February 7, 2016


 Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,
         Although I was not able to make the SKS Trivia Night , I heard it was a real hoot and the pictures I have seen back that up.  Thank you to Denise Chambers and Cindy Mc Kernan who organized the fun event. Next year we may need the gym to house everyone or the First Union Center.  
        Last week we celebrated Catholic Schools week. I am grateful to  Jackie Sevag and David Heacock and all our teachers/staff , Chris Plasha and Greg Schmidt for the set up help, the Home & School, and our parents for helping us this week. This  year was the second on a continuum of a three year theme:  Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge,  and Service. We mixed those three components during the week. On Monday we had continuous service projects going on by all grades.  On Tuesday,  KG-4 had a their annual Spelling Bee Challenge and new this year for grades 5 to 8 was The Crazy Cranium  Challenge where teams of 5th to 8th graders competed in a Knowledge Bowl.   The winners did not get a trophy like the Parent Trivia Night but they did receive  Championship T -Shirts.  We mixed in a lot of fun as well cause we believe that school can be fun ....and this is a fun place to be.  The annual student /faculty/staff game this year included some surprise special guests: Several alumni came back to help support a veteran (aging?) faculty team and they were inspired by being led in by the Archbishop Carroll  Marching Band. It was like our own Super Bowl.
       Last  week was a celebration of who we are and what we believe.  We believe that Catholic education provides your children with a solid foundation that educates the"whole" child. This starts with a deep abiding faith that promotes values such as respect, compassion, kindness, and mercy.   We also value our commitment to a strong academic program.  Once again this year, our 8th grade class has distinguished themselves with varied accomplishments with academic scholarships and acceptances to many different high schools. Our SKS Spirit Newsletter due out in March we will publicize our many academic scholarships winners from the Class of 2016.   This Thursday,  Kayleigh Doyle and Peter Vitanzo will be recognized as contest winners in the  DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution ) Writing Contest . It marks the 10th straight year we have placed students in this event. We are challenging our students to be the best they can be. It's a credit to our teachers and parents as partners in education that our students achieve to their potential.

       Last year. the Office of Catholic Education asked our school to participate in a national test called the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is the largest continuing and national representative assessment of what our nation's public and private school students know and can do in various subjects. Last January, the  Class of 2015 took part in this assessment where nationally students in 4th and 8th grade were tested in reading and mathematics. In late November, I was mailed the results. First , did you know that private schools (which includes Catholic schools such as us) represent about 23% of schools in the nation (almost 1 in 4)?  The results of this test  were an endorsement for Catholic education as students in Catholic schools on average had higher scale scores than the students in public schools in mathematics and reading in grade 4 and grade 8.  I have a more in depth printout of the actual results in my office and I am happy to show them to you.   Also if you wish to know more about this you can visit http://nationsreportcard.gov/  and  for more info about private school participation http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/nonpublicschools.aspx.

    Families loving in this area have a number of excellent choices to send their child to school.  We are one those great choices. It is all about which school reflects your family's educational philosophy and which school is the best fit for your child. Thank you for entrusting your children with us.


  Read why many families value their child receiving a Catholic education from the AOP website          Go To:  http://www.aopcatholicschools.org/stories-from-our-families/

    Here is a  letter from Archbishop Chaput regarding Catholic Schools Week 



Take care,

Bud

                    

This was the last place team : E =  MC Hammers at SKS Trivia Night. As you can see finishing last had zero impact on their smiles and self esteem!  

The winning team: "That Was My Second Guess" at SKS Trivia must have been really good at their first guesses that night claiming the first place trophy. 




Pictures from CSW

                                     

The 7th Grade worked well helping out CHOP and Mercy Hospice during this past Monday's Service Day.

Compound Word Day in the 2nd grade is an annual tradition . Daylen Flanagan shows off his many compound words with Mrs. De Petris 

All grades performed a service activity to benefit those in need. Many grades worked with their "buddies." 

R.J.  Day and his family were laughing all afternoon at the Minute to Win It  Games  for  grades 2 & 3 . We want to wish The Day Family all the best as they prepare 

to move to the west coast. 

Emma Canuso (far right ) was The Tissue Box  Champ at the competition .

The annual Spelling Bee had contestants from KG - 4th grade. The contestants were really 
fantastic spellers. Third Grader, Michael Bugler was the champ. 
. 

