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2017 - 2018
School Year
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Nov. 16 - 17
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Parent - Teacher Conference
Days
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Nov.
20 - 24
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Thanks-giving Break |
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Dec.
25
- Jan. 5
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Christma
s
Break
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Jan. 12
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No School - Teacher In-service |
| Jan. 15 |
MLK Holiday |
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Feb. 19
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Presidents
Day
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| March 10 |
Auction Gala |
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March 29 - April 6
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Easter Break |
| May 28 |
Memorial Day |
| June 15 |
Last Day of School |
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| Madison C. |
2B
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| Shannon W. |
3B |
Samuel H.
|
3A
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| Ariana D. |
1B |
| Jake H. |
1B
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| Evan R. |
1B |
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November 15, 2017
Dear St. Francis of Assisi Parents and Guardians,
As you know, the WCEA/WASC Visiting Committee came to observe St. Francis of Assisi School at work last week. Before talking about the results, I would like to share a brief summary of the visit. Let me start with the Visiting Committee. Made up of principals, administrators, and teachers from the Diocese of San Diego and Orange, we were blessed to have a very experienced and talented group of educators. They were well prepared and committed to conduct a thorough review of our self study document and experience our school culture. Working from 7:00 am - 7:00 pm, the committee visited every classroom and met with students, teachers, pastors, parents, and SFA leadership. They were very focused on doing a great job and they thoroughly enjoyed our students, teachers, staff, and parents.
On one hand, the visit was a relief. After preparing for over a year, we had the opportunity to display our academic and extracurricular programs, our classrooms, our facilities, and most important, our students, teachers, staff, and parents. On the other hand, an evaluative visit raises everyone's anxiety level. I know our teachers and staff do an excellent job providing a great educational experience for every one of their students and they are committed to grow to be better, but they were anxious. This is a reflection of their passion to be the best. In their quest to be their best, they were super prepared, even coming in on weekends prior to the visit. Their hard work, dedication and passion is evident to me every day, but it was great to receive validation from educators who were visiting our school for the first time.
The Visiting Committee fell in love with our students. We received many positive comments and compliments about their positive attitude, their excitement and love for their school, their poise when speaking, and how they reflected the gospel values taught at SFA. They were equally impressed by the support, generosity, and positive feedback received from our parents. They summarized their thoughts at the end of their visit:
The Visiting Committee observed St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School to be a wonderful community of faith with a strong vibrant Catholic identity and academic program. An emphasis on promoting the whole child is evident through the Student Learning Expectations. The three parishes provide ongoing leadership and spiritual support. The administration team has a positive approach and a collaborative environment which permeates throughout the school environment. The devoted teachers and staff contribute to a warm and loving environment. The parents are incredibly supportive and appreciative of the school's efforts on behalf of their children. Finally, the students exemplify the motto Prayer, Peace, and Perseverance and actively fulfill the FIAT (Faith In Action Today) mission.
The three day visit by the Visiting Committee and the process leading up to the visit is intense and exhausting so we're very happy to have that piece completed. However, the visit and the preparation of the self-study document are only a portion of the
process to continually strive for excellence through
the
ongoing self-evaluation of programs. The purpose of accreditation is to support an ongoing cycle of quality whereby schools demonstrate the capacity, commitment, and competence to support high quality student learning and ongoing school improvement. While we will not receive official confirmation from the Accreditation Commission until June, I have been assured that the Visiting Committee's recommendation of a six year accreditation will be approved. The Visiting Committee observed that St. Francis of Assisi School has effectively implemented the previous Action Plan (2012 WCEA/WASC Visiting Committee Report) and has identified and developed strong goals that will impact student learning in a positive and significant manner (2017 Visiting Committee Report).
In closing, I would like to thank the faculty and staff for their dedication and commitment to prepare a self-study document that reflects a thorough and honest analysis of school programs. The self-study process, which included hours of evaluation and analysis of data, was directed by the Self Study Leadership Team: Shannon Kwan, Fran Montelli, Lisa Coad, Andi Watanabe, Jeannette Lambert, and myself. I am grateful for the parents who generously supported our school throughout the process and the visit. I am most thankful for the students. They are the inspiration for our work as parents and educators.
