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 3rd, 2026
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3
Hello everyone!
This week may have been short, but it was an eventful week nonetheless! We had our Campus Minister come out to teach our students more about the Stations of the Cross. She chose students for each station to pose as a "standstill" while she explained what happened at each Station. The students enjoyed learning about the Stations of the Cross and did a fantastic job when they helped! We also had students act out the Last Supper in a small play! A big shoutout to Mrs. Benner for being the director and working so hard with the students to make the play a reality. Another big shoutout to Mr. Villalpando and Ms. Amaya for helping make the breakfast a reality! We appreciate you both! Rounding out the week, we had our annual Easter egg hunt, with a few of us getting pied in the face! We love that we are able to provide these events/opportunities for our students. To those of you who donated time or monetarily, we thank you. These events are only possible because of you, so thank you for all that you do to make our school so special.
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 April 6 - April 24th. If you have any questions, please call Ms. Lori. For the non-choice parents, please remember to still sign your students up! Please reach out to Ms. Lori 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 be mindful of your student's symptoms, should they have any. With all of the illnesses going around, we encourage parents to err on the side of caution when their children are feeling ill. Students must be 24 hours fever & vomit free before they can return to school, per policy.
-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 Happy Easter and a wonderful Easter break!
Mr. T
April 3rd - April 12th - Easter Break
April 13th - Classes resume
April 14th - Home and School meeting, The Lanes 6:00pm
April 18th - 9:00 - 12:00 1st Communion retreat - held at St. Lucy's
April 26th - Parish Breakfast
April 24th - Popcorn Sale
May 3rd - 1st Communion - St. Sebastian Parish - 9:30 - Mass
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- After learning how to care for a seed with water and sunlight at the start of Lent, each student took home their marigold plants early in the week. Once in their homes, each student will continue to watch and care for them until a flower blooms later in the Spring.
4K- This week in 4k, students had fun using their 5 senses to describe Peeps. We documented their answers and at the end we tasted them. We also put the Peeps in water to see if they would sink or float and learned that they float. We also put a blue one and a yellow one together in water to see if they would turn green. We also watched the launch of Artemis II in class and learned about the astronauts mission to the moon. After, we watched an astronaut read a story from when he was in space inside the International Space Station.
5K- This is our last week of collecting weather data at school. We are learning about the seasons and what causes the seasons. We walked around the school & Church grounds today. We observed changes that signal Spring is upon us. We saw plants & flowers sprouting and felt the cold wind.
We did a couple of mini STEM activities as well. We have been growing grass seeds in pots. We recalled what seeds need to grow.
We did an experiment with whole raw eggs placed in colored vinegar. They all thought they knew what was going to happen...dyed eggs. Not exactly, something else happened over the 2 days the eggs were submerged! They noticed that shells started to crack and then go away. There were lots of bubbles in the cups. The eggs became bouncy and bigger - like a ball.
What happened when we went outside????
1st & 2nd Grade- This week the students continued to learn about the human brain. Then we pivoted to learn about flight and wind force. Student were able to explore how flight works with their own airplane. As always Bill Nye the Science Guy helped us learn more about flight.
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 April 24th, the cost is $1.00. I will be sending a note and envelope home in March for our last 4 sales of the year. This way you can fill out the form and send the money back to school in the envelope. 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, April 14th 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.
