St. Sebastian STEM Academy is a Catholic School community that models Jesus’s love, faith, kindness and compassion toward each other while working together to solve problems in order to make a difference in our community and world.
April 24th, 2026
“We love because he first loved us” 1 John 4:19
Hello everyone!
What an emotional week! Thank you all for making Lori's "See You Later" sendoff so spectacular. We couldn't have asked for a better turnout for Ms. Lori. This week, we had classes celebrating Earth Day and learning how to take care of God's Earth through recycling, reusing, and reducing! We also had an amazing opportunity on Friday to attend a special blessing with Bishop Haines in honor of St. Francis!
As we near May, which in itself seems unbelievable, please make sure to turn in your May lunch menus! If you have any updates to them, please send me a message on Dojo so that I can get that updated for you. Thank you for all of your patience and flexibility with the adjustments as we close out this year without Ms. Lori.
Just a quick reminder that the time is upon us for you to register your students for the upcoming 26-27 school year. The next open registration date timeline runs from May 1-May 20. If you have any questions, please call Mr. T. For the non-choice parents, please remember to still sign your students up! Please reach out to Mr. T with your plans for next year's enrollment!
The link for the application for Racine Parent Choice Program is here.
A couple of quick reminders!
-Please remember to send any messages about your student's absence or attendance changes to Mr. T via email/phone/Dojo.
-Please remember that students should be packed a snack for each day.
As always, thank you all for being such a huge part of this school and we are eternally grateful for each and every one of you. This school would not be what it is without all of the caring and time you give us.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Mr. T
April 13th - 27th - Butterbraid Fundraiser, more information below
April 26th - Parish Breakfast
April 27- First Communion Practice- Immediately after school.
May 1st - Lunch Lady Appreciation Day, lets show Mrs. Amaya our love
May 3rd - 1st Communion - St. Sebastian Parish - 9:30 - Mass
May 4th - May 8th - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7th - Rocky Rococo's Dine and Donate - 11:00 - 8:00
May 25th - Memorial Day - No School
May 29th - Popcorn Sale
June 4th - Popcorn Sale
June 5th - Last Day of School - 1/2 Day- Dismissal at 11:00
--Attached here is the parish match letter! Please consider donating to help St. Sebastian STEM Academy.
3K- This week our class discussed ways we can care for this beautiful world God has blessed us with. We definitely don't want it covered with garbage everywhere! To practice cleaning it up, I scattered "garbage" in front of our school windows. Everyone was given a bag and asked to pick up at least 5 items until everything was off the ground. Students were surprised to find out that everything lying in the grass could be reused or recycled, none of it was garbage. We then separated everything into paper, plastic, or aluminum. 3K also took a walk around school to observe how the sunny and rainy days have helped the grass, flowers, and trees start to grow. We even found a patch of our class's favorite "flowers", or dandelions, starting to grow.
4K- This week, 4k learned about Earth Day. They learned about the 3 R's: reduce, reuse, and recycle. They learned how we can recycle items like aluminum cans, water bottles, and paper. In addition, they learned that they bring items to school each day that they reuse to help our planet, such as backpacks, water bottles, and lunchboxes. Finally, we talked about how recycled items can be made into new things, like a plastic lawn chair. At the end of the day, we used plastic water and soda bottles to make bird feeders to help care for one of God's creations.
5K- In Math, we continue to learn with both 2D and 3D shapes. We "played" combining 2D and 3D shapes to make new and different 2D and 3D shapes.
In honor of Earth Day, we learned about the dangers to our earth, water, and plants of oil spills. We modeled an oil spill and tried different materials to see if they worked to clean it up...or if one worked better than the other. Our conclusion was neither of the ways we tried worked well. We felt bad for the birds, ocean animals, and other living things that get hurt from the oil spills.
We (meteorologists) are working with a partner to create and present a 3 day forecast predicting the weather.
1st & 2nd Grade- This week in STEM, students took a deeper dive into understanding the earth's top layers can hold evidence of sea life from long ago, in the form of fossils. Also, students are also learning how to work in small groups to do research on animals and their habitat. This will be for the next two weeks.
Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Child and Youth Protection and Compliance
Safe Environment Week - Proclamation
WHEREAS, Safe Environment Week is for every parish and school, as well as the entire faith community to focus, at the same time, on the importance of keeping our children and youth safe;
WHEREAS, child abuse and neglect are societal problems whose prevention depend on involvement among people throughout the faith community;
WHEREAS, our children are our most valuable resources and will shape the future of not only the Archdiocese of Milwaukee but also the entire Church;
WHEREAS, the theme for this years’ Safe Environment Week will be “Strengthening Trust Through Protection, Prevention, and Compliance.”
WHEREAS, acknowledging that as a Church we have much work to do to rebuild the trust that has been broken;
WHEREAS, we acknowledge that as bishops, clergy and church leaders we must work together as a community to increase awareness about child abuse and neglect and work to promote the social and emotional well-being of children, youth and families in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment;
THEREFORE, I, Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob proclaim the week of April 19th– April 25th, 2026 as Safe Environment Week in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. I ask that all participate and acknowledge each other with the love, respect, and mercy as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Most Reverend Jeffrey S. Grob
Archbishop of Milwaukee
The Home and School Association has created a survey regarding the need for an after school program for next year. Please take a moment and fill out this survey. Thank you.
https://forms.gle/AEWpr5cv1nqHwEMW9
Adventure Awaits at VBS 2026: Rainforest Falls!
Plunge into a lifelong adventure of discovering the nature of God! Join the fun this summer in Racine as we explore the jungle. Grades K–5 are invited to attend, and students in 6th grade and up can join the team as volunteers.
