Weekly Newsletter

St. Catherine of Siena Parish School is an inclusive community, rooted in the Catholic faith and dedicated to leading with compassion, igniting curiosity for learning, and serving faithfully.

We invite our parish family to keep Pope Leo XIV in your prayers as he recovers from surgery. May God surround him with healing love, restore his strength, and grant him comfort and peace. We pray for his medical team and ask God to bless him with a full and speedy recovery.

Preschool conferences are recommended but not required. Conferences for each class are offered on 11/6 only. Teachers are looking forward to discussing your goals for your child for the remainder of the 26-27 school year.

All K-5th grade families are required to participate in these in-person Fall Conferences. Students in grades 3rd-5th will also attend their conference, as it is a student led conference.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Please sign up for a conference window by Wednesday 10/21, 11:59pm

• If you do not schedule a conference by that date, you will be automatically scheduled based on the teacher's availability and they will email you your assigned day and time(s).

• In grades K-5, your conference will cover all academic subjects.

• If your child in grades 1-5 is in reading support, that will be included in your child's conference.

• If you have a 5th grade student in Walk to Math, and you would like to meet with your child’s math teacher, please sign up for a middle school conference time slot to drop by the gym during that time.

• If you need to reschedule your conference time after Wednesday 10/21, please email the teacher directly to do so.

• Teachers will not be scheduling conferences outside of these designated dates and times.

• After reviewing your child’s Fall MAP test scores, if you want to discuss your child’s most recent MAP assessment, schedule a conference time with Ms. Elsner.

• 6th-8th grade students and their parent(s) attend these in-person Fall Conferences.

• You may sign up for one time period, and arrive anytime during that window.

• There are an additional 30 minutes built into the conference window, so if you arrive at the end, there is still time for you to conference.

• You may see any middle school teacher for a ten minute conference; however, given this format, you may have to wait a few minutes for a particular teacher’s availability.

• Indicate in the comments of the sign-up which specific teachers you’d like to meet with.

• Please note that due to our teacher transition for maternity leave, math conferences for Mrs. Tremain’s students are unavailable.

• After signing up, if a window is very full, you may be assigned a specific time anytime in that window. Please do not sign up for a window if you have ANY time constraints during that window.

• Teachers will not be scheduling conferences outside of these designated dates and times.

• After reviewing your child’s Fall MAP test scores, if you want to discuss your child’s most recent MAP assessment, schedule a conference time with Ms. Elsner.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Please sign up for a conference window by Wednesday 10/21, 11:59pm

• If you need to change your sign-up after 10/21, please contact Ms. Elsner by email.

Did you hear the big news? This year’s auction is not Mother’s Day Weekend! Woohoo! Please save the date for May 1, 2027, and join us to RALLY, GIVE & ROAR at the St. Catherine All-Stars 2027 Auction.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the banner raising honoring Teri Derouin—what a special night!

The excitement continues at our first Auction Team meeting on Wednesday, October 21st at 6pm in the Learning Commons. We need your help early and often to make the auction a success. All are welcome!

Our school book fair is coming soon, giving students the chance to discover new stories, favorite authors, and plenty of great books to take home.

Dates & Times:

• Monday, October 26th: 3:30–5:00 PM
• Tuesday, October 27th: Time TBD
• Wednesday, October 28th – Friday, October 30th: 12:00–5:00 PM

Location: Victoria Hall Music Room

Come browse, find a new favorite, and join us for an adventure in reading!

All parents and caregivers are warmly invited to join us for our Thursday school Masses—whether you are Catholic or simply interested in experiencing this part of our school community.

To help make everyone feel welcome, a parent or parishioner host will be available each Thursday. Anyone who would like to attend together can meet in the atrium of the church (inside the entrance from 8th Ave NE) between 8:45–8:55 AM. At 8:55 AM, the group will walk in and sit together for Mass.

We hope this offers an easy and welcoming way to join us!

While the sun is shining and the plaza can be a tempting place to stay and play after school, we want to remind families that the plaza and play structure are reserved for our Extended Care program after dismissal. The play structure is also not designed for children younger than Kindergarten.

