SEPTEMBER 2024

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."  Jeremiah 33:3

Dear families and friends of Siena,

I'm sure most of you are still settling into school year routines, and the same goes for all of us at Siena Catholic Schools of Racine! Friendships are rekindled, new goals are made, and there's a whole year of possibilities ahead of us! Seeing our students and staff again after the summer break truly warms my heart. It always brings me back to why we do what we do, and our mission of "inspiring students to be who God created them to be." 

Thank you for entrusting us with your students. Together, let us embrace the adventure of life with Christ, knowing that with Him, all things are possible.

God bless,

Dr. Sue Savaglio-Jarvis

President, Siena Catholic Schools 

P.S. As always, follow Siena on Facebook and get an inside view of our schools through "Dr. Sue's View." Videos are frequently uploaded that illustrate the best our schools have to offer.

1. Friday, September 20! Third Friday count is mandatory attendance day for all public and private schools, which includes, Siena Catholic Schools. We are required to submit school attendance to the Wisconsin Department of Instruction on this day and it is critical that your child attends school. Every school will send additional information about Third Friday soon, including great incentives for being in school that day!

2. The 2024 Walk for Catholic Education will be held on Saturday, September 21 at the Siena Center (5637 Erie St.)! The walk will begin at 9:45 with music, the SCHS cheerleaders, stretching, and prayer. Additional information will be sent home by your school. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

3. Join us on Saturday, October 19 for a memorable day as we honor the induction of our esteemed alumni athletes into St. Catherine's Athletic Hall of Fame. Come and delight in a brunch reception, school tours, and most importantly, join us in celebrating our alumni angels! Be sure to secure your spot by registering before the October 4, 2024 deadline. Don't miss out on this incredible event – register now by clicking here. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Advancement Coordinator, Gabby Imburgia at gimburgia@sienacatholicschools.org or 262-833-5511.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Love One Another fund awarded a $25,000 grant in support of outsourcing middle school math coaching and professional development for 6-8 grade teachers to CESA 6. Funding will support professional learning and coaching on instructional practices in math for 6-8 grade teachers. These teachers directly benefit and will train their peers who, along with students, benefit indirectly. Strong instructional practices lead to higher student achievement, comprehension, self-confidence, and engagement- resulting in stronger Catholic schools and communities. A strong understanding of math concepts can lead to greater success, while a lack of understanding hinders motivation and growth. Middle school is also an essential time to encourage and assist students in taking ownership of their learning. We’ve monitored and documented learning loss in mathematics over the last several years based on internal and state assessments. As a network, we are looking forward to adding this tool to our kit of services to address student learning gaps.

St. Catherine's High School and Siena Catholic Schools of Racine are working with The Steier Group on a feasibility study for building improvements and fundraising needs. We will be inviting all Siena families to participate in this study via an online survey or in-person interview. Additional information will be shared with you via email.

The first graders and kindergartners at St. Rita are working together once per week to do a STEM-based project and the first project involved apples! Students are learning about the growth cycle of apples, measurement, predicting whether it will sink or float, and taste testing and graphing which was their favorite! Students are also painting apple trees with their hands and fingers. 

Did you know there are 4,000 kinds of apples?!

There's a big difference between kindergarden and first grade. Just ask the students at St. Lucy! They started off their year on a strong note, reading "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds. This book encourages kids to be brave and try! After reading the book, students made their own dots. They also recently learned the "Angel of God Prayer." 

In the first weeks of the school year, the 3K class enjoyed learning new routines, meeting important people around the building (including Ms. Thostenson and Father Richter), and making new friends. The youngest learners are all excited about the upcoming school year!

Mrs. Aguila's Photography and Media Arts class students had a rule of thirds relay and framing field day last week to understand two important photography skills in combination with capturing the spirit of St. Catherine's. We love to see the arts continue to shine at St. Cat's!

The St. Catherine's High School football team is off to a strong start, beating Madison East and St. Joseph Kenosa. During the season opener vs. Madison East the team honored coach and teacher Jim Welsh SCHS '56, wife Marie, daughter Amy, grandson Tanner and granddaughter Lara. Dr. Timothy Patrick Miller SCHS '74 who played football for Coach Welsh generously donated $10,000 to the Football program in memory of Coach Welsh! The banner was designed by Paul Madden SCHS '84.

On Friday night, Aug 22 at Camp Randall, Wisconsin Badger Davion Thomas-Kumpula SCHS '23 and Western Michigan Bronco Marcel Tyler SCHS '21 met at the "W" 50-yard line after Badgers defeated Western Michigan 28-14. It is great to see our young men find success as alumni!