Welcome to the 2019/2020 school year as we get to know new faces and new spaces!
New employees have been embraced by our faculty and staff and feel a part of our St. Catherine’s community. It is beautiful to see the sharing of ideas and materials as the preparation of the environments takes place.
Much work has been done this summer to prepare for the return of the children. The school has been scrubbed, cleaned, waxed, and painted. There are some enhanced outdoor areas. As part of the completion of the “Building on the Legacy” campaign, the Meditation Garden, between the Upper Elementary and Adolescent rooms, has been installed. Thanks to the donated design work of Keiji Asakura, well-known Houston landscape architect, we have a clever and interesting design using a “Hugelculture” method which is mounds built on top of logs and organic matter that will provide nutrients and moisture as they decompose. Also in the garden is a beautiful marble statue of the Virgin Mary.
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Monday, August 12
- First Day of School for All NEW Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary only (all 1st, all 4th and NEW to SCM 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th year levels), 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (No aftercare available)
- First Day of School for Adolescent Community and High School, 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
- Infant Community Parent Orientation, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- Adolescent Community Parent Orientation, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- Primary Parent Orientation, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
- High School Parent Orientation, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday, August 13
- All Elementary (New and Returning) on regular schedule, 8:00 AM - 3:15 PM (Elementary and Adolescent aftercare available)
- Lower Elementary Parent Orientation, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- Upper Elementary Parent Orientation, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday, August 14
- Soccer and Volleyball practice begins
- First Day of School for Returning Infant Community only, 8:30 AM – 11:15 AM
- First Day of School for Returning Primary only, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM (No Primary aftercare available)
- Mandatory Soccer Parent Meeting, 4:30 PM (Gym)
Thursday, August 15
- Returning Infant Community only, 8:30 AM – 11:15 AM
- Returning Primary only, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM only (No Primary aftercare available)
- Mass: Feast of the Assumption, 1:30 – 3:00 PM (Gym)
- Mandatory Volleyball Parent Meeting, 4:30 PM (Gym)
Friday, August 16
- All Returning Primary on regular schedule. 8:15 AM – 2:15 PM (Primary aftercare available)
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Required Forms Are Now Past Due
If you have not already done so, please turn in all Required Forms
before the first day of school
. Instructions for completion are available on
ParentsWeb > Resource Documents
. Please direct all questions related to Required Forms to Emily Blackman at
[email protected]
or (713) 665-2195.
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Parent/Student Handbook Available Online
The Parent/Student Handbook for the 2019-2020 school year is now available
online
(also accessible via the Parents tab on the school website). We have reorganized and expanded many of the sections to enhance readability and improve school communications.
Parents will receive a hard copy of the book at their parent orientation next week, along with a handbook agreement form that must be signed and returned.
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Parent Orientations Are Next Week
Monday, August 12, 2019
5:00 – 6:00 PM Infant Community
5:00 – 6:00 PM Adolescent Community
6:00 – 7:00 PM Primary
6:00 – 7:00 PM High School
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
5:00 – 6:00 PM Lower Elementary
6:00 – 7:00 PM Upper Elementary
The orientations are held in your child’s classroom and are for
adults only
; please make the appropriate childcare arrangements in order to attend.
At the meetings, you will receive information about classroom procedures and what you and your child can expect this year, a carpool sign with your family’s name, a hard copy of the
Parent/Student Handbook
, and other informational materials.
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Updates to Online Calendar
Over the summer we have added to and reorganized the tagging system on the school’s online calendar (Full Calendar, Special Events, PSO Activities, etc.). Everyone who has subscribed to school calendars in the past should re-subscribe to properly sync with the new system.
The online calendar is found on the homepage of the school website –
www.stcathmont.org
– and also linked from the site’s Parent tab.
Click here
to re-subscribe. The “Subscribe” link is found on the top right-hand corner of the page.
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VIRTUS Training is now Safe Haven Training
To ensure the safety and well-being of our students, all volunteers are required to complete CMG Connect's Safe Haven online training course and pass a criminal background check before volunteering with students at St. Catherine's Montessori. Safe Haven training is not valid and complete until both the training and the criminal background check are completed. It may take up to two (2) weeks for completion of the criminal background check.
Sponsored by The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the Safe Haven course replaces the former safe environment course, VIRTUS "Protecting God's Children." Safe Haven training consists of three (3) vignette-style training videos (available in English and Spanish) and takes approximately 60 minutes to complete. Live training is no longer offered; all safe environment training is conducted online.
If you completed VIRTUS training more than 5 years ago, please complete the Safe Haven renewal training. Visit
www.stcathmont.org/safe-environment
to learn more, register, and take the course.
Remember: If you are a Room Parent, you must complete your Safe Haven training by August 31, 2019.
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2019-2020 Fundraising Activities
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St. Catherine’s Montessori is blessed to have a community that is deeply committed to the school’s mission and gives generously in support of our advancement. As an independent non-profit school, we rely on tuition income and charitable contributions to support our operating expenditures and capital projects (campus expansion). We do not receive support from state or local agencies, the Archdiocese, or a parish. St. Catherine’s has been able to grow and continue as an exceptional institution because of volunteer parent participation and a tradition of giving.
This year, Advancement will coordinate the following fundraising activities:
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The first and most important philanthropic contribution a family makes to St. Catherine’s Montessori is to our annual fund – the SCM Fund. The SCM Fund directly supports classroom materials, salaries and benefits for our guides and staff, professional development, campus utilities and maintenance, and also allows us to plan for future growth.