At pick-up, we ask that families please depart campus rather than stay to play on the structure. Having additional children on the plaza makes it challenging for our Extended Care staff to safely supervise and manage the students in their care.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us keep our after-school program safe and well supervised.

Speech coaches will hold an informational zoom session for parents to learn about the speech team on Oct 20, 7:30 pm.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75691875134?pwd=Wc76d3c0BmXqvm9W1DaHGxTSUlegJP.1

Meeting chat link
https://us04web.zoom.us/launch/jc/75691875134

Meeting ID: 756 9187 5134
Passcode: 9YaKHN

Speech team is for middle school only with 6th graders and new to speech students starting on Nov. 2. Speech is Mondays from 3:15-4:15 and there are two tournaments: Blanchett on Dec 12 and Seattle Prep TBD, but likely Jan or early Feb. Registration fee is $95/student.

We are excited to announce that Panda Express has been added to our lunch lineup and deliveries began a couple of weeks ago.

If you would like your student/s to receive lunch from Panda Express on Mondays, please log in and place your order by 12:00pm on Sundays.

The tuition assistance process for the 2027-2028 school year opens on October 1st. If you think that your family may be in need of financial aid for next school year, please complete an application.

The entire process is completed online through FACTS. All applications are first reviewed by the Fulcrum Foundation, a fundraising arm of the Archdiocese. Once Fulcrum determines their assistance awards, then the St. Catherine Tuition Assistance Committee will review the applications and distribute financial aid for the 2027-2028 school year. Some families may qualify for assistance from both the Fulcrum Foundation and the St. Catherine program, but only one application is submitted. Tuition assistance from the Fulcrum Foundation is available for Kindergarten-8th Grade students only.

The application deadline is December 31st, 2026. This is a firm deadline - all completed applications AND required tax documentation must be submitted by this date for consideration. You can access the application here. FACTS charges a $35 application fee.

If you have any questions about the process or application, please email Kathy Cox or you can access the FAQ page on the Fulcrum Foundation website here.

Home Together is looking for volunteer assistance with setup and tear down of their annual Oktoberfest fundraiser, held right here in Victoria Hall. Setup takes place after school on Friday, 10/16, from 4-7pm. Tasks include decorating, unpacking, and auction setup.

The night of the event, Saturday, 10/17, they need help cleaning up from 9:30-11:30pm. If interested, you can sign up using the link here or contact Michaela Miller at mmiller@seattlebank.com.

Our talented students have poured their creativity into designing a beautiful collection of holiday Christmas cards and versatile thank you cards. We are professionally printing these masterpieces and selling them in exclusive multi-card sets - perfect for your holiday mailings and year round gratitude!

Every single purchase directly lowers trip costs for our students, bringing them one step closer to exploring our nation's capital.

To place your PRE-order, please fill out the google form, scan the QR code to pay. Orders will be filled mid to late November.

Thank you for supporting our students!

Help our 8th graders get ready for their exciting trip to Washington, D.C., this May by purchasing Brown Bear Car Wash tickets!

The 8th graders will be selling discounted car wash tickets in the parking lot and plaza after school on October 14, October 23, and November 4.

Ticket prices:

• $13 for one ticket
• $75 for a pack of 6 - a great deal!

Every purchase helps offset the cost of this memorable educational trip for our 8th graders. It’s a win-win: a clean car for you and support for our students!

Can’t make it to the school on a sales day? No problem! You can still participate by making a donation for the amount of tickets you’d like to purchase through the class fundraising website. Then, email Jess Bratrude at jessicaanne.b85@gmail.com, and she’ll make sure you receive your tickets.

Thank you for supporting our 8th graders and helping make their Washington, D.C., trip a reality!

Don’t forget—Minted gives 10% back to St. Catherine! Use code FUNDRAISESTCSP on all cards, announcements, invitations, and much more.

Families from across the NE Seattle Catholic Community are invited to come together for a special All Parish Family Mass on Sunday, November 1 at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of the Lake Church, as we celebrate All Saints’ and All Souls’ together.

