Catawba Elementary School

08/20/2026

Sunset Slush will be here at Open House, hope to see you soon!

08/18/2026

Come see us this Thursday at our open house!

Save the date - open house at Catawba will be on Thursday, August 20th at 1:30 or 5:30! More details to come!

School supply lists for each grade level are linked here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-vRWW2oMm8N7-ypCpMfXIlMH8Wvgjuc_AiB4soYxgGU/edit?usp=drivesdk

08/15/2026

Meet Our Newest Rockets!🚀

We’re excited to introduce Mrs. Hendren, our newest Kindergarten Teacher Assistant at Catawba Elementary! ❤️💙

Mrs. Hendren’s Catawba story actually began about five years ago, when she started volunteering with our PTO and helping in classrooms whenever she was needed. Over the years, she had the opportunity to see firsthand what makes Catawba such a special place, and now she’s excited to officially become part of the team!

After spending years supporting our school as a volunteer and parent, she says she couldn’t ask for a better place to begin this new chapter as an employee. We couldn’t be happier to have her!

Mrs. Hendren and her husband, Justin, have three children who are all Catawba students - Cole, Greyson, and Allie! That makes Catawba more than just a workplace for Mrs. Hendren, it’s a school that already holds a very special place in her family’s heart.

When she’s not at school, you’ll probably find Mrs. Hendren reading or baking! She loves making everything from sourdough and cinnamon rolls, to custom sugar cookies for family and friends. Her family also enjoys camping, taking trips to the mountains, and simply spending time together even though they're busy taking care of their 24 chickens and a goldendoodle named Cooper!📚⛰️🐔

We’re so excited for Mrs. Hendren to begin this new chapter with us. After five years of being part of the Catawba community, we’re thrilled that she’s officially joining our Catawba Rockets family! 🚀❤️💙

08/12/2026

Meet Our Newest Rockets! 🚀

We’re excited to introduce Mr. Elliott, our new Exceptional Children (EC) Teacher, to Catawba Elementary! ❤️💙

Mr. Elliott began his teaching career in social studies before moving into special education, which he has taught for the past five years. His teaching experience includes working with high school students in the Los Angeles area, as well as students in community homeless shelters and LA county jails. Before and alongside his career in education, Mr. Elliot also spent 28 years as a professional diving coach at both the university and club levels.

Mr. Elliott says he is excited to join the Catawba team because of the wonderful people he has already met, and the dedication he has seen to providing the very best education for every student. He has also heard so many great things about Catawba schools from members of our community, and we’re thrilled to have him officially become part of the family!

When he’s not at school, Mr. Elliott enjoys fishing, skiing, swimming, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying concerts and live music. After college, Mr. Elliott performed in the high-diving show at Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia! Talk about a career that took him to new heights! 🤿🎢

Mr. Elliott and his wife, Kelley, have a big family that includes their son Liam and three daughters - Taylor, Kristen, and Doran. Their family also includes three furry friends: Bailey, Brandy, and Maggie! 🐶🐶🐶

We’re so excited to welcome Mr. Elliott to our Catawba Rockets family! 🚀❤️💙

08/12/2026

Meet Our Newest Rockets! 🚀

We’re excited to introduce Mrs. Prioli-Baader, our newest 2nd Grade Teacher at Catawba Elementary! ❤️💙

Mrs. Prioli-Baader brings an impressive 17 years of teaching experience to Catawba! She spent 15 years teaching in New Jersey, where she had the opportunity to work with students in middle school as well as 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th grades. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Special Education from Georgian Court University.

This is her second year with Catawba County Schools! After teaching 5th grade last year, she’s excited to join our 2nd grade team and continue getting to know our Catawba students and community. 📚✏️

Mrs. Prioli-Baader was born in New York and spent more than 40 years living in New Jersey before making the move to North Carolina. She and her family now call Sherrills Ford home - and they absolutely love it here! She’s excited to continue exploring all the beauty North Carolina has to offer. 🌳❤️

When she’s not teaching, Mrs. Prioli-Baader loves spending time with her family and exploring North Carolina. You might also find her making sourdough bread, crocheting, crafting, baking, reading, or doing a little shopping! She loves ladybugs, alpacas and giraffes! 🐞🦙🦒

Fun Family Fact: Mrs. Prioli-Baader is a Catawba parent, too! Her son, Nikolas, is now an 8th grader at Mill Creek, while her twin daughters, Callie and Loren, are 5th graders right here at Catawba! This is the first time she has taught at the school her children attend, and we're so lucky to have their family as a part of our Catawba Rocket family! ❤️💙

08/12/2026

Meet Our Newest Rockets! 🚀

We’re excited to introduce Mrs. Schronce, our newest Exceptional Children Teacher Assistant (EC TA), at Catawba Elementary! ❤️💙

Mrs. Schronce’s journey into education began with a career change: after spending 12 years working in the furniture industry, she found herself looking for a new opportunity when her department was laid off last year. She decided to try something completely different and began working as a substitute teacher - and quickly discovered just how much she loved being in the classroom and working with students!