The First Crazy Cranium Challenge filled the gym with the entire 5th to 8th grade.

The First Crazy Cranium Challenge had teams of grades 5-8 grade testing everyone on what they knew. 

Crazy Eights Day: Every year our students get more creative! That's a real flower growing out of  Angela Salinero's hair. 

Jim Sharkey and Brian Buckley coached students on healthy living  by reaching proper
warm up techniques at the health Fair .

Kim Kendall and Mistie Whelan  helped students though an entire yoga session.

On Blue and White Spirit Day, some upper grades students are  front of the Class of 2016  board which  proudly displayed the Family Tree of siblings , many who have graduated from SKS. 

Emma Maher battled Brendan Hodgens, Maeve Seeger and Jimmy Miller  in the the Hula Hoop competition. 

The Class of 2012 was came as reinforcements to help the faculty at the 
annual basketball game.  

The Archbishop Carroll Marching Band came and played the national anthem with our SKS band before the big game. 

        January 19, 2016

        

        Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,

        Many veteran families have heard me preach about the "4 C's"  for education that students need to be successful today : Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration and Creativity. These "4 C's" are essential skills for student success in the classroom and beyond.   Twenty-five years ago,  if you were good at memorizing facts of rote material you could succeed in school and beyond.  In today's world you still need rote facts (time tables, spelling words, etc). However, the world has changed and more skills are  needed by students to ensure their success. All educators  need to make these "4 C's"  a part of their teaching process. 

       Last week, grades 6 through 8 attended a technology demonstration by the Uncommon Individual Foundation arranged by Christina Elisio, our technology teacher, and our  6th, 7th, and 8th grade teachers. They were introduced to a 3-D printer and the presentation was very good, showing the students why and how a 3-D printer is being used to benefit many industries, including the medical field. Did you know when the first 3-D printer was invented ? Can you believe 1986? 

       Over the next few weeks the students will be working in teams (think 4 C's here) designing a 3-D  religious cross. The winning design team in each of six homerooms will be chosen and those crosses will be manufactured by.... you guessed it,  3-D printers.  I am excited about the possibilities of using this 3-D printer  as a STEM tool. The 4 C's of Critical Thinking, Communication , Collaboration and Creativity were being used by students in the parish center as the groups started to discuss what they would design.
       The UIF is a unique group of people. Think of them as a group of veteran mentors working with younger, inventive, protege types trying to create new ideas, businesses, and  products.  We are hoping in the future to have some students join an after school club that will involve working with the UIF, quite possibly at their "Think Tank"  offices about 10 minutes down the road in Devon. The Uncommon Individual Foundation was created by SKS parishioner Dr. Richard Caruso,  whose goal in creating the foundation was to provide mentoring to young adults who are interested in invention and entrepreneurship. As it states on their website homepage: "The Uncommon Individual Foundation seeks to unlock the potential of every individual through the applied art, science and power of mentoring." I am excited about a possible partnership with UIF to provide a learning forum for our students. If you want to know more about UIF go to www.uif.org. The video on the website explains their mission more clearly.
        Yesterday, we had over a hundred students from kindergarten to seniors in high school at school for SKS's  Martin Luther King Day of Service. I was touched to see many former alumni come back to their roots and work with our younger students. They were joined by parents and teachers who all helped to perform corporal works of mercy.  Sandwiches  and "Care"  bags were made for those who need help. Our leaders, Steph Twohig and Jackie Sevag, (aided by sons Andrew and Nicholas) did a great job of organizing the morning.  We are grateful to all who brought items in. There is no greater lesson we can teach our youth today than our call to to help those in need.  



Take care and stay warm,

Bud

                                 Uncommon Individual Foundation with 6th, 7th and 8th Grade 

                                                                              3-D Printers 

                                     

                                       

Joe Narke, a 22 yr old entrepreneur from UIF,  explains the inner workings of the 3-D printer to our 6th grade.  

In the foreground,  business owner   Mr John Springrose, a former parishioner whose children attended SKS, explains how a 3-D printer is used in his furniture business to make prototypes , thus saving his company huge expense costs.   

Teddy Wolfington  as fellow students  look in amazement, tests out the small chair prototype that was made by a 3-D printer. 