The accreditation process supports our commitment to ongoing improvement and yields useful outcomes that include implementation of an action plan for the next six years. It's been a lot of work, but it will continue to bring about growth and positive change while validating the great work being done at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School. Great work SFA!
Tom Waszak
Principal
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After School Enrichment Classes - Session Two
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Flyers and registration materials for our after school enrichment programs went out in last week's Thursday Folders. We are excited to offer several interesting classes this session. Further details and downloadable forms can be found on our website:
Student Life>Enrichment
Session Two (8 weeks divided into two 4 week blocks):
November 27 - December 22
January 8 - February 2
NOTE: No School on Friday, 1/12 and Monday, 1/15 (MLK Holiday)
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Extended Day Care During Parent - Teacher Conferences
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Please be advised that on Parent - Teacher Conference days,
Thursday, November 16 and Friday, November 17, Extended Day Care will be available
7:00 am - 6:00 pm.
Check-in and check-out will be in the Extended Day Care room for these two days only!
We will be providing lunch for the children for a fee of
$5.00, on both
Thursday and Friday.
Please contact
Mrs. Dean with any questions or concerns.
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| DC Kidsitting During Parent - Teacher Conferences |
Students from grades K - 7 may drop-in for kidsitting in the Seamus Glynn Center during conferences for a donation to our East Coast Study Trip. Parents and 8th grade students will entertain your students so you can enjoy your conference kid-free!
Hours for kidsitting are:
Thursday, November 16:
7:10 am - 3:40 pm
Friday, November 17:
7:10am - 2:00 pm
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Family Advent Event
December 7 |
Please save the date for our annual Family Advent Event hosted by the Catholic Identity Ministry on Thursday, December 7, 2017 from
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.
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Holy Family Pilgrim Statue
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 St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in conjunction with our Catholic Identity Ministry has initiated a new pilgrim statue that will journey home with a family in week-long increments.
Each Friday at our Community Prayer Service, a new family will take home the Holy Family statue, along with a book of reflections and a journal to guide your family in discussions about the Holy Family. It is our hope that these discussions bring your family a greater understanding of the importance of the Holy Family and your family unit as well.
To sign up for a week with the Holy Family Statue please click on the link below.
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Order Your Yearbook Today!
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Online ordering of 2017 - 2018 Yearbooks is now open! The cost if ordered today is $40.00.
The price goes up to $45.00 on November 19.
The final date to personalize yearbooks is January 31, 2018. The final date to order yearbooks online is May 15, 2018.
Click
here to place your order!
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Communications Coordinator Announcement
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Dear St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School Family,
I am writing with news of an employee change for our school. Allison Clewett has recently resigned her position as Communications Coordinator at St. Francis. She has decided to take a step back from working full-time away from home, to refocus more energy on her family. Her creativity, dedication, passion for our school, and sense of humor will be missed. Mrs. Clewett has spent two productive years as the inaugural Communications Coordinator, spearheading our marketing and public relations efforts. We thank her for redeveloping our website, pioneering our social media presence, launching our school journalism program, fine tuning the St. Francis brand, creating and infusing the "Spirit of St. Francis" in all that we do. Today was her last day as an official staff member. When we return from Thanksgiving Break, she will remain a part of the St. Francis community in a volunteer capacity as the WOLF News Advisor. In that role she will be on campus meeting with student journalists each Tuesday.
A new Communications Coordinator has been hired to continue the initiatives and programs that have been established during Mrs. Clewett's tenure at St. Francis. Veronica Valdez comes to our community with a degree in Journalism-PR from San Diego State University. As a graduate of Mater Dei High School, she is an excellent example of the high quality education our Catholic schools provide. Her professional experience ranges from designing promotional materials to enhancing marketing for 23 year NFL veteran John Carney. Valdez increased promotional sales and enhanced his social media presence for his gym, Carney Training Facility in Carlsbad. She is excited to be returning to Orange County where she will be closer to her family. On top of her outstanding education and work experience, Ms. Valdez's passion for her faith is apparent in all that she does. For the past six years she has taught faith formation classes in San Diego and Orange County. If you see Ms. Valdez on campus, please be sure to say hello and introduce yourself as we welcome her to our St. Francis family.
Thank you again for all of your support!
Tom Waszak
Principal
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Parent Conferences are this week on Thursday and Friday. Pre-K B parents will meet with Mrs. Chavez in Mrs. Martinson's office area because Extended Care will be in her classroom.
