Mrs. Mulvanerty's Update

August 28, 2026

Hello, SKS!

Double-checking school supply lists, getting uniforms ready, and signing up for fall activities -- the back-to-school hustle is here! We spend so much energy ensuring our kids have everything they need for a successful new year. But -- as you pack up those backpacks, there is one item that doesn't cost a dime but has the most value: PRAYER.

Last week we celebrated the Feast of St. Monica. She is well-known for spending years of her life praying tirelessly for her son's conversion. Her efforts paid off when Augustine not only converted but eventually became one of the most influential theologians in Christian history (Villanova wouldn't be around without him!)

As we get ready for the new school year, take a moment to pray. It's a simple way to

• Bring some peace into our busy homes
• Keep our hearts focused on good character instead of competition
• Surround our students with grace

Prayer to St. Monica

Saint Monica, .

Intercede for me today as I present my own children before God. Grant me the patience to guide them with love, the wisdom to accept what I cannot change, and the persistent faith to trust in God. May my prayers shield them, draw them closer to Christ, and guide their path through the upcoming school year.

Amen!

I can't wait to see you soon!

G.B.Y.*,
Jeanne Mulvanerty

*God Bless You!

P.S. On another note, It's really important to be in-the-know with everything SKS!! Please take some time to carefully read through the following announcements and updates to prepare you for the new school year and ensure a smooth transition for all.

Save the Date!

Back-to-School Night will be Thursday, September 10 at 6pm for all grades. We are moving to a single night format to:

• Welcome the new school year as a full community
• Ease September's fast-paced schedule for families

Program begins in the church. Please note this change from previous years.

We look forward to seeing you!

Parents had summer assignments just like our students did! Please click here for your summer checklist. You will find next year's school calendar, summer homework assignments, tuition payment information, transportation information, health forms and other forms for completion before next school year.

You have three important tasks to complete by September 3!

1. Review the 2026-2027 handbook! It is important for all parents to review this living document of policies, procedures and expectations of families and students. Please take time to discuss with your students to ensure a safe and successful year.

2. Update the emergency contact information on your FACTS dashboard.. (This is no longer included in the permission click form for the handbook). Use the following this path:

• Log into FACTS Family Portal
• Expand the School list on the left menu
• Choose Web Forms
• Choose Family Demographic Form
• The next page will give links to all student information that can be updated by parents

This will centralize all information for us in FACTS for easy access, and parents can update information at any time.

3. Once you have completed these two important tasks, please use this form to verify.

https://permission.click/hzz4cysla244/int

If you have any questions, kindly contact acondello@sksschool.org. Thank you for your cooperation!

Please pay attention to the updated policies on AI, Birthday Treats, Nail Polish and Lunch:

• AI - the Archdiocese has come out with a new AI policy, based on Pope Leo's encyclical on artificial intelligence titled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity).
• Birthday Treats - We will no longer allow food or gifts to be distributed to classes for student birthdays. Classroom parties will be at the discretion of the teachers. Any food or treats will be planned ahead of time with an eye towards safety for all in the class. Please do not send food or goodies of any kind to school for birthdays or any other occasions unless invited to do so by your teacher.
• Nail Polish - We have updated our policy for students. We know many of our moms enjoy getting manicures with their daughters! Therefore, nail polish is allowed, but nails must be natural, short, and polished with only light colors (like clear, nude, light pink). No artificial nails, press on nails, nail jewelry or long nails are allowed.
• Lunch
• Please avoid dropping lunches off to school mid-day. This causes a distraction to the faculty and to your students.
• Doordash, UberEats or any other food delivery service are prohibited.

Thank you for your cooperation!

All families should now be registered in Pick Up Patrol. Pick Up Patrol is the system we use to streamline dismissal, improve student safety, and make plan changes simple for parents. Why do we use it?

For parents:

• Convenience - update dismissal plans all in one place, no calls to the office or emails to teachers
• Advanced Planning - schedule changes for known appointments or recurring activities

For the School

• Enhanced Safety - keeps accurate, real time rosters so teachers know where kids have to be at the end of the day
• Fewer Classroom interruptions - minimizes calls to teachers and front office staff at busy times when focus should be on students.

What should you enter in Pickup Patrol?

