The Siena Scribe

January 3, 2017
In this issue of the Scirbe:
Dear Parents,
 
Blessed New Year and welcome back!
 
Every year, the children, especially those in Kindergarten and the younger grades, always look so much more grown-up after the Christmas holiday.  Such growth brings with it a sense of freshness, promise and marvel.  At the same time, it may also bring with it a feeling of nostalgia - as much as we delight in seeing our children grow and mature, we may also wish that they could remain small.
 
Children grow up so quickly.  In fact, so do adults.  Life is very short.  It is also very fragile.  In the past couple of weeks, we, as a community, have mourned the loss of two parents: Mr. Jim Dock and Mr. Brian Kilbane (the Kilbane children attended SCS until last year when their family moved to Tampa).  Some of our families have members who are seriously ill; others are experiencing various kinds of hardships.
 
The darkness of death, sickness, and suffering may at times seem overwhelming.  Yet it is precisely because of such darkness that the Son of God became human.  In his Christmas homily, Pope Francis tells us:
 
Christmas has above all a taste of hope because, for all the darkness in our lives, God's light shines forth...God, who is in love with us, draws us to himself with his tenderness, by being born poor and frail in our midst, as one of us...There is a straight line between the manger and the cross where Jesus will become bread that is broken. It is the straight line of love that gives and saves, the love that brings light to our lives and peace to our hearts.
 
In his apostolic letter on the topic of suffering, St. John Paul writes: "suffering is present in the world in order to release love."  This statement refers first and foremost to God Who, in His great love for us, sends His Son to save us from the ultimate suffering of alienation from God.  At another level, this statement also applies to us when we reach out to help those who are suffering.  Seeing the outpour of prayers and other kinds of support from many of our families toward those who are experiencing hardships, I can attest to the truth of this statement here at St. Catherine's.  Such love, while it does not erase the pain of suffering, can transform suffering into beautiful gifts of grace.
 
A most vivid memory from my childhood was an incident during which I witnessed my father reaching out to someone in need.  One day, as my family was about to get onto a bus, my father told my mother: "get onto this bus - I'll catch up with you later."  He did not give a reason but simply dashed away.  As I looked out the window of the bus to try to see where my father had gone, I saw he had reached an elderly woman across the street and appeared to be talking to her.  Puzzled, I turned to my mother who explained: "he wants to give something to that lady - she is very poor and has to sell vegetables on the street to earn a living."  This was a lesson on compassion which I will always remember.
 
Thank you for the beautiful examples of compassion which you give your children.  Thank you for being conduits of God's love to all within our SCS community and beyond.
 
With prayers for a grace-filled New Year,
Sister Mary Jacinta, O.P.
Principal
 

Upcomingdates

Week of 1/3-1/6:
Tuesday, 1/3
  • Classes Resume
  • Wednesday, 1/4
  • All school Mass 7A
  • No confessions
  • No parent coffee
  • Fun Lunch - Jason's Deli- Ham
  • Friday, 1/6
  • Frozen Friday
  • End of 2nd Quarter


  • Week of 1/9-1/13:
    Wedn esday, 1/11
  • Junior Robotics Presentation 
  • All school Mass - 7B
  • 5A confessions
  • No parent coffee
  • Fun Lunch - Pizza Hut
  • Science Olympiad Meeting
  • Last day of Yankee Candle fundraiser
  • Friday, 1/13
  • Early Dismissal - 12pm
  • Parent/Teacher Conferences**
  • NO SNACK N YAK

  • No school Monday, January 16 in honor of MLK Jr. Day.


     
    prayer

    Please pray for:
    • Pope Francis, Archbishop Gregory, Bishop Zarama, Fr. Neil, Fr. Peeter
    • The sick among our families and friends
    • Those among our families and friends who serve in the military overseas 
    • For the repose of the soul of Jim Dock, Father of Isabella (5A) and Daniella Dock (8A).
    • For the repose of the soul of Brian Kilbane, father of Brady and Kaitlyn Kilbane (former students of SCS).
    • Please also pray for those among our families who are ill - we have a number of family members who are very sick and in need of prayers.
    SafetySafety and Security Updates
    Thanks to the funds from this year's Fun Run, a security system and surveillance cameras were purchased and installed throughout our campus during the Christmas holiday (a big "thank you" goes to our Facilities Manager, Mr. Kevin McLeod, and our maintenance staff!)  Our teachers will participate in a special school safety workshop by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency on January 17.  
    Science
    Junior Robotics Program
    We are pleased to announce that we are able to continue to offer a Robotics Program to our students in the 2nd through 5th grade.  Please see the Terrific Scientific Atlanta Flyer for more information and registration.  Please note that the flyer advertises several programs, but only the "Robotics" program will be offered at St. Catherine's at this time.  The flyer includes a link to the website for online registration (under the tab "Locations" - "After School Locations").  Our students in the 2nd through 5th grade will attend a brief presentation on Robotics next Wednesday at 8:00 (2nd and 3rd grade) and 8:30 (4th and 5th grade) - parents are welcome to join us at the presentation to learn more about this Robotics program.
    messageA Message From Our Guidance Counselor

