May 1, 2024

All St. Catherine's community members and friends are invited to join us in celebrating the Class of 2024 on Friday, May 17, 2024 at 7:00 PM in the gymnasium. 

After the commencement ceremony, at approximately 8:00 PM, the graduates, their parents, and siblings will gather at the labyrinth for an intimate candlelit ceremony. All other guests are invited to remain in the gym to enjoy dessert and refreshments during this time.

Kindly RSVP by completing this form by Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Contact Brian Tucker btucker@stcathmont.org with your questions.

AC Literary Arts Magazine Reading Tonight at 6:00 PM

In our bustling community, every student has been hard at work selecting pieces to go into the 2024 edition of the Adolescent Community’s Literary Arts Magazine, The Deep Blue. Every student’s piece has been through multiple stages of revision, including Writer’s Workshop, where other students give feedforward suggestions on others’ pieces of writing. Each piece of writing is a representation of the student’s best work, and we can’t wait to share all of it with you! Please join us for our annual LAM reading tonight, May 1 at 6:00 PM in the SCM Gym, where all AC students will read an excerpt from one of their pieces. It will be your first opportunity to purchase copies of The Deep Blue. We hope to see you tonight!

Join us for a presentation by our current seniors:

Jasmin Cabecera and Caleb Mariano Trejo Miramon

The senior capstone is an opportunity for young adults to immerse themselves in a self-designed project and to exercise adult-level independence as they transition out of St. Catherine’s High School and into the next chapter of their lives. 

The evening will include TED Talk-style presentations by Jasmin and Mariano, and conclude with light refreshments. 

Paperpie Virtual Book Fair: May 6-10

Friends of the Library will host a virtual book fair May 6-10. Our partner, Paperpie (formerly known as Usborne Books) publishes high-quality, beautifully illustrated books for children of all ages. Refresh your young reader's bookshelf for summer while supporting St. Catherine's library.

Click here to view the online store and this link to view our libraray wishlist.

Book Ordering Instructions

Join us for a camp filled with creativity, expression, and the joy of writing in our multi-genre program that incorporates both art and writing. Tailored for different age groups, Writers in the Schools (WITS) offers two weeks of dedicated workshops for our current 4th-6th, 7th-9th, and 10th-12th graders. Each session is meticulously designed to engage and challenge participants based on their grade level. 

June 3-7 & July 22-26 | 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Please note that the workshops run on specific weeks (Week 1 and Week 2), so be sure to choose the week or weeks that work best for you and your student.

The registration fee is $185 per student, per week and space is limited to 20 students per grade level per week. Click here to register by May 13.

If you would like to arrange for registration payment to be made via FACTS billing, please contact Holly Copeland at hcopeland@stcathmont.org.

Save the Date: AC Portfolio Showcase on May 23

Join us on Thursday May 23 at 6:00 PM in the SCM Gym. During this event, each adolescent will have the opportunity to formally present the process behind their favorite work from this year. The showcase will be set up in a fair-like manner in the gym. We invite the SCM community and visitors to explore the showcase and hear presentations from students.

ADVANCING THE MISSION

Thank you to everyone who joined us on April 20 for Great Conversations! We spent a wonderful evening at Giant Texas Distillers with guest speaker Catherine L'Ecuyer, who spoke about the importance of preserving, cultivating, and observing wonder, silence, and the natural pace and rhythms of childhood. Conversation flowed throughout the evening as parents, grandparents, guides, staff, and friends enjoyed each other's great company and the program emceed by Dave Lopez. The event raised a record $88,000 in gross revenue and proceeds will allow us to purchase a new slide and spinner to refresh and enhance the Elementary playground. We're looking forward to their installation over the summer and can't wait to see the children enjoying them in the fall.

Thank you again to our generous table sponsors, event underwriters, donors, and guests for your support. And to the faculty, staff, and volunteers who organized the event!

Click here to view a photo gallery.

OUR FAITH IN ACTION

St. Catherine of Siena Feast Day and Ring Ceremony

Thank you to all who joined us last week for our St. Catherine of Siena Feast Day Mass and Ring Ceremony. It is a blessing for us to gather and worship together as a community, and celebrate our rising seniors with the blessing of their class rings. 

Click here to view the photo gallery.

All are invited to attend our May Crowning & First Communicants Mass on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:45 AM in the SCM Gym.

AC SPOTLIGHT

Adolescent Community San Diego Border Trip

Two weeks ago the Adolescent Community traveled to San Diego. Click here to read all about their trip, and here to view the photo gallery.

MUSIC

On Thursday, April 25, the St. Catherine's Montessori Chamber Orchestra and the Acapella Choir competed in the Pride of Texas Music Festival at iT’Z Family Food & Fun in Tomball, TX. 

