Principal Update

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.

Welcome back STC Families!

As we begin our second week of school, I’m grateful for the energy (lots of it!) and sense of community that have filled our campus.

As you know, last year we completed our accreditation self-study and visit, which helped us establish goals that will guide our work over the years ahead. This summer during staff in-service, I challenged our faculty and staff to embrace the idea of “sweating the small stuff” this year. Not in the sense of getting caught up in every little thing, but in paying attention to the everyday details that make a difference. Greeting someone in the hallway. Noticing when someone needs a hand. Taking an extra minute to do something well. Saying thank you. Those small choices, made consistently, help shape the culture of a school.

As we begin this year, I’d like to extend that same challenge to our students and families. For students, sweating the small stuff might mean including someone at recess, putting genuine effort into an assignment, taking responsibility for their belongings, or trying again when something is difficult. For parents, it might mean establishing consistent routines, encouraging independence rather than stepping in too quickly, asking what your child learned, or simply noticing the growth happening along the way.

None of these things is especially big on its own, and that’s the point. When students, families, and staff are all intentional about the small things, they add up. These small things are what has made (and will continue to make) this amazing school community at STC.

Here’s to a great second week and an incredible year ahead!

Warmly,

Kathy Cox

Principal

At St. Catherine, we believe technology can be a powerful tool for learning when it is used thoughtfully, intentionally, and at the right developmental time. Over the past several years, technology became increasingly integrated into classrooms, particularly during and following COVID, when grant funding allowed schools, including ours, to significantly expand access to student devices. Moving toward 1:1 technology served an important and necessary purpose during that period, but as we look at both instruction and responsible asset management, we do not believe maintaining a 1:1 device model is the best path forward for our students.

Instead, we are refocusing on intentional instructional design from our teachers and responsible technology use from our students. Our goal is not simply to use more or less technology, but to be increasingly purposeful about when technology enhances learning and when another approach may serve students better.

As part of this continued refinement, we have moved away from having Chromebook carts in most individual classrooms and returned to a shared-device model. Teachers will continue to have access to technology when it meaningfully supports instruction, research, collaboration, assessment, or the development of important digital skills.

We have taken this approach even further in Kindergarten, where student technology has been removed from the classroom. Devices will be used only occasionally for specific assessments that are adaptive or more easily accessed through our curriculum. At this developmental stage, we believe students are better served by hands-on learning, physical materials, conversation, play, books, handwriting, and direct interaction with their teachers and classmates.

Across grade levels, students will also be doing more physical handwriting and paper-and-pencil work, alongside increased opportunities for reading, discussion, collaboration, and problem-solving. At the same time, we remain committed to teaching students how to use technology responsibly, ethically, and effectively.

Families may see this intentionality reflected in homework as well. Teachers will share more at Curriculum Night about what homework will look like at each grade level, but in general, families can expect assignments to align with this same emphasis on purposeful technology use.

Ultimately, we want our students to develop strong foundational academic skills, thoughtful technology habits, and the ability to recognize when a digital tool adds value to their learning. While we have always integrated technology with purpose at St. Catherine, our shared device model is an opportunity to hone the intentionality further.

Parenting today comes with more advice than ever — and at the same time, less real connection. Finding a trusted circle has never mattered more. That’s why St. Catherine School is thrilled to partner with ParentMap to bring our school community FREE access to ParentMap Talks, a powerful series of parent education webinars featuring the leading voices in child development.

ParentMap Talks will help cut through the noise and bring families together to tackle today’s biggest parenting issues, from helping kids thrive with ADHD and supporting mental health, to examining EdTech and navigating confusing phases of puberty. Bring your questions, gain practical, evidence-based guidance, and become part of a community built on trusted expertise, shared experiences and real support.

Why parents love this series

• Expert guidance: From nationally recognized voices like The Holderness Family to Time’s 2026 Woman of the Year, Reshma Saujani, our speakers offer practical, research-backed insights on the issues families are navigating today.
• Interactive format: Each live talk includes opportunities to ask questions, connect with other parents, and exchange ideas and resources in a supportive community.
• Convenient access: Join from home or on the go with Zoom sessions designed for busy families. Can't make it live? Event recordings let you watch whenever it works for you.
• A supportive community: Hear the real questions other parents are asking, discover helpful resources and connect with families facing similar challenges.
  

One quick registration, eight talks

We get it, you’re busy! Sign up for the full 2026–2027 series now to get convenient reminders to join the sessions that matter most to you — plus on-demand access to a playback page so you can watch the recorded sessions anytime, anywhere.

To redeem your complimentary tickets ($80 value), register here and enter promo code STCATHSCH.

ParentMap is the go-to resource helping parents navigate the challenges and joys of raising great kids. From essential resources to expert advice, ParentMap fuels families’ journeys — because parenting is a trip!

September 24, 12:00-1:00 PM

Parenting a child with ADHD can be exhausting, frustrating and unexpectedly joyful — sometimes all before breakfast.

The forgotten assignments. The emotional whiplash. The intense focus on exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. Families living with ADHD know that the same brain that creates real challenges can also bring creativity, humor, energy and a distinctive way of seeing the world.

In this lively and refreshingly honest ParentMap Talk, viral creators and New York Times bestselling authors Kim and Penn Holderness share what they have learned from living, parenting and working with ADHD. Both diagnosed with ADHD, they bring firsthand experience, plenty of hard-earned perspective and the humor that has made The Holderness Family a favorite of millions.

Drawing from their book “ADHD Is Awesome,” Kim and Penn will unpack what is actually happening inside the ADHD brain, why common parenting approaches can backfire and how families can work with ADHD instead of constantly fighting it. This is not about pretending ADHD is easy. It is about understanding the hard parts, dropping the shame and recognizing the strengths that too often go unseen.

You’ll learn:

• Why the ADHD brain struggles to choose what deserves attention
• How to reduce conflict around routines, schoolwork and everyday responsibilities
• Ways to support emotional regulation without shaming or escalating
• How to recognize and nurture the creativity, energy and strengths of an ADHD mind
• What parents can do when the strategies that “should” work simply don’t

Come for the tried-and-true strategies and stay for the stories. Reserve your spot for the live Zoom Talk and get access to the recording to watch anytime.

We are blessed to be part of a community that is diverse in many ways, including in the faith backgrounds represented among our families. That diversity is part of what makes St. Catherine uniquely special.

Recently, a couple of parents have asked how they can feel most comfortable attending Mass if they are not Catholic. First and foremost: please join us! Our school Masses are a special part of who we are as a community, and all are welcome.

Before Mass, students gather in their Faith Families, small groups made up of students from across grades K–8, led by two or three staff members and named for a particular virtue. When families join us in the church, please feel free to sit wherever you are most comfortable. Our students and staff are very accustomed to welcoming parents, parishioners, and other guests into the pews alongside us.

We also want families to have a sense of what we ask of our students during Mass. Students enter the church reverently as a way to settle themselves and prepare their hearts for worship. They leave behind water bottles and other school items, recognizing that Mass is when we focus on prayer and participation in the Mass.

To help everyone feel comfortable following along, we have prepared a worship aid for our Thursday Masses. Please take one as you enter; it includes the flow of the Mass, responses, and songs.

Again, all are welcome. We are grateful to gather together and look forward to celebrating Mass with you throughout the year.