Mrs. Mulvanerty's Update

November 8, 2026

Dear SKS,

Coach DiTomasso is about to explode.

He is so excited about the CYO soccer championship under the lights at the iconic Bonner/Prendie High School field. Coach DiTomasso has been working to build excitement for the playoff games, encouraging all of us to come out and cheer. His competitive side naturally wants the win, and to see the team experience the pure joy of victory.

While a championship win would be incredible, something even more special is happening in SKS CYO soccer this weekend. In talking about the team last night at trivia night, Coach told me (I’m paraphrasing here), “The kids on this team play for each other and for SKS. They are passionate about their teammates and about working together.”

I loved hearing this! What a great feeling that must be for our players. Think back to your own days playing sports. What did it feel like when a teammate passed you the ball, proving they believed in your ability? What did it feel like when someone set a pick or defended you so you had the space to score? What did it feel like when your teammates cheered for you?

The words "Team player" have become very trite. We want our kids to be team players. We want our colleagues to be team players. We want to be called team players ourselves. As I think about it this morning, I am reminded that this team player feeling isn’t just about sports; it’s about human connection. It’s knowing someone has your back, and being that person for others.

Being a team player is perhaps more important now than ever. As we are all spending more time shooting off endless emails, sitting on screen-filled Zoom calls, and scrolling through our phones, we are becoming a little more alone. The US Surgeon General warned that we are living through a loneliness epidemic. He said that a lack of human connection is as damaging to our health as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. 15!!! He said, "Loneliness is like hunger or thirst—it’s a signal our body sends us when we’re lacking something we need for survival, which is human connection."

The antidote to this is community. We are biologically and spiritually built to be better together.

As Pope Leo said, “We cannot let algorithms write our stories or replace authentic encounter – human kindness and mutual care can never be replaced by technology.”

There is immense power in otherness—and it begins right at home.

What does this kind of teamwork look like in our families and our daily lives? Do we believe in each other? Do we defend each other? Are we actively "setting picks" for our spouses, partners, and children so they have the room to grow, succeed, and score the goal of being their best selves? Setting a pick at home doesn’t always make the highlight reel, but it means taking on a background role so someone else can shine. It’s

• taking on the bedtime routine solo so your spouse can catch up with a friend.

• making room for our children to try, fail, and figure things out without trying to steal the ball and take over.

• stepping up to organize an event for our school – like trivia night on Friday (THANK YOU HOME AND SCHOOL!!)

I personally feel very lucky to be part of our community and to have you all as members of my team! Thank you for all you do for each other, and for me.

Don't forget to come on out, cheer loudly, and remind our kids (and ourselves) that at SKS, we are a team! Go Wildcats!

G.B.Y.*,

Mrs. Mulvanerty

*God Bless You!

P.S. To see this weekend's full playoff schedule for soccer and football, see below!

SKS Got Talent Performer Gift Orders are now open! All gifts will be available for pickup in the Parish Center Lobby before the show. Please be sure to pick yours up before the show begins! All orders must be placed by Tuesday, November 10th. Thank you!

Link to Order:

SKS Talent Show Flower and Gift Sale Nov 2026

In honor of Veterans Day, we would like to take a special opportunity to recognize and celebrate the brave men and women who have served or are currently serving our country.

We invite you to send in a photograph of any family members or loved ones who have served or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces. Please include the individual's name and their relationship to your student (for example: grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, aunt, uncle, etc.).

These pictures will be proudly and prominently displayed in the front lobby of our school on Veterans Day as a way to honor the sacrifices, courage, and dedication of those who have served our country. We are excited to celebrate the heroes within our own school community and give our students an opportunity to recognize the important role these individuals have played in protecting our freedoms.

Thank you for helping us make this a meaningful tribute to our veterans!

Because of faculty conferences this week, CARES on 11/19 will run from 12-3. We are not offering YAY lunch that day, so please pack a lunch for your student. There will be no CARES offered on 11/20.