This special Mass will bring all four parish communities together, with combined liturgical ministries, music, and Children’s Church/CLOW opportunities for our youngest parishioners. After Mass, everyone is invited to a festive coffee hour celebration in the OLL School Gym.

Please note that the regular Sunday morning Masses at Assumption, St. Bridget, and St. Catherine will be canceled that morning so that we can all gather for this special celebration at OLL. The Saturday 5 pm Mass at OLL and the Sunday 5 pm Mass at Assumption will still be celebrated.

Our All-Parish Family Masses will become a quarterly tradition, rotating between our two larger-capacity churches, Our Lady of the Lake and St. Bridget. These gatherings will give us a wonderful opportunity throughout the year to worship, celebrate, and build community together as one parish family.

We hope you’ll join us for this special day!

Preparation details for First Reconciliation and First Communion are coming soon! In the meantime, families are encouraged to register and save these important dates:

Parent/Child Orientation Meeting - October 18, 2026 - St. Bridget Church - 10:15 am

First Reconciliation - Dates coming soon!

*First Communion Celebrations:

May 23 at Our Lady of the Lake

May 30 at St. Bridget

*You’re welcome to attend either celebration, whichever works best for your family.

Thank you to everyone who was able to show up and participate in one of the Community Discernment Sessions over the last few weeks, where we gathered to ask "who is God calling us to become?"

If you couldn't attend a session, you can still participate in this important process. There is an online survey that will give you the opportunity to respond to the same questions we discussed at the community sessions. The survey will be open through Monday, October 19th. Every response will be taken into account.

This is the last call for input before the Parish Family Advisory Council (PFAC) begins drafting a vision for our new parish. Next spring, the whole parish family will be invited to review and respond to that draft. Participating prayerfully in this survey is when you can help shape it.

TAKE THE SURVEY here. If you've already completed it, please forward the link to another parish family member and encourage them to participate.

We are excited to invite you to Open House at Cristo Rey Jesuit Seattle on Saturday, October 17 from 10 AM to 1 PM.

Middle school students and their families will explore our growing campus and meet current CRJS students thriving in a culture of high expectations and high support. As part of the national Cristo Rey and Jesuit networks, we offer:

· Rigorous college-prep academics

· Professional experience through our unique Corporate Work Study Program

· Faith development for students of all faiths

We invite your family to learn more about our diverse and inclusive community.

This is an exciting time at CRJS as we continue to build on our incredible momentum, which includes the recent groundbreaking for the Norcliffe Academic Center, an important investment in the future of our students.

To RSVP for our Open House, please click here.

Please see this recent KIRO News story and interview, and discover the impact of our Corporate Work Study Program by watching Jahlil ’29 share his inspiring story.

We can’t wait to welcome you!

Grade School Night at HNA Volleyball

Thursday, October 15
Holy Names Academy
Join us for an exciting night of HNA volleyball and show your Cougar spirit!

Join Principal Jim Walker, Vice Principal of Academics Kate Orizotti, and members of O'Dea leadership for coffee, conversation, a campus tour, and an opportunity to experience the O'Dea Brotherhood in action. Designed for parents of current 7th and 8th grade students, these small-group sessions provide time for questions and a closer look at life at O'Dea.

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday, October 28 | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Wednesday, November 18 | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Wednesday, December 9 | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Location:

O'Dea High School | 802 Terry Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104

Student Resource Center (SRC), 4th Floor

Parking:

Complimentary parking is available at the Cabrini Garage, located across the street from the O’Dea parking lot on Marion Street. Validation will be provided at check-in.

For questions, please contact Jalen Ward, Community Engagement & Enrollment Manager, at jward@odea.org or 206-923-7518.

SATURDAY

Vigil Mass @ Our Lady of the Lake - 5:00 pm

SUNDAY

Sunday Mass @ Assumption Parish - 9:00 am

Sunday Mass @ St. Bridget Parish - 9:00 am

Sunday Mass @ Our Lady of the Lake - 11:00 am

Sunday Mass @ St. Catherine Parish - 11:00 am

Sunday Mass @ Assumption Parish - 5pm

All Are Welcome!