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.

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.

Cubs Sign-up is Coming Soon...

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.

• MAP scores and sign-up will be sent next week, when the testing window ends for the Archdiocese

• 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.

• MAP scores and sign-up will be sent next week, when the testing window ends for the Archdiocese

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.

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.

We begin with a heartfelt thank-you to the Kuder Family for purchasing the “Name the Gym” experience at the 2025 Soaring to New Heights Auction. We are grateful for their generous support and for proudly serving as our Banner Family this past year.

Now it’s time to raise a new banner for a new school year!

Please join us on October 8 at 6:00 p.m. for a special Raise the Banner Reception as we welcome the Derouin Alumni Family as our new banner holders.

Together, we will officially raise the Derouin Family Banner in Victoria Hall and honor Teri Derouin for her incredible dedication, service, and lasting impact on the St. Catherine community.

A special thank-you to the Derouin Family for generously purchasing the “Name the Gym” experience at the 2026 Boots, Bling and Big Dreams Auction in honor of Teri.

Let’s come together, reconnect, and celebrate this special St. Catherine tradition. Go Tigers!

Please join us to honor Teri Derouin as we hang the coveted “Name the Gym” banner purchased at 2026 Auction on Thursday, October 8th at 6pm in Victoria Hall. AND be amongst the first to learn the theme for the 2027 St. Catherine Auction!

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!

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

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 this past Monday.

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.

Please log in to your FinalSite Parent Portal and complete the Rock Wall permission form to allow your child to participate in this PE activity. Students must have a completed permission form on file before they can participate.

The secret is out! We are excited to announce that St. Catherine School’s next musical will be The Addams Family Young@Part! We are looking forward to bringing this fun, quirky, and delightfully spooky show to life with our students.

NEW: Introduction to the Show All Actors

Tuesday, October 13 | 3:15–4:30 PM

We have added a full cast introduction meeting for everyone who has signed up to participate on stage in the show. This meeting is an opportunity for students to:

• Learn more about The Addams Family Young@Part

• Meet the characters and learn about the different roles

• Learn what auditions the following week will look like

• Review drama program expectations

• Ask questions and get ready for auditions!

Auditions

4th-5th Grade Auditions

6th-8th Grade Auditions

Students should attend the audition date for their grade level.

Sign-ups close Friday, October 9 at midnight.

Students who are interested in participating should be signed up by the deadline, whether they are interested in being on stage or joining the crew.

Participation Costs

ON STAGE: $180*

*The cost is half price for the second and third child in a family.

CREW: $100

Performance Dates

Mark your calendars now for our performances:

Thursday, March 18th — 7:00 PM

We are excited to get started and can't wait to see our students bring The Addams Family to the stage!

Registration is open for 4th through 8th grade basketball. Please register by Friday, October 9. Practice will begin in late October. The first games will be the weekend of November 14, and the season runs through late January. Teams practice twice a week at Victoria Hall, and games are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays. Please use the following link to register your player: https://www.teamsideline.com/sites/seattlecyo/current-programs.

Registration is also open for 1st through 3rd grade intramural basketball. This is our "in-house" league, which provides an introduction to basketball. Practice for 1st to 3rd graders will begin in mid-November. Teams will practice once a week, and games will be on Saturdays in December and January. Please use the following link to register your player: https://www.teamsideline.com/sites/seattlecyo/current-programs. Although it's counterintuitive, select Program - 4-8 Basketball 2024-2025, and then Offering - St. Catherine Intramural 1-3. We still need coaches for the intramural program, so please let intramural coordinator Andrew Williamson know you're interested by emailing him at awillia05@gmail.com.

Calling all K–3rd grade students! Join us for a fun-filled experience designed just for you. Come learn, play, and make new friends!

Lands’ End is offering 40% off school uniform items for a limited time! Use code OURTREAT40 at checkout to save 40%. Sale ends Tuesday, October 13th

Don’t miss the chance to save on uniforms and school essentials!

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 attended one of the Community Discernment Sessions last weekend.

There are two sessions remaining:

Our Lady of the Lake, Saturday October 10th, 6:00 to 8:00 pm

St. Catherine of Siena, Sunday October 11th, 12:00 to 2:00 pm

Register here: Community Discernment Sessions (walk ins are also very welcome). Remember that school families can claim volunteer hours for participating!

To prepare for meaningful discernment, please read the financial update letter, the Current Realities Report, which includes the questions we will be asking at the Community Discernment Sessions, and the Annual Report. Every conversation at these sessions begins here.

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 Soccer
Friday, October 2
Starfire Sports Complex
Come cheer on the HNA Cougars and enjoy a fun night with other grade-school families!

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!

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!