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.

Picture Retake Day will be held on Tuesday, November 3rd, in the morning. Students who need a retake must complete this form to participate. Students must also bring their original picture order packet to the school office before November 3rd.

Students who were absent on the original picture day will automatically be called to have their photo taken - please do not fill out the form. Orders can be placed online at mydorian.com before Picture Day and for up to 2 days afterward.

Uniform Requirement: All K-8th Grade students are required to wear full uniform for picture day. This would include a collared white or navy blue shirt, and the appropriate color outerwear (sweatshirt, sweater, fleece, etc.). Please review the K-8th Grade Uniform Requirements in the Family Handbook if you have any questions.

At St. Catherine School, our grandparents and grandfriends are an important part of our Tiger community!

We would love to keep them connected to all the wonderful things happening at St. Catherine, including special events, school celebrations, and opportunities to support our students.

Please take a moment to share your grandparents' or grandfriends' contact information here.

Thank you for helping us strengthen our St. Catherine family!

Our school thrives because of the incredible generosity of our parents, grandparents, alumni, and community members. As you review your year-end charitable goals, consider tax-advantaged ways to give that help lower your tax burden while directly investing in our students.

To learn how to make your gift go further and strategies for year-end giving, join Finance Council members Katie Wham and Dave Mayer for a brief, informative webinar on Thursday, November 5th at noon. Please register here and feel free to submit any questions you may have! Access this zoom link for the session.

Please save the date for May 1, 2027, and join us to RALLY, GIVE & ROAR for our community. The St. Catherine All-Stars 2027 Auction website is up and running and your go-to resource for all things auction.

The Auction Team’s first meeting is tonight, Wednesday, 10/21 at 6pm in the Learning Commons. Come see what it’s all about and show your support for this important event. All are welcome.

Questions? Contact auction@stcatherineschool.net

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.

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!

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.

Mark your calendars! Join us at Zeeks Pizza (Ravenna) on October 29th to help send our 8th graders to Washington, D.C.!

Whether you’re dining in with family or grabbing takeout for the night, 10% of all dine-in and pick-up orders will be donated directly to the class trip fund.

• Where: Zeeks Pizza – Ravenna

• When: October 29th

• How: Dine-in or order pick-up!

Come enjoy your favorite pizza and make a difference for our students. Thank you for supporting our community!

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!

An annual tradition at the bazaar is Trinkets and Treasures!

Start gathering your small trinkets and treasures to donate for resale. They can be new or used items that would make good gifts. Items that sell well are jewelry, scarves, books, small decorative items, Christmas decor. All proceeds go to the St C Chapter of SVDP.

Collection dates:

• Sunday November 15th 10:00AM to 1:00PM at St Catherine's Victoria Hall
• Friday November 20th 4:00PM - 6:00PM at St Catherine's Victoria Hall

Let us know if you would like to make different arrangements to deliver your items. Questions about Trinkets and Treasures? Contact Melanie Ruhl jruhljr@mac.com

Questions about the bazaar? Please contact Katie Fleming kjfleming1239@gmail.com or text 206-354-5161

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.

Roosevelt High School ASR will be hosting its annual FREE Trunk or Treat on Thursday, October 29th from 6:30-8:00PM! The event is at Roosevelt High School in the main staff parking lot! Come bring your family and get some candy in safe, fun, welcoming environment.

Reach out to rooseveltclassof2028@gmail.com or check @rhs_asr on Instagram for more details!

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!