    Please read this letter from our Guidance Counselor, Ms. Broach.  
    ParentParent-Teacher Conferences

    Optional parent-teacher conferences will take place on Friday, January 13 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.  This set of conferences is scheduled by teachers - teachers will contact parents whom they discern will benefit from a conference to discuss their children's progress at this time; not all students are in need of a conference.  However, parents who would like to meet with their children's teachers are always welcome to contact the teachers to schedule a conference.  

    Yankee1Yankee Candle Fundraiser

    We are very excited to partner with Yankee Candle Fundraising this Fall.  By offering premium from the world's #1 candle brand we're hoping to reach our fundraising goals and present our supporters with products they actually use and want. 


    2nd Quarter Report Cards

    ReportSince 2nd quarter report cards (1st through 8th grade) will be issued after the conferences on Tuesday, January 17, we will ensure 2nd quarter grades will remain visible on Plus Portal from now through January 13 so that students and parents will have the most up-to-date information when preparing for the conferences.  
    middleMiddle School News

    All grades for the midyear exams will be posted on Plus Portal by Wednesday, January 4.  Please read a special letter from Mrs. Glavin about her December visit to the Math and Science Magnet Program at Kennesaw Mountain High School.
    internationalInternational Night

    Our International Night is tentatively scheduled for February 28 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.  It is an evening of celebration of the many different cultures which make up our SCS community.  Families gather to display various artifacts and share food from their cultural heritage.  At this time, we are concerned that this may not be a convenient time for many families, since it is a Tuesday.  Please see the flyer and RSVP to Mrs. Cowan at rcowan@scsiena.org if you are able to host a booth.  Thank you!
    St. Catherine of Siena Preschool Preschool1

    Do you have a little one that will be 16 months to 5 years of age in September of 2017? If yes, St. Catherine's Preschool offers a strong Catholic, educational foundation in a highly academic and creative environment.

    Our preschool teachers are loving and qualified individuals that will help mold your children. We are housed in Our Lady of Grace building and have been in existence for 25+ years!

    Click here for more information.

    nurseNotes from the Nurse

    With colds and sickness in the air, the clinic would like to remind parents to that if you send any over the counter medication (including cough drops, hand cream, etc.) a medication form is required.  The medication should be placed in a plastic bag with your child's name on it.  Please make sure the over the counter medications have current expiration dates, so all of the medications in the clinic will be in compliance with the standards of the Archdiocese. 

    Click here for the medication form.

    AUCTION1Commitment Raffle For Ticket Purchases Extended

    Don't forget to purchase your tickets for the Mardi Gras Gala Auction! The deadline to be eligible for the Early Commitment Raffle has been extended until December 16th. 
     
    Purchase Link: 
     
    Raffle Prizes: 
    • 1 Night Stay at the Hilton on the Night of the Event 
    • SCS Spirit Wear
    • HOV Pass (Remainder of the 2016-2017 School Year)
    • Free Frozen Friday (2017-2018 School Year)
    • Free Month of Fun Lunch
    Amazon1Amazon Smile

    Ever wonder why you need to start at  smile.amazon.com and not www.amazon.com to support St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School? 
    Many customers visit Amazon through ads they see online. Amazon pays for these ads. They   hope customers learn about AmazonSmile by word of mouth instead of paid advertising. When you go to 
    smile.amazon.com  for your shopping, Amazon uses money saved on advertising to help fund donations to charities.

    How can you generate donations?
    To generate donations when you shop, remember to "start with a smile." It's more than a slogan. We mean it literally. Put the word smile in front of amazon
    .com to support St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School.

    Worried you'll forget to type smile? Bookmark 
    smile.amazon.com  to create a shortcut to quickly return to AmazonSmile from your desktop or mobile browser. 

    St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School | 770-419-8601 | www.scsiena.org
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