t make everybody happy, or always count on the weather forecast being right.

                Some people's  vision of CSW is all fun and games without any learning taking place. Not true at our school!  Knowledge: Experts agree that students can learn more informally than formally.  Who can argue that our own health is an important topic for a child to learn about?  On Wednesday, thanks to Mary T. Skilton , Christine Sisian, Nicole Mc Cormick and other members of the SHC (School Health Council) and volunteers we had a Heath Fair Day that gave each child important information.   The day started with our 8^th grade students giving health lessons to every other grade. I was impressed with their energy and preparation. They gave important information to the younger grades.  Thanks to one lesson, I was reminded that in one can of soda there are 8 tablespoons of sugar. The visual was really staggering to see.  At the Health Fair, Dr. Mike Mc Cormick gave an informative lesson on the heart.  At the famous Fear Factor, we tried new healthy vegetables such as quinoa, plantain chips, and cauliflower. Volunteers from CHOP came to talk to us about caring for our eyesight.  SKS Mom, Mistie Whalen, with some help from Anna Rockich and friends walked every class through an actual yoga class.  I need to work on my flexibility!   Thanks to Student Council president, Grace King‘s efforts, we had our first Ping Pong Club after school. Grace and I played the first official game.  Grace “got game” as she smoked me by a score of 11-2!  Besides flexibility, I need to work on my forehand! I want a rematch , Grace!

                We had some fun on Thursday with the annual Student/Faculty Basketball game and we helped the  Ancient Order of Hibernians by performing a simple act of Service by bringing in canned soup for our annual SOUPER Bowl  Contest and donating food to distribute to the less fortunate.  My dyed hair color and face painted blue and green  provided laughs for everyone apparently. More laughs were provided when my usual head first slide at the intro of the game turned into semi -disaster, when my entrance ground speed was not enough to carry my head first slide on the newly resurfaced  non -slip gym floor. Translation was a collision with my face and the hardwood resulting in  five  stitches on my chin, and permanent reminder that I am a not a kid anymore.... no more  head first slides for me .... at least until next year!! 

                We wrapped up Friday with a closing mass and then to the gym for one of my favorite events of the year: The Annual School Spelling Bee. I like how our students root for their classmates, at the same time respect the other contestants, and cheer for anyone as they leave the competition. Good sportsmanship is always a must. Fourth grader , Blake Stefan  beat out first grader Abby Sharkey in a exciting finish.    

                                                   

                                                      Financial  Opportunities 

                There is Maguire Foundation offering scholarship opportunities for students entering freshman year next fall at any ARCHDIOCESAN High school such as Archbishop Carroll.  Last year, Madison Nord ,  one of our students, won such a scholarship.

              To apply go to: Maguire Foundation:  http://www.maguirefoundation.org/scholars.php

              If you are interested in applying for financial aid from BLOCS  for next year please go to www.blocs.org.  Each year we are able to assist a number of families with tuition assistance.  I encourage you to follow up on this. Last year, we gave out over $33,000 in BLOCS money. 

                                                             Two HUGE Events 

-  The SKS Fashion Show aka GNO (GIRLS NIGHT OUT) slated for March 5th  6:30 -10 @Overbrook CC. This is a can't miss affair for our Moms.  Shopping, food, drinks, and a lot time to catch up with everyone.  

- The precusor to the above  is the "other GNO " as in  GUYS NIGHT OUT ... Dad's no shopping involved,  but there is plenty of food , drink and a "guy's raffle " with plenty of sports and  guy talk.  C'mon out  on Thursday,  February 26th, at 7pm, at Casey' s in Berwyn . 

Mark these dates down in your calendar ! 

Please pray for The Leyden Family. Sara lost her beloved Dad , Robert C. Malaney, last evening. I am sure that Sara and Jay , and their family, would appreciate our prayers for their family at this time. 


The rest of this blog are pictures from CSW. The pictures on the blog tell the story of  our school. Our school is a fun, caring,  place to be where learning takes place. We are all blessed.

Take care,

Mr.  T. 

8th graders Luca , Joe, and  Kevin give a health lesson to the 6th grade on avoiding sugary drinks. 

Zucchini  (Zoo + Key + Knee)  at Fear Factor was big hit for some students !

Grace King shows her awesome forehand at the newly formed  after school Ping Pong Club 

 on Mondays and Wednesdays  in the cafeteria .  Grades 5 to 8 are welcome . 

You pay a dollar and sign up or just show up . It's so much fun.

Msgr. Brouwers talks to the entire student body at the "Teaching Mass."  

SKS Mom, Mistie Whelan , led every grade in a yoga class at the Health Fair. 

 The 8th grade is here in the plank position.

The SKS School Band performed admiarbly at the big Sunday Open House / Showcase. 

                             

Shannon Maguire, SKS Class of 2010 , now on academic scholarship at St Joseph University,  speaks to the school community  at our Sunday Open House about how she developed her leadership skills and passion for music when she was here at St.  Katharine of Siena. 

Blake Stefan (standing) won another exciting Spelling Bee Contest held during CSW.