Dimitri from UIF shows our 7th grade  how the 3-D works to transform an electronic file into an actual  3-D object.                                                            

This is the size of the 3-D printer model that UIF brought to school for us to see in action. 

                                   SKS's  Martin Luther King Day of Service 

January 7, 2016


Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,

          Welcome to the first blog of the New Year. Joy, health, and peace to you and your families. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your generosity and goodness to the faculty/staff and me over the holidays. Not every school is as fortunate as ours to have such caring families .
          We are back into a routine. It's tough coming back from Christmas break, but the kids are smiling and happy to see everyone, including their teachers and even their principal!
          Wednesday morning we had an in-service for teachers as a teacher/coach from the DCIU
(Delaware County Intermediate Unit) worked with our teachers in improving their technology skills with Google Apps for Education.  So what did Mr. T. do with 452 students while the teachers were in the media center?  Thanks to some courageous moms and dads who helped me, we had an  SSR (silent sustained reading) time with the students. Each student in each grade is paired with their older "Buddies" ( KG-6 , 1-8, 2-4, 3-7) and 5th grade has me as their one and only "Buddy."  So throughout the entire school  for a 90 minute block of time students were either reading quietly on their own,  the older Buddy was reading aloud to the younger Buddy, or had the younger one read aloud to them. They read quietly for enjoyment and the older students took great care of the younger ones.  I am exceptionally proud of how our students carried themselves during this entire time.  It made me proud to be their principal.  Pictured below are a few of our students with their Buddies. 
            Finally, one of the keys to being successful as a student is to have a neat, legible, and organized  homework pad. There is a direct correlation  to students who succeed and those who have an organized way of knowing what they have to do.  It's an example of working smarter as well as harder.  To that end , one of Mr. T's New Year's resolutions is to drive that point home. I have communicated to students this week that I would be checking homework copybooks at random. I started it today and checked about a dozen or so, and it raised more than a few eyebrows in the process.  Whatever it takes to get them  moving forward, right? I 'll be back at it tomorrow and the days to come.   

          Thank you for entrusting us with your children each day. We are blessed.


           Take care,


            Bud

                              Pictures from Yesterday's Buddies Reading 

  

December 22, 2015

Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,

             If you have not heard of The Little Blue Book  based on the writings of Bishop Ken Untener  during this past Advent season, I highly encourage you to file it away as a must for next year. Copies were made available in church.  It's five minutes of reflection that can carry you through a day,a  week, even the Advent season.  The faculty and I use them when we meet for morning prayers and I have to say it really helps us maintain our focus and mission as Catholic school teachers and as Catholics. It  helps ground you.

             Helen Keller once said,  "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." As we arrive at Christmas break this is an opportunity to thank all of you for your kindness and goodness to this school, our faculty and staff and to me personally. The support we receive continually is something I can actually "feel."  The best gifts we receive from others are often not the tangible ones.  It's our faith, our family, our friends, our health, and the chance to be together with the ones that mean the most to us.  In my Christmas blessings I will thank God for my relationships within our St. Katharine of Siena School Family: Colleagues, parents, and students. I feel privileged to serve this community.  May your coming Christmas days be merry and bright.....joyful, restful, and peaceful as well.

             With  love and gratitude,

              Bud

P.S.   Below is the latest communication from the PA Catholic Conference I received regarding the state budget. Gov. Wolf continues to be on Santa's not nice list.  

Dear Education Department Members,

I hope you are doing well.  The PCC just released the following budget impasse impact article with an action alert.  Please forward to all your education circles.  Here is the link to the website article: http://www.pacatholic.org/the-dire-consequences-of-inaction-on-education-tax-credits/ and here is the link to the action alert: https://www.votervoice.net/PACC/campaigns/43824/respond.

Sincerely,

Sean P. McAleer, MGA

Director of Education

PA Catholic Conference

PO Box 2835

Harrisburg, PA 17105

717.238.9613 Office

717.514.1882 Cell

717.238.1473 Fax

www.pacatholic.org

    Connor Kraus visits with SKS parishioner, Mrs. Margie Blake, after bringing her a Christmas wreath and  Christmas cards made from the the entire school for our parishioners who may be homebound. 

Mr. Gavin and his class brought gifts to a family at The Village. The 4th grade collected and raised funds to buy gifts for a family. 