Step away from screens and stress and enjoy KNITTING and CROCHETING! All levels welcome. See flyer for details!

Would you be willing to share some candy treats with other people who must eat their meals at Life Center Shelters or Nursing Homes, or who shop for food from Food Pantries within our neighborhoods? Sweeten up the days of our less fortunate neighbors. Sacrifice some candy for those at places such as:

• Guiding Star Maternity Home (which provides shelter and assistance to pregnant women and their children)

• West Chester Food Cupboard (which commits to providing a variety of fresh and nonperishable food to West Chester low-income residents)

• Life Center Shelters in Delaware County (which serves meals every day to hundreds of homeless and poverty-stricken people who have nowhere else to have a meal—two of their shelters in Chester feed and house many children and their moms!)

Often, donated meals end without a dessert. You can help them out by giving some of your candy so that these poor people and small children can have a sweet dessert. A simple little candy bar is a special treat that they don’t often get to eat.

Take advantage of this easy and rewarding opportunity! Just empty your cabinets of the excess candy that you collected, or the types of candy that are not your favorites, or whatever candy you’d like to give out of the goodness of your heart. We will bring the candy to different local food pantries, shelters, crisis pregnancy centers, and ministries. In the past, we have partnered with Guiding Star Maternity Home, West Chester Food Cupboard, Life Center Shelters in Delaware County, the local food pantry at St. Mark’s Church, Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, City Team, Broad Street Ministries, Grands Stepping Up, Angel Food Pantry, and several other places.

Doesn’t it feel great when somebody offers you a sweet treat out of the blue? Share that little blessing with somebody else. Donate some candy today!! Please give generously. Your candy will be happily eaten and enjoyed!!

Candy donations will be accepted now through November 16 in the school vestibule.

Dear SKS Families,

It’s time to register for TuitionCare: a fantastic opportunity that directly benefits your family’s tuition bill!

Last year, 54 families participated in TuitionCare. Thanks to their participation, we were able to provide every SKS family with a credit of $225 towards tuition. However, if we get the number of contributors to our program to equal the number of families in our school (252), all families will receive a $1,000 credit towards tuition!

How does it work?

TuitionCare allows PA tax-paying families to redirect their state tax dollars to St. Katharine of Siena School through Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program.

• No Net Cost: You redirect PA state income tax dollars you already owe to support tuition assistance at SKS.

• Direct Credit to Families: By maximizing participation across our school, the resulting funds generate direct tuition credits distributed to all SKS families.

• Who Can Participate: Any parishioner, grandparent, or friend of SKS can participate as long as they pay PA state income taxes!

• The Goal & Impact: This year, our goal is to reach at least 100 participating families to build on last year's success.

Upcoming Information Sessions

We want to make signing up as simple as possible! Please join us for one of our upcoming informational events to learn more:

• Virtual Webinar: Thursday, November 5, at 12:00 PM (Zoom Link: Join Webinar)

• Parent Coffee & Q&A: Friday, November 6 (in-person after pickup)

Ready to sign up? Please see the flyer below to learn how!

Dear Parents,

Imagine a world where people look out for each other. Where we all pay it forward. Where success is measured in selfless acts. Where kindness is the philosophy of life. It’s easy to think of kindness as an innate talent, something you either possess... or don’t. But that’s not the case. Kindness is a skill – and like any skill, it can be developed with practice and repetition.

In honor of the month of love and friendship and World Kindness Day (November 13 th ), our school will be taking part in a kindness challenge. Every school day during the month of November, we will challenge our students to perform an act of kindness toward others. Every morning student council members will read the kindness tip of the day and challenge their peers to complete it before the end of school. Additionally, each classroom will be given a calendar of kindness acts and activities that can be completed throughout the month.

In recognition of World Kindness Day, SKS will be hosting a Blue and White Spirit wear day to support a family in our community facing significant challenges. This is an opportunity to put kindness into action and show how even small acts of generosity can make a big difference.