Locations & Registration:
St. Lucy (June 15-19, 3-6pm): $15 | vbspro.events/p/75b8ea
St. Patrick (July 20-24, 5-8pm): $20 (includes meal) | vbspro.events/p/d09c2c
St. Mary’s By The Lake (Aug 3-7, 9am-12pm): $15 | vbspro.events/p/741f57
Registration is open now. Get rooted in God's word together this summer!
Are you looking for more than just a job? At Siena Catholic Schools of Racine, we believe that education is a vocation. We are seeking dedicated, passionate professionals to join our community of faith and academic excellence for the 2026-27 school year.
Our seven schools are vibrant communities where we integrate faith into every aspect of learning, helping students become who God created them to be. Join us!
Visit tinyurl.com/sienacareers
We will begin having monthly popcorn sales. The sale will be held the last Friday of every month. We will hold our next sale on Friday May 29th.They will receive their bag of popcorn at the end of the day.
Here is the breakfast menu.
Here is the lunch menu.
Please try and stick to the meals that you signed up for. You will be charged for what you signed up for unless you notify us the day before for breakfast or the morning of for lunch. At the beginning of each month, I will send you 2 copies of the breakfast and lunch menu. One is to return to school, and the other is for you to keep at home. If you need a copy of your child's menu, please let me know and I will get one to you.
New this year is the option for Chocolate milk at lunch only for grades K3 - 2nd grade. The students will get to pick either chocolate or white milk. Thank you.
Our lunches are all served as kid friendly as possible. For example, if the menu says Orange Chicken, everything will be served separately. Basically it will be served as chicken nuggets with the option of dipping it in the orange sauce. We hope this helps.
- Ms. Lori
How do I add money to my child’s lunch account? You can submit payments to your school office secretary or through https://sienacatholic.familyportal.cloud/ .
How do I apply for free and reduced lunch? https://sienacatholic.familyportal.cloud/
Family Portal website: sienacatholic.familyportal.cloud
Family Portal FAQs and instructions: PDF here
Family Portal video instructions link: https://videos.cdn.spotlightr.com/watch/gallery/Mjk4NQ==
I have a friend who is interested in enrolling. Who should I call? Please call 262-812-0155 or email admissions@sienacatholicschools.org. Se habla Español.
Check to see if your address is correct in Meal Magic and PowerSchool!
What are the best ways to communicate with my child’s teachers, principal, etc.? Our elementary school uses Class Dojo, as well as weekly newsletters, emails, and texts. Please make it a habit to check your email!
If I need contact information for my school. We’ve got you!
St. Sebastian STEM Academy, 262-425-0009
Dr. Trudy Giasi, Siena Chief Academic Officer
Jordan Thoennes, Principal
Lori Prideaux, Secretary
If Your Child Is Sick
If you will be checking out your child early on a school day, please call Ms. Lori at the school office or Dojo her to let her know. Thank you.
Please report your sick child to the main office 262-425-0009 before 7:45 a.m. Also, please remember that the school day starts at 7:25 a.m. If you are running late, please bring your child through the main doors and sign them in at the main office. If your child comes to school after 7:45, breakfast will be over. Thank you!
Just a reminder that your child needs to be 24 hrs. fever and/or vomit free before they can return to school.
Emergency School Closure Protocol
Please share this information with anyone who is dropping-off or picking-up your student. Here is a video that explains our drop-off and pick-up procedures. Here is map that shows a visual and here are written directions. Our school hours are from 7:25-2:25. Drop off starts at 7:05. Students who are not picked up by 2:35 will be brought to the office and will need to be picked up from the front of the school.
Home and School will meet Tuesday, May 12th at 6:00PM at the Lanes on Hwy. 20.
Please complete this form for our Home and School Directory if you have not already done so. This will help us keep you informed throughout the year and help make this the best year for our students.
Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Home & School Introduction
Stay Connected
We are in need of volunteers! Our areas of need include lunch, recess, mass, music, art, and physical education. We are also looking for monthly speakers to talk about their STEM-related careers. If you are interested in volunteering please call us at 262-425-0009 or email Lori Prideaux at lprideaux@sienacatholicschools.org.
In order to volunteer in our building or at any school events you need to have a background check and have completed the Safe Environment Training. There are many options available online in our area. If you do not remember if you have had this training in the past please reach out to me and I can look you up in our system. Please share this with anyone you know that is interested in volunteering at the school. I highly recommend doing this if you plan on being involved in any school events.
Here are the directions to sign up:
Create a new account
Choose volunteer
Choose your location as St. Sebastian STEM Academy
Once logged in, complete the curriculum called "Initial Training for Clergy, Volunteers and Employees"
Complete the curriculum and RSVP for an in person training session.
Once class is complete the background check will run and once that is back and clear, you will be certified and can start volunteering.
Upcoming Classes- https://www.archmil.org/offices/safeguarding/Safeguarding-Events.htm
How to make an account-
https://www.archmil.org/ArchMil/Resources/SAFE/CathMutual/Safe_Environment_Program_instructions.pdf
If you are interested in subbing for Siena Catholic Schools, please look at the attached flyer. We would love to see you in our school.
Here's what's new at St. Sebastian Catholic Church!
Mass times at St. Sebastians
Thursday, 8:15 am with students
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday, 9:30 am
There is still time. If you want to be Catholic, if you have not been baptized, received your First Communion, or want to be Confirmed, contact our Faith Formation Minister Eric Antrim at eantrim@stlucychurch.org or text him at 262-498-9028.
Growing your knowledge
Our churches have some great ways to learn more about your faith. If you are looking for something new to grow in your faith life, contact Eric Antrim to learn about the many learning opportunities.