• Regular Dismissal Preferences
• Any dismissal changes including early pick ups for appointments
• Late Arrivals for students
• Absences for students

How It Works:

1. Your child’s regular dismissal plan will be entered into the system. This is called their Default Plan.

2. Whenever your child is doing something other than their Default Plan, you’ll submit a Plan Change via PickUp Patrol.

   • Examples of a Plan Change:

     • Your child normally rides the bus but is getting picked up today.

     • Your child is getting picked up by someone other than yourself.

     • Your child has a doctor's appointment and will be leaving early.

3. When the change is submitted, our school will be notified and we’ll relay the change to your child & their teacher.

4. Absences for students or late arrivals for students must also be reported in PickUp Patrol.
   
   

For the safety of your students, it is imperative that all parents use Pick Up Patrol.

Please do not call the front office or email teachers with dismissal changes, absences or tardies.

All changes must be made in PickUp Patrol before 2pm. We cannot honor dismissal changes after 2pm. Please plan accordingly!

For any questions about PickUp Patrol set up, please contact frontoffice@sksschool.org.

Please review all car line procedures below!

For the safety of all students and staff, all drivers must adhere to the following procedures for car line safety:

1. Carline begins at 7:45am for morning drop off and 2:40 PM for afternoon pickup. Cars arriving too early create safety, supervision logistical challenges.

2. Please display your family's last name visibly on the back of your passenger visor during afternoon pickup.

3. Follow the designated carline route as instructed (see illustration below). Enter Midland Avenue from St. David's. Do not enter from Aberdeen or Pembroke, and do not make K-turns in driveways to get into the line.

4. Do not block intersections, driveways, or crosswalks. Be mindful of our neighbors, pedestrians and other drivers.

5. Do not idle next to a parked car.

6. Come to a complete stop at all stop signs. Rolling stops are not acceptable.

7. Please do not park in the neighborhood or the parish center if your child is a car rider. Walkers must walk home, and car riders must be picked up through the carline. There are no exceptions.

8. Do not speed even if you are late to school in the morning.

9. Please inform all drivers of the carline procedures, including grandparents and babysitters.

10. Remain patient and respectful to Radnor Police, our crossing guards, and any staff members who are directing traffic. They are there to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

SKS Middle School has a BYOD policy -- meaning students must bring their own device to use at school. Historically, we have offered chromebook rentals. However, due to high administrative and labor overhead as well as maintenance and repair costs, we will no longer be offering rentals through SKS. We will have a limited pool of emergency loaners for single-day use.

If your student does not already have a device at home and you would like some guidance in choosing a new one, our IT Manager, Stephen Lee offers some great and reasonably-priced suggestions here.

Homework club is an after-school program that provides a structured and supportive environment for students to complete homework, projects or study for tests while receiving academic assistance and organizational tips.

Craft Club is Tuesdays after school. Pickup is in the carline loop at 4:30pm. Begins September 15! More details below.

First Virtual Rosary of the School Year
Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 8:30-9PM
Prayers will be lead by the Faithful Family board members

Special intention: For the 2026-27 school year, we will pray for all PREP and SKS teachers, staff, and students.

Please join fellow SKS parishioners, parents and friends to pray together as a community! We invite you to bring any prayer intentions that are close to your heart. You can email your intentions ahead of time to faithfulfamilies@sksparish.org or write them in the chat box during the google meet up.

Visit the link below to join with your cameras off from wherever you are - even if you are driving home from a late pick up. You do not need to know the rosary to participate, the prayers are shared out on the screen so you can listen and follow along.

Click here to join

Parish Coffee
September 13 after the 9:30AM Mass

Join us for a Children's Mass with the Children's Choir and Children's Liturgy of the Word. After mass Home and School will host a parish coffee and Faithful Families will have a service project to complete.

Walking with Purpose
Connect Coffee
September 22, 9:15-11:00AM
Parish Center

Walking with Purpose is so much more than Bible Study! More than 50 women, of all ages and life experiences, gather at SKS each week to deepen their faith through personal study and small group discussions that link everyday challenges with solutions given to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Join us on Sept. 22 for our first Connect Coffee, an opportunity for newcomers to learn about WWP with coffee, breakfast treats and an inspirational video followed by a casual discussion.
Come as you are - you are welcome here. www.sksparish.org/wwp

Mothers of Young Children
Opening Mass in Church
September 23 - A special Mass in Church at 9:30am followed by playtime in the Parish Center

MoYC is a group for moms (dads, caregivers, grandparents, etc.) with newborn to preschool-aged children. We meet weekly on Wednesday mornings, 9:30-11am in the parish center as well as at local parks, libraries and play areas. It's a time for kids to play and adults to socialize. We are always looking for new members - please stop in!

