Mariners Christian School
Mariners Christian School

All-School Weekly E-Newsletter
December 21, 2016

"Building a firm foundation through Christ-centered education"


Merry Christmas to the MCS Family

We would like to thank Kayla Smith for sharing her artistic talents with MCS this year. The Christmas card is absolutely beautiful.



All-School Christmas Chapel

Christmas Chapel and Gulu Update - December 2016
Merry Christmas from the Elementary Faculty - Enjoy. Don't  miss the Middle School Faculty's "Christmas Morning" skit below.
The All School Christmas chapel was full of celebrations both silly and serious. Worship was led by Mr. Lucas and the amazing MCS faculty band! Crazy skits of Christmas fun were performed by both elementary and middle school teachers. The special speaker was Lauren Shambrook, our dear friend from Christ the Center Ministries in Gulu, Uganda. She shared about the conditions there and the excitement of the Ugandan students for MCS and our relationship with them. We watched a video from the students in Gulu, and then made a video of greeting from our students to send to our friends there. Enjoy the videos below. MCS was able to present Mrs. Shambrook with a check of $10,000 (see below) to help with the building of the chapel there. We give the glory to God for this opportunity to bless others! 

 A Family Question: When the students are attending their school in Gulu, what is happening outside the fence of their property with the children from the community?
Gulu Giving September - December 2016


Because of your generosity, we doubled our goal for September through December 2016, and were able to present our Gulu representatives Mr. & Mrs. Dane Shambrook with a check for $10,000 during the all-school Christmas chapel. These funds will go towards building a chapel at Christ the Center Ministries.

In addition to the $7,347 funds raised through the Giving by Grade level challenge (see details below), we received the following from recent events:  Mendocino Farms ($239); Donuts with Dad ($1,831); Middle School Skate Party ($509) bringing our total giving to $10,000.

Please take a moment to watch the videos below. 

From our friends in Gulu

MCS

To our friends in Gulu

A Message from MCS Student to Christ The Center Gulu Students


Gulu: December Giving by Grade Level Results


A special thank you to every student who brought in money for our Giving to Gulu Grade Level Challenge. As a school, we brought in a total of $7,346.70 from the grade level challenge!  All homerooms in 8th grade, all homerooms in 6th grade, 7Becker, and 5Knecht brought in over $250 to earn their class a Donut Hole Party. Winning Free Dress for being the biggest contributors was 8th grade in Middle School, bringing in $1,870.02. Sixth grade was an extremely close second place with $1,740.36! Winning free dress for being the biggest contributors in Elementary, and bringing in $686.86 was 5th grade!

Tis The Season to Have Fun! Fun
 

Students enjoy some surprise inflatable games during the last week before Christmas break!  

Our students have demonstrated great flexibility during the field installation and this was a great opportunity to give them a special treat.

They will have the opportunity to have fun on these inflatables tomorrow as well.


Thank You MCS Families

THANK YOU MCS FAMILIES FOR HELPING US PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR GOAL OF 100% FAMILY PARTICIPATION!

Every gift makes a difference and impacts our students, teachers, and programs today and long into the future.

Brochure and video available at marinerscs.org/annualfund

Reminder: Thursday (12/22) is a FULL DAY OF SCHOOOL
 
Just a reminder that Thursday (12/22) is a regular full day of school.
Red and Green Dress Day -  Thursday (12/22)
 
In celebration of Christmas, Thursday (12/22) will be a red and green dress day for all students. Jeans are allowed. Students must wear specified colors/theme (or the MCS uniform must be worn). Hats appropriate to the theme are acceptable. No colored/dyed hair. 

Themed Dress Guidelines Reminders: All students are to have a neat, clean and modest appearance at all times, including free dress days. Girls' shorts or skirts must be no shorter than 3 inches above the knee. If leggings are worn, tops must extend past the fingertips. Tank tops must have width of three fingers. Students are not to wear: torn clothes, pajamas, sweats or yoga pants, excessively tight-fitting clothes, spaghetti straps, tops that expose the midriff, clothing with cut-outs, or costume-type clothing.

Merry Christmas!
Family Style Dinner & Bingo Night
Online Tickets Sales Opens December 22nd

Click here to PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS beginning December 22nd!

Click here to print the flyer.
Lost & Found Reminder
  
All items in lost & found will be donated to Wear & Share or the needy before Christmas break.
No School December 23 - January 6
 
School resumes on Monday, January 9th.
Don't Forget
 
Beginning Monday, January 9th, our exterior lobby doors will remain locked at all times.  Please plan to use the intercom system located to the right of the main doors when arriving at school. Thank you for your cooperation as we seek to provide a safe and secure school environment.
Re-Enrollment Begins in January
 








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Remember, tuition is not drafted in January   in order to accommodate re-enrollment fees. 

right-arrow-icon4.gif Watch for an email from Mr. Moore the first week of January for re-enrollment information.

right-arrow-icon4.gif If you have a child that does not currently attend MCS, but  you would like them to attend in the 2017/18 school year , please go to the school website and CLICK on the Apply Now button to complete their application. 

Please contact our Admissions Director, Ashlee Cowell, at 714.437.1700, ext 146 or email her at acowell@marinerscs.org  if you have any questions. Thank you.
Tuition Assistance
 
Financial aid applications for the 2017/18 school year will be accepted from now through March 1st, 2017. Go to www.factstuitionaid.com to complete an application and to submit supporting documents.  

If you have questions, feel free to contact the MCS business office.
MCS 1st-5th Grade Talent Show 
Permission Slips Due January 10th

Talent Show forms are due Tuesday, January 10th. Create your act and join the fun!

Please see the attached flyer for dates and permission slip. 

