Kindergarten Nativity

Christmas Breakfast 2011

100 Christmas Stockings

SCS eighth grade student Alex U. gave back to the community this Christmas by soliciting donations and stuffing 100 Christmas Stockings which are going to the Human Needs in Montclair, NJ. Alex is the Vice President of Kids Helping Kids, a subgroup formed from Families Helping Families, a non-profit organization which helps families in need in Essex County.

SCS Christmas Show 2011

Band Christmas Concert 2011

Fourth Grade John Hopkins Awards

Fourth grade students Ashley H. and Katrina F. received high honors for the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, for being among the highest scoring participants in New Jersey during the 2010 academic year. Both students were invited to the awards ceremony based on an exceptional performance on a rigorous, above grade level test given to second through eighth grade talent search participants. They joined other award recipients at the recent state ceremony held at Seton Hall University on October 23rd, where they were individually honored by Johns Hopkins for their academic performance and promise.

All Saints Day

Students at St. Catherine of Siena School were "living" saints during their parish mass on November 1, All Saints Day. Fr. Peter Koziolkiewicz presented each of the portrayed to the congregation.

Alumni News

Congratulations to Antony Kamel, class of 2010 who was named to St. Peter's Prep's newly formed Ignatian Scholars Program.

Congratulations to Alex Linkus, class of 2007 who was named as a Eucharistic Minister to the Campus Ministry Team 2010-2011 at St. Peter's Prep.

Congratulations to Matthew Oehm, class of 2008, was invited to join the National Honor Society at Seton Hall Preparatory School.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters...

Students in grades 7 and 8 enjoyed spending time with their little brother and sisters in grades 1 and kindergarten during this year's Halloween Parade and in-class celebrations.

Halloween Parade

Students in our preschool through grade 8 programs enjoyed a fun-filled Halloween celebration with their classmates at SCS. Parents came out to cheer on the annual Halloween Parade, led by Mrs. Reamer's grade 3 students.

HSA Trick or Trunk

St. Catherine of Siena School Hosted it's first annual Trick or Trunk after school on October 29th. Parents decorated their car trunks and passed out candy to the students.

Animal Blessing

Students honored St. Francis of Assisi during the parish Blessing of the Animals, held October 4th. Shown above, Ashley B. (grade 2) and brother Alexander B. (grade 5) are all smiles as they hold their newly blessed pet guinea pig Fluffy.

Fire Prevention

The Cedar Grove Fire Department brought their rig and gear to St. Catherine of Siena School on October 7 to teach students about fire prevention and safety. Grades preschool through third attended the demonstrations given by the Cedar Grove Firemen.

Preschool Four First Day

Four-year-old Lana Z. of Verona, smiles through her first day jitters as she lines up for preschool at St. Catherine of Siena School on Monday, September 20.

Preschool Three Starts The Year Off with Smiles

Preschool three-year-old students follow teachers Peg Velsor and Helen Trackim down the hall to their brightly decorated classroom on September 20, for their first day of school.

All in the Family

Eighth grade student Graceann D. gives little sister Gemma a big hug as she begins her day in Kindergarten. The family has four girls attending SCS this year.

Kindergarten's First Day

The Kindergarten  is off to a fantastic start.  The children have taken a tour of the school to meet and greet all their teachers.  Everyone is putting away their supplies and settling into a new routine.  Mrs. Tissot and Mrs. Flynn are looking forward to an exciting year.

9/11 Service Project at St. Catherine’s

Eighth grade students at St. Catherine of Siena School gathered early on Saturday, September 11, to honor the spirit of giving back on Patriot Day by participating in a service project for the school. Students painted brightly colored game markings on the playground for the younger grades to enjoy. Shown above, Deanna D. and Kelly M. begin to paint a hopscotch board on the blacktop.

Back To School

St. Catherine of Siena School seventh grade students, from left to right, Sean R., Jack C., Michael T., Joseph S., Alex Z., and Frank C.  have supplies in hand as they begin their first day back to school on Wednesday, September 8.

Technology upgrades!

St. Catherine of Siena School's Technology program as seen many upgrades this summer thanks in part to a federal grant and funding from the SCS Technology Fund.

Our Technology Lab is now home to 30 new HP computers! Our wireless network has also been upgraded providing all classrooms with stronger and faster wireless capability. Each classroom will now have 3 student computers in the classroom along with a dedicated computer for the wireless Mimio Xis interactive boards mounted in each classroom. There are also 2 mobile Smartboards which can be rotated where needed. All teachers also have access to laptops for parent communication and lesson planning.

