SerraDIPITY

Volume 22 · Issue 22 · February 23, 2017

 

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In This Issue
A Message from Our President
Save the Date
Principals' Corner
Grandparents & Special Friends Day
Calendar Reminder
Order Your Yearbook
Mother Son Bowling
In N Out News
Anchor Ball
New Student Yearbook Photos
Uniform Update
Scrip News
ELS Information
Health Room Reminder
Living Our Faith

 

 Prayer Partners &

Prayer Requests

 

Please CLICK HERE  for more information about Outreach Ministries.

Parish Connections Update
CLICK HERE to view this month's Parish events.
  
  
Weekly Rosary
Please join us for  our weekly, Friday morning Rosary.   CLICK HERE for more information.
  
  
Volunteer
    Opportunities    

Please  CLICK HERE  to view the many volunteer opportunities that are available here at St. Junipero Serra Catholic School
  
A Message From Our President
 
We believe in a God that is loving and forgiving of us and wants us to work to forgive others. The best part of forgiveness is not how the other person feels, it is how we feel. I think this may be true that forgiveness can help us keep our happiness.




Lenten Theme 2017
Each year St. Junipero Serra Catholic School has a focus for Lent that supports our forty-day spiritual journey. For Lent 2017, our theme is, "Let His Light Shine Through You". It is the light of our Lord that gives us strength and hope; it is His light that helps us to model to others the virtues of love, kindness, respect, and gratitude. You will see images of "light" across our campus as a living sign of Christ's love for us......a light shining for the whole world to see. Lent invites us to turn our minds and hearts back to the God of mercy. As we begin this season, may we find new encouragement to open our hearts to respond to God's grace and to lead others to do the same.

"Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbor." Pope Francis
 
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" Psalm 27:1

Ash  Wednesday Mass
Ash Wednesday, March 1, is the beginning of the Lenten season in our Catholic Church. Please join us for Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Student Activity Center celebrated by Father Gregory Marquez of Santiago de Compostela as we begin a 40 day journey of repentance through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  Ashes will be distributed at Mass in addition to our Preschool, TK and Kindergarten students following SerraVision that morning.
 
This is a formal uniform day for ALL students. Once again we will be having a collection at the entrance to Mass for the Missionary Childhood Association, so please encourage your children to do an extra chore around the house so they are able to bring in some change to donate to those in need and to fulfill their Lenten Almsgiving.
 
Plan to arrive earlier and join other parents as they pray the Rosary before Mass beginning at 8:45 a.m. in Extended Care. Everyone is welcome!
 
For your convenience, we do have parking in the neighborhood on this Mass day, but NO PARKING in the Memorial Health Care parking lot.

Tuition Assistance Luncheon a Blessing in Many Ways!
 
Ensuring all students have the opportunity for a Catholic Education here at St. Junipero Serra Catholic School and our partner schools of the Marian Alliance remains part of our vision and mission. Please join us in celebrating the success of our 4th Annual Seasons Tuition Assistance Luncheon. Collectively, the generous contributions of those who attended or volunteered at the luncheon exceeded $76,000 in net proceeds. These funds will be directed according to the donors' wishes among the three Marian Alliance schools (School of Our Lady, St. Anne Parish School and St. Joseph) and St. Junipero Serra Catholic School. One hundred percent of income from all raffle sales and St. Teresa Treats are also divided between St. Serra and the Marian Alliance schools. These funds help to alleviate some of the financial burden in the lives of families in need both here at St. Serra and those within The Marian Alliance.

In addition to rasing funds, the afternoon touched the hearts of all present. If you were unable to attend the event but would like to put us over $80,000, you are welcome to donate online HERE or have your students purchase a St. Teresa Treat, during their lunch time, on Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Our sincere gratitude goes to Mrs. Karin Hendrick, our event chair, for leading her committee and also to our table hostesses. Their creativity was inspiring and their attention to details  was very impressive. To view their beautiful tables, smiling faces and see an overview of the luncheon through our photo album on the website please, CLICK HERE.  

Formal acknowledgments for all donors and attendees will be in next week's Weekly Envelope or will be mailed where applicable. We are humbly grateful to all who played a role from our set-up volunteers and servers to our alumni and guests. We eagerly look forward to our event once again next January. Please watch for future SerraDIPITY articles for information on how you can join us and become a Table Hostess next year. 
Tuition Assistance 2017-2018
It is a part of our  mission and vision to provide a Catholic Education within the boundaries of our four parishes for all those who desire to be a part of St. Junipero Serra Catholic School. St. Serra is so grateful of the sacrifices our many families make to send their children to our Catholic School. We are also very appreciative for the significant number of benefactors who contribute to our Tuition Assistance  program  on a regular basis. We want all current families to be able to remain at SJSC should financial issues present themselves, therefore we will once  again offer tuition assistance to those who qualify through our blind, third party process. 
 
Please note that it is important to your application process that you remain an active parishioner at your parish.
 