That experience inspired her to pursue education as a new career path. Most recently, she spent her summer working as a counselor with the YMCA summer program, where she enjoyed building relationships with children and helping create a fun, positive environment. Through these experiences, she discovered that helping children learn and grow is exactly where she wants to be! ❤️

Mrs. Schronce has deep roots right here in our community. A graduate of Bandy's High School, she proudly participated in JROTC all four years and was a member of the Drill Team during her junior and senior years. She even purchased her childhood home, making her connection to Catawba truly lifelong! She knows Catawba is more than a place to live and work, it’s home! She is especially excited to begin her career in education by serving the community that helped shape her and giving back to the place she has always called home. 🚀

When she’s not at school, Mrs. Schronce loves spending time with her family. They enjoy exploring different parks, visiting Carowinds, and spending summer days swimming at Mimi’s house! 🌳🎢🏊‍♀️

🐟 Fun Fact: You may recognize Mrs. Schronce outside of school, too! She works at Jones Fish Camp on Fridays and Saturdays, so if you stop by, be sure to ask for her!

We’re so excited to welcome Mrs. Schronce to the Catawba Rockets family! We know her love for this community and her passion for working with children will make her a wonderful addition to our team. 🚀❤️💙

08/11/2026

Meet the Newest Members of the Catawba Rockets Family! 🚀

We’re so excited to welcome Mrs. Cathy Buchanan to Catawba Elementary! ❤️💙

Mrs. Buchanan brings an incredible background and a heart for helping children learn and grow. With a Bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences from the State University of New York at Fredonia, and her Master’s degree in Deaf Education from Canisius College, she is now entering her second year teaching kindergarten after spending 10 years as a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing! 📚✏️

When she’s not at school, you can usually find her painting banners or spending time with her family - often cheering from the sidelines at a ballfield somewhere! ⚾️🥎

Fun facts:
- Mrs. Buchanan grew up in a small town in Western New York and is very excited to teach in our community, as her husband grew up in Catawba County.
- She and her husband will celebrate 8 years of marriage this October!
- Their son Lincoln is heading into 1st Grade right here at Catawba, and their family recently welcomed a very cute 5-month-old puppy named Marble!

We are thrilled to have Mrs. Buchanan joining our Catawba Rockets family and can’t wait to see all the wonderful experiences she’ll bring to our school! 🚀❤️💙

08/05/2026

Please join us on Saturday for Campus Clean Up Day!

🌿🧹 Help Us Get Catawba Elementary Ready for the New School Year! 🧹🌿

Join us for our Campus Clean Up Day as we come together to clean, refresh, and beautify our school grounds before students return. Whether you can stay for the whole morning or just an hour, we’d love to have you!

📅 Saturday, August 8
⏰ 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
📍 Catawba Elementary School
5414 Hudson Chapel Rd.

There are projects for all ages and abilities, and many hands make light work! Families are welcome.

🧤 If you have them, please bring:
• Work gloves
• Rakes, shovels, pruning shears, wheelbarrows, or other yard tools
• Water bottle
• Sunscreen and a hat

👉 Sign up here so we can plan projects and supplies:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0544A4A62EA6F9C43-64617942-catawba #/

Let’s work together to make our campus beautiful for our students, teachers, and staff. We can’t wait to see our Rocket community come together! 🚀

07/29/2026

🍧✨ We have some exciting news for Open House! ✨🍧

We’re so excited to welcome Sunset Slush Lake Norman to Catawba Elementary School’s Open House on Thursday, August 20! They’ll be on campus from 1:00–7:30 PM, serving up their delicious Italian ice for our students, families, and staff.

Whether you’re coming to the 1:30 PM or 5:30 PM Open House session, be sure to stop by, meet your child’s teacher, and treat yourself to a refreshing slush!

Even sweeter? 💙 10% of all sales will be donated back to the Catawba Elementary PTO, helping support our students, teachers, and school throughout the year.

A huge thank you to Sunset Slush Lake Norman for partnering with us to help make Open House even more special. We can’t wait to see everyone there and kick off an amazing school year together! 🚀💙💛

07/22/2026

Save the date - open house at Catawba will be on Thursday, August 20th at 1:30 or 5:30! More details to come!

School supply lists for each grade level are linked here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-vRWW2oMm8N7-ypCpMfXIlMH8Wvgjuc_AiB4soYxgGU/edit?usp=drivesdk