Some educational projects are also enhanced by every student in the classroom having access to a laptop at their desk...not a problem at SCS! We have 26 mobile netbook computers which can be accessed by teachers for use in their classrooms at any time.

Special thanks to all our parents and parishioners who supported this year's SCS Golf Outing. Proceeds from the event support the SCS Technology Fund along with proceeds from the SCS Spiritwear sold at the school.

School Opening Announced

St. Catherine of Siena School will open at 8:20 a.m. and dismiss at 12:30 p.m. for students in grades one through eight on Wednesday, September 8. This same schedule will be in effect for Thursday, September 9 and Friday, Sept. 10. A Eucharistic Liturgy will be celebrated on Friday, September 10 at 11:00 a.m. in church. All are invited to join our school community in prayer for a successful school year.

Kindergarten classes will begin on Monday, September 13 at 8:20 a.m. The kindergarten will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. for the first full week of school. Beginning the week of September 20, the kindergarten hours will be from 8:20 a.m. until 2:50 p.m.

The preschool sessions are also scheduled to begin the week of September 20. The preschool-four session meets on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

The preschool-three session a.m. meets on Tuesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. The preschool-three session p.m. meets on Tuesday and Friday from 12:15 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.

Before care hours 7:30 a.m. to 8:20 am and after care hours 2:55 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. will begin September 13 for first through eighth grades and the following week for grades kindergarten through eighth.

There will be orientation sessions for kindergarten and preschool students and parents during the first week of school. Kindergarten orientation will take place on Friday, September 10, 9:00 a.m. in Siena Hall; preschool-three parents, Tuesday, September 14, 9:00 a.m. in the classroom; preschool-four parents, Wednesday, September 15, 9:00 a.m. in the classroom.

For registration and further information, call 973-239-6968.

SCS Basketball Camp

Fr. Steve pays a visit to SCS Basketball camp, held in Siena Hall the first two weeks in August.

Congratulations Class of 2010!

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Congratulations to St. Catherine of Siena School's Class of 2010 who graduated on Friday, June 11, 2010.

Turn up the radio!

St. Catherine of Siena’s kindergarten class pays tribute to the American flag with teachers (from left to right) Kathryn Flynn, Linda Tissot, and Star99.1FM staffer Dawn Wheeler after recording the Pledge of Allegiance for the radio station on Thursday, April 29.  The radio station recorded the kindergarten class pledge as well as other students in grades 1 through 4, for the DJ Johnny Stone Show, which is being broadcast each day this week, May 3 through May 7, at 7:05am on the station. Students were reminded that when they stand together and say those powerful words of the Pledge of Allegiance, they are not only learning about patriotism, but also honoring the men and women who gave their life for the fight for freedom. The students’ recording is also available to be heard on-demand at www.star991fm.com.

Grappling Champions

St. Catherine of Siena School students (left to right) Thomas C., Michael B., and Jeremy A. each won a gold medal in their respective weight class at the NAGA (North American Grappling Association) World Championship tournament on April 11 held in Newark, NJ..  They are all students at K-Dojo MMA in Fairfield and they have been training in submission grappling and other martial arts (Muy Thai, MMA, and kickboxing) for about 8 months.

Chess Champions

St. Catherine of Siena School recently hosted its first annual Round Robin Chess Tournament for students in grades 3 through 8. The winners, from left to right were Lucy S., first place novice division, Alex U., first place advanced division, and  Owen T., second place advanced division. The school also sponsors afterschool chess clinics for St. Catherine students in grades 3 and 4.

Atlantic City trip announced

SCS will be sponsoring a bus trip to the Atlantic City Hilton Casino on April 24th. The event cost $30 for adults 21 yrs old & older only. The cost includes bus transportation & a $15 slots voucher. Arrive to SCS by 8:45am & the bus will leave promptly at 9am.The bus will leave the Hilton at 5:30.To reserve, contact Ferly Gobencion via e-mail only at : linmerfg@yahoo.com . For questions, contact Ferly at 973-433-0129

Alumni Basketball Game

The Class of 2009 and the Class of 2010 enjoyed a fun game of basketball on March 21 along with thier coaches. The girls played first, followed by the boys team and then the coaches game. A good time was had by all!

Prayer & Pizza

Families at SCS participated in the annual Prayer and Pizza on March 19, Stations of the Cross were prayed and then families enjoyed a pizza dinner afterward. Shown above Lou Tafuri and son Steven enjoy their pizza dinner.