We are pleased to announce that we will be working with FACTS, our new online administrator for managing our  tuition assistance application  process .  Most of you who have applied for high school tuition assistance will be familiar with this process.  Please  CLICK HERE  for more information and  to see how to access our new Online Tuition Assistance Application.
 
Deadline for submission is  Monday, March 27, 2017.
 
Please contact Shannon Smith in the Advancement Office at ext.139 or via email at  ssmith@serraschool.org  for application guidance. 
The Ducks are back!  
Come celebrate 
Mardi Gras on Monday, February 27 and Tuesday the 28th during all lunch periods. Our Campus Ministers will be selling baked goods and rubber ducks to support the "Courtyard," a homeless shelter in Orange. They will also be selling St. Teresa Treats for $2 each, which will go toward our Tuition Assistance Fund. 

Please have your students stop by to purchase their treats and to support those in need!  
SAVE THE DATE: Mandatory Parent Meeting 
State of the School /2017-2018 School Year Presen tation

Exciting Announcements! 
Tuesday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m.
OR 
Wednesday, March 22 at 9:30 a.m.
God is Good... All the Time,

Angeline Trudell
President     



 
 


"Be brave, take heart, all who put their HOPE in the Lord." - Psalm 31:24

Principals' Corner
Mrs. Carol Reiss, Principal, Preschool - Grade 2 & Mrs. Julie Tipton, Principal, Grades 3-8

Thank you!
Thank you to the many parents that attended the St. Junipero Serra Catholic School presentation of the documentary film, SCREENAGERS. We sincerely hope you found the information helpful. For all our parents, please note there are MANY valuable tools for parents under the Resources tab on the  Screenager website CLICK HERE     

End of the 2nd Trimester is March 10
Just a reminder the 2nd trimester ends on  March 10 . Please be sure to regularly check your student's progress on Sycamore (Kindergarten - Grade 8) as the trimester comes to a close.

Grandparents and Special Friends on Board
Friday, March 3rd!
 
We have had a terrific response for Grandparents & Special Friends Day once again this year. We have nearly 700 guests attending and final preparations are being made.

Carpooling & Parking for Guests Attending...
Each family that has a guest attending will receive a brightly colored "Grandparent/Special Friend On Board" placard in this week's Weekly Envelope. Please display this if you will be dropping your guest off with your student. These placards will notify traffic staff that guests need to be dropped off as close to the SAC as possible. Please remember, parking is extremely limited for this event. For guests who are driving themselves, please let them know that additional parking in the neighborhood has been granted for this day in the event of the Serra lot being full. There will be NO PARKING in the Memorial Care Medical Group lot, however there will be shuttles driving through the neighborhood to drive them onto campus so that they won't have to walk as far.
 
Day's agenda: 
7:15-8:30 a.m.   Drop-off, Check-in and Hospitality
8:30-9:15 a.m.   Prayer Service with a Choir Performance & Keynote Speaker
9:15-11:15 a.m. Guests Visit Classrooms
11:15 a.m.         Dismissal Begins
Calendar Reminder
Friday, March 3 is an ADJUSTED Minimum Day due to Grandparents and Special Friends Day. Dismissal for students who do not leave with their Grandparents or Special Friends, will begin at 11:15 a.m. Extended Care will be open their regular hours on this day both before and after school. Any students remaining at the conclusion of dismissal, will be checked into Extended Care. Please plan accordingly.
Don't Forget to Order Your 2017 Yearbook!

CLICK HERE
  to order a 2017 Yearbook TODAY before the March 2 price increase!  

Don't know if you ordered a Yearbook?  CLICK HERE   for a list of Yearbook orders as of February 15, 2017 in the Parent Protected area of our website, or check your email for an order confirmation from Jostens.  

Don't wait until it's TOO LATE! For more information, please contact Cindy Kennedy, Communications Director at  ckennedy@serraschool.org.
Mother & Son Ultimate Fun
COSMIC BOWLING
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Forest Lanes Bowling 

 

Make your RESERVATION today! $50 for mom and one (1) son, additional sons $20 each. Want to bowl with specific friends? Turn in your forms together and the volunteer team will work to make that happen. Reservations are due to the SJSC School Office by Friday, March 3 at 3:00 p.m. Session availability is first come first serve so don't delay!


 

Volunteers Needed! SIGN UP to work at Mother Son and join the fun. The team needs help during both sessions - sign up for one or both!

 

Opportunity Drawing! Amazing prizes available as part of this year's Mother & Son Ultimate Fun Opportunity Drawing:  Razor Go-Kart, Beats Headphones, Skateboards, Surfboard, a TV, and much more! You may purchase Opportunity Drawing Tickets now, via the reservation form, or at the event, 12 tickets for $10.

 

Questions? View the Mother Son HOMEPAGE  or contact the Event Chairs, Allie Bertocchini & Lisa Reed, at mother-son@serraschool.org

March In-N-Out® Closes Monday!