The Advancement Office mails appeal letters and commitment cards in
August
. We ask that all families make a gift or pledge before
December 31, 2019
and keep in mind that pledge balances are to be paid in full by
May 31, 2020
. We also encourage parents who work for companies with employee matching programs to submit the appropriate paperwork to request the company match their contributions to the SCM Fund.
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Sociables are parent-sponsored parties and activities hosted throughout the school year that build community and provide additional support for the school through ticket sales. Families sponsor children’s events for Infant Community through the High School, activities that are fun for the whole family, as well as parties just for adults. Sociables can be hosted at a home, at school (depending on space availability), or at a specific venue. Ticket sales begin
September 20
with Sociables Sign-up Day, followed by online purchasing.
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This casual fundraising event gives guests the opportunity to experience our beautiful Japhet Creek campus while dining under the stars. This year the event will take place on
November 16, 2019
.
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Steps 4 Students is a 5K Run/Walk that raises awareness for Catholic education and supports the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. St. Catherine’s organizes a team and raises funds for the school via registration fees and donations made in support of team members by a wide network of friends and relatives, in Houston and beyond. All proceeds – less a small processing fee for every registrant – come back to St. Catherine’s in support of our Tuition Assistance Program. This year’s race is
February 15, 2020
.
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Maintaining affordable tuition and providing education to children from diverse backgrounds are deeply-held, founding values at St. Catherine’s. In non-gala school years, the school hosts a dinner to raise funds in support of the Tuition Assistance Program. This year Great Conversations will be held on
April 4, 2020
.
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Sociables Season 2019-2020
Hello, SCM Community!
We’re excited to kick off another great school year filled with opportunities to socialize with our community and fundraise for our school, and we’re excited for you to join us in making this year’s Sociables the best yet.
Here are ways to participate:
JOIN
a committee of co-hosts. We have an exciting list of events still looking for additional co-hosts. Whether you are new to SCM or a seasoned member of our community, joining a committee of co-hosts is a great way to get involved, meet other families, and help our school meet its yearly fundraising goal.
Events still looking for additional co-hosts:
- Adolescent Community Dance
- Houston Fire Museum (Primary event)
- Museum Fine Arts Houston Tour and Hors d'oeuvres (Adult event)
- Creative Movement Class (Family event)
- Potions & Brews Cocktail Halloween Party (Adult event)
- Leap Year Party at Trampoline Park (Family event)
- Galveston Pleasure Pier (Adolescent Community event)
- Sips, Snacks, and Succulent Centerpieces (Women’s event)
- Kickball Game (Upper El event)
CREATE
an event to host/co-host. Do you have an idea for an event? We’d love to hear it and help you get the event rolling.
Please email us at
[email protected]
if you are interested in JOINING a committee of co-hosts or CREATING an event.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Best,
Lindsay Tucker, Luissa Alba-MacDonald and Sabina Vizinat
Sociables Co-Chairs
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Fall Sports Begin Next Week
This year, St. Catherine’s is offering Co-ed Soccer (4th - 9th graders) and Girls Volleyball (4th - 9th graders) during the fall season.
Practices begin Wednesday, August 14.
Mandatory parent meetings for fall sports will be held on August 14 (soccer) and August 15 (volleyball) at 4:30 PM. The registration deadline for soccer and volleyball is Friday, August 16.
Upper Elementary students will have their sports practice on Mondays and Wednesdays during their P.E. time. In addition, they will have practice on Fridays after early dismissal, from 2:15 p.m. to 4:30 pm. Those who are not participating on a sports team during a season will have P.E. at the same time. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Upper Elementary classes will switch off having P.E. together as a whole class. The Adolescent Community students (Varsity teams) will practice after school Monday - Thursday, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For Volleyball, 4th graders will be invited to participate in the team practices, but they will not be participating in the games. We will schedule scrimmages and tournaments in order to properly introduce the 4th grade students to sports.
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Hosts Needed for Parent Potlucks
August 24 – September 28, parents will have the opportunity to gather and meet with the other parents in your child's class during St. Catherine’s annual Parent Potlucks. One family in each class hosts a potluck in their home, and guests all bring a special dish to share. These adults-only meals are a wonderful opportunity for parents to connect with each other early in the school year. Many long-lasting friendships have started at a parent potluck.
Each classroom has been assigned a date and time for its potluck, and we are now in search of hosts. Please review the dates at
SignUpGenius
and sign-up to host the potluck for your child’s class.
If you have any questions, please contact Parent Potluck Chair Tiffany Raczy at
[email protected]
.
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Casa de Esperanza Back School Supplies Drive
Thank you to everyone who supported the children of
Casa de Esperanza
through the July Back-to-School Supplies Drive! Casa de Esperanza is an organization with strong ties to the St. Catherine's community. Co-founded in 1982 by SCM alumni parent Kathy Foster, this non-profit organization strives to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect for at-risk infants, children, and their families by providing comprehensive residential and family support programs that transform people and communities. Over the years, the PSO’s Casa de Esperanza Committee has coordinated our community’s support efforts by organizing supply, clothing, and basic needs drives at school.
Your generous donation of school supplies will help many children start the school year on a positive note. There will be another opportunity to support Casa de Esperanza in December with the annual Pajama and Basic Needs Drive. If you would like to get involved with the PSO Casa de Esperanza Committee, please contact Mary Tysor at
[email protected]
.
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Our community welcomed two new babies over the summer!
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If you would like to submit something for the Globe, please send it for approval to
[email protected]
by
Monday at noon.
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
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