For more information on the group, contact Kristen Nicholls, moyc@sksparish.org.

Dear SKS Families,

Fall sports season is officially here! Region 32 CYO kicked off today, August 15, and St. Katharine of Siena is ready with a full slate of programs for the 2026 fall season.

A warm welcome to Chris Golden, our new Fall Sports Coordinator, who joins the CYO board after years of coaching for the Parish. Chris will be the point of contact for coaches, schedules, and fields across all fall programs.

We already have almost 200 athletes signed up, but know there are many more to get registered! REGISTER NOW: https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/527064

Sign-ups are open for all fall programs; see attached and basic intel below:

• Girls Field Hockey (Varsity & JV) — practices at Ditmar Field

• Football — Flag (grades 1–4) at Bo Connor Field; Tackle (grades 5–8) in partnership with St. Aloysius

• Soccer — front field at Archbishop Carroll

• Cross Country — practices Tues/Thurs at The Willows and Mon/Fri at Rose Tree Park; Sunday meets at Bishop Shanahan HS

• Volleyball — SKS Gym

• Cheer — SKS Gym

• Golf — held at local ranges

KEY DATES

• Games & practices begin: early-mid September

• Homecoming: Saturday, Oct 3 at St. Aloysius

WHY REGISTER NOW? Later sign-ups delay uniform orders and roster planning. Registering now ensures your child is outfitted and placed on a team from day one. Every year we see a rush of registrations at the start of and after school starts — please beat the rush!

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS: Cheer and Golf are both seeking volunteer coaches. No experience necessary — just a willingness to give our kids a great season. Reply to this email if you're interested.

Questions?

Jason Griesser, Athletic Director — ad@sksparish.org — 484-213-2675

Chris Golden, Fall Sports Coordinator — cgolden5@gmail.com — 609-970-7788

Please take a few minutes and sign up now!

--

Fall Sports Registration

Grab your clubs, string your racquets, and mark your calendars—we are 60 days away from our biggest social event of our school year! We are thrilled to invite our entire SKS community—current families, past families, alumni, and friends—to the 2026 SKS Fall Classic!

What is the Fall Classic?

• Whether you're going for a hole-in-one on the golf green, serving up aces on the tennis court, or joining us for drinks and dinner, the Fall Classic is a vibrant, joyful day to connect and celebrate our rich tradition of Catholic education at SKS, which has been going strong since 1916!
• The Fall Classis is our largest fundraiser for the SKS Annual Fund. This fund helps us in two ways:

• It bridges the gap between tuition revenue and our annual operating expenses, helping us improve faculty salaries, complete deferred maintenance and enhance academic programs.
• It funds our tuition assistance program, ensuring an SKS education remains accessible to all families in our community.

You don't need to be a pro to make an impact—there’s a way for everyone to contribute!

• ⛳ Register to Play: Sign up for golf at Waynesborough or tennis/pickleball at Overbrook—all skill levels are welcome!

• 🏆 Become a Sponsor: Showcase your business or family name on the course or courts.

• 🎁 Donate an Auction Gift: Contribute an item, experience, or gift basket.

• ✋ Volunteer: Lend a hand in event planning or on the day of the event to keep everything running smoothly.
  
  

Join the Fun!

Your support of the Fall Classic helps us build community and support at SKS. We can't wait to see you on September 21st!

Before placing your Flynn and O'Hara order, you may want to visit the uniform closet! Come and see what's available, free of charge!

Save the date!

TuitionCare leverages programs offered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that allow individuals to redirect some or all of their state income tax liability to support Catholic education. This program creates a true win-win opportunity - participants are able to redirect theri tax dollars while helping to reduce tuition costs. All SKS families received a credit towards their tuition last year as a result of our school and parish's contributions. Learn more about how you can contribute here!

Clearance Requirements for Volunteers

If you plan to volunteer at school next year in any way even as a school chaperone, summer is the perfect time to complete (or renew) the Archdiocese’s required clearances. You can find details and info here. If you volunteer less than once a week, you need numbers 1-4. If you help out once a week or more, you need all six.

A Protecting God’s Children workshop will take place at St. Katharine’s on October 7 at 7:00pm in the parish center. If you are interested in attending or have questions, please contact Kim O’Neill at koneills@sksparish.org or 610-688-4584.