We will also be celebrating “Kolorful” Kindness Day on November 19 th . Show how committed you are to being kind by dressing in your most colorful socks and hair (students should adhere to SKS dress code other than socks, bows, hats, etc.) Students will participate in kindness themed bingo games in the cafeteria with their

buddies.

School Activities include:

 Classroom kindness calendars

 Classroom kindness activities

 Kindness challenge of the day

 Buddy Bingo

Dates to remember:

 November 13 th – World Kindness Day! Wear school colors or spirit wear in unity!

 November 19 th – Buddy Bingo – “Kolorful” Kindness Day! Show how committed you are to being kind by dressing in your most colorful socks and hair!

 November 24th – Last day to hand in your optional writing assignment.

As one last optional challenge, students may respond to a grade-level writing prompt (to be completed at home). We will be asking students to write about a recent act of kindness that they did, or received, and how it impacted them. Writing prompt pages will be given to the classroom teachers. All entries will be entered into a raffle, and winners will be chosen at random on Tuesday, November 24th. We ask that you encourage your child to take part in this challenge because as we always say; acts of kindness are not only special for the receiver, but also

make the doers feel great!

Here's to a super kind month at SKS!

Sincerely your school counselors,

Jess Ryan and Kate Hendrickson

At SKS, one of the things we do best is take care of those in our community. Some of you may know that one of our moms, Moira Barker, is working to support her sister's family, the McKnights. Please see more about the McKnight's story and learn how you can make a donation if you wish. Thank you for your support!

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The SKS Cub Scout Pack 219 is once again selling Christmas Wreaths. Wreaths are $30 each and can be ordered using the link below. All wreaths will be delivered to your door by 12/6/2026. Any questions, please email skspack219@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

November Parish Coffee & Service Project

Sunday, November 15 at the 9:30AM Mass

- Children's Choir
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Parish Coffee hosted by Walking with Purpose (A Women's Bible Study)
- Faithful Families Service Project

Annual Advent Wreath Workshop
Sunday, November 22 from 2-4pm
SKS cafeteria
BYO wine
$30/per person

Enjoy an afternoon of friends, fellowship and creativity! Come build a beautiful, hand crafted advent wreath to prepare you and your family for Christmas. Cost includes: candle ring, candles, construction materials, greenery, decorative elements for the wreath, and snack.

Visit sksparish.org/adventwreath for more details and to sign up.

There are so many opportunities for afternoon clubs! Please click here to check them out.

November 11 - 8th Grade Mass of Thanksgiving

November 12 - Monthly Admissions Open House, 9:15am

SKS Got Talent

November 13 - Blue and White Spiritwear Dress Down Day for World Kindness Day; proceeds benefitting the McKnight Family

November 15 - Family Mass, 9:30am and Parish Coffee

November 19 - Noon Dismissal; Parent Conferences Begin -- Kolorful Kindness socks and accessories!

November 20 - No School; Parent Conferences

November 22 - Family Mass, 9:30am

Advent Wreath Workshop

November 24 - School Penance

November 25 - Thanksgiving Break Begins!

November 26 - Thanksgiving

November 27 - No School

November 29 - Family Mass, 9:30

November 30 - Classes Resume; Santa Shop Begins

December 3 - Picture Retake Day

Our 8th Grade STEM students designed cups to minimize thermal energy transfer and keep contents cold, testing their own designs against a store-bought cup. Look out, Stanley and Yeti!

3rd Grade STEM class works on water filtration system design models.

Making the most of rainy day indoor recess!

Dr. Hayes visited Mrs. Grimley's science class to share his expertise on vascular surgery.

Golden Ticket drawing winners!

Preposition planes in 7th grade ELA! My plane landed: on the floor, near the desk, beside the closet...you get the idea!

Special thanks to the 7th grade for preparing our Monthly Mass on Wednesday!