Let the show begin!


Winter 2017 Uniform Wear & Share
January 10th, 11th, and 12th, Auditorium
 
-to view the flyer click here-
DONATIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO RECEIVE CLOTHING

Stop by the auditorium (please see specific times by clicking here) to shop for gently used uniform items. There is no payment or exchange required. This is just an opportunity for families to SHARE their outgrown uniform items with other MCS families.

LOST & FOUND REMINDER: All items in lost & found will be donated to Wear & Share or the needy before Christmas break.

REMINDER: Families are encouraged to bring their outgrown uniforms to Wear & Share in the front lobby before we leave for break. 

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Trisha Nabal at nabal@verizon.net or text 714.392.4551.
Save the Date - "Breathe"


Save the Date for the Breathe Book Study for MCS moms - c oming in January the week that we return from break!

RSVP here! Moms planning to attend should purchase the book (Breathe, by Priscilla Shirer) prior to the launch on January 11th! Click here for the link to order the book on Amazon.
 
Happy Birthday to MCS Faculty & Staff from PTF



Happy Birthday Jesus!


December
Kim Rasmussen 12/1
Leilen Shelton 12/8
Christopher Lucas 12/10
Sady Amend 12/28
Crystal Willis 12/30


3d Christmas tree


January
Robin Walker 1/1
Sue Celek 1/2
Troy Moore  1/5
Lynelle Harding 1/6
Jennifer Crowell 1/12
Kristin Knecht 1/12
Dianne McVay 1/16
Melissa Pena 1/18
Lynda Lynch 1/21
Gina Hanson 1/26
Trang Nguyen 1/31


This list is provided to you by our Parent Teacher Fellowship.

Middle School E-Newsletter
December 21, 2016 

 
"Christmas Morning"
MCS Middle School Christmas Skit

Middle School Faculty re-enacted their version(s) of "Christmas Morning" during our All-School Christmas chapel on Monday. Enjoy their performance with Mrs. Harrison as the Director.
Christmas Homeroom Dodgeball Tournament

The annual Middle School Christmas Dodgeball Tournament, aka...the Mary Fila Classic took place this week, and homeroom spirit was in full effect!  After 3 days of incredible dodgeball play, our victors came out to be Mrs. Bryant's class in 6th grade, Mrs. Shelton's class in 7th grade, and Mrs. Fila's class in 8th grade AGAIN!  

Mrs. Fila's 8th grade homeroom continues their undefeated reign of the 8th grade trophy for the 4th year in a row confirming its nickname "The Fila Classic." Congratulations to all winning homerooms who will proudly display those GIANT trophies until next year!  
Middle School Annual Door Decorating Contest


The middle school hallways have transformed for the season into a walking story of the birth of Jesus, which is our theme this year! As you walk from one end of our hallway to the back of the school, you will see artistic depictions of the different parts of the birth of our Savior. 

The students have worked tirelessly to creatively display their given theme. The winners will be announced before the students leave for Christmas Break. Good luck, everyone!





Private School Entrance Exam Review Sessions
for MCS 8th Grade Students

We are offering four review sessions to help our MCS 8th grade students prepare for private school entrance exams, specifically the High School Placement Test (HSPT) and the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). Math and English will be reviewed in each session. All four sessions will be different, so we recommend you attend all four. Students are encouraged to purchase the HSPT or ISEE test books available at Barnes and Nobel or online. Any version of the HSPT or ISEE test book is fine. This book is recommended, not required.

Students may attend any or all of the following sessions:
  • Tuesday, January 10th (3:00 - 4:30)
  • Tuesday, January 17th (3:00 - 4:30)
Location: Meet in Mrs. Thurston's room at the start of each session

The sessions are long, but are designed to allow review of both Math and English. We will also provide a short snack break. These sessions should provide a good stretching of our students' "test endurance." Generally, entrance exam testing periods are three to fours hours in length. Most middle school students are not used to sitting and testing for so long!

All four sessions are included in the $40 fee. Your FACTS account will be billed after the first session you attend.

Please RSVP to tthurston@marinerscs.org if your child will be attending any sessions.

***Please let us know if you'd like to donate snack items for these review sessions. It would be much appreciated by the hungry students.

Middle School Photography Club
Meets Thursdays During Lunch in Mrs. Thurston's Room


Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who are interested in being part of this club must attend the meeting. 

Students do not need to be a member of the photography elective to join.  

Please contact Mrs. Thurston at tthurston@marinerscs.org if you have questions.
Student Success Center

Did you know the middle school has a Student Success Center? The goal of SSC is to support students in achieving academic goals by providing homework help and strengthening skills in organization, time management, and test preparation. We want to teach students strategies that will help them achieve success in both their academic careers and for the rest of their lives beyond MCS. Students who want to take advantage of this tremendous resource can stop by the SSC located upstairs next to the administration office to meet Mrs. Willis, receive more information, and sign up for the after school help. The SSC is open to students during the following times: 
  • Monday: 3:00-3:30
  • Tuesday: 3:00-3:30
  • Thursday-3:00-3:30 
To provide the best support, it is imperative students sign up prior to attending. We are excited to provide this great resource to our students and are thrilled to work with students throughout the year!
NHHS & CDM Information

Newport Harbor High School will host 8th Grade/Parent Tours on December 14, 2016 at 10AM and January 19, 2017 at 10AM. Questions, please contact Diana Long at 949.646.1556, ext. 1.

Corona del Mar Middle/High School will be having a Prospective Parent Night on Monday, December 12, at 6:30pm in the School Lecture Hall.

300 Fischer Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone 714.437.1700 & Fax 714.437.7976
Copyright 2016, Mariners Christian School. All rights reserved.