Bands, choirs, and orchestras from all over the state came to compete and be adjudicated by professionals in each music category. St. Catherine's performed beautifully, taking home 1st Division trophies for both choir and orchestra. 

The judges were impressed by the ability of such young children to hold harmony parts and sing so musically, and remarked on the balance, blend, and technique of the orchestra, enjoying also our "unique instrumentation." (Harp and electric bass with the traditional string instruments.)

The musicians are displaying the two 1st-place trophies at the front desk of our Welcome Center this week in celebration!

PARENT SERVICE ORGANIZATION (PSO)

PSO Spring Fling, Saturday, May 4 at 4:00 PM

Join us at Spring Fling 2024 this Saturday, May 4 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM on the SCM grounds. We invite the whole St. Catherine's Community to gather for fellowship, food, and most especially fun!

Jam to great music from Nuri Nuri

Gobble down delicious popsicles

Delight in our community's potluck offerings

Spring Fling 2024 also has several tables for you to investigate:

• Our very own 4-H club. They aren't just raising show animals these days, find out more this Saturday
• The Houston Zoo
• Peaceful Lawn & Garden. Learn about our new partners helping to nurture the SCM grounds.
• The Book Exchange. Bring books your family has finished exploring. Leave with new books to enjoy through the lazy days of summer.

Food

Please bring a dish to feed 8-10 people in a reusable or compostable container, and your reusable water bottles. Please remember that St. Catherine's is a nut-aware campus.

We have volunteer openings still available. Many hands make light work, and our volunteers help create a relaxing and refreshing evening. Sign up here.

We look forward to seeing you all there,

Kathleen and Adam

Spring Fling Chairs

Faculty and Staff Annual Dessert Soirée

During the second week of May we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, and will show our appreciation to the SCM faculty and staff with our annual Dessert Soirée on Thursday, May 9th. All desserts will be arranged and displayed so that the faculty and staff can sample them. Please sign up here to bring a dessert of your choice on Thursday, May 9. 

Non-refrigerated desserts can be dropped off in the morning and left with Emily at the front desk. Refrigerated desserts must be dropped off no later than 1:00 PM. Unfortunately, we cannot accept frozen desserts. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mary Tysor at marytysor1@gmail.com or 713-449-3683. Thank you in advance for your participation.

- PSO Faculty & Staff Appreciation Committee

PSO Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast

All parents are invited to attend the PSO Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on Friday May 10, right after morning drop off, in the SCM Gym. Even if you did not volunteer this year, please come join in celebrating the many accomplishments of the PSO because of the parent volunteers. We will be closing out this school year by socializing with our community and enjoying delicious food. Click here to RSVP.

HIGH SCHOOL CORNER

The High School has been very busy for the past few weeks, specifically as they work towards final projects in their creative expressions class. Click this link to learn more about the different groups they are a part of, and what they are making!

NEW ARRIVAL

Congratulations to the Lambert Family on the birth of their daughter, Elia Yvany Lambert, born on April 28. Caden is a big brother!

Wednesday, May 1

• Parent Meditation Group, 8:15-8:35 AM 
• AC Literary Arts Magazine Reading, 6:00-7:00 PM (SCM Gym)

Thursday, May 2

• Senior Capstone Night, 6:00-7:00 PM (SCM Gym)

Friday, May 3

• Garden Work Day, 8:00 AM 
• Library Maintenance Day, 8:15-9:30 AM & 1:00-2:00 PM

Saturday, May 4

• PSO Spring Fling, 4:00-6:00 PM (SCM Elementary Playground) 

Monday, May 6 

• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Usborne Virtual Book Fair

Tuesday, May 7

• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Usborne Virtual Book Fair
• Friends of the Library Workday, 8:00-9:00 AM 

Wednesday, May 8

• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Usborne Virtual Book Fair
• Parent Meditation Group, 8:15-8:35 AM 

Thursday, May 9

• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Usborne Virtual Book Fair
• PSO Faculty & Staff Dessert Soirée, 3:45 PM (SCM Gym)
• Chamber Music Night, 6:00 PM (SCM Gym) 

Friday, May 10

• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Usborne Virtual Book Fair
• PSO Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, 8:00-9:30 AM (SCM Gym) 

Saturday, May 11

• Sociables: Mother’s Day Tea, 12:00-2:00 PM (SCM Gym) See host communications 

Tuesday, May 14

• Friends of the Library Workday, 8:00-9:00 AM 
• Garden Education Day, 8:00-9:00 AM (Cypress Patio) 

Wednesday, May 15

• Parent Meditation Group, 8:15-8:35 AM 
• Mass: May Crowning and First Communicants, 8:45 AM (SCM Gym)

Friday, May 17

• Garden Work Day, 8:00 AM 
• Commencement, 7:00 PM (SCM Gym)

For more calendar events please check our website.