In-N-Out® lunch will be served on  Thursday, March 9March 16March 23 and March 30. Ordering for March closes  Monday, February 27 at 3:00 p.m. In-N-Out will not be served on  Thursday, March 2,  so please plan accordingly! 

CLICK HERE  to visit our In-N-Out page and to place your order for March.
22nd ANNUAL ANCHOR BALL
Rooted in Faith

Saturday, May 20, 2017
Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa
900 Newport Center Dr. Newport Beach, CA
"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." - Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Underwriting and Sponsorship Opportunities:
We invite your Family or Business to support this year's Anchor Ball and receive recognition as an Underwriter or Sponsor .   Underwriting support starts at $50; Sponsorship and Advertisement opportunities start at $175. Consider being a "ROOTED IN FAITH"UNDERWRITER , which includes seating for two, a VIP Hosted Cocktail Hour, and name recognition online and in the evening program.   Many Anchor Ball support levels include event tickets, program recognition and/or an invitation to a special pre-event VIP Party.  For details on underwriting opportunities please READ MORE...

Congratulations to the winners of our second Gift Gathering Raffle Drawing:
1st Place - The Sprague Family ($50 Amazon Gift Card)
2nd Place - The Klebba Family ($25 iTunes Gift Card)
3rd Place - The Epping Family ($10 Starbucks)

Questions? Check out the  Anchor Ball HOMEPAGE or  FACEBOOK PAGE to view the latest news and updates.
New Student Yearbook Photos - Tuesday, February 28th and Wednesday, March 1st

Photos will be taken on February 28 for Preschool and March 1 for students in grade TK-8 who started at SJSC after school portraits were taken at the start of the year. Parents of these students will receive an e-mail today notifying them of this scheduled date. Since Wednesday is a Mass day, all students should be in their formal uniform. 

If you did not receive an e-mail notification today and your child did not have their school portraits already taken, please contact Cindy Kennedy, Communications Director at ckennedy@serraschool.org.

 
Uniform Update
Last Call for Purchases of 2015-16 school uniforms!
 
Reminder: Students are allowed to wear the 2015-16 school uniform until June 2018. Last call for purchases of the 2015-16 school uniforms, as well as Serra Catholic logo items, which are available in very limited quantities in the Student Store. Complete the Purchase Form on the Student Store HOME PAGE, attach with check payment and return to the School Office. Items will be delivered through your student's classrooms. Store hours are: Monday-Friday 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Tuesday 1:45 to 3:00 p.m.
 
Spring Cleaning: Used Uniforms
We will only accept the 2015-16 school uniforms as Used Uniforms until Friday, March 3. No credits for the 2015-16 school uniforms will be given after Friday, March 3. The Used Uniforms may be dropped off any time at the Student Store.
 
Effective, May 29, 2015-16 school uniforms will no longer be sold in our Used Uniform store. Used Uniforms are available for sale Wednesday 7:40 to 8:30 a.m., and Tuesday 2:15 to 3:00 p.m. 
Scrip News 



Online Programs:
It is never too late to sign up to participate in our online program to boost earning rebates.  To set up an account on scripsense.com and/or shopwithscrip.com, please contact the Scrip Office.
 
 
For questions, contact Tina Maroutian, Scrip Coordinator at
Essential Learning Systems ( ELS ) Program 

ELS has openings in both after-school sessions! 

Younger students who are struggling with letter recognition, letter sound association, decoding skills, reading fluency, reading comprehension, attention and memory may benefit from this program. Older students struggling with these skills or who lack confidence in their academic skills, have difficulty understanding and/or remembering information, take a long time to complete schoolwork and homework, have limited independent learning skills, and/or could use additional academic support can also benefit. 

ELS is a computerized, multi-sensory, interactive program that improves focus, strengthens information processing skills, and enhances a variety of academic skills (e.g., reading decoding, reading fluency, comprehension, vocabulary development, and spelling).  ELS provides a fun environment where students strengthen their skills in a game-like format and earn points and prizes for their efforts. Two after-school classes are available:   1:50-2:35 p.m. (for students in Grades K through Two) and  2:50-3:40 p.m. (for students in Grades Three through Eight). Students attend  ELS four days per week ( Monday through  Thursday) for a minimum of one academic year. 

Please e-mail Dr. Lori Quigley at  lquigley@serraschool.org fo r more information or to enroll your child.
Important Reminder from the Health Room Regarding Peanuts and Peanut Allergies

Due to the high number and severity of peanut allergies many St. Serra students have, Preschool through Grade One are peanut free. This means that no student may bring peanuts or peanut products to school.

Students in Grades 2-8 may not share any peanuts or peanut products with other students. This includes special treats such as holiday and party treats.  Please take special care to make sure that your child does not share peanuts or peanut products with other students in order to protect all of our students who have peanut allergies. Students who have allergies are encouraged to bring special safe treats for party days.