All of the Pre-K staff wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving filled and many Advent blessings!
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Parent - Teacher Conferences November 16-17
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There is no school on
Thursday, November 16 and Friday, November 17
for Parent-Teacher Conferences. If your child is registered for extended care, please email
Mrs. Martinson
so she can send you a confirmation form for parent conference days.
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All fall sports uniforms need to be turned into coach Blake's office with a note indicating which athlete's uniform it is. Players can keep the bags.
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See's Candy Fundraiser
November 7 - 20 |
Are you looking for that special Christmas candy to fill your Stockings or give as gifts this year? Look no further! Order See's Candies through St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School and help our eighth grade class earn funds towards their East Coast Study Trip this year!
All candy orders should be submitted to the office by
Monday, November 20 to be received in time for Christmas Break. Tables will be set up at dismissal each Tuesday and Thursday beginning
Tuesday, November 7 through Thursday, November 16 to answer questions and help with orders.
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Santa's Secret Shop
November 27 - 30 |
St. Francis students will be participating in Santa's Secret Shop the week after Thanksgiving with set-up on
Monday, November 27
and shopping days
Tuesday, November 28 - Thursday, November 30
. This year the Shop will be open after school on
November 28 and 29
until
3:30 pm
.
Santa's Secret shop is wonderful opportunity for students to experience the joy of choosing their own Christmas presents for family and friends. The cost of items range from
$0.50 to
$20.00. All proceeds go directly back to our Pre-K program at St. Francis. In past years funds from the event were used to purchase a new sandbox and ball toss for the playground.
Volunteers Needed!
Calling all elves! Volunteers needed at our Christmas Shop!
If you are able to donate your time, please access the link below to sign up for one or more shifts that would fit your schedule.
If you have any questions please let me know and thank you in advance for volunteering your time.
Thank you,
Lindsey Campbell
Santa's Secret Shop Co-Chair
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Below is an order form for DC Dining for Trimester 1 at St. Francis. You may fill out the entire form at once, or print and order on a weekly basis. If you are ordering weekly, please be sure to turn the form and payment in to the office by Monday of the week you are ordering a meal. Next week we are serving Kentucky Fried Chicken.
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AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support our school every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at
smile.amazon.com
, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School. Simply click here to begin shopping through AmazonSmile.
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| Join the Development Committee! |
Plans for the 20th annual auction, Charting the Course, are underway. In the past we have asked each class to create a Class Project that would then be auctioned off to the highest bidder. This year we have chosen to introduce "Classroom Treasures". Each classroom will put together a beautifully themed basket to be auctioned off at our Gala event. We need your help to create these beautiful themed baskets. If you have always wanted to volunteer and the thought of creating a "project" intimidated you, this is the perfect class role for you. We have plenty of classrooms still looking to help steer our "treasured baskets" into the right direction.
Please reach out to your child's teacher or go to your teacher's
signup.com home page to volunteer for this fun role.
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Santa Clara de Asis - Children's Faith Formation
Volunteers Needed! |
| Santa Margarita Catholic High School Upcoming Events |
For more information please click:
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Servite High School - Upcoming Events
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1. Discover Servite Open House
Sunday, December 3, 2017
From
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
For students interested in experiencing Servite first-hand, a
Shadow Day
can be arranged. This gives them a glimpse of "a day in the life of a Friar." They do this by attending classes, exploring our campus, and spending break and lunch with their host. A brief presentation and campus tour is also offered for interested parents once the Shadow students head to their first class around 9:00 am. You may sign up by completing an inquiry form
HERE
.
3. Application Process
Servite High School is accepting applications for the Fall of 2018. You may find details regarding the Application process by clicking
HERE
.
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Cornelia Connelly School Open House
Sunday, November 19 |
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Admissions Applications
Early-Qualification Deadline - December 13, 2017
Qualify for Acceptance before taking the Entrance-Exam
Entrance Exam - January 20, 2018
Register today!
Christmas at the Corner - December 3, 2017
A Performing Arts Faire at Mater Dei. Admission is free.
Performances, hot chocolate, cookies, arts & crafts, caroling.
Family Campus Tours - Year-Round
Shadow Program - September - May
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