Pictures from The Christmas Tableau 

                                                                 

     

December 15, 2015
 

 Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,
             
              The Advent Season continues and everyone is busy. I hope you and your families have found this time to be one of joy and peace. I see many parents coming in these days stressed about trying to make Christmas perfect for their families. The truth is our lives are often messy.  As parents we deal with many things: taking care of children and caring for  own parents as well, pressure at work, trying to ready the house for company, and finding the right gift for everyone. Christmas need not be perfect. Advent and Christmas should be joyful.  The meaning is in the presence, not the presents.  When you feel yourself overwhelmed with a full plate, first take a deep breath, smile, say a prayer, and remember to be be joyful and at peace knowing you are doing the best you can.

            Besides joy and peace, we need to be  merciful. Pope Francis started this Year of Mercy on December 8th. He symbolized it by opening the doors of the church in Rome. So too, we are to open our hearts to both give and receive mercy as needed. It takes humility to do this. Pope Francis serves as an excellent role model to follow. He said, "We have to put mercy before judgment, and in any event that takes place, God's judgment will always be in the light of His mercy."  We can all follow Francis' lead by being less judgmental to those around us.

           The  attendance at the KG- 4 Christmas Concert was tremendous. Thank you for coming. I think we had a record numbers of grandparents and we love seeing them there. My mom was able to attend the dress rehearsal that Wednesday afternoon. She loved seeing the children's  innocence, as our students sang like angels. What we do everyday in school is vital; however, everything we do begins and ends in church. It is who we are and what we are about. Tomorrow evening, the 5th - 8th  grade will show this spirit when they perform our annual Christmas Tableau. I have been to a few rehearsals, and as usual, see that the performance will be outstanding. The retelling of the true Christmas story will warm your hearts; all are invited.

          Last Thursday I was able to attend the talk by Jason Evert that we advertised for students and parents from 7th grade through high school on Teenage Purity.  Jason is an international speaker and last week he spoke at nearby St. Norbert's Church. Some of our parents and students were able to attend.  In a future blog, I will share  his "Top Ten Tips to Parent For  Purity." I give you  a website where you and your teenage child can download his talks. Jason has a gift to connect with  teenagers and parents alike. He left the church  last week to a standing ovation.

             I am working my way from 8th grade on down to meet with students about their first trimester report card and setting goals for the second trimester. I won't meet with every student, but I will with many who need guidance and support. Providing honest feedback to our students is the #1 way to improve student performance.  Do you know that many students do not realize that their effort can /will increase their performance in school.  We know it will, but research has shown that some students will not equate effort with performance results. Remember it is always about effort, attitude, and being respectful of people, places, and things.


           The teachers and I  remain grateful to you everyday for your support of our school community.


Take care,


Bud

The First Grade performed beautifully, as did all the grades,  at the annual 
KG - 4  Christmas Concert. 

From L to R: Michael and Sophia Schuller were assisted by Rochelle Clerkin and Jocelyn Salinas earlier in December . Parents were able to drop off their kids and get some early shopping done thanks to the SKS Community Service and Respect Life Club members who watched them.

Michael Duncan is very intent as he buys a gift at the Santa Secret Workshop. Many thanks to Arlene Brogan and all her elves who helped out.

The Knights of Columbus sponsored the "Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Contest.            Thanks to Joe Checchia, who had all our students enter the contest . First place in the three    age groups went to: Jamie McCracken, Phoebe Chambers, and Catherine Haley .  Runners
up were: Connor Kendall, Sophie Walkenhurst, Sophia De Giovanni, Franny Gallagher, Isabel Oliver, and Angela Salinero  

      Kayleigh Doyle had an amazing cross country season for our SKS CYO team and for              the Archdiocesan CYO team that traveled  to CCCYN National Championships. The team       finished 9th out of 23 teams, and she finished 38th out of 251 individuals, with a personal best time at 4 kilometers of 15:51.  Congrats Kayleigh!

A priceless mother/daughter moment as  Jen Driscoll helps her daughter, Lochlan, make some jewelry at Donuts with Santa. Thank you to Mary Ann Garzio  and Cindy McKernan  and the many volunteers who coordinated this annual event. 

Joe Garzio can barely contain his smile posing as an angel at the caricature Nativity scene at Donuts with Santa.