Irish scone lesson for students

The St. Patrick’s Day celebration at St. Catherine of Siena School was a little bit sweeter thanks to the donation of scones to each student from Verona’s Katie Reilly’s Irish Soda Bread and Scone Mix. Shown, left to right, students in the fourth grade class, Alexander B., Meghan D., and Brendan F. add their favorite toppings and spices to their scone dough before baking.

St. Catherine students celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday!

On Tuesday, March 3, St. Catherine of Siena School students celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday with a visit from some of his characters including the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1, and Thing 2. Students enjoyed hearing a story read to them and were able to ask questions afterword. Shown left to right, sixth grade students (in character) Lucy S., Gabrielle R., Erin T., and Erin H..

Celebrate our Spirit!

St. Catherine of Siena students celebrated their spirit on Thursday, February 4 by participating in Phys. Ed. Events run by gym teacher Mrs. R. Shown above, second grade student Alexandra Y. cheers on fellow classmate Danny H. as their team begins the sack race in the school gym.

Bingo!

On Wednesday, February 3, St. Catherine of Siena School students celebrated their families during Catholic Schools Week with an afternoon of Bingo, inviting special people in their lives to share in the fun. Shown above, seventh grade student Elizabeth D. enjoys playing a round of Bingo with her grandfather.

Blessing of the Throats

Monsignor Slipe blesses the throat of Christian S., grade 4 on February 3. All students in the school were also blessed. Saint Blaise's protection of those with throat troubles is asked during the blessing..

SCS Jeopardy!

On Tuesday, February 2, SCS celebrated "Lifelong Learning" with a school-wide game of Jeopardy. The 8th grade mc'd and ran the game with the entire school broken into 3 teams. Questions were created by teachers. Fun was had by all!

Student & Staff Read-In

Surrounded by students reading, Extreme Thinking teacher Mrs. Cicchetti enjoys a quiet moment with her own book in Siena Hall during the school-wide Read-In on February 1.

Celebrate Service

On Monday, February 1, of Catholic Schools Week, students at SCS dressed in class colors and worked on class service projects. Sixth grade students Erin T. and Brigitte M. work on stringing beads for rosaries that will be donated to the elderly while wearing their class color pink.

Netbooks enhance students’ learning experience

Sixth grade student Kristen O. enjoys her Mythology class at St. Catherine of Siena School just a little bit more now with the addition of netbook technology in the classroom. Although the school has a fully updated computer lab and smart board technology, they have found supplementing netbooks in the classroom enhance the students’ learning experience. “We have found netbooks to be the right tool for our middle school students” says Principal Celine Kerwin, “They are easy to use and have the right mobility, battery life, and price.” St. Catherine of Siena School will be demonstrating the use of netbooks in the classroom during their Open House to be held on Sunday, January 31, 1:30 to 3:00 pm; Tuesday, February 2, and Wednesday, February 3, 9:30 to 11:00 am. For more information you can visit the school website scs-school-cedargrovenj.org or call the school office at 973-239-6968.

Geography Bee Winner

Eighth grade student Steven F., shown center above, has won the St. Catherine of Siena School National Geographic Bee, held on January 8. He will attend a state-level Geographic Bee to be held in the spring.  Seventh grade students Alex L. and Vincent M. placed second and third respectively. Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography. Schools with students in grades four through eight are eligible for this entertaining and challenging test of geographic knowledge.

Open House Announced

St. Catherine of Siena School in Cedar Grove has announced an open house for preschool to eighth grade will take place on Sunday, January 31 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm, Tuesday, February 2 from 9:30 to 11:00 am, and Wednesday, February 3 from 9:30 to 11:00 am.

St. Catherine of Siena School is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The school is committed to the Roman Catholic tradition of education providing a challenging and competitive academic curriculum within a nurturing environment.

The school offers a full-day kindergarten, a teacher led before and after-care program, and a hot/cold lunch program. Smart boards, net books, technology lab, science lab, Extreme Thinking (enrichment program), Latin, Spanish, music, art, physical education and public speaking enhance the school’s core curriculum. The school is handicap accessible and has a nurse present five days a week.

The preschool program offers three year old children a morning and afternoon session, two days a week. The four year old program is offered three days a week, with a lunch program. Visitors to the open house can see the three-year-old program in session Tuesday, February 2. The four-year-old program is in session on Wednesday, February 3.

The open house will give visitors an opportunity to visit classrooms, talk with other parents and faculty about the school’s curriculum and philosophy. Registration is now open. For more information, visit scs-school-cedargrovenj.org  or call the office at 973-239-6968.